Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 195
February 21, 2022
Blog Tour: ANDY GETS ANGRY by Mike J. Masse
Andy Gets Angry
Book One in the 'Emotions and Me' series
by Mike J. Masse
Illustrated by Emily Corbett
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GENRE: Children’s, (picture book) Contemporary
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BLURB:
Children can develop the ability to respond to their emotions in a healthy way through the practice of mindfulness. Andy Gets Angry is a great introduction for children to learn a fun and simple breath technique to respond to their emotions. The beautifully hand-painted illustrations provide the perfect landscape to tell the story of Andy and his journey in learning the wonderful skill of mindfulness. Share the book with your loved ones, and help us all plant the seed to be present!
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Excerpt Two:
Sometimes Andy gets angry when he loses. Sometimes he gets so angry in class when he doesn’t know the answer to a question.
Sometimes Andy gets angry when Bobby takes his toys … or when Sierra won’t stop singing!
Sometimes he gets angry when his parents raise their voices.
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Review: Meet Andy, a normal kid from a normal house. He loves sports and video games, and sometimes…he gets angry. See what sets him off and what it does to him. There’s anger in his face, his stomach, and his hands. But a guest speaker might just have the answer.
This book is an easy and straightforward explanation on anger, an emotion that is normal and is felt by all. This is something that everyone can relate to and it can be helpful to practice that breathing technique. Illustrations were nice and simple. A great book!
Rating: 4 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Mike Masse is a mindfulness consultant and public speaker who specializes in mindfulness-based stress reduction. For over a decade, he has been teaching adults, youth, and children mindfulness skills to help reduce their levels of stress and anxiety. A highly sought-after trainer, Mike facilitates workshops with educators, first responders, health care providers, and others who work in high-stress environments. Mike lives in Stratford, Ontario with his two sons and his wife.
CONNECT WITH AUTHOR MIKE J MASSE
WEBSITE: https://mindfulmike.ca/
FACEBOOK: mindfulmike.ca
INSTAGRAM: @mindfulmasse
PURCHASE LINKS
AMAZON.COM
https://amazon.com/dp/0228859115
KINDLE
https://amazon.com/dp/B09FW5P83Y
BOOKSHOP
https://bookshop.org/books/andy-gets-angry/9780228859116
BARNES & NOBLE
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/andy-gets-angry-mike-masse/1140165071
BOOK DEPOSITORY
https://www.bookdepository.com/Andy-Gets-Angry-Mike-Masse/9780228859116
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GIVEAWAY:
Mike J Masse will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
The author is also participating in a children's book giveaway through February 28.
https://books.bookfunnel.com/childrenfeb/kqi4akfqs3 a Rafflecopter giveaway
February 19, 2022
Review: SURFSIDE GIRLS: THE SECRETS OF DANGER POINT by Kim Dwinell (Book 1)
Sam and Jade are surfside girls and BFF’s. Summer has started and they spend the first day out on a paddle ride, which leads to a remarkable discovery—a world of ghosts hidden beneath a construction site that is a future home to a resort. The thing is that these are ghosts that only Sam could see. Apparently, she is the only one that could save them. With the help of her best friend, she dives into old research to discover the secrets of Danger Point. Can they solve the mystery in time?
The illustrations are rendered in soft pastels, giving a delicate quality. The art was reminiscent of the classic Peanus characters.
Fun and zany! A delightful read!
My rating: 4 stars
Review: ACTION IN LITTLE LEAF CREEK by Cindy Bell
It’s a Country Christmas for Cassie, widow of a big-city CEO. But looks like the town was going all Hollywood when a TV show was scheduled to film its latest episode there.
The storyline of the TV crew mingling with the country folks was okay, but it does take a long while to get the main event. The dead body isn’t found until chapter 6, which is kind of late in the game.
It’s a bit repetitive with the same info relayed so much between the characters. Long and slow as Cassie and the neighbor go over the suspect list as they bake holiday cookies.
Not the greatest mystery, but an okay read.
Rating: 3 stars
Review: SURFSIDE GIRLS: THE MYSTERY AT THE OLD RANCHO by Kim Dwinell (Book 2)
The girls are back! This time, they’re solving a new mystery concerning a ghost and a father that may still be alive. With the help of their ghost friends, Sam and Jade will try to solve this old mystery. Fun with such wonderful illustrations!
