Tuesday, May 17, 2022

#BookReview: Year on Fire by Julie Buxbaum






Synopsis: What secrets will people keep—or reveal—to protect those they love? This novel, set against the frightening backdrop of an encroaching fire season, sparks reflection about friendship, the allure of romantic love, and loyalty to family.


Can a single kiss change everything?


It was a year on fire. They fell in love. Someone was bound to get burned.

The Spark: Just days before the start of junior year for twins Arch and Immie and their best friend, Paige, a spontaneous kiss shakes the very foundation of their friendship. But some ties run too deep to be broken by accidental betrayal.

The Fuel: Enter Rohan, new to Wood Valley High by way of London, who walks into school on the first day completely overwhelmed by his sudden move halfway around the world. When Paige calls dibs on him—he’s too cute to ignore—Immie is in no position to argue, certainly not after taking the fall for the disloyal kiss. Too bad for Immie that Ro feels like the best kind of familiar.

The Kindling: Former lab partners Arch and Jackson, Paige’s ex-boyfriend, have never considered themselves more than friends. But sometimes feelings can grow like wildfire.

The Flames: When the girls’ bathroom at Wood Valley is set ablaze, no one doubts it’s arson. But in this bastion of privilege, who’d be angry enough to want to burn down the school? Answer: pretty much everyone.

Year on Fire explores the blinding power of the lies we tell others and those we tell ourselves, the tight grip of family secrets, the magic of first love, and the grounding beauty of friendship.
 

This title will be released on April 12, 2022.

#BookBlitz: Your Maternity Leave by Nathalie Koren @RABTBookTours @BookBuzznet



 

The Ultimate Practical Guide (1st UK Edition)


Self Help, Parenting, Motivational, Career

Date Published: November 19, 2021

Publisher: Breakthrough Publishing


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Maternity leave can be a challenging time for any woman, but with good preparation, a clear understanding of your rights, and a positive attitude, managing this crucial phase of your life has never been easier!

Packed with checklists and handy tips, this book covers a full range of relevant practical situations to guide you through the various stages of your maternity. It will provide you with the information, advice and reassurance you need to successfully transition out—and also back into—the workplace.

Presented in a simple, easy to follow format, this book is the perfect companion to inspire and empower all working women about to embark on this life-changing journey.

#BookReview: The Gilded Ones (Deathless #1) by @NaminaForna






Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.

But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity--and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.

Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki--near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat.

Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be--not even Deka herself.


#BookBlitz @RABTBookTours: The Crucible Kingdom by Blair Bancroft @BookBuzznet






 

SciFi Fantasy, SciFi Paranormal, SciFi Adventure/Romance

Published: April 14, 2022

Publisher: Kone Enterprises

 

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In this spin-off of the Blue Moon Rising series, the Crucible Kingdom, an obscure planet far, far away, is suffering from an ancient curse—periodic bouts of violent storms, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, and wildfire. To break the curse, a widowed duchess and a starship captain from the disintegrating Regulon Empire (which her ancestors fled centuries earlier) are forced to work together. Although the duchess grudgingly concedes that the captain is highly capable in emergencies, she scorns the idea that a hard-headed Reg who does not believe in the power of sorcery can be helpful in ending the curse. And then the captain comes up with an idea no one thought of, setting off a quest that turns out to be as dangerous as the curse itself.

Monday, May 16, 2022

#BookReview: Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor






Synopsis: For fans of Caraval and The Night Circus, this decadent and darkly enchanting YA fantasy, set against the backdrop of a Belle Époque-inspired hotel, follows seventeen-year-old Jani as she uncovers the deeply disturbing secrets of the legendary Hotel Magnifique. 

All her life, Jani has dreamed of Elsewhere. Just barely scraping by with her job at a tannery, she’s resigned to a dreary life in the port town of Durc, caring for her younger sister Zosa. That is, until the Hotel Magnifique comes to town.

