Monthly Archives: March 2022
VBT – HONORABLE PROFESSION
Honorable Profession
by Andy Kutler
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GENRE: Contemporary Fiction (Political)
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BLURB:
Honorable Profession: A Novel of American Politics is a compelling, hopeful story of a cynical former Secret Service agent and his idealistic daughter as they follow a longshot candidate into the perilous arena of presidential politics.
After resigning from his agency under an ethical cloud, 46-year-old Dan Cahill commits himself to rebuilding his relationship with Megan, the college-aged daughter in Las Vegas he has long neglected. She persuades a reluctant Cahill to join the student-led campaign of a popular professor competing in the Nevada presidential primary against impossible odds. As they face powerful forces conspiring to clear the field, Cahill’s deep-seated disdain for electoral politics collides with Megan’s higher ideals. Each of their faiths are tested by political allies and adversaries, all desperate for victory, no matter the costs.
Crafted by award-winning author Andy Kutler, Honorable Profession is an absorbing, modern-day political drama filled with authentic and indelible characters, each struggling with their own loyalties and principles as they duel with unscrupulous rivals and the meaning of public service.
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EXCERPT
Her eyes were pleading. “You have to win next week. Let me help you.”
“You are helping me, Hope. And I appreciate your good intentions. Your passion to fix what ails your brother, desperate for any solution, I’ve been there. I know what that pain in your heart feels like. But I didn’t get into this race to destroy others. I never wanted to be in a competition among rivals and enemies. I wanted to be in a competition of ideas. Ours are better, that I am certain of. And if this election proves I’m the wrong messenger, I want to see an army of others, like you, who will carry our movement forward. And make the Cure Initiative a reality.”
Hope stood, unenthusiastic, but at least offering a grudging nod as she lifted her tripod again.
Walter smiled at her. “Your integrity, my dear, and my conscience, will remain intact. But fear not, the Vice President will one day learn the same inescapable lesson I am now experiencing.”
“What’s that?”
“As the Buddhists say, there are three things that cannot long stay hidden. The sun, the moon, and the truth.”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Andy Kutler is a writer and author of two award-winning novels, The Batter’s Box and The Other Side of Life. Andy has also written extensively for The Huffington Post and The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Over a 28-year professional career, he has worked in the United States Senate, the U.S. Secret Service, and the national security community. A Wisconsin native, Andy lives with his wife and two children in Arlington, Virginia.
CONNECT WITH ANDY
Website: https://www.andykutler.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andykutlerfanpage
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndyKutler
Buy Links:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/honorable-profession-andy-kutler/1140042789
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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/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Author Interview
What else do you have coming out?
This book has been finished for a year now, and in that time, I’ve been crashing on my next project, my first dive into non-fiction, with a comprehensive book on World War II, with a bit of a 21st century take. It’s been the most challenging thing I’ve ever written, and the research has been both backbreaking and exhilarating. I’m loving every minute of it.
When are you going to write your autobiography?
Never! I’ve certainly had a fascinating career working in some of the most exclusive organizations in the world, and I’ve got a trove of stories that will be shared someday. But those are for my kids, not the public.
Are the names of the characters in your novels important?
Sometimes. There is a major character in one of my earlier books, named after a longtime friend who is a personal hero for everything they’ve endured in life. And in “Honorable Profession,” the name of my protagonist, Dan Cahill, is no accident, but you have to be a student of Secret Service history to understand why.
What about the titles of your novels?
For sure. Like all books, they tie into the story in some way. But there is also deeper messaging behind each title. For example, “The Batter’s Box” seemed fitting for a character who was a baseball star, but he was also a returning veteran with psychological trauma, so the title has a bit of extra meaning.
VBT – SHE’S THE ONE WHO CAN’T KEEP QUIET
She’s the One Who Can’t Keep Quiet
(Book Five of the War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters)
by S. R. Cronin
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GENRE: Historical Fantasy
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BLURB:
Do you know what your problem is?
Celestine, the fifth of seven sisters, is tired of hearing about hers. Father thinks she’s frivolous because she likes pretty clothes and caters to the crowds in the taverns who adore her music. Mother thinks that because she’s the most social daughter in the family, she can’t keep quiet about anything.
They’re both wrong. Celestine hides a secret she has kept for most of her life.
As the family beauty and a talented musician with a lyrical voice, she has the best prospects for marriage to a prince. When such a liaison never happens, people assume Celestine is too choosy. But even in somewhat tolerant Ilari, a daughter hates to disappoint her family. How can she tell them she’s in love with a princess instead?
Lucky for Celestine, all her sisters are obsessed with an invading army headed to their realm. Celestine would rather ignore the threat and enjoy the freedom their lack of attention gives her. But, her voice can unlock a power that may help save Ilari. And the woman she loves is determined to fight these invaders. And her family, for all their talents, seems clueless about how to motivate the masses.
Celestine knows she can inspire the citizens of Ilari to do what needs to be done. Is it time to put her inhibitions aside and use her voice to save those she cares about?
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EXCERPT:
“Wait. Are you telling me you’re a luski?”
“Well, yes, but I try not to use that word. It scares children.”
I laughed. She was right. Most children feared luskies because parents threatened to use one to coerce obedience. “Do as I say or I’ll find a luski who will make you do it.” That sort of thing.
Because I behaved well as a child, at worst frustrating my father with the time I spent on my appearance, no one used luskies to intimidate me. If they had, though, my response would have surprised them.
Please! Are they real? I want to meet one.
Anyone who could be so powerful with their voice fascinated me. The fact that luskies were almost always women made them even more intriguing. If my sister was one of these fascinating creatures, I wanted to know more.
Coral warmed when she noticed my curiosity and she described her skill by using a word seldom heard outside of musical circles. Timbre.
“Timbre is hard to define. It’s that part of music that makes a flute sound different than the plucked string of a psaltery even when their pitch and volume are identical,” I told her. I asked her to demonstrate.
“Aren’t you afraid?”
“No. I’m too curious to be scared.”
She told me she’d oblige, but I needed to make her bed first. I didn’t think that was part of my job, frankly, but it was a mess and difficult for her to make it in her current state. Why not? A more orderly room would be more pleasant to be in.
She let me finish, all the way to fluffing the pillows and placing them in a pretty arrangement.
“Now dump that bucket of water over your head,” she said, pointing to the water I’d heated for washing her hair.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
She laughed. “Okay. That’s pretty much how this works.”
Pruck. That was impressive.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Sherrie Cronin writes stories about people achieving the astonishing by developing abilities they barely knew they had. She’s made a lot of stops along the way to telling these tells — living in seven cities, visiting forty-six countries, and working as a waitress, technical writer, and geophysicist. She’s lost too many beloved cats to mention, but has acquired a husband and three children who are all doing fine, despite how odd she is.
Today she lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina where she writes, answers a hotline, and occasionally checks her phone for a message from Captain Picard. She still hopes to get the chance to pursue her remaining dream in life and become Chief Science Officer on the Starship Enterprise.
Author Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cinnabar01
Facebook: www.facebook.com/46Ascending
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s.r.cronin/
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/5805814.Sherrie_Cronin
Amazon: www.amazon.com/Sherrie-Cronin/e/B007FRMO9Q
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/s-r-cronin
Author Blog: https://troublesome7sisters.xyz/
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
S. R. Cronin will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
VBT – Are You Okay, Elliot Hart?
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.
“You keep it on the inside because that’s the safest way to hide.”
Fifteen-year-old Elliot ‘Matchstick’ Hart spends his days caring for his mum and hiding from the school bully.
Fifteen-year-old Josh McBride spends his days tormenting Elliot and avoiding his abusive stepdad.
Hoping to save his mum, Elliot embarks on an adventure inspired by a picture in an old newspaper. Little does he know that Josh has decided to join him.
On their journey, strangers and surprises force them to look at each other in a different light. As secrets are revealed, will they reconcile their differences or will the secrets tear them further apart?
Read an Excerpt
I’m walking faster than usual, not only because it’s raining heavily, and I am soaked through, but I’m angry. I’m not sure if I am angry at my mum or the whole damn situation. I want to get home, get out of these stupid clothes, and hide under a duvet with my book. I’m reading To Kill a Mockingbird now. Mr. Marshall recommended it to me, so Sydney found a copy at the library and put it aside. I’m up to the part where Miss Maudie’s house has burnt down, and I’m eager to know what will happen next.
Marching past the terraced houses, I can’t help but sneak another look in. I see one house where two boys are running around their living rooms with lightsabers; I see dads working on computers in their offices and mums coming home from work being greeted with hugs and laughter. I see lives upon lives that I don’t have and what I want, so very, very much. I want a home with noise and chaos and giggles. I want younger brothers that annoy the hell out of me and a dad that lifts me up onto his shoulders and ducks down, so I don’t hit my head on the door frame. I want family dinners around a kitchen table, where someone shouts at you if you leave without asking permission. I want. I want. I want. I once heard Tom say I want, doesn’t get but it’s not like I’m asking for lots of money or a new house. I want a normal family.
About the Author:
Kate grew up in a small town in Lancashire, England with her mum, dad, and two older brothers. A bit of a tomboy, she loved nothing more than going out for adventures with her brothers, as long as she was back before dark.
She studied English at Reading University and gained a teaching qualification at Manchester. Nowadays, Kate spends her days teaching English at a local high school in Cheshire and her evenings are spent writing stories close to her heart.
She believes teenage years can be particularly difficult and wants to create stories that show empathy and hope for her readers. She lives with her husband, two children, and Jessie, the miniature schnauzer.
Buy Links:
Kate S. Martin will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
THE BENEVOLENCE OF NEW IDEAS – Book Spotlight
The Benevolence of New Ideas
by Carmela Cattuti
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GENRE: Historical Fiction
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BLURB:
The satisfying conclusion to Angela Lanza’s story which began in Between the Cracks when she loses her entire family in the earthquake on Sicily following the 1908 eruption of Mt. Etna and continues in The Ascent as she adjusts to life in the United States as a new bride and Italian American immigrant. Now, in the final installment in the trilogy, The Benevolence of New Ideas, thrusts Angela and her family into the heart of the Vietnam War and the turbulent times of the 1970s. As the family matriarch, Angela guides her niece, Marie, through these challenges and the era’s limiting structures of education and organized religion, helping Marie to embrace new ideas and expand her intuition and relationship with the unseen world. Angela’s compassion and wisdom has an exceptional impact on Marie’s life and those around her. A fulfilling ending that celebrates Angela’s wisdom in all things along with her well lived life from tragedy to triumph and from heartbreak to the enduring love of family.
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EXCERPT
Angela sat by her husband’s hospital bed and waited for the end to come. She wondered how she should move forward in her life after Franco took his last breath. He had married and brought her from Sicily in 1913 and now, years later, he lay dying from a stroke. In life he constantly expressed his opinion, regardless of popular sentiment, and now his voice was gone; his shallow breathing was the last functioning system. He had had several strokes over the years, this was the one that would take his life. Angela had sat with many of her family members and friends during the past decades as they transitioned into the next world: her mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and older Italian immigrants who left their homeland and never saw the land of their birth again.
Franco’s chest rose slowly and fell abruptly, as if his lungs were attempting to perform their function but the soul who had inhabited the body had already vacated and was waiting for his lungs to stop so he could complete the process and move on. When Franco executed his final breath, Angela anxiously awaited his next inhale—but his chest was still. He had gone.
Angela had cared for Franco during his long illness, and now she was free. The relief she felt made her cringe. How could she so easily feel relief when Franco had suffered?
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Carmela Cattuti started her writing career as a journalist for the Somerville News in Boston, MA. After she finished her graduate work in English Literature from Boston College she began to write creatively and taught a journal writing course at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. As fate would have it, she felt compelled to write this homage to her great-aunt, who survived the earthquake and eruption of Mt. Etna and bravely left Sicily to start a new life in America.
Between the Cracks and The Ascent began the story, which now concludes with the final book in the trilogy.
