BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Bella Chronicles by Erica Leigh Austin

The Bella Chronicles - The Adventure Begins...
By Erica Leigh Austin
Genre: Fiction/Children/YA 
Publication Date & Publisher: 11/2014/ Chadwick Publishing

Book Description:

Bella the Shih Tzu is in the throes of her great escape, searching for the loving home she’s always wanted.  She hears someone cry out that there’s a dog in the street!  Bella immediately puts her escape on hold and springs into action as she frantically tries to save the dog…but she can’t find him. What will Bella do???

The Bella Chronicles: The Adventure Begins brings to life the journey of an extraordinarily smart, wonderful, and special dog named Bella as she wills her way to find a home full of love and warmth – and food! Told from Bella’s perspective, The Bella Chronicles is a warm and loving piece of literature that pet lovers’ and children alike have been awaiting…

The Bella Chronicles: The Adventure Begins is the first in a heartwarming, humorous, insightful and action-packed chapter book series for young readers who have always wondered just what it is that their little pets are thinking.

Author Bio:

Erica Leigh Austin was born in Los Angeles and grew up in the Pacific Palisades.  Both of her parents – all three of them, actually – were teachers and Erica was blessed to have grown up in an artistic, intellectual home.  Her summers were filled with club volleyball and serving as big sister and role model for her younger sister, Jenny.  Erica attended the University of Michigan, where she studied English and starred on the Wolverines’ Women’s Volleyball team.  After college, she returned home to obtain her MBA from Loyola Marymount University.  While studying at Loyola, Erica worked at the iconic Gladstone’s Seafood Restaurant “where Sunset meets the PCH.” Erica’s studies then took her abroad to France. There she immersed herself in the art and culture of one of the world’s most cosmopolitan locales.

Currently a highly accomplished professional in healthcare IT, Erica lives happily in the Venice Beach area. She enjoys yoga, spending time with family and friends, and pushing Bella the Shih Tzu around in her stroller (Bella is too lazy to walk more than 20 feet). 

She is pleased to introduce you to her dog, Bella the Shih Tzu, in this first installment of The Bella Chronicles.  

Learn more about Erica at www.ericaleighaustin.com.

Web and Social Media Links

Author Website: ericaleighaustin.com/bellachronicles.com

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Erica-Leigh-Austin/661103450646613?fref=nf

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ericalaustin @Ericalaustin

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23635389-the-bella-chronicles---the-adventure-begins

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bella-Chronicles-Adventure-Begins/dp/0990970108/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417748341&sr=1-1&keywords=the+bella+chronicles

Barnesandnoble.com: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bella-chronicles-the-adventure-begins-erica-leigh-austin/1120906961?ean=9780990970118

The author is giving away 5 print copies of The Bella Chronicles – signed by both the author & Bella!

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Leviathan Chronicles: The Last Stand at Aeprion By James Mascia

The Leviathan Chronicles: The Last Stand at Aeprion
By James Mascia
Genre: Sci-fi

Still reeling from his wife's murder, Joel tries to escape the alien hunter and fulfill a promise he made to her. Years of searching for the fabled 
planet, Aeprion, has left the space freighter captain torn between giving up the search or giving himself up to Kraxem, the alien hunter. 

When Kraxem and his minions attack Joel's ship again, he is forced into the nebula, where he'll have to do repairs. Once their, his thoughts revert back to the final day of Kate's life and the promises that were made. Learning to come to terms with her loss and release the guilt that he feels will be a hard battle to fight, but giving up will prove to be even more difficult and, perhaps, deadly. 

Steeling his resolve to forge on, Joel vows to find the fabled living planet before guilt devours his soul.




About the Author: James Mascia


He fights evil across the known universe and crushes them between his fingers (at least, he does this with his words). James Mascia is an accomplished writer with a bestselling series, High School Heroes, as well as a bestselling graphic novel, The Poe Murders. He has always been a fan of sci-fi, and is glad to be delving back into the galaxy once again.


James teaches in Maryland, where he also writes. He has a lovely wife and a tiny terror (a two-year-old) driving him mad, but making him laugh.








