L. Salt's Blog, page 9

[Book Blitz}: The Shade Under the Mango Tree by Evy Journey

Genre: Literary, Contemporary Fiction, Multicultural

Gold Medal, Contemporary Fiction, 2021 Global Book Awards (formerly New York City Book Awards)

Finalist, 2021 SPR (Self Publishing Review) Book Awards

Finalist, Multicultural Fiction, 2021 International Book Awards

After two heart-breaking losses, Luna wants adventure. Something and somewhere very different from the affluent, sheltered home where she grew up. An adventure in which she can make some difference.

Lucien, a worldly, well-traveled young architect, finds a stranger’s journal at a café. He has qualms and pangs of guilt about reading it. But they don’t stop him. His decision to go on reading changes his life.

Meeting later at a bookstore, Luna is fascinated by Lucien’s stories and adventurous spirit. She goes to a rice-growing village in a country steeped in an ancient culture and a deadly history. What she finds there defies anything she could have imagined. Will she leave this world unscathed?

An epistolary tale of courage, resilience, and the bonds that bring diverse people together.

Excerpt

Prologue

Luna: February, 2016

Ov’s thin upper body is slumped over his crossed legs, his forehead resting on the platform. His brown, wiry arms lie limp, the right one extended forward, hand dangling over the edge of the platform. Dried blood is splattered on his head, and on the collar, right shoulder, and back of his old short-sleeved white shirt.

It seems fitting that he died where he used to spend most of his time when he wasn’t on the rice fields—sitting on a corner of the bamboo platform in the ceiling-high open space under the house. It’s where you get refreshing breezes most afternoons, after a long day of work.

The policeman looks down at Ov’s body as if he’s unsure what to do next. He lays down his camera and the gun in a plastic bag at one end of the platform untainted by splatters of gelled blood.

He steps closer to the body, anchors himself with one knee on top of the platform, and bends over the body. Hooking his arms underneath Ov’s shoulders and upper arms, he pulls the body up, and carefully lays it on its back. He straightens the legs.

He steps off the platform. Stands still for a few seconds to catch his breath. He turns to us and says, “It’s clear what has happened. I have all the pictures I need.”

He points to his camera, maybe to make sure we understand. We have watched him in silence, three zombies still in shock. Me, standing across the bamboo platform from him. Mae and Jorani sitting, tense and quiet, on the hammock to my left.

Is that it? Done already? I want to ask him: Will he have the body taken away for an autopsy? I suppose that’s what is routinely done everywhere in cases like this. But I don’t know enough Khmer.

As if he sensed my unspoken question, he glances at me. A quick glance that comes with a frown. He seems perplexed and chooses to ignore me.

He addresses the three of us, like a captain addressing his troop. “You can clean up.”

The lingering frown on his brow softens into sympathy. He’s gazing at Jorani, whose mournful eyes remain downcast. He looks away and turns toward Mae. Pressing his hands together, he bows to her. A deeper one than the first he gave her when she and Jorani arrived.

He utters Khmer words too many and too fast for me to understand. From the furrowed brow and the look in his eyes, I assume they are words of sympathy. He bows a third time, and turns to go back to where he placed the gun and camera. He picks them up and walks away.

For a moment or two, I stare at the figure of the policeman walking away. Then I turn to Jorani. Call him back. Don’t we have questions? I can ask and you can translate, if you prefer. But seeing her and Mae sitting as still and silent as rocks, hands on their laps, and eyes glazed as if to block out what’s in front of them, the words get trapped in my brain. Their bodies, rigid just moments before, have gone slack, as if to say: What else can anyone do? What’s done cannot be undone. All that’s left is to clean up, as the policeman said. Get on with our lives.

My gaze wanders again toward the receding figure of the policeman on the dirt road, the plastic bag with the gun dangling in his right hand. Does it really matter how Cambodian police handles Ov’s suicide? I witnessed it. I know the facts. And didn’t I read a while back how Buddhism frowns upon violations on the human body? The family might object against cutting up Ov—the way I’ve seen on TV crime shows—just to declare with certainty what caused his death.

I take in a long breath. I have done all I can and must defer to Cambodian beliefs and customs.

But I can’t let it go yet. Ov chose to end his life in a violent way and I’m curious: Do the agonies of his last moments show on his face? I steal another look.

All I could gather, from where I stand, is life has definitely gone out of every part of him. His eyes are closed and immobile. The tic on his inanimate cheeks hasn’t left a trace. The tic that many times was the only way I could tell he had feelings. Feelings he tried to control or hide. Now, his face is just an expressionless brown mask. Maybe everyone really has a spirit, a soul that rises out of the body when one dies, leaving a mansize mass of clay.

I stare at Ov’s body, lying in a darkened, dried pool of his own blood, bits of his skull and brain scattered next to his feet where his head had been. At that moment, it hits me that this would be the image of Ov I will always remember. I shudder.

My legs begin to buckle underneath me and I turn around, regretting that last look. With outstretched hands, I take a step toward the hammock. Jorani rises to grab my hands, and she helps me sit down next to Mae.

Could I ever forget? Could Mae and Jorani? Would the image of Ov in a pool of blood linger in their memories like it would in mine?

I know I could never tell my parents what happened here this afternoon. But could I tell Lucien? The terrible shock of watching someone, in whose home I found a family, fire a gun to his head? And the almost as horrifying realization—looking back—that I knew what he was going to do, but I hesitated for a few seconds to stop him.

About the Author

Evy Journey writes. Stories. Blogs (three sites). Cross-genre novels. She’s also a wannabe artist, and a flâneuse (an ambler).

Evy studied psychology ( Ph.D. University of Illinois) initially to help her understand herself and Dostoevsky. Now, she spins tales about multicultural characters dealing with the problems and issues of contemporary life. She believes in love and its many faces.

Just as she has crossed genres in writing fiction, she has also crossed cultures, having lived and traveled in various cities in different countries. Find her thoughts on travel, art, and food at Artsy Rambler (https://eveonalimb2.com).

Contact Links

Website: https://evyjourney.net

Twitter: https://twitter.com/eholychair

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ejourneywriter/

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14845365.Evy_Journey

BookBuzz: https://book-buzz.net/literary-fiction-the-shade-under-the-mango-tree-by-evy-journey/

Purchase Links

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-shade-under-the-mango-tree-evy-journey/1137986157?ean=2940166256980

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-shade-under-the-mango-tree-1

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-shade-under-the-mango-tree/id1606925369

[Release Blitz]: The Girl Who Escaped by Mark Nolan

Genre: Crime Thriller

Published: 29th July 2022

One month ago, four college girls were abducted. Three were brutally murdered. One girl escaped.

Angie Taylor was traumatized and shocked speechless. The police think she killed her friends, and then had a mental breakdown. Her psychiatrist believes she has an emotionally unstable personality disorder.

Can she ever speak up and describe the killer’s face to a police sketch artist?

Is the murderer stalking her right now, eager to finish what he started?

Everyone in the city is on edge, fearing the worst, not sure what to believe.

A visit from a determined FBI agent shakes things up and raises the stakes. FBI Special Agent Brenda Reynolds of the VSRT must investigate whether the mysterious silent girl is a victim, a killer, or has gone insane.

Grab your copy of the suspense thriller everyone is talking about, and start reading right now.

About the Author

Mark Nolan is an Amazon Bestselling Author and Kindle Unlimited All-Star. His latest book is titled The Girl Who Escaped.

Contact Links

Website: http://www.marknolan.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkNolanAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marknolan

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61403758-the-girl-who-escaped

Purchase Link

Giveaway

$20 Paypal

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/408264011580

[Article on publishing]: My long road to a book deal… and a very important announcement

It was December 2019 when I left my publisher (a small indie press, based in the USA), changed my author’s pseudonym to my real name, and started my publishing journey from scratch.

It wasn’t an easy decision to make. After all, I had a novel, three novellas, and a couple of short stories published by this publisher. Why did I terminate the contract then? Well, it’s a long story for another long blog post. All I can tell you right now is that I know I’ve made the right decision. I knew it was for good.

All I had back then works-wise were a couple of unfinished short stories, my already published novellas and novel with the rights reverted to me, and my brand new project, a sci-fi thriller novel Dive Beyond Eternity (only a 30,000+ word novella back then with the cryptic title The U-nseen). 

Only one thing I was sure about: I needed a new good home for my new book. Why didn’t I consider self-publishing? Well, this is another good topic for another post.

So I started from scratch… Again! This time, I decided to “go big” and look for an agent or a well-established publisher.

After my first round of queries, I realised that both agents and publishers preferred novels to novellas and, in fact, novella as a genre was almost impossible to sell. Calling for help from beta-readers, I realised the main thing–the story was far from completed, it needed more “space to breathe”. I spent another few months of 2020 rewriting it into a full-length novel, dealing with beta-readers, hiring a professional proofreader to polish my manuscript, participating in #PitchWars and other contests, and finally, renaming it Dive Beyond Eternity.

The second round of queries was more successful with one partial and two full requests (one from a #PitchWars mentor).

And then… An R&R email came from an agent who’d requested my full manuscript. An R&R (or Revise and Resubmit) from an agent or a publisher is like a lottery ticket for a querying author. I must admit I felt over the moon! The agent was very polite and explained in all details what they would like to see in my work and why they were not ready to represent it as it was.

Excited and inspired, I spent another three months rewriting my novel, making it stronger, changing the ending, cutting all “fat”, and speeding up the pace.

In September 2021, the third round of queries started, which brought me a couple more full requests, but… no answer from the agent.

It was the beginning of 2022. By then, I had built my portfolio of short stories and short non-fiction, publishing my stories, essays, and reviews in magazines. I didn’t regret terminating my contract with the publisher, but… I’d started to get exhausted from querying, waiting, receiving a generic “no” or no response at all. I chased the agent a few times with no success.

I thought I’d exhausted all the resources and was ready to put Dive Beyond Eternity aside. I almost gave up on it. Then… I had an insignificant chat with an editor on Twitter about northern genres vs southern genres in the UK. This chat led me to a query, followed by the full request, followed by… Yes!! A publishing contract.

I still can’t believe it! After two years of researching, writing, rewriting, editing, and querying, I’m thrilled to announce that my science fiction/thriller novel Dive Beyond Eternity has finally found an amazing home at Northodox Press UK (link to the publisher’s site: https://www.northodox.co.uk/ ). Northodox Press is championing authors from the north of England who’re currently underrepresented on the UK’s publishing stage.

The idea of my long post is to encourage my fellow authors not to give up on their writing. I know it’s easier to say than do, but trust me, you never know what the future is holding for you. You never know where, when, or under what circumstances you can meet your agent/publisher. Please don’t rely on traditional routes only (QueryTracker, official cold querying), build your social media presence, and talk to people. Twitter and #WritingCommunity helped me a lot with finding beta-readers, participating in #PitchWars, and even finding my publisher.

I hope my post encourages my fellow readers to buy more books from smaller presses. Big publishers play safe. Very often they acquire books similar to the ones they’ve published already. In most cases, they follow well-established trends instead of creating new ones. Smaller publishers are more adventurous. They give a voice to debut, usually underrepresented authors and topics rarely touched by the big presses.

P.S.: As for the agent and R&R, they have finally replied to me after almost ten months of waiting. They said that the book has got potential, but they were not quite sure how to represent it. I’m grateful to them nevertheless. Without their constructive feedback, I would never rewrite my novel and would find it a good home. So “no” doesn’t necessarily mean that your book is unmarketable or not good enough to be published/represented. If you try to get as much useful feedback out of every “no” you get and apply it to your work, sooner or later, you’ll succeed.

About Dive Beyond Eternity (out February-March 2023)

Zara Rose is a World War II naval historian who dedicated her research to submarines and German naval tactics.  When her mentor, Professor Karl Milne, engages her into a promising project, Zara can’t miss an opportunity to investigate the remains of a German U-boat, discovered in the North Sea.

Two divers from Zara’s team disappear during the mission, and Professor Milne sends Zara help, Dr. Stefan Krause who specialises in this type of U-boats. Zara and Stefan discover a mysterious device onboard the U-boat, Die Fledermaus, a Nazi superweapon, able to split time and space.

When the professor vanishes together with the device, the U-boat is confiscated by the Navy, and the intelligence agencies become involved, Zara must stop the weapon from falling into the wrong hands before Die Fledermaus turns reality into a nightmare where time is long dead.

[Release Blitz]: The War Girls by Julie Rowe

Genre: Historical Fiction, World War I

Date Published: 28th June 2022

During the Great War, in a German-occupied Red Cross hospital in Brussels, Belgium, there are three British nurses who will risk everything to save the lives of those in their care. These are the stories of The War Girls.

Saving the Rifleman – British Red Cross nurse Maria Hunt lives in daily fear that the German soldiers who regularly inspect her hospital will uncover her secret: she helps wounded British soldiers escape German hands.

Enticing the Spymaster – Judith Goddard is hiding in plain sight. A dual citizen with family ties to Belgian royalty and the British military, she works as a Red Cross nurse in a German hospital, learning what she can, ever fearful her true allegiance will be discovered.

Aiding the Enemy – Rose Culver is in grave danger. For months the Red Cross hospital head nurse has been aiding Allied soldiers caught behind enemy lines, helping them flee into neutral Netherlands. It’s only a matter of time until she’s caught.

The War Girls is composed of three previously published novellas. This is the first time they have been published in one volume.

Excerpt

Chapter One

Brussels, Belgium

November, 1914

“Maria”

Alarm rippled across Maria’s nerves, jerking her attention from the supply record book she was writing in.

Her teacher, mentor, and matron of the hospital on Rue de la Culture stood at the window, staring out at the street, her back straight and stiff.

“Rose?” Maria took a step toward her, but Rose’s voice stopped her before she could take another.

“Please take an inventory of the bandages in the closet on the second floor.” Her words were spoken with a deliberateness that should have been reassuring. It wasn’t. The other woman held herself too still, too rigid. “We’re about to have another friendly visit.”

“Germans?” Maria whispered, dread tightening its coils until she could barely breathe. “Again?”

Regular soldiers didn’t make her too uncomfortable; they appreciated the nurses who looked after their wounded countrymen, and they knew they could end up at this hospital and in her care. But the officers were another thing altogether. They looked at Maria and Rose as if the two of them were convicted criminals of the worst sort.

As if they were dirty.

Rose nodded.

“Lord preserve us.” The words slipped out before Maria could stop them. “When will this madness stop?”

Rose turned then, a rueful smile on her face. “I wish I knew. Go now and stay out of sight if you can.”

“But—”

“I’ll be fine. Dr. Geoff is still here. He’s as irritated with all these inspections as we are. They’re a constant interruption, and we have little enough time for our work as it is.”

Herman Geoff was a German doctor, but he treated Rose and even Maria with the utmost respect. His uncle was a high-ranking officer. Very high. As long as Dr. Geoff supported them, they would most likely remain safe.

If they did nothing to irritate or anger the local German troops. Something Maria feared she’d already done.

She rushed to the back stairs and climbed them quickly. Rose would be safe. The second daughter of minor gentry, she had demonstrated time and again her diplomatic skills were more than up to the task of dealing with arrogant, suspicious German officers.

Maria had none of those skills or family background.

The second floor was filled with bedrooms, now used as wards for their patients. There was also a room where the nurses slept—Rose, herself, two Belgian nurses and one German nurse who worked with them. A closet near the back stairs had been converted into a storage area for bandages and other medical supplies.

Perfect for a woman to hide in while waiting for their German visitors to leave.

She opened the door, prepared to enter…

But the closet was already occupied—by a soldier complete with pack, sidearm and rifle. The weapon wasn’t what snared Maria’s gaze and held it.

His eyes were green. A brilliant emerald green.

Her breathing stalled as she stood in the doorway and stared into those wide, pale eyes and at the blood spattered across his face and uniform.

His British uniform. In a Belgian hospital full of enemy German soldiers.

Good God.

Voices floated up the back stairs a few feet away and she opened her mouth to caution him.

Before she could utter a warning, before she could blink, his hands reached out, grabbed her, and yanked her into the closet, pulling the door closed behind her.

Fear and shock crushed her throat as she found herself pressed against the soldier’s body, one of his hands over her mouth, the other a steel band behind her back.

She couldn’t move and the closet was so dark it might as well have been a tomb. Blind and restrained, the unfamiliar scents filling her nostrils took over her senses.

Mud, blood, and man.

***

Lieutenant John Bennet held the woman in his arms tightly enough to keep her from crying out, but not enough to harm her.

He’d hoped to find someone to help him, preferably a nurse, but this wasn’t how he’d anticipated meeting such a woman—staring into her frightened face then pulling her into a dark closet. He couldn’t even tell her she was in no danger from him. Any noise would likely be overheard by the men now standing on the other side of the door.

He held himself still despite the pain from his wound and the unfamiliar weight of the woman in his arms. How long had it been since he’d held anything so soft? Weeks? Months?

He sucked in a breath and the scent of evening flowers filled his head, driving out all others. His cock stirred in response to the feel of her curves along his flank. Her chest rose and fell erratically under his arm as she tried to breathe through what must be a terrifying situation.

Yet there were no tears, no sobs, or cries.

He tore his focus from the delights of her body to consider her movements for a moment. She’d stopped struggling for the most part and now stood relatively docile in his arms.

Maybe she realized how dangerous his predicament was. If she was a nurse, she might feel some sympathy toward him, some care.

Energy surfaced from some unknown well inside him, heating his muscles. He couldn’t give up hope, not now. He had to find a way out of Belgium, a way to report what he’d seen. There were more lives at risk than his, thousands more. Including the nurse in his arms.

A man was giving orders in German in the hallway, from the sound of it, only a few paces from the closet door. Orders to search the hospital for the British soldier. Orders to find and detain for questioning the second British nurse. The woman John no doubt held in his arms.

The woman now in as much danger as he.

Poor girl. It was one thing to tend wounded men in no shape to offer offensive behavior, but quite another to be taken captive in a dark closet. He was lucky she hadn’t screamed herself hoarse or fainted.

Somehow, he needed to communicate his lack of intent to harm her. He’d been told this hospital was a place of safety for British soldiers caught behind German lines. The last farmer who’d sheltered him just outside of Brussels told him the matron of this hospital could help him, had already helped many others like him. She might even be able to supply fake identity papers and an escape route out of the country.

Warm, soft, and sweet-smelling, the woman in his arms could be the key to his survival. And what he knew was the key to Britain’s defence.

His spine solidified, transforming into steel.

She didn’t know it, but he was prepared to kill to protect her.

About the Author

Retired medical lab technologist, Julie Rowe writes stories that plunge you directly into chaos and adrenaline from the first page and don’t let up until the end.

Praise for Julie Rowe

“Read Julie and you get it all, the suspense, steaming chemistry and a story that doesn’t let you put it down.” – Ayekah, Goodreads

“I love this authors writing style. She writes balls to wall, edge of your seat, page turning thrillers.” – Cindy, Goodreads

“This is one of the best books I’ve read this year because of the complex and dramatic life and death storyline and the sizzling sexual chemistry.” -Diane, Goodreads

Contact Links

Website: http://www.julieroweauthor.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JulieRoweAuthor

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JulieRoweAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjulierowe

BookBuzz: https://book-buzz.net/book/the-war-girls-by-julie-rowe/

Purchase Links

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-war-girls-4

iBooks:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-war-girls/id6442913117

[Release Blitz]: Hot House by Lisa Towles

E&A Investigations, Book 1

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Date Published: 15th June 2022

Publisher: Indies United Publishing

When a former CIA operative and private investigator Mari Ellwyn starts digging into the blackmail case of a federal appellate judge, she becomes targeted by a van following her, threatening notes in her mailbox, and a breach of her home.

Teaming up with seasoned investigator and former detective, Derek Abernathy, the crime-savvy pair begin looking into the wrongful death of a mentally-ill college student, Sophie Michaud, as well as two journalists – one dead, one missing, who were writing a story on the dead college student with allegations of her connection to the federal judge. T

he two investigators must uncover the truth about Sophie Michaud before her killer makes them their next target. But more importantly, Mari needs to find her missing father and reconcile her broken past and family.

Praise for Hot House:

“The plot is propelled forward by the clever use of suspense, measured action, and ingeniously written conflict. It is a moving and delightful read with cinematic scenes and characters that will stick with readers for a long after they turn the last page.” – The Book Commentary​

“An exceptional read with a powerfully unexpected conclusion, leaving the door more than ajar for a follow-up. This will attract audiences both within and beyond the thriller and mystery genres.” – Midwest Book Review​

“Towles has produced a knockout novel with Hot House. Nowhere will thriller fans find a more engaging keep-you-on-your-toes read.” – Literary Titan, 5 Star Review

“A dark, edge-of-the-seat thriller. Highly recommended!” – Chanticleer Reviews, 5 Star Review

“This meticulously constructed, remarkable mystery deftly explores people’s darkest flaws while revealing hard truths about the hidden workings of the world. A fast-paced and psychologically astute thriller.” – Prairies Book Review

About the Author

Lisa Towles is an award-winning crime novelist and a passionate speaker on the topics of fiction writing, creativity, and Strategic Self Care. Hot House is her 8th publication and won a GOLD Literary Titan Award for Fiction. Lisa’s last four books each won numerous literary awards, and she continues to write consistently while working full time in the tech industry. Her next book, The Ridders, is a political thriller that will be released on November 30, 2022. She also serves on the board of a Bay Area non-profit called Bridgegood. Lisa is an active member and frequent panellist/speaker of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She has an MBA in IT Management and lives in Oakland, California.

Contact Links

Website: http://lisatowles.com

Publisher’s Website: https://www.indiesunited.net/hot-house

Twitter: https://twitter.com/writertowles

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisatowleswriter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlisatowles/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lisatowleswriter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16462448.Lisa_Towles

BookBuzz: https://bookbuzz.net/psychological-thriller-hot-house-by-lisa-towles/

Purchase Links

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1129151

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-house-lisa-towles/1140942933?ean=9781644564219

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-house-7

Apple Ibooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-house/id1607582241

[Short Story]: The Last of the Kelpies

My very first attempt to write historical fantasy has ended up in writing a short story, inspired by Scottish folklore and my trips to Scotland and Cornwall.

You can read it for free in the amazing The Worlds Within magazine.

Happy Publication Day to me!!

The Last of the Kelpies

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[Book Blitz]: Decoding Norse Myths with Pet Ravens by Lois P Liggett

Genre: Nonfiction

Publisher: ‎Mindstir Media

Date Published: ‎23rd January 2022

Norse mythology has intrigued mythologists, linguists, and runologists for many decades. This intrigue lies in the mysteries that lurk in these myths. These mysteries include the lack of archeological finds prior to the Viking Age, (late 700s A.D. to 1100), the absence of authentic celebratory rituals paying homage to the Norse gods and goddesses, and an absence of a thorough explanation of the meaning of the names of the Norse gods and goddesses. This book sheds light on these mysterious elements, especially the meaning hiding beneath the names and places in Nordic myth. This commentary is a lexicon focused on etymology and semantics designed to allow the reader to gain insight into these myths. Definitions linked to names of gods and goddesses and words found in the Norse myths become a lexicon referring to the vocabulary of a particular people, a language, and a branch of knowledge, that have application both in the present and the ancient past. I let the words journey me across the boundaries of time, culture, and academia. Follow the common threads of various languages related to similar words to discover the essential meanings. The written versions of Nordic myths and sagas from the oral tradition occurred in the 13th century by a small number of people. It seems to me that there is a margin of error in misinterpretation of sounds and images of these oral traditions when committed to written documents. This margin of error is part of the intrigue and mystery. The Norse myths may have been 100s, if not 1,000s of years old when Snorri Sturluson committed them to paper in the early 13th century.

About the Author

Lois Liggett is a retired physical therapist. She has travelled throughout the world. She worked in Japan in 1990 as a geriatric rehabilitation consultant for several retirement communities. She has an M.A. in gerontology from Hood College and a B.S. in physical therapy from Russell Sage College. She has an avid interest in the interface of language with mythology, religion, and spirituality.

Purchase Link

https://amazon.to/3vrRIqs

[Book Blitz]: Breaking Waves by Barry Litherland

Phil Tyler Crime Thriller Series, Book One

Genre: Thriller, Crime Thriller

Date Published: February 2022

Publisher: Bleaknorth Publishing

Past events cast shadows you can’t outrun. Wayne and Phil knew that better than anyone, after what happened when they were children, bullied by Wayne’s murderous brother. When Tyrone returns after many years, bent on revenge, they are about to be drawn back into his dangerous world.

Breaking Waves is a crime thriller set in a fictional seaside town in the North of England. It is Book 1 in the Phil Tyler Thriller series. The narrator, Phil Tyler, is a journalist on a local free sheet newspaper and he tells the story in the first person present tense. Poor Phil is not an heroic tough-guy type of protagonist; he has an antipathy to violence, blood-shed and pain – especially his own. But he has a strong sense of right and wrong and, even when faced with danger and the threat of death, he cannot help but continue his pursuit of justice. He is very loyal, especially where his friend are concerned. The novel moves between traumatic childhood events, which involved him and his friends, and their consequences in adult life. It is a tense, suspense-filled narrative but there is a lot of humour in the book too, which occurs as he reflects upon the gap between his natural antipathy to conflict and the menacing events he is caught up in.

About the Author

Barry Litherland lives in the far North of Scotland with his wife and two, lively springer spaniels. He has written several well-received novels for adults – crime, paranormal crime, political crime in the main. He has also written two novels for Middle Grade children (8-12 year olds) – The Jenny Stories. He is currently working on Book 4 of The Phil Tyler series and will soon publish his first Literary Fiction novel – Dark Skies and Fireflies.

Contact Links

Website: https://www.bleaknorth.net

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BWLitherland

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarryLitherlandAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barry.litherland

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-w-litherland-0427b6a1

BookBuzz: https://book-buzz.net/book/breaking-waves-by-barry-litherland/

Purchase Link

[Book Blitz]: An Apology to Lucifer by Wayne E. Haley & Sean P. Haley

Genre: Supernatural Thriller

Published: 1st February 2022

Publisher: D.X. Varos

The search for the most dangerous book in the world begins!

Father Thomas Morelli thought he knew the story behind Lucifer’s fall from Heaven. However, upon making the acquaintance of renowned book authenticator Lorenza Pellegrini and being invited to stay in the opulent Venice villa belonging to Pellegrini’s “Master,” Thomas discovers he has only heard part of the story.

In Boston, psychoanalyst, best-selling author, and outspoken atheist David Wright has been tasked to handle the funeral arrangements of his dear friend Albert Kennedy. What could have driven this controversial exorcist to take his own life? The answer, it seems, is contained in a tome that isn’t supposed to exist.

Joining forces Lorenza, David, and Thomas must race against time to prevent an ancient battle from reigniting

“Those who enjoyed The DaVinci Code… will find the thriller component is strong, and … replete in both nonstop action and solid ethical, spiritual, and moral examination.” — D. Donovan, Midwest Book Review

About the Authors

Wayne Haley is a retired University Administrator who has been writing for pleasure for thirty-five years. He spends most of his free time with his amazing wife, Kathleen, walking the beaches and writing near his home in Hawaii.

Sean Haley has spent the past twenty-five years working for two prominent Southern California investment firms. Now living outside of Los Angeles, Sean spends much of his free time with his wonderful wife, Kristy, and their blended family of five children – usually shuttling them to various activities and sporting events.

Wayne and Sean are currently working on their next collaborative work.

Contact Links

Website: https://www.anapologytolucifer.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanhaleywrites

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnApologyToLucifer

BookBuzz: https://book-buzz.net/book/an-apology-to-lucifer-by-wayne-e-haley-sean-p-haley/

Purchase Links

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-apology-to-lucifer-sean-p-haley/1140365260?ean=2940165051517

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/an-apology-to-lucifer

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/an-apology-to-lucifer/id1590395202

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1109615

[Sale Blitz]: Fall of Titan by H. G. Ahedi

Realm, Book 1

Genre: Sci-fi/ Fantasy

On Sale for Only $.99 March 25th – April 1st!!

Always FREE on Kindle Unlimited!!

In the twenty-fourth century, a sophisticated security system called the perimeter guards the outer rim of the solar system. Governed by Titan, a powerful space station, the perimeter is almost impenetrable. Emmeline Augury, an astrophysics cadet on Titan, believes in a family folklore about a mythical device with unlimited power. Her search uncovers an ancient plaque, which reveals a star map of a secret network of portals. But what begins as a scientific adventure turns into a dangerous manhunt when hostile aliens called Orias attacks Titan. Their queen threatens to slaughter everyone unless she is given the device. When the fate of Titan and the seven realms hangs in the balance, Emmeline must make a choice. Will she save her home or the device?

Praise for Fall of Titan:

”I have no words… This novel is up there with the big boys especially if you enjoy any kind of Star Trek, Star Wars or Stargate!”

“A Memorable Read”

Other Books in the Realm Series:

Realm, Book 2

After the Fall, all is left is blood and revenge.

The destruction of the perimeter and the vanishing of Titan and Prometheus has left the Realm open to invaders. With a skeleton fleet guarding the outer rims of the solar system, all hopes of defeating the Orias queen have diminished. Now it’s about survival. But in a corner of cold dark space, hope lingers.

Emmeline Augury was born to break the rules, and now a fugitive who has nothing to lose and driven by revenge, she conquers all odds and locates the second piece of the mythical device.

The game is on. The pawns are set. As the power of the mythical device unravels itself, who will win? A young girl with her heart set on destroying a being as powerful as the gods themselves? Or the queen who was born to rule the seven realms? The answers lie in the wake of the Poseidon.

Purchase Link:

About the Author

H.G Ahedi holds a PhD in biomedical sciences and is a fictional writer. She spends a lot of time writing, and when she is bored of her desk, she wants to hop on a plane and travel the world. As that is not always possible she explores local Sydney beaches and parks and enjoys a nice cup of coffee.

Contact Links

Website: https://harbeerahedi.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/harbeerahedi

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHarbeerAhedi

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/harbeerahedi

BookBuzz: https://bookbuzz.net/sci-fi-fantasy-fall-of-titan-by-h-g-ahedi/

Purchase Link