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Saturday, August 31, 2019

Book Blitz: There's Got to be a Full Moon! #humor #comedy #promo @RABTBookTours




Humor, Comedy
Humorous memoirs of a dog groomer
Date Published: April 2019
Publisher: Page Publishing

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Dotty Moran has owned and operated a dog grooming business for forty-six years. She’s had enough laughs out of it to last her a lifetime. Discover the ups and downs of dog-grooming in There’s Got To Be A Full Moon!






About the Author

Some people believe, "Laughter is the best form of therapy." Author Kathy Weber happens to be one of them.

Everyone has had days when all they want to do is scream, "There's Got To Be A Full Moon!!!" Kathy, who has owned and operated a dog grooming business for 46 years, has had plenty of these days. She has seen a lot of crazy things and has had enough laughs to last her a lifetime. Kathy and Brad, her loving canine companion, have decided to let you in on some of their experiences.

Though Kathy is first and foremost a dog groomer, she has served in multiple capacities: Dog day care provider, veterinarian, professional dog breeder, expert on raising of puppies, authority on caring for older dogs, groomer of cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, ferrets and stuffed animals

In addition to all of this she's been known to perform miracles!


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Friday, August 30, 2019

Book Blitz: Two Journeys #adventure #thriller #promo #excerpt @two_journeys @RABTBookTours


Adventure, Thriller

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A man left alone on earth.

Alan is visiting Japan on business. After the outbreak of a pandemic, he finds himself to be the single survivor. The viral disease has wiped away his past life: he must fear injury, loneliness and hunger. Yet, Alan decides to travel back to his family in Berlin, straight across Asia. An exciting, thought-provoking book, impossible to put down.



Praise for Two Journeys:

“Move over, Cormac McCarthy, another survivor is traveling the Armageddon road. Clemens P. Suter’s apocalyptic thriller grabs you in the first couple of pages and never lets go. The reader feels real empathy for the main character’s plight as he begins a seemingly impossible 9,000-mile trip to learn his family’s fate. The cause of the calamity is mysterious but clues are uncovered along the way causing tension to build until we reach the shattering climax. Two Journeys is not to be missed.” - G. Dedrick Robinson, author of Blood Scourge






Excerpt

SAMPLE from the novel Two Journeys:



Then one morning, the barometer’s needle started to rise, and a few hours later the weather started to improve. A new, different kind of breeze came from the southeast, blowing most of the clouds away. The sun came out; I hadn’t realized how much I had actually missed it.


Suddenly a feeling of urgency came over me. The opportune moment for crossing the channel was rapidly approaching. I tried to resist it—after all, was I ready for it? Was all the equipment on board? Could I handle the boat? Then I decided to go with the flow and to set off the next morning shortly before daylight. I had plotted my course many times over. I would aim straight for the island of Iki, which was less than thirty miles away. Then I would pass on directly to Tsu and continue along its northern coast and then cross the final part of the strait and aim for the Korean city of Pusan. The course would be strictly northwest almost all the way.

According to the maps, it should be easy sailing. My interpretation of the manual and the other books that I had found suggested that the trip would probably last fifteen hours. The charts revealed that the islands in between had been (or even were?) inhabited, offering a fallback should anything go wrong. I decided against any voluntary stopover on one of the islands. After all, should the weather worsen again, I could get stuck there indefinitely.

The challenge was the gasoline. What would happen if I ran out of gas? I had calculated the total volume of the tanks several times and had tried to estimate the amount of fuel that I would need. I had once heard that a boat would use approximately one liter for every mile, but that depended on factors such as the strength of the wind, the size of the ship, and the weight that it was carrying. The boat had several tanks, all of which now filled to the rim with fuel that I had carried over from the other ships in the harbor.

The maps showed small villages on the islands, even an airport on the bigger one, so I thought there might be the possibility to get additional fuel there. At the very last moment, I decided to take a small life raft in tow.

I studied the controls again. I had completed some practice runs in the harbor and I had ceased hitting the docks. I wondered what the shore on the other side of the strait would look like. Flying an airplane wasn’t hard but landing was—I suspected the same applied to boating. I hoped that I could find an easy port in Korea.

That night I took my final walk through town. It was getting dark already, a beautiful subtropical evening, the sky aflame and hardly any wind. The two dogs walked along, barking when they saw another dog, protecting their own pack.

I needed to get an additional compass, some new clothing, a waterproof flashlight, and some batteries.