Check out some of his other work below:

https://www.islandofdren.com

https://www.twitter.com/masciajames

https://jmascia.deviantart.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/AuthorArtist-James-Mascia/353933315067?ref=hl

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1521602.James_Mascia


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BOOK BLITZ: Disisnegration by Jenna Newell Hiott

Disintegration: The Todor Trilogy, Book Two

By Jenna Newell Hiott

Genre: Epic Fantasy, Metaphysical Fantasy, Visionary Fiction

Book Summary

Aerie has fallen and the land of Todor is on the brink of war. Famine and decay have touched every corner of the land. If Todor is to survive, Gemynd, Numa and Soman must fully embrace their powers, even as they continue to uncover more secrets and lies. Can Soman survive the aftermath of his role in the destruction of Aerie? Will Numa’s love for Gemynd endure even after she sees the horrors of the Iturtian pit? And is Gemynd his father’s puppet or his protégé? The betrayals of the past weigh heavy, but can the three move beyond them in order to work for the good of Todor? Or will their inability to forgive propel them into war? Thundering toward an epic conclusion, Disintegration is the second book in the Todor trilogy. In it, author Jenna Newell Hiott paints a stunning portrait of humanity at its rawest, giving a revealing glimpse of how it fares when everything teeters on the brink of destruction.

Author Bio:

Author, healer, all-around kook, Jenna Newell Hiott boasts of having a limitless imagination, unless it’s nap time. While many of us had an imaginary friend as children, Jenna had an entire imaginary family—complete with a second set of parents and three siblings—all of whom lived in a make-believe world of Jenna’s own creation. One could say she’s been writing fantasy fiction since she was old enough to use words. And she never outgrew it. Out of this hyperactive imagination, Jenna created the land of Todor: a world of magic, intrigue, and power plays.

Links:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jennanewellhiottauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jennahiott

Website: http://www.jennanewellhiott.com

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jenna-Newell-Hiott/e/B00J90PD9U/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7696427.Jenna_Newell_Hiott

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Frailty Of Things by Tamsen Schultz

The Frailty of Things
By Tamsen Schultz
Genre: Romantic Suspense

Book Blurb:

Independence. Kit Forrester is a woman who wears her independence like armor. Despite keeping secrets and hiding her past, she’s built a life she loves and is accountable to no one. Until, that is, one of the world’s most wanted war criminals sets his sights on her and she must weigh the risk to one against the chance of justice and closure for many—a decision Kit couldn't make on her own even if she wanted to.

Certainty. As a man who makes his living in the shadows of governments and wars, certainty isn’t a part of Garret Cantona’s vocabulary, and he’s just fine with that. But when Kit walks into his life, he realizes he’s never before been so sure about anything or anyone. Suddenly, he finds he’s looking at the world, his world, in a different light. And now that he is, he’s determined to protect it, and her, in whatever ways he can.

Frailty. No one knows better than Kit and Garret that an appreciation for what is, or what was, or what might be, can be born from the uncertainty and fragility of life. But when a hunt for a killer leaves Garret no choice but to throw Kit back into her broken and damaged past, even his unshakable faith in what they have together might not be enough to keep it from shattering into a million pieces.

Author Bio:

Tamsen Schultz is the author of several romantic suspense novels and  American Kin (a short story published in Line Zero Magazine).  In addition to being a writer, she has a background in the field of international conflict resolution,  has co-founded a non-profit, and currently works in corporate America. Like most lawyers, she spends a  disproportionate amount of time thinking (and writing) about what it might be like to do  something else. She lives in Northern California in a house full of males including her husband, two sons, four cats, a dog, and a gender-neutral, but well-stocked, wine rack.

Links:

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

Twitter: @tamsenschultz

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tamsen-Schultz/e/B009NVIEGO

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/tamsens

Website: www.tamsenschultz.com

The author is giving away 3 $10 Amazon Gift Cards to 3 lucky readers!

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Fiction at my Fingertips by CS Reid

Fiction At My Fingertips

By CS Reid

Genre: Middle Grade/Young Adult/Fiction

Publication Date: December 19, 2014

Book's Synopsis: 

Lois is a voracious writer. To say that she is a budding writer, would be the understatement of the millennium. Recounts about her family vacations, ooze out the very pores of her skin before becoming transplanted in the pages of her trusty journal.

