Young's Blog, page 2

Welcome to Day 3 of the WATCH "RWISA" WRITE Showcase Tour! @fredsdiary1981 @RRBC_Org #RRBC #RWISA #RWISAWRW

Daylight Robbery

by

Robert Fear

Stefan removed his glasses for a moment to clean them. He glanced across at his younger brother to make sure he had seen the agreed signal. Stefan���s heart raced as he smoothed his hair and then replaced his spectacles. With an air of confidence that belied his trembling body, he straightened the jacket of his pinstriped suit and walked over to the bank teller. At the vacant window, he pulled out the documents from his briefcase and laid them on the counter.

Anton recognized the pre-arranged sign and prepared for action. With a slight smirk to himself, he looked over at Stefan as he strode across the banking hall. Anton took the mobile phone out of his pocket and activated the app the two brothers had developed. He swiped his finger over the screen and the lights in the room flickered. The security guard turned to check what was wrong while others stared upwards. Within seconds they forgot the distraction and returned to what they were doing. Anton knew the app had worked and made his way to the front entrance.

At the counter, Stefan produced a small, silenced pistol from beneath the documents. While holding a finger to his lips, he pushed the gun through the gap in the screen so only the cashier could see it. Tired eyes widened with fear as the nozzle rested inches from the terrified employee. He read the note in front of him and as instructed passed bundles of banknotes across the counter. Stefan was aware the teller had activated the alarm but knew it was not working. He stuffed the notes into his briefcase and sprayed a brief blast of gas at the unbelieving man, who slumped forward. With a casual turn, Stefan headed for the entrance.

Outside the bank, Anton monitored the security guard as he continued to greet customers at the front door. With a glance through the window, Anton saw the disturbance behind the counter as staff attended to their collapsed colleague. His older brother joined him, and they strolled over to two e-scooters chained to the railings. They unlocked them and sped off down an alley.

A minute later they skidded to a halt by the car they had acquired earlier. After opening the boot and stashing the e-scooters, they slipped into the front seats. Anton ripped off his latex face mask and let out a gasp of relief. He watched as his sibling took off his glasses and did the same. They roared with laughter as Stefan drove them away.

Two police cars raced by in the opposite direction, sirens blaring and lights flashing. The brothers exchanged an anxious look.

Stefan snapped, ���You switched off your mobile, didn���t you?���

Anton flashed him a reassuring smile. ���Don���t worry. I uninstalled the app and turned off the phone. There���s no way they can track us, even if they scanned my number in the bank.���

Traffic was slow as parents collected children from school. It took twenty minutes to clear the suburbs, but then Stefan picked up speed before arriving at a secluded parking spot on the outskirts of town. After transferring the briefcase with the cash to the boot of their sports car, they dumped the masks, gun, and gas spray into a deep well at the edge of the woods. It was only then that they removed their gloves and threw them in too.

As they roared away, the heavens opened. Torrential rain thrashed against the metal of the bodywork, and the speed of the wipers increased to clear the streaming water from the windscreen. There were loud screeches from the underside of the car as they drove through large puddles.

Amidst the gloom ahead, Anton spotted two figures in uniform at the side of the road with a device pointed in their direction.

���Slow down bro,��� he screamed, ���there���s a couple of cops over there. We don���t want to get caught speeding.���

Stefan eased his foot on the brake pedal. They passed the police officers, who peered at them with an accusing glare. One of them was shouting into his phone.

As the brothers started to relax, another man sprang out from the bushes and threw something across the road in front of them.

���Watch out Stef, it���s a stinger.���

Stefan mounted the pavement to avoid the strap with its lethal metal spikes. It was too late. The tires shredded and within seconds the car ground to a shuddering halt.

A swarm of uniformed officers, with guns raised, raced towards them.

���How the hell did they know where to find us?��� croaked Anton.

Stefan buried his head in his hands. ���No idea bro, you did turn your phone off, didn���t you?���

A sudden wave of realization swept over Anton���s face. ���What if the cashier sneaked a tracker into the cash?���

���Sod it, we should have checked that. I thought we���d covered everything.���

Their shoulders fell and both brothers let out a shriek of exasperation as guns appeared at the side windows of the car.

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Thank you for supporting this member along the WATCH "RWISA" WRITE Showcase Tour today!  We ask that if you have enjoyed this member's writing, please visit their Author Profile on the RWISA site, where you can find more of their writing, along with their contact and social media links, if they've turned you into a fan.

We ask that you also check out their books in the RWISA catalog.  Thanks, again, for your support and we hope that you will follow along each day of this amazing tour of talent by visiting the tour home page!  Don't forget to click the link below to learn more about today's profiled author:

Robert Fear's RWISA Author Profile

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Welcome to Day 2 of the WATCH "RWISA" WRITE Showcase Tour! @JanSikes3@RRBC_Org #RRBC #RWISA #RWISAWRW

JAN SIKES

WALK TO YOUR OWN BEAT

JAN SIKES

2020 has been a year.

And that is a gross understatement. No one could have predicted the diverse levels of craziness we���d experience as the year unfolded.

Not only are we dealing with a worldwide pandemic that has us wearing masks and hiding in our homes, but here in the United States, we���ve witnessed hatred and divisiveness to a degree I could never have imagined. While we watched and perhaps joined people taking to the streets to protest injustices, we also saw organized groups invade our beautiful cities and set them ablaze. Everyone is in a hypersensitive mode. History is being erased with the dismantling and destruction of national monuments, while sports teams are changing their names because someone is offended. 

The culmination of it all has left us reeling.

I do not watch the news, and that is a personal choice. I can name lots of reasons why I stopped, but the main one is, I do not believe even half of what they report. The media uses its power to incite and ignite more hatred and division amongst us.

Folks take to social media to try and coerce others to bend to their ideals and beliefs. And they do it in the most aggressive ways imaginable. It seems no one wants to allow their fellow man to have his or her own opinions. People are not willing to tolerate differences. Families are split by these differences, leaving children confused. We are allowing those in power to turn us into a society focused on isolation and fear.

So, what can we do?

I heard a song the other day that says it better than I ever could. The music artist is Brent Cobb, and he gave me permission to quote some of his lyrics.

He sings about how people want to tell each other how to live and how to die. You don���t get too low, don���t get too high, which is precisely what the pharmaceutical companies exhort.

The best thing you can do is don���t listen too close. Walk on to your own beat. Keep ���em on their toes.

What does that even mean? To me, it means staying true to your authentic self. Don���t be a part of the herd that follows blindly. Make decisions for your life based on your truth, not someone else���s. Go where your heart tells you to go. I genuinely believe your heart will never lead you wrong.

Then, rather than to try and convince others to follow your truth, tuck it deep inside where you can nurture it and make it grow. You will never persuade another person to change their way of thinking because of the words you speak, but you can lead by example. And you can keep them on their toes. Keep them guessing about you. In other words, don���t be so utterly transparent.

Maybe this says it better. Keep ���em on their toes, your business outta sight. Make ���em look left, if you���re gonna hang a right. If the pot���s hot, don���t let ���em see your hand. Make ���em gotta know what they wouldn���t understand. The best thing you can do when the ignorance shows, is walk on to your own beat, keep ���em on their toes.

I love that! We live in an electronic age where privacy is a thing of the past. The only way to have real privacy is to be completely disconnected, including no cellphone.

I have had many experiences that prove to me we are always under observation. It���s easy to understand how an ad will randomly pop up after browsing for an Amazon item. But I have had things pop up about something relating to a simple conversation with a friend. Big Brother is listening. No, I���m not paranoid. Just honest and see reality.

I do not know where we are headed as a society. The rose-colored glasses part of me wants to believe this hatred, division, hypersensitivity, and deadly pandemic we are experiencing will all come to an end, and we will go back to living our lives peacefully. But reality tells me we will never go back to the way we were before all of this chaos hit.

We are forever changed by it all.

So, the big question remains, ���Where do we go from here?���

I can only answer that question from my point of view, from my truth. I will continue to be kind. I will continue to share and celebrate others��� accomplishments. And I will continue to love my family and do my best to impart any hard-earned wisdom to my grandchildren.

I can���t visualize what this world will be like ten years from now. I can���t even picture it a year from now. So, I must live for today in the best and most honest way I know.

I will walk on to my own beat���do my best to keep ���em on their toes, and my business out of sight. That does not mean I can stop caring or go numb. In fact, just the opposite. I will celebrate every positive moment life brings, and I hope you will join me. Together we are stronger. Together we can make a difference.

Together, we can keep ���em on their toes!

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Thank you for supporting this member along the WATCH "RWISA" WRITE Showcase Tour today!  We ask that if you have enjoyed this member's writing, please visit their Author Profile on the RWISA site, where you can find more of their writing, along with their contact and social media links, if they've turned you into a fan.

We ask that you also check out their books in the RWISA catalog.  Thanks, again, for your support and we hope that you will follow along each day of this amazing tour of talent by visiting the tour home page!  Don't forget to click the link below to learn more about today's profiled author:

Jan Sike's RWISA Author Profile

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Welcome to Day 1 of the WATCH "RWISA" WRITE Showcase Tour! #RRBC #RWISA #RWISAWRW @YvetteMCalleiro

The Journey

Dear self,

Oh, the journey we have had���

Its ups and downs and sideway twists,

The moments of exhilaration,

The quickened pulse and caught breath,

The scenes that left lingering loops of trauma,

The journey we have had.

And the journey we are on���

Getting to know you

With no boundaries or judgment,

With love and kindness,

Living one new moment at a time,

The journey we are on.

Ah, the journey before us���

Awareness and acceptance all around,

Gratitude grounding us,

Pausing to make peace with whatever may come,

Living to learn from experience,

Trusting where I am is

Where I need to be,

Embracing curiosity and a zest for life,

Sharing loving- kindness with each path crossing mine,

The journey before us.

The journey we have had built our resiliency.

