LESSER KNOWN TRAVEL TRIPS - Book IV "How to React When Woken at 3am by Drunk Argentinian Backpackers While Staying in a Youth Hostel and Other Lesser Known Travel Tips" by Simon Yeats

 

Welcome to the cover reveal of Book Four of the LESSER KNOWN TRAVEL TRIPS series, How to React When Woken at 3am by Drunk Argentinian Backpackers While Staying in a Youth Hostel and Other Lesser Known Travel Tips. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Book 4 of an original and hilarious book series of travel misadventures and dubious personal introspection by Australian author Simon Yeats, who from an early age learned that the best way to approach the misfortunes of this world is to laugh about them. Simon shares his comedic insights into the unusual and uproarious elements of living life as an Aussie ex-pat and having a sense of Wanderlust as pervasive as COVID hysteria in the early part of this decade. From how to negotiate traffic in Los Angeles when your car can only drive at 5 miles/hr, to what to do when locked out of your hotel room in your underwear, to the emotions of attempting the world’s second highest bungee when you have a pathological fear of heights, to how to deal with the trials and tribulations of staying in a youth hostel with travelers who have no respect for the other guests. Simon Yeats has gone into the world and experienced all the out of the ordinary moments for you to sit back and enjoy the experience without the need to empty your bank account, get squeezed sitting in a middle airline seat, or deal with border security at the Ukraine/Russia boundary.

Read an Excerpt

Big Wednesday was my first day at work as a liftie on the Burgess Creek lift at the Steamboat ski resort as a wide-eyed 20-year-old. I do not remember the exact date, but I am absolutely certain it was a Wednesday because everyone who was present at the resort that day referred to it as ‘big Wednesday.’

Overnight, between ‘ordinary Tuesday’ and ‘big Wednesday,’ the town and resort received a mammoth amount of snowfall. It absolutely dumped. A biblical amount of snow. Even though I do not recall snow being mentioned once in either the old testament or the new testament. But I could have missed the reference.

And Moses went up the mountain at God’s direction and there was fresh dump of powder snow, and he cried out, “ye verily, gonna cut me some wicked turns.”

To get to work on my first day, I take the shortcut straight down the hill to the main road and bus stop. I am decked out in my official Steamboat resort onesie ski suit. The snow level is over my belly button. It is like wading through waist high surf for a half mile.

I scramble onto the bus, and I am on my knees huffing and puffing while dripping with sweat.

An inauspicious start to the day.

About the Author:

Simon Yeats has lived nine lives, and by all estimations, is fast running out of the number he has left. His life of globetrotting the globe was not the one he expected to lead. He grew up a quiet, shy boy teased by other kids on the playgrounds for his red hair. But he developed a keen wit and sense of humor to always see the funnier side of life.

With an overwhelming love of travel, a propensity to find trouble where there was none, and being a passionate advocate of mental health, Simon’s stories will leave a reader either rolling on the floor in tears of laughter, or breathing deeply that the adventures he has led were survived.

No author has laughed longer or cried with less restraint at the travails of life.

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CBNQLSPW/about
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authoryeats
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoryeats

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One Little Witch by Crystal Beach

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

A brilliant Little Witch counts the pumpkins in her pumpkin patch and discovers some surprising surprises. Join author and illustrator Crystal Beach (One Polar Bear and Two Polar Bears) as she captivates you with her latest adventure story and a brand-new series—One Little Witch. You and your child will be delighted by this hilarious tale as together you learn counting and sight words, and experiment with sound.

A charming holiday tale for autumn, or any time of the year, One Little Witch is filled with pumpkins and childlike enthusiasm for learning. This little book is sure to enchant, and will make a spooky addition to your child's library.

If you can be anything, be inclusive.

About the Author:

Crystal Beach is an adoptive mother and caregiver of two adoptive children who have complex medical needs and disabilities. Her children are often represented in her work as strong, caring individuals with special gifts and powers. Her writing projects are intended to ensure financial support for her children's future.

Crystal has a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Her focus is in children's literature, publishing, and journalism. She has had many careers including ten years as a MedA with the Canadian Naval Reserve, advertising with a daily newspaper, communications and marketing, training as an EMT, and continued studies in developmental psychology.

She and her family live in Regina, Saskatchewan in a simple little house with two giant support dogs.

For more information visit Website: http://www.crystalbeachauthor.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crystalbeachauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40712712.Crystal_Beach
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crystal.beach.aut
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crystal_m_beach

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Journey to the Dark Galaxy by Hannah D. State

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

A mysterious signal from deep space. Mischief and murder at a military base.

Earth’s leaders are given an ultimatum: deliver Sam Sanderson to Logom, a planet known to house a hostile AI civilization, or face interplanetary war.