Learn more at: CCattutiCreative.com
email: cattutic@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carmelacattuticreative/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ccattuti
Instagram: https://instagram.com/carmelacattuticreative
Purchase Links: The book is on sale for $0.99 during the tour.
https://henschelhausbooks.com/product/the-benevolence-of-new-ideas/
https://www.amazon.com/Benevolence-New-Ideas-Carmela-Cattuti/dp/1595988696/ref=sr_1_1
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Carmela Cattuti will be awarding $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
ANDY GETS ANGRY
Andy Gets Angry
Book One in the ‘Emotions and Me’ series
by Mike J. Masse
Illustrated by Emily Corbett
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GENRE: Children’s, (picture book) Contemporary
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BLURB:
Children can develop the ability to respond to their emotions in a healthy way through the practice of mindfulness. Andy Gets Angry is a great introduction for children to learn a fun and simple breath technique to respond to their emotions. The beautifully hand-painted illustrations provide the perfect landscape to tell the story of Andy and his journey in learning the wonderful skill of mindfulness. Share the book with your loved ones, and help us all plant the seed to be present!
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EXCERPT
Andy has a brother, Bobby. Bobby can be pretty silly.
Andy also has a sister, Sierra, who sings all the time.
Andy loves watching funny videos, he enjoys playing some sports and he loves video games.
But sometimes, Andy gets angry!
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Mike Masse is a mindfulness consultant and public speaker who specializes in mindfulness-based stress reduction. For over a decade, he has been teaching adults, youth, and children mindfulness skills to help reduce their levels of stress and anxiety. A highly sought-after trainer, Mike facilitates workshops with educators, first responders, health care providers, and others who work in high-stress environments. Mike lives in Stratford, Ontario with his two sons and his wife.
CONNECT WITH AUTHOR MIKE J MASSE
WEBSITE: https://mindfulmike.ca/
FACEBOOK: mindfulmike.ca
INSTAGRAM: @mindfulmasse
PURCHASE LINKS
AMAZON.COM
https://amazon.com/dp/0228859115
KINDLE
https://amazon.com/dp/B09FW5P83Y
BOOKSHOP
https://bookshop.org/books/andy-gets-angry/9780228859116
BARNES & NOBLE
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/andy-gets-angry-mike-masse/1140165071
BOOK DEPOSITORY
https://www.bookdepository.com/Andy-Gets-Angry-Mike-Masse/9780228859116
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
Mike J Masse will be awarding $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Enter to win a $15 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Author Interview
Tell us about you as a person.
I am a father of 2 boys (Dexter and Beau) I have been with my wife ( Jenn) since we were 17, and I love Brazilian jiu jitsu.
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
Theo Von, he’s a comedian. I could listen to him all day, he would be the best at a dinner party. I just love to laugh, so I think that would be time well spent
What’s the story behind your latest book?
I run my own business training all types of humans how to use mindfulness to work with their thoughts and emotions in a healthier way. I often work with students and I had the idea to write the book and show children how they can use mindfulness as a tool of response.
What is your writing process?
I take a couple of hours a week off from my business and I create ideas. My artist and illustrator (Emily) usually comes over for FMF (Fun Making Fridays). We explore options and ideas for the stories and how it can translate with her art. We always have some good true crime or paranormal show playing in the back ground , I think we have watched 11 seasons of unsolved mysteries so far lol
If your book was to be turned into a movie, who would play the lead role(s) and why.
I’d love for my Son Beau to play Andy. Beau is the model for the paintings of Andy, and a lot of the story is based on my life experiences working with children and youth
What advice do you have for other writers who want to get the word out about their latest book?
Connect with a community and share your ideas and concepts and connect with like minded humans
List 5 things on your bucket list.
- Go to Japan
- Travel to Italy with my family
- Get my black belt in BJJ
- Go to New Zealand
- Be able to see my boys happy in their adult life
In what way do you think that this current pandemic has changed the book & publishing industry?
I think more people like myself had time to actually write books. I went from travelling daily to different cities to being at home 24/7 with my kids. I thought about doing my masters or starting these books I’ve had in my mind for a while. I decided to start the books and I know a TON of people that did the same. I’ve had a bunch DMs from people asking me about the book process, and asking for any tips. I think because of COVID we will see a ton of indie books popping up.
Any final thoughts?
Be kind to yourself, fill your cup up, so you can help others xox
THE NANTUCKET BEACHFRONT INN
The Nantucket Beachfront Inn
(Sconset Beach Book One)
by Ainsley Keaton
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GENRE: Women’s Fiction
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BLURB:
She’s 54, broken-hearted, and starting over….