The hotel is legendary not only for its whimsical enchantments, but also for its ability to travel—appearing in a different destination every morning. While Jani and Zosa can’t afford the exorbitant costs of a guest’s stay, they can interview to join the staff, and are soon whisked away on the greatest adventure of their lives. But once inside, Jani quickly discovers their contracts are unbreakable and that beneath the marvelous glamour, the hotel is hiding dangerous secrets.

With the vexingly handsome doorman Bel as her only ally, Jani embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of the magic at the heart of the hotel and free Zosa—and the other staff—from the cruelty of the ruthless maître d’hôtel. To succeed, she’ll have to risk everything she loves, but failure would mean a fate far worse than never returning home.
 


#BookReview: The Lawless Land (Tales of the Lawless Land #1) by Boyd Morrison & Beth Morrison






Synopsis: First in a fast-paced Templar Knight adventure series from New York Times-bestselling author Boyd Morrison and expert art historian Beth Morrison.

Canterbury, 1351.

Excommunicated knight Gerard Fox is a battle-hardened warrior whose ancestral home was unjustly taken from him. Now, he roams across the known world of Europe looking for work as a man-at-arms. Equipped with only his Damascus-steel sword and war bow, Fox takes out tyrannical and dishonorable men in a land still blighted by the Black Death.

In his ongoing crusade to deliver justice, Fox comes to the aid of Lady Isabel, who is fleeing from her brutal betrothed. But she hasn't told him the whole story. Isabel is guarding a priceless holy relic. One many men would kill for.

Fox and Isabel soon find they are being chased across the continent and try to evade those who seek the relic. But as more assassins close in, Fox realizes they will stop at nothing to possess the sacred treasure that Isabel has sworn to protect...


#BookBlitz @RABTBookTours: The Power of Wellbeing by Clive Elliott @mkwebsiteandseo






 

A blueprint for rebuilding the social fabric and reimagining an inclusive society


Nonfiction

Date Published: November 15, 2021

Publisher: Cogent Publishing


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A timely reminder of our shared humanity and the fragile social contract that binds us together.

This book is also about taking a deep breath and reassessing our institutions, systems, and values and re-purposing them in an uncertain post-pandemic world. It is about engineering positive change to achieve a better world—“for the people”—where most of the population can thrive and prosper, while building and maintaining the core values of equality, trust, and empathy. I hope to show how a shift in perspective that has blossomed in our small island nation might be the catalyst for far more sweeping change in bigger countries like the United States and the United Kingdom. I hope that it will help awaken the world to the fragility of our shared humanity at what may well prove to be a unique time in history.

#BookBlitz @RABTBookTours: Think People Think by Allen Brown @BookBuzznet




 

Nonfiction / Current Events

Date Published: October 7, 2021

Publisher: Xlibris


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75 pages of a 91-year-old man looking at some major world problems today.


Emphasis on wars/death, money (it is not where it is needed), honesty (can it make a come-back? what form of Government is right for us? Computer malware is taking a large toll on normal life. AI (Artificial Intelligence) can be expected to replace humans in almost every aspect of life, including running the Government.

#ReleaseBlitz @RABTBookTours: From Brick & Darkness by @jls_author






 

Young Adult - Contemporary Fantasy

Date Published: 05-16-2022

Publisher: Wild Rose Press


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Bax always fantasized something remarkable would happen in his life. So when a decrepit man with glowing purple eyes offers him a ring intended for his estranged father, Bax accepts.

The ring speaks to Bax in a dream, tempting him with a vision of a powerful djinn. Desperate to make his fantasies a reality, Bax unleashes a creature called Ifrit, but soon learns this djinn isn't what the ring led him to believe. Feeding off the depths of his subconscious, the sinister demon fulfills what he thinks Bax wants by manipulating, threatening, and murdering. With everyone he loves in danger and a trail of crimes pointing back at him, Bax must scramble to solve the puzzle that will banish Ifrit forever.

