❀New MEMOIR BOOK Alert❀: In the Pink by Nicholas Garnett

Title: IN THE PINK 

Author: Nicholas Garnett

Publisher: MidTown Publishing

Pages: 275

Genre: Memoir

Washed out of another corporate job, scraping by playing drums in a wedding band, delivering roses in a tuxedo. This was Nicholas Garnett’s version of the go-go 90s. Then, beautiful, worldly, Rachael turns his world upside down, introducing him to her gay friends who occupy the upper crust of the burgeoning gay circuit party scene. Nick and Rachael marry. They become known as the hot straight couple that party hardy with the boys in all he right places—until their friends self-destruct, Rachael burrows into addiction, the marriage implodes, and Nick is out on the street again. Follow his harrowing journey as he struggles to find his way in a life that’s been buried beneath a lifestyle.

“In the Pink is a the story of a singular life, told coolly and cleanly, with admirable introspection. If I felt, at times, that Nicholas Garnett occupied an alternative universe — well, he did and I am glad that he decided to chronicle it with a refreshing lack of judgment for his fellow travelers — and himself.“—Laura Lippman, author of DREAM GIRL, LADY IN THE LAKE, and the Tess Monaghan series.

“By turns outrageous, hilarious, and truly moving, this unflinching chronicle of a profoundly mismatched straight couple’s foray into the gay party and power circuit sets a new standard for the tale of wretched excess, and provides much-needed perspective along the way.  Nicholas Garnett has–no lie–produced a book like none other.”—Les Standiford, New York Times bestselling author of LAST TRAIN TO PARADISE and BRINGING ADAM HOME.

“I’ve just finished reading Nicholas Garnett’s electrifying memoir In the Pink, and now I need to catch my breath and recover. And then I’m going to read it again. Here is a gritty and lyrical portrait of what it’s like living life way out there on the edge, spinning out of control, and staring into the abyss. Astonishing and slightly terrifying.”—John Dufresne, author of LOUISIANA POWER & LIGHT and REQUIEM, MASS.

“Fasten your seat belts and take this ride through the A-list, drug-fueled, sex-centric circuit party scene of the 1990’s with Nicholas Garnett. Like Bill Clegg’s memoir PORTRAIT OF AN ADDICT AS A YOUNG MAN and David Carr’s NIGHT OF THE GUN, In the Pink will terrify, startle, and ultimately make you sigh with relief over Garnett’s unflinching look at this world and his place in it.”—Ann Hood, New York Times bestselling author of COMFORT: A JOURNEY THROUGH GRIEF and THE KNITTING CIRCLE.

“In the Pink might read like one man’s heady quest to become the gayest straight man in America. But look deeper and it’s your story, what you’ve done to hang on to love, to live beyond labels while searching for your own, to find yourself after decades of getting so lost. Do yourself a favor: buy this book. Read it now.”—Anjanette Delgado, author of THE CLAIRVOYANT OF CALLE OCHO.

Book Information

Release Date: October 18, 2021

Publisher:  MidTown Publishing

Soft Cover: ISBN:  978-1626770331; 276 pages; $22.99

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3zxQhYb 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3q0YDV0

About Nicholas Garnett

Nicholas Garnett received his MFA in Creative Writing from Florida International University. He has taught creative writing at FIU, the Miami Book Fair, and Writing Class Radio. Garnett is also a freelance editor and co-producer of the Miami-based live storytelling series, Lip Service: True Stories Out Loud. He is a recipient of residencies from the Vermont Studio Center and the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild, and fellowships to the Norman Mailer Art Colony and Writers in Paradise. His writing has appeared, among other places, in Salon.com, Truehumor.com, Sundress Publication’s “Best of the Net” and Cleis Press’s Best Sex Writing.

His memoir, In the Pink, is forthcoming from MidTown Publishing in January 2022.

You can visit his website at www.nicholasgarnett.com or connect with him on Twitter and Facebook.

❀Book Cover Review❀ I AM NOT BRAD PITT AND OTHER STORIES BY ROSS DREIBLATT #BookCoverReview

 
I haven't done a book review cover for awhile so it is my pleasure to review the cover of a new book out by Ross Dreiblatt. The title of the book is I Am Not Brad Pitt and Other Stories and is the first of three riotously absurd tales in Ross Dreiblatt's debut short-story collection sending up America's sometimes-fatal celebrity obsessions.

“I Am Not Brad Pitt” opens in a prison cell in which Mr. Pitt’s clone-like doppelganger, Tobey Crawford, remorsefully recounts the sequence of unlikely events that resulted in his wrongful conviction for murder.

The second story, “Please Allow Me To Introduce Myself,” considers the possibility that Keith Richards (along with, for good measure, Dolly Parton) is, indeed, a vampire. Nobel-Prize laureate Bob Dylan, the story’s vampire-killer, is equipped with more than just a harmonica and tambourine.

The final work in the collection, “Keeping Compliant With The Kardashians,” examines whether Kardashian family members are, in fact, aliens from another galaxy and what precisely is their interest on Earth.

Each of the stories are told with engaging humor, and each pokes fun more at American culture than they do, generally, of the celebrities themselves.

Frankly, not only do I love the title the author gave this book but I also love the cover. Is that Brad Pitt behind the letters or the author? I can't tell but I think the point of covering up part of the face was well played. 

It looks to me like this is Ross Dreiblatt's debut into the literary world. What a wonderful start!

❀Guest Post❀ Tips for Getting Your Book Written by Maria J. Andrade #GUEST

 

TIPS FOR GETTING YOUR BOOK WRITTEN

By Maria J. Andrade

1.      Write About Something You Know About or Have a Passion About!

My recently published fiction novel, Defiance and Redemption, A Lifetime of Unbroken Bonds, which takes place in Ecuador, South America was about the friendship of three women I grew up with, but the main character was my mother. Of course, I knew about their lives because I had spent my life hearing about their youth, how they connected, and what kept their bond of sisterhood solid. So, it was not hard to be excited about creating and sharing a description of these fictional

characters who were based on real-life people I love, but there was also plenty of research I had to do about the period they grew up in.

2.       Do Some Research

Their story begins in the early 20^th Century, which was still influenced by the customs and mores of the Victorian age, and their lives as young women spanned the period of the second World war. I heard what they had told me about the treatment of women during that time and the limitations women faced but I had to learn more. I also did research on Ecuador’s history and the fascinating and uniqueness of its flora and fauna which I wanted to use as the backdrop of the story. So, as you choose a story or it chooses you, you may find yourself doing research to add to the richness of the plot.

3.      Find The Time to Write!

       It is not easy to find the time to write with family, job, and holidays but if you   

are ever going to write that book you must get to writing! You can use the Pomodoro Technique which suggests you use a timer to do a thing for 25-minute intervals then stop, rest for 20 minutes, and begin again.

 I wrote during the time my children were teens and later as an empty nester. In either case, I could always find excuses to procrastinate to start writing or to leave a story behind. In truth, I was procrastinating because there were periods I didn’t believe in my own creative abilities. “It just isn’t good enough,” I would tell myself. Or, I add, “So many good writers have already written about this theme.” Then I realized I had to change the negative mind tapes. “It may not be good right now, but I will get it to be the best it can be!”  “Yes, others have written about this theme but maybe I will have a new perspective that readers can relate to!”

4.      Write a Draft or an Outline

I find that I can write in a more coherent way if I have an outline of where I want to start, where I am going, and maybe where I will end the story. The writing of an outline helps me play creatively with the story line and flesh out the segments as if I were writing a 3-part play. The beginning, middle and end may change but the outline gives me a head start.

5.      Write and Re-write

As you get into your story try to stop at a good place not where you feel stuck. It is better to return to the story when you have not hit a brick wall or feel trapped. If you do hit a wall. Leave it. I needed to get away from my story which ended up being over 77,000 words often. So, I would take a break and get a snack, read some poetry, go out for a walk, or work in my garden. Often when I returned to the story it felt fresh again and I could re-write a section or flesh out a character more.
Of course, in the end, you will need to work with an editor and a good one will tell you where the story needs more information or less. Editors will also pull our cliches, and grammatical errors and all that, but most importantly, they will give you feedback about where the behavior of a character or an event needs clarification. So be prepared to re-write! I translated my novel into Spanish, so I spend a lot of time re-writing because grammatical rules vary from one language to another. Thank goodness, I had a great editor for each language!

6.      Believe in Your Story

If you have a chapter written read it to yourself outload. Hear how it sounds. Share it with a friend and get their feedback. Join a writing group and share it there. You need support so get it wherever you can. Just know that story will get finished and you will begin a new adventure, the journey of marketing your own book!

 

Maria J. Andrade was born in Ecuador, South America, and raised in New York and California. She has a bachelor of arts degree in English literature and a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. As a licensed therapist and writer, Maria has been diving into other people’s minds and her own, through dreams, poetry, and books for over three decades. She traveled with the Four Winds Society where she studied and was initiated into Andean shamanism in 1990.

Before Maria retired as a therapist, she specialized in women’s issues and founded the Wise Women’s Circle a ritualistic and transpersonal study group that continues today. The women support each other through life’s challenges and in the growth of mind, body, and spirit.

Maria Andrade’s books for children and adults is found in a variety of genres. This is an unforgettable first novel that reflects her imagination and creative storytelling.

Defiance and Redemption is her latest release.

Visit her website at www.booksasfriends.com or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

❀New TAROT BOOK Alert❀: Awaken to Tarot by Karen La Puma

Title: AWAKEN TO TAROT: BE YOUR OWN GUIDE WITH ASTROLOGY, NUMBERS AND THE TREE OF LIFE

Author: Karen La Puma

Publisher: Soul Source Publishing

Pages: 420 

Genre: Nonfiction/Spiritual/Self-Help/Kabbalah/Astrology/Tarot

BOOK BLURB:

The Tarot is a visual system that reveals both our True Nature and our obstacles. Introducing a new Tarot deck, made with digital collage. Through pictures, symbols, meanings, questions, processes, Kabbalah, key words, and affirmations, you can learn to:

• Find ways to reflect your inner guidance.
• Explore the magical journey of evolution
• Blend Astrology, Numerology, and the Tree of Life with the Tarot
• Discover the power and implications of the symbols of Tarot

Book Information

Release Date: November 2, 2021

Publisher:  SoulSource Publishing

Soft Cover: ISBN:  978-1878203106; 420 pages; $24.95; Kindle Unlimited FREE 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3poitYX 

Watch the book trailer at YouTube.

About Karen La Puma

Karen La Puma is the Author of a series of books called A Toolkit for Awakening, which are based on the Goddess Warrior on the Hero’s Journey. She is a motivational, intuitive, and spiritual counselor in private practice in the Bay Area since 1979. She is a teacher, astrologer, hypnotherapist, reiki master, inspirational speaker, and creative storyteller with a potent and timely message to empower your life.

Her latest book is Awaken to Tarot: Be Your Own Guide with Astrology, Numbers and the Tree of Life.

Visit her website at www.soul-source.org or connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

❀Book Cover Review❀ THE WITCH OF RATHBORNE CASTLE by Virginia Barlow #BookCoverReview

 Okay, do I have a beautiful cover to showcase today or what? This, my dear friends, is Virginia Barlow's striking cover for The Witch of Rathborne Castle. Cute, eh?

This to me screams paranormal. Witches. Wolves. Love the mist at the bottom - quite a nice addition to the cover. Love the title font...very perfect for a book that's a paranormal romance. If I didn't open the book, the cover would automatically tell me that there's a castle and is that red-headed woman a witch? And the wolf must have some kind of symbolism. I absolutely love this cover.

Virginia Barlow is no stranger to writing books. She is not only the author of The Witch of Rathborne Castle, but she also wrote and published Wylder Bachelor, Coconut Macaroon Scandal, A Fallacious Seduction, and The Wicked Sister.