Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Book Blast: Seasons and Memories by Stanley Evans Abbott






Title: Seasons and Memories
Author: Stanley Evans Abbott
Publisher: XlibrisUS
Genre: Biography
Format: Ebook


My autobiography begins in 1939. It illustrates a rather exciting journey. However, writing this in my seventies, some events and parts of my life have been forgotten or just plain omitted due to the fact that I thought them either boring or unnecessary. As you read through these memoirs, you may discover a new awareness that every person has their own individual journeys and quests. May mine have an impact on you! I hope your own journey is as enlightening as mine was. “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why” (Mark Twain).
PURCHASE HERE




I am a senior citizen who will be celebrating 71 years of life.  I live in Cincinnati, Ohio with three adopted young men.   When the book is read, one will learn what my life has become. 

  

GIVEAWAY

stanley IS GIVING AWAY A $25 GIFT CARD!

  
Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
  • This giveaway begins July 23 and ends on August 3.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on August 4.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone! 

ENTER TO WIN!

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Mystery Author Verlin Darrow Talks About the Cover for his Book BLOOD AND WISDOM


Verlin Darrow is currently a psychotherapist who lives with his psychotherapist wife in the woods near the Monterey Bay in northern California. They diagnose each other as necessary. Verlin is a former professional volleyball player (in Italy), unsuccessful country-western singer/songwriter, import store owner, and assistant guru in a small, benign spiritual organization. Before bowing to the need for higher education, a much younger Verlin ran a punch press in a sheet metal factory, drove a taxi, worked as a night janitor, shoveled asphalt on a road crew, and installed wood flooring. He missed being blown up by Mt. St. Helens by ten minutes, survived the 1985 Mexico City earthquake (8 on the Richter scale), and (so far) has successfully weathered his own internal disasters.
Book: Blood and Wisdom
Website: www.verlindarrow.com                                             
At Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/verlindarrow
Interview:
Tell us about your book! What is it about and what inspired you to write it?
Here’s a blurby description: When Private Investigator Karl Gatlin takes on Aria Piper’s case, it was no more than a threat—phone calls warning Aria to either “stop doing Satan’s work” or meet an untimely demise.  But a few hours later, a headless John Doe bobs up in the wishing well at Aria’s New Age spiritual center near Santa Cruz.  Aria had ideas about who could be harassing her, but the appearance of a dismembered body makes for a real game changer.  And what Karl Gatlin initially thought was a fairly innocuous case turns out to be anything but.
Dispatching former rugby superstar and Maori friend John Ratu to protect Aria, Karl and his hacker assistant Matt are free to investigate a ruthless pastor, a money launderer on the run, some sketchy members of Aria’s flock, and warring drug gangs.  With his dog Larry as a wingman, Karl uncovers a broad swath of corruption, identity theft, blackmail, and more murders. But nothing is as it seems, and as the investigation heats up, Karl is framed, chased, and forced to dive into the freezing water of the Monterey Bay to escape a sniper.
Against the backdrop of a ticking clock, Karl races to find answers. But more murders only mean more questions—and Karl is  forced to make an impossible choice when it turns out Aria’s secret may be the most harrowing of all.

Blood and Wisdom was inspired by a fantasy thriller I wrote first that’s coming out around the end of 2018. Coattail Karma visited over five hundred agents en route to nowhere (back then), so I decided to explore the same themes in something more palatable to mainstream readers. 

Tell us about your publishing process. What was it like? Did you go indie or the traditional way?
I couldn’t let go of the dream of having an agent (again) and selling the book to a big house, so I stubbornly refused to face reality, which in this case is that what needed to happen was a marriage with an independent publisher (Wild Rose Press.) While this probably won’t be the best route to making a lot of money, I’ve been treated very well, and my editor has been invaluable.