Sunday, May 15, 2022

#BookBlitz @RABTBookTours: The Business Beast by Brian Dyer @mkwebsiteandseo




 

Unleash Four Primal Instincts to Silence Your Inner Bitch, Lead Your Tribe, and Hunt Down Success


Nonfiction / Self-Help

Date Published: March 26, 2022

 

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Silence Your Inner Bitch and Let the Reign of the Beast Begin!

Does the voice in your head fill you with doubt? Are you working harder but accomplishing less? Is your team a rusty wreck instead of a well-oiled machine? Are your goals receding instead of getting closer? Are you haunted by past failures? Does the life you’ve always hoped to live still elude you?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, it’s time to unleash the Beast. In The Business Beast, Brian Dyer leads you down a fulfilling—but sometimes dark and lonely—path. Entering the wild is dangerous, but it offers rewards you can only begin to imagine, and you’ll be in good hands as Brian guides you through the four primal instincts of the Business Beast:


1. Dilate your eyes like the great horned owl: See what others do not and prioritize what truly matters.

2. Rule your kingdom like the lion: Own and lead your tribe.

3. Enter attack mode like the cheetah: Strike quickly, effortlessly, and efficiently at the right moment.

4. Hunt undaunted like the honey badger: Develop a callused mind, dismiss failure, push past pain, and relentlessly pursue success.


Merge these four instincts, and nothing will stop you.

 

WARNING: This book is not for everyone. If you don’t want to do the work, if you’re happily winding down your career, or if you’re easily satisfied by mediocrity, stop reading now. If you value self-esteem more than self-awareness or self-respect, or if you value the amount of paid time off you receive from your employer, this book is not for you.

If you’re working hard to live a life of success and fulfillment but find yourself falling short of your goals, The Business Beast is the answer. Brian Dyer is in the trenches, viewing, leading, calculating, attacking, and building some of America’s most successful companies. He knows exactly what it takes to become a Beast because he’s done it, he’s doing it now, and if you follow his advice and put it to work, you can be a Business Beast too. And once you’ve lived the life of a Beast you will never go back.

If you’re ready to do what real beasts do, let’s go to work!


#BookBlitz @RABTBookTours: The Estrogen Patch by Marnie Minsi @mkwebsiteandseo




 

Romance

Date Published: December 3, 2021

Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.


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The Estrogen Patch is a fictional romance comedy about a recently divorced woman in her early fifties named Marie. Marie has lupus and is going through early menopause. After doctors put her on an estrogen patch to curb her hot flashes, she discovers that it is causing some unusual side effects, one of which is making her a bit more aroused than normal.

With all her recent life changes--her teen daughter being sent away to wilderness therapy camp for depression, anxiety, and self-harm; divorcing her husband who is eighteen years older than her; moving again for the second time in one year; starting a second job; and dealing with the all aches and pains of having lupus--Marie finds herself falling for a much younger, fitter, and healthier guy named Pauly.

After continuous spying and brief encounters, Marie finds herself falling for Pauly. Can someone like Marie, with all her issues, have any kind of romantic relationship with a much younger man? Will her physical setbacks be an issue for a healthier, younger man? Can she try to make herself look younger with Botox and CoolSculpting? Can an older woman with all of her insecurities find love again this late in the game with someone that seems to be unobtainable? Should Marie just throw out her estrogen patch and go back to her usual uneventful and boring life?

Saturday, May 14, 2022

#BookBlitz @RABTBookTours: Breaking Waves by Barry Litherland @BWLitherland @BookBuzznet






Phil Tyler Crime Thriller Series, Book One

 

Thriller, Crime Thriller

Date Published: February 2022

Publisher: Bleaknorth Publishing


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Past events cast shadows you can't outrun. Wayne and Phil knew that better than anyone, after what happened when they were children, bullied by Wayne’s murderous brother. When Tyrone returns after many years, bent on revenge, they are about to be drawn back into his dangerous world

