Friday, May 31, 2024

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

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Thursday, May 16, 2024

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 
 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


Monday, April 22, 2024

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

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Friday, March 15, 2024

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

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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

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Friday, February 2, 2024

I SURVIVED by Celisha J

 I SURVIVED

by Celisha J

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GENRE: Memoir


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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.

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

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

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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 Bac...