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Fiction Giveaway

Virtual Book Tour: Death and Life in the City of Dreams by Nicholas Deitch #

4:00 AM BY EverLeigh 0 Comments

Literary Fiction

Date Published: April 16th

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

Jaded city planner Townsend Meadows looks out across Evermore Valley with the ghost of his dead friend by his side. “Do you ever wonder,” Fen asks, “what this city will look like five hundred years from now?”

Their city is teetering on the brink of collapse, and the mayor’s answer is a gleaming new auto mall at the valley’s edge. For Townsend, it’s the death of everything a city should be. Struggling to regain his passion and forced to choose between compliance and conviction, he must risk his career to fight for a more hopeful and verdant future.

From an architect’s vision at the dawn of the twentieth century, to a rancher’s dynasty scarred by violence and greed, to a city founder’s hidden message of hope, this story about the rise, fall, and reawakening of an American city reaches far beyond the present. A timely, sweeping novel of memory, corruption, and resilience, Death and Life in the City of Dreams asks, “What legacy will we choose to leave for our children?”

Interview

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

I love to write. But it isn’t a merely mechanical act. I need to be in the right place mentally, with some quiet space. I work full time in a different profession, also a creative realm, so it’s sometimes challenging to muster additional creative drive for my writing.

My solution, for the last fifteen years, has been to wake at 4 am. The house is quiet and I can be alone with thoughts and my process.

What are your most played songs?

I tend to lock onto a song or a set of songs, and listen to them over and over. I listen for songs that carry a certain emotional energy, and which illicit mental images that could fuel the story. But there’s a catch: I cannot listen to music while I’m writing.

Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

I have been a part of two writer’s groups over the past decade or more. Trusted friends and highly capable writers who share a passion for storytelling excellence. Something happens in my head, when I read my story out loud to others. I hear the words and rhythms differently, more acutely. And I have complete trust in the shared intentions of my writing cohort, that we want to help each other be the best writers we can be.

What book are you reading now?

I often circle back to books I have read and enjoyed, of certain authors whose voices resonate with me. I will sometimes begin my writing by first reading a bit of one of these stories. This seems to help me shift away from my analytical brain to my emotional brain, which is where my best writing resides.

How did you start your writing career?

I have always loved to write. But I mostly wrote commentary and exposition, of architecture and cities, and life. In one of my pieces, I used a vignette of a fictional situation. It was powerful, and fun to write, and one of my readers asked me if I’d considered writing a novel. Thus began my adventure, to write Death and Life in the City of Dreams. Eighteen years later, the novel is complete. And it was quite an adventure.

Tell us about your next release.

I have a collection of short stories that will be released soon. The Boatman in the Shadows is a collection of stories about the last day of something; a threshold of someone’s life. These stories are varied, sometimes surreal, psychological, and very human. There is darkness, but always ending in the light.

About the Author

Nicholas Deitch is a writer, architect, and advocate for social justice whose fiction explores the intersection of cities, history, and human resilience. His passion for storytelling began when a colleague recognized the emotional depth of his nonfiction work. Since then, he has honed his craft, publishing short stories in Litro Magazine, Club Plum, and Santa Barbara Literary Journal. His short story “Grace Eternal” won Best Fiction at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference (2019).

Death and Life in the City of Dreams, his debut novel, is deeply influenced by his experiences in nonprofit leadership and the design of inclusive communities and urban places.

Originally from Los Angeles, he now lives in Ventura, California, with his wife and creative partner Diana.

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Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Excerpt Giveaway

Week Blitz: Ivy Leigh Ever After by Gael Lynch #giveaway #excerpt #juvenilefiction #middlegrade #grief #rabtbooktours @gaellynch @RABTBookTours

11:30 PM BY EverLeigh 0 Comments

Middle Grade Fiction

Date Published: Feb 24, 2026

Publisher: Small Circles Press

Ivy Leigh’s a feisty eleven, almost twelve-year-old who could never imagine using a fist to solve a problem. But that was before. Before Momma died. Before her BFFs, Lizzie and Ruthie, started pressuring her to change. Before they told her that Michael, the cutest boy in school, has a crush on her. And, before two jealous bullies—Rachel and Winona teamed up to badger her on the bus and at school. Rachel calls her ‘Poison Ivy.’ Winona shoves her into a crowd at school. Hurt and humiliated, Ivy Leigh, on impulse, fights back. It’s a mistake she instantly regrets.

