Monthly Archives: June 2020
VBT – WARLORD
Warlord
by Miriam Newman
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GENRE: Historical Fantasy Romance
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BLURB:
Ganina is a young girl with love to give, but giving it may cost her life.
Given to a famous old warlord to seal a treaty between two tribes, Ganina is a young girl with love to give. But Atulfa is old enough to be her grandfather. Then Atulfa and his oldest son die under mysterious circumstances and it is rumored that a younger son, Senec, has arranged their deaths.
Left without the old man’s protection, Ganina is fodder for the vicious torment of his other wives. She has no choice but to cast her lot with Senec.
Whatever he is, he is the new warlord and she is now at his mercy.
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EXCERPTS (Exclusive Excerpt):
It was Senec who broke the stalemate.
“What is your complaint?” he asked her. “Your father made what marriage for you he could and now you have a better one. It is not that I am ungrateful for your care, but show some respect.”
She flushed hot and cold. For days she had nursed him, never leaving his side except to check on Gilya, and now he took her father’s part. She felt the break of that linkage even more acutely than she did her father’s behavior and it made her angry, and incautious.
“I give it where it is due,” she responded, then flinched reflexively as Ifelsten inserted himself quickly between her and Kaleel. She realized her father had been about to clout her and it would not have been the first time, but Ifelsten had blocked him.
“This will gain us nothing,” he said.
Kaleel spit on the expensive rug. “She is not worth it, I warn you.” With a grunt of disgust, he turned and walked through the doorway.
Her father’s double meaning was clear. Still hot and cold and too much aware of Senec’s eyes on her, Ganina muttered something nonsensical and left as well, but Pytor nodded courteously to her husband and followed with some alacrity.
“Ganina,” he called and she halted, turning back to him. He was a priest, after all. No matter how angry she was, she could not ignore him. Uncharacteristically, he laid hands on her to turn her into a corner. There were too many eyes observing them in the open hall.
“Do not cost Ifelsten his life for your pride,” he said.
So their gentle priest had teeth. Ganina gave him an insolent look but did not speak because she couldn’t think of a thing to say.
“He did only what your husband could not do,” Pytor warned. “Do not make more of it than that. He will not.”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Fantasy poetry driven by myths and legends has been my passion for as long as I can remember. I was published in poetry before catching the romance writing bug. I bring that background to my writing along with a lifelong addiction to horses, an 18 year career in various areas of psychiatric social services and many trips to Ireland, where I nurture my muse. My published works range from contemporary fantasy romance to fantasy historical, futuristic, science fiction and historical romance. Currently I live in rural Pennsylvania with a “motley crew” of rescue animals. You can see my books at www.miriamnewman.com.
Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Warlord-Miriam-Newman-ebook/dp/B088P8N6TB/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1
Smashwords Buy Link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1022916
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
Miriam Newman will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Enter to win a $10 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway
VBT – DWARF STORY
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
For Arty to miss a day of school, either he is very, very sick or a fairytale-character turf-war has begun in his backyard — such as what begins this particular Wednesday. First, he finds an ax-swinging, bearded, sweaty warrior Dwarf scaring his dogs. Soon enough, Emma, Cry and other middle-school friends also find fairy creatures — Elves, Spriggans, Pixies, and a hoped-for Dragon — crashing into their normal homework-doing, backpack-carrying, phone-charging schooldays.
Why are these magical beings here? What should be done? Is that axe sharp? Can Pixies be given aspirin?
Arty with his friends — and spying jerks, and questionable strangers with long names — follow the clues and try to find out, even as things turn dark and dangerous.
The mythical beings are taking sides. The Gwyllion, that legendary Old Woman of the Mountains, has a sinister plan, turning the neighborhood into a fantasy battleground. One that awaits young heroes.
Read an Excerpt
Some can picture the battle in their mind’s eye, or in others’ eyes, or by using magic to help them see. For the rest, I can tell them what I know.
The Old Woman of the Mountains, a Gwyllion of great and strange powers, made herself stronger by taking one of each kind of fairy: to start a new kingdom in heaven, to steal the ancient place of rest, and to make new creatures and rule over all them and their world. And then, perhaps, ours.
More folktale legends joined the war, and on both sides. Some came to rescue their friends from the foul Gwyllion and her armies of Wights, Trolls, and dark spirits.
All who fight have their own special energies and enchanted abilities; some humans believe in them, most do not. But that does not always matter.
Now the battle rages, using nature, and the earth, and the sky.
In and out of the fight, many struggle to find their way back to Eastward Manor, knowing it as the path home. Some captives that can escape the Old Woman seek and find children and hide. This is a strange occurrence, the strangest of the whole story, for me. The fairies’ connection to these young people, all friends, can only be guessed, and is personal, so should not be guessed.
All the rest, of the living fairy creatures, struggle in the War. The dead only the earth can help.
To conquer the Gwyllion, I will use the spells, and counter-spells, and the ancient symbols that secretly kept the story alive for hundreds of years, waiting for this part of the tale. They complete a mystical alchemy of words and magic. I am here, I was born to be here, to help the armies of folkies, as Arty and Emma and the adopted human children call them: the Spriggans and the Dwarves and the Elves, with any birds and trees who have taken sides.
It was those human children that the Gwyllion did not count on. When Arty sent the counters-spell out to his friends of friends, as he says, the words were read, and spoken out loud, and contemplated. And passed to others, to friends, and to friends of friends, along and along. That is turning the tide—help unlooked for!
And Ted doesn’t know it yet, but our side has a dragon. My dragon.
About the Author: Professor Welkin Westicotter Marplot, of Coillemuir, Scotland, is a collector of esoteric tales of global wisdom and curator of ancient manuscripts. He is a recluse and, as he claims, has been collecting and collating adventure and fantasy stories for over a century.
Professor W. W. Marplot will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
VBT – Wired by the FBI
Wired by the FBI
by Glenn Painter
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GENRE: Suspense, Thriller
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BLURB:
Christian Romano lives his life as a con-artist, burglar, drug dealer, and a ladies’ man, using his good looks to con wealthy women out of jewels and money. When he is arrested and jailed in one of the most violent jails in the U.S. (Cook County in Chicago), a steamy affair begins with a nympho female jail guard. When he loses control of the romance, Christian must end the affair by reporting her to Internal Affairs. It turns out that she is already under suspicion for supplying drugs to various gang members inside the jail. He has to decide if he is “”rogue”” enough to help set her up for arrest. Meanwhile, the FBI wants to recruit Christian to gather information against a sadist ex-cop, Scott Mason, who has been arrested for murder. The risk? Christian must wear a wire and testify. The reward? Witness protection for Christian and his girlfriend and a modification of his prison sentence. Will Christian risk his life for a chance at freedom? Will the female sheriff “”get even”” with him? Or will his life end at the hands of the jail’s drug lords or a lunatic former cop?
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EXCERPT
Something’s wrong, my intuition told me, as I stepped out of the stairwell and into the chaotic frenzy of the main hallway running under Division One of the Cook County jail.
Sergeant Ricky Walsh opened the heavy, rusted steel door leading to the death trap—that is A-B stairwell—then turned to me. “Romano, take the stairs down four flights to the bottom, I will meet you there.”
There are four sets of stairs that lead to the main boulevard on the first floor. They are legendary for the infamous men who have been butchered there, the bloodstained walls are a testament to the violence that is the norm in this building. As I begin my descent down the narrow and poorly lit stairwell, the thought hits me: At least half a dozen men have been stabbed in this exact place. The words taunt me as I step slowly down the stairs so that Walsh will have time to beat me to the first floor in the old, decrepit elevator.
When I finally make it down, I breathe a sigh of relief. But it is not Walsh waiting at the huge, steel door I am to exit. Instead of the old mick—who looked and walked like a bulldog with his perfectly groomed hair and mustache—it was one of the lackey guards. They would often hang out on the main floor waiting to proposition some poor woman coming to visit her man. I open the door and step through quickly, not wanting to arouse suspicion. But my heart hangs in my throat.
During my trip down the stairwell, the heavy steel recorder slid down my pant leg, stopping on top of my right foot. The ACE bandage, meant to hold it in place, was also dangling and ready to pop out for everyone to see. Panic set in as my mind processed a million thoughts, but I couldn’t break my stride.
It was common knowledge that this is where inmates often came out stabbing when sent to attack a guard by one of the gang bosses. Looking past the guard, I saw Sergeant Walsh bearing down on us as fast as his stubby legs would carry him.
“Hey Walsh,” I said, “the food poisoning is getting worse, I’m gonna puke all over this guy.”ng around to see what was going on. These guards tolerated zero bull, especially from a smart-ass like me.
I decided that it was quicker and easier to shove the recorder under the waistband of my jail pants and pray it would stay. After splashing water on my face, I poked my head out.
Walsh fell right in line with my cover. “We’re going to the hospital, come with me!” he bellowed.
I exited the closet, pushing the recorder into my torso as we walked past another guard. We traveled down the long hallway. Once we were far enough out of earshot, Walsh found an unoccupied attorney visiting room. As he opened the door, I scurried to the far corner.
“The hallway is clear!” Walsh yelled.
I pulled the recorder from my waistband and looked at it with disdain. Then I wrapped it tight with the ACE bandage. Although the long recording wires had to be reconnected and it only took a few moments, it felt like forever.
Then it hit me: I’m wearing a wire against one of the most violent hitmen Chicago has ever known, and this prick had been a Chicago cop. He probably knows every person who works in this jail. Getting whacked in a place like this costs less than a carton of cigarettes. What the hell have I gotten myself into? But there was no backing out, and I still had to get back to my tier.
Walsh looked at me, his brow furrowed. He quietly asked, “You alright, kid?”
“I better be. I signed a deal with the devil, and it’s time to pay up.”
I drew in a deep breath as we headed to the hospital, so we could sign in and make it look legit.
How did my life get to this point? I wondered as I followed Walsh. Growing up in Chicago, I was exposed to police corruption, murder, drugs, gangsters, and sex, oh yes, lots and lots of sex.
I had no clue of what awaited me, but my unsavory legacy was about to go down in history like crap down a toilet.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links
Glenn Painter is single and lives in Central Florida. He became interested in writing at an early age but did not make it his career until 2014 when he published his first book, Beyond the Sentence.
Glenn has written this story from the notes by the man who actually lived it. However, extensive research was also require in order to make the story factual.
Glenn has also founded a company, ‘Prisoner Civil Right Services.’ He is an advocate for incarcerated individuals who have had their rights violated. He is in constant contact with these individuals, their families and the council. Most of his stories are inspired by ‘factual events’ that have happened to these individuals. This makes his stories both fiction and non-fiction.
Glenn says that writing is very challenging, and you must love the trials and tribulations that come with it. He believes that patience, perseverance and determination are required essentials to see a book through to being published. The journey is just as important as the destination.
Website: http://www.gapainter.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Glenn-Painter/e/B00NETNKU6
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9875593.Glenn_Painter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/author2663
Buy links:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wired-by-the-fbi-glenn-painter/1132504339
The book will by $0.99 during the tour. Additionally the book will be discounted during the tour. The eBook will be $2.99 and the print copy will be discounted 40% on Amazon
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
Enter to win a $50 Amazon or BN GC. A Rafflecopter Giveaway.
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Q/What is the sweetest thing someone has done for you?
I can’t think of one thing, there have been so many.
Q/How would you spend ten thousand bucks?
Pay any outstanding bills I might have. MAYBE by another car (except I love my Jag)
Further promote my book
Invest (except now might not be a great time for that. Guess I’ll wait until the stock market quits falling.
Not much chance of any of the above happening anytime soon.
Q/where do you get your best ideas
From people and family members who I have helped through my other company.
Q/What comes first, the plot or the characters?
I think with me, so far, the characters. They are the ones who relay the plot to me.
Q/What does your main character do that makes him/her special
It all depends on what the circumstances are that put them where they are
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Hello Readers!
Welcome to my 15-week book tour which starts on April 14th and concludes on July 30th.
This tour was planned before the onset of this terrible covid-19 virus which has invaded our world. I want to extend my deepest sympathy to everyone, especially those who have lost loved ones.
A donation from me will be going out immediately to the charity I have listed below and I will also be donating 25% of any royalties from the book which is featured on this tour, to the covid-19 Response Fund. This fund gives support to preparedness, containment, response and recovery activities. The 25% of royalties will be donated when I receive the final notification of number of books sold. I am also encouraging all authors to make some sort of donation to help with the recovery efforts. WE ARE ALL IN THIS FIGHT TOGETHER!
We all are wondering what the long-term impact this covid-19 virus will be to our communities and our livelihoods, Every American, as well as the companies that have worked very hard for every author have been affected, but I have faith that we will recover from this terrible pandemic if we all stick together and we all do our part – no matter how small.
I will also be donating, (over and above what Goddess/Fish is offering):
$100 Amazon Gift certificate to one randomly drawn commentator
$100 Amazon gift certificate to one randomly drawn host.
These drawings will be done via Rafflecopter that will be created by Goddess/Fish Promotions at the end of the tour. To all of my fellow-authors – please don’t forget our marketing representatives, book agents, reviewers,commentator’s, hosts, etc..who are probably working from home and trying to help us.
I will be posting all pertinent information on my web site www.gapainter.com
once the tour is over. The Gift Certificates will be mailed immediately after the tour is completed and the 25% will be posted once I receive Royalties resulting in the sale of all electronic and print versions of WIRED By The FBI.
I wish that I could do more, however, with every-one’s support, WE WILL BEAT THIS TERRIBLE SETBACK.
Thank you, god bless all of you and the United States of America.
Glenn Painter
VBT – HUNGER WINTER
Hunger Winter
by Rob Currie
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GENRE: MG Historical Fiction
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BLURB:
It’s the Netherlands in late 1944. Thirteen-year-old Dirk’s Papa left to fight with the Resistance. Then Mama died. When the Gestapo snatched his older sister and he learned they were coming for him next, Dirk left home in the middle of the night. He had his pockets stuffed with food, his little sister asleep in his arms, and his heart heavy with a dark secret.
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EXCERPT
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Dirk Ingelse’s eyes flew open, and he raised his head off the pillow. Who could be knocking on the front door? Gestapo? His insides turned to ice.
The pounding resumed, the sound carrying easily up the stairs into Dirk’s bedroom. It didn’t sound like the rap of knuckles—it was more like the thumping of an angry fist. Or the butt of a rifle.
It had to be the Gestapo. They had been doing more raids lately, and they often came at night. Who else would pummel the front door of the Ingelse’s farmhouse in the middle of the night and risk getting arrested?
Dirk rolled out of bed and crept to his bedroom window. Easing the curtain open a bit, he kept his face away from the window, like Papa had taught him. He couldn’t see a vehicle. But what if they hid their car? Dirk’s right hand shook.
He couldn’t hide. They would tear the place apart to find him. And he couldn’t run—they would have the place surrounded. He’d heard stories. His right hand shook harder. It had been doing that a lot ever since—
The assault on the door resumed, even louder this time. “Open up!” growled a deep voice.
Dirk turned from the window and crept down the stairs.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Life conspired to get Rob Currie to write Hunger Winter: A World War II Novel. His father is a World War II veteran and his wife is Dutch. An award-winning author, it was only a matter of time before he would focus his writing on World War II. Research for Hunger Winter included numerous books, interviews with Dutch WWII survivors, and three weeks in the Netherlands. His investigation revealed astonishing details about the Dutch experience of the war, which begged to be turned into a book.
Born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, he graduated from Cornerstone University and went on to earn a master’s degree and doctorate in psychology from St. Louis University. He has taught psychology at Judson University since 1987. His hobbies include playing basketball, cooking, and writing poetry.
Author Web Site: www.robcurrieauthor.com
Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Winter-World-War-Novel/dp/1496440358/
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
Rob Currie will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN 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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Author Interview
Tell us about you as a person. What makes you, you?
I enjoy being creative with words and one avenue of doing that is writing humorous poetry. I want to do with words what the Harlem Globetrotters do with a basketball. Here’s a sample.
There once was a hard-working poet
Who lacked talent but didn’t know it.
He worked to be witty. He tried to be terse.
But his poetry went from bad to verse.
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
My person would be Corrie ten Boom. She survived a WWII concentration camp, yet her faith enabled her to forgive her captors.
What’s the story behind your latest book?
This book is like fusion cooking for me in that it combines multiple interests of mine. But instead of combining culinary styles, this book blends my love of World War II, books for kids, and action stories. It helps me be successful when I work at something I am passionate about. And for me, the key to being passionate is to pour my energy into a project that addresses more than one thing I love.
What is your writing process?
I get ideas for stories from just about anywhere. It’s like being in love and anything you see feeds into the way you relate to your sweetie. For example, I got a poignant plot idea for Hunger Winter from an article in the The Chicago Tribune about a young man who partially blamed himself for his mother’s death even though it wasn’t his fault. Most of my story is written by sitting and putting in the hard work and long hours. But some of the key elements come to me from things I experience or read when I’m not actively working on the book at that moment.
Tell us about your main character.
Thirteen-year-old Dirk has to hide from the Nazis, protect his sister, and find their father. His story is an action-adventure, a sort of junior James Bond or Indiana Jones. More than once he thinks he’s safe and the danger’s behind him, but he discovers the enemy has caught up with him again. He’s fiercely protective of his little sister and has a close relationship with his Papa.
If your book was to be turned into a movie, who would play the lead role and why?
I’d pick Daniel Radcliffe, who portrayed Harry Potter. Daniel has the ability to summon and display courage in the face of difficult situations.
What are you working on next?
I’m doing research for a sequel to Hunger Winter. I’m also taking time to read a variety of books, with a range of topics and styles. I believe authors have to replenish their minds with fresh ideas before writing the next book. We’ve all read novels where the sequel sounds too much like the prior story. I don’t want to do that.
What advice do you have for other writers who want to get the word out about their book?
Network with other people with the same writing interests as you. Devote yourself to be helpful to them even if you get nothing in return. In the end, it will come back to you as people will go out of their way to promote your work. Someone said, “She is always on other people’s minds because she never thought about herself. She was always focused on helping other people.”
Do you have any special/extraordinary talents?
I enjoy opening the refrigerator, seeing what we have, and improvising a new recipe. It’s a little like creating a story. You have to think how the food ingredients interact and the planning process is similar to putting together the elements of a story.
You are given the choice of one superpower. What superpower would you have and why?
I would choose the ability to say things that always make people laugh. I have a lively sense of humor and I get laughs but not always. One of life’s greatest joys is to makes a friend or family member laugh.
List 5 things on your bucket list.
- .Learn to speak Dutch
- Have one of my songs performed at a concert
- Visit more Civil War War Battlefields
- Write a sequel to Hunger Winter
- Perform a successful standup comedy routine
- Build a simple cabin in the woods
- Learn to count to five 😊
Where can readers find you on the web?
Any final thoughts?
Two endorsements for Hunger Winter:
The Corrie ten Boom House Foundation runs a WWII museum in the Netherlands, which is where Hunger Winter is set. They wrote:
“I read this book with great interest. I would love to encourage everyone to read this book. Hunger Winter succeeds in describing a very realistic picture of the situation in the Netherlands when the country was in a very difficult time.”
“This is a fine book! Bravo to author Rob Currie. I loved it all—every word and every layer.”
Louise Borden, Author of Ski Soldier: A World War II Biography
One more thing:
Half of the author’s royalties go to Compassion International, a charity which gives food to hungry children around the world. Due to the strong response to Hunger Winter, so far over $3,000 has been donated since the book’s release in early March.
Author website: www.robcurrieauthor.com
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/yaen3br8
Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/yc73xnjw
Books-A-Million https://tinyurl.com/y7ppskxn
C.A. Milson 