My rating: 4 stars
Review: VENGEANCE IN LITTLE LEAF CREEK by Cindy Bell
Story has a very SLOW pace and too MANY characters. You get sick and tired of hearing them talk about the balloons. Yes, I realize that they’re at a hot air balloon festival, but, c’mon, enough is enough already. Normally I can fall easily into a Cindy Bell mystery, but I couldn’t get past the first 2 chapters in this one. Very disappointing!
Rating: 1 star
Review: CONFLICT IN LITTLE LEAF CREEK by Cindy Bell
It was the fall season and that meant time for apple pie. Cassie was just going to the orchards for some apples. Instead, she finds the dead body of the orchard owner. Was it the guy whose business was going down because of him? Or one of the farm hands that was fired? There were way too many possible suspects in this one. There was way too much conflict, but it wasn’t very interesting conflict. Too complicated for a cozy mystery. Very slow, too. There was too much time spent on the Thanksgiving hoopla. You get kind of tired of it after a while.
An okay read, but certainly not the greatest.
Rating: 3 stars
February 18, 2022
Blog Tour: BLINDED BY LOVE by Gladys Cross
Blinded by Love
by Gladys Cross
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GENRE: Romantic Comedy, (RomCom), Contemporary
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BLURB:
Kassie knew she was in trouble when her matchmaking best friend announced she’d gotten professional help in time for Valentine’s Day. Her friend’s attempts had always been hilariously ridiculous and never in a million years was Kassie expecting a hunky firefighter to show up on her doorstep.
Her online dating profile said she was looking for a superhero, and Declan couldn’t help but believe it had to be fate. But fate was a fickle mistress who left him to wonder who he was behind the mask. He’d been hiding in plain sight for long enough that he wasn’t sure if he even knew the answer. And until he figured that out, he had nothing to offer the world, let alone Kassie.
Love had already ended in tragedy once for Kassie, and she feared that history was doomed to repeat itself unless Declan could learn to trust her with his secrets. This time around, would it be enough to harden her heart for good, or would his deception restore her faith in second chances?
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Excerpt One:
Excerpt from Kassie:
“When was the last time you went on a date?” Tiffany asked, leaning over the back of the sectional.
“That would be the time you set me up with your cousin Phil.” I shuddered and gave my her a bitchy glare. “I’m still not recovered.”
She rolled her eyes. “How long ago was that?”
“Six months ago,” I grudgingly admitted.
My best friend was a horrendous match maker, yet she continued to subject me to these dating rejects every time I was single. Not that she kept the good ones for herself. Oh no, there was the guy who manufactured meth, the one who left her to watch his baby while he got drunk, and my personal favorite, the one who removed all his natural teeth in favor of a gold grill not knowing he could get a snap on. Dumbass.
“Exactly,” she said with a smirk. “Besides, this time it’s different. I sought professional help.”
Wait a second, what did she just say? And more importantly what sort of fresh hell was she planning on subjecting me to?
“What do you mean, exactly, by professional help?”
She winced, her button nose scrunching up. “I may have created a dating profile for you on LookingforLoveOnline.com.”
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Review: What could be worse than your best friend setting you up with an online profile on a dating site? Nothing, if your perfect match was a hunky fireman.
For Kassie, it was much more than the rippling muscles that attracted her to Declan. It was their shared interests, too. We watch the two get all giddy and awkward on a few of these dates. It all seemed good…until a fire accident leaves Declan blind. He was left a bitter and grumbling mess that just wanted to be left alone. Undeterred, Kassie appoints herself to be his full-time caregiver. When their sexual chemistry finally explodes, it’s amazing how the other senses were heightened. It seems the two were getting closer, but would Declan’s secrets break them apart?
An easy and enjoyable read. Witty and clever with humorous puns. Looking forward to the other superhero tales in this series.
Rating: 4 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Books transport us to a fantasy world where anything can happen, and once I overcame my difficulties in learning how to read, I was hooked. My mother always carried a Harlequin Romance with her, so it was only natural that I was drawn to that genre. There was something magical about the concept of eternal love and as I grew older, my tastes within the genre broadened to include everything from historical to dark.
My writing blossomed in much the same way. The first story I wrote was the Vanderbilt Affair, which was inspired by a field trip. Back then, I was fortunate enough to have an English teacher willing to nurture my love of writing by becoming my editor after school.
The writing bug stayed with me, but over the years, life got in the way, and it wasn’t until my early forties that I published my first short story in a Christmas Anthology. From there, I began writing and publishing across many sub-genres, with each book carrying some element of the unexpected.
When I’m not up to devious pursuits, like shooting a character, you’ll find me curled up with a book next to my dog, watching TV with my better half, or engaging in random water gun fights with my daughter and the neighborhood kids.
Stalk Me!
Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3w9JkKM
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2102530.Gladys_Cross
Facebook Private Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3772742262760749/?ref=share
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gladys.cross.author/?hl=en
Tiktok: http://tiktok.com/@authorgladyscross
The book is on sale for $0.99 during the tour.
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Blinded-Love-Superhero-Disguise-Romcom-ebook/dp/B09LD4WSJN/ref=sr_1_1
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GIVEAWAY:
Gladys Cross will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawayFebruary 14, 2022
Blog Tour: HEAL YOURSELF by Sandie Gascon
Heal Yourself
by Sandie Gascon
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GENRE: BODY, MIND & SPIRIT / Healing
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BLURB:
The body wants to return to balance. It just needs the tools to do so. Heal Yourself ~ Body ~ Mind ~ Spirit ~ helps you discover the messages your body is sending, and it also shares the tools to aid your body in healing itself.
"Part One: Body" covers Sandie's whole-body approach to healing: rebuilding and rebalancing the body, removing stress, and addressing the root causes of chronic illness. All key systems in the body are covered, including functional laboratory test analysis to determine what support your body needs, and the forms of supplements that are right for you. Because everything in our body is connected, we must also focus on our mind and spirit in order to heal. When we change our negative thoughts, beliefs, and responses to ones that serve us, we remove a huge burden of stress from the body.
"Part Two: Mind" dives deep into all areas of personal growth, from empowering language to the Laws of Attraction, building healthy relationships to wealth consciousness, and so much more.
"Part Three: Spirit" is focused on meditations to help further your spiritual journey. Through meditation, you learn to become the observer of the body. From here suffering becomes optional, allowing you to shift to a vibration of peace where the body, mind and spirit can heal.
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Excerpt One:
One of the most common questions I receive is, “What is the root cause of my illness?” Everyone wants to blame something: Lyme, candida, mold, root canals, antibiotics, medication, and so on. I have found the answer to be that there is never a single root cause of illness. We all start out with a reserve. I think of these reserves as our bodies’ “bank accounts.” Genetics and the health of our mother will determine how much of a reserve a person has in the beginning of their life. Through pregnancy and after birth, any stress we encounter makes withdrawals from the bank account. Stress includes emotional stress, physical stress, and chemical stress. Emotional stress is pretty straightforward. Physical stress will include things like injury and exercise. Chemical stress includes toxins, metals, and pathogens. Our world is a stressful place.
The majority of people eat a Standard American Diet (SAD). Kids grow up lacking nutrients. Moms are nutrient deficient, which creates more genetic mutations being expressed from the womb and beyond. If a mom’s detoxification pathways, in particular methylation, are not functioning optimally, it will mean less detoxification capability for the baby. Formula fed babies start out with a propensity for leaky gut. Moms are now getting vaccinated while pregnant, and babies currently being born have the most vaccines in history.
Withdrawal after withdrawal is happening from our bodies’ bank account, which quickly becomes depleted. Once the person hits zero balance and goes into debt, symptoms start occurring. The further in debt they get, the more symptoms appear, and eventually, disease is inevitable. It is no wonder we are seeing illness in increasingly younger individuals, and the rate of all diseases continues to climb. The amount of stress we face is outrageous.
By the time you start showing symptoms, the last event is what most people correlate with their symptoms and illness. In reality, it is just the straw that broke the camel’s back. If it were not that case of food poisoning, for instance, then it would have been the next stressor.
That is why I don’t focus on pathogens or metals in the beginning, and I do not recommend strict diets. Both of these end up stressing the body further. We need to stop making the withdrawals, or at least reduce them, and start making deposits. Deposits are supplements, herbs, and foods that fuel us.
Deposits include fueling our souls with passion, purpose, joy, and love. Stopping the withdrawals is done by removing chemicals in our environment, reducing emotional stress through mindset work, eating clean, whole foods, and in time, removing metals and pathogens. Rebuild and rebalance, repair detoxification pathways, and remove stress; these 4 Rs are critical to replenishing our bodies’ bank account.
