Blog Tour: Sandra's Syndrome

 

 

Fiction / Romance / Historical

Date Published:  July 26, 2022

Publisher: Elite Online Publishing

 

 

Secrets are cruel challenges.

Especially a secret God gave Sandra that not even He can accept and refuses to tolerate. Sandra is a Mormon girl, but this story is not about Mormons. It is about an explosive secret, racial bigotry, superstition, and bias toward uncommon people-a mixture with the power to transform humanity.

Humorous, thoughtful, sensual, and a gripping page-turner to the end, Sandra's Syndrome gives readers a beloved heroine at a time when humankind needs one like never before. June 8, 1978, a historic date for an entire church that attempted to end racism. For Sandra, it was the first day of battle to end separation and segregation for all special children of God ... and you won't believe the miraculous conclusion.

A love story of true-life fiction.

 

Excerpt

Preamble

It is easy to take over from those

who have not thought ahead.

– LI QUAN (GENERAL)

 

“In the beginning . . .” The first millisecond of what is mistakenly referenced as the Big Bang, God’s voice, third-person omniscient, was heard. It is the voice that speaks to you now. It speaks throughout this story. God’s narration is its own personality in literature. A character in stories. To guide readers through worthwhile journeys. Is it male or female? You choose.

The voice informs readers. Occasionally, to make a point. The omniscient voice is possessed with emotions, just as you. The voice always intends to share broader considerations. Pertinent sources are footnoted. While reading, challenge the omniscient voice. Conclusions are your own, especially when discussed with other readers. Nonreaders of the story are irrelevant; don’t waste your time. Self-inflicted ignorance cannot be praised. Readers expect meaningful endings for those deeply in love—so greatly in love they climb heights never thought achievable.

Please climb. Explore higher elevations. Discover meaningful insights. The love to be felt is a quality unknown to most.

 

About the Author

Mark Merkley is an author and retired university instructor. He has a MA and BA in Organizational and Interpersonal Communication from Brigham Young University. Mark was trained formally as a technical writer and has recently delved into the world of creative writing. He believes that humor within creative storytelling possesses greater emotional opportunity to provide readers personal understanding of characters and their experience with complex issues.

An avid reader, Mark first got his inspiration for Sandra’s Syndrome from a character in Kathy Reichs’ bestselling novel, Bones Never Lie. After spending several years cultivating the idea in his head, he decided to start writing it down two days after his retirement. It is controversial. However, religion and science must engage common ground to understand the misunderstood and accept the uncommon. That common ground is the battlefield for the victory of social acceptance and inclusion.

When Mark is not behind a computer, he spends his time playing softball and basketball, and enjoys puzzles and decision-making problems. He is also known for hosting parties and game nights for his friends. They bond over their love for travel, new experiences, fine tastes, and adventure. Love and acceptance are consistent.

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PROMO: Two if By Sea

 

 

Suspense / Thriller

Date Published: September 14, 2022

Publisher: ‎Mindstir Media

 

A wave of gruesome executions in Shanghai cripples a top-secret CIA operation in China and points to an informant who has been selling secrets in Hong Kong. Jim Keenan, a handsome and ambitious prodigy at the CIA meets Laura Bowman, a brilliant and alluring rising star inside the FBI's Counterintelligence Division. Together they set out to capture the informant and are shocked to discover an Al-Qaeda plot against the United States involving stolen nuclear weapons. An unlikely source divulges China's involvement in the plot, and in a frantic race against time, Agents Keenan and Bowman must unearth what Beijing knows before it's too late. Two if By Sea is an electrifying international spy thriller that will leave the reader intoxicated and asking for more.

About the Author

Peter Levesque is an international supply chain expert and author with more than thirty years of experience living and working in the Asia Pacific Region. He is the past Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and currently serves on the Board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. Levesque is the author of The Shipping Point, The Rise of China, and the Future of Retail Supply Chain Management, and has been featured on CNBC, BBC, Bloomberg, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. He resides in South Florida and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with his wife, Lisa, and their three children. 

 

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PROMO: A Leap Into Darkness

 

 

Fantasy Adventure, Animals, Family, Middle Grade (ages 10+)

Date Published: 10-28-2022

Publisher: Beasts at the Feast Press

A Readers' Favorite 5-star review recipient

Magic stirs and a little dog speaks: the kingdom will fall. But will humans listen?

Jake is a fluffy little dog who just happens to be one of the Sculptor's "wise

ones" . . . but nobody's told him. He's certain he's ordinary, and he knows he doesn't deserve living in a rags to riches fairy tale where he’s been rescued from his hardscrabble life by the King of Gorseland and pampered and loved by his two royal children, Janice and James.

