Category Archives: Uncategorized

“SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS”: Video Interview and Giveaway

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“SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS”
by Dina Gachman
Grief & Bereavement / Love & Loss / Parenting & Relationships Publisher: Union Square & Co. Page Count: 240 pages Publication Date: April 11, 2023
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A heartfelt exploration about what it means to process grief, by a bestselling author and journalist whose experience with two devastating losses inspired her to bring comfort and understanding to others.
Since losing her mother to cancer in 2018 and her sister to alcoholism less than three years later, author and journalist Dina Gachman has dedicated herself to understanding what it means to grieve, healing after loss, and the ways we stay connected to those we miss. Through a mix of personal storytelling, reporting, and insight from experts and even moments of humor, Gachman gives readers a fresh take on grief and bereavement—whether the loss is a family member, beloved pet, or a romantic relationship. No one wants to join the grief club, since membership comes with zero perks, but So Sorry for Your Loss will make that initiation just a little less painful.
In the spirit of Elizabeth Kubler Ross books like On Grief and Grieving, or C.S. Lewis’s A Grief Observed, So Sorry for Your Loss is the perfect gift for someone who is grieving. With her blend of personal experiences, expert advice, and just a little bit of humor, Gachman has provided a compassionate and compelling resource for anyone looking for grief books.
PRAISE FOR SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS: “Gachman perceptively puts words to the uncomfortable realities of loss…and deconstructs its social myths, helping readers feel less alone. Those facing loss will find solace here.” —Publishers Weekly “So Sorry for Your Loss is a monument to the work of remembering and a testament to the immutable love of family and the grief that forever changes us.” —Lauren Hough, New York Times bestselling author of Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing “So Sorry for Your Loss is a meditation on loss that reminds us how to go on living.” —Deirdre Fagan, author of Find a Place for Me and The Grief Eaters
CLICK TO PURCHASE ON:

“Dina Gachman Mastering Grief Through Writing”

On Open to Hope podcast, hosted by Drs Gloria and Heidi Horsley

View on YouTube

Dina Gachman is a Pulitzer Center Grantee and a frequent contributor to the New York Times, Vox, Texas Monthly, and more. She’s a New York Times bestselling ghostwriter and the author of Brokenomics: 50 Ways to Live the Dream on a Dime. She lives near Austin, Texas, with her husband and son. Photo credit Jessica Comiskey.
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Winning Maura’s Heart: Excerpt and Giveaway

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WINNING MAURA’S HEART
The Hangman’s Daughters Series, Book # 1
by
LINDA BRODAY
Western Romance / Clean & Wholesome / Historical Fiction
Publisher: Severn House
Date of Publication: March 7, 2023
Number of Pages: 256 pages
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The Calhoun brothers are identical twins but on opposite sides of the law. Cutter is a deputy Marshal, Jonas an outlaw. When Cutter attempts to break his brother out of a notorious gang, they are shot, and Maura finds one of them wounded, close to the mission – but which brother is it?
Maura Taggart is an outcast, the daughter of a hangman and tainted by association – no reputable man wants her as his wife. And now she is homeless, along with her sister and the group of children in their care. Armed with pure grit, she finds a nearby mission where the nuns agree to take them in and set up an orphanage. But trouble is just around the corner . . .
As the stranger regains his strength under Maura’s care an attraction between them grows, yet how far can she trust him? And why has he brought trouble to their door? With the orphanage under threat can Maura trust this handsome stranger both with their safety and with her heart?
UNIVERSAL PURCHASE LINK:


Excerpt from Winning Maura’s Heart

By Linda Broday


Maura lifted her chin. “Does the name Lucius Taggart mean anything?”

Calhoun reeled from the shock. “The hangman is your father?”

This answered everything—why they started the orphanage so far from town, Emma’s shorn hair, the reason neither girl had ever married. 

“Good Lord!” He ran a hand across his eyes.

“So you see why things are the way they are. Keep your pretty words and compliments and save them for someone with a use for them.”

Calhoun threw his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. “Look here, Maura Taggart. I’m not in the habit of paying lip service. Not with you or anyone. I mean what I say, and I meant every word, every compliment. There’s only one thing keeping me from courting you and it’s not your father.” He gave a snort. “I don’t give two hoots about Lucius Taggart.”

“Others have said the same thing but they all left.” Maura lifted her head, her voice quiet. “Forgive me, but I don’t believe you. I’m too old to play games, Calhoun. I’m smart enough to know that life has passed me by.”

“Only if you let it. You’ll never get anywhere by sitting down and giving up.”

“Give up?” she asked sharply. “Is that what you think? We’ve fought hard for everything we’ve gotten. Fought for the right to survive, to take up room on this earth. Wiped spit off our faces and walked away with heads held high. That’s not giving up. But there comes a time when a woman has to face reality.”

She had a point, but he couldn’t accept it.

He got to his feet and hobbled to her in his stocking feet. He placed his hands on her shoulders. “How’s this for reality? I like you and I like spending time with you and no, it has nothing to do with you patching me up. I’m not confusing gratitude with the closeness I feel with you. The only thing that is keeping me from courting you is the fact I have some dangerous business to take care of. The kind that might get me killed. Not only me, but everyone standing close and I won’t do that to you. Understand?”

“I’m trying. In the meantime, I can’t let false hopes take root.” Her voice dropped to an anguished whisper, “That would finish me. Better to have no hope at all.”

“Lady, when I get this settled and I still draw breath, I’m coming back.”

“I can see you mean that.” She put a hand to her throat. “You have to get well before you can ride out and that might be a while.”

“You’re telling me. It’s all I can do to get to the door right now.”

A teasing glint sparkled in her blue eyes. At least the sadness was gone. “See? And you’re talking about walking over to the mission.”

“That’s going to be more than talk. I am going to do that, with or without your help. So there. I’ll go stark raving mad if I have to spend another meal in this room by myself. I want to meet these kids, get acquainted with the nuns. I want to see Baby Juliette and the new puppy and all sorts of things you’ve told me about.” He lowered his voice and lifted a tendril of her hair that escaped from the loose knot on top of her head. “But most of all, I want to sit with you at the table and eat a meal. That’s going to be icing on the cake.”

“Then I should get moving.” She glanced at his boots on the floor. “I guess I’m going to have to help you get those on or you’ll be tearing your stitches out again.”

“That’s the God’s honest truth.”

“Okay then. Sit in the chair, Mr. Stubborn.”

“At least I did get my socks on by myself.” He sat down. “I’m not real sure how we’re going to do this. I can pull on one side with my good right arm and maybe you can pull on the other.”

“We can try it.” 

Calhoun wondered if she realized how close she’d have to get. As hard as they were to get on, there wasn’t any other way. 

And what would that do to his sanity? 

With the fragrance of Lily of the Valley drifting around him, Maura positioned herself and leaned over grabbing the top of his boot. Mere inches away, her nearness had him struggling for breath. 

Both of them tugged but only got his foot in about halfway. Trying again, she leaned down further until she was almost in his lap, pulling and yanking as hard as she could.

His yearning body tried to betray him. He closed his eyes. Not now.

“I’m going to get this on one way or the other.” She blew back a strand of fallen hair.

Before he knew it, she threw her leg across his lap and sat with her back to him. Reaching down, she put her fingers in the loops and gave a big yank. That did it.

“Thank God for a woman who doesn’t give up on boots,” he murmured. The temptation to touch her, to put his hands around her waist, rose up with a strong need that surprised even him.

However, before he could blink, she removed herself from his lap. Her cheeks were bright red. “I’m sorry, but that’s the only way to get them on.”

“Do you hear me complaining?” Darn his grin that tried its best to form. “Only one more to go.”



I’m a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of western romance novels and short stories. Watching TV westerns during my youth fed my love of cowboys and the old West and they still do. On a still day, I can often hear the voices of American Indians, Comancheros, and early cowboys whispering in the breeze here on the high West Texas plains. We refer to this land as “cowboy” country and men here still ride the range just as cowboys of old. My stories focus on family life and almost all have children.
 
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THREE WINNERS:
GRAND PRIZE: tote including signed copy of Winning Maura’s Heart, strawberry & chocolate tea, Cowgirl hand lotion, bath bombs, personalized cup;
2nd Prize: eBook copy Winning Maura’s Heart;
3rd Prize: $15 Amazon gift card
(US only; ends midnight, CDT, 4/14/23)

Brutal Season: Cover Reveal and Book Blitz

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BRUTAL SEASON
The Seasons Mysteries Series #4
BY MARYANN MILLER
Police Procedural / Mystery
Publisher: MCM Enterprises
Coming April 10, 2023
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Eighteen-year-old Jamel Frederickson is shot and killed by a white, rookie Dallas police officer. His crime? Being black and mentally ill.
Following that unwarranted death, anger, and violence erupts on the streets, leading to the murders of two protestors who were marching around the downtown federal building.
Detectives Sarah Kingsly and Angel Johnson are thrust into the investigation of those murders, while desperately clinging to the threads of their partnership.
The shootings also raise questions about whether the alt-right white supremacists that invaded the city with their guns and inflammatory rhetoric are responsible.
Will more people get killed?
Is there more than one person out there with an agenda?
When a member of the team, Ryan O’Donnell, is shot while attempting to prevent looting, the tension in the city, and the department, ratchets up even higher. And it deeply affects Angel who’s been pretending she really isn’t falling for this white man.
Angel joins the protests to take a stand against racism in the city and within the department; an action that puts her job, her relationship with Ryan, and her fragile partnership with Sarah at risk.
For her part, Sarah comes to realize that she is not as enlightened as she thought she was, and both women just hope they can come through the personal and professional challenges and end up with something that resembles a true partnership.
While catching the killers in the process.