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Guest Post
I always love sharing my healing journey. Many people just see the healthy, strong mom, author, equestrian and successful health coach, and they feel I can’t relate to what they are going through. The truth is, I spent most of my life suffering from chronic illness. As I went through it there was a lot of suffering. Now I see it as exactly where I needed to be. I had things to learn and grow from and the illness was what I needed to fuel that growth. When I share my journey, it helps others realize that there is hope. If I can heal, they can too.
I had my first migraine when I was seven years old, and they persisted and got worse as I got older. At thirteen I started to suffer from insomnia and began having manic depressive periods. I was diagnosed with bipolar depression at nineteen and went on Effexor as it was helping my mother who had the same diagnosis. The Effexor reduced the intensity and frequency of the migraines, but it turned me into a zombie. At the time, that was a better option than the raging maniac. I thought this was normal. In my family everyone suffered from mental health issues, so I didn’t know anything else existed. In 2009 I was diagnosed with lupus one year after severe food poisoning that caused my symptoms to spiral downwards. Just before the diagnosis I met a woman who had lupus for many years and warned me about trying medication. This resonated with me as I had been trying unsuccessfully to get off Effexor.
Online I found a website where the woman had healed from lupus eating raw vegan. I thought this was the answer and tried many times unsuccessfully to stay on this diet. I was unable to for long periods due to the intense cravings and being consumed with food all the time. The following year the Effexor which was keeping my migraines at bay stopped working and I ended up having to stop work as a massage therapist as I was not having success healing lupus naturally. The migraines, joint pain, and fatigue were crushing my ability to function. I ended up moving home with my parents.
I went into a deep depression for a year before I was able to pull myself out and get determined to heal. In time I shifted away from trying different diets and instead turned to the science behind healing. I found amino acid therapy and was able to get off Effexor and balance my brain. From there I started to focus on detoxification and gut healing. I was able to get rid of the autoimmune response. I made a lot of progress then took many steps back. Due to using trial and error trying to clear my skin I developed IC (Interstitial Cystitis) and severe SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) that landed me in the hospital many times.
It was then I realized I needed to stop guessing and start testing. I took the Functional Diagnostic Nutrition course and began to upgrade to more up to date courses on the newer tests available. I began to test myself. I had so much knowledge but needed to see exactly what was going on in my body. It wasn’t long before I was free of SIBO and IC. I reached a level of health I could never have imagined. I was able to have a healthy baby boy which had always been my goal in healing.
I founded Motivated 2 Heal and started to help people all over the world heal from chronic illnesses. Over the past 5 years I have run thousands of tests, upgraded my knowledge with many new courses (including nutrigenomics), incorporated mindset training and spiritual growth into my coaching and developed a completely holistic healing program that has a great success rate helping others heal naturally. I wrote and published Heal Yourself ~ Body ~ Mind ~ Spirit~ which is already helping thousands of people world-wide. This year I am planning to launch a Health Coaching Academy to teach people who are passionate about helping others heal exactly how to analyze tests and design protocols. I am so excited for 2022!
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Sandie Gascon is a Health Coach who has helped guide hundreds of people from over twenty-five countries on their healing journey. After suffering severe side effects from medications during her twenty-year battle with chronic migraines, when she was diagnosed with Lupus she committed herself to healing naturally. Through her experiences, she developed a whole body, mind, and spirit approach that addresses the person in a truly holistic manner. She takes the guess work out of the equation by running functional lab work to see what the body needs. She healed herself of migraines, depression, lupus, interstitial cystitis, and cystic acne. Her purpose is to help educate others on the importance of shifting focus to rebuilding and rebalancing the body and removing internal and external stress so the body can heal itself.
Sandie lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband Eric and son Kaiden. She has a passion for riding horses and spends much of her free time at the barn with her horses Bee and Vala. She loves playing with Kaiden, spending time with family and friends and hiking with her dogs.