Ruthie and Lashonna know these bullies. They know their backstories and where they’ve come from. But they’re not the only ones. A cast of quirky characters like Mr. Winters, the wannabe cowboy next door who speaks his advice in the language of old-world slogans. There’s Miss Aurelia, an old hippy, whose eyes don’t work so well anymore, but who has a special kind of wisdom she shares with Ivy Leigh. And there’s Momma’s best friend, Miss Neola, who takes Ivy under her wing, and helps her understand that bullies have struggles too.

In the end, Ivy stands up for herself, not with a fist, but with a heart, walking in the shoes of Rachel and Winona, Lizzie and Ruthie, and even Grandma and her sister, Viv, who all struggle with loss and loneliness and sometimes misunderstanding too. Ivy soon learns that through all of this, she has never been alone, that Momma is still living in her midst, under that strawberry moon they both loved so much.

Excerpt

Chapter One: The Package

“She’s coming for you, Peachy.”

He leaped off the bed and scrambled toward me. Together, we stood at the window, watching. I’d heard the roar of that muffler. The sound of the crash. It all spelled trouble. Up until now, Peachy was unknown to her. But I knew it would never stay that way. Dad was at work. She always knew the perfect time to strike.

“That was Mom’s gnome!” Nat’s shriek pierced the air, and I knew this was going to be bad. I took the stairs two at a time, in boxers and a tank top, with Peachy trailing behind. It was early on a Saturday, Viv was still in bed, and I hadn’t even brushed my teeth. But that never mattered to Grandma. This was a surprise attack; we were in her sights, and she had a total takeover in mind. I tucked Peachy away in his crate and latched him in tight before heading out to the front porch to see what was going on.

And there she was. Bulb shaped and full of bluster, Grandma stood with Nat at her side, staring down at the smashed garden gnome. He was pink-faced with a green hat and a little red jacket. Mom named him ‘Happy.’ He made her laugh just to look at him in the midst of her treatments and trips to and from the hospital. But now Happy was here all smashed up in the garden, and Mom had been gone for almost a whole awful year.

“That is the tackiest thing! People will question the sort of people who live in a house with a thing like that out front!”

Things went quiet for a moment, I don’t think Nat even knew what to say to that.

But I knew this wasn’t going to be about the garden gnome. She’d come about Peachy who we’d hidden from her for a whole two weeks. But I’d had a funny feeling about that lately, Grandma had eyes and ears everywhere.

A minute later, I heard the squeak of metal behind me. And then, to my shock and surprise, the screen door flew open. Within seconds, Peachy bolted out, lunged at Grandma and nearly knocked her off her feet. How on earth did he get out of there, I thought.

“This! she bellowed. “This is exactly why I’m here!” Her face was wrinkled, powdered and puffed, with a coat of bright red lipstick smeared across her lips. Cruella had nothing on her. A true animal hater, she shrieked again at the sight of him.

I came running down the sidewalk then and scooped Peachy up in my arms. “It’s okay, boy,” I said, rubbing his peach-colored fur and holding him close.

“It is not okay! That dog has accosted the neighbors and now he’s attacked me! Always on the loose, with no training and no hope of it at all. Why was I not told about him?”

About the Author

Gael Lynch is a writer and storyteller, a teacher whose love of kids and furry creatures has followed her throughout her life. She now lives in coastal Carolina, a place of sunny beaches and warm breezes with her husband Tom and her rambunctious golden retriever, Wrigley. However, Newtown, Connecticut, with its pastoral beauty and kind-hearted people will always be a place she calls home.

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Fiction

Coming Soon: The Secret of the Smiling Rock Man by Joe Cappello #comingsoon #shortstories #fiction #collection #rabtbooktours @RABTBooktours

10:30 PM BY EverLeigh 0 Comments

Short Story Collection / Fiction

Date Published: 05-15-2026

Publisher: RMK Publications

In his first collection of short stories Joe Cappello presents an array of characters whom he describes as having “rocks in their heads.” Instead of accepting the hand life has dealt them, they pursue more outlandish solutions to its problems. The reader witnesses firsthand the zany antics these characters employ to cope with the situations they encounter in each story: Mortality…daring to know death’s secret and determined to face it without fear and dread; Workplace… seeking an environment that is based on teamwork and respect, rather than fear and intimidation; Family…taking extraordinary steps to unite an estranged family and to bring another closer together; Language…re-establishing the sacred role of words in our lives as a unifier of people and a conveyor of truth. All told with a healthy dose of humor and a belief that life can be joyful, hopeful and a down-right hoot.

About the Author

Joe Cappello’s creative life began when he accepted a minor speaking role in a play, walked on stage for the first time, and came to the terrifying realization that, “Oh, no, they sold tickets!”

Fortunately, he overcame his initial stage fright and began accepting roles in community theatre, the parts of Oscar Madison in “The Odd Couple” and Ivan Lomov in “The Proposal” among his favorites. He studied acting in New York City and performed in a couple of Off-Off Broadway productions including Sam Shepherd’s “Buried Child,” where he played the crotchety, whiney patriarch, Dodge (a part for which his wife felt he was uniquely suited).

He wrote and produced plays for children, awarding roles to his sons and other kids in his neighborhood (earning the gratitude of their parents who considered rehearsals free babysitting). He started writing adult plays and received a number of accolades including an honorable mention in the 2020 Bridge Award contest sponsored by Arts in the Armed Forces (AIAF) for his full-length play, “The Stars of Orion” and selection as the winner of the 2022 Susan Hansell Drama Award for his one act play, “Monarch.”

But the logistics of staging plays proved too time consuming. In his early 30's he started writing short stories and flash fiction pieces and submitting them for publication. Many of the stories presented in this collection have been published in online magazines and anthologies, and some have achieved recognition, most notably, “The Secret of the Smiling Rock Man,” First Place, National Federation of Press Women’s Communications Contest (2022); “They Only Showed Elvis from the Waist Up,” First Place, Southwest Writers Writing Contest (2023); and “Running Errands,” Finalist, Hemingway Shorts Competition, sponsored by the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park (2023).

Joe invites you to read more of his work and follow his anything-but-straight-line career at joecappelloauthor.com.

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Book Cover non-fiction

Cover Reveal: No Straight Lines to the Stars by Ken Kisco #narrativenonfiction #nonfiction #inspirational #comingsoon #coverreveal #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

10:00 PM BY EverLeigh 0 Comments

An Unlikely Journey from Lifeguard Tower to Launchpad

Narrative Nonfiction/Inspirational

Date Published: August 4th, 2026

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

No Straight Lines to the Stars is the inspiring true story of a young lifeguard who dared to believe his life could reach far beyond the horizon.

On the beaches of Southern California, Ken Kisco learned that preparation saves lives. From rip-current rescues to split-second emergencies, he discovered that courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to act in spite of it. Those early lessons in resilience and composure pushed Ken to believe he could accomplish anything . . . including his lifelong dream of reaching the stars.

Through relentless perseverance and unwavering faith, Ken rose into the heart of America’s most advanced space and defense programs, contributing to human spaceflight initiatives and supporting groundbreaking technologies. His unusual start as a lifeguard helped advance his career, distinguishing him from his Air Force and Navy peers. Yet, his toughest challenges were personal—he faced deep disappointment when a space mission was canceled and learned lessons about trust and integrity from a romance-turned-ruse.

Ken’s journey reveals that success is rarely linear. Setbacks became launchpads, adversity became refinement, and purpose became a compass. Part memoir, part inspiration, and part behind-the-scenes look at America’s quest for the stars, this is the unforgettable story of a man who proves that bold dreams, combined with grit and heart, can launch an ordinary life into an extraordinary one.

