I had to share this for the title alone. It cracks me up!!!!!!
I am a sucker for a great cover and it’s usually the first thing that hooks me. I am happy to have Dana Hammer here to share her thoughts of the cover for her latest novel, The Cannibal’s Guide To Fasting.
The Cover — The Cannibal’s Guide to Fasting
First of all, I just want to thank the folks at Cinnabar Moth for putting together such an awesome cover. I myself have never been good at graphic design. To give you some idea of how bad at graphic design I am — I created the programs for my mother’s funeral … and they were vetoed. They were so bad that people simply could not allow them to be used, even at the risk of offending a grieving daughter. So any graphic designer who does a good job is basically a godlike magician in my eyes.
The cover for The Cannibal’s Guide to fasting shows a bunch of pressed wildflowers on the front. Igor, my main character, presses wildflowers as a hobby, and as a distraction from his craving for human meat. In his former life, as a research scientist, he thought botany was a silly hobby, not worthy of serious consideration. Now, he spends his free time pressing, observing, and meticulously labeling the specimens he collects. The pressed wildflowers are a symbol for how his world has changed.
The back cover features a tomato-based beverage. For legal reasons, this beverage does not have a name, but if you read the book, you will likely be able to guess what it is. I was especially pleased with the drink graphic, and I think it turned out beautifully.
The Cannibal’s Guide to Fasting by Dana Hammer
GENRE: Comedic horror
BLURB
Igor Fenenko, a former research scientist, is
a scary, scary man. Not only is he a massive bodybuilder with a spider tattooed
on his face, he has also been infected with Pestis Manducans — viral
cannibalism. Igor tried to resist indulging, but his research specimens smelled
so delicious. Who did it hurt, really, to nibble a corpse?
Caught, disgraced, and sent to a ‘rehabilitation’
center, Igor is now forced to live in a government-mandated Containment Center.
He spends his days pressing wildflowers, growing blueberries, and doing his
best to avoid human meat. More than anything, he wants a cure for the virus
that has ruined his life.
Igor’s brother, Karl, is also infected with Pestis.
But unlike Igor, he does not live in a Containment Center. He lives down by the
river, where he runs a cannibal rights group. At first, the group seems
harmless enough, if a bit creepy and overzealous. But when Igor discovers their
evil practices, he is forced to intervene.
Aided and opposed by rich eccentrics who have their
own agendas, Igor must use brains and muscles to find a cure while fighting the
urge to turn brains and muscles into a delicious lunch.
EXCERPT
Igor’s home is a single-wide trailer in a “community” that
the government has set up for former cannibals. Decent, lawabiding,
non-infected folks do not want man-eaters to live in their neighborhoods, but
they won’t go so far as to demand executions for the infected, and so the
forced cannibal community was born.
For a time, the infected were held in prisons and jails,
until those became too overcrowded, and the state was forced to find other
solutions. Now, the official plan of action is this: identify the cannibals,
send them to a treatment center, and then house them in secure, guarded
communities with their own kind.
Igor’s community is one of the nicer ones. The trailers are
small but clean, and the neighborhood is kept tidy and quiet. Each trailer even
has a small patch of lawn, for residents to use as they please. Igor uses his
for fruit and vegetable gardening. Some other people plant flowers, and some of
them plant nothing at all, but fill their yards with furniture or above-ground
pools.
Other communities aren’t so lucky. Igor is grateful for his
home, despite the security guards who occasionally take their jobs a bit too
seriously. Despite the constant scrutiny of the inspectors, despite the fact
that his ID lists his address as “High Risk Containment Center” and that any
time he has to show that ID to anyone, he gets glares or looks of disgust or
flat refusals of service. He is grateful, because without it, and without a
job, and without anyone willing to take him in, he would likely be homeless.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Dana
Hammer is a novelist, screenwriter and playwright. She has won over forty
awards and honors for her writing, few of which generated income, all of which
were deeply appreciated. She is not a cannibal.
Dr Audrey Gilbert is in trouble, and the only way to save her job is to get Kevin to return the fold. She is a paranormal psychiatrist and her specialty is healing hackers with PTSD. With minimal information, she meets him…face to face.
Kevin Jorgensen is a recluse, but there is something about Audrey that intrigues him.
Nothing earth shattering, but a nice story and a quick read. I love reading paranormal/supernatural stories and Amanda Uhl has given me a fresh look at a familiar genre, filled with plenty of intrigue.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dark Waves by Amanda Uhl.
3 Stars
BLURB
A
fearless doctor
Paranormal psychiatrist
Dr. Audrey Gilbert is not used to failure, especially when it comes to her
career. She possesses an uncanny ability to see into her patients’ souls and
mend their brokenness. When she misdiagnosis a patient and is fired, she is
given a chance to regain her job. Her task? Restore the health of a deranged
mind hacker. But safeguarding her heart while convincing the detached and
bitter man to trust her, just might be the challenge of a lifetime.
A tormented hacker
Born into a family of
powerful psychics, Kevin Jorgensen has always had a quick wit and a sunny
disposition. But that was before he nearly lost his life battling a rogue mind
hacker. Now he spends his days in isolation, fighting for his sanity. He swears
never to use his gift, not even if he’s drawn to the woman determined to help
him recover.
A battle for survival
When Audrey and Kevin
discover someone has tampered with her mind, they must work together to
determine why. Because if they fail, their lives and the lives of many other
hackers will be destroyed.
EXCERPT
“Besides the hacker who went rogue, have there been any
other disgruntled patients of yours over the last few years?”
Audrey frowned and rubbed her temple. “Not that I recall.”
“You have a headache?”
The pain in her head throbbed as if in answer. “I… Yes, a
small one.”
“Have you noticed any recent gaps in your memory? Fuzzy
thoughts?”
She narrowed her gaze. “What are you suggesting?”
“Audrey, some of your memories have been wiped.”
Her heartbeat sped up, and it felt like all the blood
drained from her forehead at once. The room tilted in a crazy circle, and she
saw white spots in front of her eyes. There was a rushing sound, and in an
instant, all the colors in the room faded to black. She blinked and realized
she was slumped in the recliner with Kevin leaning over her, shaking her
shoulders, the earthy scent of him filling her nostrils.
“You okay?”
“Yes,” she managed. Her skull felt like someone had stuffed
it with cotton. “I…”
“You fainted. Take it easy.” He crouched next to her, tucked
a pillow behind her head, and helped her sit up. “I probably should have found
a better way to tell you.”
Ya think? What was even more shocking was him hovering over
her like she was his patient. He needed to move far away so she didn’t have to
breathe in his rich, masculine smell. She had the insane desire to reach out
and hug him so she’d feel safe.
Heat rushed to her cheeks, and her head cleared. “I’m…I’m
all right now.”
Kevin didn’t budge, sending her blood pressure up a notch.
She brushed her hair behind her ears and tried to think.
“You said my mind had been wiped. How can you know for certain?”
“I’m a former hacker, remember. I know the signs. What’s
more, your blocks have been removed.”
“My…blocks?” She sat forward, the hair on her arms rising
with her. The blocks were for her safety—to protect her as she worked with
hackers. “They’re permanent. It’s impossible to remove them…isn’t it?”
He must have been reassured she had recovered from her faint
because he stood and returned to the couch before answering, and she managed to
get her breathing under control.
“Not quite. It’s difficult for the vast majority of hackers,
but not everyone.”
“You mean you can do it,” she said, hardly daring to breath.
“Yes, and any other class tens who specialize in blocks.
After all, we’re the ones who put them in place. Audrey, I need you to think
really hard about when you first started having headaches.”
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Award-winning author Amanda Uhl has always had a fascination with the mystical. Having drawn her first breath in a century home rumored to be haunted, you might say she was “born” into it. After a brief stint in college as a paid psychic, Amanda graduated with a bachelor of fine arts in theatre and a master’s degree in marketing. Over the past twenty years, she has worked as an admissions representative and graphic designer, owned her own freelance writing company, and managed communications for several Fortune 500 companies, most recently specializing in cyber security. Amanda is an avid reader and writes fast-paced, paranormal romantic suspense and humorous contemporary romance from her home in Cleveland, Ohio. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find Amanda with her husband and three children, gathering beach glass on the Lake Erie shoreline or biking in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Visit her online at www.amandauhl.com.
Welcome D. I am so happy to have you here today. I loved your ‘Dream Come True’ guest post. You are an inspiration to writer want to bes out there. Congratulations.
Turning A Dare
into a Dream Come True
In early 2021, I
lost my corporate job. I could have wallowed in defeat, eaten a few tubs of ice
cream and sunk into my couch to binge Netflix. Or dusted off my resume and
jumped back into the corporate world, working to make someone else’s dream come
true.
Instead, I took a
chance and chose me. My dream. My happiness.
Writing has always
been a passion of mine. I tried to wrangle writing into my day-to-day job, but
it was never enough, nor the right fit for me. I often referring to boardrooms
to boredrooms because besides a lot of talking, not much seemed to get done.
Unlike my evening, which were usually spend jotting down the adventures of the
characters in my head. Things got serious after a dare from a friend. At lunch,
my friends and I listened to one of our group complain about a recent romance
story she’d finished reading. She was disappointed that yet another alpha male
lead character won over the heart of a ray of sunshine female character.
My friend turned
to me and suggested I could write a better hero and a more romantic story. I
laughed—I wasn’t a romance writer. She dared me to prove her wrong. That
afternoon, the concept of a role reversal distracted me; an alpha female lead
character who wins the heart of a ray of sunshine male character. Ali popped
into my head and said, “Write about me. I’m perfect for this role.”
I went home that
night and wrote the first three chapters of Ruby Red – A Romance. Two months
later, I had a complete first draft of Ali and Sam’s love story. I’m proud to
say Ali remained bold and feisty throughout the book and her paramour, Sam is
kind, supportive and a dreamy beta hero who lets Ali take the lead. Happily.
Thanks to the
dare, I was now officially a romance writer. I’ve never looked back, loving
writing romance. (Pardon the pun.)
Thanks to that
round of layoffs, I’m a published romance author as well. The day after I lost
my job, I submitted my romance story to Champagne Book Group. A month later, we
were negotiating a publishing contract. I chose Champagne Books, because as a
smaller publisher, they afford the freedom to retain the essence of my writing
style. In May of 2022, Ruby Red – A Romance hit the virtual bookshelves to rave
reviews. And not only from my mom.
Ruby Red is a
riches-to-rags, hidden identity, slow burn contemporary romance high on emotion
and drama. This steamy love story promises dollops of drama, a few laughs and
plenty of passion.
24 yr. old Ali
Stinson is living the high life now she is no longer under the thumb of her
cheating ex-husband. But behind her red lipstick, designer clothes and
gala-lifestyle hides a damaged, lonely heart. Influenced by her married rich
friend and pressured to keep up with the “in” crowd, Ali attempts to fill a
void with frivolous distractions and emotionless one-night stands.
Sam Freemont has
recently arrived in town seeking a fresh start and trying to eek out a living
in his new circumstances. A chance encounter with a red-lipped, raven-haired
beauty at his place of work turns Sam’s world upside down and threatens to
expose the secret he is desperately trying to hide.
When Ali discovers
her money embezzled by her financial manager, she has two choices: admit defeat
or accept the help of the one man she might just lose her heart to. Defeat is
not in Ali’s DNA. Will Sam’s secret destroy the delicate trust she has placed
in him or will love conquer all?
What a fabulous story D. I wish you many more books in your future. Congratulations!
Ruby Red by D. L. Croisette
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
BLURB
One
night stands only need apply.
Ali Stinson is having a bad day. Her afternoon tryst was interrupted (before
they got to the good part) to discover her investment manager ran away with all
her money. Now she has to keep up appearances with her high society friends,
find a dress for an upcoming charity event, and not fall in love with Sam, the
cute bartender, who insists on helping her. Thing is, she’s 90% sure she
doesn’t want help. Adulting is hard.
Looking for work, not love.
Sam Freemont is having a strange day. He was in the middle of the best kiss of
his life when his boss walked in and halted the fun, which is not helping with
the low profile he’s trying to maintain. Now he can’t get Ali off his mind or
out of his dreams. Good thing she’s a regular at the swanky resort he just
started working at. Gives him time to find a way back to her lips. Or better
yet, into her heart.
EXCERPT
Did Sam really just say she was the most beautiful woman in
the world?
Despite her deplorable situation, Ali couldn’t help but
smile. This man did have a way with words. His texts over the past few days
always found a way to make things a little better.
Also, talking to him helped. A lightness she’d missed for a
long time expanded in her chest. It hadn’t been an easy decision to tell
someone and lay her problems before him, yet the confession came naturally.
When she’d bumped into him at the café, relief at seeing him there had rushed
in.
Kate walking in had frozen her, like a deer in headlights.
As her senses returned, Ali’s first instinct was to run. Even though she didn’t
stop to acknowledge the gesture, Ali assumed Sam wouldn’t refuse her plea for
help.
His kindness, his open heartedness made it easy for her to
tell him the details of her circumstances. He hadn’t judged her or laughed at
her. Rather, he accepted her for what she was. Plus, there was his offer to
help.
This guy was too good to be true.
There had to be some catch she wasn’t seeing. Or maybe she
should stop holding Sam to the low standards of the other men in her life and
try accepting him for who he was. She decided to trust him.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
D.L.
Croisette is a storyteller. She had characters in her head before she had words
in her mouth. Now she spins them into romantic stories full of drama and heart.
Collector of international friends, avid traveller and always up for a new
adventure, she snaps photos to remember each escapade, and peppers the best
experiences into her stories. Ruby Red is her debut romance novel, and she’s
probably at an outdoor café right now, dreaming up a bold new heroine to stir
up trouble.
Drop
by www.dlcroisette.com for a romantic quote, behind-the-scene
goodies or to say hi.
The Unveiling of Polly Forrest by Charlotte Whitney
GENRE: Historical Mystery
BLURB
Rural
Michigan, 1934.
During the throes of
the Great Depression Polly marries for money. After her husband Sam dies in a
bizarre farm accident, new bride Polly assumes she is set to pursue her dream
of opening a hat-making business. Instead, she becomes the prime suspect in
Sam’s murder. Secrets abound and even Polly’s family can’t figure out the
truth.
EXCERPT
Sunday, August 19, 1934
Having no choice, I began climbing the exterior ladder that
ran up the height of the silo. I got up five or six rungs before my fear of
heights kicked in. My body started shaking and I willed myself not to look
down. I kept putting one foot above the other. The towel around my wounded
right arm had loosened and I let it fall to the ground, not wanting to remove
my other hand from the rung.
Every step required my mind telling my arms and legs to
move. My hands were jittering and I could hardly grip the ladder. You can do
this, I told myself. You can. You can.
“Keep going.” His
voice was piercing.
I willed my feet to move up the ladder. My body convulsed. I
was about five rungs from the top when I stopped. Reason told me I needed to
quit shaking and get my body under control or I would fall. Then it occurred to
me. He’s not going to push me into the soft silage. He’s going to knock me off
the top of the ladder down to the hard earth.
Dried flower on concrete stone surface background. Flat lay, top view, minimal style concept. Greeting card or web banner mockup for wedding anniversary, birthday, womens day.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Charlotte Whitney is the author of historical fiction set during the Great Depression in the rural Midwest. Her most recent work, The Unveiling of Polly Forrest, a stand-alone historical mystery follows her groundbreaking novel, Threads A Depression-Era Tale, which was met with both critical acclaim and commercial success. She received a master’s degree in English at the University of Michigan, and after a short stint of teaching at two community colleges, worked at the University of Michigan where she was an associate director of the Lloyd Scholars for Writing and the Arts. Currently living in Arizona with her husband and two dogs she enjoys hiking, bicycling, swimming, and yoga.
I love to invite authors to share their thoughts and am so happy to have Marielle S Smith here today to share five of her favorite gratitude quotes.
Five of my favourite
gratitude quotes
With two gratitude journals out there, I’ve gathered
a fair collection of gratitude quotes. In today’s post, I’ll be sharing some of my favourite quotes from both the first and
second volume of the 365 Days of Gratitude Journal.
Life
is a series of thousands of tiny miracles. Notice them.
—Roald Dahl
I just
love this quote and it’s so in line with the one by Albert Einstein I included
in the introduction to the journal: ‘There are only two ways
to live your life. One is as though nothing
is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a
miracle.’
Each time I
hear or read any of these two quotes, my perspective instantly shifts to
something much lighter and joyful and I can’t help but smile.
The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.
—Mary Davis
There’s a reason I put this quote on the cover of the second volume—it
hits home every time. I can’t even put my finger on why, it just does. And I
know from experience just how truthful this statement is, which is why I get a
little bit frustrated with myself each time there’s a lull in my gratitude
practice.
It’s a good thing it’s so easy to get back into it!
We should certainly count our blessings, but we
should also make our blessings count.
—Neal A. Maxwell
Back in my
student days, I had a conversation with my supervisor about privilege. As a
relatively privileged woman—I’m white, cisgender, able-bodied, I can pass as
straight, I was getting a higher education—I struggled with those privileges
because it all felt a little unfair to me.
I’ll never
forget how she responded. She said: ‘There’s no point in feeling bad or guilty
about where you came from, because that’s beyond your control. But what you can
do is use whatever privilege you happen to have to help dismantle the system
that created these privileges in the first place.’
This quote
reminds me of that conversation and that I should really use all of my
blessings, including my privileges, for the greater good.
When you
focus on the good, the good gets better.
—Abraham Hicks
Whether this is
actually true, I couldn’t tell you, but it’s definitely something I want to
believe. At the very least, this quote reminds me to focus on the good things
that are happening in my life instead of all the things I’m not as thrilled
about, and that always makes me feel better instantly.
We’re all so busy chasing the extraordinary that we forget to stop and
be grateful for the ordinary.
—Brené Brown
This quote
is, in a nutshell, why I decided to create a gratitude journal in the first
place. We tend to celebrate and express gratitude over the big milestones and
large blessings in our lives, but the key to living a grateful life is to learn
to notice and be thankful for all those teeny tiny things we so easily take for
granted.
What are you grateful for today? Can you name
one thin
Thanks so much for being here today, Michelle. I hope everyone enjoyed the post.
365 Days of Gratitude Journal by Mariëlle S. Smith
GENRE: Non-fiction; self-help
BLURB
***
Now available in black-and-white AND full colour! ***
‘The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.’ Mary Davis
Gratitude is not just about ATTITUDE.
Gratitude is about PRACTICE.
But how do you create a gratitude practice that sticks?
After the success of her first 365 Days of Gratitude Journal, writing coach
Mariëlle S. Smith brings you Volume 2. Same journal but with an entirely
different look!
After years of barely surviving her own emotional minefield, Mariëlle
discovered the transformative power of practising gratitude. But, like no one
else, she knows that cultivating an attitude of gratitude is easier said than
done.
365 Days of Gratitude, Vol. 2 is an undated, guided journal. Complete with
inspiring quotes, daily prompts, and recurring check-ins, it was designed to
help you create a sustainable gratitude practice too.
Commit to the life-changing power of gratitude today and order your copy now!
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Mariëlle
S. Smith is a writer, writing coach, and editor. She lives in Cyprus, where she
organises private writer’s retreats, is inspired 24/7, and feeds more stray
cats than she can count.
I love to give authors a podium and the freedom to share whatever they like. I found Vince’s Guest Post to be interesting and it got me thinking….
Guest Blog Post
Which two authors would I have dinner with?
Ernest Hemingway and Taylor Caldwell have been
known for their inspiring and exceptional writing. So, what would it be like to
have dinner with them?
Let the fantasy begin …
As we waited for our drinks, I leaned over to
Ernest. “Put that cigar away,” I whispered, to avoid embarrassment.
“It’s Papa,” he replied in his usual charismatic
tone. “I told you many times, call me Papa. And this is no ordinary cigar. It’s
a Cuban puro.”
“I know what it is,” I said as my eyes followed
the waft of smoke charging towards me like one of the bulls from his book, The
Sun Also Rises. I moved my head to the side and added, “This is not El
Floridity and it’s not 1952. It’s 2022 in Sotto Sotto, Toronto. You remember
Toronto, don’t you?”
“Of course,
I do,” Ernest said as he extinguished his cigar. “The Toronto Star. I started there
as a freelancer and eventually worked as a foreign correspondent in Europe
writing stories about post-WWI conditions.”
I looked over to Taylor. She wasn’t a bit annoyed.
The curl of her lip suggested she rather enjoyed the exchange and would have
also enjoyed a Cuban cigar.
Our server came with our drinks. “Two daquiris,” he
said. Ernest smiled and tapped his finger on a space on the
table in front of him. “Martini for you, madam. And Negroni for you, sir.” We
toasted to friendship and writing and as the food and drinks came in plenty, so
did the conversation.
“Congratulations,” Taylor said, raising her glass
to me. “I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Final Crossing. Well done.”
“As did I,” Ernest said. I thanked them, smiled,
and took a sip of my Negroni.
Then Taylor turned to Ernest. “Papa, you should
have added more religious themes in your books.”
“You mean like your stories?”
“You know very well I have written on a broad range
of subjects, not just stories related to real historical events or persons. I
do not need to defend my work.”
Ernest smiled and raised his glass in tribute of her
accomplishments. It was probably more in his appreciation of a woman who
exemplified his own persona – strong-minded, adventurous, and passionate about her
craft. The wise fisherman was no match for this marlin, at least not this time.
“And don’t forget,” I said. “While you published The
Old Man and The Sea in 1952, for which you later won the Nobel Prize,
Taylor had written The Devil’s Advocate, set in
a dystopia where North America came under Communist rule.”
Ernest leaned back in his chair and took another sip of
his drink. Then he began to talk about his time in Cuba and in Paris and in
Spain. Taylor raised her hand. Ernest
stopped and remained
quiet. She then leaned forward towards him and said, “Don’t let the past steal
your present.”
The place fell in deafening silence as if everyone
had heard our conversation. I broke the stillness with my own curiosity about
their work.
“Papa, did writing come easy for you?” He shifted
in his seat and cleared his throat as if ready to respond in an interview with
a seasoned journalist.
“Writing is something that you can never do as well
as it can be done,” he said. “It is a perpetual challenge, and it is more
difficult than anything else that I have ever done—so I do it. And it makes me
happy when I do it well.”
Then I turned to Taylor. “You have always been
outspoken which is reflected in your intricately plotted, suspenseful stories
depicting family tensions. Much of this stemmed from your childhood. Would you
agree?”
“To some extent,” she replied. “As you know, I
emigrated to the U.S. with my parents and younger brother in 1907. Shortly
after my father died and the family struggled. I think I tapped into those
experiences and wrote them in my stories.”
“I believe you started to write at the age of eight
and wrote your first novel when you were twelve.”
She smiled. Then, as if the memories surfaced, her
smile faded. “My ill health prevented me from doing many things, except writing
of course. I buried myself in writing and the world knew little about me. Many
presumed I or rather the author, was a man. That was my first editor’s doing,
giving me a pen name. When my identity was eventually made known there was even
some public fuss over it.”
“Did that experience change how you thought about
people?”
“The nature of human beings never changes.
Political fads come and go; theories rise and fall; the scientific truth of
today becomes the discarded error of tomorrow. Man’s ideas change, but not his
inherent nature. That remains.”
My eyes darted towards Ernest who sat with his hand
on his chin, and I could tell he learned something new about Taylor.
“OK, now please humour me,” I said. I reached into
my pocket and pulled out three pens, one for each of us. I then took out a
piece of paper, ripped it in three and distributed them. I had obviously planned
for this moment.
I continued. “If we were stranded on an island and brought
with us only one book, what would it be? Write it down, fold the paper and pass
it to me.”
They were pensive at first. But then, in unison,
they wrote down their answer and handed it to me. I also wrote mine. I unfolded
each one and placed them on the table for us to see which book we would have had
brought with us.
Taylor wrote, The Old Man and The Sea. Ernest
wrote, The Devil’s Advocate. I wrote, The Final Crossing.
We laughed and laughed. We ate and drank. We
savoured the evening until the place had emptied, except for three revelling
authors.
And the fantasy ended.
What a fun post. I know I have read The Old Man and The Sea, but the others….I’ll be checking. I loved the post and you made it so enjoyable, Vince. Thank you very much.
The Final Crossing: A Tale of Self-Discovery and Adventure by Vince Santoro
GENRE: Historical Fiction
BLURB
In this tale of self-discovery and adventure,
we are connected with a history we’ve come to know as the cradle of
civilization.
Nenshi, an Egyptian house servant, raised in
nobility, is well-schooled, a master huntsman and hungers to be free. His
master agrees to grant his freedom but while the petition is set to be heard,
Nenshi’s indiscretion gets in the way. He is caught in a secret love affair
with a woman above his social status.
As punishment, he is exiled to labour in the Nubian
gold mines. His life turns upside down as he is thrust into a world for which
he had been ill prepared. He escapes from the mines and vows to return to
Thebes, but his attempts push him farther and farther away on a journey that
redefines him – a journey mired with cruelty, bloodshed, and the discovery of a
new deity.
In the end Nenshi learns his freedom has been
granted and must decide whether to return to his homeland or start a new life.
“I greatly enjoyed this well written story by
Vince Santoro. He takes us across the Ancient World
through the protagonist, Nenshi, an exiled Egyptian
servant who struggles with class structure, both around and within himself.
Santoro weaves a story of ideas – a sense of belonging, monotheism, and the
human soul – told through Nenshi’s rite of passage through to his final
crossing. The setting is visually evocative of “spirit of place” as
the novelist and travel writer Lawrence Durrell called it. It’s a story worth
reading.” – Terry Stanfill
Award winning historical fiction author of The Gift
from Fortuny, Realms of Gold, The Blood Remembers and other works.
“Vince Santoro is a gifted storyteller. I
found The Final Crossing difficult to put down because it is
well written. As an historian and author of
non-fiction books, I am impressed with the amount of research that Santoro has
done to prepare this story of adventure and romance set in the ancient Middle
East. The customs, the beliefs and even the character names are all authentic
to that region and era. With so many plot twists and turns, Santoro will keep
you guessing about what might happen next to the protagonist until the very
end!” – John Charles Corrigan
Author of The Red Knight and “Love
Always”
EXCERPT
Twilight was fast approaching, and they returned to the trail.
From a distance they saw an abundance of trees and vegetation that sprung from
the hard soil. Moments later, they heard rushing water. A twisting river
murmured. It called out and invited them to consume its wealth. Nenshi and
Aziza went to explore it.
Aziza stopped and kneeled to examine small flowers in bloom.
On the river’s edge Nenshi bent over and splashed water on his face. He cupped
his hands and drank its cool refreshing offering. Rocks jutted out from the
shallow water. He heard footsteps and threw a glance behind him. Aziza, ran
towards him, as free as the wind blew, eager to jump into the river. Nenshi
screamed from the top of his lungs to warn her.
“Aziza … Aziza … be careful, the water is shallow! There
are rocks!”
Her excitement muffled his warning. Nenshi then stood,
flapped his arms to get her attention. She pushed her legs hard against the
water to run faster until it was just deep enough to jump in.
“Aziza …. Aziza … stop …” Nenshi cried. Aziza took another
step but this time slipped and almost fell. She tried to regain balance and
continued moving forward. Nenshi gasped hoping she realized the danger and
would stop. But she didn’t and it was too late. She slipped again, fell and hit
a rock. Nenshi immediately ran to her, stepping and slipping on rocks that
almost caused him to lose balance. Babak who had heard Nenshi’s cries dashed to
the river. Nenshi crouched over the wet and motionless body.
“Help me get her out,” Nenshi cried out as he lifted her,
propped her head and shoulders in his arms. Blood, washed by the water, dripped
from her head.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Vince is an Italian-born Canadian who grew up in Toronto,
Canada, and now lives in Pickering, a suburb of Toronto.
In his youth, education and sports became a priority. A private
boys’ school, St. Michael’s College in Toronto, provided the opportunity for
both. He graduated from York University, Toronto, with a degree in history and
a minor in behavioural science.
Vince was always up for new challenges. After completing his
studies, he set his eyes on Europe and played professional basketball in Italy.
When he returned home, he shifted gears and worked in the aerospace industry in
several capacities. The most rewarding was managing internal communications for
a large aircraft manufacturer. It was during this time he decided to hone his
writing skills by studying journalism at Ryerson University, Toronto, and he
had several articles published.
His career in communications along with studies in history and
journalism prepared him to take on his next challenge: to write a book. His
debut novel, The Final Crossing, has been a labour of love, one he worked on
for many years. It reflects life experiences, woven into a story that inspires
and entertains, and perhaps even show the world in a different way.
I first saw the Mind Hackers series when a tour popped up for Dark Waves, a novella, by Amanda Uhl for Goddess Fish. I have Mind Waves, Book I, and Cross Waves, Book II, that I hope to get through before the Goddess Fish tour for Dark Waves, which is a companion novella.
Ever since I read about governments having paranormal research programs for real, books like the Mind Hackers series jump out at me.
Prologue: David has worked for CMU, the US government’s Cognitive Mind Unit for seventeen years. The mind hackers work as a team with a trainer. David and Meg infiltrate minds, implant thought and steal secrets. This is to be their last mission, but…
Grace meets David at a job interview. Though she didn’t get the job, David hires her to create one of her glass mosaics for his family’s lake cottage. To make sure she will commit to the project, he tells her House Trends would be showcasing the process.
In a way, it was creepy, the way he manipulated her right from the getgo. I sure wouldn’t like it, but she really does know what’s going on.
I love that she works with beach glass. I too have walked many beaches, looking for those treasured and rare pieces.
Since Meg’s death, David had been in seclusion, but now he has to confront his enemy. A mind blowing villain who is reckless, ruthless, determined, willing to sacrifice any who get in his way. A power hungry rogue hacker has his sights on him. Why? Is Grace in danger? What makes her special to both of them? Poor Grace…caught in the middle and doesn’t even know it.
A mind blowing villain who is reckless, ruthless, determined, willing to sacrifice any who get in his way.
I am loving Mind Waves. Terrifying. Hopeful. Sweet. I love all intrigue. Complex writing, yet so easy to read, flowing smoothly, yet rapidly drawing me in, wanting…no, needing to know what will happen next. How will it end?
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Mind Waves by Amanda Uhl.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
If he can control her mind… Government operative David Jenkins is skilled at controlling his emotions. Feelings are lethal when your job is to infiltrate minds, erase and implant thoughts, and guard the nation’s intellectual capital. But even he can’t fight his strange attraction to Grace Woznisky. He’ll do whatever it takes to protect her from a madman intent on possessing both their minds. Neither suspect their dangerous enemy has a larger motive, and David may be Grace’s only chance for survival.
Can he control her heart? All freelance artist Grace wants is steady-paying work and to see her flighty sister to the altar. But after David offers her a job, she finds herself in the middle of a mental tug of war—one that has her reeling from nightmares and fighting for her life. She must decide: Are her growing feelings for her new boss authentic, or is she a victim of his mind-altering abilities?
ABOUT AMANDA UHL
Award-winning author Amanda Uhl has always had a fascination with the
mystical. Having drawn her first breath in a century home rumored to be
haunted, you might say she was “born” into it. After a brief stint in
college as a paid psychic, Amanda graduated with a bachelor of fine arts
in theatre and a master’s degree in marketing. Over the past twenty
years, she has worked as an admissions representative and graphic
designer, owned her own freelance writing company, and managed
communications for several Fortune 500 companies, most recently
specializing in cyber security. Amanda is an avid reader and writes
fast-paced, paranormal romantic suspense and humorous contemporary
romance from her home in Cleveland, Ohio. When she’s not reading or
writing, you can find Amanda with her husband and three children,
gathering beach glass on the Lake Erie shoreline or biking in Cuyahoga
Valley National Park. Visit her online at www.amandauhl.com.
Aiden
has always felt like an outsider. After the rebel assassin is captured and
imprisoned by the world’s galactic overlords, he awaits execution. Then a mole
working for the occupying regime alerts him to a plot that could destroy the
entire resistance…
Engineering a daring
escape, Aiden’s growing feud with the new rebel leader leaves him out in the
cold and smouldering with resentment. Faced with deceit and betrayals on every
side, he recruits a group of overlooked outcasts and stakes everything on one
last mission.
Can the restless, reckless Aiden take a stand long enough to save humanity from enslavement?
EXCERPT
Nothing. Clean as a whistle. Until my massive hand grasped
hold of something, something which must have blended into its background so
perfectly that I hadn’t even spotted it. Something alive, nestling under the
co-pilot’s seat. I couldn’t believe it. A live gromeline. Trembling, possibly
with fury, and trying in vain to squeeze back. Grabbing my trophy – I could
feel its hot little heart throbbing like an injury against my palm – I hopped
out of the plane so fast that my wound protested.
‘Bully!’
Bully raised one eyebrow. Two would have been overkill.
‘Bully, you are not going to believe this. I found a
gromeline!’ The gromeline – only about fifteen centimetres – bit my finger,
hard, even though I could have easily crushed its entire body with my fist –
and probably would have, had I been a tester, and not merely disguised as one.
Feisty little gromeline. I flicked it lightly with my
sausage-sized finger. When it protested, I growled, ‘Cheese it, munchkin,’
though I could feel it struggling obstreperously against my palm.
Bully was intrigued. ‘Is it genuine?’ ‘Of course it’s
genuine. It just bit me, didn’t it?’
Bully probably considered this no proof. But they’re rarer
than clean air these days and his fascination was obvious. Now gromelines come
from the farthest galaxy so far discovered, can speak any tongue and own
enviable mental powers. They are also brave to the point of stupidity and
ludicrously small. This one was mouse-coloured – they can be spectacular – with
tiny red eyes. Few humans have ever seen one.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Alice
(Spaulding Taylor) McVeigh has been published by Orion/Hachette in contemporary
fiction, by Unbound Publishing in action/adventure and by Warleigh Hall Press
in Austenesque fiction. Her novels have won Gold Medal/First Place is the
Global, eLit and Pencraft Book Awards, been runner-up in the Independent Press
Awards, finalists in the Eric Hoffer, Rone and Wishing Shelf Book Awards and
selected by Shelf Unbound as one of the “top indies” of 2021. Two of
her novels are currently finalists in the CIBA Book Awards (the Cygnus and
Goethe Awards). Her most recent novel (Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation) was just
selected as Editors’ Pick “outstanding” on Publishers Weekly.
A professional
London cellist, Alice lives in London and Crete with her professor husband:
their only child is completing her Masters in Chinese Literature. They also
share two miniature long-haired dachshunds and an incurable addiction to
tennis.
A coveted award…a missing Maltese…and a
cheating ex… Can Trisha Campbell survive this year’s dog show competition in
Last Chance Beach, much less walk away without a broken heart?
If there’s one thing vet tech Trisha Campbell
knows, it’s dogs. Men, however, not so much. Especially ever since catching her
ex-boyfriend, Miami P.D. Landon Prescott, kissing her arch-nemesis, Blythe
Baker, at last year’s dog show after Blythe’s pup Princess took home the grand
prize. Needless to say, Trisha’s not looking forward to seeing either of them
again at this year’s competition in Last Chance Beach, even if her beloved
Maltese, Chloe, is a front-runner for the coveted trophy.
Soon after arriving on the island for the week-long
event, Princess goes missing and everyone fingers Trisha as the dog-napper
since her pooch is Princess’ main opponent. With not only the prize money but
also her reputation at stake, Trisha’s willing to join forces with none other
than her cheating ex. Can she and Landon figure out a way to work together to
catch the culprit and find the missing Maltese before the whole competition
goes straight to the dogs? And what happens when they find themselves alone
together at last?
EXCERPT
“I can’t believe this!” Trisha said as Landon steered her
back toward the boardwalk. “Am I really a suspect?”
“No,” he said firmly. “I know you, Trisha. You love animals
and you believe in fairness. I know you’d never steal, much less harm, Blythe’s
dog. I’m sure your name will be cleared officially once Graham has a chance to touch
base with Mrs. Butterworth.”
“Thank you,” she said, relieved. “At least you believe me.”
“Of course,” he said. “Always.”
They walked a little while in silence, processing the turn
of events.
“So, I guess you’ve probably figured out that Blythe and I
are not together?” Landon asked, breaking the silence.
Trisha nodded. “Yes, I got that,” she said. “But I still
don’t want to talk about what happened last year.”
He blew out a breath of frustration. “I really wish you’d
let me explain.”
“Look, I’m suddenly being investigated as a dog-napper!” she
cried, eyes filling with tears. “I’m a veterinary technician! This is my
reputation! And you know the rumor mill – people are going to suspect that I
had something to do with this no matter what until Princess gets found. This
could jeopardize my career!”
“Okay, okay, you win,” Landon said. “I’m sorry. You’re
right, finding Blythe’s dog and clearing your name is the main priority right
now. Please say you’ll least let me help?” His dark eyes were pleading. How
could she resist?
“I think I need all the help I can get right now,” she said.
“Even from you.”
He smiled in response. “You won’t regret this,” he said.
But the pull in her heart told her she already did.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Author
Annee Jones loves to write all things romance, fantasy, cozy mystery, &
more. She is passionate about writing stories where dreams come true, and love
wins in the end!
Professionally,
Annee works as a disability counselor where she helps her clients navigate
through complex medical and legal systems while rediscovering their wholeness
in Spirit.
Subscribe
to Annee’s newsletter to stay up to date on new releases, sneak peeks, author
parties, and exclusive giveaways: https://www.anneejones.com/newsletter
Eight years ago, the
wicked witch held Hansel Lucas Jaeger and his sister, Melrose, captive. They
barely escaped with their lives. Now, with high school, a garage band, and a
part time job, Lucas finally feels normal.
But everything changes
when Lucas sees his awkward, loner sister, hanging out with Star, one of the
hot and hated popular girls known as The Bitches. At first, he’s just confused,
but when he sees the tarot cards between them, he’s reminded of the curse the
witch cast on Melrose.
His fears escalate when
Star warns him about two witches from school who plan on using his sister for a
ritual. Lucas wants to trust Star; he needs someone to confide in since Melrose
thinks his fear of witchcraft is irrational. But Star is unpredictable and has
toyed with his emotions before.
As Lucas searches for
answers, more mysteries begin to unravel about Melrose’s childhood, Star’s
motives, and his own family legacy. Lucas will have to make life and death
decisions; but whom can he trust, and how do you rescue someone who doesn’t
want to be saved?
EXCERPT
Melrose sat on the bed across from someone with bouncy,
blonde hair that flowed down her back. When the girl turned and flashed a smile
at Lucas, goosebumps rose from his feet to his face. He did a little head jerk
to move the hair out of his eyes, but yeah, Star, the hottest girl at
Tangleforest High, was in his house, casual, like his sister’s room was a
normal place to hang out.
Be cool, he told himself. “What’s up?” He looked to see what
homework they had, thinking a tutoring session was the only sane explanation
for Star’s visit. But instead of books or paper, a few oversized cards were
laid out on the bed. A second ticked by before he realized what type of cards.
Tarot. Immediately, the tension he’d felt earlier returned. “What are y’all
doing?”
“Playing a fortune telling game,” Melrose said innocently.
Lucas’ adrenaline started to pump, and suddenly his ears
buzzed, the details from the past erupting through his head in a concentrated
instant: swirls of color, lost in the trees, gingerbread house of horror, the
witch, the cage, the curse. “The hell you are.” He stormed across the room and
with one quick whoosh, the cards went flying off the bed.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Dorlana Vann
loves taking elements from fairy tales (characters, mood, moral, plot) and
mixing them with a paranormal element and then dropping them in a contemporary
setting.
She has several
supernatural fairy tale inspired stories, including novels, a short story
collection, and Kindle Vella series. Her latest adventure is A Witchy Fairy
Tale series; book 1: Potion.
Besides
writing, life is all about family, food, book-club, BBQ team, festivals, trivia
(even though she’s horrible at it), and drinking on patios – All of which she
shares on Instagram 😊