Sandie is available for speaking engagements, workshops, and personal coaching. Find out more at www.motivated2heal.com
Connect with Sandie Gascon
WEBSITE https://sandiegasconauthor.com/
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/motivated2heal
INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/sandie.gascon/
TIKTOK https://www.tiktok.com/@sandie.gascon
YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/c/motivated2heal
Purchase links for Heal Yourself: Body ~ Mind ~ Spirit
AMAZON.COM https://amazon.com/dp/0228853869
AMAZON.CA https://amazon.ca/dp/0228853869
BOOKSHOP https://bookshop.org/books/heal-yourself-body-mind-spirit-9780228853862/9780228853862
INDIGO CHAPTERS https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/heal-yourself-body-mind-spirit/9780228853886-item.html
BARNES & NOBLE https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heal-yourself-sandie-gascon/1140015874
BOOK DEPOSITORY https://www.bookdepository.com/Heal-Yourself-Sandie-Gascon/9780228853862
KOBO https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/heal-yourself-28
SMASHWORDS https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1099146
APPLE BOOKS https://books.apple.com/us/book/heal-yourself-body-mind-spirit/id1581434561
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GIVEAWAY:
Sandie Gascon will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawayBlog Tour: THE RAVEN AND THE PIG by Lou Kemp
The Raven and the Pig
by Lou Kemp
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GENRE: Magical realism
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BLURB:
Synopsis of The Raven and the Pig Book 2
As the music dies, the magician Celwyn is mortally wounded. His darker, immortal brother Pelaez brings him back, barely, with his magic. The party of protagonists travel on the Nautilus to the Cape Verde Islands and the healer of immortals. During the journey, Professor Kang and Bartholomew can not tell if Pelaez will keep his brother alive. Captain Nemo is ready to evict Pelaez forcibly, and keeping Celwyn alive is the only thing that restrains him.
After Celwyn is saved, the healer requests payment for his services. This sends the adventurers to the catacombs in Capuchin where their experience is one they will not forget. Before it is over, several of the protagonists question why it seems everyone from warlocks and vampires to witches, seem to be congregating in their world. Before it is over, some of them become surprising allies, and a few of their allies turn against them.
In part II, work on the new flying machine begins in earnest bringing attention from the Mafioso and a cherub-like warlock called Duncan. After a final battle with Duncan, the flying machine is destroyed and everyone at their compound is murdered by one of their own.
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Excerpt One:
Prelude
The rolling hills near Odessa, north of Constantinople 1867
With each step he took, Professor Xiau Kang sensed the intensity, and importance of what he would find. Above all, he felt the weight of his sadness. He had done his best to ignore that there was no guarantee Captain Nemo had located Thales, if Nemo failed to find him, Jonas Celwyn would be dead within a matter of days, perhaps hours.
A long time ago, on the Zelda, the magician had doubted a mechanical man could feel. Kang paused, swaying on his feet as he fought to regain his control; at this moment, the automat knew real despair, a wrenching grief that they would lose Jonas. He swallowed hard and walked faster, climbing to the top of the berm.
There she was! The long black submarine lay still in the water. A single sailor stood on patrol, and another perched in the cage on top with a spyglass.
Kang called, “I’ll get Mr. Celwyn. Please let the Captain know we’re here.”
Conductor Smith joined him as they ran back to the coach. The others had seen them and began unloading the magician onto the stretcher that Kang had fashioned for this moment. He skidded to a stop and grabbed Celwyn’s hand.
“The Nautilus is here. It isn’t far.”
In the distance, a low hum reached them; the sound sputtered and grew stronger.
The magician’s eyes opened slowly, like a thread from his memory raised his lids, impelling him to look. Everyone, including Jonas, gazed upward, as if they had already known what was to come.
The noise grew louder, and then a bright yellow flying machine crested the low hills and headed toward the estuary.
“Yes!” Kang shouted, raising his fist in triumph.
The plane swerved to the north, banked, and then flew toward them again in a wide arc.
“Oh, my God, it’s Bartholomew,” Elizabeth exclaimed.
Bartholomew wore a broad smile and his scarf fluttered in the breeze as he sailed over them. He waved. As he banked again, the engine revved and he turned, descending for another pass. Celwyn raised himself onto an elbow to wave back.
“Hurry,” Kang said. “Bartholomew is going to land. We have to get Jonas onto the ship.”
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Guest Post: Magical Realism vs. Fantasy: Similarities and Differences
When I began the early stories of Celwyn (see In Memory of the Sibylline in the MWA anthology Crimes by Moonlight, and more recently The Violins Played before Junstan in Odd Partners 2018), I opened a vein, and the story came out. The plot became steampunk and magical realism, in my opinion, because the world was not jaw droppingly different from what we know. Ships are ships, pubs are pubs, and bad guys look like you and me.
I like that magical realism tweaks reality, but doesn’t really change it. Fantasy changes it, some of the time in wonderful ways, and opens your eyes to a new reality. The difference is also a plot more heavily dependent on the visual of the fantasy world. Magical realism can be character driven, as in the Celwyn series. If you were an immortal magician easily bored, you’d find unique ways to entertain yourself too after hundreds of years. Another protagonist, Bartholomew, thinks it is humorous to watch when the magician experiments on Professor Kang’s appearance. In the upcoming book 3, The Pirate Danced and the Automat Died, Kang finds that Celwyn will never run out of inventive ways to magically enhance him.
One of the most noticeable differences between these genres is that most likely my protagonists will be two-legged and speak as a human, verses whatever language a particular monster or fairy would say. That is probably one reason I like to read fantasy, but not write it.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Early work was horror and suspense, later work morphed into a combination of magical realism, mystery and adventure painted with a horrific element as needed.
I’m one of those writers who doesn’t plan ahead, no outlines, no clue, and I sometimes write myself into a corner. Atmospheric music in the background helps. Black by Pearl Jam especially.
More information is available at LouKemp.com. I'd love to hear from you and what you think of Celwyn, Bartholomew, and Professor Xiau Kang.
Milestones:
2009 The anthology story Sherlock’s Opera appeared in Seattle Noir, edited by Curt Colbert, Akashic Books. Available through Amazon or Barnes and Noble online. Booklist published a favorable review of my contribution to the anthology.
2010 My story, In Memory of the Sibylline, was accepted into the best-selling MWA anthology Crimes by Moonlight, edited by Charlaine Harris. The immortal magician Celwyn makes his first appearance in print.
2018 The story, The Violins Played before Junstan is published in the MWA anthology Odd Partners, edited by Anne Perry. The Celwyn series begins.
Present The full length prequel, The Violins Played before Junstan, to the Celwyn book series is published on Kindle. The companion book, Farm Hall is also published where Pelaez, another immortal magician and Celwyn's brother, makes his first appearance. The remaining books in the series: Music Shall Untune the Sky, The Raven and the Pig, The Pirate Danced and the Automat Died, will be available beginning in August 2021.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LouKempBooks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Lou-Kemp/100070730154592/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LouKempAuthor/
Book Video: https://youtu.be/L9AP32VkY2E
Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Raven-Pig-Book-Celwyn-ebook/dp/B09KXFWBZC/
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GIVEAWAY :
Lou Kemp will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner, a 2nd randomly drawn winner a mug and pen with the book image and a 3rd randomly drawn winner will win a eBook via rafflecopter during the tour.
February 13, 2022
Q&A with MarQuese Liddle, author of Wand Smoke
TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW BOOK
Wand Smoke: Broken is the first of my gunpowder fantasy series of novels and short story collections. In a fantasy world roughly similar our own during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries but plagued by hobs, faeries, occult spirits, and other folkloric elements, a blind man and his adopted daughter must learn to let go of their will to revenge on the very world that has made them outcasts.
If I were to summarize the plot...
Just outside a small coal mining town by the name of Village South dwells the bitter, blind, drug-dealing troglodyte, the self-styled cult leader and Lord of Fear, Canti. Together with his sole follower, the Serpent Cursed girl known only as Broken, this wannabe villain seeks power in occult magic enough to take his vengeance on humanity—that is, until his leaden soul is turned to gold when both he and Broken learn what it really means to achieve revenge: to become despair, evil, and the incarnation of tyranny.
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE TITLE FOR THIS BOOK?
The series title, Wand Smoke, came to me when I wrote the chapters of the same name. Those two chapters, “Wand Smoke parts I & II,” feature genre elements more typical of gangster films and western novels, which I felt represented the series as a whole—it’s really a fantasy western / fantasy frontier cross genre blend.
As for the novel title, Broken, while Canti is really the main protagonist and point-of-view character, his relationship with his adopted daughter, Broken, symbolizes what this book is really about: broken people are healed when they take responsibility for healing themselves.
Lastly, I should mention why I chose to run the series and book titles together. Wand Smoke captures the genre-mixing so well, I wanted it center stage, and I thought it was catchier than Broken. That’s really the whole reason.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS BOOK?