The journey we are on builds our strength.

The journey before us will make us whole.

I wish you well, my friend.

Yvette M Calleiro

For the 2020 Watch ���RWISA��� Write Showcase Tour, I decided to write this poem. This year has been difficult for many of us, but it���s especially challenging for those with anxiety and other mental disorders. As a person who lives with an anxiety disorder, I have spent many years finding ways to manage my anxiety. I have found that a combination of neurofeedback, therapy sessions, meditation, and mindfulness have worked well for me.

Neurofeedback is a therapeutic intervention where a computer program helps retrain the brain to stay within a normal parameter for a response to stimuli. Imagine two horizontal bars with a space between them. A ���normal��� brain would show brainwaves that stay within the high and low bar with few outliers. A brain with certain conditions would show brainwaves that jump higher or lower than the horizontal bars. Neurofeedback retrains the brain to stay within those bars.

In my case, my neurofeedback takes place while I watch a movie at my psychologist���s office. The staff connects electrodes to various spots on my head. Those electrodes connect to a computer that monitors my brain waves. That computer is connected to a program that links to whatever movie I am watching. As I watch the movie, it registers my brain waves. So long as my brain waves stay within the normal parameter, I can see and hear the movie. When my waves jump outside the normal parameter, the volume will lower, and/or the screen with get smaller or fade out. Once my brain waves return with the normal limits, the picture and volume return. In this manner, my brain learns it is rewarded when it stays within normal limits.

It sounds like crazy sci-fi stuff, and I���ll admit I didn���t really believe it would work. It took me getting to the point where my health was suffering to get me to finally try it. At first, I went every week for a few months. It wasn���t a miracle overnight fix, but one day I realized I was sleeping better and not freaking out as much. My energy was returning to me. My sessions were reduced to every other week, and now, I go once a month just for a tune-up. I am not a fan of man-made medicines, so this has been a wonderful alternative to taking pills to reduce my anxiety.

Another thing that has helped me has been therapy sessions. I meet with a psychologist once or twice a month either in person (pre-COVID) or via teleconference. I am a strong believer that every person should meet with a therapist at some point in his/her life. Some days, we just review my days and see what comes up. Other days, I bring something I want to speak about to the ���table.��� She helps me restructure how I perceive information and process it. It has helped me to understand and accept events in my past and to have more compassion for the experiences I have now.

I started meditating as a way to silence my mind. I have a very loud inner voice. For many years, that inner voice was absolutely toxic. I had all the love in the world for everyone around me, but my inner voice made it clear there was no love left for me. It took me a long time to realize that this inner voice was not me, and I could silence her toxicity. Meditation helped me to do that.

It also showed me how to embrace a loving-kindness mentality toward myself. Those who know me casually will find this information a bit shocking because I always present myself as calm and kind and relaxed, but a cover doesn���t always reveal the inner layers within the book. It took me years to be kind to myself, and it is a journey I am still experiencing.

My meditation journey led me to mindfulness. I think of meditation and mindfulness as sisters in the same family. They are similar but distinct. Meditation is a practice where one uses a technique to train himself to become more aware or improve his attention. Mindfulness is the quality of awareness that one attains simply by purposefully paying attention without judgment. This is a great article to better understand them: https://positivepsychology.com/differences-between-mindfulness-meditation/.

Meditation helped me to silence the toxicity of my inner voice. Mindfulness helped me to become more aware of the patterns in my thoughts, see them, accept them, and let them pass through without permanence or judgment. I treasure the layer of peace it has brought me.

When I think back to the person I was six years ago, I can share loving-kindness with her and embrace the trials and tribulations she/I went through. Had I known then what I know now, I wouldn���t have suffered for so many years without seeking help. I now focus on today���s journey, knowing time is fluid and the only moment that exists is this one. I practice focusing on the here and now. It isn���t always easy, but this journey is about practice and awareness. We, as humans, will never reach perfection, and I find a certain beauty in that. We are, and always will be, a living work of heart. ����

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Thank you for supporting this member along the WATCH "RWISA" WRITE Showcase Tour today!  We ask that if you have enjoyed this member's writing, please visit their Author Profile on the RWISA site, where you can find more of their writing, along with their contact and social media links, if they've turned you into a fan.

We ask that you also check out their books in the RWISA catalog.  Thanks, again, for your support and we hope that you will follow along each day of this amazing tour of talent by visiting the tour home page!  Don't forget to click the link below to learn more about today's profiled author:  

Yvette Calleiro's RWISA Author Profile

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RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB���S "SPOTLIGHT" Author Blog Tour! "SPOTLIGHT" Author, Susanne Leist! @SusanneLeist #RRBC #RRBCSA

 

MY NEXT BOOK

 

My fourth book is underway. A seaside town in Maine provides the backdrop for murder, mystery, and romance. Love falters and flourishes as the residents fight the persistent evil plaguing their small-town lives.

 

Elizabeth and Scarlett travel to Maine, leaving life in New York City behind. Their desire to run a bed-and-breakfast brings them to Blue Harbor. Little do they know, but the paranormal waits to fill their plates with the unsavory, metallic smell of blood. As bodies drop, they must choose between remaining or fleeing the horrific screams shattering the quiet community.

 

As they make their decision, Elizabeth and Scarlett rent an apartment near the harbor. Their landlord, Lauren, a flashy redhead, knows more than she reveals. When Lauren escorts them to the local ice cream shop, the illusion of candy land is disrupted by a man who charges through the door and dies in a pool of blood.

 

The two men, who Lauren had introduced to them, play a vital role in the town's underbelly of secrets. Are David and Jordan what they appear, or are master-manipulators? Join Elizabeth and Scarlett as they are thrust into a chain of events where there's no escape.

 

 

AUTHOR BIO:

 

I have always loved to read. Agatha Christie, Alistair Maclean, Robert Ludlum, and other authors filled my young imagination with intrigue and mystery. When I wasn't reading late into the night, the TV shows such as Murder She Wrote and Columbo, entertained me with murder and suspense tales.

Over the years, my taste in TV expanded to include such shows as Supernatural and The Originals. I searched for paranormal, murder mysteries, but found few at the library or bookstore. So, I wrote one.

The Dead Game, Book One of The Dead Game series, brings fantasy and surrealism to the classic murder mystery with dead bodies, suspects, and clues. It offers vampires, vampire derivatives, and a touch of romance to spice the motley mix.

The story continues in Book Two, Prey for The Dead, as The Dead vampires use an exclusive club in Disney World to infiltrate the rich and famous. As The Dead grows in power, not even the bright sunshine of Florida can weaken them. Linda and her friends join forces with human vampires--known as hybrids--to defeat the evil threatening to control Oasis. A masquerade ball and a romp through the tunnels beneath the town lead to a showdown in southern Florida's swamps.

The Dead At Heart is Shana's love story. Will her love for William strengthen, or will Sam lead her on a different path? At Chateau Frontenac in Quebec, Shana and her fearless friends fight for Oasis and their lives.

A career in writing has been a giant leap for me. Accustomed to the number-crunching field of budgeting and the hectic commodity markets, I left my first career and M.B.A. in Finance behind to pursue my dream. I do not regret my foray into literature for one moment. Fellow authors helped me make my way through the competitive field. I write every day and even tried my hand at poetry. If someone tells you it's too late in life to try something different, they are wrong. It is never too late to follow your heart.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Twitter handle:  @SusanneLeist

Facebook URL:  https://www.facebook.com/susanne.leist.98

Website address:  https://www.susanneleist.com/

 

 

THE DEAD AT HEART 

 

William���s bite bonded Shana to him, but he didn���t ask her to mate with him for life. She isn���t ready for a lifetime commitment. Now, William excludes her from his vampire meetings. Shana understands he���s an original vampire with immense powers. For them to be a couple, he has to treat as an equal partner. If William doesn���t respect her, then what are their chances of finding happiness?

 

Shana speaks to Linda, her best friend, of her fears.

 

���Paradise is an illusion.��� Shana���s face grows heated as her frustration mounts. ���Oasis is a haven for vampires. I���m tired of their battles. The Watchers get rid of an evil group of vamps, and another group arrives and attacks. It���s a vicious cycle. Vampires are trouble.���

 

���We will have a happy ending.��� Linda lifts her head. ���Don���t lose faith. The Watchers will protect us, and Gregg has an elite force of original vampires.��� She touches Shana���s arm. ���William loves you; he won���t let something happen to you.���

 

���The vampires keep secrets from us.��� Shana swallows the lump in her throat. ���I don���t want to live with vamps anymore, and I need time to decide on my relationship with William. One minute, I���m suffocating, and then the next, I���m lost without him.���

 

As a new enemy descends on Oasis, Florida, Shana turns to Sheriff Sam, who broke her heart. Can she trust the human-vampire?

 

This begins Shana���s journey to fight vampires and werewolves with Sam at her side.

 

An explosion at Chateau Frontenac in Quebec doesn���t stop Shana and her friends from saving their town, and maybe even the world.

 

 

Thank you for supporting RRBC's "SPOTLIGHT" Author!  If you'd like to follow along with each stop of this tour, please check out our "SPOTLIGHT" Author forum on the RRBC site.

 

 

Quests and Adventures by Authors Judy and Keith

Quests and Adventures

An anthology of five short stories for children of all ages

Buy link

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08D6XH945/

Author page https://www.amazon.com/Judy/e/B013HBQTLM/

Target audience is children ages 6-12, chapter-books. Kindle Unlimited is free

The Paperback version will be available in late August.

This anthology of five short stories with hand-drawn illustrations is primarily aimed at children aged 6 to 12 years. Each story is complete and makes great bedtime reading or to use as a chapter-book.

Enter multiple worlds of fantasy...a young girl goes on a quest to turn the sun back on. Glass ceilings are difficult to break, especially if you want to become the first female wizard. A colony of ants must discover a new home. A lonely boy finds a new friend...in a talking worm. Adventures soon follow.

A collection of stories within stories that interweave morals, the paranormal, and reality���a fascinating blend for children of all ages.

Blurb

Can a young girl overcome all odds and rediscover the sun? If you have friends, even small ones, nothing is impossible.

The moon has eaten the sun.

What has happened?

Will the darkness last forever?

A young girl goes on a quest to discover the answer to how to turn the sun back on.

From the ���The Day the Sun Disappeared.���

About the authors

Judy and Keith have been married for over forty-five years. They���re semiretired and live in the South Bay, Los Angeles. Both were born and raised in England in the early fifties and relocated to Los Angeles in the late eighties.

They have two sons and two grandsons.

You can contact the authors on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JudyandKeith/ or Twitter @JudyandKeith

Excerpt from ���The Day the Sun Disappeared.���

The elderly wizard shouted, ���Kirsten, can you fetch me the pestle and mortar? My legs are not as young as they used to be.���

The young girl ran to get them for the royal wizard. She liked to think she was his apprentice. She wasn���t. Mervin had taught her a lot in the last two years, including reading, writing, and some math. But, and there���s always a but, as a girl, she wasn���t allowed to be a wizard, or an astronomer, or most things except a cook, nurse, housekeeper, or wife. The only exception was if you had royal blood.

At four-feet-eleven-inches, she was tall for a ten-year-old and stronger than most boys. They called her a tom-boy. She didn���t care, and to spite them, kept her mousy brown hair cut in a page-boy style.

���Here they are.���

���Thanks, I don���t know what I would do without you these days. Fetch me a slice of ginger root, some rosemary, two leaves of apple mint, and a couple of nettle flowers.���

���I know, be careful with the nettle. I got stung once and that���s enough.���

���Why don���t you make the potion for me? Grind them all together then add a dash of goat���s milk. Her Royal Highness has an upset stomach, and that little concoction is the best remedy.���

Kirsten���s eyes twinkled as she expertly ground up the ingredients, added the milk, then poured the mixture into a small vial. ���It���s done.���

She looked at the old wizard. He had aged considerably in the last couple of months and walked stooped, with the help of a staff. His long wispy white hair was tied back in a ponytail, but his blue eyes still held a sparkle. She noticed him clench his teeth with pain with every movement.

���My arthritis will be the death of me. Here I am, a wizard, and I can���t cure myself. I think the gods are trying to tell me something. I wish they would be more explicit.���

Kirsten laughed. ���What else can I do for you?���

���Go get my dinner. Your mother is the best royal cook ever. I���ve looked forward to mealtimes ever since she was appointed by Queen Avis. If I remember correctly, it���s beef stew tonight. Don���t forget to bring a chunk of fresh bread.���

With an overabundance of energy, she skipped out of the door, ran down the east tower���s spiral staircase, and across the courtyard to the kitchen, her mother���s domain. ���Mom, is Wizard Mervin���s dinner ready?��� she shouted.

���Don���t shout. Only I���m allowed to bellow in here. You, watch out, the fat will catch fire. Kirsten, my love, the wizard���s food is on the counter. Take a tray and don���t forget to add a mug of beer plus a chunk of fresh bread.���

As soon as she started to climb up the stairwell, her stomach started to churn. Something���s wrong. She ran up the stairs, spilling most of the beer, and burst into his magic chambers. Wizard Mervin was lying on the floor in a very unnatural position. The panic bell was by the side of the door. She dropped the tray and rang it again and again.

���Kirsten, come closer,��� the wizard croaked. ���I haven���t much longer.���

She stopped ringing the bell and ran to him.

He took her hand. ���Don���t cry. It���s my time, and I won���t be in pain anymore. I���ve spelled my magic books and potion ingredients. They���re yours. Don���t look for them. When the time is right, they will find you. You are my gift to the kingdom. You���ll grow up to be the first female wizard, who will stand head and shoulders above the rest of us.���

���But women aren���t allowed to practice magic...���

���You���ll throw the old rule book away, and then open doors which were previously closed to girls. If you don���t mind, I will visit you in dreams...���

 

 

#RWISA Author Nonnie Jules

 

Nonnie (aka Wonder Woman) has been super busy organizing the 5th Annual #RRBC Writers��� Conference & Book Expo (a super-duper virtual literary event!!!!), so a group of us decided we would shine the spotlight on Nonnie.

Please support an author who gives tirelessly and selflessly (on steroids!) to other authors every day of the year. So, as well as sharing our posts & tweets, please buy her books, and post your honest reviews.

RRBC and #RWISA - Let���s make some NONNIE NOISE!!!!

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Nonnie Jules ��� President & Founder of RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB {RRBC} and RAVE WRITERS ��� INT���L SOCIETY OF AUTHORS {RWISA}. 