But the good life is threatened with the arrival of the sorcerer, Beezeldorn, and his raven. Beezeldorn is a seeming charlatan: a crowd-pleaser with his sleight-of-hand and cheap spectacle. But his power from dark magic runs deep, on display in town when he heals a leper.

The queen senses the danger and pays for her instincts with her life.

Jake knows something is wrong, but what can he do? Beezeldorn is always one step ahead, moving into the castle, earning the king’s confidence, and befriending James. Even Janice is drawn to him.

Now it's up to Jake to protect his family . . . before it's too late . . . for the king . . . and his kingdom.

Perfect for fans of C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia.

About the Author

Ray Petrolino is an award-winning screenwriter and author.

He lives in North Carolina with his wife and family and their dog Jake (not just any dog, but a talking bichon with an unfulfilled set of demands).

When Ray is not writing, he's listening to his dog (and sometimes his wife); or he can be found working on film sets, playing drums at his house, or playing drums at someone else's house.

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PROMO: Purest Mercy

 

 

Christian Fiction

Date Published: January 31, 2022

Publisher: Outskirts Press

Purest Mercy is a Christian fiction novel about the extraordinary ways that God can use the simplest, humblest people to achieve great miracles. In it, we meet Mercy, a homeless teenager on the run from horrific circumstances, who finds her place of belonging when she comes upon the Resurrection Christian Mission Church, and its dedicated pastor, Rev. Bethany Lewis. RCMC is a ministry specifically aimed at alleviating the difficulties and struggles experienced by homeless people, but they are strapped to the limit, and about to run out of food to serve the community...when Mercy's prayers result in a miraculous trove of food.

But the miracles are only just beginning. As Mercy's prayers begin to transform more and more lives with healing and hope, she falls in love with David Mullins, a homeless youth she seems to know from Another Time and Place. Mercy, David, and Bethany form a tight-knit family, drawn all the closer when a younger girl, Amy, joins them off the streets.

Then, one night, during an intense ice storm, Amy is attacked and left for dead at a nearby park...until Mercy finds her and, in a final act of selflessness, literally takes on Amy's wounds, receiving the stigmata just as she loses consciousness. Frantically, Bethany gets the young people back to the parsonage, where Mercy dies the following morning: Good Friday, 2013.

The family, and the Resurrection community, are heartsick over the shocking loss. Until God, again through Mercy, proves to them once and for all that even death cannot separate them from the Love--and Mercy--of the Divine.

About the Author

Daniel Roberts is a retired pastor and Christian spiritual writer, captivated by the mysterious ways God can use the simplest and humblest vessels to achieve extraordinary results.

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Blog Tour: Seeking God's Face

 

 

Practical Reflections on Honor and Shame in Scripture

Christian Devotionals, Christian Personal Growth, Christian Spiritual Growth

Co-Author: Ryan Jensen

Date Published: September 27, 2022

Publisher: Lucid Books

 

Honor and shame influence every major aspect of life, whether in relationships, politics, or social media. It's not surprising, then, to find that honor and shame shape the biblical message and all that Christians are called to be. Unfortunately, many leaders and laypersons do not grasp the theological and practical significance of these concepts for the church.

Therefore, this book provides an accessible entry point for engaging these topics in everyday Christian living. Seeking God's Face contains 101 practical reflections on honor and shame taken from across the pages of Scripture. It presents honor and shame, not as abstract concepts, but as compelling issues that affect evangelism, spiritual formation, and discipleship. Seeking God's Face equips readers to interpret the biblical text faithfully and apply its message meaningfully.

Excerpt

Jeremiah 13 begins with God instructing the prophet to purchase a loincloth and then bury it in a rocky place, where it will inevitably become ruined. This act symbolizes Judah’s great pride, which clings to them like a loincloth and ruins them. As a result of Judah’s pride and idolatry, exile is threatened: “The towns of the Negeb are shut up with no one to open them; all Judah is taken into exile, wholly taken into exile” (13:19).

God foresees Judah’s objection to this condemnation. He answers, “And if you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things come upon me?’ it is for the greatness of your iniquity that your skirts are lifted up, and you suffer vio­lence” (13:22). Judah will not suffer innocently. God will ensure that their life of pride results in humiliation. It is the Lord who will “lift up their skirts” in order to expose their disgrace. These words show that judgment for sin goes beyond a legal sentence and includes tangible shame.

A nearly identical condemnation is seen elsewhere, “I am against you, says the Lord of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face; and I will let nations look on your nakedness and kingdoms on your shame” (Nah. 3:5). The nation that was once viewed as honorable and respected by those surrounding it is now destined for shame and disrepute if they continue to reject the Lord. Similarly, we dishonor God with our sinfulness, and our shame will one day be exposed. The reputable life that we have built for ourselves will come crashing down.

Yet, this is not the end of the story. Jeremiah prophesies about the coming righteous Branch (Jer. 23:5–6; 33:14–16), promising that he will “restore [Judah’s] fortunes, and will have mercy upon them” (Jer. 33:26). Centuries later, this righteous Branch, Jesus, came to reconcile to God those who would believe in him:

Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

—John 3:17–18

If we pridefully assume that our heritage or involvement in Christian activities will save us, we too will be condemned, and our disgrace will be exposed. Indeed, apart from Christ, our destiny is shame.

About the Author

Jackson Wu (pseudonym; PhD, SEBTS) is the theologian in residence with Global Training Network. He worked in East Asia for almost two decades, teaching theology and missiology to Chinese pastors. His books include One Gospel for All Nations, Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes, and The Cross in Context. His blog is jacksonwu.org.

Ryan Jensen lived in East Asia for five years while he taught at a university. He earned a PhD in Intercultural Studies from Biola University, and he holds an MA in Intercultural Studies and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Wheaton College. Connect with Ryan at drryanjensen.com.

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PROMO: Man Na

 

 

A Daily Guide to Becoming the Salt God Intended

Christian Self-Help

Date Published: October 9, 2022

Man Na is not just another devotional.

Each day, the typical devotional offers a passage, hopes it inspires, and waits for us to return for another dose of motivation. When the next day arrives, God is expected to feed us with more manna once again.

Man Na, on the other hand, has a secret ingredient that not only fills us up, but creates lasting fulfillment.What is its secret?

Salt. Man Na recognizes we are not only called to fill ourselves, but are designed to be salt for others through service, kindness, forgiveness, friendship, humility, gratitude, happiness, and love.

This devotional helps us stop focusing inward and start concentrating on others throughout the day.

By providing readers with God's bread and His desire for us to be salt for others, Man Na offers what other devotionals do not. So, grab your shaker and get ready to become what God intended.

 

About the Author

John J. Murray Jr. is the award-winning author of Better Than Our Dogs. He leads Bible study groups with members from across the country. After leaving private practice as an attorney, John won the League for Innovation in the Community College Excellence Award as the Paralegal Program Director and law instructor at Alvin Community College. He lives in Texas with his wife, Lana, and their dog, Chloe.

  

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PROMO: Juunyork: The Final Chapter

 

 

Biography, LGBTQ, Romance

Date Published: August 3, 2022

Publisher: Gatekeeper Press

 

The Final Chapter is a true story about a romance between a man, Brandon, who falls in love with a Brazilian social media influencer, Junior. The story begins on the first day they meet and follows them through the next eight months of their relationship. It ends with their final tragic day together.

Each month shows the progress of their journey and the role social media plays in their love. It outlines the current fashion of LGBTQ dating involving apps, open relationships, and the evolving meaning of exclusivity. Witness their passionate sexual experience, their romance, explosive outbreaks, and multiple vacations.

In their final months together, feel their love before it is destroyed by a tragic accident.

About the Author

Brandon McKinney is a twenty-seven-year-old currently pursuing his master's degree in global strategic communications. He obtained his bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Florida. He is a Florida native. He loves traveling, animals, and hopes to one day have a big family. In his spare time, he is active in many sports leagues in the Orlando area. This is his debut novel.

 

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PROMO: Rider: Dark Skies

 

 

Fantasy / Dystopian

Date Published: September 25, 2022

Dark skies are gathering over the world. Living a humdrum existence, Donovan's life is about to change. A strange destiny is drawing him towards the choosing. As he is drawn to the group of twelve riders, Donovan must learn to control and use his newfound powers to help his friends fend off the darkness in a desperate battle of good and evil.

 

 

About the Author

CR Horlock is a Spiritual man who when not thinking of new story ideas is happy playing guitar and violin. He has four dogs and enjoys walks in the forest and on the beach with them.

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Blog Tour: Mom to Be Pregnancy Journal

Beautiful Pregnancy Planner, Memory Book For Mom and Baby

 

Pregnancy / Journals

Date Published: August 11, 2022

 

All proceeds go to Nonprofit PPCM FUND INC.

Being an expecting mother is one of the most amazing experiences of a lifetime. You don't want to miss a single moment. With appointments, exams, baby names, milestones, and baby bump pictures - there is so much to document!

The Pregnancy Journal is more than a guided journal ― it's a calendar, a tracker, and an heirloom keepsake all rolled into one! It's an absolute must have for expecting moms, expertly designed to help you get the most out of your pregnancy journey, both in the moment and for generations to come. Our incredibly easy-to-use design lets you track weekly progress through all three trimesters, including your mood, energy level, sleep habits, highlights, cravings and more

 

Excerpt

About the Author

Lindsay Staloff is the C.E.O. & co-founder of HERO Locations Co., a location scouting and media production company, and the President of non-profit PPCM Fund, Inc., both based out of Calabasas, CA. She earned her M.S.W. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice after receiving her undergrad degree from Lynn University in South Florida. Lindsay relocated to California in 2002 to pursue her career in the entertainment industry, quickly becoming one of Hollywood's most sought-after location scouts.

In 2016, the respected industry executive gave birth to her son Liam at Cedar Sinai Medical center in Beverly Hills. Her OBGYN led her to believe she had a seemingly normal pregnancy, despite Lindsay visiting her OBGYN's office forty-odd times before giving birth. Just months after becoming a first-time mother, Ms. Staloff suffered complications from PPCM (Peripartum Cardiomyopathy), a preventable pregnancy-induced cardiac disease, resulting in multiple cardiac arrests, a hypothermia coma, & continued complications.

Ms. Staloff has become the leading voice for women and the families of women who have survived or lost a family member to Peripartum Cardiomyopathy. Today, Ms. Lindsay Staloff's purpose in life is to save others through her non-profit organization, PPCM Fund, Inc by spreading education and awareness of this deadly disease to the medical community and expectant parents. She seeks to expand her work on behalf of women and parents through a term in public office by focusing on her local community and small and women-owned businesses. Lindsay has worked with PPCM Fund to put women and families first and will continue to do so as a city council member via an emphasis on policy, not politics.

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PROMO: The Unifier

 

Sci-Fi / Fantasy

Date Published: June 23, 2022

Publisher: ‎Mindstir Media

 

On the eve of the twelfth millennium, the prophesied return of The Unifier marks the beginning of a complex and shattered world centered around the mutations of a diverse people. While the three warring kingdoms vy for control over the arid world they live in, a young hero finds himself directly involved in the vicious conflict. Upon uncovering the mystery of the prophecy and unraveling the events of the past thousand years, Lucian quickly realizes both himself and his family are at the center of this plot involving the individual bestowed with the unique mutations of all three kingdoms. The Unifier will need to find the courage and strength to renew the spirits of this world’s occupants to lead them into a new chapter and step away from its dark history.

 

About the Author

Jay had begun cultivating the creation of the world in The Unifier for several years now. It wasn’t until recently with the welcoming of his first child, he found himself putting together the novel into a story that he was both proud of and ready to share with the world. His obsession with storytelling can be supplemented through various projects he hopes to bring to the public in the next couple of years including screenplays, and the sequels to this intricate and complex design he has worked on.

When Jay isn’t writing, he can be found spending time with his new family or on the golf course working on his short game. He currently resides in New York with his beautiful wife and infant daughter.

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PROMO: How to Live the James Bond Lifestyle

 

Success, Business, Dating, Self-Help, Money, Lifestyle, Travel

Date Published: October 5, 2022

Publisher: Ronin Books

 

Available only in Kindle since 2015, the SPECTRE Edition of How to Live the James Bond Lifestyle is now available in print. Changing lives since 1998, this is the original course taught by the author at The Learning Annex & SpyFest. This SPECTRE edition has been expanded & updated with 40 extra pages of new information to empower all areas of your life.

Chapters include: Re-invent Yourself, Bond Symbols for Change, Your Base of Operations, Your Appearance, The Bond Personality, Bond and His Cash, Your Bond Car, Bond Girls, Resort Hotels, Bond on the Job, Casino Gambling, Your Mission, Upgrading Your Image, The Greatest Adventure, The Ultimate Secret of Women & much more.

The James Bond Lifestyle has 351 pages of techniques to upgrade all areas of your life, fast.

About the Author

Paul Kyriazi is the writer/director of seven feature films including Forbidden Power (2018) now on Amazon Prime. He's directed 23 stars in his movies & full-cast audio-novels, including; Rod Taylor, Robert Culp, Adam West, Nancy Kwan, Russ Tamblyn, George Chakiris, Adam West & Frank Sinatra Jr.

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