When her language arts teacher, Ms. Williams, informs the class that they will be participating in The Hillcrest Young Adult Golden Quill Contest for Fiction, Lois is catapulted into the stratosphere. However, an unfortunate mishap could derail Lois’ literary debut.

About The Author

CS Reid holds a MFA in Writing & Critical Theory from Otis College of Art & Design and a M.Ed. in Cross-Cultural Teaching/English from National University.  Her work has appeared in diverse publications/anthologies—most notably are: Shadowtrain, Monkeybicycle, Blue Fifth Review, and Burner Magazine; chapbooks, Walking Near the Precipice (Lily Press 2007) and Intonations Heard in the Desert (Gold Wake Press 2008); YA book, Plucking Poetry from the Air (Paraguas Books, 2010).

Reid is a freelance writer, educator, and Jazz composer/musician in Los Angeles, CA.

Links:

Lulu: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/FictionAtMyFinterips

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23955792-fiction-at-my-fingertips

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jazlitwhatev

The author is giving away a $25 Amazon GC to one lucky reader!

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT & REVIEW: Stolen Sharpie Revolution by Alex Wrekk

Stolen Sharpie Revolution
By Alex Wrekk
Genre: Art, Graphic Design, How-To

Book Synopsis

Since 2002, Stolen Sharpie Revolution: a DIY Resource for Zines and Zine Culture has been the go-to guide for all things zine-related. This little red book is stuffed with information about zines. Things you may know, stuff you don't know and even stuff you didn’t know you didn’t know! 

Stolen Sharpie Revolution contains a cornucopia of information about zines and zine culture for everyone from the zine newbie to the experienced zinester to the academic researcher. Stolen Sharpie Revolution consists of thoughtful lists and step-by-step how-to guides on everything from definitions of a “zine,” where to find zines, why they are important, how to make them and how to participate in zine culture. 

This book has everything you need to get started creating your own zine, or to figure out what to do with the zine you just made. Stolen Sharpie Revolution serves as both an introduction into the wide world of zine culture and as a guide to taking the next step to become a part of it. 

My Review

I love this little book! Being relatively new to the world of zines, I wasn't aware that there was such an incredibly developed and diverse community of creative people making these self-published works of art. This book is an unbelievably complete guide that'll teach you everything you need to know to create your own home-grown DIY masterpiece, on any subject you want. and I guarantee it also includes many things that you would never think of.  Alex has compiled all this into one easy to navigate guidebook, featuring articles from a whole bevy of the zine communities heavy hitters. The complexity of folding and cutting a 1/4 page size zine absolutely defied logic for me, but a quick consult of Alex's STOLEN SHARPIE REVOLUTION and I had a concise diagram on this subject right at my fingertips. And this invaluable book is even travel size! With this book in hand, you are only limited by your imagination in creating and sharing any DIY book project and no library is complete without it! thanks Alex!

Bio

Alex Wrekk’s life revolves around making things; primarily zines, custom pinback buttons(badges), vegan food, travel plans, and space for a cat in her bed.

Alex Wrekk has lived in Portland, Oregon since 1999 and has been creating the zine Brainscan since 1997. Brainscan zine has grown and changed with Alex over the years with stories ranging from travel, reproductive health, love and loss, emotional abuse recovery, zine culture, and even fiction all wrapped up in text and photocopier art. She also wrote the book Stolen Sharpie Revolution: A DIY guide for zines and zine culture that is now entering its 5th edition.

When Alex isn't doing zine things she is doing other zine things like organizing the Portland Zine Symposium, establishing July as International Zine Month, commiserating with Zine Event Organizers around the world, updating the zine event listings on StolenSharpieRevolution.org, hosting the podcast Nobody Cares About Your Stupid Zine Podcast, fidgeting with her Risograph printer, reading from her zines out loud on zine tours or singing in a zine themed pop-punk band called The Copy Scams.

Alex has been making custom pinback buttons since 2000 under various business names. In 2012 Alex opened Portland Button Works and zine distro, an online and brick and mortar shop in Portland, Oregon selling zines and books and making custom buttons, bottle openers, and magnets in 4 different sizes. She also maintains an Etsy shop with the same name.

Links

Alex Wrekk twitter http://twitter.com/alexwrekk

Stolen Sharpie Revolution Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stolensharpierevolution

Stolen Sharpie Revolution.org http://www.stolensharpierevolution.org

Portland Button Works Website www.portlandbuttonworks.com

GIVEAWAY INFO:

Alex is giving away 5 print copies of Stolen Sharpie Revolution + a Custom Stolen Sharpie with each one. This is an international giveaway!

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BOOK BLITZ: The Narrow Path ~ Dangerous Men #1 by Alex Abbott

The Narrow Path

By Alex Abbott

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Inspired by true events

Angela is celebrating a successful heist, when the last person in the world she wanted to see waltzed back into her life.

Years ago, Jamal ripped her heart out and tossed it on the ground. But he's back, beefed up from prison and wanting to make amends for dumping her.

He's still the same dominant man she'd fallen in love with, but with a calmer head on his shoulders. He promises to protect her from her bad decisions and wild past, and with the mob indebted to him over his time, she believes him.

When he offers her the chance to manage his strip club and answer to nobody but him, the temptation is more than she can ignore. But can they get over all of the secrets and lies they've told one another while avoiding being sucked back into a life of crime?

The Narrow Path is currently available for FREE on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SY2AVZK?tag=thke00-20

Author Bio:

Alex Abbott is a former defense attorney who moonlights as an author of romantic suspense and erotic thrillers. Alex focuses on giving fans tastes of darkness, pushing them to the limits while exploring criminal underbellies, corrupt billionaires, and the women who get wrapped up in events they don’t want to control.

Make sure to sign up for the newsletter for previews, review copies, and special surprises.

Links:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AbbottAuthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5398582.Alex_Abbott
Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/baz2Ev

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Songs of the Maniacs by Mickey J. Corrigan

When the real you is someone you don't know, 

then you sing the songs of the maniacs.

Songs of the Maniacs
By Mickey J. Corrigan
Genre: New Adult urban crime, romantic suspense, psychological thriller

Book Synopsis:

Who are we when we lose everything, including our personalities? From her office at a mental health institute in the tropics, a troubled young woman counsels deeply disturbed clients while coping with her own heightening concerns. These include frightening consciousness lapses, violent memories of a high school sexual relationship, a menacing stalker, and an annoyingly arousing visitor who may or may not be insane. All this on a single stormy day at a time when a new mental health disorder has become epidemic and is threatening to distort memory and identity, unmooring the validity of reality itself.

A seductive and chilling novella, Songs of the Maniacs takes readers on a fascinating descent into the abyss beneath the lush surfaces of contemporary American paradise.

Author Bio:

Mickey J. Corrigan lives and writes and gets into trouble in South Florida. She publishes with pulpy presses with names like Breathless, Champagne and Bottom Drawer. Recent books include the edgy novellas in The Hard Stuff series from The Wild Rose Press (Whiskey Sour Noir, Vodka Warrior, Tequila Dirty); and the thriller Sugar Babies. Salt Publishing recently released the neo-noir novel Songs of the Maniacs.

Links:

Website: www.mickeyjcorrigan.com

Publisher: http://www.saltpublishing.com/moderndreams/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23568383-songs-of-the-maniacs

Amazon:  Amazon

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Amaranthine by Nina R Schluntz

Amaranthine

The Heart of Decompose

By Nina Schluntz

Genre:Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Romance

Synopsis

Dragons, unicorns, fairies, zombies… and Santa.

At the center of it all stands Dee, a man immortalized in legend as Decompose. An ongoing war between unicorns and dragons has led to the creation of a plague… a deadly infection Dee is the host for. Not quite human, but not a unicorn either, Dee and the plague form a symbiotic relationship, resulting in immortality of the undead kind.

Every ruling Empire has desired control of Decompose. Controlling the infection means control of the people. An intervention of an old rival, Santa, results in Dee going missing. When he resurfaces decades later, Dee has one goal: locate the mythical cure to his plague.

However, complications of the heart force Dee to decide whether he truly wants to find the cure and give up being Decompose.

Author Bio

Nina Schluntz is a native to rural Nebraska. In her youth, she often wrote short stories to entertain her friends. Those ideas evolved into the novels she creates today.

Her husband continues to ensure her stories maintain a touch of realism as she delves in the science fiction and fantasy realm. And their kitty, a rescued Abyssinian, is always willing to stay up late to provide inspiration.

Visit her blog; mizner13.wordpress.com for information regarding previous and upcoming publications. She also posts book and movie reviews for a wide variety of genres. 

Links:

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

https://www.facebook.com/amaranthine.mizner

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Naked Storyteller by Laura Michelle Thomas

The Naked Storyteller
By Laura Michelle Thomas
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Comedy

Book Description:

Harry Tyke is a flabby, divorced grade-six teacher on the verge of a monumental mid-life crisis when he unexpectedly ends up in a storytelling workshop taught by a creative, free-thinking teacher-turned-storyteller named Olga. The workshop awakens Harry’s long dead romantic side and hurls him into stories from his past, including his decision to give up on his dream of being a novelist to please his parents, a decision this classroom-weary teacher can no longer live with as he sags into his fifties.

Questioning contemporary ideas of what makes a happy and productive life in an increasingly digital world, this romantic comedy––set in Vancouver, Canada––will have you cheering for this unlikely leading man from start to finish.

About the Author:

LAURA MICHELLE THOMAS is an author with an opinion on just about everything she thinks is wrong with contemporary life in North America (which, in her opinion, is just about everything). Harry Tyke, the 52-year-old protagonist of The Naked Storyteller, is who Laura might be if she wasn’t the author of her own life and had a beard. When she’s not writing and telling her family to buzz off and let her work, she’s runs a very busy website through which she fosters the development of young writers around the world through free annual writing contests, young writers conferences and other inspirational stuff. With the assistance of her team of junior bloggers, editors and artists, Laura has the privilege of being publisher and senior editor of an international e-zine for young writers called jaBlog! To find out what novel project Laura is working on now, please visit her website (www.laurathomascommunications.com) and click on “Novels by Laura Michelle Thomas.”

Social Media Links:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraThomasComm

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7329741.Laura_Michelle_Thomas

Purchase Links:

(iTunes) https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-naked-storyteller/id909123422?mt=11

(Kindle Amazon.ca) http://www.amazon.ca/Naked-Storyteller-Laura-Michelle-Thomas-ebook/dp/B00MO0DF9W

(Kindle Amazon.com) http://www.amazon.com/Naked-Storyteller-Laura-Michelle-Thomas-ebook/dp/B00MO0DF9W

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Millionaire Within Us by Chris Carley

The Millionaire Within Us
By Chris Carley
Genre: Business Memoir

Synopsis

A down and out, fired factory worker, Chris imagined a better life for herself. With a small $79 loan from her father, she took her people skills and her hard-earned marketing skills to levels no one could imagine. Starting with handmade flyers, in just 3 years she became a millionaire in network marketing. Since then she has gone on to make over millions in an industry that few fully understand.

Author Bio

Chris Carley has earned over $20 million dollars working from home and has a life style that has allowed her to golf and hang out with Donald Trump and meet people like Barbara Walters, Katie Couric, Former President Bill Clinton and President Ford and so many more.  Movie stars have filmed or been photographed in her home. George Clooney, Cameron Diaz, Lucy Lui, Drew Barrymore, Arnold Swartznegger, Bruce Willis.   

Yet it wasn't always this way. She started off as an uneducated, overweight, depressed, in a bad abusive marriage, fired airplane factory worker that had to borrow $79 from her father to get started. 

With hard work, perseverance and a vision of what she wanted in life she turned it all around and has taught thousands of others around the world to do the same. 

Social Media/Purchase Links:

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

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8347152.Chris_Carley

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Millionaire-Within-Chris-Carley-ebook/dp/B00LBFELM6

Website: http://www.chris-carley.com/

The author is generously offering 2 signed paperback & 2 hardcover copies of The Millionaire Within Us to 4 different winners via the Rafflecopter code below:

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Necromancer by Alex Stargazer

The Necromancer (Linaera the Great, Book #1)
By Alex Stargazer

Genre: Dark Fantasy, High Fantasy, Young Adult

Book Blurb

‘I am Neshvetal. My name carries the bitter taste of death; my magic brings it to my enemies; and my laughter sings with the howling wind.’

From ice and fire he was born; but death is his master now.
His children—decaying and sadistic, merciless and cruel—smile as they grow ever more.

The Dead are rising. Will you join them?

A tale about death and life, magic and ordinary people; the Necromancer is a story for the brave and the strong of heart. Read it—if you dare. For it is often in the darkest times, in which the heroes emerge...










Author Biography


Hello! I’m called Alex Stargazer. That’s not my real name. And no: I’m not going to tell you. I like a little mystery.

What I will tell you: I’m sixteen. I have a passion for fantasy; and a soft spot for romance. I like to write about anything fantastical (elves are a favourite; dragons too) and my favourite book’s either Narnia or Northern Lights—never could decide, poor vacillating me.

Anyway: give my stuff a read. You might like it. No, really; I got fans. (If you listen carefully at night, you’ll hear them whispering my name. They’re shy, are my fans; but they’re a determined lot.)

PS: if you want to know more, email me at alexstargazerwriterextraordinaire@outlook.com. Yes, the address is deliberately long; I don’t like stalkers. They scare me.




Links

Site: alexstargazer.blogspot.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23436152-the-necromancer
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlexStargazerWE
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Neshvetal-the-Necromancer/385388791623891?ref=bookmarks
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O8CF290

BOOK BLITZ: Valentine’s Day is Murder by Carolyn Arnold

Valentine’s Day is Murder
By Carolyn Arnold
Genre: Cozy Mystery

Book Synopsis

Jimmy finally takes a vacation--and a chance on love--only to be abducted. His female companion originally thinks he had cold feet about their relationship, but Sean and Sara know there’s more to it. Jimmy isn’t the type to just up and disappear, let alone leave a lady stranded.

Setting out on their private jet, Sean and Sara reach the tropical paradise of Ocho Rios, Jamaica with sightseeing as the last thing on their minds.

With a gold coin being their initial tie to Jimmy’s kidnapper, Sean and Sara even speculate about the involvement of pirates. Yet as the hours pass, and there’s no word from Jimmy’s captors, Sean and Sara will need to figure out the real motive before it’s too late.

With help from their friend, Adam, back in Albany, the pieces come together and not a moment too soon.

Strap in for an adventure that will take you to the beautiful island of Jamaica and have you wanting a piña colada.

About the Author

CAROLYN ARNOLD is the bestselling author of the Madison Knight series, the Brandon Fisher series, and the McKinley Mysteries. Her love for writing dates back to her teen years, but her passion was reignited in 2006 when a fellow employee said "tell me a story." Since then Carolyn has never looked back.

Her writing has since been compared to New York Times Bestsellers such as JD Robb, Mary Higgins Clark, Sue Grafton, Michael Connelly, Tess Gerritsen, and more.

Carolyn was born in 1976 in a rural town of Ontario, Canada, and she currently lives with her husband and two beagles in a city near Toronto.

For more information on the author visit 

https://carolynarnold.net/

Amazon – http://ow.ly/G4Yl6 

Amazon UK – http://ow.ly/G4Ynv 

Barnes & Noble – http://ow.ly/G4Ype 

iTunes – http://ow.ly/G4Yqv 

Kobo - http://ow.ly/G4YrU 

BOOK SPOTLIGHT & REVIEW: Babette: The Many Lives, Two Deaths and Double Kidnapping of Dr. Ellsworth

Babette: The Many Lives, Two Deaths and Double Kidnapping of Dr. Ellsworth By Ross Eliot

Genre: Memoir, LGBTQ/ Trans Nonfiction, NW History

Synopsis

This narrative begins in 1998 when, in his early twenties, Ross Eliot relocates to Portland, Oregon and eventually the basement pantry of a grand house owned by Dr. Babette Ellsworth, an arcane history professor.  

Her past unfolds in stories, from the 1928 kidnapping in central Washington carried out by a mysterious wealthy French woman, to life in occupied Europe during World War II with the Czarist assassin of Rasputin a frequent houseguest. The professor’s later life experiences in America only create more intrigue, from teenage prostitution to her late-life sex reassignment, involvement with the Catholic Church and connections to Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, whose cult perpetrated a notorious 1984 bio-terror attack in Oregon. 

Eliot cares for Dr. Ellsworth until her death in 2002 before an entire class of students, however, the shroud covering her story has only partially raised and murkier secrets than ever suspected emerge. Part memoir, part mystery, part history lesson– this true tale binds drama from classic Greek tragedy together with revelations worthy of the most bizarre fiction. From gender and sexuality to religious theory and existential philosophy, it’s an unorthodox love saga between pupil and mentor, yet also for the city of Portland where they live.

My Review

BABETTE! A new favorite and magnum opus! This brilliant piece of Pacific Northwestern literature really packs a punch! This story begins with a trip down the I-5 corridor from Seattle to Portland, Oregon, & Ross’ hard landing in the Rose city and the sublime diversity of its population.  The development of his relationship with the intriguing Dr. Ellsworth and her alternate take on life, love, history, and gender identity are beautifully woven into this piece.  Added to that is his rich descriptions of the vastness of human experience available to anyone with the moxie to LIVE life instead of just observing!  All sung with color, tumult, & joie de vivre, to a tune drawn from many important and powerful pieces of classical prose.

I loved this book, and it will definitely be taking a place amongst my keepers! 

Author Info

Ross Eliot is a writer, roofer, auto mechanic, DJ and commercial fisherman based in Portland, Oregon and Sitka, Alaska. He is best known as publisher and editor of the critically acclaimed counterculture gun politics magazine American Gun Culture Report from 2006-2011 and the current internet journal Occupy the 2nd Amendment.

Links:

www.profellsworth.com

www.facebook.com/babette1928

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1u9mzxZ

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21468432-babette

https://twitter.com/DrEllsworthBook

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Lightning's Child by Michael A. Smith

Lightning’s Child
By Michael A. Smith
Genre: Suspense/Romance

SYNOPSIS:

During an artillery barrage at the Civil War battle of Antietam in 1862, a young colonel lost his leg. More than 150 years later, he lost the same leg in a traffic accident on the Washington, D.C. Beltway! 
Diane Kowalski, a research scientist, examines tissue from the anonymous victim’s severed leg. She discovers a genetic mutation that could make regeneration possible — and increase longevity. 
Diane and Jack O’Sullivan, a private investigator, follow clues that lead them to Thomas Winthrop, founder of a leading genetics research laboratory. They learn that Winthrop has developed a gene therapy to extend his natural “gifts” to humanity. However, Winthrop’s “family” opposes his plan, arguing that it would lead to overpopulation, economic chaos, famine and war. 

Lightning’s Child is a novel about the latest advances in biotechnology that one day may allow the human species to control its evolutionary destiny. It’s also a lighthearted and entertaining story about its colorful characters, as they struggle to achieve purpose, fulfillment and love in their lives.

AUTHOR BIO

Michael A. Smith is the author of six published novels, all described on his Website, www.goodnovels.org.  He began his career as a newspaper reporter, and was editor of the Golden, Colorado Daily Transcript.  He also was Associate Director, Illinois Board of Higher Education, and Press Secretary, Congressman Richard Durbin.  He is a member of the Authors Guild.

Links: www.goodnovels.org

Lightning’s Child is available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1FU3iXA

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Co-Creation, Mystery Solved! by Filiberto Amati

Co Creation: Mystery Solved    
By Filiberto Amati
Genre: Nonfiction, Business

Synopsis:

Co-creation is an umbrella concept for many diverse disciplines including marketing and branding. Co-creation is a new way businesses are innovating their creative processes. This book aims at providing the reader with the tools to understand co-creation, by providing a simple yet powerful framework to ask the relevant questions.  
Successful innovation challenges and changes the rules of the game in a sector, so to be ready for that, a business owner needs to be open enough to challenge everything he or she knows. Even better if one goes through the process together with customers and consumers.







Author Bio:

Filiberto Amati is an international business marketing expert, branding guru, small business management consultant and founder of Amati & Associates. (www.Amati-Associates.com).

Link to purchase: https://www.createspace.com/5042474
Twitter - @filibertoamati