When Sam receives a strange letter drafting her into the Great Alliance for Interplanetary Affairs as a matter of international security, she expects to get answers. But instead of receiving a warm welcome, she finds that most people under the surface are distant, cold, and have built walls of silence. While grappling with her unique power and the consequences of her actions, she learns that the organization she’s supposed to serve has a chilling past and guards a dark secret.

While Earth’s scientists scramble to defend their world and the planetary alliance from the AI threat, Sam is forced on a mission to the Dark Galaxy. A place where dangers lurk, tensions run high, and things are never what they seem.

But will the journey change her forever?

As Sam desperately navigates a maze of lies, dark secrets, and finds herself at the heart of a dangerous journey, she discovers that it will take much more than her courage and power to save humanity.

Time’s running out, and there’s no turning back now…

From the award-winning author of Journey to the Hopewell Star comes the highly anticipated sequel that’s sure to be a thrilling ride!

Read an Excerpt

Sam’s throat tightened. Tears collected in her eyes, but she wiped them away before the others saw. She couldn’t let them see her like that, vulnerable and fragile. She didn’t want them to worry about her.

She instead focused on the people they passed in the hallways. Joyful and welcoming and…

Wait. No, that’s not right.

She slowed down and tried to take in every detail about their features and body language.

When they looked at Rian and her friends, their expressions were easy to read—relaxed, carefree. Delighted to see them. Yet, when their eyes traveled to Sam…

Their expressions changed, if only by a fraction. Nothing anyone would notice. Except she noticed. She sensed…discomfort, fear. Their eyes shifted, and within them, an apprehension lingered. They tensed up slightly, too; a tightened jaw, a rigid stance. Hesitation. They seemed to be holding back, nervous about something.

Sam smiled, trying to elicit a similar response from them.

But they didn’t smile. Or if they did, it was forced.

It was like they were all hiding a deep, dark, terrible secret.

And it was about her.

About the Author

Hannah D. State is an award-winning Canadian author. She graduated from McGill University with a BA and earned her MPL from Queen’s University. Hannah is bothered by inequality, violence, greed, complacency, snakes, entering a dark room, and not getting enough sleep. She enjoys writing about strong-willed characters who don’t fit the norm and who overcome great obstacles with perseverance, self-discovery, and help from others. Sometimes Hannah can’t keep up with her characters’ ideas and plans, so she takes breaks, drinks coffee, does yoga and tai chi, and takes nature walks to calm her mind and really listen. Journey to the Dark Galaxy is her second novel. You can find her author page on Facebook.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hannahdstate/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20560327.Hannah_D_State
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahdstate/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Dark-Galaxy-Book-ebook/dp/B0CPB1ZM2P/

Read for free on Kindle Unlimited

a Rafflecopter giveaway

PLAYING ARMY by Nancy Stroer

 

PLAYING ARMY

Nancy Stroer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: UpLit / domestic war

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:  It’s 1995 and the Army units of Fort Stewart, Georgia are gearing up to deploy to Bosnia, but Lieutenant Minerva Mills has no intention of going to war-torn eastern Europe. Her father disappeared in Vietnam and, desperate for some kind of connection to him, she’s determined to go on a long-promised tour to Asia. But the Colonel will only release her on two conditions—that she reform the rag-tag Headquarters Company so they’re ready for the peacekeeping mission, and that she get her weight within Army regs, whichever comes second. Min only has one summer to kick everyone’s butts into shape but the harder she plays Army, the more the soldiers—and her body—rebel. If she can’t even get the other women on her side, much less lose those eight lousy pounds, she’ll never have another chance to stand where her father once stood in Vietnam, feeling what he felt. The Colonel may sweep her along to Bosnia or throw her out of the Army altogether. Can you fake it until you make it? Min is about to find out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

I sucked in my gut and forced the top button of my BDU trousers through the hole. Pounds never melted off me like they did in the diet pill commercials. As I wrestled with my body’s ill-fitting container the latrine door opened and two pairs of boots tromped in. Specialist Pettit’s voice floated over the sound of running water. “Not to be mean or anything, but female commanders are the worst. And Lieutenant Mills is the absolute worst. I worked for her for two years in Personnel and she ragged on me the whole time.”

Whoa, shit. Enemy inside the wire. I stopped breathing altogether and leaned so close to the stall door my eyes crossed.

“Hey, now.” That was Lieutenant Logan, my replacement at my old job. Female soldiers carved their hierarchies along different lines, never straight down the military ranks, and new alliances were being tested. Would Logan stick up for me, officer to officer? “It’s a short-term thing. She won’t be here long.” Instead of reproach, Logan’s voice was edged with mirth. “The colonel needs a body in that chair until a real commander comes in, and now that I’m here, Lieutenant Mills is over strength. She’s the body.”

My face grew hot. Real commander? Body? I clamped my lips shut against the urge to burst out of the stall, roaring. I imagined inhaling the entire room then blowing them away with the release of my torso, all tightly packed plastic explosives and buckshot. These two, Logan especially, had no freaking clue.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Nancy Stroer grew up in a very big family in a very small house in Athens, Georgia and served in the beer-soaked trenches of post-Cold War Germany. She holds degrees from Cornell and Boston University, and her work has appeared in the Stars and Stripes, Soldiers magazine, Hallaren Lit Mag, Wrath-Bearing Tree, and Things We Carry Still, an anthology of military writing from Middle West Press.

She’s a teacher and a trainer, and an adjunct faculty member of the Ellyn Satter Institute, a 503(c) not-for-profit that helps individuals and families develop a more joyful relationship to food and their bodies. Playing Army is her first novel.

Social media links:

https://twitter.com/Nancy_Stroer

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49311942.Nancy_Stroer https://www.facebook.com/nancy.stroer/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-stroer-86213089/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

RAFFLECOPTER

A randomly drawn winner will be awarded a $25 Amazon/BN gift card.

Fresh Grown by Andrea Kristin

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Andrea Kristin will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Written, photographed, and designed by Andrea, this book is filled with firsthand imagery and knowledge direct from the farm. For beginners and experts alike, its unique insights, stunning visuals, and practical approach make it an invaluable resource for anyone wanting to fully utilize and enjoy their fresh produce. Featuring over 50 types of vegetables (with applications for far more), from asparagus to zucchini and everything in between, it will help you reap maximum benefits, stretch your dollars, and make it all go farther than you ever thought possible while deepening your appreciation for nature's delicious bounty.

Filled with:
- stunning images
- staple recipes
- creative uses
- cooking + storage tips
- preservation guides

A book you'll return to time and time again— a staple in any home kitchen.

Read an Excerpt

I wasn't always passionate about vegetables. My first memorable encounter with fresh vegetables was the evening Denis (the cute guy I had been dating for a couple of months) first brought me to visit his family's farm. I was 17 at the time. Growing up in the suburbs, my only experience with produce up to that point was a few staples from the supermarket and frozen foods section. We had no garden and no real produce variety in my childhood home. Our family dinners involved the classics— carrots, potatoes, frozen peas, and the odd green salad thrown in for good measure. Farmers markets and CSAs were completely foreign to me; fresh was not something I thought about, and I had never seen or heard of most of the vegetables in this book.

It was a warm, sunny evening as 19-year-old Denis drove me through the agricultural landscape in his bright red compact car. Pulling into the gravel driveway of his parents' property, we parked next to a large, weathered, white barn. Hopping out of the vehicle, we were met by a few of his brothers coming in from the field with dirt on their hands and grins on their faces. It was an expansive, hundred-acre, organic vegetable farm that his parents had started from scratch and that he and his siblings grew up cultivating. There was so much pride in him around it and a real passion for the produce they grew. It lit me up to see the enthusiasm sparking in him to show me all of it, and I couldn't wait to discover this unique world that made him tick so vibrantly.

After enjoying an energetic outdoor supper with everyone back at the house, Denis invited me for a stroll to see the garden.

"Kick off your shoes," he said, tossing his own aside. We proceeded to walk barefoot through the acres of dirt and lush growth.

The sun was beginning to set behind the surrounding mountains, bathing the whole valley in a golden glow. The birds were chirping and flying overhead as he took my hand. I gazed in wonder as he proudly named the different kinds of plants. I thought he was teasing me when he pointed and told me the kale was something to eat. (That dark green, weird, leafy thing? That surely couldn't be food!) I look back and laugh now, but it was just so far from my food experience at the time.

I remember when he bent down to the damp earth, pulled a handful of carrots from the soil, and wiped the dirt from them with the old T-shirt he was wearing. Then he handed me one to munch on as we continued talking. It tasted incredibly crunchy and sweet— far better than anything I'd ever eaten from a grocery store. I was caught up in wonderment. What was this incredible lifestyle?

About the Author: 

Andrea Kristin and her husband have been growing vegetables on their organic market garden farm outside of Edmonton, Alberta for nearly a decade. They sell at farmers markets and feed their local community through their thriving CSA program (@greyarrowfarm). In this book, Andrea draws from her wealth of firsthand knowledge to walk the reader graciously through all the ways to use, store, and enjoy your vegetables. She shares a bounty of insightful information, including which parts of each plant are edible, how to use them, what to do with your excess, and the various ways to preserve them to last throughout the year.

https://andreakristin.ca/
https://greyarrowfarm.ca/
https://www.instagram.com/greyarrowfarm/
https://www.facebook.com/greyarrowfarm

https://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Grown-Essential-Guide-Vegetables-ebook/dp/B0D7QN6Q64

Andrea Kristin will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Second Life by Simon Yeats

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Simon Yeats is awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

We all have two lives. We only get to experience living in the second after we realize we only have just one.

I have my first real scare in life when I get attacked by a kangaroo when I am seven. My first brush with the cliff-face edge of death comes when I am 12. My dad drives the family down the dangerous Skipper’s Canyon dirt road in New Zealand in a rented minivan.

Including the occasion I am almost involved in two different plane flight crashes, in the same night, there have been at least a half dozen more occasions when I have been within a moment’s inattention of being killed.

However, none of those frightening incidents compare to what I experience after my son is abducted.

This memoir is the story of how I used the traumatic experiences of my life to give me strength to forge on during a 13 year fight to be a father to my son.

What did it take for me to get to my second life?
It took me to truly understand what fear is.

Read an Excerpt

How does a second life differ from a first? My story of reaching the second will demonstrate it perfectly for those languishing in the latter. I guarantee the perception of your life will never be the same after reading about it.

What did it take for me to get to a second life?

Was it an occasion of cheating death? Was it multiple occasions of evading the grim reaper? Was it being arrested and thrown in jail for no reason?

Perhaps a better question might be. How much do I love my child? What am I willing to go through to be in my child’s only life?

Until recently, I had never even heard of this saying by Confucius. But, when a person sees something that resonates with a chord in their heart, they feel it.

I felt it like an earthquake.

Before then, I had never given thought to who I might have ever met that I would consider was living a second life.

Yet this would seem to be our very point of being.

While there have been many occasions in my existence when I have felt like the world is against me. The true nature of life often seems a cruel device. Callous. Savagely unforgiving. And the puppeteer of fate in control of all our lives does not seem to care that we do not want it to be this way.

How many people would admit that they are suffering during their first life?

Rhetorical question.

We all are. Some more than others. But we all are.

Not surprisingly then, that humanity thrives on the ever-unfolding tragedies around us. The devastation of the tsunami in Thailand. The OJ Simpson trial. World War Two concentration camps. The collective work of The Cure and The Smiths.

If it bleeds, it leads.

This is what people want to see.

But the hordes in their first life are primarily concerned with the suffering of the mighty.

However, many of us are not mighty.

Most of us are ordinary.

And the suffering in our first life is done in silence.

About the Author:

Simon Yeats has lived nine lives, and by all estimations, is fast running out of the number he has left. His life of globetrotting the globe was not the one he expected to lead. He grew up a quiet, shy boy teased by other kids on the playgrounds for his red hair. But he developed a keen wit and sense of humor to always see the funnier side of life.

With an overwhelming love of travel, a propensity to find trouble where there was none, and being a passionate advocate of mental health, Simon’s stories will leave a reader either rolling on the floor in tears of laughter, or breathing deeply that the adventures he has led were survived.

No author has laughed longer or cried with less restraint at the travails of life.


Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CBNQLSPW/about
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authoryeats
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoryeats

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/My-SECOND-Life-Simon-Yeats-ebook/dp/B0CB4LCCPN/ref=sr_1_1

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Playtime Clothes Kim MacLean

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kim MacLean will award a randomly drawn winner a $15 Amazon/BN gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The young boy's room is an undeniable mess. Did he actually clean his room, as he is telling his mom? Or do his clothes come to life and play?! They are, after all, playtime clothes. Is he learning a lesson to tell the truth and be accountable, as we all do in life? Or is it a world of make believe? It is for you to enjoy while you decide.

About the Author: Kim MacLean was inspired to be creative while she and her little girls made their own fun inside their home on long, cold winter days. Her girls sat for hours painting and gluing crafts into works of art on paper. Oh, the rows and rows of finished masterpieces drying on the floor while Kim sat and wrote! And there were the hundreds of books that they read and enjoyed together that further inspired creativity and an adult love of children's books!

Tia Bates is an artist, illustrator, and storyteller from London, Ontario. She is inspired by the beautiful illustrations she grew up looking at in children's books just like Playtime Clothes, the first children's book she has illustrated! Currently pursuing a master's degree in fine art, Tia's personal artwork is all about the stories we tell.

Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/0228883547
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/playtime-clothes-kim-maclean/1143163085
Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Playtime-Clothes-Kim-Maclean/9780228883548

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE, ICONIC AND KINETIC MAPS OF AUSTRALIA IN THE WORLD by Jose Tugaff Amoloria & Lourdes Villena Amoloria

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Dream without fear. When dreams are nourished with faith and actions, dreams bloom into realities.

Jose, a self-taught artist, had no formal training in art, no scholastic qualifications and had very challenging life experiences as an international sailor, chef, watchmaker and stone mason. How can one be multi-skilled and pass international standards without proper educational training?

This book will make you rethink how adversity, grief and loss can cause so much pain, and yet these life challenges can facilitate creativity, and be transformed into gifts and blessings for a meaningful and productive existence.

Get inspired by faith and determination that changed the course of life, and be entertained by the unconventional ways Jose educated and equipped himself with skills to achieve dreams and goals. The one-of-a-kind masterpieces in this book and Jose's life are testimonials that creativity can really transform lives. Miracles do happen, and anyone can manifest miracles if they sincerely believe in themselves and in the intervention of the unseen power of the Supreme Creator.