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR BRUTAL SEASON “In the compelling fourth installment of the Seasons Mystery series, Miller once again tackles difficult subjects in this absorbing, page-turning crime thriller.”
—Carrie Rubin, author of Fatal Rounds, a Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize Finalist

CLICK TO PRE-ORDER

Maryann Miller, an award-winning author, has been in love with storytelling since she was a child and used to scare her sister with stories of the monsters in the cellar.
When she grew up, she started her professional career as a journalist, writing newspaper columns, feature stories, and short fiction for regional and national publications. Her novels are primarily mysteries, with an occasional mainstream novel thrown into the mix.
Miller is the recipient of the Page Edwards Short Story Award for her story Maybe Someday and the New York Library Best Books for Teens Award for her nonfiction book, Coping with Weapons And Violence In School and On Your Streets. Her mystery, Doubletake, was honored as the Best Mystery by the Texas Association of Authors. She took first place in the short story and screenwriting competition at the Houston Writer’s Conference and was a semi-finalist at Sundance for her script “A Question of Honor.” She was also a semi-finalist in the Chesterfield Screenwriting Competition with the adaptation of Open Season, the first book in the Seasons Mystery Series.
When not writing, Miller loves to play on stage and play in her garden. She lives in Texas with her dog and three cats. The cats rule.
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FIRST: $50 Amazon gift card
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SECOND: Signed copies of the first three books in the series.
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Liberty Bell and the Last American: Notable Quotes and Giveaway

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LIBERTY BELL AND
THE LAST AMERICAN
by
James Stoddard

Alternative History / Science Fiction
Pages: 347 pages
Publication Date: April 4, 2021
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Americans love their Constitution. In seventeen-year-old Liberty Bell’s era it has become a myth.
Centuries after the Great Blackout obliterates the world’s digitized information, America’s history is forgotten. Only confused legends remain, written in The Americana, a book depicting a golden age where famous Americans from different eras lived and interacted with one another during the same time.
Raised on the stories and ideals from The Americana, Liberty Bell joins secret agent Antonio Ice on a quest for her country. But in the Old Forest, forgotten technologies are reawakening. Historic figures such as Albert Einstein, Harriet Tubman, and Thomas Jefferson are coming to life.
The source of their return, a mystery hidden since before the apocalypse, lies waiting for Liberty. Her knowledge of The Americana holds the key to unraveling the riddles of the past.
Will the American continent return to the freedom of Liberty’s forefathers? Or will it descend into a dark age of tyranny? The choices she makes will determine its fate. For, as The Americana says, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it—and forfeit all coupons, discounts, and travel miles.”
Filled with quotations from exceptional Americans, here is a humorous and poignant celebration of America and its Constitution.
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NOTABLE QUOTABLES from

LIBERTY BELL AND THE LAST AMERICAN 

By James Stoddard



In this book, the heroine, Liberty Bell, and her traveling companion, Antonio Ice, meet a number of characters from the past. Much of their dialogue includes their actual quotes. Here are a few of them, along with other quotes from the book. Those quotations which I invented are in italics.


“In the days of the Founders, lightning destroyed whole cities; Pecos Bill the Stormchaser used to tame them, riding the winds on his winged stallion, Mobile.” —Liberty Bell

***


“Don’t hit a man at all if you can possibly avoid it, but if you do hit him, put him to sleep.” —Teddy Roosevelt

***


“We might see almost anything in the land of Lucy Anna: the Old Faithful One walked these woods, his breath blowing steam; the ancient mines, Carl’s Bad Caverns, are hidden here, long abandoned by Snow White and the 49ers. We might run across the White Sands of the Nuklars or the ruins of the Golden Arches.” —Liberty Bell

***


“Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” —George Washington


***


“True patriotism is never misplaced, Miss Bell. It is the love of country tempered by an unswerving passion for justice.” —Jesse James (not the one you’re thinking of)

***


“If I could have convinced more slaves that they were slaves, I could have freed thousands more.”  —Harriet Tubman


***


“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” —Thomas Edison


***


“When we were kids, my dad used to tell us if we didn’t go to bed, Santa Claws would fly down from Canada and take us to the Twilight Zone.” —Antonio Ice




James Stoddard’s short fiction has appeared in science fiction publications such as “Amazing Stories” and “The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.” “The Battle of York” was included in Eos Books’ Years Best SF 10, and “The First Editions” appeared in The Year’s Best Fantasy 9 from Tor Books. His novel, “The High House” won the Compton Crook Award for best fantasy by a new novelist and was nominated for several other awards. He lives with his wife in a winding canyon in West Texas.

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THREE WINNERS:
2 winners each receive a Signed Paperback copy of
LIBERTY BELL AND THE LAST AMERICAN
1 winner receives a $25 B&N eGift card
(U.S. only; ends at midnight, 11/4/22.)

FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY,
OR VISIT THE PARTICIPATING BLOGS DIRECTLY:

10/25/22

Hall Ways Blog

Author Audio

10/25/22

The Page Unbound

Notable Quotables

10/26/22

Bibliotica

Review

10/26/22

LSBBT Blog

BONUS Promo

10/27/22

It’s Not All Gravy

Guest Post

10/27/22

Boys’ Mom Reads!

Review

10/28/22

The Book’s Delight

Excerpt

10/28/22

Reading by Moonlight

Review

10/29/22

StoreyBook Reviews

Review

10/30/22

The Plain-Spoken Pen

Review

10/31/22

Shelf Life Blog

Review

11/01/22

Forgotten Winds

Author Interview

11/01/22

Jennie Reads

Review

11/02/22

Rox Burkey Blog

Review

11/03/22

Chapter Break Book Blog

Review

11/03/22

Book Fidelity

Review
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Paper Targets: Interview and Giveaway

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PAPER TARGETS

by Patricia Watts

Suspense / Literary Fiction / Women’s Fiction Publisher: Atmosphere Press Pages: 324 pages Publication Date: May 3, 2022

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Everyone knew that Roanne never got angry­—until the night she killed her ex-husband and herself.

Roanne, a nice, suburban lady in her sixties who works at a Hallmark shop and volunteers at the Food Bank in Round Rock, Texas, calls her lifelong friend, Connie, confesses to murder, then puts the gun to her own head. Connie, spurred by Roanne’s last words about a lifetime of unspoken rage, sets aside her work as a cozy mystery writer and cupcake shop owner to confront the men who have stolen her dignity while she remained silent, including a bully brother, a rapist, and an ex-spouse.

On a journey to reclaim her inner power and to make peace with the loss of her treasured friend, Connie’s mission is to avoid the same tragic path as Roanne, but she takes along a gun, just in case.

With pathos and humor, Paper Targets, by Patricia Watts, calls us to speak our own narratives, even when it is uncomfortable or risky, and shows us the magnificence of a friendship that transcends time.

CLICK TO PURCHASE!

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INTERVIEWS WITH 

ROANNE AND CONNIE, CHARACTERS IN 

PAPER TARGETS

BY PATRICIA WATTS



MC ROANNE is interviewed about Connie


Q. Roanne, if you had to pick one word to describe Connie, what would it be?

Brave. She stood up to all those guys: the ones who bullied her, abused her, betrayed her, let her down. She did what I couldn’t do.


Q What makes Connie a good friend?

She’s never judged me. I cheated on Johnny. I ended Johnny’s life, for God’s sake. I wrecked my relationship with my kids. I didn’t stick around for her. She’s loved me through it all, just the same from beginning to end.

 

Q. What is the best moment you have had together?

Every moment! I don’t see a scene in my life —or even afterlife—when she’s not there. 


Q. What is the worst moment?

That night on the phone, of course. The night I couldn’t live anymore.


Q. What is Connie’s biggest accomplishment?

First, she’s a great mom. Look at Daniel. Who could ask for a better son? And a wonderful grandma. And, also first, she found her powerful self, took her a while, but wow!


Q. What is something you regret or wish you could change about your relationship?

I wished we could have stayed close, not in miles, necessarily, but close the way we were as girls, safe with each other.  I know that’s naïve, but… 


Q. What is the one piece of advice you would like to give Connie? 

Take a chance on love. Fall head over heels, no matter if you land on your face, smash yourself up. It really is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.




MC CONNIE is interviewed about Roanne


Q. Connie, if you had to pick one word to describe Roanne, what would it be?

Nice, nice, nice. If it’s possible to be too nice, that’s Roanne in a nutshell. She always puts everyone else first without asking for anything in return. 


Q What makes Roanne a good friend?

She’s always there for me, no matter what. We don’t always agree on things, but we never fight. Who could fight with Roanne? It would be like kicking a puppy.


Q. What is the best moment you have had together?

This is going to sound crazy because maybe it was the stupidest thing we ever did together, but I’ll always remember that night of the Queen concert in Houston, just before Roanne married Johnny. Yes, we got stoned, maybe not a brilliant choice, yes, it was not the best of ideas to shack up with those guys. Eating that whole apple pie not the smartest decision either. But up to that night, we had been together since we were fifteen, just us, going back and forth to each other’s houses when we were girls, sharing an apartment after we left home. Our lives were inseparable, and it seemed impossible that could ever end, but it was about to end. It wasn’t going to be just us anymore. That night was the last time. It was the most precious moment. I can still see Roanne sitting across that table from me at that diner, and I can taste every bite of that pie, like savoring all the times we had together.


Q. What is the worst moment?

That night on the phone, of course. The moment she fell from the world, and I couldn’t catch her.


Q. What is something you regret or wish you could change about your relationship?

I’m ashamed to admit it, but sometimes I was jealous of Roanne. She would’ve never guessed, never seen herself as anyone to be jealous of. She was so pretty, tall, blonde, Barbie doll. She got the attention from the guys. I was the sidekick. She had the ideal life—or so I thought—a man who loved her, kids, home, and it was all enough for her. She was always counting her blessings, not agonizing over what she didn’t have. That’s what I envied most about her. What a horrible thing for a friend to feel!


Q. What do you think is Roanne’s biggest accomplishment?

She’s a great mom. In spite of the rift between her and Zoe, she never stopped reaching out. That is truly unconditional love with no bounds.


Q. What is the one piece of advice you would like to give Roanne? 

Be nice to yourself for a change. Make it all about you just once. Stand in your spotlight. Mother Teresa gave and gave and never asked for anything for herself, but she did get the Nobel Peace Prize, didn’t she? 


Patricia Watts worked as a journalist for more than 20 years for newspapers in Texas, Hawaii, and Alaska. Following her news career, she tried her skill as a paralegal and then spent ten years investigating discrimination cases for the Alaska Human Rights Commission. Her novels include: Ghost Light and The Big Empty, crime mysteries co-written with Alaska author Stan Jones; The Frayer, suspense noir; and Watchdogs, a steamy thriller. Her home base is San Diego. She earned her B.A. in journalism at Humboldt State in California. She is the mother of a son and daughter and has eight grandchildren.

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Deadly Keepsakes: Book Blitz and Giveaway!

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DEADLY KEEPSAKES
A Tori Winters Mystery
by
ANITA DICKASON
NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!
MYSTERY
Publisher: Mystic Circle Books
Coming July 10, 2022
Number of Pages: 360 pages
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The past becomes the future. Secrets that can kill!
After someone tries to kill her, Tori Winters is on the run. Looking for a place to hide, a mysterious phone call about a vague inheritance seems to be the answer. After all, who would think of looking for her in Granbury, a small quaint Texas town. Instead, her life is about to spin into an existence where nothing is as it seems. The historic house she inherits has secrets. Ones she’s been warned can kill. A stranger in a strange town, who can she trust? There is the kindly lawyer and his son, or the disinherited step-grandson. What secrets do they hide? Tori’s newfound fortune may not be a blessing. It could become her death warrant.
Award-winning Author Anita Dickason is a twenty-two-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department. She served as a patrol officer, undercover narcotics detective, advanced accident investigator, tactical officer, and first female sniper on the Dallas SWAT team.
Anita writes about what she knows, cops and crime. Her police background provides an unending source of inspiration for her plots and characters. Many incidents and characters portrayed in her books are based on personal experience. For her, the characters are the fun part of writing as she never knows where they will take her. There is always something out of the ordinary in her stories.
In Anita’s debut novel, Sentinels of the Night, she created an elite FBI Unit, the Trackers. Since then, she has added three more Tracker crime thrillers, Going Gone!, A u 7 9, and Operation Navajo, which are not a series and can be read in any order, and Deadly Business, a crime thriller.
As a Texas author, many of Anita’s books are based in Texas, or there is a link to Texas. When she stepped outside of the Tracker novels and wrote, Not Dead, she selected Meridian, a small community in central Texas for the location.
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The Wonder of Color: Review and Giveaway

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SCIENCE MAKES IT WORK SERIES: Secrets of the Snow Globe
& The Wonder of Color
by
CATHERINE STIER

Categories:  Picture Book / Science / STEM (ages 4-8)
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co.
Date of Publication: March 1, 2022
Number of Pages: 32 pages 

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Secrets of the Snow Globe:
After starting to collect snow globes with the help of her grandmother, Lily has questions. She wants to know who invented them, what the snow is made of, and how the tiny scenes look so magical when she peers inside. As she researches and experiments, Lily learns about light waves, magnification, and density—all while gathering ingredients to make her own snow globe.
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The Wonder Of Color:
When Ms. Vega announces a mural painting contest at school, James can’t wait to draw a picture to fill the library wall. But as he explores color, he has a lot of questions about where color comes from and how our eyes see it. As he experiments and reads, James learns about prisms, the color wheel, and light waves—all while working on his colorful contest entry.

CLICK TO PURCHASE!


What an adorable cute read about a boy James inspired by art and wanting to create something for the art contest! This exciting children’s story is a neat way to explain how colors work and how to create paint! It’s creative and engaging. There’s even facts to the story that I didn’t even know, like how white is actually comprised of all the colors of the rainbow. and how a red ball for example is made up of all the different color waves except for red and that’s why we see red. There’s even some neat experiments in it that could be replicated in a classroom, such as making a prism of water and see a rainbow reflected on white paper, or for an art class it discuss the color wheel, primary and secondary colors and how to make those secondary colors. As a teacher this book is incredibly resourceful for teaching young minds about paint and color!

As for the illustrations they are so beautiful and artistic! Each picture is so inviting and goes along well with the story. It makes it even easier to understand what the author is saying on each page. Perfect for little ones that are trying to understand the concept of color and how to make it with art. 

This is such an adorable read! Kids that are excited and want to learn more about art and color will really benefit form the details! It would also be perfect to use for a lesson as there’s so much to use for teaching purposes! Truly a creative artistic story!

Rating 5/5


Catherine Stier is the author of more than twenty children’s books including the SCIENCE MAKES IT WORK picture book series and the Kirkus star-reviewed A DOG’S DAY chapter book series. She holds a master’s degree in reading and literacy and has served as a magazine writer, newspaper columnist, and writing instructor. Stier resides in San Antonio, Texas.
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Autographed copies of both books, pin (for adults), snow globe socks, & a snow globe making kit.
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Enigma Series: Promo and Giveaway

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WELCOME to DAY 6 of the @ENIGMASERIES

#ShortStory Journey Dec 8th to Dec 15th  

#GIVEAWAYS Available



Please leave a comment below for a chance to win a free gift!



Gifts available for Day 6 are two ebooks of the featured short story plus one ebook of the newest release Hidden Target. That’s 3 winners.


Author Insights

Mathias, Dutch, and Halvorson market their cryptocurrency programs in economically challenged countries in The Enigma Source. Desperate governments trying to avoid the horrific outcomes of their economic free fall consider currency alternatives. Mathias discovered robust competition during their bid to gain favor the leaders in Venezuela. Mathias, a polished huckster, decided there was only one way to fight another day—survive. 

Our characters rise to the challenges. Technologist and Blockchain programmer, Dr. Halvorson, uses the programs he created to orchestrate their escape from the Venezuelan Police. Mathias’s normal mode of transport, a private helicopter, is not always available. Mathias is out for revenge at those who betrayed him. His plans of wealth and power end up on life support. The exit strategy, a key element of this story is provided from our audble story in this link. YouTube link: https://youtu.be/nXsPgYtJTog

We found the next stage of their journey was not needed for The Enigma Source, yet readers and fans wanted to know what happened. We had no intention of giving more words to these cyber crooks in another book, but they screamed to have their story told. The unanswered questions for this trio of misfits as their lives hit rock bottom drove us to create this short story.  Please let us know if you believe they chose the right path.


About the Short Story


Mathias and Halvorson are trudging toward the Brazilian border to escape the Venezuelan secret police who want to kill them.

Once they enjoyed the first-class service, today they wallow in third-world transport and lifestyle. Escape holds the promise of shearing more sheep to line their pockets.

Plans to cross the border get completely derailed as Mathias and Halvorson run into absolutely the last person they expected. Their hotly contested vendetta devolves into gunfire. The colossal distraction gives the three escapees time to flee. A non-negotiable bargain between the trio results in a risk-filled escape from Venezuela.

The hazardous journey takes this trio to a new opportunity. Mathias is a self-proclaimed leader with plans to get back on top. His methods are unorthodox yet highly effective.

Available on Amazon https://bit.ly/Nowhere_But   We look forward to your review and comments on our short stories.


About the Authors


A person and person posing for a picture Description automatically generated with medium confidence

Charles Breakfield and Rox Burkey are co-authors of the award-winning Enigma Series. Their characters demand that their stories are told. The storytelling began with a few heroes, then expanded to those with self-serving motives. We love storytelling and hope readers enjoy learning  more about our shorts. Looking forward to your feedback and reviews of our stories.


Breakfield is a technology expert specifically in security, networking, voice, and anything digital. He enjoys writing, studying World War II history, travel, and cultural exchanges. Charles is also a fan of wine tastings, wine making, Harley riding, cooking extravaganzas, and woodworking. 


Burkey is a 25+ year applied technology professional who optimizes technology and business investments for global customers. She focuses on optimized customer experiences. Rox loves interviewing authors, writing white papers, reviewing books, and loves creating fiction. 


Together they create award-winning stories that resonate with men and women, young and experienced adults, and bring a fresh new view to technology threats of today. Please visit their website, look around, and grab some free stuff https://www.EnigmaSeries.com.

Find us and Follow us

Website:  https://www.EnigmaSeries.com

Blog: https://EnigmaSeries.com

https://RoxBurkey.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesbreakfield  and

        https://www.linkedin.com/in/roxanneburkey

Twitter:  @EnigmaSeries and @1rburkey

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TheEnigmaSeries/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Vz4x5ctTnx3yUhZk1OJkw


Thank you for visiting. Please leave your comment below for a chance to win. 



The Big Empty: Guest Post and Giveaway

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THE BIG EMPTY
by
LOREN C. STEFFY
Genre: Western / Rural Fiction / Small Town
Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing Group
Date of Publication: May 25, 2021
Number of Pages: 304 pages 
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When Trace Malloy and Blaine Witherspoon collide on a desolate West Texas highway, their fender bender sets the tone for escalating clashes that will determine the future of the town of Conquistador.
Malloy, a ranch manager and lifelong cowboy, knows that his occupation—and his community—are dying. He wants new- millennium opportunities for his son, even though he himself failed to summon the courage to leave familiar touchstones behind.
Witherspoon, an ambitious, Lexus-driving techie, offers a solution. He moves to Conquistador to build and run a state-of-the-art semiconductor plant that will bring prestige and high-paying technology jobs to revive the town—and advance his own career.
What neither man anticipates is the power the “Big Empty” will wield over their plans. The flat, endless expanse of dusty plain is as much a character in the conflict as are the locals struggling to subsist in this timeworn backwater and the high-tech transplants hell-bent on conquering it. While Malloy grapples with the flaws of his ancestors and his growing ambivalence toward the chip plant, Witherspoon falls prey to construction snafus, corporate backstabbing, and financial fraud. As they each confront personal fears, they find themselves united in the search for their own version of purpose in a uniquely untamable Texas landscape.
PRAISE FOR THE BIG EMPTY:
“The Big Empty” captures a moment when Big Tech seemingly promised everything. By turns funny and painful, Steffy’s story builds like an accelerating freight train, reaching a fast-paced climax.”
— The Epoch Times
“Like the titular land itself, Steffy’s novel is uncompromising in spotlighting the strains that the drive toward material achievement puts on the individual in the face of nature’s whims.”
— Southern Review of Books

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BAR NONE: WHICH DITCH IS WHICH

GUEST POST BY LOREN STEFFY

Originally published July, 2021, on the author’s blog


In The Big Empty, I have several references to bar ditches — the trenches that run beside many rural Texas roads. The ditches are designed, at least in part, for flood control. They may also help to keep livestock from wandering onto the highway. 

My editor flagged the term repeatedly, saying she’d never heard it and most readers probably hadn’t either. I attributed to this to her living in Pennsylvania and being unfamiliar with the terminology of rural Texas. After all, she hadn’t heard of a gimme cap, either. 

As the manuscript neared completion, one of the readers I enlisted had grown up in West Texas and was familiar with the term. However, she pointed out that a journalism instructor at Texas A&M once admonished her for using it. He told her not only should she avoid it, but she shouldn’t use the more complete term, “borrow ditch,” either. 

I had always heard that the term comes from the road-building technique in rural areas. Crews “borrow” dirt from the sides to crown the roadway before paving. The practice left trenches on either side of the pavement. The term was latter shortened from “borrow” to “bar.” 

Well, it turns out, “bar ditches” are the subject of much discussion and controversy, and my editor isn’t the only one who doesn’t like it. Even people who live with bar ditches everyday don’t necessary embrace the term. There’s also a lot of debate about its origins. Some apparently believe it dates to road building in England. 

I’d be curious what others have heard about the term and its history. Have you heard it before? What did you think it means? 

Regardless, for The Big Empty, I insisted that “bar ditch” was a pretty common term in Texas, and I decided to keep it in. 

And yes, in some places, the bar ditches are wide enough that you can change a tire if your truck gets knocked off the road by a rented moving van. 


Loren C. Steffy is the author of five nonfiction books. He is a writer at large for Texas Monthly, and his work has appeared in newspapers and magazines nationwide. He has previously worked for news organizations including Bloomberg and the Houston Chronicle, and he is a managing director for 30 Point Strategies, where he leads the 30 Point Press publishing imprint. His is a frequent guest on radio and television programs and is the co-host of the Rational Middle podcast. The Big Empty is his first novel. Steffy holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas A&M University. He lives in Wimberley, Texas, with his wife, three dogs and an ungrateful cat.

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The Yes Dare: Author Interview and Giveaway

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THE YES DARE
A Pies, Books
& Jesus Club Novel
by
KATHLEEN Y’BARBO
Genre: Clean Contemporary Romance
Date of Publication: July 15, 2021
Number of Pages: 246 pages 
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Have you ever wished for a second chance to fix something you’ve messed up or for the courage to say yes to something that just may change your life? Sometimes saying yes to the last thing you want can mean saying yes to exactly what you need.
Ryan “The Rocket” Sutton’s winning streak is legendary makes him the undisputed best quarterback in the NFL. However, thanks to one dumb mistake, he’s a failure as a husband to Coco, the only woman he’s ever loved. When a judge’s mistake in divorce paperwork means Coco is still his wife, Ryan makes up his mind to fix what he ruined. Ryan’s game plan doesn’t count on an internationally famous movie director’s camera crew following him as he competes for Coco’s love.
After spending most of her adult life as a football wife and mother to twin sons, fashionista Coco Sutton is learning how to be single and fabulous. Emphasis on Fabulous. The sports trophies, memorabilia, and heavy masculine wood furniture in the home she used to share with Ryan have been banished to the attic, and her home is now a cozy haven of plush candle-scented comfort. She’s got big plans that include owning a boutique or maybe an art gallery, but she never planned to take on the biggest challenge of her life: staying single. Then her best friend gives her a copy of a book called The Yes Dare, and all her plans are turned upside down.
From a Hollywood movie to the local spring event formerly known as the Cow Chip Toss Festival and a country crooner with a crush on Coco, will Ryan dodge the obstacles to win back the only woman he ever loved?




Interview with Kathleen Y’Barbo


Tell us about your publishing journey and how THE YES DARE came to be.

I’ve been publishing for 20 years as of 2021. Back when I started, traditional publishing was the only way to get a book in print. Over the years I’ve been blessed to have more than 100 books released by traditional publishers. In 2021, however, I went hybrid and released THE YES DARE, my first independently published contemporary romance novel. With more traditionally published books in the works, I plan to continue as a hybrid author.

Where did you get the idea for THE YES DARE?

THE YES DARE is the name of a self-help book that the heroine and her best friend are reading in the novel. The premise is to be brave enough to say yes to new experiences. The book itself does not exist, however.

You’ve said this book took a while to get published. How long and why?

Almost five years! The book was set to be published but the contemporary fiction line closed before the story could go to print. I was busy writing other books and didn’t get back to do anything with this one until earlier this year.

You’re not just a writer, are you? What else do you do and what do you enjoy when you’re not writing?

That’s correct. I’m also a certified paralegal specializing in wills, probate, and family law. When I’m not working or writing, I’m reading, enjoying photography, and taking long drives with my husband.

You’ve been published for twenty years. That’s quite a feat. What kinds of advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing?

Just do it. Literally. Just start writing. Figure it out as you go along, but get words on a page.

What is your favorite book? Favorite author? Do you have an author that inspired/inspires you to write?

No way I can name just one favorite author or book!! There are way too many! My first favorite—that I can remember—would be Laura Ingalls Wilder and Little House on the Prairie.

Are you working on anything now?

I’ve been editing and re-releasing books that have had rights returned to me. So far I’ve released a set of novellas called the 20th Anniversary Special Edition Novellas and put new covers on FIREFLY SUMMER and AUTUMN LEAVES, books 1 and 2 of the Pies, Books & Jesus Book Club series. Now I’m working my way through edits and new covers for my Bayou Nouvelle series of romance novels, both contemporary and historical, set in fiction Latagnier, Louisiana.

How can readers connect with you?

I love Instagram and also have a presence on Facebook and Twitter. I’m also available by email and send out a newsletter when I have something exciting to talk about. You can find all the details about social media, newsletter, etc. on my website at www.kathleenybarbo.com.



Publishers Weekly bestselling author Kathleen Y’Barbo is a multiple Carol Award and RITA nominee and bestselling author of more than one hundred books with over two million copies of her books in print in the US and abroad. A tenth-generation Texan and certified paralegal, she is a member of the Texas Bar Association Paralegal Division, Texas A&M Association of Former Students, Texas A&M Women Former Students (Aggie Women), Texas Historical Society, Sisters in Crime, Faith Hope and Love Christian Writers, and American Christian Fiction Writers. She would also be a member of the Daughters of the American Republic, Daughters of the Republic of Texas and a few others if she would just remember to fill out the paperwork that Great Aunt Mary Beth has sent her more than once.
Kathleen and her hero in combat boots husband have their own surprise love story that unfolded on social media a few years back. They make their home just north of Houston, Texas, and are the parents, grandparents, and in-laws of a blended family of Texans, Okies, and a trio of adorable Londoners.