After trying my hand at a sprawling, epic fantasy novel, I wanted to write something much more local. This is most evident in the setting. Many of the set pieces, such as the River Deep, hills and mountains, surrounding forests, and coal mining towns are reflective of and inspired by where I live and grew up in West Virginia. The tone and atmosphere bear the same inspirations—bleakness, smog, poverty, drug abuse, and small town corruption abound.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CHARACTERS IN YOUR STORY?
At first, both Canti and Broken are driven primarily by a will to vengeance. It is the reason they take interest in occult magic. However, as they plot progresses, their motivations and end-goals change. For Canti, he comes to care a lot more about his role as a father figure for Broken. As for Broken herself, she’s still struggling to re-learn right and wrong from her former perspective.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS A PIVOTAL SCENE IN YOUR BOOK AND WHY?
It’s a bit of a spoiler to talk about, but the scene in which Canti realizes that the yokels of Village South actually want him around—that they expect him to be a part of their community and miss him when he isn’t there—is a major turning point for the character. Shortly after that scene, Canti also comes to terms with his own imperfections, imperfections which have hitherto resulted in him pushing away both friends and family. He takes counsel from a more experienced, more responsible parent and citizen, and determines to seek forgiveness for his recent transgressions.
IF YOUR BOOK WERE TO BE MADE INTO A MOVIE, WHO WOULD BE YOUR CAST?
If you’re asking me about actors, I have no idea. But I can give you the main cast of characters: blind cult-leader Canti, the Serpent Cursed seer Broken, Deputy Grant, alchemists Gnostius and Domhnall, mystic Virva, and the specter of Old King Ogier.
WHAT CRITERIA DID YOU USE WHEN SELECTING THE COVER FOR YOUR BOOK?
My only criteria for book covers are that I don’t hate them, which begs the question, “What covers would I hate?” The answer: composite photos of action scenes or poses with the characters front and center. Such covers scream generic so loudly that I won’t pick up a book with one on principle.
I chose Wand Smoke: Broken’s cover because of its representation of a mountainous land covered in purple miasma—very fitting for the setting.
WAS THERE A MESSAGE IN YOUR BOOK THAT YOU WERE TRYING TO CONVEY?
Yes, that self-overcoming and responsibility are the spiritual cures to unfulfilled wills to power and impulses toward tyranny and revenge. I mentioned growing up in West Virginia. Here, most people give up or give in to some form of self-medication to deal with the disappointment with their lives and with themselves. The few that don’t and won’t try to numb the pains of self-consciousness, like myself, struggle between despair and resentment. This novel is a metaphorical map of a narrow pathway out from being trapped by these feelings.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE AS A WRITER?
My greatest challenge is despair. When I am sitting alone each early morning, before the sun has risen because it is my only time free to write, I am sometimes stricken by the horror of the reality that what I’m writing might not be worth anything to anyone. After all, I’m one author among hundreds of thousands, most of whom will never be read due to the sheer volume out there. It is difficult to endure this knowledge and to keep my head down—to keep writing in spite of the uncertainty. How I’ve maintained morale thus far is yet an enigma to me.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR NEW WRITERS?
Embrace imperfection, and realize that writing is the journey and not the destination (even though you won’t feel like it at times). My biggest mistake starting out was to think I had to be good right away, or that my first drafts needed to be clean and acceptable. The reality is, whether you’re a new writer or an experienced one, when your writing, you’re not primarily producing a story or novel (though you are also doing that). Primarily, you are producing a better version of yourself. Everything you write is practice and exercise as to make you better at writing. With that in mind, if you’re new, realize that you’ll have to produce a lot of work before you start producing anything that you’re really proud of—and that’s alright! It is as it must be. Just don’t give up, and keep writing. So long as you are honest with yourself, you’ll become a better author over time.
DO YOU HAVE A BLOG OR WEBSITE READERS CAN VISIT FOR UPDATES, EVENTS AND SPECIAL OFFERS?
I blog on my website, wildislelit.com. I also post stories and excerpts there whenever I have something new about to release. I’ve done a giveaway through my mailing list as well, and intend to do them more regularly in the near future. I do indie author book reviews there as well, and I intend to expand and host a podcast as well (one day). If you enjoy fiction or philosophy, you’ll enjoy what I post there.