���As a writer who values the (polished) written word, it is my mission to help my fellow authors understand that their reputation as a writer should be treated as a rare treasure and that the only way to be taken seriously in this business, is to ensure that your writing (no matter the forum) is impeccably written and well-edited.���

RRBC Author Page https://ravereviewsbookclub.wordpress.com/about-nonnie-jules-nonniejules-rrbc-rwisa/

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You can find Nonnie���s books listed under the following categories in the RRBC Catalog:

���Non-Fiction

���Novels

���Parenting & Relationships

���Poetry

���Short Story

***********************

Latest Release:

No Pedigree

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083SB1RMN

 

 

Growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, Baylee never quite fit in...anywhere. She was taunted and teased because her clothes had no designer labels, and spit upon because her only pair of shoes had holes in the bottom. The butt of many jokes, she was excluded from all social activities, sneered at by the parents of her peers after school as she waited for the bus, watching them drive away in their fancy cars; assaulted in the most unthinkable fashion.

Having been born to a white father and a black native American mother didn't make things any easier. In fact, that circumstance made her life ten times harder - until the day she made them all stand up, take notice, and regret every ugly word and deed they had inflicted upon her.

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No Pedigree Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/upjh985NclE

 

 

RWISA Author Page:

https://ravewriters.wordpress.com/meet-the-authors/author-nonnie-jules/

 

Watch out for Wonder-Jules truth lasso!

***********************

Social Media Links

Contact via:

Email:   nonniejules@gmail.com

Twitter:   @nonniejules  &  @AskTheGoodMommy

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

Blog/Websites:

Books By Nonnie

Watch Nonnie Write!

Ask The Good Mommy

4WillsPublishing

RRBC #RWISA Thanks for supporting author Nonnie Jules!

 

 

 

Welcome to Day 5 of the @4WillsPub "THANK YOU, HOSTS!" Blog Tour for #RRBCAuthors @EnigmaSeries #RRBC

 

Giveaway:  (1) 5-Day Blog Tour to promote your book!
 


 

BOOK TITLE:  THE ENIGMA BEYOND
https://www.amazon.com/Enigma-Beyond-Charles-Breakfield/dp/1946858404/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=the+enigma+beyond&qid=1578860094&sr=8-2  

 
BOOK BLURB:
Mankind is fighting for living space as A.I. enhanced supercomputers take control of our politics, our military, and our lives. Are supercomputers as vicious as humans, but without emotions so they have no weaknesses? Breakfield and Burkey take readers on a one-way trip as people relinquish their most precious human quality-the freedom to choose.
 


 

AUTHOR BIO:

Breakfield & Burkey leverage their respective 25+ years of technology expertise to craft relevant 21st-century fictional Techno-Thriller. Their novels incorporate today's relevant technology challenges, then add layers of romance, suspense, and intrigue, with a splash of humor.   

SOCIAL MEDIA:
https://twitter.com/EnigmaSeries 

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011771111008
 


 

TOUR PROMO TRAILER:
https://youtu.be/4yu5g1ZEByg
 
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Thank you for dropping in to support this author today along the 4WillsPub "THANK YOU, HOSTS" Blog Tour!  To follow along with the rest of the tour as we show appreciation of these bloggers for all their support in supporting our books, please visit the  main tour page  for this event! There's another book and author on tour today, so do get by to support them, as well!  Remember, you could win a (5) Day Blog Tour of your own to promote any of your books by simply leaving a comment below!  


 

Welcome to JAN SIKES' SHORT STORY BOOK BLAST! #RRBC #RWISA #RRBCAuthor

 

AUTHOR BIO:

Jan Sikes is an award-winning Texas author who has been called a wordsmith by her peers. She openly admits that she never set out in life to be an author. But she had a story to tell. Not just any story, but a true story that rivals any fiction creation. You simply can't make this stuff up. It all happened. She chose to create fictitious characters to tell the story through, and they bring the intricately woven tale to life in an entertaining way. She released a series of music CDs to accompany the four biographical fiction books and then published a book of poetry and art to complete the story circle.

And now that the story is told, this author can't find a way to put down the pen. She continues to write fiction and has published many short stories with a series of novels waiting in the wings. She is a member of Authors Marketing Guild, The Writer's League of Texas, the RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB (RRBC), the RAVE WRITER'S INT'L SOCIETY OF AUTHOR (RWISA), and sits on the RWISA Executive Council. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyb_j...

 

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Connect through Jan's website: http://www.jansikes.com

Follow Jan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJanSike...

Follow Jan on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JanSikes3

Follow Jan's Blog: http://www.jansikesblog.com

 

BOOK BLURB FOR BRAZOS WIND:

War-torn drifter, Jack McClean is left with nothing but bad memories, scars, and a restless soul. When he stumbles upon a burning homestead, and an unconscious woman, beside the Clear Fork of the Brazos River, he stops to render aid. The grieving widow, Savannah Logan, sees no reason to live, and only wants to join her husband and children in their graves. But, Jack refuses to let her die. In saving her, he might somehow find redemption for himself and hope for a new tomorrow. Is it possible that both Jack and Savannah can find a new destiny in the changeable flow of the Brazos wind?

