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On the Spotlight: THE DEAD LETTER, by Finley Martin
It is 2001 and the police constable’s girlfriend is murdered in a fit of jealous rage. When the constable realizes what he has done, he manages an elaborate cover-up. Only one person knows the truth. Flash forward to 2012. Anne Brown is still running her late uncle, Bill Darby’s, detective agency after spending four or five years as his assistant. One day, the postman delivers an eleven year-old letter. The letter is addressed to her uncle from a woman named Carolyn Jollimore. She says she has evidence about a murder and begs for help from Darby. But Bill Darby is dead. And when Anne looks up the letter’s author, she finds that Jollimare too is now dead. Troubled with the evidence at hand, Anne must decide if she should investigate this eleven-year old murder.
Finley Martin was born in Binghamton, New York and grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He received a B.A. degree in English at the University of Scranton, and during the 1960’s he served as an officer with the United States Marine Corps at posts in America, the Caribbean, and Asia.
After he returned to civilian life, he worked as a free-lance writer, p.r. consultant, and photographer and became public relations director at International Correspondence Schools. In the 70’s he received an M.A. from the University of Ottawa and a B.Ed. from the University of Prince Edward Island. For many years he taught English literature at high school and writing courses at university. He has also worked as a truck driver, labourer, carpenter, boat builder, and deckhand aboard commercial fishing vessels and passenger ferries.
During his writing career he published numerous magazine and newspaper articles, poetry, and short stories in Canada and the U.S. He produced a mini-series for CBC Radio and has given numerous poetry readings.
He authored three books: New Maritime Writing, Square Deal Pub., Charlottetown, PE; A View from the Bridge, Montague, PE; and The Reluctant Detective, The Acorn Press, Charlottetown, PE.
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In the Spotlight: Another Heaven by Annu Subramanian
Title: Another Heaven
Author: Annu Subramanian
Publisher: Apprentice House
Pages: 332
Genre: Factu-Fiction
Format: Paperback/Kindle
Purchase at AMAZON
Annu Subramanian’s new novel, ANOTHER HEAVEN, exposes with unflinching honesty and deep psychological insight the twisted relationship between terrorism and human trafficking. ANOTHER HEAVEN may be difficult to digest in part, but its frankness and refusal to turn away from the unsparing horror of its terrible premise make the book an essential addition to the literature of terrorism and its links to international human trafficking.
Subramanian, a self-described “writer of conscience,” employs her considerable literary skills in the service of shining a bright light on human rights abuses and terrorism. In her previous novel, WAITING FOR THE PERFECT DAWN, Subramanian focused on bringing awareness about the suppression of women and domestic violence.
Excerpt:
“When bound by religion, one cannot draw boundaries to the path to heaven.”
“Stop hurling religion like a hunter throws raw meat to a beast. Before you enter the path to heaven, what about the hell you have created for hundreds of men and women on this earth? Which religion would endorse your actions?”
“You live in a chasm between heaven and hell. You and your whole lot. To me, there is nothing between heaven and hell. And I can turn that HELL into HEAVEN. This is why I cannot leave religion alone. It is what makes me what I am.”
About the Author:
Annu Subramanian is the director of the Writing Center at Brown School, Schenectady, New York. She co-founded Albany Women Connection, a support group in Albany, New York. She was chosen as one of four national finalists by the Norman Mailer Center and National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in 2011 for her short story, SO FAIR AND VERY LOVELY. She was chosen as Educator of Excellence in 2011 by the New York State English Council.
Her latest book is the factu-fiction, Another Heaven.
Visit her website at www.annusubramanian.com.
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Giveaway Details
Anna Subramanian is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card & 4 autographed copies of her book!
- By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
- 4 winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive either one $25 Amazon gift card or an autographed copy of her book, Another Heaven.
- This giveaway begins April 7 and ends April 30.
- Sorry, only U.S. winners.
- Winner will be contacted via email on Wednesday, April 31, 2013.
- Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!
ENTER TO WIN!
Hot Book of the Day: Tickling Daphne H. by Veronica Frances
TICKLING DAPHNE H., by Veronica Frances, Blue Note Publications, 458 pp., $17.95 (Kindle 3.99).
Tickling Daphne H. follows the ticklish journeys of Daphne, Dave, Carol and Harold, exploring how tickling deeply affects the lives of these four people.
The story deals with the many different faces of tickling; the addictive and torturous, the pleasurable and erotic and the humorous and romantic.
This is the very unusual love story of Daphne and Dave, two people facing their tickle-demons together. It is primarily the journey of Daphne, a 21-year-old very ticklish woman. Daphne finds herself in a world where every important person in her life has a tickling fetish, including her boyfriend Dave. She finds herself constantly surrounded by feathers and wiggling fingers, unable to escape the taunting sounds of her own laughter. She is also unable to escape her own mixed-up feelings about tickling.
As Daphne’s relationship with Dave grows, she must learn to face her fears and deeper feelings about tickling, for the sake of their relationship and herself.
She just lay there, as his flickering tongue and zealous lips reminded her moment after moment that she was indeed his woman. She felt like a woman and felt as though she was right where she belonged. She was spread, devoured and tickled, as she was feasted upon.
She really couldn’t move at that point. She was submissive and her man was in charge of her vagina and her entire body. When he decided she was going to moan, he made her moan. When he decided she was going to laugh and giggle helplessly, then he made her do just that.
He was gentle, but very clear about the fact that he wanted to tickle her, as he dined on her and had her for breakfast. She was an amazing and very ticklish woman, with her arms stretched high over her head and her legs completely spread. He was her man and he was teaching her about the fine art of being a woman and that it was okay to let go and surrender to him, body, heart and soul.
Purchase your copy:
AMAZON
Hot Book of the Day: Lifetime of Achievement by Jordan Maylea Ramirez
Title: Lifetime of Achievement
Author: Jordan Maylea Ramirez
Paperback: 106 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (December 7, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1480274399
ISBN-13: 978-1480274396
ABOUT LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT
There are too many people going through life content with mediocrity. People going to jobs they hate, to buy things they don’t need to impress people they don’t like. People who are dreading Monday, looking forward to hump day and praying for Friday; and let’s not even talk about those two weeks of paid vacation… those are gold!
How long have we been this way? Is this really what life is all about? I don’t believe we were created to be content with a mediocre lifestyle we never wanted in the first place. What happened to being a rock star, an astronaut, or an actor? What happened to the hopes and dreams we each had as children? Perhaps, over time, our dreams have changed… but our propensity for dreaming is still inside us.
Lifetime of Achievement outlines seven goal-setting strategies to help get you from where you are to where you want to be. In its chapters you will find knowledge from some of the worlds most popular personal development masterpieces, taken down to a level that is easy to read and simple to understand.
Learn the steps to discovering who you truly are, creating goals in perfect alignment with that discovery and implementing an action plan that, when followed, has been proven to produce results. Learn how to conquer fear, to activate the powers of the human mind and discover two of the most important factors shared by virtually every successful individual throughout history.
This book takes proven strategies and puts them into an easy-to-read, easy-to-implement format that can be read in as little as a few hours. Discover the steps, put them to work, and become prepared for a Lifetime of Achievement!
Book Excerpt:
Time has a funny way of passing whether we are prepared for it or not. The sun continues to rise and set, signaling the beginning and the end of another day; what we do with the time that passes is up to us.
Fate. Chance. Luck. We live in a time where these words are passed around like a “get out of jail free” card; relieving people of the burden of personal responsibility. Instead of believing our choices shape our future, we turn a blind eye and believe the common thread connecting those successful people in our world is nothing more than some lucky gene one is either born with, or not.
What a horrible way to live!
People skirt the idea of personal responsibility because it frightens them. The idea of owning each and every one of our mistakes can be a tough one. What people miss though is the unexplainable freedom, joy and liberation that can come with the simple act of becoming responsible for your life!
It was right at 5 years before writing this book that the idea of personal responsibility took hold of my psyche. At that point, I had dabbled in personal development for several years, begun my own business and experienced very little real success. The idea began with a seed planted by my therapist (yeah, I’m not kidding.) when he said to me, “You are responsible for your own happiness. You must become your own secure base in this world.”
The idea confounded me. It took hold and, before long, began to grow rapidly as a result of the books I began reading and the philosophy I began to adopt into my life. Do you hear the freedom in those words? YOU are responsible for your own happiness. YOU ARE! Not your family, not your friends. Not your circumstances, not your environment. You! You are responsible!
Now, don’t get me wrong… as the story goes, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Adopting the belief that we alone are responsible for the results in our life means facing up to the fact that if your current situation is not all sunshine and roses you have only one person to blame – and you can find them by looking in the mirror. Much like a recovering addict forced to face the reality of the chaos they have created, adopting the philosophy of personal responsibility takes courage, perseverance and faith. Courage to face your problems, perseverance to push past them and faith that there is freedom waiting on the other side.
I am here to tell you from personal experience that freedom is there. The liberation that comes from owning up to your choices is unparalleled, and the good news is once you have become aware of this power you can begin to write a new script… word by word, page by page, until you have composed the masterpiece that is your life; created by design and not by chance.
My life over the past 5 years has been incredible! Not every day, not even every week, but overall incredible. It started out slow, but day-by-day I began to see a little bit more of the life I was choosing to live, and became a little less victim to my circumstances. That freedom can be yours as well, if you have the courage to step up and take it!
The best part is even after 5 years the freedom of personal responsibility is just beginning. Many of the goals and aspirations I have for myself have not even been tapped yet… the thought is exhilarating!
I imagine a time not too far in the future, when I will step out onto the balcony that leads from the master suite of my and my husband’s dream home, ready to watch the sun set on another day gone by. I will think back over the years we have been married and smile at the life we have because I will know it was built by design, not left to chance. I will think of our children, tucked safely away in their beds, and the life they will have as a result of the choices we have made. I will be satisfied because in my heart I will know I have achieved the goals I set out to accomplish for myself and my family.
That story WILL be my future and a similar story can be yours too, but we have to begin today.
Take a moment to think about your life – not as it is now, but how it can be if you make the decision to take control of your future. What does “A Day in the Life of You” look like? What does it feel like, smell like, sound like? Close your eyes and imagine your ideal life. Imagine a perfect day and the components that come together to make it so.
The art of goal setting is a powerful component in living your life by design and has been one of my passions for several years now. I call it an art because the act of setting and achieving goals is so much more than thinking about the things you want in life. It’s a process not to be taken lightly, but if you will commit to it wholeheartedly over time you CAN create the life you desire.
Thank you for joining me on this journey! It is my wish that the principles I share with you throughout the pages of this book will be as life-changing for you as they have been and continue to be for me. The sky really is the limit! The future really is yours for the taking! It can begin today, and it begins with YOU!
Enjoy, and here’s to your future!
Purchase your copy:
AMAZON
Great Reads to Check Out: Illusion of Certainty by Greg Messel
ILLUSION OF CERTAINTY, by Greg Messel, Yorkshire Publishing, 452 pp.
The Illusion of Certainty follows two parallel storylines. Marc is a successful businessman who seems to have everything—a great job, a beautiful wife, a house in an upscale neighborhood of Portland, Oregon and two great kids who are preparing for college. But something is not right. Marc is unsettled by the sudden change in his wife, Aimee, who seems distant and unhappy. What’s going on with her?
The second storyline involves a successful young attorney, Alexandra Mattson. Alex, as she is called by her friends, meets a handsome young cop, Sean, during an unexpected crisis in her neighborhood. Sean and Alex seem made for each other and begin to merge their futures in a world of uncertainty.
The only certainty in life is that we will face uncertainty. Despite all fo the technology and controls available in the modern world, sometimes the only comfort comes from the human touch.
Excerpt:
The naked woman stood motionless, leaning against the wall of the shower and letting the hot water strike the top of her head and cascade down her back. She placed her hands flat against the tiled shower wall and leaned forward and closed her eyes. The warm water soothed her exhausted body and she felt enveloped in its comforting caress.
She felt safe and was now pampering herself after a grueling night shift at the hospital where she was a nurse. A nurse with considerable responsibilities.
Aimee Hunt-Wilson had enough experience and clout to avoid these awful shifts but as a supervisor she was on a mission this summer. She had been working nights most of the summer to try to rehabilitate the night shift, which was in disarray. Someone needed to repair the damage brought on by an incompetent supervisor who was now gone. Aimee was trying to shape things up. It’s what Aimee did best; however, it was taking a toll on her.
Marc Wilson was having his first moments of consciousness on this Tuesday morning. He slept alone. That was happening more and more these days. From the bed he could see Aimee, his wife, through the clear glass box that was the shower in their master suite. The only light filtering into the bedroom and casting a soft light on Marc’s bed was the light from Aimee’s shower.
He leaned up on his elbow and gazed through the steam at the nude Aimee. He was getting aroused. Marc still loved his wife’s body. Lately, when he saw her, she was always hidden in the baggy scrubs she wore at the hospital. Her long black hair was plastered to her wet bare back by the shower water. Aimee always tanned so well. At this point in the summer she had a perfect swimsuit tan. Her body had matured but it had actually gotten better since the college days when they first met.
Her breasts and hips were fuller now but the rest of Aimee’s body was taunt and lean. She was about 5-5, probably in the best shape of her life. Aimee obsessively exercised and carefully monitored her diet. After her shower she would come to bed to rest and then be pounding the pavement this afternoon running, getting in her miles. Aimee had always been so meticulous about what she ate and she imposed the same standards on Marc.
Marc’s favorite meal, a burger and fries, was considered in the same category as rat poison by Aimee. If Marc went through a fast food window to sneak a burger, he felt compelled to hide the evidence from Aimee. But all of this vigilance certainly paid off in the way Aimee looked. This mother of two, with a manic schedule, looked terrific as she approached Illusion of Certainty middle age. Her long dark hair, which was naturally curly, was a stunning combination with her bright blue eyes.
Marc now lay in the early morning light watching Aimee step from the shower, all pink and soft, as she began to towel off. She then plugged in her hair dryer, bent over and began to dry her long hair. As he observed her maneuvers to dry her hair, he was taking in the sight of her bouncing breasts and lovely body. Marc knew that when she finished, she would quickly throw on one of his oversized t-shirts and jump under the covers—just as it was time for Marc to get out of bed and begin his day. Marc rolled out of bed and attempted to head her off before she dressed and made it to the bed. He was hoping that somehow he could have her, that he could enjoy the physical pleasures of his sexy wife. This had not been planned but the moment was presenting itself and he wanted her. Marc hoped Aimee would want the intimacy, too. Aimee slipped on some bright blue bikini panties just as Marc stood in front of her and said, “Hey you’re really looking sexy this morning.”
Oh Marc, I’m so exhausted, you seem to have the world’s worst timing.”
“Oh come on Aimee, wouldn’t it be fun?”
“Trust me Marc, it wouldn’t be fun right now. I just need some sleep.”
“So when, in this whole summer, would you suggest I make love to you?”
“Marc,” Aimee said with resignation, “I’m begging you to not start right now.”
— Excerpted from The Illusion of Certainty
In the Spotlight: ‘Eyewall’ by Buzz Bernard
Author: H.W. “Buzz” Bernard
Title: Eyewall
Paperback: 246 pages
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (April 15, 2011)
ISBN-161194001X
ISBN978-1611940010
Eyewall takes you on a dramatic ride into the eye of a major hurricane and the lives of the people who challenge it. Major Arlen Walker is on his final mission with the Air Force Hurricane Hunters. As commander of a WC-130, he’s been tasked to recon Hurricane Janet just off the Georgia coast On paper, the flight looks like a milk run. In reality, it turns out to be anything but. Walker, having been briefed that the hurricane is weak, penetrates the storm hat low altitude. Too late, he realizes Janet has turned savage and that he’s chosen a death wish flight level. The hurricane pummels the plane. The aircraft, spewing fuel, limps into the calm eye but is so severely damaged, Walker cannot fly it out. He and his crew are trapped in the center of a catastrophic storm as it swirls toward the mainland.
NO ONE PREDICTED THE STORM’S SUDDEN FORCE
A crippled Air Force recon plane, trapped in the eye of a violent hurricane.
An outspoken tropical weather forecaster, fired from his network TV job before he can issue a warning: the storm is changing course and intensifying.
A desperate family searching for a runaway daughter on Georgia’s posh St. Simons Island, cut off from escape as the hurricane roars toward them.
A marriage on the rocks; an unrequited sexual attraction; a May-December romance.
All will be swept up by the monster storm.
Get ready for a white-knuckle adventure.
Read the Excerpt!
AIRBORNE, 175 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE GEORGIA COAST
LABOR DAY SUNDAY, 0800 HOURS
Dead ahead of the aircraft, a massive redoubt of roiling clouds, the eyewall of Hurricane Janet, billowed toward the heavens and poked into the underbelly of the stratosphere. Between the aircraft, an Air Force Hurricane Hunter, and the towering wall, layers of white and gray clouds, innocuous outliers of the storm, cluttered the skyscape. But the eyewall itself was obsidian, foreboding.
Major Arlen Walker leaned forward in the pilot’s seat, scanning the sky through the cockpit windshield. Beads of cold sweat spotted his forehead. His muscles were tense, strangely alert to some undefined threat. It was as if he’d been awakened in the dark to the heavy creak of a floorboard, or the rustle of bushes outside a window when there is no wind.
He understood–or thought he did–that the probable source of his apprehension was not Janet but the strange events of the previous day. Thus, there should be no rational, no logical reason for his unease. Or was there? He stared at the barrier of clouds, trying to take their measure, guess at what lay within them. Janet was a mere category one, the lowest intensity on the rating scale, yet if you could judge a storm by its looks…. He spoke into the intercom, addressing the on-board weather officer, Captain Karlyn Hill. “Karlyn, this thing might have teeth. Is it still looking like penetration at 5000 feet?”
Her voice came back. “Yes, sir. The Hurricane Center said she’d still be a cat one on our first pass. If she isn’t, we’ll do the next fly through at 10,000. And kick the asses of those guys next time we see ‘em.”
Walker considered her words, her tone of voice. Whistling past the graveyard? Colonel Bernie Harlow, the copilot, didn’t think so. “Attaboy, girl,” he said. Walker gripped the aircraft’s controls and stared at his looming adversary. “Give me a heading, nav,” he said.
“Zero-four-five,” Major John Best called out.
Walker turned the aircraft to the new track, then glanced at the cockpit radar. They were minutes from the edge of the eyewall. On the radar, solid red and magenta returns indicated torrential precipitation. They were approaching a palisade of rain. “No way this thing is a one,” he said.
“Yeah,” Karlyn responded. She usually added a commentary or light-hearted one-liner before penetrating the eye of a hurricane. This time she didn’t.
The plane was doing a little dance now, a constant jiggle as it barreled toward the bulwark of bruise-colored clouds.
“Winds are going up fast,” Karlyn said.
“Is there a better way in?” Walker asked.
“Don’t see one.”
“Break it off, Major?” Colonel Harlow asked.
“Negative. Let’s do the mission. It’s not a cat five.” Harlow was testing him.
“Let’s hope,” Best chimed in.
“‘Half a league, half a league, half a league onward. All in the Valley of Death rode the six hundred,” Harlow recited, holding his gaze on the eyewall.
“What’s that?” Walker asked.
“Tennyson. ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade.’ The Brits. Crimean War.”
“If I recall my history, that didn’t end well.”
The plane rattled more sharply now, the jiggle lapsing into a hard shake.
“No. It didn’t.” Harlow looked at him. And in his eyes, Walker caught a flicker of doubt, something he’d never seen before.
Watch the Trailer!
Here’s what critics are saying about Eyewall!
“Buzz Bernard bursts on the scene with EYEWALL, a compelling and suspenseful tale told with the insight and authenticity of one who has walked in the world of the famed Hurricane Hunters and endured the harsh realities of a major, devastating storm. Great characters combine with razor-sharp suspense and leave you breathless. A one-sitting, white-knuckle read.”
–Vicki Hinze, award-winning author of DEADLY TIES
Buzz Bernard conjures up one satisfyingly suspenseful situation after another in this novel. EYEWALL has all the adrenal intensity of a roller coaster combined with intricate plotting, compelling characters, and a larger-than-life situation expertly handled. This jewel of a thriller founds itself on character complication in the midst of an all-too-believable natural disaster that will keep you turning pages to its exciting conclusion. There is nothing calm at the eye of this perfect storm of a book.
–Brian Jay Corrigan, J.D. Ph.D.
A well-crafted tale you can’t put down; characters you care about; a spot-on insiders look at hurricane forecasting and flying.
–Jack Williams, author and founding USA TODAY Weather Editor
You can pick up your copy of Eyewall online at Amazon by clicking here.
Cherie Burbach’s 21 Simple Things You Can Do to Help Someone With Diabetes– a must have!
Why should non-diabetics get informed? Because as much as we know about diabetes treatment today, the support from our family and friends still plays a part in how healthy we are. An understanding approach from someone who cares means everything to us. Your diabetic friend or relative counts on you to be the person in their life that “gets it” when no one else does. This book will tell you what you can do to help. Things like what you should (and shouldn’t) say, what you should learn to truly be supportive, and even how you can help in the fight for a cure. 21 Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes by Cherie Burbach will point you in the right direction so you can truly support your diabetic friend. If you know someone diabetic, you need to pick up a copy of this book.
Here’s an excerpt:
When I first became diabetic, I was amazed at how many times someone around me would hand me a sugar-free soda when my blood sugar was low, or investigate the food I had on my plate, or tell me I got the disease from eating too much sugar. Everyone, it seemed, had an opinion or thought they wanted to share. The trouble was, very few people had good information about diabetes.
Diabetics deal with the fear of complications, burden of maintenance costs, and wear and tear on our bodies from organs that are overworked. Some of us deal with multiple needle injections. We deal with so much more than you would think.
Diabetes isn’t just about “not eating sugar.” Our blood sugars can change with stress and exercise and illness.
Your diabetic friend or relative counts on you to be the person in their life that “gets it” when no one else does. This book will tell you what you can do to help. Things like what you should (and shouldn’t) say, what you should learn to truly be supportive, and even how you can help in the fight for a cure.
My hope with this book is to get you the information you need to be the very best friend to your diabetic pal.
This book is:
• a source of encouragement
• a prompt for education
• a starting guide to diabetic etiquette.
This book is not:
• a medical reference book
• a substitute for a nurse, doctor, or other medical professional.
In other words, this book won’t give you medical information. It will, however, give you a starting point so you can find out what you should. The rest is up to you.
21 Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes will point you in the right direction so you can truly support your diabetic friend.
Here’s what critics have to say:
This little book packs an informative punch to those who know little to nothing about diabetes. I highly recommend it…
–Barbara Milbourn
If you know someone with diabetes, or have just been diagnosed yourself, this is a helpful primer that offers reassurance and hope…
–Feathered Quill
Its a great book I highly recommend it…
–Chow and Cheddar
Cherie Burbach is an author, blogger, poet, crocheter, and geek. She loves football and is obsessed with anything having to do with the Green Bay Packers or Tudor history.
A passionate diabetes advocate, Cherie has written the book, 21 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes.
Cherie used her experience with meeting her husband online to pen At the Coffee Shop, a humorous look at the world of Internet dating. Cherie went on over 60 coffee dates in just six months. She met lots of great people and one of those turned out to be the guy she would marry just one year later. Cherie’s new dating book, Internet Dating is Not Like Ordering a Pizza is available now.
She is a staff writer for b5media, and also the author of three poetry books, including A New Dish and The Difference Now. Her latest, Father’s Eyes, has received the 2008 Editor’s Choice Award by Allbooks Review.
Readers have resonated with Cherie’s honest and inspirational ”This I Believe” essay, which is the second-most popular out of over 40,000 entries on the NPR website. For more information, please visit Cherie’s website, www.cherieburbach.com, her personal blogs, or follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/brrbach.
Beyond the Books 