Monthly Archives: November 2018
VBT – THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. K. S. David will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the otherh stops on the tour.
From the author of A Promise Kept and Every Single Wish, comes an exhilarating romantic suspense for the holidays.
As Center City and its quirky residents get ready to ring in the holiday with merriment and good cheer, Calista Tate is forced to make a terrible decision? Does she stay and fight for the life she’s created or – does she run away? One man could be her angel – her saving grace. And, the promise of love may be strong enough to make her hold her ground. The wrong decision could put them both at risk.
Calista Singletary decided it was finally safe to settle down. She opened a small bakery, has a new home and life is good. That is until she gets arrested for killing her elderly neighbor. It doesn’t help that she chased the old man out of her house with a rolling pin two days earlier. The same rolling pin is found under his bruised and bloody body. Calista thinks some trickery is underfoot. Good thing her sexy attorney, Marc Collins, thinks he can get the charges dropped.
But Calista knows that when the authorities start digging, they’re going to uncover her true identity. That’s when the real horrors will begin. She usually stays packed and ready to blow town at the first sign of trouble – assuming a new name, a new look, a new story. But she’s growing close to Marc and just once, she wants to feel normal. Will the cost be too high?
Three years earlier, the man Calista loved sucked her into a world of indescribable horror. She’s the only one who can testify to the atrocities he committed by Thomas Langston. She stole three million dollars of his money and maimed him the day she left. In return, Thomas made her a promise. He would always love her. He would never stop looking for her. And the next time he saw Calista – he was going to kill her.
Read an Excerpt:
“He walked in on me in the bathroom!”
I had been taking a well-deserved bath. After a sixteen-hour day in my bakery, my hands felt like rubber, my ankles were throbbing, and my back felt like I’d been beaten with a baseball bat. The break would feel like a week-long vacation, and I intended to take advantage by sleeping in, eating junk, watching a little football and reading a good book. A hot, steamy bath had been on my too-do list all day. Love ballads filled the halls of my house, and I planned to polish off a bottle of Chablis.
“Way to go, Fred.”
I rolled my eyes to the night sky annoyed. Fred’s encouragement came from another neighbor who shared the center of our cul-de-sac with a man who’d been a thorn since the day I moved in. I didn’t know his name – didn’t care either, but I knew his taste in music, women and the brand of beer he preferred. Loud music boomed from his backyard nightly. He wore aged denim and a t-shirt so old the letters had started to peel. A soiled black bandana was pulled low over his brow and tattoos covered visible skin – except his hands, his neck and his face. I could always tell when he was coming or going because the motor in his Harley made my windows shake. I squinted up at the man. Streetlights barely illuminated his face and his bandana made it impossible for me to get a good look at him, but he had a firm jaw and full lips. Catching my examination, he winked. I sneered at him. I didn’t do grimy and I didn’t do assholes – at least, not anymore.
About the Author:K. S. David lives in the Mid-Atlantic with her husband, their three children and a menagerie of pets. New storylines are constantly running through her head. She keeps notebooks tucked in pockets of the car, the nightstand and makes voice recordings just about all day long. She’s addicted to true life mysteries and crime shows, both of which marry well with a great romance. Some of her favorite things are long walks, reading in bed, baking and of course, writing her next novel.
https://www.amazon.com/K.-S.-David/e/B00BP1U4BI
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6979268.K_S_David
https://twitter.com/ksdavidromance
https://www.facebook.com/ks.david.52
https://www.amazon.com/Night-Before-Christmas-K-David-ebook/dp/B07K7151P1 The book is on sale for only $0.99.
K. S. David will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
VBT – SONG OF THE BORICUA
Song of the Boricua
by Olivia Castillo
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GENRE: Fiction
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BLURB:
Puerto Rico an island of contradiction, serves as an enchanting backdrop following three generations of women.
Elena: Resilient and ambitious, but trapped by duty to her children.
Maria: Passionate and headstrong, but married to a man she does not love. Josephina: Optimistic and romantic, but in love with an alcoholic.
Isabella: Clairvoyant and spiritual, but denies her heritage and roots.
Like the land these women are held hostage, unfulfilled and unable to find their happiness. Each generation like the land is cursed. Can they defy the powerful bond of the curse and free themselves to find love everlasting?
New Author, Olivia Castillo, like the jibaros of the past weaves a tale of sorrow and joy. Castillos’ fiction is timely, offering a glimpse into the islands rich history and offering insight into the story that has plagued women for all of time, the search for true love and acceptance of self.
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Excerpt:
Elena
Bayamón, Puerto Rico, May 1937
During those late-night hours, the old fort was deserted, with the exception of a few amorous couples who embraced in dark corners, not caring if they were seen. From the top of El Morro, she would stare out in awe at the vast, black, beautiful sea, waves breaking along the rocks, stars bright above her.
The melody of the coquí kept her company and she promised herself and God that someday she would finish school. The spirit of her grandmother’s Taino ancestors filled her and she felt at peace, knowing that her grandmother was watching over her. One balmy night as she was coming back from one of these walks, she was startled by a low whistle behind her.
Regretting that she had ignored her mother’s warnings about being out so late, she swiftly removed her shoe to use as a weapon. She spun around to see who the culprit was and what she saw left her speechless.
An older, sophisticated man smiled at her, white teeth flashing in the dim Spanish streetlamp.
He was impeccably groomed, from his black brillian-tine hair and thin, polished mustache down to his shiny black patent-leather shoes. He was dressed in a white suit, with a white fedora cocked down over one eye.
She stood there, dumbfounded. Her experience with men had been limited to her father and a handful of childhood crushes. The man looked her up and down like a cat ready to eat a canary.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Olivia Castillo is a New York native. After going to the prestigious Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, she went on to study graphic design at Otis Parson’s College in Los Angeles. Along with being an entrepreneur, she is the mother of three children, and grandmother of two. When not writing or spending time with her family, she travels the world and paints. Song of the Boricua is her first novel.
Author website and blog: www.oliviacastillo.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/songoftheboricua/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/oliviacauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliviacauthor/
Buy on Amazon now: https://amzn.to/2P63Wh9
The book will be on sale for $0.99.
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY:
Olivia Castillo will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Enter to win a $10 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Interview With …. Olivia Castillo
Tell us about you as a person.
I use to teach Zumba until I injured both Achilles tendons.
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
I probably would have hung out with Maya Angelou. I love her life experience, her sense of humor, and wisdom.
What’s the story behind your latest book?
My latest book I am writing is the sequel to Song of the Boricua. I go further into the next generations life and the curse.
What is your writing process?
I like to write late at night when everyone is asleep and I do a lot of research in between writing, as well as listen to music of the time period I am in.
Tell us about your main character.
There are four main characters, all women. Elena is loyal and studious. Maria is passionate and headstrong. Josephina is sweet and optimistic. Isabella is sensitive and lost.
If your book was to be turned into a movie, who would play the lead role and why.
I would want strong Spanish actresses and the only person that comes to mind now is Penelope Cruz. If not a Spanish actress, Lily James.
What are you working on next?
As I mentioned before, it is the sequel to Song of the Boricua.
What advice do you have for other writers who want to get the word out about their book?
Take the plunge and do it.
What is your favorite book on your shelf right now?
My favorite book is Jane Eyre.
Do you have any special/extraordinary talents?
I like to oil paint.
You are given the choice of one super power. What superpower would you have and why?
I would like the ability to time travel because I love history.
List 5 things on your bucket list:
- See the Aurora Borealis or the Aurora Australis
- Visit Africa
- Go to Morocco and ride a camel
- Visit Santorini
- Live in Europe for three months
Thank you for being my guest today Olivia.
Book Spotlight – You Can’t Force Love
About the Author
Award-winning author, Marie Drake lives in a small town near Lake Ontario with her husband, four sons, and three rescue pups. With many years of experience in the Foster Care community and advocating for other victims and survivors, she specializes in realistic and psychological fiction depicting the lives of abuse sufferers; their obstacles, their triumphs, and their downfalls.
Website Address: https://www.MarieDrakeauthor.com
Twitter Address: https://twitter.com/MarieDrake72
Facebook Address: https://www.facebook.com/MarieDrake/
About the Book:
Title: YOU CAN’T FORCE LOVE
Author: Marie Drake
Publisher: RedBird Books
Pages: 286
Genre: Realistic Fiction
BOOK BLURB:
“A battered butterfly, he’d build Kimberly up, nurture her strength and watch her return to flight. He repressed the visions dancing in the back of his mind; her naked body brandished red flags and spurred him to stampede. Bulls and butterflies did not mix.”
Jordan Fry’s obsession is born in “You Can’t Force Love” by Marie Drake, Book I in the Locked Hearts Series.
From different towns and social backgrounds, Jordan Fry and Kimberly Orvine experience life-altering abuse, lose a parent and land in the same foster home. Angry, and self-deprecating, fiery redheaded Kimberly is deadset on lousy behavior and suffering the consequences, punishing herself for former sins. Scared by his inner darkness, pyromaniac Jordan has vowed to change for the better. He focuses on Kimberly as the key to his success, but she intends to make him break his promises. Unaware of Jordan’s atrocious actions in the past, she’s dangerously close to unleashing the evil he struggles to contain during their epic battle of wills. Can they both survive?
PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY:
Amazon
Book Excerpt:
July 1986
Crescent Hollar Trailer Park
Gloucester City, New Jersey
Fresh, black pavement radiated visible heat; scorched grass crunched beneath Jordan’s feet; sweat drenched his shoulder-length, blonde hair, and it clung to his neck. The mobile home park’s road ended at a small store; he paid twenty-five cents for two ring-shaped lollipops, saved a pink candy, unwrapped a blue one and reclined on a canopy shaded bench.
A black and yellow butterfly fluttered toward him; sunlight clarified its translucent wings and turned it magical, otherworldly. Jordan stared at the creature hovering above his leg. It glided to his knee. Tiny feet danced on his bare skin, a slight tickle. Sparkling like gold dust; glowing, powdery residue transferred on his fingers. Airborn again, impulsively, he reached and knocked it to the ground; one wing beat up and down.
Humming distracted him, and he stepped on the butterfly as he crossed the road. Lily skipped across the grass in pink, canvas sneakers. Her long, cinnamon-colored hair billowed; it tapped her thin, white blouse below her shoulder blades and bounced with each step. A faint halo highlighted her lovely features. Enhanced by sapphire-colored stones in her ears, her blue eyes shined brighter than the butterfly. She smiled. Calescent stomach pain folded him in half. With gritted teeth, he straightened, took a step, smiled back at her, and offered the ring-pop from his pocket.
“Strawberry, my favorite.” She tugged the lollipop from its wrapper and slipped it into her mouth. Her eyes crinkled in the sun. She dragged the candy over her lips with a final sucking motion, lifted her hand and let the sunshine filter through the gem-shaped sugar. “Pretty,” she said.
Pain struck Jordan again, stronger. It radiated through his lower body. Lily held his hand and walked along the road’s edge. She stopped at a red and white toolshed at the corner of her backyard. Jordan peeked into her driveway, no car.
“Just one time, right?” Lily asked. She closed her eyes.
Jordan smothered her with his mouth; she panicked and struggled, but he closed in and restrained her. His mind emptied, his eyes went blank; a blinding drive took over, and he pressed her to the ground. Tear-filled eyes didn’t dissuade him.
A horn honked, and a door slammed near the house; he froze. Lily’s dad carried grocery bags. Jordan rolled. She ran toward home; he traced her body’s imprint in the grass and discovered a shimmering deep-blue earring.
A vice clamped his arm, and with a yank, he met angry eyes; he cowered inches below Lily’s father’s face.