 

 

BOOK BLURB FOR BROTHER���S KEEPER:

Quentin Marks��� mother can only love one son, and from the day Rowdy was born, she makes Quentin, his little brother���s keeper. She demands that Quentin fix every problem for Rowdy and that he also protect him. The truth is, after a deadly snakebite, Quentin owes his very life to his little brother, a debt that will never be paid in full. Only now a man is dead, and once again, their mother calls on Quentin to make the problem go away and save Rowdy from prison. When is enough enough, and how much of his own life will Quentin Marks have to sacrifice?

 

 

TOUR GIVEAWAY:

(2) $10 Amazon gift cards. Leave a comment below for a chance to win!

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Thank you for supporting this author.  Jan wrote these short stories as entries into the RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB'S 90-Day ALPHA / OMEGA "Beginning to End" Short Story Writing Contest which she has won for the past two years.
 
Jan is giving away (2) $10 Amazon gift cards to (2) lucky winners! For your chance to win, simply leave a comment below.
 
If you���d like to schedule your own blog tour and have your books promoted in a similar grand fashion, please click  HERE .
 


 
 
 

Welcome to Day 6 of "THE LOST AND FOUND BILLY BATTLES" Blog Tour! @JHawker69 @4WillsPub #RRBC #RWISA.

 

 

The Lost and Found Billy Battles Tour

 

GIVEAWAY:  (2) Complete sets of the Billy Battles trilogy.  For your chance to win one, please leave a comment below!

 

 

The Awful English Language (Part 2)

 

The United States has many wonderful attributes: amazing natural beauty, modern conveniences, an amazing collection of creative and talented people. However, the United States also has the Awful English Language���which is the Heinz 57 of the world���s languages.

It is confusing, illogical, and well, awful to learn.

Just look at these conundrums of the English language.

If lawyers are disbarred, and clergymen defrocked, does it not follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, or drycleaners depressed?

Laundry workers could decrease, eventually becoming depressed and depleted.

Even more, bed makers could be debunked, baseball players debased, landscapers deflowered, software engineers detested, underwear manufacturers debriefed, and even musical composers will eventually decompose.

On a different note, though, perhaps we can hope that some politicians will be devoted.

Yes, English is a crazy language. Of course English is a creation of humanity, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all.

That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

There are also dozens of illogical idioms we hear every day. Such as:

���Head over heels" (in love, for example). Surely the phrase should be "heels over head."

"Meteoric rise" (to fame, for example). Meteors don't rise. They fall.

"Quantum Leap" (meaning a big change). A quantum leap is a very small change, but at least it is large on the scale of atoms.

"To leapfrog" over something. Surely it should be "frog leap" over.

He "turned up dead." That's used mainly in the US. Turning up, even when you are dead, takes real determination.

"Back-to-back" meaning consecutive, e.g., back-to-back wins. It should be "back-to-front," I think. The end of one thing is followed by the start of the next thing and not the end of it. Unfortunately, "back-to-front" already has a different meaning.

Finally, there are these ten meaningless and irritating English clich��s and expressions that should be banned forever. I cringe whenever I hear them, which is every day���especially by newsreaders and political pundits on television.

At the end of the day
At this moment in time
The bottom line
I personally
With all due respect
It's a nightmare
Fairly unique
Shouldn't of (ouch!)
24/7
It's not rocket science-

PS: Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick'?

 

 

BOOK BLURB:

 

The Finding Billy Battles trilogy tells the story of a remarkable man who is born in 1860 and who dies in 1960. For decades Billy lives an improbable and staggering life of adventure, peril, transgression, and redemption. Then Billy mysteriously disappears. For several decades his family has no idea where he is or what he is doing.

Finally, with his life coming to an end, Billy resurfaces in an old soldiers��� home in Leavenworth, Kansas. It is there, when he is 98 that he meets his 12-year-old great-grandson and bequeaths his journals and his other property to him ��� though he is not to receive them until he is much older.

Years later, the great-grandson finally reads the journals and fashions a three-volume trilogy that tells of his great-grandfather's audacious life in the old west, as well as his journeys to the Far East of the 1890s���including French Indochina and The Philippines���and finally, in the early 20th century, to Europe and Latin America where his adventures and predicaments continue. One thing readers can be sure of, wherever Billy Battles goes trouble is not far behind.

 

 

AUTHOR BIO:

 

Ronald E. Yates is a multi-award-winning author of historical fiction and action/adventure novels, including the popular and highly-acclaimed Finding Billy Battles trilogy. His extraordinarily accurate books have captivated fans around the world who applaud his ability to blend fact and fiction.

Ron is a former foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and Professor Emeritus of Journalism at the University of Illinois where he was also the Dean of the College of Media.

The Lost Years of Billy Battles is the final book in the trilogy and recently won the Independent Press Award���s 2020 Distinguished Favorites Award. In 2019 it also won Best Overall Book of the year and the Grand Prize in the Goethe Historical Fiction Category from Chanticleer International Book Awards as well as a Book Excellence Award and a New Apple Award. The second book in the trilogy, The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles, was published in June 2016. It won the 2017 KCT International Literary Award and the New Apple Award in the Action/Adventure category. The first book in the trilogy, "Finding Billy Battles," was published in 2014 and won a Book Excellence Award and Laramie Award from Chanticleer International Book Awards.

As a professional journalist, Ron lived and worked in Japan, Southeast Asia, and both Central and South America where he covered several history-making events including the fall of South Vietnam and Cambodia; the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing; and wars and revolutions in Afghanistan, the Philippines, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala, among other places. His work as a foreign correspondent earned him several awards including three Pulitzer Prize nominations.

Ron is a frequent speaker about the media, international affairs, and writing. He is a Vietnam era veteran of the U.S. Army Security Agency and lives just north of San Diego in Southern California���s wine country.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

-Twitter   https://twitter.com/jhawker69

-Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ronaldyatesbooks/

-Website   https://ronaldyatesbooks.com/

 

AMAZON OR OTHER PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KHDVZI/-/e/B00KQAYMA8/

Barnes & Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/finding%20billy%20battles/_/N-8q8

 

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To follow along with the rest of the tour, please visit the  author's tour page  on the  4WillsPublishing site.  If you'd like to schedule your own blog tour and have your book promoted in a similar grand fashion, please click  HERE .  Thanks for supporting this author and his work!
 
 

 

 

RELEASE DAY! Surrender at Canyon Road by Debora Dale

 

Snuggle up with a Romance Tonight

When planning the release of my debut romantic suspense novel, I anticipated some bumps and hurdles, but I never anticipated anything as catastrophic as a pandemic. My state has been the hardest hit in the USA so far, with immeasurable levels of fear, suffering and grief.

Because of that, I���ve kept fairly quiet about the release of my book. I purposely scheduled it for the end of May as a birthday gift to myself, but wondered whether I should postpone it, and if so, for how long? A few months? A year? Then, as I listened to the advice of friends, fellow authors and fellow readers, I agreed many of us actually need to escape into a book right now. Just as many of us have escaped into baking, cleaning, exercising or even lip syncing.

At times it���s necessary, for our health, to decompress

That had me thinking about my heroine. She���s a woman who endured great trauma as a child, who kept her fears and frustrations locked deep inside, thinking she had defeated them when what she actually did was lug them around with her everywhere. She let them direct her actions and reactions. Her thoughts and habits. That is, until her every method of defense was met with challenges she could have never imagined.

Even then, she believed she could rely on her old tried and true tactics if she only thought them through a little more. Finally, when the odds mounted against her and the man she���d grown to love, she called on her own strength and fortitude, which she had only just begun to recognize.

 

 

That comes with time, and with pain. It comes when we feel there's no other choice, when we fear all is lost except this one thing ��� our own hidden abilities. It helps to know there are other people who are willing to help, to fight with us and for us. That we are not alone. And in this case, in our fight against this cruel virus, none of us are.

Self-care

Covid19 is so much bigger than each of us but so much smaller than all of us. For that reason, we have to stay strong together, with common sense and compassion.

And so it���s right that we take care of ourselves in every way we can, to fortify our minds, our spirits, our bodies. To eat well, rest, relax if possible, and replenish.

A story with seemingly insurmountable odds that promises a well-earned happily ever after might be one path toward the goal of helping to make us whole, even if only for an hour or two.

Stay safe. Take care of yourself. Pour a glass of wine or a cup of tea, and snuggle up with a romance tonight. You can give lip-syncing a go tomorrow.

 

From the Back Cover

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Surrender at Canyon Road
Bound by her past
Freed by his love

Ransom in hand, Johnny "Blake" races to the drop point to rescue his sister and nephew only to wind up blindsided by a terrible double-cross. Now he's stranded in the Colorado Rockies in the dead of night with no car and no options. Then the kidnappers call with new demands and Blake is forced to do the unthinkable.

Dani Moyer is only a few good photographs and some winding mountain roads away from winning a contest that will change her life--until a stranger kidnaps her. She doesn't believe his story about a kidnapped sister and her child. And she's not giving up her dreams without a fight.

But when the kidnappers call again, Blake and Dani hear the agonizing sound of the child's frightened voice. Blake will stop at nothing to save the boy from this nightmare, and Dani knows that to help him, she must surrender her own dreams.

 

 

Debora Dale' s first literary love is romantic suspense - to read and to write. A New Yorker born and bred, Debora uses the diversity, excitement and seedy underbelly of her hometown as fodder for her stories. While she adores happily-ever-afters, she makes certain her characters toil for theirs.

When not writing, she can be found baking a decadent little something in her kitchen or enjoying a quiet moment in her tiny urban yard. Mostly, however, you will find her trying to plot a new story while at least one of her five rescued felines settles in for a nap on her keyboard.

 

Follow me!

Website: https://www.deboradale.com
Blog: https://www.deboradale.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeboraDaleAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/deboradale
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deboradaleauthor/

 

 

Surrender at Canyon Road

Available Now
from your favorite bookstore in paperback or digital format