Read an Excerpt

Creativity means many things to many people, but the most common understanding is that creativity happens when someone creates something unique, new, artistic, beautiful and often valuable, an enhancer to our lives. No doubt, creativity is one great way to win in life’s arena of challenges.

The reality is people have different kinds of creativity, and children can be very creative as they do not know the limitations of their imagination. There are adults, too, who are determined to create what has never been done before, hence perhaps Einstein’s famous quote, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there will be to know and understand.”

Jose’s creativity started to manifest when his father encouraged him to make his own toys out of some spare watch parts and other odd pieces he had kept. His school projects were also a great outlet for his growing creativity. Nonetheless, this creative influence almost got lost when he had to deal with his mom’s passing and pursue his own life travelling around the world as a sailor.

About the Authors:

Jose Tugaff Amoloria is a man of multi-talents and skills. He is a professional watchmaker who had mastered most phases of watches: mechanical, automatic, quartz technology and modern watches. He created one-of-a-kind kinetic masterpieces made of collectible time pieces and watch parts, enhanced with microlights. He became a chef, and was personally taught a French masterchef's family secret of French liquored ice cream.

Jose mastered stone masonry in record time. His experience in watch repair helped him to gain a feather touch to accomplish his masonry works. He is also an avid martial art practitioner of arnis, a Filipino martial art, and he is also a second-dan black belt in Karate, with a champion's trophy to prove it. With so many other skills and abilities, Jose thanks God for the gifts and talents given to him.

Email: jjamoloria@gmail.com

Lourdes Villena Amoloria is an Amazon international best-selling author for her book Kiss From an Angel: How to Turn Your Grief Into a Gift From Heaven, published in Sydney, Australia, 2014.

Lourdes holds a bachelor's degree in mass communications from La Salle, Bacolod City, Philippines, with a post graduate in counselling from the Australian College of Applied Psychology in Sydney, Australia.

Lourdes is on a mission to help others find the gift behind their grief, help with mental health issues, and live more productive lives with faith, self-responsibility and love in action.

Email: lourdesvillenaamoloria@gmail.com

WEBSITE: https://lourdesvillenaamoloria.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/mylifemypricelessmasterpiece
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lourdes-villena-amoloria-b92025a2/?originalSubdomain=au
GOODREADS GIVEAWAY: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/388642-one-of-the-most-expensive-iconic-and-kinetic-maps-of-australia-in-the-w

PURCHASE LINKS AMAZON: https://amazon.com/dp/0228895901
WALMART: https://www.walmart.com/search?q=9780228895909
BOOKTOPIA: https://www.booktopia.com.au/search.ep?keywords=9780228895909
RAKUTEN KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/one-of-the-most-expensive-iconic-and-kinetic-maps-of-australia-in-the-world

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I THINK IT MIGHT RAIN by Rick Marchand

 

I THINK IT MIGHT RAIN

Rick Marchand

Illustrated by Nicole Herbut

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Children's Fiction

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Meet Bartholomew, a curious, kind and sweet third grader. One day, Bartholomew wakes up and is convinced he sees a black cloud forming in the clear blue sky. "I think it might rain," he proclaims. But what happens when his family, friends, and classmates don't believe him? Will he be able to stand up to the bullies who call him names? Will he hold firm in his beliefs?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

As the sun beamed brightly through his bedroom window, Bartholomew pulled on his tee shirt – the one with his favourite Pokémon design. As his head popped out, he noticed a small black spot far in the distance. That doesn’t look good, he thought.

Grabbing quickly for his telescope, he pointed, focused the lens, and peered out through its long-extended tube to see just what the small black spot might be.

His imagination scaring him a little, he thought out loud: “Could be an assault helicopter? Maybe even a stealth bomber? Are we being attacked by aliens?”

Bartholomew raised the telescope. Refocusing the lens, he decided to have another look. What if it’s just one of those huge hot air balloons?

Straightening back up, scratching his head, a puzzled look now on his face, he thought, No way; I’ve never seen one of those around here.

Taking one last look, squinting as he focused out towards the black dot, “I GOT IT!!” he yelled out, loud and proud. “That’s a storm cloud and it’s heading our way. I think it might rain!!!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Richard Marchand and Nicole Herbut are a father/daughter, grandfather/mother, author/illustrator team creating picture books for young boys and girls. Their stories centre on a young boy named Bartholomew and his family and friends. They are designed to convey a simple yet meaningful message that can help young children learn from and grow with. Rick's stories were developed with his own daughters who at a very young age wanted him to "read a story from his mouth" and not a book.

PURCHASE LINKS for I Think It Might Rain

AMAZON 

 INDIGO CHAPTERS 

 BARNES & NOBLE 

 BOOKTOPIA 

 GOODREADS GIVEAWAY Join Bartholomew's journey of belief and courage! Enter to win a e-copy of 'I Think It Might Rain'—a heartwarming tale of kindness overcoming doubt. 

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Rick Marchand will award a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner via

Rafflecopter : 

A Cure for Spring Fever by Barbara Robinson

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

For centuries, Gamekeepers have used their magical abilities to create a buffer between the creatures who dwell in the enchanted forest and the sleepy coastal town that sits in its shadow. When Gamekeeper Stan Ross’s magic begins to fail, he must find out what went wrong, then fix it before the two worlds collide. His hit or miss magic has already led to a few close calls so he journeys to the Sacred Isle searching for answers and advice. Finding a cure proves elusive—until Stan encounters a kitchen witch who captivates him body and soul. Lynnette Peters is healing from her own wounds, however, and it isn’t clear whether she’s ready to open herself to the possibility—or the peril—of love.

Read an Excerpt

“I’m not sick, sir” Stan answered, uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading. He swallowed, then cleared his throat. “I haven’t changed the way I cast a ward. My magic is elemental, so I rely on nature runes, overlaid with those representing broader concepts. I might choose an animal rune, or a rune representing a natural element. It depends on the creature I’m warding, and what its habits are. Once I have the base rune, I add on layers, and then finish it with something representing strength or luck. I guess I’m in a bit of a rut. My magic is feeling tired, lately. When it works, it doesn’t have the same staying power, and sometimes it just doesn’t work at all.”

Tapping his fingers on the desk, Covington regarded Stan with sympathy, then nodded. “You’re certainly not the first gamekeeper to hit a rut, and you won’t be the last. I think that a little bit of rest and relaxation is what’s needed here. I am going to suggest—no, I’m going to insist—that you take some time off and recharge your batteries. Meanwhile, I’ll give some thought to damage control."

Stan dipped his head in acknowledgment, but his posture was rigid as he exited the office. Finding his partner in the break room, Stan told him that Covington was taking him off the duty roster, and insisting he take some leave. “I don’t know, Owen” he said, picking dust off his sleeve and shaking his head. “I haven’t taken any vacation time in over a year, so maybe Covington has a point, but I feel like I’m more than just tired. I’m soul tired. I’m not sure that a week on my sofa with daytime TV and a tray of bonbons is going to fix anything.”

About the Author: Barbara Robinson is an author of contemporary and historical romance set against a backdrop of magical realism. She is a deep thinker and tea drinker who finds inspiration in myths and folktales, poems and ballads, and academic writing on a variety of subjects. Diagnosed with autism and giftedness as an adult, she enjoys exploring themes of neurodiversity and opposing character perspectives in her writing.

She is an avid gardener and lover of nature who works out plot lines and character sketches while nurturing her garden, walking in the woods, or sitting by the shoreline watching waves. She is known for world building that features rich and immersive detail, supported by meticulous research and careful observation.

Barbara lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, in the shadow of ancient mountains that lie along the Bay of Fundy coast. These rugged vistas shape her story settings, while providing the perfect backdrop for life with her husband, her hounds and her dragon (Pogona Vitticeps). She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of King’s College and a Master of Arts at Dalhousie University, and she recently completed a Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing from the Humber School for Writers (Humber College, Toronto).

Website: https://www.barbararobinsonauthor.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraRobinsonWrites/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Spring-Fever-Jelly-Beans-Things-ebook/dp/B0CVHHR5ND/ref=sr_1_1

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Picasso's Lovers by Jean Mackin

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jeanne Mackin will award a randomly drawn winner a $25 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

You know Pablo Picasso. Now meet the women behind the masterpieces. The women of Picasso's life are glamorous and elusive, existing in the shadow of his fame - until, in the 1950's, aspiring journalist Alana Olsen determines to bring one into the light and discovers a past complicated by secrets and intrique.

Read an Excerpt

Gazes from Pablo Picasso are like brushstrokes. Some are long, lingering, full of texture and pigment. Some are short, shallow, even accidental. His gaze on me now falls somewhere between the two.

Once, his gaze would have found enough for an entire painting. He would have seen flesh, and the bone and muscle under the flesh, the question or certainty of the eyes. He would have seen past, present, and future and painted them in a way that made time irrelevant.

Yes, that was how he pained me. Everything and at once, all the angles and geometry of the body, and he made of me something eternal and always beautiful. That is what an artists can do for a woman. When most men looked at me, all I saw in their faces was desire, the urge to possess. When Pablo looked at me, his face filled with wonder waiting to be translated to lines and brushstrokes.

Spring. The second year of the Great War. I wasn’t twenty yet, and had returned from cold, starving Moscow, where a loaf of bread coast as much as a silk dress…Back to Paris for me!

When Pablo first saw me, I was sitting on the rim of the Wallace Fountain in Place Emile, face turned up to the sun like a basking cat, enjoying the fine day and wondering what adventure I might find…It was early summer. I had stolen a bunch of cherries at Les Halles and a roll, but my stomach rattled.