About the Author

At ten years old, Ken Kisco dreamed of becoming a rocket scientist, a goal that shaped his life. He earned multiple degrees, including master's degrees from the University of Southern California in systems management and from San Jose State University in industrial psychology.

As an aerospace systems engineer for NASA, Rockwell International, and Boeing, he developed new technologies and earned recognition as an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Fellow.

Ken now shares his passion by mentoring USC engineering students, inspiring them to dream boldly. When not traveling, he and his wife enjoy San Diego's beaches, where they live.

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Instagram: @Kennasaman

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Giveaway historical

Virtual Book Tour: Goodbye Demons by JJ Harrigan #interview #giveaway #historical #fiction #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

4:00 AM BY EverLeigh 0 Comments

Historical Fiction

Date Published: 04-24-2026

Publisher: Salty Books Publishing

When injuries put an end to the figure skating career of Angela Fernandez Parnell, she joins the Peace Corps.

She is assigned to Tunis where she falls in love with U.S. diplomat James Whitcomb. At the conclusion of their tours of duty, they marry. Within weeks of the wedding, he is taken captive in the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979-81.

James, held hostage in the U.S. Embassy in Teheran, endures the same demons that afflicted the real life hostages during the actual crisis 45 years ago.

Angie, biting her nails at home, endures her own demons. How can she support him? Should she join efforts to force the president into negotiating a release? Or even a rescue?

When the ordeal finally ends fourteen months later, the couple faces a new set of demons. Rebuilding their life together as they each recuperate from their own PTSDs.

Interview

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

Refusing to let them take over my life. I write historical fiction of the late 20^th century. Crafting stories that bring the past to life for people is so much fun that I have to force myself to put it aside when I come to the end of my allotted time for it each day.

What are your most played songs?

Great question. Since my novels are late 20^th century historical fiction, the songs must relate to the story line. They also must be standards for the time rather than some esoteric thing nobody will recognize today.

GOODBYE DEMONS, for example, is set in the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979-81, “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree” played a role because the yellow ribbon had been a theme of people showing support for the hostages. When the lead character, Angie has a crisis in Chapter 1, Paul McCartney is singing “Let it Be” in the background. And when her favorite ex-Beatle John Lennon is killed, Angie plays “Imagine.”

GOODBYE BOBBY, set in Bobby Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign, introduces the character Angie who at the time is 9 years. The Beatle’s “Yesterday” plays shortly after the death of Angie’s mother But her stepfather Charlie prevents her from playing Peter Paul and Mary’s “Puff the Magic Dragon” because he thinks it glorified marijuana.

GOODBYE CUBA, set in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, tells how Charlie came to be Angie’s stepfather. The two main songs are Pete Seegar’s “Guantanamera” and the Irish folk song “Kevin Barry.”

THE JEEPTOWN SONG HOP, set in the 1950s, gives the backstory on Charlie as a teen-ager. He starts a dance band and organizes a sock hop he hopes will unit his Black and his White friends. Included are “Sunny Side of the Street,” “Accentuate the Positive,” and “Melancholy Baby” which is sung by his Black girlfriend Clarice.

Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

I’m a long term member of The Twin Cities Fiction Writers critique group, and they have ripped apart every chapter of GOODBYE DEMONS, sometimes more than once. But if it is a good novel today, a lot of that is due to the critiques I’ve received from the group.

In addition, I always use at least one beta reader. You need the input of someone who sees the whole novel at one time, and critique group members never have that experience. They respond to one chapter or scene at at time.

What book are you reading now?

At the moment I’m writing Cold War fiction from the 1940s and 50s, so that’s what I’m reading is from that era. It’s hard to beat Jane Heany’s “The Women of Arlington Hall” about the incredible team of women analysts who cracked the Russian code and uncovered a nest of Soviet spies in the U.S. government.

How did you start your writing career?

Late in my career as a college professor, I gave my class a term paper project in which they read a piece of historical fiction. The papers they turned in were so-so, but one young woman, read a novel set in Boston about 1950. It wasn’t even a particularly good novel, but I will never forget her coming up to me to tell me about it. I remember her name. I remember her face. I remember her enthusiasm. And I remember what she said. “Professor, I wish I could have lived in those times?”

Those words got me to understand something. Historical fiction can touch people viscerally in a way that social science scholarship and standard history cannot. And down deep inside I knew that this is want I wanted to do.

Tell us about your next release.

In the last year of WWII, P-38 fighter pilot Sonny Marino gets shot down and injured over Nazi controlled Romania. He is rescued by a Resistance team. One of the team member is a German woman, Lili Engler, who is tasked with escorting him to a hidden landing site where he can be flown back to his base in Italy. The two fall in love. He wants her to join him on the plane back to Italy, but she refuses because she is dedicated to her work in the Resistance. They pledge to meet up with each other in Berlin when the war ends. The story develops on their efforts to keep that pledge.

About the Author

Historical thriller author JJ Harrigan is a former US Service Officer and political science professor. He scribbles his tales of intrigue on the banks of the St. Croix River in Minnesota, where he lives with his wife, Sandy.

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Tuesday, May 5, 2026

business Giveaway

Book Blitz: Navigate Cancer by Teresa Ferreiro-Vilariño #leadership #selfhelp #business #health #giveaway #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

10:30 PM BY EverLeigh 0 Comments

Coaching for Resilience

Leadership / Self-Help / Health / Business

Date Published: April 29. 2026

Publisher: Serapis Bey Publishing, Arizona, USA

This empowering book launches the new Cancer Compass; an essential self-leadership resource for people facing cancer. It extends its reach to caregivers, healthcare professionals, and organisations committed to offering meaningful support to anyone in their workforce dealing with cancer. It encourages us to see cancer not solely as a medical challenge, but as a profound moment to honour the resilience of our human spirit, embrace growth, and reclaim control of our lives for a brighter future.

Teresa Ferreiro-Vilariño challenges her readers to shift their perspective, prioritising personal empowerment, connection and purposeful living. Her insights about resilience coaching and each person’s human potential are uplifting. Her book is deeply rooted in practical application, including thoughtful exercises and tools that prompt us to access our inner resources, engage in self-discovery and cultivate our secure bases. These unique gifts guide us to align our decisions with our values and goals, helping us chart a path forward with choice, clarity and confidence.

About the Author

Teresa Ferreiro-Vilariño is the Founder and CEO of Kimberlite (https://www.kimberlite.es), an innovative organisation dedicated to providing comprehensive support to people navigating cancer—particularly within corporate settings—through professional coaching. A Master Certified Coach (MCC) accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), Teresa brings more than 20 years of experience working with leaders and organisations worldwide.

At the age of 36, a breast cancer diagnosis marked a turning point in her life, redirecting her focus toward empowering people living with cancer. In the years that followed, she authored her first book, I Have Breast Cancer–What Now?, recognised for its inspirational and practical guidance, embraced motherhood, and founded a charitable initiative supporting young women navigating motherhood after cancer. She later earned a PhD focused on applying professional coaching methodologies to the specific needs of people facing serious health challenges. In recognition of her commitment to patient advocacy, she was honoured with the European Patient Champion Award by EyeforPharma in 2019.

Teresa is also an executive coach and coaches across multiple programs at IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland, including the flagship High-Performance Leadership (HPL) Program, supporting leaders in developing resilience, clarity, and sustainable performance.

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Excerpt Paranormal

Teaser: Taken by the Alien by Megan Slayer #excerpt #paranormal #womensfiction #rabtbooktours @MeganSlayer @ChangelingPress @RABTBookTours

10:00 PM BY EverLeigh 0 Comments

(Taken, Book 13)

A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Novel

Date Published: May 8, 2026

Publisher: Changeling Press

She’s got magic she’s never tapped into. He’s from another galaxy. Together, they’re just right.

Lindsey Knepper-Lare just wants to belong. As far back as she can remember, she’s felt different. She’s convinced she’ll always been damaged goods. Then she’s abducted by an alien and spirited to a planet with a name she can’t even pronounce. Then Ronan walks into her life. He’s everything she wants, but has never had the courage to go after. Too bad he’ll never pay her any mind.

Ronan Miir wasn’t planning on visiting the diner on ERAEMA, but the second he spots Lindsey, he knows he has to save her. The metallic aliens on the planet want nothing good for to her. Not Ronan. He wants to kiss, touch, and protect her. Good thing he knows a thing or two about aliens, rescue, and getting back to Eerie. He’s ready to make their pairing into a forever romance… if she’ll give him a chance.

Excerpt

She blinked back tears and her stomach lurched again. She’d been taken from her home against her will, was being used for something she never wanted to take part in, and had been dumped in a place she didn’t even know to work for a being who claimed to own her. And she had no idea how to get home.

Lovely.

“Oh, and if you try to rip the comm off your body, it will alert P482 and he’ll destroy you.” T181 threw a rag in her direction. “Get to cleaning. These tables won’t sanitize themselves.”

She held onto the rag, then wondered what she was supposed to clean with the rag. Instead of asking questions, she moved to the first table and wiped it down. Tears blurred her vision, but she refused to cry. If she’d been able to be strong so far, she could keep doing it. She had no choice.

She wasn’t about to let anyone see her crack. She’d dissociate from herself and pretend she wasn’t here. Again. She wasn’t anyone’s slave. She didn’t have to act like she was happy in her surroundings.

“A few rules. Don’t talk to the clients. You’re here to clean, not flirt. They won’t take you out of here, so don’t ask. Understood?” T181 asked. “If they want food, they’ll let you know, but you simply deliver. You clean, you keep your mouth shut, and you give in to P482 if you want freedom from here.”

A man walked into the diner and said something she couldn’t quite hear to T181. Lindsey moved to the second table and watched the man. So far, she’d only seen beings that resembled satellites, like T181 and P482. This was the first being she’d encountered, even at a glance, who sort of resembled a human.

She watched him and her heart ached. Not only because she missed her home, but because she missed being held. Missed being touched. Missed other humans. Hell, she wasn’t even sure anyone would want to look for her. No one probably missed her.

Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t drool over this being. She swept her gaze over him. Dark hair, a bit wavy and just long enough to need a little product. Icy blue eyes that seemed to pierce through her the longer she looked at him. He had a slight dimple when he smiled and dazzling white teeth. He even had nice hands. The suit fit tight to his body, like it was tailored precisely for him. He oozed sex. No, not just sex, but power and confidence as well.

Not that this man would ever look her way. Good gracious. She was like Cinderella, but on a whole different planet. Even back on Earth men like him didn’t pay her any mind. She faded into the background -- just like she would here.

T181 moved between her and the man. “He’s mine. He’s got money, he’s free to move about the planet, and won’t bed you.”

She almost asked, “Bed him?” She hadn’t even thought of that. “Sure.”

She glanced over at him while she cleaned the third table. He had nice lips. Just full enough for a good kiss. She’d bet he was skilled at kissing, too. Not that she’d ever know. She was stuck.

She’d been taken to breed and given a bullshit answer for how to get home. A lie. Her heart hurt. This was so silly. Impossible, really. This man, no matter how sexy he was, probably had obscene amounts of money or credits or whatever. She wasn’t even sure how he’d been able to come to the planet. Was he a prisoner, too?

About the Author

Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and white hot themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been nominated at the LRC for Best Author, Best Contemporary, Best Ménage, Best BDSM and Best Anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on various e-tailer sites.

When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice. She’s an active member of the Friends of the Keystone-LaGrange Public library.

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Giveaway Interview

Virtual Book Tour: To Die For by Audrey Steidl #giveaway #youngadult #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours @Books_by_Audrey

7:59 AM BY EverLeigh 0 Comments

Young Adult

Date Published: April 10th 2026

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

To Die For is a harrowing look into the life of a narcissist who refuses to take accountability for the damage she inflicts.

High school senior Dei Fields appears completely harmless, but she has a keen instinct for manipulation. When she first sets eyes on hot star athlete Mika St. John, she’s determined to have him … and Dei always gets what she wants. There are only three obstacles: Mika’s friends, his family, and his girlfriend. But Dei isn’t afraid to destroy relationships to satisfy her fantasies.

In a matter of weeks, she love-bombs Mika into thinking he has found his soulmate, but when Dei’s plans go awry, everything changes—including her identity. Will Dei get what she wants this time? Or will she finally get what she deserves?

Interview

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

The hardest part is finding time without distractions or interruptions. Once I’m in the zone and deep into a scene, I lose all sense of time, but I can be taken out of that zone by an unexpected delivery or phone call. This is why I prefer to write in the evening, as I’m in a calmer space.

What are your most played songs?

For “To Die For,” it was “Tainted Love” by Soft Sell, “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC, “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together” by Taylor Swift, and “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon.

Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

I really only share my work in progress with my husband and my sister, who is a talented writer in her own right and who has shared many of my life experiences. For me, trusting my own voice is essential. I think it can be harmful to an author to rely too much on what someone else thinks of their work, as that can lead to uncertainty or even paralysis about their own voice. As readers, everyone projects their own biases and insecurities onto the narrative, and I would rather not be influenced by their voices.

What book are you reading now?

I just read “Orphan Train” by Christina Baker Kline, who I recently met and who was a truly lovely person. Her book is beautifully written and meticulously researched.

How did you start your writing career?

I have always loved to write but my professional writing career probably began when I was working in cable television as a producer, researcher and writer. The idea for my first novel came to me in my 20s, but it was only during COVID that I finally had the leisure to put all my energies into writing what was finally published in 2024 as “The Fallen.”

Tell us about your next release.

“To Die For,” which was just published by Acorn Publishing, is a harrowing look at a how a young narcissist is able to manipulate the people around her by using the classic tools of love-bombing, lying, gaslighting and isolation to achieve her ends. Most of the book takes place in San Diego, but the dramatic climax happens in Florida, where the forces of nature turn out to be even deadlier than her schemes.

About the Author

Audrey Steidl is the award-winning author of the romantic thriller The Fallen. Her passion for storytelling began at an early age when she wrote scripts and performed them with her neighborhood friends in full costume and makeup. This love blossomed into a career as an actress and as a producer for cable television.

Now, when she’s not writing page-turners, Audrey is a hotel travel executive, a pilates fiend, and a lover of travel and art. A long-time San Diego resident, she shares her home with her husband Jamie and their mischievous Pomeranian Loki. Her latest novel, To Die For, is inspired by those who have the courage to walk away from narcissists and emotionally abusive relationships.

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Monday, May 4, 2026

non-fiction Self-Help

Book Blitz: Trust Issues by Rick Durfee #nonfiction #selfhelp #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

10:30 PM BY EverLeigh 0 Comments

Why Traditional Estate Planning Has Failed Us and What To Do About It

Nonfiction, Self-Help

Date Published: December 9, 2025

Publisher: Elite Online Publishing

What do the ultra-wealthy know about protecting their fortunes that most people never learn?

In Trust Issues, veteran estate planning attorney Rick Durfee pulls back the curtain on the legal tools and legacy strategies the affluent quietly use to safeguard their assets, slash taxes, and keep wealth in the family for generations, with control, clarity, and confidence.

This isn’t theory. It’s a field-tested playbook built from decades of helping high-net-worth individuals, business owners, and family offices create dynasty plans that actually work in the real world.

Whether you're a successful entrepreneur, investor, or professional advisor, you’ll discover how to:

Use trusts to avoid probate and dictate how wealth is used, even long after you’re gone.
Set up business entities (like LLCs and FLPs) that shield assets from lawsuits and creditors.
Build a dynasty trust designed to preserve family wealth for 100+ years.
Legally minimize estate and gift taxes.
Sidestep the most common (and costly) estate planning mistakes.
Empower your children and grandchildren with wealth, without fueling entitlement or dependency.

Durfee’s approach is ethical, practical, and grounded in a simple belief: wealth should serve your family’s deepest values, not just their lifestyle.

If you’re serious about protecting what you’ve built, Trust Issues is your roadmap to a lasting legacy, on your terms.

About the Author

Rick Durfee is the founder and senior attorney at Durfee Law Group PLLC, based in Mesa, Arizona. Practicing law since 1988, Rick is nationally recognized for his expertise in estate planning, asset protection, and multi-generational wealth preservation. His firm serves clients across the United States, helping families “Live Well, Leave a Legacy™” through comprehensive and enduring legal strategies.

A frequent speaker at national events and author of Trust Issues: Why Traditional Estate Planning is Failing and What to Do About It, Rick combines deep legal knowledge with a family-centered philosophy rooted in his background as a former professor of world religions. He and his wife are the proud parents of eight children and seventeen grandchildren.

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non-fiction Self-Help

Book Blitz: The Art of War by Shuai-jan Change #selfhelp #nonfiction #psychology #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

10:00 PM BY EverLeigh 0 Comments

Rewritten and Modernized for Psychological Combat

Self-help, Psychology

Date Published: April 9, 2026

Manipulation has become a method of warfare. Gaslighting, triangulation, and psychological pressure are now tools of control. This book teaches how to recognize them and remain composed under attack. Written in the style of Sun Tzu’s original work, this book carries the discipline of ancient strategy into the unseen arena of psychological conflict. War has changed its form, not its nature. It no longer arrives only with force, but with influence, distortion, and control. Shuai-jan Change preserves the structure of the original Art of War while directing its essence toward these modern forms of conflict. This work is grounded in lived experience as well as study. Having endured emotional and psychological abuse, the author chose not to be defined by it. Through discipline and deliberate effort, that experience was transformed into survivorship and self-command. Strategy is not used to dominate, but to prevent defeat before it occurs. The aim is to recognize manipulation without surrendering principle, and to maintain control where others seek to take it. This is not a book of open war. It is a practical guide for those who encounter manipulation without warning and intend to remain steady, aware, and unbroken.

Also by Shuai-jan Change

The Art of War: Two Traditions: The Original Text by Sun Tzu and a Modern Rendering for Psychological Combat

Manipulation has become a method of warfare. Gaslighting, triangulation, and psychological pressure are now tools of control. This volume teaches how to recognize them and remain composed under attack. This edition presents The Art of War in two forms. The first is the original text attributed to Sun Tzu, translated by Lionel Giles and preserved in its classical structure. The second is a modern rendering by Shuai-jan Change, written in the same disciplined style and directed toward the realities of contemporary psychological conflict. War has changed its form, not its nature. It no longer arrives only with force, but with influence, distortion, and control. These days, the adversary advances with toxic thinking, employing tactics such as gaslighting, triangulation, love bombing, character assassination, and calculated victimhood. The modern rendering is grounded in lived experience as well as study. Having endured emotional and psychological abuse, the author chose not to be defined by it. Through discipline and deliberate effort, that experience was transformed into survivorship and self-command. Across both works, the principles of strategy remain constant, but the terrain has shifted. The structure is preserved. The discipline remains. The interpretation adapts. These are not books of aggression. They are studies in recognition, restraint, and self-command. To understand strategy in one age is to recognize it in all others.

https://www.amazon.com/Art-War-Traditions-Rendering-Psychological-ebook/dp/B0GX2HWPQN

About the Author

My name is Shuai-jan Change. I am the author of The Art of War: Rewritten and Modernized for Psychological Combat, a contemporary rendering of Sun Tzu’s classic focused on the unseen arenas of manipulation, coercion, and mental conflict.

Drawing from the style and structure of the original text, this work reframes ancient strategies for use in modern environments, where conflict unfolds not only through open confrontation but through distortion, pressure, and control of perception. This work is not written from theory alone. It is informed by lived experience. Having endured psychological and emotional abuse, I undertook a process of inner discipline to avoid adopting the same patterns of distortion, blame, and control. The objective was not to remain a victim; it was to avoid becoming what was opposed, to establish self-command, and to transform victimhood into survivorship. These writings are intended for those who seek to maintain composure under pressure, recognize manipulative tactics, and preserve their peace of mind without surrendering principle. The objective is not domination, but self-command. My literary work centers on psychological combat as it unfolds across professional, personal, and digital arenas, offering a disciplined approach to strategy, boundaries, and internal stability in an age of dysfunction and constant chaos.

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