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Saturday, August 24, 2019

Superhero Syndrome by Caryn Larrinaga

Audiobook Blog Tour: Superhero Syndrome by Caryn Larrinaga

Superhero Syndrome by Caryn Larrinaga

Author: Caryn Larrinaga

Narrator: Ruby Hankey

Length: 7 hours and 55 minutes

Series: Solstice Survivors, Book 1

Publisher: Twisted Tree Press

Released: Jun. 19, 2019

Genre: Urban Fantasy


Tess McBray was dying. The solstice syndrome had no cure, and she resigned herself to an early grave. But just when she gave up on survival, all her symptoms mysteriously disappeared.

All but one symptom, anyway. Something is wrong with Tess’ hands. They absorb any material they touch, and her skin turns to wood, steel, or concrete. It doesn’t take this comic book obsessed 21-year-old long to figure out what’s going on: Somehow, she’s developed super powers. And she’s not the only one; across the country, people are coming forward and sharing their gifts with the world. In her own city, where the police are battling a human trafficking operation, a masked vigilante called The Fox is saving lives and stopping criminals.

Tess doesn’t know where she fits into this new, super-powered world. But when people around her start disappearing, she can’t just sit on the sidelines. Teaming up with The Fox to create the world’s first superhero duo might be the only way to rid her city of evil and save the people she loves most.
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Caryn Larrinaga is an award-winning mystery, horror, and urban fantasy writer. Her debut novel, Donn’s Hill, was awarded the League of Utah Writers 2017 Silver Quill in the adult novel category and was a 2017 Dragon Award finalist.

Watching scary movies through split fingers terrified Caryn as a child, and those nightmares inspire her to write now. Her 90-year-old house has a colorful history, and the creaking walls and narrow hallways send her running (never walking) up the stairs. Exploring her fears through writing makes Caryn feel a little less foolish for wanting a buddy to accompany her into the tool shed.

Caryn lives near Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and their clowder of cats.

Caryn is an active member of the League of Utah Writers and the Utah Chapter of the Horror Writers Association.
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Narrator Bio
Based out of the NYC area, Ruby Hankey works as a theatre/film professional in myriad mediums of the arts. As a lover of world travels, tap dance, ukulele, French absurdism and the outdoors, she is always ready for a new adventure. Ruby has choreographed and performed for venues including The Duke Theater, Symphony Space, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Joyce Theatre, Queens Theatre in the Park, Luna Stage and recently appeared in Current Harbor's '59RPM at HERE Arts Center! Her latest audiobook, Superhero Syndrome by Caryn Larrinaga is now available.
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  • Tess: Comic book obsessed 21-year old Tess McBray has used her wit as a shield her whole life. Never one to stick around through a difficult situation, Tess’ preferred method of dealing with conflict has always been to run away… usually to a completely different city or state. She’s short and keeps her blond hair the same way, and is easily tempted by salty foods, good beer, and cute cosplay accessories. Suddenly being able to turn her hands into any material she touches turns her life upside-down in a way that only friendship, sisterhood, and a truckload of sass can help her survive.
  • Bethany: Tess’ older sister Bethany is the girly-girl Tess is just too lazy to be. In her late 20’s, she loves keeping up with the latest fashions, bargain-hunting to stay in style. She’s bubbly and positive, always looking for the best in the people around her… which means she has a huge blindspot when it comes to her husband.
  • Angie: Tess’ best friend Angie is the only person in her life who can out-nerd her, and she lets her obsession with Star Trek color everything from her wardrobe to her interior decorating choices. A fiercely loyal friend, Angie works hard to push Tess out of her comfort zone while still looking out for her.
  • The Fox: Aside from being… well, foxy… The Fox is everything Tess imagined a superhero would be: strong, brave, and determined to do everything he can to help the people around him. Not one to shy away from questionable costume choices like super-tall ears that stick up from his mask, The Fox loves a dramatic entrance almost as much as he loves kicking bad-guy butt.
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WORSE THAN DEAD Inspector Drake Mysteries by Stephen Puleston

Author: Stephen Puleston

Narrator: Richard Elfyn

Length: 10 hours 20 minutes

Series: Inspector Drake Mysteries, Book 2

Publisher: Stephen Puleston

Released: Jan. 25, 2019

Genre: Modern Detective


A ferry leaves Dublin....

The chief engineer lies dead on the car deck....

There’s a killer on board....

Inspector Drake is called from a seminar on cybercrime to meet the ferry docking at the port of Holyhead. Frank Rosen, the chief engineer, lies on the car deck, a knife through his heart. For the first time, Drake knows where the killer is, but he doesn’t know who. When Rosen’s house is ransacked the night after he’s killed, Drake knows the killer was looking for something. The data stick Rosen’s wife finds may hold the clues. But the codes and numbers on it only complicate the investigation. And then Drake’s cousin makes contact and tells him he has information. But can Drake rely on him, or does he have another agenda? And when the team discover a direct link to drug dealing in North Wales and beyond, there are powerful forces at work.

Drake’s cousin drags Drake’s family into the middle of the case that piles the pressure on Drake, who’s facing regular counseling for his OCD and the prospect of losing his father to cancer. When Drake’s superior demotes him and acts entirely against protocols, Drake knows that something is wrong. Establishing the evidence takes him to Dublin and Cardiff and then on a last minute chase over North Wales to catch the killer.


I write crime fiction based in Wales and about Wales. The rural landscape of north Wales provides the backdrop to the Inspector Drake novels. And Cardiff, the capital of Wales, provides the setting for the Inspector Marco novels set in a modern urban environment.

I love the novels of Raymond Chandler, Ian Rankin, Mark Billingham, Henning Mankell, Val McDermid – the list could go on! And I enjoy watching detective series on the television the recent Hinterland series based near Aberystwyth in Wales was great. One of my favourites is the French series Spiral but The Bridge and Broadchurch and the Rebus series with Ken Stott and Kenneth Branagh in Wallander are great too.

I was born in Anglesey an island off the north Wales coast and after leaving school in Holyhead I went to University in London before training as a solicitor/lawyer. I practised in a small family business doing criminal work in the magistrates and crown courts, divorce and family work.

I still live on Anglesey, North Wales near the beach and the mountains of Snowdonia.
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Narrator Bio


Richard Elfyn is a hugely experienced and talented actor with film credits including APOSTLE, MARIAH MUNDI AND THE MIDAS BOX, THE KILLER ELITE and THE DARK. TV credits include THE CROWN, KEEPING FAITH, HINTERLAND, EMMERDALE and STELLA and numerous leading regular roles for S4C including political drama BYW CELWYDD. Richard is regularly heard on BBC Radio 4 dramas and is a highly skilled voice over artist. He has re-voiced many Welsh language versions of popular animations including FIREMAN SAM, BEN 10 and SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS.




THE DEVIL'S KITCHEN, BOOK 0.5 IN THIS SERIES, IS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW THROUGH THE ADOPT-AN-AUDIOBOOK PROGRAM. CLICK HERE TO REQUEST YOUR COPY!

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Prize: $45 Amazon Gift Card


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The Paradise Man According to Thomas Merton by Linhxuan Vu


Religion, Spirituality, Self-Help
Publisher: Xlibris

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

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

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







Excerpt

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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



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



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


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



About the Author

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



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Julian Fox: The Dream Guardian by E.J. Miranda



About the Book

Title: Julian Fox: The Dream Guardian

Author: E.J. Miranda

Genre: YA Fantasy

It is said that dreams are just that: only dreams. But believe me, this is not always true. Some dreams are as real as the dreamer.

Thanks to their dreams, dreamers can receive the special visit of eternal wisdom that has inspired the creativity of great inventors, scientists, musicians, and even writers throughout the ages.

This creative wisdom is not always the type that appears to the eager conscience. Sometimes, a Defiler, a destroyer of dreams, is the one who tries to appear before the dreamer. These creatures were once humans, but they allowed their pain and desire for revenge to take over and seek the same miserable fate for the one who dreams.

You must not fear — Dream Guardians, also known as Kelsdrant, will always protect the one who dreams, even with their own life. They are people of flesh and bone, just like you and me, or at least they are on Earth.

The following story is dedicated to the fun, extravagant, and enlightening life of Julian Fox, the Dream Guardian.

Be prepared, dear reader. It is time to dream, laugh, reflect, and even maybe cry.

Welcome to the Land of the Wise Dreams.


Author Bio

E.J. Miranda is an avid reader, an enthusiastic traveler, and a passionate author. Her great sense of humor and love for nature have granted her a rebellious writing style: her approach describes the adventures of life, but in such a way that each reader can have an individual take on the matter. Her inspiration comes from her curiosity about other countries’ cultures and peculiarities. A few countries in particular which spark her curiosity are Colombia, Italy, Costa Rica, England, Belgium, Mexico, Spain, and the United States. Her favorite places to visit are historical sites and museums, locations that allow her to explore important and even overlooked details. She currently lives with her husband in Colombia, but frequently travels to Houston to visit her daughter and son. E.J. Miranda has a degree in tax accounting, but she prefers interacting with people to calculating their taxes. To learn more about her life and work, visit www.ejmiranda.com.


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Friday, August 23, 2019

Blurb Blitz 13 Steps to the Cellar by Teresa Mathews


13 Steps to the Cellar
by Teresa Mathews 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Teresa Mathews 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.


GENRE:  Mystery
There were thirteen steps to the cellar. They were steep and they were narrow—but was a fall down them enough to have caused the twenty-seven deep lacerations to her aunt’s head?



Callie Harris travels from her home in Alabama to her aunt’s former mansion in Maine to unravel the haunting forty-year-old mystery of Dr. Laverne Harris Doss’ brutal death.



Why wasn’t a murder weapon found? Was her uncle justly convicted of the killing? Was his mistress involved? Or was the murderer the bearded stranger rumored to have arrived by train that night?



In the charming town of Richmond, located on the banks of Maine’s historic Kennebec River, Callie uncovers the community’s darkest secrets—a botched police investigation, a betrayed widow’s lie, a dead woman’s blackmail, and a wealthy philanthropist’s shame. The web of intrigue extends far beyond Callie's suspicions and its connection to her personal story pierces her to the core.


Read an Excerpt




A man hovered over the crumpled body of the woman at the bottom of the cellar stairs. An awful, guttural sound forced its way up from deep in her lungs. A cavernous head gash bled profusely, the blood pooling, forming a red halo around her auburn hair. Her glassy, fixed eyes looked up at Callie, pleading for help. I must stop the bleeding, Callie cried. She hurried down the stairs, her feet heavy, her heart pounding. Why can’t I breathe? Why can’t I reach her? Why won’t my feet move faster? She was only steps from her aunt when the grimacing man turned toward her, then looked back to Laverne and raised his hand for a final blow.


About the Author:Teresa Mathews is a graduate of The University of South Alabama. She’s a member of the Mobile Writers Guild and serves on the Board of Directors for the Alabama Nursery and Landscape Association.



An avid gardener and artist, she has multiple book covers to her credit. Several years ago after visiting the site of her real-life aunt’s murder, Teresa discovered another passion–storytelling. Although inspired by an actual tragedy, Thirteen Steps to the Cellar is fiction.



Raised on the Gulf Coast, Teresa, her husband, and son now live on a farm with a second home on the sparkling white sands of Fort Morgan, Alabama.



https://instagram.com/teresamathewsauthor

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http://tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Mathews_Teresa



THE BOOK IS $0.99 DURING THE TOUR: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TWXJC6V/ref=as_li_ss_tl


GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Teresa Mathews will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 

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The Smuggler's Escape by Barbara Monajem


The
Smuggler's Escape
by
Barbara Monajem

Genre:
Historical Romance, Adventure 

After
escaping the guillotine, Noelle de Vallon takes refuge with her aunt
in England. Determined to make her own way, she joins the local
smugglers, but when their plans are uncovered, Richard, Lord Boltwood
steps out of the shadows to save her. Too bad he’s the last man on
earth she ever wanted to see again.


Years
ago, Richard Boltwood’s plan to marry Noelle was foiled when his
ruthless father shipped him to the Continent to work in espionage.
But with the old man at death’s door, Richard returns to England
with one final mission: to catch a spy. And Noelle is the prime
suspect.


Noelle
needs Richard’s help, but how can she ever trust the man who
abandoned her? And how can Richard catch the real culprit while
protecting the woman who stole his heart and won’t forgive him for
breaking hers?






Winner
of the Holt Medallion, Maggie, Daphne du Maurier, Reviewer’s Choice
and Epic awards, Barbara Monajem wrote her first story at eight years
old about apple tree gnomes. She published a middle-grade fantasy
when her children were young, then moved on to paranormal mysteries
and Regency romances with intrepid heroines and long-suffering heroes
(or vice versa). Regency mysteries are next on the agenda.


Barbara
loves to cook, especially soups. She used to have two items on her
bucket list: to make asparagus pudding (because it was too weird to
resist) and to succeed at knitting socks. She managed the first (it
was dreadful) but doubts she’ll ever accomplish the second. This is
not a bid for immortality but merely the dismal truth. She lives near
Atlanta, Georgia
with an
ever-shifting population of relatives, friends, and feline strays.










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Behind the Mask by Marianne Petit


Behind
the Mask
by
Marianne Petit
Genre:
Historical Romance 

Author
Marianne Petit mixes true life experiences with fiction to create a
suspenseful tale of intrigue and romance set in the early days of
war-torn France. 





In
1940's Paris, both rich and poor are thrust together, a mixed society
struggling to survive. American born Yvette Matikunas, one of the
privileged few, goes underground with a deathbed promise to her
grandfather that has her roaming the streets of France with a
dangerous message. She quickly learns that no one is who they seem to
be and trust is a thing of the past.

Injured
in battle while trying to save the life of one of his men, Colonial
André Rinaldo is disillusioned by a shell-shocked country and a weak
government. Persuaded to go underground and unite his fellow
compatriots by forming resistance groups, he meets a beautiful
blonde, whose determination to free France from foreign dictatorship
is as strong as his.

In
the middle of espionage and clandestine rendezvous, they form a
partnership that deepens under the ever-present threat of arrest. But
with America’s interest in the war building in the background all
Americans are ordered to leave.

Will
Yvette return to the States, or will André persuade her to stay and
fight for love?






Marianne
Petit is a past President of the Long Island Chapter of the Romance
Writers Of America. Her love of writing stems back to high school.
She spent hours reading Nancy Drew, Alfred Hitchcock and poetry. At
the age of fifteen she wrote a short story for children, as well as
numerous works of poetry. Her love of history stems from her father,
Roger, a Frenchman, whose love of American history greatly influenced
her writing interests .





She
is a past President of the Melville Lions club, a service
organization that raises money for the less fortunate - especially
the sight and hearing impaired. 

Newsday
and several local newspapers have written articles on Ms. Petit and
she was recently interviewed on TV for her time travel.

Marianne
loves to ski, white water raft, horseback ride, and enjoys the
theater. She lives on Long Island is happily married for over 30
years.






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