Book Blast – FUTURE COMES FROM BEHIND
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. STK Chan will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Fighting what we’ve become.
An ancient dimension of dark echoes from the past.
Lisa and her family barely manage to escape an invasion from the Rebel army in their home of Malta. Shortly after this episode, she discovers Exo, the ancient dimension she cannot understand until her late 20s. Exo is made of memories of the past; it brings forth all the strong echoes we leave behind. Lisa desperately wants to resolve the conflicts of this inner world peacefully, but quickly learns she must fight the shadows in people’s hearts, materialized through battle re-enactments, warfare and emotional turmoil.
Enjoy an Excerpt:
“Are we in danger? I heard Daddy talking to Uncle Bernie about some bad people coming to our island. There’s only water protecting us from them, see?”
“Ah, their long debates over the phone… It’s just chatting; just people talking. No worries here, my dear.”
Her mother paused and reflected on whether to be more honest with her child, as some school advisors were recommending, or whether to continue shielding her from the world’s problems.
“I don’t want them to come to my school. My friends might stay at home because they’re scared.”
“They won’t,” the mother replied with another smile as she caressed the little girl’s brown hair. “They won’t. Let’s get inside, sweetheart; it’s getting chilly.”
They resided in a fortunately situated neighborhood. Though just two miles from the shore, it was elevated enough to have an unobstructed sea view over the gentle slope of their rocky hill. Before entering the house, Lisa spotted some movement above her head.
“Hey, it’s Reblas!” She waved at their neighbor, who was tranquilly gazing through his telescope, poking out of his dark attic window. “Any shooting princesses today?”
“Why don’t you come over and take a look? It’s a cheesy moon out tonight,” beamed the man. He was recently retired and enjoyed the simple pleasures of life on the island.
“It’s late. Maybe tomorrow,” Lisa’s mother called back.
“’Night, Reblas.”
“Sure thing, Strawberry. It’ll be there tomorrow as well—always waiting for us to look up and admire it!”
The electric shutter on the back door slowly closed after they had passed through. Reblas adjusted his telescope’s lens and angle, observing the horizon, while in the background, concerned voices on the radio discussed the recent riots in Europe and the increasing numbers of boats crossing the Mediterranean Sea from both continents.
About the Author:
A fan of nourishing SF&F fiction. Seeker of essential truths in historical non-fiction. Exploring life for almost half a century. Delivering action and matters of the inner self. “Chan has license to be more philosophical and issue-oriented, and on the whole he blends together different genres well.” (John Staughton, SPR)
Website: http://stkchan.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18365677.S_T_K_Chan
The book is $0.99 during the tour.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/PARADIGM-SHIFT-Future-comes-behind-ebook/dp/B07GVNH3GQ
Other book venues: http://stkchan.com/#shortcode-88edda7ce3603c2b9a964b5f0f2b8d1e
STK Chan will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
VBT – Inside the Chinese Wine Industry
About the Book
Title: Inside the Chinese Wine Industry
Author: Loren Mayshark
Genre: Nonfiction
The wine business is one of the world’s most fascinating industries and China is considered the rising star. A hidden secret, the Chinese wine industry continues to grow at an amazing pace and is projected to soon enter the top five producing nations, supplanting long established countries such as Australia. Inside the Chinese Wine Industry: The Past, Present, and Future of Wine in China takes you through the growing Chinese wine scene.
Wine has had a meteoric rise in China over the past two decades. The nation is projected to become the second most valuable market for wine in the world by 2020. One recent study concluded that 96% of young Chinese adults consider wine their alcoholic drink of choice. Not only does Inside the Chinese Wine Industry explore current expansion and business models, it journeys back to the past to see where it all began.
