Teri M. Brown's Blog, page 23

Online for Authors Episode 10-29-24

​Ghostly Secrets: See What Paranormal Investigators Uncover with Authors RC and JP CarterMy guests today on the Online for Authors podcast are RC and JP Carter, author of the book A Chance of a Ghost. RC and JP aka Rob and Joan, are hosts of Meet the Author Podcast on WLFE-db Radio and WDJY FM Radio (Atlanta). They are cohosts of Haunted Campfire Tales Podcast WLFE-db Radio. Both podcasts stream LIVE on Youtube, Facebook and LinkedIn. Rob and Joan publicize other indie authors on their website. Rob and Joan are members of the Underground Authors writing group and the authors of Book 23 in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles - A Chance of a Ghost.

​On a personal note, they are the proud parents of six children, grandparents of fourteen grandchildren and great grandparents of one great granddaughter. Their household is run by a nine and a half pound Papillon/Shih Tzu rescue dog. They travel the country with their dog Missy in their travel trailer. Missy is a Certified B.A.R.K. Ranger, having completed a hiking trail at Mt Rushmore.Listen to the Audio VersionWatch the Video VersionIn my book review, I stated A Chance of a Ghost is a paranormal mystery and is part of the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles. Although I'm not usually a ghost-story reader, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned quite a lot in the process.

You see, RC and JP are not just authors and podcast hosts, they are also paranormal investigators. This story shows what paranormal investigators do, the type of equipment they use, and the types of situations they run into. It also shows skepticism from those who realize what they are up to, which I found refreshing since I, too, am a skeptic when it comes to haunted houses. Yet, despite my skepticism, I have seen and felt things I cannot explain.

The characters, Mike and Maureen, are a lovable couple trying to help their cousins uncover the secrets of the old mansion they purchased. Plus, Mike also receives a premonition about a local man's murder. Will they discover a ghost? Can they help the ghost move on without marring their cousins' reputations? Will they be able to stop a murder before it happens?

This is a fun, quick read and is a great ghost story, especially for those who may not be believers!

Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforaut...

Join the Novels N Latte Book Club community to discuss this and other books with like-minded readers:   / 3576519880426290  

You can follow Author RC and JP Carter
Website: https://indiebooksource.com/books-by-...
Social media: IG: @carternovels
LinkedIn: @RC and JP Carter
FB: @IndieBookSource
X: @INDIEBOOKSOURCE

Purchase A Chance of a Ghost on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/4dnG5DO
Ebook: https://amzn.to/4dnG5DO

Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com
FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor
IG: @terimbrown_author
X: @terimbrown1

#rcjpcarter #achanceofaghost #mystery #thriller #ghoststory #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview 
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Online for Authors Episode 10-26-24

​The Quad Squad: A Dramedy of Friendship and Healing with Author Donna LevinToday, the Online for Authors podcast Guest Host Tina Hogan Grant chats Donna Levin, author of the book The Talking Stick. 
Listen to the Audio VersionWatch the Video Version​Donna’s work is included in Boston University’s Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center and in the California State Library’s collection of California novels. She is the author of Extraordinary Means, California Street, There’s More Than One Way Home, and He Could Be Another Bill Gates, as well as her latest novel, The Talking Stick, a dramedy about four women who discover that some of their most-cherished memories are romanticized versions of the truth.​

In addition to novels, Donna has published two books about writing: Get that Novel Started and Get that Novel Written, both with Writer’s Digest Books. Donna has taught fiction writing for three decades, most notably at the University of California Extension at Berkeley, where she led the novel writing workshop. She has also been a frequent guest at writers’ conferences, including the San Francisco Writers’ Conference and the Squaw Valley Community of Writers. She lives in San Francisco.

In her book review, Tina  stated that this is a Joyful and at times humorous read that had me laughing out loud.

After Hunter loses her cheating husband to her so-called friend, Angelica. Hunter decides to start a support group and places flyers around her neighborhood. I enjoyed reading how Danika, Alicia, and Penelope stumbled on the flyer and how we were introduced to the characters.

I felt like I was sitting in on their meetings, learning of their history, struggles, and challenges. All were unique and over time their friendship grew and by the end of the book they had become a sisterhood.

The storyline kept me engaged and many women will relate to one of the women's stories. Well written with a few surprises. A book I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend. 

Purchase The Talking Stick on Amazon:
Hardback: https://amzn.to/4eBSBkb
Ebook: https://amzn.to/3zDy53Q

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Book Review: The Cold Winter

The Cold Winter by Chris Underwood is a contemporary dystopian fiction (Book 1) about a power grid failure across the Northeastern United States. Despite reading it during the heat of a North Carolina August, I was always surprised at the temperature outside - the book had me so engrossed that I expected snowdrifts instead of sand dunes!

The story follows the Vesper family: Tom, his wife, and their two children as they navigate the failure of the Niagara Falls grid. We soon learn that Tom used to be a "prepper" but had to take a step back due to high anxiety and his wife's insistence. However, his knowledge about prepping becomes not only useful, but necessary for survival as he he helps friends and strangers make it through the winter.

The book had a really unique twist at the end that I didn't see coming - Chris did a great job with that, but you'll have to read it to know more! Let's just say that I'm hooked enough to want to read the next two. Definitely put on your TBR!

Purchase a copy of The Cold Winter:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3Bm02h3​
eBook: https://amzn.to/4enqghQ​
Audiobook: https://amzn.to/47JNAni

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Online for Authors Episode 10-22-24

​Unmasking Chaos: Murder in the Heart of a Race Riot with Author Carla DamronMy guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Carla Damron , author of the book Justice Be Done. Listen to the Audio VersionWatch the Video VersionCarla holds an MSW and an MFA. Her careers of social worker and writer are intricately intertwined; all of her novels explore social issues like addiction, homelessness, and mental illness. She works part-time with Communities in Schools and volunteers with the League of Women Voters, Sisters in Crime- Palmetto Chapter (President), and Mutual Aid Midlands.

Carla is a social worker, advocate and author whose last novel, The Stone Necklace (about grief and addiction) won the 2017 Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award for Best Novel and was selected the One Community Read for Columbia SC. In her new novel, The Orchid Tattoo, Carla uses crime fiction to delve into the complex topic of human trafficking, a horrific crime affecting thousands of victims around the world—and in her native South Carolina. She hopes the novel will both entertain and educate her readers. She is also the author of the Caleb Knowles mystery novels and has published numerous short stories, essays, and op-eds.

Carla is a South Carolina native. Born in Sumter, she currently lives outside of Columbia with her husband, Jim Hussey, and their blended family of assorted animals.

In my book review, I stated Justice Be Done is a contemporary suspense novel set in Columbia, South Carolina. The main character, Caleb Knowles, is a social worker who often consults with criminals and suspects for the police department. This time, the criminal is a teenager, and the crime stems from racial mistreatment.

The more Caleb looks, the more he finds. Discrimination in the community. Discrimination in the police force. Discrimination among the political leaders. Finally, the discrimination touches his own family.

Will he be able to save his client? Can he save others? Or will hatred and violence ultimately win? This is a 'can't put down' read!

Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books!    / @onlineforauthors   

Join the Novels N Latte Book Club community to discuss this and other books with like-minded readers:   / 3576519880426290  

Purchase on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/46OPVwM
​Ebook: https://amzn.to/3X6DYzw
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Book Review: Out from the Shadows

Out from the Shadows: Growing up with Holocaust Survivor Parents by Willie Handler is a Holocaust memoir that will leave you looking at events in our world today differently than when you began. Both of Willie's parents were Holocaust survivors who made it through the war, then on to Israel, before finally settling in Canada. However, the years of deprivation scarred his parents, who in turn left scars on their three children.

This memoir looks deeply at his parents, Shifra and Elija. What was life like before the Holocaust in Poland and Romania? Once the pogroms began? Once extermination was the goal? Once the war was over? What was it like to start over again - and then again? Most importantly, how does what happened to you in the past shape your future - and the futures of those who follow behind.

Additionally, Willie takes an intense look at his own life as a child and now. His research helped him to understand his parents, and the things they said and did. It also helped him understand his own personality and issues.

Finally, Willie asks readers to look at the world today and realize that another holocaust could happen. In fact, a quick look at what is happening in Israel makes one wonder if it hasn't already started.

Very intense memoir/biography that will force you to look deeply. This is a must-read and should be on everyone's list.

Purchase a copy of Out From the Shadows:
eBook: https://amzn.to/3zDDoAc

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Online for Authors Episode 10-19-24

​Behind the Facade: Unraveling the Secrets That Bond Us with Author Christine GundersonCarole O’Neill’s guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Christine Gunderson, author of the book Friends with Secrets, which is Christine’s debut novel. She wrote Friends with Secrets in her minivan in the school pick up line, at piano lessons, during drama rehearsals, at swim team practice, basketball practice, crew practice, and in lots of other unglamourous and uncomfortable places where only a parent who writes would write.Listen to the Audio VersionWatch the Video Version​I'm coming to you today fresh off a fantastic chat with guest-host Carole O'Neill and debut women's fiction author Christine Gunderson. Her novel Friends with Secrets explores the challenges and rewards of motherhood through the lens of two very different moms who join forces to take down a predator threatening their kids' school.

Christine and Carole bonded over our their shared experiences working in TV newsrooms while juggling the chaos of raising young children. She channeled a lot of her own journey through motherhood into her character Nikki, including the difficult transition from career woman to stay-at-home mom. Can you relate? 

One of the things I love most about Friends with Secrets is how Christine's sharp wit and humor shine through, even as she tackles some heavy themes. As she put it, the book is ultimately about "the power of female friendship" and learning to fully accept yourself.

Christine also opened up about her long road to getting published, marked by over a decade of rejection. It wasn't until a writer friend pointed out that her true writer's voice emerged in her humorous Christmas letters that Christine tried her hand at women's fiction. The rest, as they say, is history!

To hear more about Christine's writing process (spoiler alert: she's a total pantser!), the inspiration behind her characters, and the long-awaited death of the pantyhose, check out their full conversation on this week's Online for Authors podcast. I promise you'll come away inspired, encouraged, and more than a little entertained!

Want to discuss Friends with Secrets with your fellow bookworms? Head on over to the Novels N Latte Book Club on Facebook. As a member, you'll have the chance to win a FREE digital copy of Christine's book!

Purchase Friends with Secrets on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3Xv54zd
Ebook: https://amzn.to/3zrvU3g

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Book Review: Broken to Beautiful

Broken to Beautiful by Jake Lynch is a YA contemporary Christian fiction that follows a loner high school student from the point of suicide to a place of love and beauty - all because of her walk with Christ.

Krystal struggles to fit in. In fact, she struggles to be seen at all. After years of loneliness, she decides that suicide is her best option. Thankfully, she does not succeed. Instead she meets a hospital janitor who helps her see that she may be more than she thought. As she comes to know God and allows Him into her life, she reaches out to others, helping them find answers to their own issues.

Krystal's character is very believable. As a once shy child, I remember those feelings of wanting to fit in but not quite knowing how. Jake did a great job showing readers her journey, and how, despite a religious transformation, the path forward wasn't all easy and paved with gold.
Jake also introduced a host of other characters, allowing readers to find the one they related to most - changing oneself to meet other's expectations, not knowing who you really are, being angry at God for something bad happening in your life, moving to a new location and having no friends, finding yourself pregnant and now an outcast. Essentially, whatever the issue, accepting Christ is a great place to start.

On the flipside, I felt Broken to Beautiful was too long and would have had a better punch had it been shorter. I would have reduced the characters as well as reduced the long scripture references. Additionally, some of the description was repetitive. Despite these issues, I enjoyed the book.

Purchase a copy of Broken to Beautiful:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/4dwCeEy
eBook: https://amzn.to/4dwCeEy​
Audiobook: https://amzn.to/4eD2D4o

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Online for Authors Episode 10-15-24

​Surviving the Impossible: The Harrowing Tale of Flight 571 with Author John GuiverMy guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is John Guiver, author of the book To Play the Game. John’s lifetime interest in the 1972 Andes Flight Disaster led him to travel to the site of the accident in January 2013 in the company of one of the sixteen survivors, Eduardo Strauch. Through him, John met many others connected to the story. The detailed information he amassed persuaded him to write a comprehensive history of this iconic event.Listen to the Audio VersionWatch the Video VersionAre you fascinated by the incredible true story of the 1972 Andes flight disaster and the 16 survivors who endured 72 days stranded on a mountain? In my latest podcast episode, I chat with John Guiver, author of the new book To Play the Game, which provides a comprehensive 50-year perspective on this iconic event.

What makes John's book unique is that rather than solely focusing on the survivors like previous accounts, he tells the stories of every person who was on that fateful flight. As John explains:

"There was a whole context for that story that I wanted to know more about, in particular I wanted to know more about the people who died, many of whom survived for many days. In such an iconic story, they really needed to be known about for the history of this event, which will be talked about for hundreds of years."

Through extensive research spanning over a decade, including multiple trips to Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and the crash site itself, John interviewed family members of the victims and uncovered fascinating archival information to paint a rich picture of not only the passengers, but of the close-knit community they came from.

As I share in my review:

"By the time they were on the plane, you felt like you knew them as a whole and kind of what made them all tick. We care about all of these people who are on this plane, and now we know there's a crash. It was a very different feeling, and I enjoyed that aspect of it."

While writing the book was an intense three-year process, John felt a sense of calm and purpose in telling these untold stories. As he reflects:

"Every single story I told, every one of those 23 stories, had something really fascinating about it that made it a compelling story. For me it was like something outside of me that was just bringing these stories together."

If you enjoy character-driven nonfiction that immerses you in the history and humanity behind an extraordinary event, I highly recommend checking out To Play the Game. It's a must-read for anyone interested in the 1972 Andes flight disaster, and a testament to the power of honoring all of the lives impacted by a tragedy.

To learn more about John's research and writing process, as well as how he tracked down and gained the trust of the victims' families to share their stories, check out our full conversation on the Online for Authors Podcast.

Don't forget, if you want a chance to win a digital copy of the book, head over to the Novels N Latte Facebook group!

Happy reading!Purchase To Play the Game on Amazon:
​Paperback: https://amzn.to/46I7Ipr

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Book Review: The Talking Stick

(Review by Tina Hogan Grant, Online for Authors Guest Host)
A Joyful and at times humorous read by Donna Levin that had me laughing out loud.
​
After Hunter loses her cheating husband to her so-called friend, Angelica. Hunter decides to start a support group and places flyers around her neighborhood.
​
I enjoyed reading how Danika, Alicia, and Penelope stumbled on the flyer and how we were introduced to the characters.
​
I felt like I was sitting in on their meetings, learning of their history, struggles, and challenges. All were unique and over time their friendship grew and by the end of the book they had become a sisterhood.
​
The storyline kept me engaged and many women will relate to one of the women's stories.
​
Well written with a few surprises. A book I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Purchase a copy of The Talking Stick:
Hardcover: https://amzn.to/3BzGFRB​
eBook: https://amzn.to/4eqpKQi
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Online for Authors Episode 10-12-24

​Navigating the Job Jungle: 10 Essential Rules with Author Kathleen GogginMy guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Kathleen Goggin, author of the book 10 Little Rules When Good Jobs Go Bad. Writer, editor and author, Kate has always been interested in sharing best practices in business and in life. Disappointed there were no manuals to follow, she often created those for herself, and then shared them to help others. ​Listen to the Audio VersionWatch the Video VersionThis week, I had the pleasure of chatting with Kathleen Goggin, author of the inspiring new book 10 Little Rules When Good Jobs Go Bad.

Kate's book is all about the difficult career decisions we all face at some point - the ones that really shape who we are, what we do, and how we live our lives. Through ten personal stories and lessons learned from her own winding career path, Kate guides readers to find their own "rules" for succeeding and reclaiming their power at work and in life.

One of my favorite things about 10 Little Rules is that it isn't prescriptive. Kate isn't saying "Here are the 10 best rules, follow them or else!" Instead, she shares her own experiences and invites readers to journal and reflect to discover what works for them. As she told me, "It isn't 'I know it and you don't.'"

We covered so much juicy stuff in our conversation, but a few key themes really stuck with me:
It's okay for priorities to shift. As women especially, our careers don't always follow a straight path as we navigate family needs, personal challenges, etc. Kate reminds us that it's okay to consider a lateral move or take a step back when life calls for it.
If you're bored, do something! One of Kate's rules is "Leverage Boredom" - meaning if your job isn't engaging you anymore, take action. Don't resign yourself to coasting along miserably. Take a class, explore other departments, do informational interviews...get curious and proactive.
You're allowed to change your mind. So many of Kate's stories involved realizing a job wasn't the right fit, even when she was sure it would be. Her advice? Give yourself permission to admit it's not working, then figure out your exit plan. Your career is a constant evolution.
Whether you're a few years into building your career or already daydreaming about retirement, I highly recommend snagging a copy of 10 Little Rules When Good Jobs Go Bad. Keep it on your desk to reference when you hit those inevitable career crossroads and need to "make your own rules!"

Want your own copy of Kate's book? Pop over to the Novels & Lattes Book Club on Facebook for a chance to win the ebook!

​Happy Reading!

Purchase 10 Little Rules When Good Jobs Go Bad on Amazon:
Hardcover: https://amzn.to/3TyoNNg

​*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.