About the Author:

Jeanne Mackin is the author of several historical novels, including The Last Collection, which has been translated into five languages, and The Beautiful American, which won a CNY award for fiction. She has taught in the MFA Creative Writing program at Goddard College and won journalism awards, and is currently at work on her next novel.

Website: http://www.jeannemackin.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeanneMackinAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JeanneMackin1
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/JeanneMackinAuthor

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Picassos-Lovers-Jeanne-Mackin-ebook/dp/B0C3C2J4FH/ref=sr_1_1

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Toothbrush Animal Hunt by Carleen Dehaney

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Carleen Dehaney will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Embark on a delightful adventure with Toothbrush Animal Hunt, the perfect children's book to encourage daily toothbrushing habits in a playful and enjoyable way.

From a clapping sea lion at the beach to a cheeky squirrel in the forest, children will be fascinated as they learn about toothbrushing through the actions and antics of these charming creatures. And don't forget to spot the toothbrushes hidden throughout the pages, making this hunt, a delightful game of discovery.

Say goodbye to toothbrushing struggles and let the adventure begin!

Enjoy an Excerpt

About the Author: Meet the author, Carleen Dehaney! Carleen is a mother and wife. She hails from the UK but now calls Canada home. This enchanting book draws inspiration from a tenacious 2-year-old in need of some toothbrushing magic. Carleen embarked on a whimsical journey, incorporating playful animal sounds into her daughter's brushing routine, and thus, the idea for this captivating book was conceived. Today, her little one, who has since outgrown her toddler years, recites this tale back to Carleen, forging cherished moments between them.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Toothbrush-Animal-Hunt-Carleen-Dehaney/dp/0228877024/ref=sr_1_1

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I SURVIVED by Celisha J

 I SURVIVED

by Celisha J

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Memoir

~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

In “I Survived” the author’s journey through a life marked by hardship, pain and resilience. From

the devastating loss of a mother at a young age to abusive relationships and a harrowing

escape, this gripping memoir unveils the story of survival, redemption, and the enduring

strength of the human spirit. With unwavering determination, the author overcomes the shadows

of her past to forge a path toward self-discovery, healing, and hope.

I Survived is an inspiring testament to the power of resilience and the unwavering belief that no

matter the obstacles, one can triumph over adversity and ultimately thrive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

Introduction

My name is Celisha J. I have been through a lot, learned, and am better because of it. I am a

firm believer that every lesson is a blessing. God has saved me so many times. I know he did

this because he has something bigger planned for me.

My prayer for this book is that it helps women and children who have gone through the same or

similar situations to know that they don’t have to allow the traumas of their past to keep them

from being successful. I believe that God has a plan for our life, but we did something to alter

that plan along the way. He did not intend for us to struggle or have a hard life. He allows us to

choose the path we want to go on. The good thing is he is that he is Always there to pick us up

when we fall. We were born for greatness.

Hold yourself accountable for your mistakes and forgive yourself and those who hurt you.

Forgiveness is for you. I want people to know you can be the best you that you allow. No one

says it will be easy, but the main thing to remember is that you are responsible for you. I believe

that the only person you can truly believe in life, who won’t let you down, is God and yourself. In

order for you to crawl out of the slump of being abused, hurt, let down, controlled, and battered

is, your faith in God and the belief that he has better for you. He does not want us to live in our

past. He intended for us to learn from it and allow our past to help other people gain strength,

but if we tell our stories and we have not grown from what happened to us, then who can we

really help?

I have done some things in my past that I am not proud of, and this book tells you my story and

how I remember it. No, it is not everything, but the book will tell you the things that stood out the

most to me. I have learned a lot and grown from my mistakes, and I have decided not to allow

the embarrassment, pain, and struggles from my past to hold me back, so I am releasing it in

this book.

This is my Ugly Truth!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Born in Michigan now living in Atlanta, Celisha J. is an Actress and Author all in one, landing a

role in a movie and a lead role on a TV Series.

She currently has a book entitled “I Survived”. It is a chilling story about her life from losing her

mom at an early age and all the things that she has endured in her life, that should have broken

her but she uses her pain as motivation to continue on her journey to following her dreams of

being an actress, author and motivational speaker. She is currently pursuing more roles in

acting.

Website: http://www.Celishaj.com

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/Celishaj_

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

Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/celishaj

Available on Kindle Unlimited: https://www.amazon.com/I-SURVIVED-Celisha-J-

ebook/dp/B0CL9K719D

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/Qzi7NXoPXbs?si=SIVr-OVo5Nv01dro

Embed code: <iframe width="560" height="315"

src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qzi7NXoPXbs?si=CkY2RcoNW7I63sRZ" title="YouTube

video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-

media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER 

One randomly drawn winner will win a $25 Amazon/BN gift card.  

Author Interview: 

Hello Celisha, and welcome to my blog !  I have some questions for you to help readers get to know you better. 

What is something you’ve lied about?

I may have lied about something when I was a younger only to get out of trouble. Currently, I

fear God too much to lie.

Who is the last person you hugged?

My near and dear ones – my children, my co-workers, people who I care for and who care for

me in return.

What are you reading now?

I am currently reading the stories and scripts of the television shows in which I play a part as

an actor.

How do you come up with the titles to your books?

I think about what I want to convey in my book, I ask my friends and family, at times, I seek

professional advice from some trustworthy people that I know.

Share your dream cast for your book.

My dream cast for my book would be me as the lead actor, supported by my colleagues and

family members playing crucial roles.

Rocketship Ride by Franco D'Auria

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

 

Come for a journey through the minds of two loving brothers as they explore the world around them using their imagination!

Join them in their rocketship as they barrel through space, meet with remarkable aliens, get in and out of extraordinary situations, and find the time to enjoy the company of amazing friends and family.

Let them take you on this incredible journey, and hopefully they inspire you to have your fantastic adventures too!

About the Author: Franco D'Auria discovered a passion for writing and world-building through his long career as a game designer for HitGrab Labs. Lending his voice to the game MouseHunt and its whimsical fantasy world of Gnawnia, his imagination was bursting for new creative outlets.

What started as an innocent request from his children to sing a bedtime song about rocketships gradually evolved into this book. It celebrates the boys' love of books, their special relationship as brothers, their adventures with family, and the spark of imagination that they share.

Buy Link: https://amazon.com/dp/1779412479

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Poetry from My Heart by Paul Guerin

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Paul Guerin will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

"Poetry: writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound, and rhythm."

"Poetry: a literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm."

Poetry means different things to different people. For me, it is all about feelings. If it captures the emotions of the reader, a poem will resonate and fill the soul. It can mean everything to one person and not much at all to another. The mood of the reader, and no one else, determines the outcome.

For example, love poems are wonderful when you are in love, and their passion is amazing. If you are facing adversity, however, love poems likely will just annoy you.

In this second book, Poetry from my Heart: The Journey Continues, I have again divided the poems into categories which will fit your mood no matter what you are experiencing at the time you choose to explore them. There should be something for everyone, whether you are in love, out of love, hurt, lonely, angry, abandoned, or facing other challenges in your life.

Poetry has a healing power that nurtures the soul and quietens the mind and so I hope that whatever your situation is in life, you have found something here that helped you safely on your own journey.

Read an Excerpt

The green hills of Ireland

The green hills of Ireland are calling to me
I hear their soft whisper wherever I roam
No matter whether on land or on sea
The green hills of Ireland keep calling me home

I lived in old Ireland as a young lad you see
And I left my heart there on some mossy hillside
Now I yearn to go back to set my heart free
And awaken a dream I can no longer hide

For I love your high mountains and windy seashore
Your hills and your streams rolling down to the sea
And I long to go home to my lost land of yore
And return to the Irish that’s deep within me

Now sheep in the pastures are calling to me
From the craggy rock walls that keep them inside
While the streams that run down from the mountains so free
Speak sparkling with hope and a joy they can’t hide

I long for the ocean on the Wild Atlantic Way
And the crazy coast road that winds in and out
And the sea breeze that whispers I hope you will stay
And the people all happily wandering about

I remember the old priory standing in ruins
Near Castletownroche with its bridge and its mill
I recall all the pubs with their loud Irish tunes
And my mind wanders back where my soul lingers still

I miss all the people so friendly and kind
With their musical language and soft Irish smiles
How they welcomed me home with a grace so refined
That I felt their great love from thousands of miles

The green hills of Ireland keep calling to me
Come home now we’re waiting to see you once more
For you know in your heart it’s the place you must be
So return again Irish to your green land of yore

About the Author:

Paul Guerin is an Irishman. He was born in September 1946 in Castletownroche, a small townland village in County Cork, Eire.

It was there in Castletownroche that his romantic imagination was sparked as he came to love and appreciate the magic of his surroundings. Those early experiences were the genesis of his poetry that emerged in later life.

As a young adult, Paul lived in London, England, where he became a chartered accountant.

At age 25, restless for adventure, Paul moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where he still resides today.

Paul is happily married and is a proud father and grandfather.

Paul writes poetry as the inspiration comes to him. As long as his mind, body and soul are willing companions and his spark of inspiration remains alive, he will continue to write.

This book is Paul's second publication in his Willing Heart series. His first book was published in the Spring of 2022 and is called Poetry from My Heart: A Journey through Feelings. The book reached #1 on Amazon’s Kindle chart in British Poetry and #2 in Poetry Anthologies November 2023.

For more information visit http://www.paulguerinpoems.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60876796-poetry-from-my-heart
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulguerinpoems

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Poetry-My-Heart-Journey-Feelings-ebook/dp/B09XFFQ5GW/ref=sr_1_4

a Rafflecopter giveaway