High-powered New York attorney Ava Flynn finds herself without a job or a future. Unemployable at her age, and broken-hearted by a husband who left her in the lurch, she desperately needs a Plan B. Her prayers are answered when a wealthy benefactor wills her a large house in the ‘Sconset Beach area of Nantucket. She heads out to the picturesque New England island with her two best friends, Luna and Mila, going along for the ride.
One catch…her estranged daughter also lives there. Charlotte Killeen, Ava’s daughter, is battling a crisis of her own. Her new husband, Matthew, wants a divorce, even though the couple have a newborn baby. Charlotte needs her mother more than ever, but the two have never seen eye to eye. Her marriage on the rocks and with few prospects for income, Charlotte is near the end of her rope. Then a life-threatening illness brings into focus what’s important after all.
Ava’s other daughter, Samantha, also lives on Nantucket Island, with her best friend and roommate, Grayson. Samantha suffers from a lack of direction in her life, and longs to meet a rich prince charming who will sweep her off her feet. When she meets the man of her dreams, she’s leaving behind the one man who loves her unconditionally – Grayson.
Jackson, Ava’s son, is an aspiring actor in Hollywood. Everything has always come easy to him, that is until Willow, Matthew’s cousin, shows up. Free-spirited Willow is just the kind of girl to break Jackson’s heart, which is difficult to do, as Jackson is always the heartbreaker.
And speaking of Willow…she’s a feminist island witch and artist. She and Jackson have been through many, many lifetimes together. Yet, Willow wants nothing to do with Jackson in this lifetime. She has no desire to give up even an ounce of her power, not even for her soul mate. Willow also is hiding a devastating secret from Jackson. A secret that is guaranteed to upend his life for good.
Mila, Ava’s best friend, is battling a devastating illness, information that she hasn’t shared with Ava and Luna. She never wants to be a burden, so she just doesn’t ask for help. But she’s going to need all the support she can get. She finds this support in a very surprising place, and, in doing so, gets closer to her own destiny.
Ava busies herself with fixing up her beautiful new beach home, so that she can open up a bed and breakfast. Contractor Deacon Cromwell, whom Ava hires to do the renovation, is the man who might thaw Ava’s cold heart, if only she’ll let him. However, he’s almost 20 years her junior and, Ava believes, out of her league. Can Ava overcome her insecurities and allow herself to love again?
In this feel-good beach read with a touch of magick, Ava and her friends and family will become your best friends. Come and share their joys and heartbreaks, their tragedies and triumphs. For fans of Susan Mallery, Jude Devereaux Nantucket Bride series and Elin Hilderbrand!
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EXCERPT
As Willow Killeen worked on a painting that she had to have completed for her show tonight, she also thought about her other “job.” Well, it wasn’t really a job so much as a calling, one that she refused to charge for. It was against her creed as a witch to make money off of her gifts.
She sometimes wished that she could charge for her services, as working as an artist wasn’t much of a living, it turned out. She was good at her art but not good enough. At least, her art wasn’t good enough to sustain her in ‘Sconset beach, the very expensive village she chose to call home. True, she lived in a guest house on a piece of property that was owned by her aunt, who only charged her $1000 a month, which, for Nantucket, was a steal – but there were months that she couldn’t hardly come up with that rent and still afford to eat.
Still, she was fortunate that she didn’t really need to leave her house to earn money, and she knew it. And, to keep her creative juices flowing, she found that the more she helped people out in the world, the better she did with her art. So, she kept a steady stream of clients who came to her for spell work, herbal remedies, crystal healing and chakra balancing, all of which she specialized in. Willow was a healer first, artist second, and that was how she preferred it.
She looked out her window and saw a young girl coming up the dirt path that led to her guest house, and she groaned. “Not her,” she muttered under her breath. The painting that she was working on, which was a brightly colored portrait of a beautiful couple she’d seen at the Farmer’s Market – she tended towards riotous colors throughout her subjects’ faces and hair, like Henri Matisse’s famous portrait of his wife – was forgotten.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Ainsley Keaton lives in Southern California with her husband and two fur-babies, Bella and Annie. When she’s not binge-watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Downton Abbey and Succession, she’s reading historical and women’s fiction or scouring the beach for sea glass and sand dollars.
https://attorneykc.wixsite.com/my-site-2
https://www.facebook.com/AinsleyKeaton1967
Amazon Pre-buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Nantucket-Beachfront-Inn-Sconset-Beach-ebook/dp/B09NMVKJ17/ref=sr_1_1
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
SECRETS OF A RIVER SWIMMER – Book Tour
Secrets of a River Swimmer
by S.S. Turner
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GENRE: Literary Fiction
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BLURB:
As Freddy gazes at the majestic river gushing past him in the depths of a Scottish winter, he’s ready to jump in and end his life. But what happens next is not what Freddy expects. From the moment he enters the river, Freddy starts a journey which is more beautiful, funny, and mysterious than he could have imagined. And through this journey Freddy’s story becomes interweaved with a cast of unforgettable characters who are equally lost and in search of answers. Eventually they all unite in their quest for an answer to the biggest question of them all: will the river take them where they want to go?
In the tradition of inspirational works of fiction like The Alchemist and Life of Pi, Secrets of a River Swimmer is at once a profound exploration into living with meaning and an affecting story of people on the cusp of change.
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EXCERPT
From Page 7
I dip my toe in.
It’s fucking freezing.
I sit and watch the majestically sinister Scottish river hurtle along below me. I’m not sure whether to be in awe or terrified, but that was always going to be the case today, my last day. The idea of jumping into the river reminds me of the feeling you experience when you arrive at the beach, and you’re thinking about jumping into the sea, but you know it’s going to cause you grievous bodily harm from your nether regions up. For some reason, your legs are the one part of your body which can handle intense cold without too much stress. But all body parts above your legs are a whole different story. My voice just rose an octave, and I’m not even talking.
So you sit and watch the sea while contemplating your next move, as if this thinking time will give you the required mental strength to leap into the cold blue water. However, this thinking time just gives the water an opportunity to look you in the eye with laughing menace, because the water knows the questions you are grappling with deep in your soul. The water understands it is strong and you are weak—the eternal power imbalance at play.
The waiting period only makes it worse, of course. All it does is allow you to hand more mental power over to the cold water than a short and simple jumping-in maneuver would have done. Why do we employ such counter-productive strategies in our lives?
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
S.S. Turner has been an avid reader, writer, and explorer of the natural world throughout his life which has been spent in England, Scotland and Australia. Just like Freddy in his first novel, Secrets of a River Swimmer, he worked in the global fund management sector for many years but realized it didn’t align with his values. In recent years, he’s been focused on inspiring positive change through his writing as well as trying not to laugh in unfortunate situations. He now lives in Australia with his wife, daughter, two dogs, two cats, and ten chickens.
https://www.thestoryplant.com/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer
Buy Links:
Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JWTK3WN/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
B&N- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer-s-s-turner/1139673873
AppleBooks- https://books.apple.com/us/book/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer/id1591209788
Indigo- https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer/9781611883213-item.html
Kobo- https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
Enter to win a $50 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Author Interview
If you could apologize to someone in your past, who would it be?
I’d apologize to the people in the front row at a school performance of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs when I was around eight years old. I was playing Speedy the Dwarf and my only job was to cycle across the stage when someone called out “Where’s Speedy going?” However, in a fatal misjudgment I cycled towards the front of the stage rather than across it. I launched off the front of the stage and landed on those poor front rowers in the audience. There was screams and confusion all around as they tried to figure out what on earth had happened. I was carted off along with a few of them for medical attention. Sorry guys, if you’re reading this. You can rest assured that was my last acting performance.
If you could keep a mythical/ paranormal creature as a pet, what would you have?
I’d keep a unicorn as a pet as my daughter is obsessed by them.
How do you keep your writing different from all the others that write in this particular genre?
The beauty of literary fiction is we are all writing such vastly different stories. It’s not like the murder mystery genre which is far more standardized. Now I think about it, I can’t think of anyone who’s written a book remotely like Secrets of a River Swimmer. Looking forward, I imagine the key to writing unique stories is to make sure they’re coming from deep inside rather than from external influences.
What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
The best piece of advice I’ve received is to start writing a novel with a question rather than an answer in mind.
The worst piece of advice I’ve received is that there’s a set formula you can follow to write a great novel.
Are the experiences in this book based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
The main character Freddy is largely based upon me and events in my own life.
C.A. Milson 