Breaking Waves is a crime thriller set in a fictional seaside town in the North of England. It is Book 1 in the Phil Tyler Thriller series. The narrator, Phil Tyler, is a journalist on a local free sheet newspaper and he tells the story in the first person present tense. Poor Phil is not an heroic tough-guy type of protagonist; he has an antipathy to violence, blood-shed and pain - especially his own. But he has a strong sense of right and wrong and, even when faced with danger and the threat of death, he cannot help but continue his pursuit of justice. He is very loyal, especially where his friend are concerned. The novel moves between traumatic childhood events, which involved him and his friends, and their consequences in adult life. It is a tense, suspense-filled narrative but there is a lot of humour in the book too, which occurs as he reflects upon the gap between his natural antipathy to conflict and the menacing events he is caught up in.


#BookBlitz @RABTBookTours: When Skies Aren't Blue by Andy Laurie, MD @mkwebsiteandseo





 

A Physician's Personal Journey

 

Nonfiction

Date Published: June 14, 2021

 

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What do you do when the skies in your life turn dark?

There are many struggles in this difficult world that can darken our skies. It may be ongoing health issues, depression/anxiety, relationship struggles, financial calamity and so much more.

Andy Laurie, MD, had seemingly the perfect life. He had a successful medical practice. He was starting a second career as a pastor. He was young and healthy. He had a beautiful, loving wife and four small children. His life could not have been better. It was nothing but blue skies.

Then, the unthinkable hit. He was struck with a devastating illness. The skies of his once-wonderful life became dark, very dark.

Dr. Laurie has been battling illness for nearly two decades. He has now courageously shared his story with you. Relying on nearly thirty years of medical practice and over twenty years in the ministry, Dr. Laurie has written prescriptions for you to find hope, strength, contentment, joy, and even victory when the struggles of life have darkened your blue skies.

#BookBlitz @RABTBookTours: Come and See by James C. Vogelzang @mkwebsiteandseo



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An Invitation to Reclaim Your Life's Balance

 

Christian Nonfiction

Date Published: April 6, 2022

Publisher: MindStir Media

 

"My experience reading "Come & See" is different than anything else I've been reading... It causes me to weep. I'm forgiven. I can forgive. Whoa! So heavy & so sweet!!!! The world is so full of toxic noise. The words in this book caused me to spend time alone & thinking about what it is that I truly want in my life. Peace be still! I'm encouraged! My prayer is that you will feel encouraged too." --Wynonna Judd

 

If you're like many women, your pursuit of "balance" in life has been disappointing at best. You may have digested self-help books and podcasts by the dozens. You may have tried prayer or meditation. Yet trying to keep your feelings of weariness, guilt, and anxiety at bay is like trying to hold a beach ball under water. No matter what you do or don't do, your restlessness keeps bobbing to the surface. It shows up in your interactions with your family, your views of the future, your weekend choices with friends.

Come and See offers you an antidote to the emotional vertigo you feel. This is not a self-help book-in fact, it's the opposite. This is an invitation to consider a solution that demands no achievements, requires no striving, and has nothing to do with performance or perfection. It is an invitation to wholeness, balance, and peace. All you have to lose is the pain you are tired of carrying. Are you ready? Come and see.


Friday, May 13, 2022

#BookReview: Sofi and the Bone Song by Adrienne Tooley






Synopsis: In this gorgeous, queer standalone fantasy, a young musician sets out to expose her rival for illegal use of magic only to discover the deception goes deeper than she could have imagined—perfect for fans of An Enchantment of Ravens!

Music runs in Sofi’s blood. 

Her father is a Musik, one of only five musicians in the country licensed to compose and perform original songs. In the kingdom of Aell, where winter is endless and magic is accessible to all, there are strict anti-magic laws ensuring music remains the last untouched art. 

Sofi has spent her entire life training to inherit her father’s title. But on the day of the auditions, she is presented with unexpected competition in the form of Lara, a girl who has never before played the lute. Yet somehow, to Sofi’s horror, Lara puts on a performance that thoroughly enchants the judges. 