How did you choose the title for your book? Did it come to you right away, before you started writing it, or did it come later?
Blood and Wisdom is actually the fourth title I tried. And it’s clearly the right one. The original title--The Man in the Well-- popped up while I was thrashing around with first chapter.Later, as I failed to convince agents to read pages, I played around with the title and the characters’ names as if that would somehow make a difference. I guess it was like the way I used to obsessively trim my beard before a job interview. I knew my fate didn’t hinge on the likes of this minor detail, but so much of the process was outside my control, so I seized on whatever was.
Tell us about the cover design process. Did you have a basic idea of what your book cover would be like?
Wild Rose Press uses a particular process. Authors fill out a fairly comprehensive form describing the book and our preferences for the cover. The contract artists want to know where key scenes are set, what the characters look like, what objects might figure heavily in the plot, etc. There are a half dozen artists to choose from and titles to peruse to find a kindred spirit. I was very specific about what I thought would work and what wouldn’t. I even took the extra step of assembling URLs of clip art that was along the lines of what I was looking for. I knew this approach might rankle, so I was as kind as I could be, ready to defer to my artist’s professional vision.
Who is your cover designer and how did you find him/her?
Kim Mendoza designed the cover of Blood and Wisdom, and I’m quite pleased by her work. I think it both represents what’s inside the cover, and intrigues the eye.
How was your experience working with the designer?
I didn’t have the opportunity to engage in dialogue, but when I told the publisher that there was a stray line of color in the background that bothered me, Kim immediately changed it with no fuss.
What has been the readers’ response to your cover?
Everyone says they love it, but they could be lying. You never know.
What tips would you give to authors who are looking for a cover designer?
Do research. Look at a lot of covers. Be as specific as possible in giving direction. Trust your artist and trust the process. In the end, you need to be completely happy with the result. Years ago, I settled for a cover that didn’t excite me. As time has passed, I like it less and less.
Anything else you’d like to say about your book?
Yes, thanks. Basically, a psychological-minded PI falls for a spiritual-minded client while murders pile up around them. With this frame, I’m able to weave insights and intriguing concepts into the fast-moving, twisty plot. And it’s a fun read, filled with humor and quirky characters, including a Maori rugby star, a heroic dog, a ruthless pastor, a gang hitman turned spiritual aspirant, and a sexy guru.




Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Book Blast: The Spiritual Protection Prayer by Anna Bel Silvers - Win a $25 Gift Card






Title: The Spiritual Protection Prayer
Author: AnnaBel Silvers
Publisher: XlibrisUS
Genre: Self-Help
Format: Ebook


In the name and through the power of the blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Holy Spirit take control of our circumstances,situations, and conversations, through faith as we surrender our wills to You for this day.

All praises, honor, glory are given to our Father, God, whose love and presence,we have entered for He is worthy, mighty, and awesome to be praised.

First Stage, by surrendering your will to Jesus, who is Lord and seated at the right side of our Heavenly Father, you will relinquish control of any situation or circumstance for an entire day. The Holy Spirit who lives inside of you because you believe that Jesus Christ is your Savior has been given permission to control your life. You will no longer be in charge because the Holy Spirit searches all things, yes, the epitome of the Heavenly Father, God, Himself.

Second Stage,now that your life is prioritized, you may think all of Hell has been released on you. Why is this? Satan knows that you will begin to learn to have power over him, as well as his minions. It is God's responsibility as our Heavenly Father to help you..now! He has been waiting for such a time as this. Satan is angry with you and will now indefinitely try to destroy you. However, you must remember, greater is He Father (God) in you than he (Satan) is in the world. You will learn how to live and deal through the power and the guidance of the Holy Spirit with your adversaries.

Third Stage,each and every day, you must commit and submit yourself to our Heavenly Father in the name and through the blood of Jesus Christ- through His Word. God only promises protection one day at a time. God knows the beginning and ending of your life- You Do Not! Jesus came to seek, save and protect us one day at a time from being eliminated by the adversary. You will learn what God's Holy Spirit has to say to you on a daily basis. Once you start reading God's Word, it will increase your desire to want to study to find out what God's will is and what He is all about. You will learn to trust Him. Your life with His Word will speak to each and every one of your situations, regardless of what circumstances you are under. Aren't you glad about that? Praise God!

Fourth Stage, if you do not know how to believe that the prayer will work or somehow feel inadequate that your faith isn't strong enough, pray to our Heavenly Father in the name and through the blood of His Son,Jesus Christ, to increase your faith and belief. Difficult situations and circumstances will occur anyway. You will experience anxiety and despair because you are making non-spiritual choices in human flesh. The Holy Spirit will not and cannot coerce your will. Why not surrender your will to an Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent Heavenly Father? He already knows all about you. You will be delighted to make Him your Lord. He is faithful to the end. He loves you. You will learn how to become obedient and renew your mind daily. Praise God!

Now through placing your trust in God, through the power of the blood of JESUS CHRIST, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, your life will blossom with spiritual and physical delights. His promises of what is best for you will materialize. It is beyond your imagination and scope of vision of what His will for your life will become over what you believe it should be. You will delight to be obedient and a servant to God's will.

Remember, if you have never been through anything, how can you teach others? We are our brother's keepers. That is why Jesus came to save and give us life more abundantly.You will have grace for the pressures of the world, mercy for your failures as a human being and to keep both your heart and mind from pride, God's Peace. Hallelujah

You Are The Righteousness Of God In Christ Jesus

PURCHASE HERE




I am a senior citizen who will be celebrating 71 years of life.  I live in Cincinnati, Ohio with three adopted young men.   When the book is read, one will learn what my life has become. 

  

GIVEAWAY

ANNABEL IS GIVING AWAY A $25 GIFT CARD!

  
Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
  • This giveaway begins July 23 and ends on August 3.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on August 4.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone! 

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway