Fiona Ingram's Blog, page 16

Book Spotlight: The Timber Stone by Dave Abare

 

Joshua Traxon, a former L.A.-based rock star, and B-list reality show fixture left L.A. for small-town Vermont hoping to write his memoir. Escaping a past filled with lies, reckless drunken behavior, salacious backstage tales, and death will push him to his limits, especially as he recounts it on paper for the world to read. Josh and his frenetic pug Pickle have a routine: Josh drinks away his pain while struggling to write, and Pickle reminds him that he's still alive, with his infectious personality and boundless love. When Josh meets Laurel, his new neighbor, along with her precocious young boy, he'll struggle with that routine as he falls in love, attempting to evolve and reconcile with his boorish former persona. A tragic death that's haunted him for years will fight to pull him back to the edge of despair, but not before Laurel's own life-changing secret knocks Josh off his feet-and deeper into a bottle. Only a journey home, where he'll unearth a forgotten childhood relic, may save him from himself. If it's not too late. Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Efzf3R 

  

About the Author

Dave Abare was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and has spent most of his life in and around the Connecticut area. He became enamored with writing at a very young age, writing his first book, "Troll Island" at eleven years old. This work was never published, thankfully, but it was the beginning of a passion that has only intensified over his adult years.

 His love of music led him to begin a part-time gig as a music writer, interviewing bands for his own "Fanzine" in the mid-eighties, including such Metal icons as Slayer, Metallica, and Anthrax, as well as bands such as Van Halen, Blues Traveler, Motorhead and Big Head Todd and the Monsters for other publications. In the last several years, Dave has spent his time working on short stories, poems, and his debut novel, "The Swing Over the Ocean," which was, in his words, “a bit of a mess” in terms of editing, etc., but an invaluable self-publishing learning experience. Most recently, he's completed work on his second novel, “The Timber Stone,” which is available for pre-order now.

 In addition to writing and music, Dave enjoys reading, travel, cars, and Pugs (and all critters), as well as frequenting local New England wineries and breweries, with Tree House Brewing Co in Charlton, MA being his favorite. You can follow him @AbareDavey on Twitter or look for his Facebook Author Page.

 Website: daveabare.com

 Twitter: @abaredavey

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

 Instagram: @authodavect

 

Book Spotlight: A Reservoir Man by Louis J. Ambrosio

 

A Reservoir Man, critics have hailed this explosive and timely work as “a must-read coming-of-age story of 2022.” Twists and turns further pull the reader in to Michael’s action-packed tale, with powerful themes, from betrayal and family to secrets and identity. “Be sure not to blink because you just might miss a pivotal moment in Michael’s rousing, larger-than-life story.” -- R.C. Gibson, Indiestoday.com.

 

About the Author: Louis J. Ambrosio ran one of the most nurturing bi-coastal talent agencies in Los Angeles and New York. He started his career as a theatrical producer, running two major regional theaters for eight seasons. Ambrosio taught at seven universities. Ambrosio also distinguished himself as an award-winning film producer and novelist over the course of his impressive career. You can visit his blog at www.LJAmbrosio.blogspot.comor connect with him on Twitter, Facebookand Instagram. Buy the book at Amazon https://amzn.to/3TUjOEX  

Guest Post: Researching Time and Place by Barbara Barth

The annual Sweet Water, Georgia, Christmas parade is nearing but relationships are fractured on Wild Rose Lane. Antique dealer Cheryl Calloway's holiday spirit has tanked. It's been a horrible year with her divorce, her ex marrying younger and perkier Miriam across the street, and Mama moving into Cheryl's Victorian cottage with her Amazon parrot right before Thanksgiving. A party girl in her eighties, Mama smokes up a storm, likes her nightly vodka, has a hankering for men, and now a wingman named Nigel. If that isn't enough, the Historical Society wants Cheryl to clean up all the projects on her porch waiting to go to Spivey's Antique Mall for their Christmas Open House. Her desire to work her booth is as dead as her marriage. Miriam, President of the Historical Society, chastises her, "If it ain't pretty don't put it on the porch." Then there's Alice, her strange neighbor with the six-foot fluorescent light bulb cross nailed to the huge magnolia tree in the middle of her rose garden. Alice watches all the neighbors too closely. Just when Cheryl thinks things can't get worse, an incident shakes her to the core, and a mystery follows revealing family secrets long forgotten. Cheryl wants to believe in miracles and love again, and Dr. James may just be the man of her dreams as he helps her and Mama sort things out. Filled with quirky characters, mystery, family secrets, and sweet love, all set in a hot Georgia small town.

Researching Time and Place

When writing fiction, you still need to be sure your details are correct, especially if you use real life towns and places to anchor your story. Writing A Wingman for Christmas was challenging on several levels. The back story takes place forty years ago. I wanted to place my characters in Walmart and Kentucky Fried Chicken. It came as a shock that neither was in the small town of Apalachicola, Florida back then. Luckily, a light bulb went off in my head that I should check that out. My best pal Google showed me how wrong I was. It is amazing what you can learn if you dig deep. Going back in time on Google, I found what the maritime town had to offer forty years ago and adjusted my story for accuracy.

I thought gator attacks were common and a gator attack is part of my plot. My sister (who lives in Florida) kidded me that everyone thinks that. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that attacks are rare compared to the number of gators in Florida. To quote from Google: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission notes that even though the state averages about seven unprovoked alligator attacks per year – a rate that has been increasing about 3% a year – the likelihood of being seriously injured in a random attack is roughly one in 2.4 million. I had to adjust the gator attack on Papa to something that made sense. He disturbed an alligator nest.

Sweet Water, Georgia, is a fictional town, but placed outside the real town of Thomasville, Georgia. My characters made trips to other real towns in Georgia and Alabama. I needed to be sure they could make these trips in the time allotted in my story. Could you go to a flea market and back on a day trip? How about a buying trip to Alabama? I originally had Cheryl take Interstate 20 to go to a farm sale and then realized it would take longer to get to I-20 than to take surface roads to Alabama. Roses play an important part for one of the characters. Thomasville, Georgia is known as the City of Roses in Georgia. Once I found that out, the reasons for moving to Sweet Water became clear.

I am a stickler for details, and nothing disturbs me more than to read fiction where there are glaring errors. Writing is a learning experience every time you start a story. Don’t take anything for granted (as I did at the start of this novella). The most important thing to make your story believable is to get your facts right. No one may notice a discrepancy, but if they do, you lose all credibility.

 

 

About the Author: Barbara Barth turned to writing and adopting dogs to heal after her husband died fourteen years ago. Known as ‘Writer With Dogs’, Barth currently lives with four Chihuahuas in a charming town forty miles outside of Atlanta. She is Literary Arts Chair at a small art center where she promotes writing activities, author events, book launches, and hosts an online group, Walton Writers. Inspired by the wonderful artists around her, Barth started painting and has won several awards with her whimsical art. Her books are available on Amazon. Visit her Instagram page Barbara Barth Studio. You can also check out her website.

 

Guest Post: "How Do You Think Up This Stuff?" by author Thomas White

An old mansion sits atop a cliff, overlooking the ocean, in Santa Cruz, CA. A young realtor, Darcy Wainwright, manages to sell the dilapidated old house to Henry Childs, an obese nebbish who is obsessed with the property. In the backyard is a pool. Not an ordinary pool but a giant tide pool. In the tide pool is a siren with an evil agenda for revenge. The Thornton Mansion was a talisman for the death and mystery that surrounded it. Unoccupied for years until Henry Childs was summoned by the house. As directed, he reached out to unsuspecting, novice realtor Darcy Wainwright. Darcy finds herself intricately involved with the house, its history and the haunting tide pool that filled the backyard. It was the pool that beckoned her, and it was the pool that would decide if she lives or dies.

 

How Do You Think Up This Stuff?

As is true with many authors, the question I get most often is, “Where do you get your ideas?” And quite honestly, it is often the simplest of things that will set you off on a path. That was exactly the case with The Siren’s Scream. While sitting on a dock at a mountain cabin on a lake, I saw a small school of fish swimming beneath. A slight altercation between several of them caused one to flip over and scoot away. As the fish flipped, I saw the colors of its belly reflect in the sun and I was mesmerized. I’d seen this before, of course, most of us have, but the image of the colors flashing stayed with me.

The idea of a creature living in the water began to blossom. Now, there is nothing original there, the legend of the mermaid is long and fabled and I struggled with the concept of creating an original take on the creature, a viable storyline, and how to present it in an intriguing manner for a few years. I’d started and stopped writing it many times. Every once in a while, I’d pull it out and make another attempt at creating something that wasn’t ‘calling sailors to their death’. And as they say, write every day because you can change something, you can’t change nothing, and the process is what brings about results. Because of my many attempts I discovered that I had developed parameters outlining the kind of story I wanted to tell. I wanted it to be set in the present day, I didn’t necessarily want it to be about sailors or the sea, and I wanted a twist or two that would engage the reader. Other than that, I was floundering. Then, at a family gathering, dealing with a particularly challenging sister, it occurred to me these creatures had an origin, a family, a lineage, a past; they had to come from somewhere, right? Once I began to explore that concept, one thing led to the other and the story began to take shape. After working to create this story over many years, finally, The Siren’s Scream was born. 

 

About the Author: Thomas White began his career as an actor. Several years later he found himself as an Artistic Director for a theatre in Southern California and the winner of several Drama-Logue and Critics awards for directing. As Tom’s career grew, he directed and co-produced the world tour of “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Coming Out Of Their Shells”. The show toured for over two years, was translated into seven different languages and seen by over a million children. Tom served as President and Creative Director for Maiden Lane Entertainment for 24 years and worked on many large-scale corporate event productions that included Harley Davidson, Microsoft, Medtronic Diabetes, and dozens of others. The Siren’s Scream is Tom’s second novel that follows up Justice Rules which was nominated as a finalist in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association 2010 Literary contest. Tom’s latest book is the mystery/horror, The Siren’s Scream . Visit his website at www.thomas-white-author.com or connect with him at Twitter and Facebook. 

Guest Post: From Podcast to Book by Kate Brenton

When life is calling, often we need only the space and the support to remember our way. Sometimes we lean into our expansion, and sometimes we bolt from our greatness. The biggest shock is that big change happens in small choices. In Rebirth you will find real-life stories of people who made courageous leaps, inspiring you to make your own. It’s time to step out of line and back into the spiral of life—that’s where the alchemy is. This book fits right into the side pocket of your bag + your life to inspire you as you read others’ stories of how they listened and learned to make embodied changes in their own lives.

 

From Podcast to Book

“Katie,” my decades old friend says into the phone, as I walk with my child, sling-snuggled, on my chest. “I think you would really like a podcast.”

“Why?” I ask. I mean, yes, I do like to talk, but I am 41 years old with a newborn and not a whole lot of time.

“Because our video is getting the most hits and I think people would like it, but I think you’d like it.”

I have always been a hardworking, curious-of-life, person and capable of making the best of everything. I still was, but it seemed different now. How I could hop a plane from Hawaii to Japan to travel and teach holistic healing with my Kumu (teacher in Hawaiian) and fellow apprentices but was having difficulty straddling the world of the doer to the very real surrender of motherhood when this call came. I still couldn’t figure it out. Why would I sit and talk in a microphone about it?

With very little free time and less financial resources, I started a podcast with my friend’s borrowed microphone. In the first chapter of my book, I talk about doubling down with the Universe when a conscious popsicle company, Mompops, agreed to be on my podcast, which was then called Rebirth: women saving lives by living their own.

I loved it. It was my creative outlet, talking to amazing people who made courageous leaps while inspiring others to do the same. And although we did celebrate their passions and successes, we focused on how they knew to listen to the voice inside against all others. About a year and a half after the podcast was born, I got a call from a friend, announcing that she was starting a publishing company and she was signing authors and wanted to sign me. Someday was when I was going to be author, not necessarily when I was parallel parking my car with a sleeping child in the backseat whom I was still breastfeeding, but I said yes and told no one. I had a small book that I could write and figured I would just make it work.

Fast forward six months, I have a book contract and tremendous writer’s block, when I invite my publisher onto the podcast. We have a great show; she calls me the next day and suggests excitedly: “The podcast is the book.” It all clicked into place. The subtitle of the book changed to: Real-life stories of what happens when you let go and let life lead. When I spoke with a marketing professional, it went something like this:

“So, this is a how-to book?” the dark-haired man asked on Zoom.

“No,” I answered.

“Is it a process book? You teach a branded process?”

“No,” I answered again.

He moved in his chair, “So it’s more like a 5-step, how-to? Like how to Reb-, how to do something and it will…”

“No.” I squirmed. “No, it’s not like that at all. It’s a compilation of stories for the reader to be reminded of their own fortitude, and the worth of their dreams. Five steps don’t work here because if your path is different, and the steps don’t happen prescriptively, you will think you have failed.”

That’s really what the writing of book and the creation of the podcast were all about—the worthiness of listening to the voice inside, and not leaning out to make sense of it for others and forsake your own intent.

Somewhere between writing the last piece of the book, which came almost like a thunderclap, and this marketing conversation, I realized that the act of writing the book which started as a resource for others became a mosaic of my own rebirth. The alchemy of the process in some ways restored several cracks in my foundation of perception, of what was failure and what was necessary learning. Sometimes our greatest strength comes from the lessons we learn in the deepest surrender, with only the whisper light of faith to lead us through to an ending we would never have been able to write alone.

 

 

About the Author: Kate Brenton, Ed.M., educator, author, mama, and healer, used to climb trees in her childhood to sit in and read books. A lifelong teacher, from secondary English to spiritual development, Kate has the archetype for sharing wisdom to empower and elevate through online courses, inspirational speaking, and retreats. Come say hello or listen to the Rebirth podcast at www.katebrenton.com. You can also follow her on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Substack.

 

The Inspiration Behind How to Punch Failure in the Face by Tracy Huff

Are you struggling with your confidence? Have you ever wanted to go after something but don't know where to begin? Do you need help believing in your ability to go after what you want? Are you afraid of taking the next step? How To Punch Failure in The Face is here to guide you and help you get crystal clear on the exact steps you should be taking right now to identify what is holding you back and the steps you will need to take to achieve your goals. My goal is to invite you into our community to be empowered, inspired, celebrated, and supported to go after your dreams and get them. I am an expert at helping my students build their confidence and develop the leader in themselves. As a team, we create the space you need to get clarity, confidence, and balance without being overwhelmed or guilty. If you are tired of being afraid, or tired of being uncertain and want to stop being so busy you don't take the time to focus on what you want, then my 9-step process will help you. Let me help, you can do this. Take the first step today.

 

 

The Inspiration Behind How to Punch Failure in the Face

I wanted to have a bigger impact on not just my community, but also to help women and families that do not live in my city. I have had the pleasure of helping hundreds of kids and families build confidence and have the courage to go and try things (and succeed) that they never thought they could. My tool for creating these results is martial arts. I have found over the years that there are so many women and kids that are afraid to come into a martial arts school, so I began taking the principles that I use and marketing them in a coaching program. It was not well received. I kept getting questions like, “What does a martial arts instructor know about coaching, goal setting, communication, or leadership?” At first, I was tempted to agree with them and to think that maybe I was wrong. I was frustrated and then I got angry. I was complaining to my instructor. I asked him if he was as offended as I was that non-martial artists did not understand what we actually do in martial arts school.  He was not as upset as I was, but he suggested that I write the book. So, I did.

 

I want everyone who reads my book to have a system to follow, to burst through their fear of failure and be confident to be themselves everywhere. I want everyone who reads my book to finish it knowing what makes them amazing and having a clear plan to use their unique skills and abilities to change the world. Making change at whatever level they feel-their family, their community, their city, their state, or the world. I want my readers to join me in changing the world by showing up confident and fearless. I want them to Be Amazing, Be Exceptional, Be You! (BE BABY!)

 

My book is the system I have been using for 15+ years in my martial arts school, so I did not have to do much research. The process I outline is what I get to do every day. I completed the book in about 14 weeks. Even though the book is based on what I have implemented in my martial arts school, I still struggled with combating the negative thoughts that I had about my book as I was writing it.  I would get frustrated and feel like I was talking in circles and wanted to just quit because it wouldn’t really matter anyway. One of the ways I ensured I would continue and complete it was to tell my leadership students I was writing it. I shared with them why and I knew they would hold me accountable and remind me of why I wanted to write it. I am a leader that believes in leading by example and I refused to allow my negative thoughts to make me a person who did not keep her word.

 

I have a friend who has written a book after the death of her father. She wrote the book to help her mourn her dad’s death and to process life without him.  As I was completing my book and getting to the final draft, I shared it with her because I value her opinion. This was so scary for me, because I am human, and I was afraid she would tell me that it sucked! When I asked her if I could read her book, she told me no. At first, I was hurt, but then she explained that she had let her husband read the book and he made some “suggestions” which made her feel like it wasn’t finished or ready enough for other people to read. She said she really only wrote it for herself, and she did not want to put it out there for other people to read because it might not sell and it would be a failure. I asked her to consider how she would feel if her book helped just one more person. That is what I focus on because my book is not written for everyone, but there are people I know I can help. When people tell me they are making their friends and kids read my book I am honored, humbled, and less afraid to keep promoting my book.

 

I chose to self-publish because we live in a world that has made it so easy to get our message out. I also knew that I was going to use my book to help explain my training philosophy to the parents of my martial arts students, as an introduction to me for coaching clients, and as a tool to book team building events.If you feel like you should be writing a book, write it. You are amazing and the world needs to hear your message from your perspective. Success or failure is defined by you so don’t let your fear of failing hold you back. You’ve got this: go BE BABY!

 

  Tracy Huff is a wife, mother, a Vet of the armed forces, a 4th Degree Black Belt in Tang Soo Do, an author and a business owner. She is the author of  How To Punch Failure in the Face . Her many roles in life have led her to acquire the skills and knowledge that have made her business a success. Tracy has a passion for motivating and helping others build their confidence by identifying their gifts and creating a plan on how to use them now. She is dedicated to helping as many women as she can live that life for themselves. After serving in the U.S. Armed Forces for four years, she finished her education in her current home of Fayetteville, NC. She is combining her life experience along with the skills and motivation she has developed as an entrepreneur and Master and sharing that with other business owners. She is passionate about helping professional women and entrepreneurs build their confidence and achieve their goals. She’s an in-demand speaker and an expert on developing confidence and leadership skills and is available for workshops and speaking events. Visit her website at www.defeatfailure.com or connect with her on Twitter and Facebook .

 

Book Spotlight: Hotter Than Helen by Susan Wingate

 

 Psychological women's suspense that reads like the sharp edge of a dagger…

By Susan Wingate

When Georgette’s old friend, Helen, comes back to Sunnydale, the town begins to sizzle. Is Helen attracted to Hawthorne Biggs, Georgette’s new beau or is it just Georgette’s imagination? But when Helen goes missing, all seems lost. Will they find Helen dead? Does Hawthorne truly have Georgette’s best interests at heart? HOTTER THAN HELEN is a psychological women’s suspense.

Book Information

Release Date: November 16, 2022

Publisher:  The Wild Rose Press

Soft Cover: ISBN:978-1509243501; 329 pages; $15.99; eBook $4.99

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3VjBCu9

Book Excerpt

Chapter 1

Sunnydale, Arizona, 2009

Steel shackles jangled at his ankles, sounding much like the ghost of Christmas future when he shuffled to a stop on the cold travertine floor. Cabling, the kind used on bicycle locks, wrapped around his thin waist and angled off in a Y, snaring each of his wrists. He held his arms close to his stomach, monk-style as if praying, but unlike a monk, he held his head high, not down.

At a thick, red mahogany podium, the orange-clad prisoner stood next to a smaller-framed bailiff. The bailiff’s hand cupped the man’s elbow when someone called out, “All rise. The Honorable Judge Lindon.” The bailiff stepped back to the right, but the prisoner’s eyes shifted left where his lawyer stepped up. The packed courtroom stood almost in unison.

Everyone watched as the judge walked in from a door along the courtroom wall where his desk sat. Sidling behind the wide bench, a dense desk spanned no less than eight feet long and three feet wide of the same rich mahogany as the podium where the orange-clad

man stood.

The judge sat, pausing midway down to eye the prisoner over his black-rimmed reading glasses, sitting slowly before lifting the docket in front of him and reading from the papers.

He looked pissed.

Once settled, he slid his black leather and wood chair under the bench. Everyone else in the courtroom sat. Everyone except, of course, the prisoner and his lawyer. 

The judge wasted no time. “Your sentence, sir…in light of this…” he hesitated briefly, rolling his hand in a circle as he spoke, then continued, “…this new information and these errors,” he glared at the lawyer, “in allowing this new information from reaching the court at the time of your trial.” The judge kept a hard scowl as he looked between both men but mostly at the man’s attorney. “I have no other reasonable choice than to reduce said sentence to a lesser term, no more than two years beginning today.” He slammed his gavel so abruptly he made the stumpy, tightly-combed, gray-haired court recorder jump. She looked up suddenly but went back to typing.

 



About the Author

Susan Wingate writes about big trouble in small towns. She lives with her husband on an island off the coast of Washington State where, against State laws, she feeds the wildlife because she wants them to follow her. Her ukulele playing is, “Coming along,” as her Sitto used to say.

Susan’s eight-time award-winning novel, How the Deer Moon Hungers was chosen by The International Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Book Club as their October 2022 Official Book Selection of the Month. 

Susan has an insatiable appetite for online word games and puzzles. She thinks it might be obsessive-compulsive but is fine with that.

Susan’s poetry, short stories, and essays have been published in journals such as the Virginia Quarterly Review, the Superstition Review, and Suspense Magazine, as well as several others.

Susan is represented by Chip MacGregor and is a proud member of PENAmerica, Int’l Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and Women’s Fiction Writers Association.

Her latest book is the mystery thriller, Hotter Than Helen (The Bobby’s Diner Series Book 2).

Visit her website at www.SusanWingate or follow her at Twitter and Facebook.

 

Sponsored By:

Author Post: That Little Voice by Richard I. Levine

 

 

 

There’s a killer loose on the island of Oahu. His targets? Young, native-Hawaiian women. But it also appears that he’s targeting and taunting Honolulu police detective Henry Benjamin who knew each victim and whose wife, Maya, had been the first name on that list. In addition to battling his personal demons, this New York transplant’s aggressive style didn’t sit well with his laid-back colleagues who viewed Henry’s uncharacteristic lack of progress in the investigation as evidence that fueled ongoing rumors that he could be the killer. Was he, or could it have been someone within the municipal hierarchy with a vendetta? As it was, after thirteen years on the job Henry had been disillusioned with paradise. His career choice long killed any fantasy of living in a grass hut on a wind-swept beach, being serenaded by the lazy sounds of the ocean and a slack key guitar. Instead, it had opened his eyes to a Hawaii that tourists will never see.

 

That Little Voice

 That little voice is always there. We all have one, maybe two. We simply need to acknowledge it exists and allow ourselves an open mind to hear its counsel. Trust me, I don’t have a multiple personality or dissociative identity disorder of any kind. At least I don’t think so.

 To be clear, I’m not poking fun at anyone who is coping with this condition. With that disclaimer out of the way, the little voice I am referring to is also known as our intuition. But what is it exactly? At the risk of seeming to be “out there” (or as my friend describes it; being connected to the woo woo world), based upon so many past experiences I firmly believe my intuition is a connection between me and my spirit guides, or if you prefer, my guardian angels. We all have them and they’re always with us—from our entry into this physical world at birth, to the time we are called back home. It’s that little voice that warns us something doesn’t seem right. It’s that reflex that makes the hairs on the back of our necks stand up. It’s that second-guessing that convinces us to delay a trip or to take a detour. It’s the whisper that seemingly comes out of nowhere when we suddenly think of a long-lost friend or relative right before they call. How many times have we had that happen and think “what a coincidence, I just thought of her yesterday!”

Sadly, many people are no longer tuned into their intuition, and they no longer hear their little voice. With all the static noise and stress we are subjected to from the artificially created environment of the world we live in: traffic, construction noise, work deadlines, family obligations, political messaging, and so on, most folks have forgotten that we are all spiritual beings in the midst of a physical existence. But with intention and practice, we can learn to tune out the static and reconnect with our innate ability to listen to that little voice.

 On several occasions, while driving and simultaneously deep in the imaginary world of a current book project, I’ve arrived at my final destination without being able to recall any part of the drive. How did I not end up in a ditch on the side of the road? Please keep in mind that I don’t imbibe or do drugs—although one time after driving home late at night through a torrent of rain and wind (it was a dark and windy night…), and not being able to recall most of that journey, a stiff drink would have been justified. Was one angel providing the crystal-clear imagery of my next chapter while another angel took the wheel and safely guided me home? To that end, I believe my guardian angels have worked with me when I am writing—from an idea that wakes me in the middle of the night, to when I’m searching for just the right phrase, or better yet, when I’ve finished several pages of dialogue between two or more characters, and I then have to read over what I couldn’t recall having written. Sure, my fingers were dancing all over the keyboard, but I am convinced that those characters, by way of that little voice (my guardian angels or spirit guides) dictated the direction, tone, and length of the conversation.

 For my fellow authors who might feel frustrated because of writer’s block, allow me to suggest that you stop trying to force the next paragraph, sentence, or word. Take a break. Go for a walk and enjoy a little fresh air and sunshine, listen to some beautiful inspirational music or simply turn off all the electronics and find a quiet, peaceful place to meditate. Make this a part of your routine and I’ll bet, without trying, your intuition will reconnect, your little voice will begin to sing, and your imagination will begin to flow. As I button this up, my angels are laughing right now because one of them just said they should receive equal billing on my book covers. What’s next, a percentage?

 

   

Richard I Levine is a native New Yorker raised in the shadows of Yankee Stadium. After dabbling in several occupations and a one-year coast to coast wanderlust trip, this one-time volunteer fireman, bartender, and store manager returned to school to become a chiropractor. A twenty-three-year cancer survivor, he’s a strong advocate for the natural healing arts. Levine has four Indy-published novels and his fifth work, To Catch The Setting Sun, is published by The Wild Rose Press and was released in August 2022. In 2006 he wrote, produced and was on-air personality of the Dr. Rich Levine show on Seattle’s KKNW 1150AM and after a twenty-five-year practice in Bellevue, Washington, he closed up shop in 2017 and moved to Oahu to pursue a dream of acting and being on Hawaii 5-O. While briefly working as a ghostwriter/community liaison for a local Honolulu City Councilmember, he appeared as a background actor in over twenty-five 5-Os and Magnum P.Is. Richard can be seen in his first co-star role in the Magnum P.I. third season episode “Easy Money”. He presently resides in Hawaii. Visit Richard’s Amazon Page or connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagramand Goodreads.

Book review: The Body in Bounty Bay by K.T. McGivens

If you like suspenseful mysteries with a feisty female sleuth, a historical setting of yesteryear, and lots of intrigue along with a murder, pick up a copy of The Body in Bounty Bay: A Katie Porter Mystery by K.T. McGivens. This is the thirteenth book in the series and promises a suspenseful and baffling murder mystery. Katie Porter (a reporter at the Fairfield Gazette) and her handsome fiancé Jim Fielding join their friends, a married couple, Robert and Ruth Reed, for a vacation in the charming little town of Bounty. But as with most quaint towns of that nature, there is a dark side that reveals itself in a murder. Mystery seems to dog Katie’s heels, but then she is so very good at solving them that it appears to be quite natural. There is a large cast, but the author handles them adeptly, so the threads never get tangled. Each person has their part to play in this gripping murder mystery and there is a delicious sense of racing against time before the killer strikes again.

I am usually good at spotting the murderer in movies and books, but this one stumped me. I was truly shocked at the final reveal, after a few people could have been pegged for the murderer and one had even been arrested. The plot is intricate without being convoluted as it twists and turns and is detailed with being bogged down in minutiae. K.T. cleverly weaves a lot of back stories into the plot so naturally in the dialogue and the choices the characters make. Red herrings abound and this is a fun aspect.

This is set in an era (post-war) when there were no laptops, mobile phones, apps, and the like. I liked this attention to detail and discovering how crimes were solved and reporters did their jobs in what to many people are ‘the olden days.’ To me it is very much that people used (in Hercule Poirot’s words) their ‘little grey cells’ more than they do today. Katie’s skills include observation and deduction. It's not all about death and gory theories though. I enjoyed the inclusion of social issues and how the kind-hearted Land Girls reach out, despite potential threats, to those less fortunate. Their reward is utterly delightful, and I also did not see that one coming as well! The social mores of the era are observed so don’t scratch your head and wonder why Katie and Jim are not sharing a hotel room.

In the interests of full disclosure, I was ecstatic to have a character based on myself. I won’t spoil it for readers but, yes, I am in there and I am both flattered and honoured to have been granted this privilege. K.T. McGivens has an eye for character quirks and although this was a tad scary, no knowing what she would pick up from my Twitter timeline, I was very happy. Yes, I would jump into a river to save a dog in the middle of the night! Although this is book thirteen in the series, you won’t be lost. I had not read any previous books and found enough detail to fill me in on Katie and her background. So, if you are in the mood for a clever murder mystery set in an era when things moved at a more leisurely pace, and you fancy your own deductive powers alongside Katie Porter’s, The Body in Bounty Bay is the book for you! Like me, you may decide to start at the very beginning of the series and solve mysteries with this intrepid and intelligent sleuth!

 

Book Spotlight: The Lightbound Saga Trilogy by S.G. Basu

 

 

13-year-old Maia is a land-dwelling Solianese living on the planet of Tansi. She has been raised by her doting grandfather. Her mother, Sophie, supposedly deceased, is accused of being a traitor who fought for the Xifarians who have subjugated Tansi. Loathing her family’s history, Maia has put herself into self-exile, vowing to steer clear of the temptations that led her mother astray. But when she is drafted into a peace summit by the Xifarians, she must walk into Xif, the planet she has always wanted to avoid. Here she meets loyal teammates Kusha, Dani, Nafi, and Ren, as well as Miir, their team mentor who is as accomplished as he is temperamental. As Maia and her teammates thwart a plot to harm the underwater settlements on Tansi, she also discovers Sophie was not a traitor but a hero. Sophie sacrificed herself to save Tansi by breaking the dark heart within Xif that would have destroyed the Tansian system.

 

About the Author  

S.G. Basu is an aspiring potentate of a galaxy or two. She plots and plans with wondrous machines, cybernetic robots, time travelers and telekinetic adventurers, some of whom escape into the pages of her books. Although she's an engineer by training, writing has been her passion since childhood. Her other loves include extra-hot lattes, fast cars and binge-watching sci-fi movies. Find out more about the futuristic worlds she creates at sgbasu.com. She can also be reached at sg@sgbasu.com.

Books by S.G. Basu:

The Lightbound Saga series (YA Dystopian Science Fiction)

Maia and the Xifarian Conspiracy

Maia and the Secrets of Zagran

Maia and Regency Protocol

The Lightbound Saga 3 Book Bundle

The Firefly League-A Lightbound Saga novella

Elementals-The Serial Thriller (Paranormal Science Fiction)

Population Morpheus (Near Apocalyptic Science Fiction)

Jumpers (Paranormal Thriller)

You can visit the author’s website at www.sgbasu.com or connect with her on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.