Almost like magic. 

The same day Lara wins the title of Musik, Sofi’s father dies, and a grieving Sofi sets out to prove Lara is using illegal magic in her performances. But the more time she spends with Lara, the more Sofi begins to doubt everything she knows about her family, her music, and the girl she thought was her enemy. 

As Sofi works to reclaim her rightful place as a Musik, she is forced to face the dark secrets of her past and the magic she was trained to avoid—all while trying not to fall for the girl who stole her future.
 

This title will be released on April 19, 2022.

#BookBlitz @RABTBookTours: Own Your Story by Morene S. Lim @BookBuzznet






 

A Journey of Self-Healing After Grief and Loss


Self-Help, Grief & Loss

Date Published: April 20, 2022

Publisher: Westbow Press


Have you ever thought that you were alone in your struggle to have children? Maybe you have gone through a season of depression and anxiety, feeling alone and isolated, needing support. It is time to talk about the truth and the struggle to overcome grief, sadness, and disappointments in our lives.

Nothing makes us grow more than allowing our old ways to die and burying the emotional baggage that we hold on to: the past and the pain. We want to own it because we know nothing else. It is familiar, despite the messiness. We carry these hard-hearted matters like heroes carrying a victorious flag. To declare to you that the tangled narrative of my life will bring healing to your life is certain. You choose to partner alongside me because you wish to heal, and this is the initial step. Someone once declared, trust no one who does not walk with a limp. Don't trust someone who hasn't experienced a storm. Today, as I write these words, I walk with a physical lean, as I am recovering from two knee surgeries. These fractured parts of my knee, my meniscus, gravely damaged that it had to be removed, were the first of many ailments. My ACL ligament, the one that had to be sewn back together with a hamstring graft, is the source of my limp. Wandering around with this limp has humbled me, only the Father knows. I own this truth of being broken and sewn back together. More significantly, the divine surgeon has healed my past.

#CoverReveal @RABTBookTours: Birth of the Storm by Valerie Storm @Valerie_Storm





 


Demon Storm, Book One


YA Fantasy

Release Date: 6/13/22

Publisher: Shadow Spark Publishing


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A bolt of lightning. And a dream of vengeance.


For wolf-demon Kari, these define her every waking moment. Her parents are dead, slaughtered by human hands, forcing their only daughter to masquerade among their killers to save her own skin. Now she dwells among them, hiding her lightning-based abilities and plotting a terrible revenge, believing her schemes are all she's good for now. But when she discovers unexpected solace among a group of humans who look past her monstrous nature, Kari finds herself questioning everything. Her mission. Her dreams. Even the hatred festering in her heart.

Is it possible for a creature like Kari to find happiness in a world that despises her?

Or will the specters of her past force her down the path of vengeance in the end?

 

#BookReview: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood #BookClub






Synopsis: As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships--but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.

That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor--and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding... six-pack abs.

Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.


#BookBlitz @RABTBookTours: The Good News Is, You Don't Have Endometriosis by Jade Barrett





 

How I Survived IVF With My Sanity (Mostly) Intact

 

Nonfiction / Fertility / Infertility

Date Published: November 5, 2021

 

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Jade Barrett thought she was living her best life in her 30s. A stable career, an amazing husband, a great group of friends, a supportive family, and a beautiful home… that is until she tried to start a family.

 

After yet another negative pregnancy test, her husband said,  “It’s time to talk to a doctor.” Surely she didn’t have infertility…right? Finding out that the only way she could conceive a child biologically was through IVF sent shockwaves through her marriage and life.


The Good News Is, You Don’t Have Endometriosis is the hilariously intense story of Jade Barrett’s IVF quest to parenthood and how you can advocate for the best possible care from infertility clinics.


Thursday, May 12, 2022

#BookReview: From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout






Synopsis: A Maiden…

Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers.

A Duty…

The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden.

A Kingdom…

Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And as the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel.