Diane Bator's Blog, page 24
August 11, 2022
The Enigma Factor, a technological thriller by the writing duo of Charles Breakfield and Rox Burkey.
The Enigma Factor!
Book One of The Enigma Series
Cyber Warfare is Unleashed in this critically acclaimed technological thriller by the writing duo of Charles Breakfield and Rox Burkey
The book is published by ICABOD Press and is available worldwide across all platforms!
A brilliant programmer is targeted by cyber predators! Jacob Michaels, computer network security-tester extraordinaire, tries to settle into a quiet life of work to polish his cyber security skills after the death of his mother. Jacob is unaware that his growing reputation makes him a person of interest. Cyber-criminals are hunting for new recruits. They target this brilliant programmer to seduce him into joining their cause. More people are hunting him than just the Russian cyber kingpin. Jacob sets off to find those who are targeting him. He discovers he’s in the crosshairs of previously unknown global experts. Of course, having his identity erased puts him front and center above anything else.
Buzz, when looking for the easy way, makes a ghastly judgement error and inadvertently crosses the line to the darknet. He pleads to his best friend Jacob for help. Jacob, brilliant as he is, doesn’t have enough experience to help Buzz on his own. Jacob battles against global cyber masterminds using his knowledge of programming, identity theft, and hacking. He is pulled up short when his security knowledge is dwarfed following his introduction to the distractingly beautiful encryptionist Petra. Jacob’s challenge is how to keep ahead of the criminals and learn who to trust. In their debut TechnoThriller, The Enigma Factor, award-winning authors Breakfield and Burkey weave a complex tale of danger, intrigue, and international cyber combat. They use a relevant technology foundation, then layer on travel, romance, humor and mystery. Like rust, the cat and mouse game of the new cyber warfare age never sleeps.
What Readers Are Saying:
Kirkus - A complex thriller with a hacker-centric plot and polished technological descriptions that may attract new fans.
“Move over David Baldacci, Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, and Clive Cussler. Burkey and Breakfield have created a storyline for the new millennium.”
Even if you're not that computer savvy, you will really like this series! I listened to book 1 on Audible. Kept me guessing and makes me even more nervous about cybersecurity for my devices!?” “The story was extraordinarily true to life. if what this story narrated is close to being real, then the world is helplessly under siege.”
Other Books In The Series:
About Charles and Rox
Charles Breakfield is a technology expert in security, networking, voice, and anything digital. He enjoys writing, studying World War II history, travel, and cultural exchanges. Charles is a fan of wine tastings, winemaking, Harley riding, cooking extravaganzas, and woodworking.
Rox Burkey is a technology professional who excels at optimizing technology and business investments. She works with customers all over the world focusing on optimized customer experiences. Rox writes white papers and documentation, but found she has a marked preference for writing fiction.
Together these Texas authors create award-winning stories that resonate with males and females, as well as young and experienced adults. They bring a fresh new view to technology possibilities today in exciting stories. Visit their website for more information and free stuff. Https://www.EnigmaSeries.com
To request additional review copies or an interview with Charles and/or Rox, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925. We look forward to the coverage!
August 9, 2022
The Phoenix Career Principles by Tony Pisanelli gives entrepreneurial steps to enhance your career!
The Phoenix Career Principles
Rising from Employee Ashes to the Flame of Entrepreneurial Success
A book by Tony Pisanelli that gives you the entrepreneurial steps to not only provide inspiration for your career but provide enhancement to it!
The book is published by Settimoa Publishing and is available worldwide in e-book and paperback.
Are You Ready to Become the Driving Force of Your Career?
Forget the concept of a job for life – in today’s fast changing world your career can be riding high one minute and be abruptly ended the next. When your career ends, your family responsibilities, finances and self-confidence all take a hit.
Whether you want to keep the job you have, safely leave the career you hate or find purpose in your working life, The Phoenix Career Principles is your blueprint.
This easy-to-follow book for managing an important pillar of your life shows you how to:
· Keep your job when others are losing theirs
· Avoid the key mistake that could destroy your career
· Safely leave the job you hate to live the life you love
· Experience the joy and freedom of a satisfying life
· Step into a new world of employment opportunities
“The Phoenix Career Principles is filled with actionable steps and inspiration to help you build a secure and satisfying career that leverages the entrepreneurial journey. . . If you’re looking to not only enhance your career, but also to feel meaning in your life through the work that you do, this book is for you!” Cloris Kylie, Bestselling author of Beyond Influencer Marketing
The Phoenix Career Principles is an enlightening book that individuals looking to find entrepreneurial success should read. There are gems of wisdom that will help you navigate your career and enable you to achieve much more than you thought you could. I love that from the beginning of the book, the author uses the analogy of the phoenix rising from the ashes to enable the reader fully to grasp his message. Literary Titan Book Review ServiceAmazon.com: The Phoenix Career Principles: Rising from Employee Ashes to the Flame of Entrepreneurial Success eBook : Pisanelli, Tony: Kindle Store The Phoenix Career Principles: Rising from Employee Ashes to the Flame of Entrepreneurial Success: Pisanelli, Tony: 9780645396805: Books - Amazon.ca About Tony Pisanelli:
Tony Pisanelli is a career transformation coach, author and speaker who knows that an entrepreneurial mindset strategy is your best career protection. Tony is the creator of a unique coaching method that expands people’s careers beyond a job for an income to a life worth living. He is also the author of “The Phoenix Career Principles” guiding employees to confidently step into an entrepreneurial path and lead a more satisfying life.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Tony Pisanelli, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage!
August 6, 2022
Roger Leslie's critically acclaimed memoir, My First Last Year
My First Last Year
Roger Leslie’s critically acclaimed memoir that turns every life situation in a spiritual transformation and lesson
The book is published by Paradise Publishing and is available worldwide in print format
In response to a spiritual dream, Roger Leslie lived a year as if it were his last. New inspirations set his course for success, while heartbreaking loss gave him a palpable glimpse of eternity. Leslie shares his journey here as a guide for anyone seeking deeper meaning, richer love, and greater joy in life.
My First Last Year: Roger Leslie: 9781941680001: Amazon.com: Books
My First Last Year: Roger Leslie: 9781941680001: Books - Amazon.caAbout Roger Leslie:
Dr. Roger Leslie is a scholar in the fields of success and education. Through major literary houses, medium and small presses, and his own publishing house, Leslie has published fiction and nonfiction books in multiple genres: historical fiction, inspirational self-help, spirituality, writing and publishing, movie reference, teaching and librarianship, biography, history, and memoir.
Leslie has won numerous national awards including ForeWord Book of the Year, The Ben Franklin Award, and Writer’s Digest’s #1 Inspirational Book of the Year. At its inaugural event, Leslie received the Houston Literary Award for his body of work.
Leslie is in demand as a teacher, coach, and keynote speaker. He leads FLY (First Last Year) courses based on his blockbuster memoir, My First Last Year. He draws from decades as an author, editor, and publisher to coach writers in groups and individually. He is also a sought-after speaker for his lively, entertaining keynotes relating award-winning movies to any topic or group.
In every book and presentation, Leslie entertains, inspires, and empowers people to live the life they dream and soar toward their own ideal of success. For more, visit RogerLeslie.com.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Roger Leslie, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage!
August 5, 2022
Vern Smith talks about writing and his new anthology, Jacked.
Welcome to author Vern Smith! Thanks for taking the time to share your work with us!
Vern Smithis the editor of Jacked, a new crime fiction anthology (Run Amok Crime). He is author of the novels Under the Table (a payroll heistthattakesplaceon a Hollywood North TV shoot, circa 1989) and The Green Ghetto (an urban western set in the most depopulated region of Detroit). His novelette, The Gimmick—a finalist for Canada’s highest crime-writing honor, the Arthur Ellis Award—is the title track of his second collection of fiction. His third novel, Scratching the Flint, will be published by Run Amok Crime in 2023.A Windsor, Ontario native and longtime resident of Toronto, he lives on the wild blue yonder of the Illinois prairie.
Website and other links to your social media pages:
@realVernonSmith
Tell us about your life outside of writing.
Well, before the pandemic, my favorite pastime was going to small bars to see loud bands and drink beers. Given the current state of things, I’ve withdrawn to my little oasis here in Illinois. I’m fortunate to work from a small home where I have a double backyard-forest inhabited by some creatures I’ve only seen on TV. Basically, I take care of them and they take care of me. The backyard is set up for them now. I stay out of there, other than to bring them food or to garden. They tend to eat everything edible and that’s perfectly okay, because I get to watch from the breezeway with my slightly feral rescue kitty and we enjoy the show. Over the course of the seasons, I see Baltimore Orioles, Indigo Buntings, Northern Flickers, Redwing Blackbirds and Goldfinches along with the daily assortment of Cardinals, Blue Jays, Rabbits, Possum, and sometimes Deer, Fox, and the odd Coyote. I never planned for my Carlsberg years, but the pandemic forced the issue, so I’m living a relatively wholesome life for the moment, other than happy hour.
Your new anthology is called Jacked on Run Amok Crime. It’s made up entirelyof first-run crime fiction. Tell us about it.
While there is quite a bit of excellent genre work here, not every pieceis what I would classify as genre. Beyond stories and novelettes revolvingaround fractured laws, we simply decided tochasethe best crime fiction we could get our hands on, without concerning ourselves with what any of it would be about. Along with subs and obscure treasures we hadin our back pockets, we auditioned some 400worksand ended up running 21. Thatmeanteach piece had to be very, very good, yes, but also singular in such a way as to give this book another gear.
In the end, we settled on five decades of authors from five countries who give Jackedrange in terms of style, politics, sexuality, gender, experiences of people of color, war veterans, an actual cop, and people who might not have always followedthe letter of the law. There’s obviously muchmore to them, as people and as writers, but I don’t pretend to know, which was sort of the point. Mostly, we were looking to discover authors who were at least new to us.
How about your own writing? Do you have a work in progress?
The closest thing to a work in progress—my pandemic project—is coming to print next year, so I’m pretty much focused on helping to guide that through the publication process.
In a nutshell, Scratching the Flint is a literary crime thriller that puts here-and-now into proper historical context by examining the lowest common denominators of policing. Set in (just) pre 9/11 Toronto, it’s the story of how conflicts of interest, casual racism, petty dissention, gatekeeping, and the slow death of information came to destabilize North American law enforcement, and, in turn, society. As much as it’s a crime story, it’s the story of institutional failure. For comic relief, I’m told I give you absurdities of the same.Look for it in early 2023.
What was the most difficult piece you ever wrote? What made it difficult?
Truth be told, everything about writing is difficult. In fact, if I was to start over, I might be a plumber, driving around in my big van, playing old-school country, and charging $99 an hour. It’s too late to do that, so I press on, doing the only thing I know, and so I write.
Though I’ve dealt with more heart-wrenching matter, the most difficult thing I had to write, in terms of dilemmas, was a newspaper series, back when I was still a reporter, about a labor hearing a long, long time ago. It revolved a Customs officer who learned about a police lookout for one of their siblings. As you might guess, the officer warned said sibling about the situation and was fired. It was difficult, especially as a young person, to tell the story, because there was a level upon which I could empathize. Put in the same situation, I think most people would be tempted to help their family member. At the same time, I think it’sfair comment to say that a public trust had been compromised and that other public servants may have been put in a bad situation. All that said, a reporter’s job was, and should still be, I believe, to keep themselves out of a news story and tell it like it is, so I just put my head down and did like so. While I always felt conflicted about that, I still think that I did the right and only thing I could. Objectively as possible, I told a story that the public had a right to know.
What sort of research do you do for your work?
Tons. As a fiction writer, I’m informed, to a certain extent, by my background in print journalism. I try to be as accurate as possible in terms of capturing time and place. Once I finish a draft, if possible, I go to where it is set and walk around, taking notes and pictures. I want to know where my characters work, sleep, and play. I research establishments to ensure they were in fact around during times in which my stories are set. Both my last novel, Under the Table, and my forthcoming novel, Scratching the Flint, are set in Toronto where I lived for 20 years. In both cases, I walked the streets and visited establishments, while also consulting Toronto police on matters such as weapon and vehicle specs, things like that. I’m prone, I think, to over-research, but that’s okay, because what I don’t use can often be worked into something else. Main thing is, when you read one of my books, I know what I’m talking about, and I like to believe that plays a key role in suspending the reader’s sense of disbelief.
Which books and authors do you read for pleasure?
Long before I immigrated to the U.S., I grew up in Windsor and spent a lot of time reading authors from across the river in Detroit, such as Donald Goines and Clarence Cooper Jr., which led to Chester Himes, Iceberg Slim, Roland S. Jefferson, and other great black American writers who I’m still catching up to. Also, I’m late to the party with John Rechy and just devoured a couple of his novels. But having a foot on both sides of the border, I’vealso spent a lot of time with Evelyn Lau’s early work, as well as Crad Kilodney, Stephen Reid, Dany Laferrier. While I sort of fell into crime fiction as a result of being a newspaper and magazine reporter, I have several shelves and modest mini-collections made of up everything from fine literary fiction to CanLit to biographies, high-brow smut, and sports, so it’s whatever catches my fancy on any given day. A good book is a good book, no matter.
Is there an author who inspires you?
They all do. I admire anyone who has enough determination to finish a book and see it through. But I’ve always been incredibly fascinated by Himes’ difficult journey, and, in fact, I still don’t think he gets his due. I’m long on record as saying his novel Lonely Crusade is the most important American novel I’ve read. Not my favorite, just the most important. He managed to piss off everyone involved more or less equally, which, as a reporter used to be something one sort of shot for. That’s what suspended disbelief. Deep down, I believed Himes because he didn’t go easy on anybody, including himself. That’s what gave his work a ring of truth. I believedevery word. And for me, as a half-assed novelist in the here and now, I still return to that book when I find myself lost in a story. I know a lot of writers wouldn’t feel the same way. But I’ll put Lonely Crusade against anything on your bookshelf. I swear by it.
Was there a person who encouraged you to write?
My dad both discouraged and encouraged me. At first, he stressed how difficult it would be to be a writer. And though he’s long gone, I still remember that talk clearly. His main point was that a lot of people want to be writers, that it’s highly competitive. And indeed, I recalled that conversation often as I went through submissions to the Jacked anthology. There was an overwhelming sea of very, very good writers, and we obviously didn’t have spots for everyone. So I thought of that conversation often as I turned lots of very good writers down. And I thought about my own rejections, understanding them better. All that said, once dad knew I had made my decision, he was all in. And in 50 words or less,he told me exactly what I had to do, something I feel compelled to keep between the two of us. Still, it’s never been easy. And sometimes, late at night, I can’t help but wonder how things might be different if I was driving around in my big van, playing old-time country, and charging $99 an hour.
Jacked in Canada:
Under the Table in Canada:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B097WNMDDR/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
The Green Ghetto in Canada:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07MY9S4H6/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1
“Jacked is chock full of white-knuckle stories to propel the reader along at a breakneck pace. Don't sleep on this anthology. It's well worth the price of admission.” —Eli Cranor, author of Don't Know Tough
“Reading Vern Smith is to be reminded that urban America is more than the sum of its con jobs; it is a texture built of rips and stitches, a circus tent under which some of its wackiest animators hold forth—from Phyllis Diller to Carl Stalling, from Erich Sokol to Ishmael Reed. The Green Ghetto is electric, eccentric, extracellular madness.” —Michael Turner, author of Hard Core Logo
“The Green Ghetto is a model for modern westerns. Witty and socially conscious, it’s a needed update for a genre that long ago rode off into a dire sunset.” —Nick Pearce, Broken Pencil
“A drag queen Cher sings ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’… Vern Smith does. Under the Table is a magician’s conjuring of 1989, an era of more innocent dangers, nuclear annihilation, say, or Billy Idol’s later output. With a plot as tight as a cock-rocker’s perm and dialogue so sharp you’ll be looking over your shoulder to see who’s talking, this is a novel of sass, heart, and the bemusement of being dealt a hand that looked so good you made the mistake of checking. Vern Smith is a rare combination of a true craftsman and a genuine entertainer.” —Tom McCulloch, author of The Accidental Recluse
“A snappy heist novel, set during the production of an out-of-control television comedy in 1989 Toronto, Under the Table is a clever noir that will keep ‘em guessing. Wickedly funny, you’ll laugh even though you know you shouldn’t. Much like the sketch show that it portrays, Under the Table entertains with dark humor, quirky characters, and celebrity appearances, while poking fun at the absurdity of societal constructs. Quippy and smart, Smith’s prose is electric and crackles across the page.” —Meagan Lucas, author of Songbirds and Stray Dogs
August 2, 2022
Joanna Vander Vlugt shares her newest novel Dealer's Child.
I'm so excited to introduce a great author/podcaster and artist that I had the pleasure of meeting in the Maple Leaf Mystery Conference! Please welcome the multi-talented Joanna Vander Vlught!
Joanna Vander Vlugt is an author and illustrator. As a teenager, she drew charcoal portraits and wrote mysteries. Her short mysteries Egyptian Queenand The Parrot and Wild Mushroom Stuffing were published in Crime Writers of Canada mystery anthologies. Her essay, No Beatles Reunion was published in the Dropped Threads 3: Beyond the Small Circle anthology. Her amateur sleuth thriller series features the sister duo, Jade and Sage. The Unravellingand the sequel Dealer’s Child were both Canadian Book Club Awards finalists. She is working on book three. Joanna is proud of her podcast JCVArtStudio and the many artists and authors she’s interviewed. Her motorcycle illustrations have been purchased world-wide.
Social media links:
Website: www.jcvartstudio.net
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joannavandervlugt_author_art/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joannavandyauthor
What would you write if you knew you couldn’t fail?
It's speculative fiction. I'm going to challenge myself and my next book is going to be a speculative fiction, futuristic novel.
How do you know when your book is finished?
When I'm exhausted from rewrites, and I can't think of any way to make my book any better.
Do you write part-time or full-time?
I retired in January 2022 and I now write full-time. I find my time is split between writing, podcasting and art.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
It takes me just over a year to write a book. I will not publish a book if I don't feel it's ready.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
I'm writing a series, so it's making sure the characters are in check with their previous nuances from the earlier books.
What is your next project?
I'm excited to write this futuristic, speculative fiction novel. I have a new female lead, whom I'm excited to write about.
“First I will destroy you, then I will hurt the ones you love, then you’ll beg me for mercy.”
Does opium have an expiration date? Jade Thyme must delve into her mother’s free-spirited past if she wants to prove her father was murdered and hadn’t died from a cocaine overdose.
Legislative Clerk Adam Younghusband drops on Jade’s desk damning evidence regarding the island’s once feared drug dealer, Oscar Cooper. Immediately Jade and Sage are targets as they uncover generations of drug dealers, while hiding from an arsonist determined to destroy them. Is it all connected? From her mother's ghost appearing on the picnic table to a possessed typewriter tapping a warning, 1968 clashes with the present as Jade uncovers a deadly secret while trying to stay one step ahead of a murderer hellbent on revenge.
Dealer’s Childlinks: https://amzn.to/3PH52iT
D
ealer’s Child from my own website: https://bit.ly/38eHK3c
Jade Thyme celebrates successfully defending Jules Cranbury on a murder charge. Her celebration is short-lived when she finds Jules murdered. Jade investigates and uncovers a secret justice society whose members hide behind white tabs and black robes while delivering their own vigilante justice. Jade locates a once prominent and respected lawyer, now known as Noxzema Man, homeless and panhandling in Fan Tan Alley. He warns Jade. Judges, lawyers and police make up the Society. Trust no one. The MotoCityDolls, her sister's all-female motorcycle gang, save Jade from a Society assassin. Forced to take a leave of absence, Jade packs up her office, but not before coming face-to-face with another assassin--Jules's murderer.
The Unravellinglinks: https://amzn.to/3NsAQGo
The Unravelling from my own website: https://bit.ly/3PE0nhB
July 30, 2022
Featuring Mark K. McClain and his new novel The Ruinous Curse: The Hunt for Alesta
I'm so excited to introduce a great new author and good friend, Mark K. McClain! I've had the priviledge to read this book before it was born and hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Mark K. McClain grew up in southern Pennsylvania and as a teenager wrote short stories for pleasure and relaxation. During this time his personal style began to grow, thanks in large part to authors such as Tolkien, Eddings, Asimov, Christie, King, and others too numerous to mention. He reads nearly every genre, though Fantasy and Sci-Fi hold a special place in his heart.
At the tender age of 18, Mark joined the United States Air Force, and after blinking a few times, 21 years had passed. After a lifestyle of traveling the globe, he retired to pursue a lifelong dream.
That is when his attention turned to writing, editing, helping others find a love of the written word, and to chase their own dreams. As a former columnist/staff writer for the Idaho Statesman, Mark has penned more than forty outdoor-related articles. He has also published several full-length pieces for magazines, including local history articles and parenting columns.
Mark’s world-building skills comes from extensive travels. He has had the pleasure of visiting Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Germany, Greece, Turkey, and many others. He also participated in Desert Shield / Desert Storm. He has hiked, backpacked, camped, kayaked, and visited many beautiful states, including South Dakota, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, and more. His firsthand knowledge of other cultures and states provides fuel for burgeoning ideas of world building.
Mark rarely goes anywhere in nature without a dog by his side. There’s simply something special about spending time together with a pawed buddy.
Presently, he lives in the beautiful state of Idaho with his family and a few furry companions who without doubt, rule the kingdom.
NJB: https://www.nextjourneybooks.com
How many hours a day do you write?
I generally write 2 hours a day, first thing in the morning. I’m an early riser and find when the house is quiet and still my creativity flows best.
What is your favorite childhood book?
Without any doubt, The Hobbit.
What inspired you to write this book?
I take my inspiration from many authors who are no longer with us. Tolkien, Eddings, etc.
Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?
I see several craft related / informational short books and several more novels, both YA and Adult fantasy genres.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
(Laughing) More than I care to admit. In the vicinity of 15-20.
Was there a person who encouraged you to write?
Living person: My partner, Rochelle, is very encouraging and supportive. I couldn’t ask for a better cheerleader.
Deceased: Tolkien has been my influence for over 50 years.
Barrett of Westmore may be a prince, but he's just like any other teenager. He spends time with his friends exploring their city, a haven for fairies, cyclops, talking doors, and other magical beings. He hopes to get closer to the lovely Zanora, whose fighting spirit has captured his heart. Unfortunately, foretold war may put those ambitions on hold.
The coming battle is no ordinary fight. Even if Barrett's countrymen defeat the forces of the ancient sorceress Alesta, her Ruinous Curse will condemn them to an endless cycle of violence, forcing humanity to wipe itself out. As invasion forces march on Westmore, the kingdom's only hope is the Helserian, prophesied ages ago to defeat Alesta. As for the rumors the prince is the chosen one—Barrett thinks they're impossible. He's a fighter, not a magic user.
Until the day assassins attack, awakening a power the prince didn't know he possessed. Aided by Zanora and his friends, he must now face ancient dragons and cave-dwelling Trowkens to acquire the tools needed to master his magic and confront the sorceress. Then he'll face an impossible task: force Alesta to lift the curse, or destroy her if she refuses. For if he fails, he'll watch helplessly as his world tears itself apart.
Buy Links: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3AgK3OTB&N : https://bit.ly/3bF1DBV
July 28, 2022
Introducing Christ at the Coffee Shop written by Nathan Ingram
Christ at the Coffee Shop
Master Storytellers Will Rodgers and Andy Griffith Come to Mind
in the Audio Book, Christ at the Coffee Shop
Written by Nathan Ingram this nostalgic collection of short stories demonstrates how anyone can find God in common places!!!
Published by Tranquility Ranch Publishing and available in all formats
Speaking directly to the hearts of ordinary people. Nathans's direction points to God's presence in our everyday lives and magnifies a God of the common places. It focuses on an omnipotent Deity who chooses to make Himself known within each day’s events.
With a keen eye for comforting uncomfortable people and a passion for magnifying God, Nathan’s stories flow with life and reverberate with a single, compelling message—God came near and dwelt among us. Nathan has a passion for magnifying God with his stories and messages in Christ at the Coffee Shop.
Ingram points out that although many of us would like to see God we are unable to find Him, believing He only expresses Himself through blinding insights or peak experiences of some sort. However, the book’s message is that if we must travel to the mountaintops to see God, most of us will miss Him. This book reaches out with clarity that He is near.
ABOUT NATHAN:
Growing up on a small, Tennessee hillside farm was all the inspiration author, Nathan Ingram, needed to write this nostalgic collection of short stories demonstrating how anyone can find God in common places. Today, Ingram resides on a ranch in Magnolia, Texas, with his wife and an assortment of horses and other animals. He and his wife also own and operate Lone Star Behavioral Health, a psychiatric facility specializing in the treatment of persons with severe and persistent mental illness. The Ingrams seek each day to live the principles in this book.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Nathan, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com | 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage!
July 26, 2022
BARBARIANS OF THE BEYOND, a Classic Space Opera by Matthew Hughes
BARBARIANS OF THE BEYOND
Classic Space Opera in the Jack Vance mode told by critically acclaimed science fiction novelist, Matthew Hughes
Released by Spatterlight
The book is available worldwide in all formats
“I really enjoyed Barbarians of the Beyond. Matthew Hughes does Jack Vance better than anyone except Jack himself.” — George R. R. Martin
Twenty years ago, five master criminals known as the Demon Princes raided Mount Pleasant to enslave thousands of inhabitants in the lawless Beyond. Now Morwen Sabine, a daughter of captives, has escaped her cruel master and returns to Mount Pleasant to recover the hidden treasure she hopes will buy her parents’ freedom.
But Mount Pleasant has changed. Morwen must cope with mystic cultists, murderous drug-smugglers, undercover “weasels” of the Interplanetary Police Coordinating Company, and the henchmen of the vicious pirate lord who owns her parents and wants Morwen returned. So he can kill her slowly…
Amazon.com: Barbarians of the Beyond: Hughes, Matthew: 9781619474055: Amazon.com: Books
Amazon.ca: Barbarians of the Beyond eBook : Hughes, Matthew: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store
“Lock the door, turn off the phone, get into a comfy chair, and deep-dive into a marvelous continuation of Jack Vance's Demon Princes series. Matthew Hughes is a treasure and Barbarians of the Beyond is a terrific adventure.” — David Gerrold
“Matthew Hughes follows nimbly in Jack Vance's footprints, then breaks some fresh trail. First-class space opera.”— Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of Hominids
“Engaging and enchanting…a fine companion adventure to Jack Vance’s The Demon Princes series, told with Matthew Hughes’s excellent sense of charm, ethical complexity and exotic worldbuilding. Let’s hope this is just the beginning!” — Kurt Busiek
“Barbarians of the Beyond is just plain old-fashioned space opera fun with a relatable heroine who is sometimes fallible, rather than some Shaolin Temple kung fu megamaster. I enjoyed it a lot.” — Glen Cook
“…a tale that captures that special ‘golden age’ feel in which mankind has travelled far into the stars yet still behaves as though it’s the Wild West.” — David White, RNR Magazine
More from Matthew Hughes: Winner of the international Endeavour Award
In the mid-1500s shipwrecked African slaves melded with the indigenous peoples of coastal Ecuador and together they fought the Spanish colonial power to a standstill, to remain independent for centuries. The story of the people of Esmeraldas is told through the eyes of three characters: Alonso, an escaped slave; Expectation, an a-gender shaman; and Alejandro, a priest on the run from the Inquisition. With its slipstream elements this novel carries a flavour of South American magical realism tradition into a grand historical epic. Both sweeping and intimate, it is a delight to read from beginning to end.
Amazon.com: What the Wind Brings: Hughes, Matthew: 9781988865157: Amazon.com: Books
Amazon.ca: What the Wind Brings: Hughes, Matthew, Hughes, Matthew: 9781988865164: Books - Amazon.ca
About Matthew:
Matthew Hughes is a Canadian author of science fiction and fantasy.
His speculative fiction novels are: Fools Errant, Fool Me Twice, Black Brillion, Majestrum, The Commons, The Spiral Labyrinth, Template, Hespira, The Other, The Damned Busters, Costume Not Included, Hell to Pay, Song of the Serpent and Wolverine:Lifeblood (both as Hugh Matthews), A Wizard’s Henchman, A God in Chains, Baldemar, and Passengers & Perils.
His magnum opus is What the Wind Brings, a historical novel with magical realism elements. It was the first Canadian work to win the international Endeavour Award. He waited more than forty years to write the novel, and spent a year composing several drafts, made possible by a $25,000 grant from the Canada Council for the Arts.
His major influence as a writer of speculative fiction is the Grandmaster Jack Vance. Booklist has called Hughes Vance’s “heir apparent.”
In 2021, Vance’s estate (Spatterlight Press), published Hughes’s Barbarians of the Beyond, an authorized companion novel to Vance’s iconic revenge series, The Demon Princes. The book prompted George R.R. Martin to say, “Hughes does Jack Vance better than anyone except Jack himself.”
His short fiction has appeared in Asimov’s, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Lightspeed, Pulp Literature, Postscripts, Storyteller, Interzone, Amazing, Unfit, and several anthologies edited by Gardner Dozois and George R.R. Martin, including the bestseller, Rogues.
His works have been short-listed for the Aurora, Locus, Nebula, Philip K Dick, A.E. Van Vogt, Neffy, Alberta Book Publishing, and Endeavour Awards.
In 2020, he was inducted into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association’s Hall of Fame.
Before turning to writing fiction, he spent three decades as the top-ranked speechwriter in British Columbia, writing for leaders of all three provincial political parties and CEOs of the province’s largest corporations.
Since 2007, he has traveled the world as a housesitter, living in twelve countries.
His web page is at https://www.matthewhughes.org
To request additional review copies or an interview with Matthew Hughes, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925. We look forward to the coverage!
July 23, 2022
WHEN GRACE FOUND ME, Real Life Stories of Women of Faith Volume One, Coordinated by Kim Lengling
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WHEN GRACE FOUND ME
Volume One
Real Life Stories of Women of Faith
An anthology series of faith, perseverance, and personal connection told by twenty women. Coordinated by author Kim Lengling
The book is published by Listening to Your Voice Publishing and is available worldwide in digital and print format
With Volume One of the When Grace Found Me series, you will find with each turn of the page, words of encouragement, hope and God’s grace living in the women who share their personal testimonies within this series. Through faith, perseverance, overcoming fear, anxiety and loss, the women come to realize that God has been with them every step of the way. When Grace Found Me is a series for anyone who may be seeking a reminder of God’s unending love for us.
About Kim:
Kim is a multi-published author, writer, podcast host of Let Fear Bounce, and TV show host of The Write Stuff, The Authors Voice with the Believe In Your Dreams TV Network.
In addition, she is an active speaker sharing her story of being a female veteran living with PTSD and spreading a message of Hope. She regularly speaks for local veteran and women's organizations in her hometown area and across numerous global organizations.
She has been writing and speaking with empathy and emotion since 2004 showcasing her faith, nature, love of rescue animals, and advocacy for veterans living with PTSD. She showcases her writing through her books, business, and website; www.kimlenglingauthor.com.
She is the lead author and coordinator of the collaborative 3-book anthology series titled When Grace Found Me. In addition, she is a published co-author in seven anthologies and numerous print and online global newspapers and magazines.
Kim sees each day as an opportunity to spread hope and encouragement.
"The world can be a dark place. I choose to toss nuggets of hope out into the world like confetti; little sparks of light in the darkness."
To request additional review copies or an interview with Kim Lengling, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage!
July 21, 2022
Ice Islands coming August 2, 2022 from author Humphrey Hawksley
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Ice Islands
Humphrey Hawksley
Publication date: August 2nd 2022
Format: Hardback/Severn House / CanonGate
Major Rake Ozenna’s mission is simple: gain access to the Kato family - Japan’s most dangerous crime empire - and stop the threat to America. But when the secret son of the Russian leader is executed and Rake’s target, Sara Kato, is implicated in the murder, a political crisis between Russia, Japan and the US is set in motion.
It's a race to protect Sara and earn her trust whilst escaping the inhospitable terrain of the icy Aland Islands. Meanwhile, Russia wants revenge for the murder, a catastrophic move when it is revealed that Japan is not the trusted ally America thought it was.
As Rake learns the true extent of their deadly plans, he must draw on every ounce of skill and grit to succeed. Because if he fails, it won’t just be his life at stake …the consequences will be global!
Reviews for Humphrey Hawksley’s thrillers
‘Hawksley’s excellent idea is to move the battleground from Eastern Europe to the Arctic north. When a maverick Russian commander decides to occupy a tiny American island in the Bering Strait, there’s only one man who can prevent the situation from escalating into a nuclear war: Rake Ozenna of the elite Eskimo Scouts’
Mail on Sunday, Thriller of the Week on MAN ON ICE
‘Knuckle-whitening suspense, bloody violence, dirty tricks, and plenty of surprising twists make this a gripping, can't-put-it-down read’
Booklist on MAN ON ICE
‘Die Hard meets 1984, fast moving, sophisticated’
Washington Post on SECURITY BREACH
‘Humphrey Hawksley is one of only a handful of writers taking the thriller in important new directions’
Craig Thomas, author of the MITCHELL GANT series
Humphrey Hawksley work a as a BBC foreign correspondent has taken him all over the world. He is a regular panelist and speaker and his writing has appeared in most mainstream publication such as the Guardian, The Times, Financial Times, and Yale Global. His latest non-fiction book is Asian Waters: The Struggle Over the Asia-Pacific and the Strategy of Chinese Expansion. Hawksley’s television documentaries include The Curse of Gold, Bitter Sweet and Aid Under Scrutiny. @hwhawksley | humphreyhawksley.com
To request additional review copies or an interview with Humphrey, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage !
