Category Archives: BOOKS

Shifters’ Sea Teaser Tuesday

Shifters' Sea banner

 

Shifters' Sea cover

Romantic Moments, Book 5

 

Paranormal Romance

Date Published: 06-01-2024

 

 

Kai – Once upon a time, my kind were protectors, but the modern world
doesn’t believe in legends, so I cruise the oceans, happily single
with no responsibility. During a storm at sea, I rescue an irresistible
woman and get dragged into a battle with a crazy cousin who has developed a
taste for selkies.

Ivy – When I left home to escape an arranged marriage to the leader
of our selkie harem, I didn’t expect to be caught in a storm and
hauled aboard an old tub by a gorgeous guy. Kai is everything I want, but
when I return home to tie up loose ends, I find a killer hunting my people.
We selkies learn fast that to kill a shark, it takes a shark.

 

Excerpt

The seal fights its way closer to the boat. I’m about to dive in
after it when it reaches the edge. Grabbing a coil of rope, I toss it
overboard. The seal shifts to a blond woman. She clings to my line.

Grunting, I haul her up, fighting wind and water, until she lands, naked
and panting on my deck.

“Hey are you okay?” I kneel beside her. Still breathing hard, she
lifts her gaze to mine and nods. I’m momentarily stunned. She has the most
amazing green eyes I’ve ever seen, not to mention a gorgeous body. Muscles,
generous curves, long legs. If we weren’t in the middle of a storm, I’d be
slack-jawed, but right now my main concern is to keep us afloat. Not that I
couldn’t survive in the open sea, even in a storm, but I’ve gotten attached
to this boat and I’d rather not lose it.

“Come on. I have clothes you can put on.”

We stand and the ship lurches. I reach out to steady her, but her sea legs
are just as good as mine. Not shocking, considering what she is.

I glance off to the side. Another giant wave rises and in it, I glimpse a
big, dark silhouette with glowing amber eyes. It’s gone in seconds.

“What’s wrong?” asks my unexpected guest.

“I thought I saw something, that’s all.”

About the Author

Kate Hill

Kate Hill is a vegetarian New Englander who loves writing romantic
fantasies. When she’s not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working
out, watching horror movies, and researching vampires and Viking history.
She runs the Compelling Beasts Blog that is dedicated to antagonists,
antiheroes, and paranormal creatures. Kate also writes as Saloni
Quinby.

 

Contact Links

Website

Twitter

Blog

Goodreads

Pinterest

Instagram

 

Preorder Link

Amazon

RABT Book Tours & PR

2 Comments

Filed under BOOKS, Teasers

The Rainbow Diary Virtual Book Tour

The Rainbow Diary banner

The Rainbow Diary cover

Embracing Life’s Final Colors: A Heartfelt Journey through Loss,
Redemption, and the Unknown

Drama

Date Published: February 20, 2024

Publisher: Palmetto Publishing

 

 

In the tender pages of The Rainbow Diary, embark on an extraordinary
odyssey that transcends the boundaries of life and death. This poignant tale
weaves a tapestry of love, loss, and redemption, resonating deeply with
anyone who has felt the sharp ache of losing a loved one or grappled with
the haunting anxiety of mortality.

Meet Kenneth Talbot, a man on the precipice of his final journey. Diagnosed
with pancreatic cancer, he confronts the fragility of his existence. As the
sands of time slip away, Kenneth’s reflections paint a vivid portrait of
human emotion. His story becomes a mirror, reflecting the joys and regrets,
the triumphs and heartaches that define us all. Amidst the pain, Kenneth
finds unexpected solace in the most unlikely places. His bond with his
teenage son, Brian, becomes a source of profound reconciliation, a testament
to the enduring power of familial love. The gentle presence of MaryAnn, his
devoted nurse, becomes a beacon of hope, guiding him toward
acceptance.

The Rainbow Diary is more than a novel; it is a sanctuary for the soul. It
delicately explores the complex nuances of life’s final moments, offering a
glimpse into the afterlife that is both imaginative and comforting. Through
Kenneth’s introspection, readers are invited to confront their own fears and
anxieties, finding solace in the shared human experience. This book is a
testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a celebration of the
enduring power of love that transcends the boundaries of time and
space.

Immerse yourself in this extraordinary narrative, and let The Rainbow Diary
be your guiding light through the labyrinth of life, death, and everything
in between.

The Rainbow Diary tablet

EXCERPT

I think the body gives the mind the ammunition for the mind to give back to the body the force. And today, for the first time, that ammunition is absent. There is nothing left in the arsenal. All the weapons have been exhausted. It is not that I have given up but more accurately that I am no longer allowed to participate. There is a difference, a big difference, but probably one that can be truly understood only by my fellow dying patients. And they are not going to be around much longer to testify. 

Knowing that changes everything. A certain tranquility now lies before me, which is somewhat comforting in a strange and paradoxical way. I have lost some fights before, but this time there will be no second chance. No opportunity to amend the results. No strategy to overcome the obstacle in some ingenious or herculean way. No rematch. I don’t have to perform any more and be held accountable to my increasingly unattainable standards. The pressure is off. My fate is sealed. The ultimate defeat lies before me, and I feel both anxious and curious about what lies ahead. 

I am searching for a way not to feel that I’ve been beaten, to view my earthly demise in more spiritual terms. Certainly, it can’t be worse than my existence now, and I pray it will be a whole lot better. But although I feel somewhat prepared, I am still uncertain about the timing. Will it happen this very minute, or in an hour, or even in a day? 

I am not fearful any longer, but I don’t want panic to creep back in at the moment of truth. I want to relax and go out with some semblance of dignity and pride. Will I have any control at the very, very end or just become a prisoner to my relentless captor? To what degree can I define any portion of my journey? I would like to simply ease into my death and be carried away in its decisive beauty. I hope I’m not completely alone when it occurs, for that would be both daunting and dispiriting. Death can make a person feel so uncomfortably vulnerable. 

There can be no more isolating feeling in the world than dying.

 

About the Author

Dr. Mitchell Maiman

Dr. Mitchell Maiman became a physician at age twenty-four and is now
retired. As a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology and sub-specialist in
Gynecologic Oncology, he has had a distinguished academic, clinical, and
research career in medicine and served as both a Director of Gynecologic
Oncology and Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at major New York
City-based university hospitals. He has been recognized for his numerous
educational contributions in the field and his devotion and commitment to
the teaching of residents and fellows.

Mitch lives with his wife, Dr. Judy Levy, in Long Island, New York, and is
an avid tennis player and practitioner of yoga. They first met during their
residency training. This is his first novel.

Contact Links

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Twitter

Purchase Links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

ThriftBooks

Walmart

 

RABT Book Tours & PR

Comments Off on The Rainbow Diary Virtual Book Tour

Filed under BOOKS

The Gnome and the Science Experiment Virtual Book Tour

The Gnome and the Science Experiment banner

The Gnome and the Science Experiment cover

Illustrator: Angel Neha

 

Children’s Book

Date Published: March 6, 2024

Publisher: Mindstir Media

 

 

This short story is about Nathan’s adventures during a 5th grade science
field trip to the Sunbrook Forest National Park. Nathan is familiar with the
park because he and his sister Iris has visited the park before with the
encouragement of their mom. Nathan overcomes some anxieties of not liking
the subject science, having to buddy with the 5th grade bully, and worrying
about other 5th graders, teachers and volunteers might see Gob the gnome and
cause problems for Gob and the park. By the end of the science fieldtrip
Nathan has built a level of confidence that he could make the best science
presentation in his classroom and together with the 5th grade bully develop
a monthly ‘Clean the Park’ project where he and his classmates join to clean
up the forest. a mother wanting her children to enjoy the outdoors. Nathan
meets an interesting park ranger who later become very instrumental in his
interest in science, the environment and his future career plan after high
school.

Since the 1400s, folklore has described gnomes as guardians of treasure and
the protectors of Earth. Gnomes represents stability, growth, and good luck.
This is the third book of the six-book series about Gob the gnome. The six
books in this series all revolve around a gnome, the protector of a local
forest, who becomes friends with Nathan and Iris and helps to educate them
on the importance of caring for the environment.

 

The Gnome and the Science Experiment tablet

 

The Gnome and the Science Experiment excerpt

 

About the Author

Marilyn Slaughter

Marilyn Slaughter is an educator with experience teaching second through
fifth grades, middle school science, and social studies. She now spends time
authoring books for children and adults for engagement, learning, and
entertainment. Marilyn’s first six books are a set with the theme of
children, with their families enjoying the outdoors; and with teachers and
classmates learning about the environment. The children are introduced to a
magical and mythical being in the forest and they work to save the local
forest. Her goal is to provide a fun read with an entertaining way for
children to learn about science.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

LinkedIn

Instagram

Purchase Links

Website

Amazon

RABT Book Tours & PR

Comments Off on The Gnome and the Science Experiment Virtual Book Tour

Filed under Book Tour, BOOKS

MEGASTAR! Virtual Book Tour

MEGASTAR! banner

MEGASTAR! cover

Contemporary fiction and Romance

Date to be Published: May 1, 2024

Publisher: Indies United Publishing House

 

 

Dive into the mesmerizing world of “MEGASTAR” and experience a
poignant tale of music, fame, love, and love lost. Nineteen-year-old Addison
Stone, raised by a mentally unstable single mother, becomes an overnight
international singing sensation. Still carrying the scars of his youth, he
struggles to accept his sudden fame and fortune. Will it suffice to fill the
void left by his tumultuous past?

With a twist of fate and a bit of kismet, Addison stumbles upon solace in
his extraordinary singing voice. The stage becomes his refuge, but amidst
the blinding lights and thunderous applause, there’s a deafening
silence left by the absence of the woman he loved, lost, and hopes to
reclaim.

As he climbs the ladder to musical acclaim, his heart remains tethered to a
past he can never escape. He yearns for the love he once had but is lost to
his addiction to fame and fortune.

From mother to son, the legacy of Addison’s turbulent childhood
persists. Journey through the intricate roots of Addison’s life as
“MEGASTAR” takes you on a captivating odyssey.

 

Praise for Megastar

In Megastar, readers receive a powerful tale of teen Addison Stone, who
reaches the pinnacle of international singing success but also creates
distance from the woman he loves, lost to stardom and addiction. The author
blends realistic dialogue and character insights into the story of how pasts
are either set aside or influence future decision-making. Libraries and
readers seeking novels steeped in reflective accounts of changing love and
ambition will find Megastar thought-provoking and worthy of book club debate
and discussion as its hero attempts to move from tragedy to uplifting new
possibilities in both life and love. 

5 Stars. D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

 

Novels that feature celebrities are of enormous interest to the reading
public. Megastar features teen Addison Stone reaching the heights of fame
without the usual pitfalls that so often overshadow the rich and famous. The
story concentrates on Addison’s feelings, portraying how money and
fame cannot replace the loss of the woman he loves love. I kept expecting
the story to take a different path, but time after time, I was surprised and
simply had to keep reading to the explosive ending. I highly recommend this
book. A well-deserved 5 stars!

Reviewed by Lucinda E Clarke for Readers’ Favorite

MEGASTAR! tablet

EXCERPT

Someone tapped Addison’s shoulder as he and Ben approached the buffet table. He turned and came face-to-face with a beautiful young woman with large, penetrating blue eyes that sparkled like diamonds, reddish-blond hair that touched her shoulders, and a great figure to boot.

“Hi, I’m Hanna.” She took Addison’s right hand in hers and gently squeezed. Her grip was firm and warm. “That was one hellacious performance, Mr. Stone.”

Addison’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t take his eyes off this stunning young woman. “P-P, please call me Addison. Are you in the music business?”

“No, no, not me. A friend on the production staff slips me a ticket to the show whenever I can make the show.”

“Nice friend to have, um—”

“Hanna—H-a-n-n-a—without an h at the end. It was my mother’s idea.”

“Hanna without the h,” Addison repeated.

“After tonight, everyone will know the name Addison Stone.”

Addison blushed. “Oh, I don’t know about that.”

“Trust me; they will. What’s next for you?”

“That’s up to the Sherman Agency who represents me.”

“Well, Addison Stone from Addison, Alabama—”

“That was my mother’s idea.”

“I’m happy to have this opportunity to have met you.” Hanna glanced at her watch. “I promised to meet up with friends after the show. Good luck to you, Addison.” She hesitated before turning to leave and stared at Addison as if to say something, but she didn’t. She just stared.

“Were you going to say something?”

“Huh, no, I mean, yes. When you sang Your Love, several people near me had tears in their eyes. The same is true when you sang Time to Say Goodbye. You sing with great emotion. That’s a gift.”

“Thank you, Hanna.”

“Well, I have to go. Best of luck to you.

Hanna turned and began to walk away.”

Addison blurted, “Boyfriend?”

Hanna turned back. “What?’

“I was just wondering if you were meeting a boyfriend.”

“Ah, I don’t have one.”

“Me neither… I mean a girlfriend.”

“Then,” Hanna said with a chuckle, “We both need to get a life. You take care now, Addison.”

“Hanna?”

Hanna looked back over her shoulder. “Yes?”

I-I… I was wondering if… I, ah, I would like to see you again sometime?”

Hanna thought for a moment. “I would like that. How long will you be in New York?”

“I don’t know yet.”

Hanna took a small pad from her purse, wrote her cell number, and handed it to Addison.

“If you’re gonna’ be in town for several days, call me.”

“O-o, okay,” Addison smiled. “I will, I promise.”

Hanna tossed him a thumbs up and began walking away but stopped, turned back, and smiled. “Enjoy yourself. Tonight, you are on top of the world. Be well, Addison Stone. Call me if you can.”

Addison, the shy introvert, was smitten by this lovely young creature. “Hanna,” he whispered low as she walked into the crowd. His eyes remained on her until all he could see was the top of her reddish-blond hair. Like a wisp of wind, Hanna was gone.

Ben had been watching the exchange with amusement. He inched closer to Addison and whispered, “See something you like?”

“What?”

“There will be many pretty young women circling you before long.”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about, Ben. Let’s eat.”

Lang and Andy watched from nearby as guests continued to congratulate Addison.

“He has no idea what’s about to happen to him,” Andy said. “His unique voice and good looks are about to propel him to the Moon.”

Lang nodded in agreement. “Yes, but remember that his entire singing experience has been in that church choir. We’ll have to protect him and carefully walk him through the process. Tomorrow will tell where we go from here. Come on, let’s boost his ego.”

They approached Addison and Ben. “You, young man, are about to begin the most exciting time of your life,” Lang said. “You get the next two days off, enough time to let what happened sink in. We’ll meet at the office on Monday. Julio will pick you up around one. Until then, take it easy and savor the pleasures of New York City.”

Addison couldn’t wait to return to his hotel room and write in his journal.

 

Tonight was magical. Not only did I win the show—a mind-blower in itself—but I met a beautiful angel named Hanna, who moved me in ways I have never experienced. She took my breath away. I hope to spend time with her before Lang and Andy send me off to parts unknown. God, was she beautiful, or what?

 

About the Author

R.J Eastwood

Mr. Emery’s career as a Producer, Director, and Writer of motion
pictures and television productions spans four decades. At a very early age,
he began writing short stories and shared them with one of his teachers, who
encouraged him to keep writing. His work in motion pictures and television
eventually led him to begin writing books, both fiction and non-fiction, for
which he has received many book awards, among them, Pen America,
Author’s Circle, Book Excellence, Book Talk Radio, Readers Favorite,
Literary Titan, International Review of Books.

His newest novel, “MEGASTAR,” is his 9th publication.

Contact Links

Website

Twitter

 

Purchase Link

Amazon

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

RABT Book Tours & PR

Comments Off on MEGASTAR! Virtual Book Tour

Filed under BOOKS

The Sower of Black Field Virtual Book Tour

The Sower of Black Field banner

 

The Sower of Black Field cover

Inspired by the True Story of an American in Nazi Germany

Historical Fiction

Date Published: April 15, 2024

 

INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS

Throughout the Third Reich, millions of Germans pledged allegiance to Adolf
Hitler. In the Bavarian village of Schwarzenfeld, they followed an American
citizen.

As he struggles to rekindle the faith of a guilt-ridden Wehrmacht veteran,
a morose widow, and her grieving teenage son, Fr. Viktor Koch, C.P. is
haunted by self-doubt. What is driving him to stay in the Third Reich? Is he
following a higher plan, or the mystic compulsion of his German heritage?
Exposed to American ideals, his parishioners grow restless under Nazi rule.
Relying upon his ingenuity to keep them out of prison, Fr. Viktor solicits
aid from an unlikely intercessor—the Nazi charity worker who
confiscated his monastery for state purposes.

In April 1945, American liberators make a gruesome discovery: the SS have
left a mass grave of concentration camp victims on Schwarzenfeld’s
borders. Enraged by the sight, the infantry commander orders the townspeople
to disinter 140 corpses, construct coffins despite material shortages, dig a
grave trench, and hold a funeral ceremony—all in 24 hours. If they
fail to fulfill this ultimatum, he vows to execute all German men in
town.

Fr. Viktor has to pull off a miracle: he must convince his countrymen that
his followers are not the enemy. Their humanity is intact. And most of all,
they are innocent.

 

The Sower of Black Field tablet

EXCERPT

INTRODUCTION

Schwarzenfeld is a backwater village nestled in the rambling, pinecovered

hills of southeast Germany. To an observer in the 1940s,

it is a typical Bavarian farm town. The houses are austere plaster,

topped by red-tiled roofs. A stately, white-walled castle broods

overhead like a relic from a bygone age, its presence whispering of a

history that stretches back to the medieval era. Only a far-flung train

station hints at a connection to modern times. For centuries, two

sharp gray steeples have dominated the skyline—one belonging to a

rococo parish church, the other to a hilltop shrine—and both stand

as a testament to the Catholic fervor that burns deep in Bavarian

culture. Months have passed since a car rolled along the dirt-paved

roads, for automobiles are a rarity here. A pedestrian ambling along

Schwarzenfeld’s main thoroughfare, the Hauptstrasse, is far more

likely to encounter a cattle herd lazing about the street, or farmers

hauling their wares by wagon. However, one fact makes this nondescript

village the most remarkable place in the Third Reich: in this

town, Germans have given their loyalty to an American.

This U.S. citizen is Fr. Viktor Koch, C.P., a missionary and

Pennsylvania native who left America to found a new province for

his religious order, the Passionists. All members of this monastic

community have vowed to sow a novel doctrine—they declare

suffering the great and terrible equalizer of humanity, uniting every

soul on earth regardless of nation, race, or creed. Intuition tells Fr.

Viktor that Germany, the vanquished aggressor of World War I,

needs this far-reaching message more than any other country. He

is a foreigner by birth, but not by culture or language. A son of

German immigrants, he speaks fluent Hochdeutsch with a round,

downy American accent.

Appointed to lead the new European province, he departs for

Bavaria in 1922, at age fifty. From the start he proves his mettle.

Accompanied by Fr. Valentin Lenherd, C.P., his closest friend

and fellow Passionist, he bears witness to the turmoil that wracks

his ancestral homeland. Inflation and unemployment ravage the

country like twin plagues. Not even a bucketful of German marks

can buy a loaf of bread. The Weimar government forbids new

religious orders from opening institutions in Germany, condemning

the Passionist mission to failure, but Fr. Viktor is undeterred. At

times like this, he is apt to quote his favorite adage: “God provides.”

Instead of conceding defeat, he wheels and deals with Bavarian

cardinals, holds whirlwind fundraisers in America, and opens two

monasteries—one in Munich, Germany, and a second in Maria

Schutz, Austria. He relishes each victory over the German government,

celebrating every triumph with a fine cigar.

In 1933, when he visits Schwarzenfeld and decides to build

a new monastery beside the Miesbergkirche, the hilltop shrine

overlooking their town, the population hails him as a hero. He has

$200,000 in U.S. funds at his disposal—enough to hire every ablebodied

laborer in the impoverished village, plus tradesmen scouring

the countryside for work. Thus, as Adolf Hitler beguiles a desperate

nation with economic miracles, the devout Catholics of Schwarzenfeld

find an American priest ushering them from poverty into plenty.

They reverently call Fr. Viktor “our Provinsche,” a moniker derived

from his official title, provincial.

When the winds of oppression and war sweep through Europe

once again, Fr. Viktor struggles to ignore grim predictions made by

Fr. Stanislaus Grennan, his superior in America: the German province

will prove to be a total failure. In 1937, the Nazis close his monastery

in Munich. Gestapo agents begin hunting down foreign missionaries

and drive them from European shores, including American Passionists

who joined the German mission. Through sheer coincidence,

Fr. Viktor finds a legal loophole that prevents his own deportation.

After the first panzers rage across Poland’s border, German priests of

military age receive call-up notices from the Wehrmacht. A province

forty-one members strong drops to thirteen overnight. The most

devastating event occurs in February 1941: Fr. Valentin Lenherd, his

comrade through tribulation, dies of cancer. Fr. Viktor barely has

time to grieve before the next threat unfolds.

By April 1941, Hitler’s persecution of the German Catholic

Church is entering a new phase. Nazi authorities have confiscated

monasteries throughout Bavaria, evicting their inhabitants and

reallocating the facilities for secular purposes. One organization

that benefits from these mass appropriations is the Nationalsozialistische

Volkswohlfahrt (NSV), the public welfare department

charged with the task of opening rest houses, military hospitals,

and shelters for German citizens fleeing cities plagued by air raids.

In Schwandorf, a town six miles south of Schwarzenfeld, NSV

office director Wilhelm Seiz receives orders from the State to house

one hundred children evacuated from Hamburg. Searching the

Oberpfalz, his attention falls upon a spacious residence that suits

his needs perfectly. Confiscating this building is not a straightforward

matter: a foreigner owns the mortgage, and an international

scandal might erupt if the occupants refuse to leave peacefully, but

the fires of Seiz’s determination are stoked. Though he is only a

minor official, he has cultivated connections in the party. He will

stop at nothing until the property falls into NSV hands.

The building he wants to acquire is Fr. Viktor’s monastery in

Schwarzenfeld, the Miesbergkloster.

About the Author

Katherine Koch

Katherine Koch is a renaissance woman from San Antonio, Texas. By day she
is a professional web administrator, digital marketing specialist, and
graphic designer. By night she is an independent scholar, historian, and
writer. She is captivated by stories of the Passionist missionaries in her
family, all of whom have a peculiar knack for tumbling into harm’s way
during history’s most fascinating time periods.

 

Contact Links

Book Site

Author Site

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter/X: @KKochWriter

RABT Book Tours & PR

Comments Off on The Sower of Black Field Virtual Book Tour

Filed under BOOKS