There are more than seven hundred wineries in China today. Although it’s bit of an oversimplification, the vast majority of the wineries fit into one of two categories: the larger established producers who churn out mostly plonk to meet the growing demand for inexpensive wine and the newer wineries that try to cater to the tastes of the wealthy Chinese with money to spend on luxury goods like fine wine. In the words of wine guru Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible, “The cheap wines from the very large producers have mostly verged on dismal.” However, this should not be considered a blanket statement regarding every wine from large producers. Also, she has positive reflections regarding the level of wine produced by “cutting-edge wineries” which she finds “far better.” How good are they? MacNeil asserts: “Some of these wines are so good they could easily pass for a California or Bordeaux wine in a blind tasting.”
Author Bio
Loren Mayshark studied Chinese art, religion, philosophy, and history while earning a B.A. in history from Manhattanville College in New York. After graduation, he attended The Gotham Writers Workshop and the prestigious New York Writers Workshop. He has written about the Chinese wine industry for The Jovial Journey and Sublime China.
After college, he supported his itinerant lifestyle by working dozens of jobs, including golf caddy, travel writer, construction worker, fireworks salesman, substitute teacher, and vineyard laborer. Predominantly his jobs have been in the restaurant industry. He cut his teeth as a server, maître d’, and bartender at San Francisco’s historic Fisherman’s Grotto #9, the original restaurant on the Fisherman’s Wharf. While working with a colorful crew of primarily Mexican and Chinese co-workers.
He spent much of his young adult life exploring the wine industry from Sonoma Valley to the North Fork of Long Island, immersing himself in vineyards and learning valuable lessons. He has traveled extensively in South America, Europe, and Asia. He presently splits his time between Western New York and Sweden.
His first book, Death: An Exploration, won the 2016 Beverly Hills Book Award in the category of Death and Dying and was a finalist for book of the year in the 2016 Foreword INDIES Awards in the category of Grief/Grieving (Adult Nonfiction). Inside the Chinese Wine Industry is his third book.
For more information visit his website: lorenmayshark.com.
Keep up with him on Twitter: @LorenMayshark
Links
Twitter: https://bit.ly/2JgrXQy
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2OLTEGE
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2PlLUuF
Facebook: https://bit.ly/2PoUKHW and http://bit.ly/LMaysharkFB
Author Website Bookpage: http://bit.ly/LmaysharkWB
Book Excerpt
CHAPTER I:
Introduction
Few things signal civilization and sophistication more than enjoying a fine wine with an excellent meal. It may be asserted that China is the world’s oldest continuous civilization. One of the features of its culture is that Chinese cuisine serves up superb meals. Until recently, however, fine wines have been absent there, at least wine made from the noble grape.
In many ways, we live in a golden age for wine. The wine world has many exciting new wrinkles from fancy new mobile applications to devices that allow us to extract a glass of wine from a bottle and then return it to the cellar to rest for a couple of years without changing the character of the wine. With all the current trends and innovations, it is the best time to enjoy wine. This is certainly a special age, in the words of renowned wine critic Jancis Robinson: “The irony is that just as the difference in price between the best and worst wines is greater than it has ever been, the difference in quality is narrower than ever before.”1 Perhaps one of the most pervasive reasons for this truism, which Robinson so eloquently captured, is the globalization of the wine industry. One cannot fully understand the global wine industry of today without developing a deeper understanding of its largest and fastest growing player: China.
Though starting relatively late historically with grape wine production and consumption, China has been catching up quickly. China’s role in the global wine industry continues to grow at an astonishing pace. Wine consumption in China doubled between 2008 and 2013 when China became the fifth largest consumer of wine in the world. At the end of 2013, China became the world’s largest market for red wine, and China is projected to become the second most valuable market for wine in the world by 2020 (behind the U.S.), which will have a profound impact on various aspects of the global wine industry.2 These are significant statistics for anyone who has a serious interest in the global wine industry.
To feed the rapidly rising consumption, the domestic production in China has also increased at an amazing rate. China now has more than seven hundred vineyards, compared to 240 in 1995.3 As of 2018, China is projected to have the second largest area of wine grapes planted in the world and to be the seventh largest producer of wine.4
While wine has deep roots in Western culture, China has a rich history of wine production which dates back to millennia before Christ. However, it must be stressed that this tradition is almost exclusively rice wine. The production and mass consumption of grape wine is a recent phenomenon in China. A 2015 poll found that 96 percent of young adults in China select wine as their favored alcoholic beverage.5 This book examines the development of the Chinese wine industry in a historical context and explains how the Chinese grape wine industry has exploded in the last two decades. We will explore the fascination with European Grapes in China and the explosion of the import and consumption of Vitis vinifera (the most important wine-grape species in the world) in China and the historical precedent for that. We will attempt to answer burning questions such as: What changed to make China wine-crazy? How can a tourist enjoy unique wine experiences in China? Why is mass wine production and consumption a modern phenomenon? Why are there not a lot of Chinese wines exported to the United States and Europe?
1 Quoted in George M. Taber, A Toast to Bargain Wines: How Innovators, Iconoclasts, and Winemaking Revolutionaries Are Changing the Way the World Drinks, 1st Scribner ed (New York: Scribner, 2011), 1.
2 Vinexpo Newsroom, “China Is a Leading Wine Market of the Future,” Vinexpo Newsroom – Wine & Spirits News by Vinexpo (blog), April 4, 2017, https://www.vinexpo-newsroom.com/china-is-a-leading-wine-market-of-the-future/.
3 Suzanne Mustacich, Thirsty Dragon: China’s Lust for Bordeaux and the Threat to the World’s Best Wines, First edition (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2015), 56.
4 “State of the Vitiviniculture World Market” (International Organisation of Wine and Vine (OIV), April 2018), http://www.oiv.int/public/medias/5958/oiv-state-of-the-vitiviniculture-world-market-april-2018.pdf.
5 Can Akalin and Lawrence Lazar, Wine in China: Insights on a Burgeoning Industry in an e/m Commerce Context, 2 edition, Kindle Edition, (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015), Location 89.
Book Blast – LONGEVITY
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Caleb Smith will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Noah Thomas is a scrawny seventh grader who is bullied to the brink in his new town. Friendless, except for sassy tomboy Wendy Sherman, who seems to lend him the confidence he needs to stand up to his oppressors. Upon stumbling into a bookshop one afternoon while on the run from some teenaged tyrants, Noah is hurled into an unexplainable adventure. Noah learns that the bookshop does, in fact, lead to the Akashic Records – a place that holds all spirit lives recorded in tablets of light. With this new found knowledge, Noah begins to grow in wisdom and confidence to face his fears. His biggest challenge comes in the form of five demonic spirits that he accidentally lets loose from a lost tablet. Will Noah succeed with the help of his guardian angel cat he calls Keeper, or will all Hell’s henchman prevail?
“A spiritual thriller that skillfully celebrates determination and self-discipline – Kirkus Reviews “
Read an Excerpt:
They reached the side of the building from which Noah’s room could easily be seen, and the twins walked through the exterior wall, making themselves visible. Noah was knocked unconscious and appeared lying on the floor, wedged against debris and a corner wall space. The book was on the floor, alive and open, shaking wildly, while the magic of dark energies poured from its depths. There was a flow of freed evil creatures clawing out through the window and into the night air. Enoch scooped the book up and slammed it shut; great, heavy iron doors locking into place.
About the Author:
Caleb Smith an author from Bangor Maine, holds a passion for nature, spiritual study, family, poetry, art, strength training and golf. Honesty, simplicity and a hard work ethic are the best things that shape his day.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/calebsmithauthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/calebsmith
Publisher: http://www.blackrosewriting.com
Goodreads Giveaway: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/284681-longevity-the-wardens-of-time
Buy Links:
https://www.amazon.com/Longevity-Wardens-Time-Caleb-Smith/dp/1684331382
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/longevity-caleb-smith/1129584642
http://www.blackrosewriting.com/childrens-booksya/longevity
Caleb Smith will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Book Video:
Movie Review – Wolf Mother (2016)
Wolf Mother (2016)
Director: Erik Peter Carlson
Writer: Erik Peter Carlson
Stars: Tom Sizemore, Kevin Pinassi, Mary Carey, Najarra Townsend, Maria Olsen, and Ellen Ho
Plot: In an attempt to rectify their criminal past, a once successful Hollywood starlet, turned prostitute, and a petty, misogynistic thief, set out together to solve a high profile child abduction case in San Francisco.
Tagline: Zelda has some baggage.
Review: I admit I got about as far as Najarra and Tom sitting in the cafe and her chowing down like there’s no tomorrow. That was enough to tell me this film was absolute rubbish and a waste of time and money. I give this a zero out of 100, it was that bad.
Verdict: Cheesy, predictable, failed to rise to any occasion.
Rating: 0/10
VBT – WEDGE OF FEAR
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Eugene M. Gagliano will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Overshadowed by the death of his brother, Tony is about to encounter the western way of life when his parents move from the East Coast to Wyoming. Starting in a new school as a sixth grader isn’t easy when your controlling mother is fearful of everything. Tony likes his new teacher, Mr. Brunswick, but Regina, the class bully, does her best to makes his life difficult. Jed, the son of a rancher, befriends Tony and helps him adjust to his new environment. Life becomes more complicated when his grandmother dies and a series of unpredictable events causes his father to question his ability to take care of himself and be responsible. In the end, Tony is tested when a tornado rips through his neighborhood.
Read an Excerpt
“Stop treating me like a little kid!”
“Tony, don’t talk to your mother that way.” Dad pointed a finger at him.
“But, Dad, nobody in sixth grade has their mom go with them to school on their first day.” Tony pushed strands of hair out of his eyes and sighed. He placed his empty cereal bowl on the kitchen counter.
“I just want you to get off to a good start. This is a new school,” Mom said, rinsing out a dish. “We’ve only been in Wyoming a week, and you don’t know anybody yet.”
“I’ll be fine, Mom,” Tony said, even though his stomach tightened with the thought of going to a new school. What if the kids didn’t like him? What if they made fun of him because he was from New York? Could he take care of himself?
Tony’s broad-shouldered dad, Gene, reached down and wrapped his arms around his wife’s tiny waist. “Frances, Tony will be fine.” He winked at Tony.
“But, Gene, what if…” Mom looked down and rubbed her hands on her skirt.
“He’ll be all right,” Dad whispered into her ear.
Tony smiled. “I’ll be okay. I’ll make new friends.”
“Well, I suppose. But make sure you’re careful with your new jeans. Money is tight now, with moving and all. I can’t afford to buy you new clothes the way that you’re growing.” She reached over to adjust his shirt collar.
Tony pulled away. “Mom, don’t.”
“Tony, you’d better get going so you’re not late.” Dad placed his arm around Tony’s shoulder. “I’ll see you tonight. Good luck.”
“Thanks, Dad. Bye, Mom.”
About the Author:
Wyoming’s State Poet Laureate, known by many children as the “teacher who dances on his desk,“ Gene Gagliano is a retired elementary school teacher with a great sense of humor, who lives with his wife Carol at the base of the Bighorn Mountains in Buffalo, Wyoming. Gene is the author of: C is for Cowboy, a Wyoming Alphabet; Four Wheels West, a Wyoming Number Book; V is for Venus Flytrap, a Plant Alphabet; My Teacher Dances on the Desk; Little Wyoming; The Magic Box; Angel’s Landing; Booger, Dee and the Mammoth, and Is It True? A collection of humorous poetry. His newest book is a middle grade fiction book titled Wedge of Fear. He enjoys making his educational, entertaining and inspirational school visits, as well as presenting for adults at conferences and library functions. Gene’s hobbies include hiking, canoeing, singing, reading, painting, and gardening.
To learn more about the author go to Gene’s website and to his Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/dancingteacher
Wedge of Fear is available on Amazon.com: http://a.co/d/gY2VS8O
Eugene M. Gagliano will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
C.A. Milson 