I wandered into a part of town where I hadn’t been before. The houses were small and painted in bright pink and orange colors. I passed a park, and in the fading daylight, I saw a young couple on a park bench, romantically hugging and protecting each other from the chill that had started to come in from the sea. She had her head on his shoulder, he his cheek on her hair. His arm was around her tiny body. Her pink handbag stood straight and orderly on the gravel next to the park bench.

My heart jumped, and I quickly walked up to them. As I came closer, I saw that they were dead and in an advanced stage of decomposition. Her dress was soiled with body fluids, and their hair was blowing away with the wind.

Loneliness came over me. I looked at them for a few minutes, speculating about their lives. Finally, I turned away and left them behind, forever frozen in their final embrace.



About the Author


Clemens P. Suter is the author of roaring adventure novels. Suter's first novel “Two Journeys” was published in 2011, and describes the adventures of the sole survivor of a pandemic. Its sequel “Fields of Fire” appeared in 2016. “Celeterra” (2013) is a dystopian novel, centered around the theft of Charles Darwin’s testament. Suter’s novels are suited for all ages, combine straightforward adventure and philosophic elements. Although Suter’s topics are serious, romance and humor abound.



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Thursday, August 29, 2019

Book Blitz: Mari, Why I Needed to Return From the Future #timetravel #scifi #romance @RABTBookTours


Time Travel Sci-fi Romance
Date Published: June 2019
Publisher: Senraan Publishing

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What if you discovered your greatest potential for self-realization and happiness was tied to a woman living over a hundred years before you were born?

Earth, 2184 AD. Ben Ecclestone is an advanced arbitrator, trained to keep the peace and to assist others in fulfilling their most heartfelt desires. Offered the opportunity to be Earth’s new ambassador in an enlightened and distant world, Ben embarks on his first interworld mission.

Disaster strikes and his ship crashes through time and space to Brisbane, 2020 AD. Stranded in a city of skyscrapers, digitally-connected loneliness, and rampant dissatisfaction, Ben doesn’t expect to meet a woman like Mari. She is young, vibrant and passionate—with a mysterious past. He is a confirmed celibate. Together they discover a depth of connection and intrigue beyond his wildest imaginings.

Abducted back to his own era by the History Rescue Unit, Ben grasps one desperate chance to persuade another arbitrator to permit the fulfilment of his dreams. But his return to the past could unravel the time thread and threaten the lives and wellbeing of billions.

What is the secret of Mari’s true identity and origin? And will Ben bow to the greater good or reclaim a love beyond compare?








About the Author


In his early twenties, Dr. Winfried Sedhoff faced a life-threatening personal crisis that sent him into self-imposed isolation. A twelve-month solitary quest uncovered solutions to his crisis and a genuine and lasting sense of self. Documenting his journey in his first book, "A Balance of Self', Dr. Sedhoff went on to write, 'The Fall and Rise of Women,' and 'The Friendship Key'. He has practiced as a family physician in Brisbane Australia for over 25yrs. With his unique approach to mental health, he offers guidance and training to patients, colleagues, medical trainees, and the general public. Dr. Sedhoff's books are inspired by the vision of a peaceful world that offers fulfilled, balanced, and sustainable lives for us all. This is his first published novel.


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Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Book Blitz: The Danger Dance by @carosoles #scifi #lgbt #promo @RABTBookTours


The Merculians, Book 1
Space Opera, LGBT Science Fiction
Published: March 2019
Publisher: Crossroad Press

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Life and death action and intrigue aboard a military space vessel!

A startling command from the dreaded Praetan brings chaos into the tranquil lives of hermaphrodites Eulio and his lover Orosin. Using the tour of the Merculian National Dance Company where Eulio is a star as cover, they board the Wellington, a militaristic starship that values nothing they believe in. Someone is passing secrets about fleet movements and weaponry to the enemies in the Troia, but the efforts of the two Merculians to unmask the spy only stir up a toxic mix of hatred and violence. Who will have to die before the Praetan is satisfied? The Danger Dance is a futuristic space adventure with enough swashbuckling action and intrigue to keep even the most jaded science fiction addict enthralled.



Praise for The Danger Dance

“A crackerjack SF novel—moving, eloquent, and richly textured. I recommend it highly.” —Robert J. Sawyer, award-winning science fiction writer


"A tingling subversity of gender, sexuality and goosebumping excitement. Even better, Soles can rally write, with wit, sensuosity and depth.” —Perry Brass, author of The Harvest, Angel Lust, etc.


“A well written novel, full of sexual and political intrigue, it grips from the very first page and is difficult to put down.” —Annette Gisby, author of Silent Screams.



Other Books in The Merculians Series:




The Abulon Dance
The Merculians, Book 2
Publisher: Crossroad Press
Published: July 2019

While on tour to the mysterious planet Abulon, the pleasure-loving hermaphrodites of The Merculian National Dance company are intrigued by the virile patriarchal society they discover there. The natives seemed friendly enough at first but when the star’s young lover is kidnapped, the Merculians find themselves plunged into a brutal alien Civil War they are ill-equipped to survive.




About the Author


Caro Soles' many novels include mysteries, erotica, gay lit & science fiction. She lives in Toronto, loves dachshunds, books, opera and ballet, not necessarily in that order. THE DANGER DANCE is the first of five novels set in the world of the pleasure-loving hermaphrodites of Merculian. The second, THE ABULON DANCE is the second, and just oit now is THE MEMORY DANCE.



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Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Release Blitz: Woke Up Dead by Nadia Gilkes @nadiagilkes #giveaway #fiction #humor #comedy #newrelease #onsale @RABTBookTours

Fiction / Humor
Date Published: August 27, 2019

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Hope Allison McKinley died. Or, at least everyone thought she did. When she suddenly wakes up in the middle of her own funeral - to the shock of all her loved ones - that is just the beginning of her problems.

Reawakened, Hope now sees what everyone really thought of her. The casket is cheap, the flowers suck, and she’s wearing an outfit she wouldn’t be caught dead in! It’s her worst nightmare come true and all hell is about to break loose.

In Woke Up Dead, Hope is faced with the enormous task of putting her death behind her and rebuilding her life. Having to overcome being a YouTube sensation and being shunned by her family, she slowly comes to realize that this is going to be a long, difficult, frustrating road.

If you ever wondered what would happen if you Woke Up Dead, let Hope Allison McKinley walk you through the trials and tribulations in a story that will have you dying to read more.

About the Author

I hate the idea of being kept in a box. I have always had a creative flair and delight in quilting, writing, and occasionally dusting off my flute. Over the past decade, I've served my clients and community as a family law attorney. I genuinely love serving, but being devoted to others can often leave one feeling drained and unfulfilled.

In 2019, a mind shift happened. I decided to unchain myself from my desk and nurture my need to create. I stopped living the life others expected of me and started chasing my dreams. In September of 2019, my first book, Woke Up Dead, will be available for purchase. It is an amusing, tongue-in-cheek novella about a young woman who wakes up at her own funeral, to the shock of those in attendance, and soon finds that getting back to life as normal is nearly impossible.

In my spare time, you can find me traveling, creating, attending concerts, and drinking my sorrows away after the latest Buffalo Bills loss. I also attend as many P!nk experiences as I possibly can. (She does not do concerts ... she creates bucket list experiences ...).

If you want to be the first to know what I'll do next, please follow me on social media and sign up for my mailing list and nadiagilkes.com

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Teaser Tuesday: San Diego Dead by Mark Nolan #action #thriller @RABTBookTours


Action Thriller
Date Published: 8-31-2019

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Danger awaits Marine-turned-lawyer Jake Wolfe on his vacation to sunny San Diego and Cabo San Lucas. There he finds sugary white sand beaches, warm turquoise water, boat trips among gray whales, and … cold blooded murder.

It was supposed to be a relaxing holiday for Jake and his adopted war dog, Cody, but violence erupts when he crosses paths with a criminal cartel urgently seeking to reclaim a deadly package.

Jake learns the missing item is a threat to US citizens and vows to steal it from the cartel, no matter what vigilante justice actions he might have to take.

Time is running out and thousands of innocent lives are at risk. Will the two combat veterans be able to retrieve the dangerous item before the killers do? The clock is ticking, but Jake hopes that if anybody can help find the package, it has to be his highly-trained and ultra-intelligent dog, Cody.

Find out what happens next. Start reading the latest Jake and Cody thriller right now and enjoy another fast-paced stand-alone story by author Mark Nolan.


Excerpt


Jake Wolfe and his dog, Cody, sat in a small Zodiac-style inflatable boat, drifting on the Pacific ocean in the dark at night. The electric outboard motor was dead, with a bullet hole in the tiller’s on-board computer.

Sharks circled, bumped the boat and waited impatiently to rip the man and dog limb-from-limb. Sleek and dangerous apex predators with multiple rows of sharp teeth, most of the animals were approximately six feet long, but the largest looked as if it might be ten feet or more.

Jake felt like he and Cody were up the proverbial creek without a paddle, and he cursed at whoever had taken the oars out of this dinghy. He cursed himself too, for not double-checking to make sure the boat was fully equipped.

His retriever dog panted, tongue hanging out while looking at the salty sea all around them, obviously thirsty for a drink of fresh water.

Cody was a yellow Labrador and Golden Retriever cross, with wavy hair and intelligent brown eyes that seemed to look into your heart and sense what you were feeling.

Jake scratched his dog on the back of the neck. “I’m sorry I got us into this, buddy.”

The former war dog, trained again as a service dog, was one of the most intelligent and highly-skilled animals on the planet. He stared at Jake with wise eyes, lifted one paw and put it down.

Jake nodded at him. “Do something?”

Cody barked once.

The largest, most aggressive shark bumped the boat harder, jostling the occupants.

Cody growled and showed his teeth.

Jake studied the big shark. He felt a chill as he wondered how much that thing weighed. Enough to flip the dinghy over if it leapt onto the gunwale; that seemed certain. “Sorry shark-zilla, but you’ve got to go,” he said.

Drawing his stolen pistol with the silencer attached, he took aim at the predator and fired a round at the base of the dorsal fin and into its trunk.

The wounded shark dove below the surface, trailing a plume of blood. Other sharks attacked the dying one in a feeding frenzy, abandoning the drifting boat for a moment.

“That’ll get rid of the big guy and keep the rest of them away from us for a little while,” Jake said.

He ejected the pistol’s mag to count how many rounds were left. Not good. He was running low. Sunrise was a long way off and he didn’t have his phone with him, or his handheld VHF marine radio.

Hopefully, none of the sharks would bite the inflatable boat and sink it. One of the individual airtight chambers had been shot and was deflated, but the rest were holding up, so far.

If he and Cody could survive until sunrise they might live through this. But it was a big, endless ocean with tens of millions of square miles of empty water. They could vanish into the Pacific without a trace, and die of thirst or end up as shark food, their bodies never found.



About the Author

Mark Nolan's books in order:

1. Dead Lawyers Don't Lie

2. Vigilante Assassin

3. Killer Lawyer

4. San Diego Dead.


He is currently writing book #5 in the Jake Wolfe and Cody series.

Mark also tries to make time every day to answer emails from readers. You can get in touch with him at marknolan.com.



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Monday, August 26, 2019

Release Blitz: Wishful Thinking by Helen Harper @HarperFire #newrelease #fantasy @RABTBookTours



How To Be The Best Damn Faery Godmother In The World (Or Die Trying), Book 1
Urban Fantasy
Date Published: August 26, 2019
Publisher: Harperfire

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Muddled magic. Missing faeries. She’s having one spell of a day at work…

Saffron Sawyer aspires to rise from the magical world’s bottom rung. But when her wish to join the renowned Office of Faery Godmothers is granted, bullies make her first day on the job unbearable. And to add to her misery, she discovers that someone is abducting her coworkers one-by-one.

Desperate to prevent another kidnapping, she scrambles to piece together the clues. After teaming up with the handsome and powerful Devil’s Advocate, she uncovers a strange connection between the disappearances and her lowly former gig. But when Saffron learns her promotion was only a ploy, she vows to ruin the devious plan.

Can Saffron muster enough magic to trap the villain before she’s sacked or stolen?

Wishful Thinking is the first book in the refreshingly original How To Be The Best Damn Faery Godmother in the World (or Die Trying) urban fantasy series. If you like determined heroines, enchanting spins on old tales, and clever twists and turns, then you’ll love Helen Harper’s captivating story.



Buy Wishful Thinking to watch a spunky sprite strut her stuff!







About the Author




After teaching English literature in the UK, Japan and Malaysia, Helen Harper left behind the world of education following the worldwide success of her Blood Destiny series of books. She is a professional member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and writes full time, thanking her lucky stars every day that's she lucky enough to do so!

Helen has always been a book lover, devouring science fiction and fantasy tales when she was a child growing up in Scotland.

She currently lives in Devon in the UK with far too many cats – not to mention the dragons, fairies, demons, wizards and vampires that seem to keep appearing from nowhere.


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Saturday, August 24, 2019

Book Blitz: The Paradise Man According to Thomas Merton #religion #nonfiction #selfhelp @RABTBookTours


Religion, Spirituality, Self-Help
Publisher: Xlibris

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Since Adam and Eve left Eden, humanity has endured through long millennia of hardships and sufferings, especially death. But the hearts of their children and great-grandchildren have never given up the hope that, someday, they could return to the place of happiness that once had been their inheritance. It is a legitimate and dignified dream. In fact, since the day Adam and Eve left, paradise has remained on earth, waiting for every single human child to return.

Mertons paradise, in the last analysis, is on earth, but it is not a spacious place. It is rather an attitude of heart, a state of consciousness, in a spiritual journey. The recovery of paradise occurs when the ego in us becomes empty like a desert. The more the noisy ego diminishes, the more the paradise appears in all its beauty. In fact, this paradise is the face of God, not just an imaginary picture but the true God Himself. The more the face of our ego fades out, the more the face of God shines in his glory, might, and goodness. The desert path is more a journey within our consciousness than through geographical space and time. That is why it belongs to all people and is not just reserved for desert hermits.

According to Thomas Merton, you need not be a bishop, a priest, a monk, a nun, a religious person, or a hermit to enter the spiritual journey. You may be a lay person, a normal churchgoer very busy with your daily duties, but you certainly could be a real paradise man.







Excerpt

Since Adam and Eve left Eden, humanity has endured through long millennia of hardships and sufferings, especially death. But the hearts of their children and great grandchildren have never given up the hope that someday they could return to the place of happiness which once had been their inheritance. It is a legitimate and dignified dream. In fact, since the day Adam and Eve left, paradise has remained on earth waiting for every single human child to return.


Following the great journey of humankind in the search for the paradise, utopias and fairytale worlds expressed in many centuries in various cultures and religions, this present work describes the arrival of the search that means paradise is found. We seek to understand what is the life of the Paradise Man? What is the Paradise World?


Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church spoke to the US Congress on September 24, 2015, and he gave praise to four great Americans: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton. The last of these four great heroes, Thomas Merton, will be the lead contributor for this work.


Thomas Merton (1915-1968) is recognized as the most influential American Catholic author of the twentieth century. His autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, has sold over one million copies and has been translated into over fifteen languages. He wrote over sixty books and many poems and articles on various topics. The most central themes are the monastic life and contemplative prayer. He was also a strong supporter of the nonviolent civil rights movement. Thomas Merton was born on January 31st, 1915 in Prades, France, to a New Zealand father and an American mother. Both were artists. Merton converted to Roman Catholicism whilst at Columbia University in 1942. He was called to priesthood and entered the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, a community of Trappist monks, the most ascetic Roman Catholic monastic order. In Gethsemani Abbey he lived for twenty-seven years and went through profound ongoing conversion. During his last years, he became deeply interested in Asian religions. The Dalai Lama praised him as having more profound understanding of Buddhism than any other Christian he had known. He died in Bangkok on December 10th, 1968 by an accidental electrocution during a conference on East-West monastic dialogue. 2


Thomas Merton left in many of his writings profound observations concerning the noble human dream and in particular he introduced us to the paradise of the Desert Fathers:


Modern studies of the Fathers have revealed beyond question that one of the main motives that impelled men to embrace the “angelic life” (bios angelikos) of solitude and poverty in the desert was precisely the hope that by so doing they might return to paradise. 3


Thomas Merton wrote the above lines in his book: Zen and the Birds of Appetite. This book was Merton’s dialogue with Dr. Daisetz Suzuki, the famous Japanese scholar and writer, about the transcendent experience of paradise in both Christian and Buddhist traditions. Thomas Merton openheartedly shared more with us what he found: “Paradise is not ‘heaven.’ Paradise is a state, or indeed a place, on earth. Paradise belongs more properly to the present than to the future life.”4


Paradise! What is it like? It is not a material paradise providing bodily satisfaction and mental relaxation like that of vacation locations: Hawaii, Miami, Las Vegas and Hollywood. It also is not the paradise of Milton, which has been said by E.M.W. Tillyard to be too weak and unconvincing because it has “too much leisure and . . . nothing to do.” He also compared Adam and Eve in Milton’s work to “old age pensioners enjoying a perpetual youth.” 5 The paradise which Merton talked about was the paradise of the Desert Fathers.


Merton’s paradise, in the last analysis, is on earth, but it is an interior place. It is rather an attitude of heart, a state of consciousness, in a spiritual journey. The recovery of paradise occurs when the ego in us becomes empty like a desert. The more the noisy ego diminishes, the more the paradise appears in all its beauty. In fact, this paradise is the Face of God, not just an imaginary picture, but the true God Himself. The more the face of our ego fades out, the more the Face of God shines in His Glory, Might, and Goodness. The Desert Path is more a journey within our consciousness than through geographical space and time. That is why it belongs to all people and is not just reserved for desert hermits.



This book will include the following aspects of the journey:
  • Ø   the traveler’s experiences of the transformation into a Paradise Man in union with God;
  • Ø   the traveler’s union with fellow humans though still in a challenging world;
  • Ø   the traveler’s harmonious union with the world of creation in a “cosmic dance.” God is the dancer and we are the dance.6



The focus of this work will be on “The Paradise Man;” therefore, we will not go into detail about the biography of Thomas Merton and this is not the study about only Merton’s theory. We should say that we all enter a mysterious world of Paradise and Thomas Merton is our guide leader.  This work is also not aimed as a profound academic research but only a collection of precious notes to help the author himself and other average churchgoers in finding some inspiration for their spiritual journey. “The Paradise Man” will always be the common expression applicable for both “Man” and “Woman.” Biblical citation will be taken from The New American Bible, revised edition.


According to Thomas Merton, you need not be a bishop, a priest, a monk, a nun, a religious or a hermit; you may be a lay person, a normal churchgoer very busy with your daily duties, but you certainly could also be a Paradise Man.


About the Author

Linhxuan Vu or Fr. Peter Dat Tien Vu is a priest and Cistercian monk graduated MDiv (1983) and MA in theology (1987) from Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology at Graduate Theologian Union in Berkeley, California. After some years being sub-novice master at Thien Phuoc Cistercian Abbey in Vung Tau City, Vietnam, he is now serving in the chaplain team at the Retreat House of Assumption Abbey in Ava, Missouri.



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Friday, August 23, 2019

Book Blitz: Pianist in a Bordello #historical #fiction #satire @RABTBookTours


Historical Fiction & Satire

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What would happen if a politician decided to tell the truth—the whole truth?

Richard Youngblood, aspiring Congressman, is about to find out. He’s running on a platform of honesty and transparency—and against the advice of his friends and advisers he’s decided to start with himself. His autobiography will lay his entire life bare before voters just days before the election.

And what a life he’s had. Born in a commune and named Richard Milhous Nixon Youngblood as an angry shot at his absent father, Richard grows up in the spotlight, the son of an enigmatic fugitive and the grandson of a Republican senator. He’s kidnapped and rescued, kicked out of college for a prank involving turkeys, arrested in Hawaii while trying to deliver secrets to the CIA…Dick Nixon Youngblood’s ready to tell all.

He’ll even tell his readers about the Amandas—three women who share a name but not much else, and who each have helped shape and define the man he’s become.

Are voters really ready for the whole truth?

Are you?

Pianist in a Bordello is a hilarious political romp through the last four decades of American history, from a narrator who is full of surprises.





Praise for Pianist in a Bordello

"Pianist in a Bordello is so well crafted it compels readers to surrender and enjoy this irreverent, madcap portrait of a politician. A steady flow historic nuggets, shrewd insights, passionate encounters, and all-out hilarious moments, make it difficult to stop reading." - Underground Book Reviews

"With an interesting combination of literary tools to keep Erickson's plot constantly moving--opening chapters with sarcastic quotes, alternating between the abovementioned scenes, various plot twists, and closing on a humorous, yet thought-provoking note, Pianist in a Bordello is definitely a fun read for all." - San Francisco Book Review

"The author combines highly effective Joseph Heller-style political and social satire with some surprisingly touching personal moments... Erickson welds all of these elements together into a hugely enjoyable comic novel. A fast-paced, raucous tour through the last half-century alongside a modern-day Candide." - Kirkus Review

‘An original setting, carefully researched and vividly portrayed.’ — The Times Literary Supplement



About the Author


Mike C. Erickson grew up in the idyllic college town of Logan, Utah, but because of a twist of fate he graduated from high school in Honolulu. He left Hawaii brimming with aloha and enrolled at Utah State, where he was awarded two degrees and self-proclaimed minor intellectual status, which was of dubious value when the US Army invited him to vacation in South-East Asia. Ten days after leaving Vietnam, he began decades of dispensing pearls of wisdom as a high school history teacher, academic decathlon coach, and on occasion, as a community college instructor in the Sacramento area. Mike and his wife Trudy, have two grown sons and a grandson born soon after this novel is published. When not in Hawaii or another exotic locale, they live in Gold River, California. This is his first novel.

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