A Life Through Books

Thursday, June 15, 2017

Virtual Book Tour: Guy's Odyssey by Seth Bleuer with an #interview and #giveaway
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Psychological Military Thriller
Date Published:  June 23, 2017

It’s just another day in Iraq for Guy, a young American soldier. But when he suffers a head wound in a car bomb attack in Baghdad his real journey begins. 
As the blast sends him on a deadly odyssey through the very fabric of time, he finds the beautiful yet mysterious disappearing sand. But Guy quickly realizes things aren’t what they seem and he may be witnessing his own destruction. With the reality warp tearing him apart, he has only his fading mind and a mysterious journal to help him solve the puzzle before time runs out.
His desperate search for an answer leads him to a single moment where everything hangs in the balance. Does this mysterious journal hold the clues to his salvation, or is it the ramblings of a madman? Can he figure out the mystery and save himself, or is the end of his odyssey written before his journey even begins?


Interview

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

There are so many challenges when it comes to writing. Finding the time to write can be hard sometimes. It is also difficult to kill a character that you really don’t want to, but know that you have to.


What songs are most played on your Ipod?

Right now it is everything Chris Cornell. I grew up on his music and he inspired me in so many ways throughout my life. He was a great musician and human being. His passing is a huge loss for the world.


Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

I have three very amazing critique partners that helped me through the entire process of writing Guy’s Odyssey. I don’t know what I would do without them.


What book are you reading now?

I’m currently reading the John Carter of Mars series. The writing is phenomenal. Edgar Rice Burroughs was a true visionary and a master of his craft.


How did you start your writing career?

I initially started writing after my deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as a way for me to say the things I couldn’t say and work through some of the really hard things I experienced. After a while I realized I could do that through Fiction, which I very much enjoyed writing, and the rest, well here we are!


Tell us about your next release.


Guy’s Odyssey is a psychological military thriller inspired by some of my own experiences in the Middle East. It’s about a young soldier, Guy, who gets blown up in Baghdad and is sent on a deadly odyssey through the very fabric of time where he finds the beautiful and mysterious sands of time. Guy wakes up in the future and finds himself in some serious trouble. He has only his fading mind and a mysterious journal to aid him in solving the mystery of how he got there before time runs out.



Seth Bleuer is an author and veteran who served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He currently lives near Seattle, Washington with his wife and kids, by way of the Midwest. When he’s not reading or writing he can be found playing in the mud at obstacle races with his wife, Amanda. To see what Seth is up to check out his very originally named website https://sethbleuer.wordpress.com/or find him on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SethBleuerAuthor/


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on sale for $0.99 until June 26th and then goes up to $4.99!


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Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Virtual Book Tour: A Bride, A Groom, and Happily Never After by @klongauthor with an #interview
1:00 AM1 Comments


COZY MYSTERY
Date Published: APRIL 18, 2017

It’s wedding bell blues and disaster when murder comes to the Paulmona Winery and Villa. Mystery author and part time snoop, Lilly Millenovanovich is the unlucky bride-to-be, but she gladly exchanges her wedding dress for gumshoes and brushes off her bag of spy tricks to solve the crime. After all, family obligation takes priority. Lilly and her zany trio of elderly aunties, must do their part to prove Cousin Mona didn’t kill groomsman Lenny Brioli with a corkscrew wine opener. Trouble is, the evidence keeps pointing in one direction with Mona as murder suspect number one. Detective Grezzo has his sleuthing hands full while handling the case on his own. Jake Kline, Lilly’s fiancé, obviously can’t work the case since Lenny is his best friend. That is, until Lilly convinces him to join her and snoop on the sly. Mona’s life and happiness depends on it. Will it be happily never after for the unlucky couple? Or can Lilly save the date and her wedding dress for another day? It’s a murderous and crazy adventure in this fourth and final episode of the Lilly M Mysteries.



Interview
What is the hardest part of writing your books?

One of those is momentum. I often find that when I come back to the MS I need to gear back up – like warm-ups or stretches you do before a workout. And it’s so easy to find excuses to keep from digging in, like check email, Facebook, take the dog for a walk, rearrange my office … ANYTHING but write! LOL. Eventually, I get to it, back in the zone, and then I don’t want to quit! It’s how I work.


What songs are most played on your Ipod?

I can tell you my favorite artists… Zero 7 (FYI – Sia was a former member of this group, you know the one who sang Chandelier?), Coldplay, Vaults, Alabama Shakes to name a few. And when I’m feeling nostalgic I play the Stones or some Motown greats like Otis Redding or the Temptations. I’m pretty eclectic when it comes to music genres.



Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

One of my besties and also SinC sister is a sharp lady who can catch most any plot glitches or grammar/punctuation errors. And she’s killer when it comes to writing query letters. I told her she should do this for a living, but she’s already a star when it comes to her novels. Love my friend and partner in crime, Julie Lindsey, aka Julie Chase. You all should check out her cozy mysteries!


What book are you reading now?

I just finished Rachel Caine’s latest, STILLHOUSE LAKE. I’m still feeling the adrenaline rush – fantastic thriller. Before that, I read THE HATE YOU GIVE by Angie Thomas. Trust me, it’s an eye opener, very real and a must read. Now, for the cozy, humorous side, I’m starting CURIOUS MINDS by Evanovich and Sutton. I love all her S. Plum mysteries and the Fox and O’Hare series with her and Lee Goldberg teaming up. Lots of great reads out there!


How did you start your writing career?

Like most writers, I’ve always loved writing… stories, poems, song lyrics were my beginning. It wasn’t until decades later when I decided to tackle a novel-length work. It was messy and really not very good, but I got through it and kept going. Escaping into a world where I control what happens is the best part of writing for me. Anyway, when self-publishing became such an easy endeavor, I decided to try my hand at it and see what would happen. The next step: I sent other work to small presses and managed to snag a couple contracts. I keep upping the game, taking it to the next level.


Tell us about your next release.


I’m in the midst of getting a new agent for a contemporary con artist series (think: Fox and O’Hare or the Heist Society Series by Ally Carter), and for another mystery series, I’ve been submitting to independent presses on my own. I wait, and wait, but hopefully something will happen soon. 


Kathryn Long’s passion is writing mysteries, creating the intricate details and weaving them together into the clues which the reader will enjoy collecting to solve the crime. Many of her works include Native American elements and hints of the paranormal. She loves a scary ghost story!
Her writing inspiration began with reading about Nancy Drew and the heroines of romantic suspense authors such as Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart. Her first creations were short stories meant to entertain anyone who’d listen or read. Playing the guitar led to song lyrics, which she insists taught her the rhythm and pace of writing prose.
Writing took a serious turn several years ago when she had her first book published. To date readers can find her self-published cozy Lilly M Mysteries, and her traditionally published work: paranormal mystery, Dying to Dream, and latest, a romantic suspense, A Deadly Deed Grows at online retailers and in bookstores.
When writing and the creative muse take a break, this author loves to travel, watch Castle, and of course, read mysteries. Oh, and there’s always an author event or two she will attend in order to – you got it – talk about mystery. Kathryn lives in the City of Green located in northeast Ohio with her husband and little pooch, Max. 


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Sale Blitz: The Bridge of the Golden Wood by @PremioBooks #giveaway #childrensbook
12:00 AM1 Comments

Children’s Book
Date Published: February 2017

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Careers, entrepreneurship

“Masterful … An immensely appealing book because of its readable style … and its realistic but soft Asian-style illustrations.” – Crystie Cook, poet.

A child with a knack for solving problems helps some hungry fish and finds a treasure. Illustrated folk tale teaches how to spot opportunities to help others and make money; comes with ideas for businesses; money-making activities; and online resources on finding customers, managing money, job ideas, and moving up in an organization (for kids ages 4 and up). Young children will be captivated by the story; older ones will want to apply the things they learn about business. Teach someone to fish. This how-to book on work bridges the gap between what kids learn in school about jobs, careers, small business, finance, economics, and what they should know (how to serve others).


About the Author


Karl Beckstrand is the bestselling and award-winning author of 19 multicultural/multilingual books and more than 50 ebook titles (reviews by Kirkus, School Library Journal, The Horn Book blog, ForeWord Reviews). Raised in San Jose, CA, he has a B.A. in journalism from BYU, an M.A. in international relations from APU, and a broadcast & film certificate from Film A. Academy. Since 2004 he has run Premio Publishing. His survival western, To Swallow the Earth won a 2016 International Book Award. A college media instructor, Beckstrand has presented to Taiwan’s Global Leadership for Youth, city and state governments, festivals, and schools. Beckstrand's nationally lauded Y.A. stories, e-book mysteries, ESL/ELL Spanish/bilingual books, nonfiction, and wordless books feature ethnically diverse characters—and usually end with a twist. His work has appeared in: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Border’s Books, Costco, Deseret Book, iBooks, The Children’s Miracle Network, LDS Film Festival, the U.S. Congressional Record, Papercrafts Magazine, and various broadcasts. FB, Twitter, http://KarlBeckstrand.com

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FREE Through June 15th!



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Sunday, June 11, 2017

Review Tour: Hero High: Figure in the Flames by @authorminachara #review #giveaway
5:52 PM0 Comments


YA Fantasy
Date Published: October 2016
Publisher: Byzantion Books


Hero TV is a world of fortune, fame and designer dresses open only to those with superpowers.

Friday Fitzsimmons comes to Hero High determined to be part of that world, but as soon as her power is tested, things start to go wrong.

In a world where heroes and villains are not always what they seem, where romance and rescue are frequently scripted, Friday is torn between duty and growing feelings for Dr Dangerous, but when she sees her favorite hero brought down, Friday goes to war, and with the help of her team mates, Aya, David and Ashley she sets out to fight the corruption at the heart of Hero TV and unmask the figure in the flames.


Review

For a fantasy tale, this was a medium sized book and it was a very fast paced read in addition to it. So it literally took only half a day to finish the story. And it kept me wanting to continue. It was fun and addictive. There wasn't any time to have my mind wandering. From the get go, there was lots of things happening at once. It was a full ride. 

The writing style was simple and the narration was easy to follow. The imagery had me immersed in the realm introduced by the author. The characters were rich and well portrayed. The smooth flow of the tale kept me stable even through the surprising twists and turns taken in the story. 

I can say that the author has done a commendable job of writing a fantastic setting and a adventure rich story for fantasy lovers. 


About the Author
Mina Chara likes superheroes, Chinese food and spending time with her dog. She dislikes dark, gritty superhero movies and tales of the dystopian future. Generally optimistic she writes stories that reflect her love of color (especially blue) as well as her sense of humor. Her ambition is to find a job that won’t suck out her soul, help her parents to retire and one day buy her mum a car. So please buy her book. Please!

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Twitter: @authorminachara


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Thursday, June 8, 2017

Virtual Book Tour: Thy Paintbrush to Abstracting Images by @ShavondaRobin14 Author #interview
2:00 AM1 Comments

Poetry
Publisher: True Beginnings Publishing 
Date Published: February 3 2017

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A collection of poems that will take readers on a constant visual journey by creating a world between an abundant imagination and reality based situations.
This poet has a way of waving her magic wand and putting up a persuasive point of view.
This poet also has super pen powers on the page with a creativity level that cannot be tamed, and she will dazzle you with dazzle you her captivating gift when it comes to connecting with others by using images and musicality to tell different poetic stories throughout the entire book.

Interview

What is the hardest part of writing your books?
When i get an idea their come so many of them

What songs are most played on your Ipod?
I don't listen to ipod anymore

Do you have critique partners or beta readers?
Yes critique partners

What book are you reading now?
I am working on a short story collection

How did you start your writing career?
I started my writing career submitting to anthologies and magazines

Tell us about your next release.

Yes my next release is another poetry book titled Poem cries out beautiful songs

About the Author


Shavonda Robinson is an accomplished writer whose credits include being published in a few anthologies and magazines. She also is the founder of Create Something for the future," an online poetry magazine for upcoming poets and writers. She has won a few poetry awards for being most creative and poet of the year in a few poetry competitions and Songwriting awards. She is inspired by the power of words, when it comes to transforming ourselves and our thought's by the written word. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her two beautiful children.


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Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Get These Novels from Kindle Unlimited! #free #ku #giveaway
12:00 AM1 Comments
WELCOME TO THE KINDLE UNLIMITED BLAST! 

Click on any of the below book covers to be taken to the page that has more information on the novel as well as the Buy Links!

ALL OF THESE NOVELS ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED!

Before you leave, don't forget to enter the Giveaway!!! 







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Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Virtual Book Tour: Where It All Began by @loranahoopes with a #giveaway
7:30 AM0 Comments

Christian Fiction
Date Published: re-released April 2017
Publisher: H&H Publishing

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Sandra Baker thought her life was going perfectly until she found out she was pregnant. Her boyfriend doesn’t want the baby and pushes her to have an abortion. After the procedure, Sandra spirals into depression losing her relationship and nearly her job. When she meets Henry, a Christian man, who displays God’s love, she begins to wonder if God can forgive her and more importantly if she can forgive herself.




About the Author


Lorana Hoopes is an inspirational romance and children’s author originally from Texas. She now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and three children. When not writing, she can be found singing or acting on stage or kickboxing at her gym. You can also find her hosting her show Write the World where she interviews authors and writers. If you are an author and want to be featured, be sure to contact her.

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