A Life Through Books

Instagram: @patricksimiglai

YouTube

Purchase Link

Reading Time:

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.

Contact Link

Purchase Links

B&N

Reading Time:

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.

Contact Links

Twitter @gaellynch

Goodreads

Instagram: @lynchgael

Purchase Links

B&N

Ingram Spark

Reading Time:

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.

Contact Links

Goodreads

Preorder Today

Reading Time:

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.

Contact Links

Instagram: @Kennasaman

Reading Time:

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.

Contact Links

https://mybook.to/GoodbyeDemons

Goodreads

Purchase Links