PROMO: Vagabonder

 

Science Fiction/Fantasy

Date Published: 09-20-2022

Publisher: Aurelia Leo

 

Humans have always feared Caen’s kind.

Survivors of a mysterious virus, Ruĝa Morto, that killed 80% of Earth’s population two centuries ago, they have endured enslavement as Neurologically Compromised Individuals, or NiCIes, owned by OnyxCorp. Now, in 2261, Caen begins a perilous journey to seek the Vagabonders, the original moon colonists, whom many believe hold the key to freeing his people.

He knows he is hunted. He expects death at every turn.

But he doesn’t anticipate meeting Dr. Ligeia Obumbwe, a human biogeneticist desperate to protect her brother Finn, yet another victim of the endemic virus. When OnyxCorp promises to keep Finn safe in exchange for her work in their lunar lab, she accepts despite her increasing unease regarding the Corporation’s motives.

Ligeia and Caen become unlikely partners in a dangerous quest to reach the Vine, the space elevator that is the first step in their journey to the moon.

What they find along the way could help them bring OnyxCorp to its knees…or destroy everything they love.

About the Author

R. T. Coleman grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she nurtured a passion for reading and writing while nestled among blankets and pillows in her bedroom closet. Her love of science fiction was born when she saw Star Wars in the theater in 1977. Imagine her disappointment when she realized she could never actually be Princess Leia.

She lives in Springfield, Arkansas, with her partner Joe on their 25-acre farm, where she works as an instructional designer by day and a writer and editor by night. Vagabonder is her debut novel.

 

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PROMO: You Raise Me Up...

 

To Grieve, Smile, Laugh, Respect and Lead!

 

Christian / Nonfiction

Date Published: October 3, 2018

Publisher: ‎MindStir Media

 

You Raise Me Up centers on the author's journey of coping with his wife's passing. Anyone who has lost a spouse can use this book as a tool to recover from loss. In this book, the author feels his late wife's outstretched- blanket that helps to cope through, "Grief", "to Smile", "to Laugh", "to Respect" and most important, "to Lead". Those were her "fruits" to live by.

 

 

About the Author

Thomas J. (Tom) Snee stepped down as the former National Executive Director for Fleet Reserve Association (FRA), Alexandria, VA. He is a retired Navy Master Chief /Surface Warfare Specialist with over 30 years of naval service, and a Vietnam Veteran. He has since returned to teaching, to motivate and inspire Middle and High School students in the Northern Virginia area. He is continually active with his Church, Boy Scouts, and other Youth Groups.

A Cleveland, Ohio native, Tom grew up and graduated in 1965 from Willoughby South High School, Willoughby, OH; Mohegan Community College, Norwich, CT, AS, Liberal Arts; Excelsior College, Albany, NY, BS, Liberal Arts/Psychology; and George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, M.Ed, Education Leadership. He is a member of the FRA, Knights of Columbus, Surface Navy Association (SNA) and National Eagle Scout Association (NESA). Mr. Snee was married to the late Karen A. Habina for 46 years, having a family of four children and seven grandchildren. He currently resides in Burke, VA.

 

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Blog Tour: I'M In PoWeR!

 

A Journey to Discover Who We Are

Children's Book

Date Published: May 20, 2022

Publisher: Hasmark Publishing International

Josh, age ten, and Sara, age eight, are brother and sister. They enjoy each other's company and love to play games together and explore the woods near their house. Sometimes, though, they worry that they don't fit in with their peers. Like many kids, they have questions and concerns about life and why things are the way they are.

One day, a seemingly wrong turn in the woods leads them to an unexpected discovery. They meet a wise, magical being who teaches them how to appreciate and use their miraculous minds and unique God-given gifts. Through these lessons, they learn how to connect with their authentic confidence and personal power, positively transforming them and their mindsets.

The story in this short book is based on the author’s personal life journey and the wisdom and insight she has gained from her mentors and spiritual teachers in the field of personal development and spirituality. It is a life-transforming guide for children and adults alike.

About the Author

I was born in Seoul, Korea in 1971.  As the youngest of the family, with an older sister and two older brothers, I was surrounded by comfort, support, and most of all, love.

As a child, I loved spending time in my own world of imagination, where I had the ability to create my friends, experiences, and “realities.” These were always preferable to the true reality that surrounded me.

Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, Korea was still recovering from its long history of military dictatorship after the Korean war and still experiencing the turmoil of political upheaval. It was simply too chaotic and harsh for a free-spirited young mind.

 

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PROMO: The Atropos Maker

 

Political Thriller

Date Published: June 17, 2022

Publisher: Mindstir Media

 

"Over my dead body would I ever leave him and return to the agency." Norma remembers those words that now prove to be untrue as she rejoins Atropos-a covert government organization-after so many bloodless years. She has just carried out her first mission back, suspiciously without her team. Something tells her things are not what they seem and betrayal is imminent.

It turns out a devastating weapon created by the agency may soon be decommissioned, and things need to change. Norma is beginning to speculate that it isn't her skill set that the agency wants, Instead, accepting her back was their way of gaining access to a more lethal successor.

Is her gut feeling right? Will the agency soon turn on her? Norma must escape the clandestine smoky mirrors of Washington DC and see clearly before it's too late.

 

Reviews

"‘The Atropos Maker’ is a fast-paced and expertly plotted two-fisted political thriller focusing on corrupt international and domestic organizations, secret weapons, and conspiracies," wrote IndieReader in their 4.8-star review.

"Stylishly written," wrote Joe Kilgore - The US Review of Books. "This is an engaging read that pushes the envelope of the thriller genre. Author Lujan has chosen to steep her tale in an intensely introspective tone. Burrowing deeply within the psyche and soul of her protagonist, she paints a harrowing picture of how one individual musters up the fortitude to go from victim to survivor to ruler of her own fate—but not without the toll the harshest of life’s injuries often inflict.

 

"The suspense in the book is irresistible," wrote Pacific Book Review in their Starred Review. “The author knows how to entice readers by introducing subplots which increase one’s focus to finish the book . . . ‘The Atropos Maker’ is a great read for those who fancy thrillers, drama, conspiracy stories, military fiction and a great plot.”

 

Other Books in the Series

 

 

 The Atropos Maker II: A New Order

Atropos, an American black-ops agency, is on the hunt for a missing boy named Charlie. He has been kidnapped, disappearing deep into a child trafficking ring. Norma, the director of Atropos, quickly learns that someone they know is tied to the terrorist that are in the center of this ghastly ring of missing, innocent children. So begins the hunt as Norma takes the lead of Atropos once again to trot the globe, from Iraqi Kurdistan to the mean streets of urban America to search harrowing tunnels and bunkers in order to find Charlie before it's too late? In the end, who will pay the ultimate price in order to complete their mission, and will the cost be too much?

 

 

The Atropos Maker III: The Awakening

 

"Since I am an actress, I absolutely love to find books that I can see visually in my mind... Step on this ride with me... The Atropos team is exciting and fun and you are sure to enjoy the journey as much as I did."

- Mariel Hemingway, Oscar-nominated actress and author, and granddaughter of Nobel Prize-winning novelist Ernest Hemingway

What is more terrifying than a covert mission to North Korea? Try raising a 12-year-old girl.

Elina struggles with the countless rules in her life, especially when they keep her from a mysterious new boy who arrives at her school.

What is Alexander Veurr to do?

As the leader of Atropos-one of the government's most elite tactical teams-Alexander assigns retired agent Xavier to guard his budding daughter. With Xavier's skills and agency resources, what could possibly go wrong?

A lot, it turns out. Elina goes missing and Alexander is exiled from the agency. Two things become clear.

One- Someone in the agency is as crooked as a dog's hind legs.

Two- Elina may be someone's unwitting secret weapon.

The fate of Atropos is in the hands of a father and daughter in this epic novel of parental fear and adolescent wonderment.

 

About the Author

N. J. Lujan was born in Washington, DC then raised in a small town of West Virginia. Her first experience with journalism and writing complex, thrilling stories was as a teenager when she was the R.O.T.C. (Reserved Officers’ Training Corps) public affairs officer for her high school. It was then she discovered her love for writing. After graduation she entered the Army then later went on to enjoy a successful corporate career while still fueling a passion for creating complex fictional stories. Today she continues to use parts of her backdrop to vividly take you on a journey that will leave you wanting for more.

N. J. Lujan, a accomplished ghostwriter, now lives in North Carolina and splits her time between writing, work, family, and three very spirited pups. To learn more, visit njlujanoffical.com.

 

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Blog Tour: A Reservoir Man

 

Coming of Age

Date Published: 05-23-2022

Publisher: Film Valor

 

A Reservoir Man, critics have hailed this explosive and timely work as “a must-read coming-of-age story of 2022.”

 

A Reservoir Man has unique insights in to life and a compelling narrative about an individual grappling with truth, identity, and freedom.

Early Reviews

"Twists and turns further pull the reader in to Michael’s action-packed tale, with powerful themes, from betrayal and family to secrets and identity."

“Be sure not to blink because you just might miss a pivotal moment in Michael’s rousing, larger-than-life story.” -- R.C. Gibson, Indiestoday.com.

 “This book is a dream, a gamble, a utopia, even.” -- Kalyan Panja, Bookmarkks.

A Reservoir Man by L.J. Ambrosio is a brilliantly written coming-of-age fictional memoir that is sure to steal your heart and leave you craving for more. - The Reading Bud, Book Critic

The book "A Reservoir Man focuses on a coming-of-age story that will highly impress anyone who comes across this wonderful piece. -Emilee Jackson, Book Critic (UK)

This is a thought-provoking story that will resonate with readers wherever they are in their personal journey. I expect everyone to take something different from this tale, but no one who reads it will be unaffected. - Gina Rae Mitchel, Book Critic (US)

Excerpt

On New Year's Day, the children went with Michael to brunch in Venice and walked on the boardwalk. For dinner, they ate at their favorite Chinese restaurant in West Hollywood. Arriving home, they noticed someone sitting on the porch. Michael quickly got out of the car and went over to the man. It was Joe, a young client of Michael’s.

 

Two years earlier, Michael brought Joe into the agency as a client; they had a very respectful relationship. Joe asked Michael if he had time to talk. Normally, Michael would have asked Joe if it could wait till the next day, but Michael saw the urgency in his tone. He told Joe to come in and to give him some time to put the children to bed.

 

Michael came back into the living room with a martini for himself and his guest. He finally broke down and had liquor in his house. Joe sat down and told Michael to listen before he commented. He told Michael that there was an action to take over the office, and his LA staff were aware of it, as well as the New York staff. Gail had also secured a replacement for Michael to run the LA office. The clients were not informed. She was waiting for the proper time after Michael left the office. Gail had secured all the bank statements and hired a lawyer.

 

Michael was shocked. “Who told you, Joe? Do you know a timetable for when she intends to do this?”

 

Joe said he was dating someone at the union who told him, and he was not aware of a time she was going to act on this. Joe seemed very pale; Michael became concerned about Joe’s health, asking him how his T-cell count was. Joe did not respond to much of anything.

 

“There is nothing you can do,” said Michael.

 

“Just be healthy. There are some experimental drugs. Stay away from AZT. That is AIDS by prescription.”

 

Joe finished his drink and got up to leave. Joe hugged Michael, and while he was holding on to Michael, he whispered in his ear, “I'm scared. What is going to happen?”

 

Michael replied, “You are going to live and have fun. Just be gay.” They both laughed. Before Joe left, he stopped in the doorway, turning to Michael.

 

“What’s wrong Joe?” asked Michael.

 

“I did not call. I wanted to.”

 

“Why didn’t you?” said Michael, staring at the young man, who was in a world of anxiety and apprehension.

 

“I was afraid they tapped your phone,” said Joe, and he left.

 

 

About the Author

Louis J. Ambrosio ran one of the most nurturing bi-coastal talent agencies in Los Angeles and New York. He started his career as a theatrical producer, running two major regional theaters for eight seasons. Ambrosio taught at 7 Universities. Ambrosio also distinguished himself as an award-winning film producer and novelist over the course of his impressive career.

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Blog Tour: Of Lessons Lost

 

Historical Fiction

Date Published: November 4, 2022

This fast paced novel opens with brothers Yaakov and Lazer's daring escape from the back of a Nazi vehicle en route to their execution in occupied Poland. Surviving alone in the woods until the war ends, the brothers return to their hometown in search of Wilus Chomelstien, the mayor that had informed the Germans of their plans to organize an armed resistance. The brothers want Wilus to pay for his disloyalty. But the outcome of their meeting with Wilus will haunt them and their descendants far into the future.

 

 

Some Quotes from the Book

 

“Mom is shopping. She wants to feed an ungrateful bastard like you."

 

“Now I’m really getting scared.  My big brother has a plan."

 

“I’ll tell you why it came into our hands. There’s no one else anywhere near here."

 

“You’ve other talents, I think, though I don’t know what."

 

“Shall I play something from my imaginary violin or my imaginary weapon?"

 

"They’ll make you into Brisket. Kosher Brisket."

 

  About the Author

I am a retired senior executive for a fortune 100 company. Years ago my first novel (Ezekiel’s Vision) was launched via a conventional book publisher.  My new self-published novel is titled: OF LESSONS LOST.

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Blog Tour: A Flicker in the Water

 

Nonfiction / Memoir / Fishing

Date Published: ‎June 26, 2022

Publisher: ‎Mindstir Media

 

If you're yearning for tales about adventure and fun on the open sea, look no further!

The crew welcomes you aboard the Twister, one of the finest fishing vessels in the Gulf of Mexico, as the search is on for the big ones that legends are made of. Blue marlin, yellowfin tuna, swordfish, and more are waiting to be caught, just so long as Bob and his friends have the strength to reel them in.

Told in a fun, engaging style, this book combines elements of drama, heroism, and skill with humor and some educational points about the sea and its inhabitants, with plenty of surprises along the way.

The stories will make you feel like you are out on the water yourself getting ready to land that next great catch you'll be talking about for the rest of your life. Experienced seamen and land lubbers alike will enjoy this peek into one of the good parts of life with all of its promises and perils.

The use of the word Tales in the subtitle is a play on the word "Tails" that matches the Goliath Grouper on the front cover. When you look into the mouth of the Grouper, we hope you'll want to look inside this exciting collection of tales. 

 

Inside the Tales

The water was brightly lit, reflecting the Tuna’s iridescent colors off of their elongated muscular bodies as we arrived at sunset. Getting to the offshore oil rigs, our fishing destination had been no easy journey.

An eight-hour trek through an unpredictable yet calm sea. On the way we had managed to land a bull dolphin. In Spanish they are called dorado. An apt name that perfectly captures the golden essence of their beautiful mul-ticolored skin tone with differing vibrant shades of blue, green and striking yellow capped off by a flat squared bulging head creating a color combination as diverse and beautiful as any fish in the sea. Most know them as mahi -mahi, a Hawaiian term that means “very strong.” The bull, a male had a companion with him, a female called a cow. Male lions are the kings of the jungle, but in the world’s oceans females wear the crown, reigning supreme. Captain Mike had made the trip many times before, but even an experienced seaman cannot help getting those little butterflies in the pit of his stomach as the departure time draws closer. The excited anticipation of what could happen good or bad when leaving the dock is a different-yet-no-less-satisfying feeling than a successful trip’s return. Filling the coolers with ice, rigging bait, setting the rods and reels to the proper length and drag are all necessary tasks to be done ahead of time, because as any fisherman knows you want to be ready when you get that make-or-break strike. Which as every fisherman who has ever told tales also knows happens each time you put your baits in the water. Doing these required tasks for the Twister’s crew team would be Troby (known as Drawbridge to his friends). Drawbridge was an experienced fisherman who had more stories to tell than Popeye the sailor man, only he did not derive his strength from spinach. Drawbridge was a jovial fellow with the look of an experienced fisherman written on the lines of his face, who like many seamen had an unquenchable thirst for the suds, which often led to some amusing and at times not-so-amusing circumstances. There was never a bridge Drawbridge did not want to cross or a fish he didn’t like to eat (once comparing the taste of a tiger shark’s liver to a chocolate bar). Drawbridge’s father had been an airline pilot for a major airline, before becoming an early settler in Destin while it was still known as the “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village.”

Drawbridge spent a lot of his childhood traveling the world through the air.

Choosing for himself as an adult to travel by water. Also joining the crew was Gary, a local kid who had grown up fishing the local waters. Bob Jr. a former ballplayer who enjoyed all aspects of the seaman’s experience from preparation to scrubbing the boat down after a long run. Bob Jr.’s favorite baseball memory was of a home run he hit in a championship game. “I still don’t know how that ball traveled so far. It felt like the ball slipped off the bat, it must have gotten caught up in a favorable wind current.” In baseball like at sea it’s better traveling when the currents are in your favor.

Bob Jr. hailed from the mountains of Northeast Pennsylvania. He and Bob Sr. fished for bluefish off the coast of New Jersey every summer. Bob Jr. likes to retell the story that brought him of age as a fisherman, the first Bluefish he reeled in by himself at age nine. The warrior in him came alive, refusing to hand the rod off. “It was going to be the fish or me,” he likes to say. Bob Jr. had taken a renewed special interest not wanting to call it outright pride in his gaffing. Line up the gaff to the fish then give it a quick short snatch instead of lunging at the fish. He would say, “You won’t get them all but your batting average will definitely improve. His love of gaffing was born out of a near miss of a 100lb. wahoo that had somehow managed to slip off the hook after repeated gaff attempts (by others), the shockwaves of which felt like a harpoon had lodged itself in his heart, needing to be carefully removed. Bob Sr. was the boat’s principal owner. Bob Sr. is not your typical sit in the chair, content to reel in the fish kind of a boat owner.

Bob Sr. likes to get his hands dirty with everyone else. He once caught a giant albacore tuna off the shores of Barnegat Light New Jersey on an old party boat called “Doris Mae” that won him the day’s pool prize. The pool prize was a potluck all the day’s fishermen contributed to before heading out for the day. Barnegat Light was known for their catches of bluefish in the summer and cod in winter. Bob Sr. had been on such a hot streak of late.

He caught a 42 lb. red snapper three pounds shy of the Florida state record and a 60 lb. grouper all within ten minutes of each other. Having grown up in Cuba, Bob Sr. spent much of his childhood on the ocean; he learned how to swim before he could walk. In the tradition of fishermen of that day he started fishing with an old school hand line. The crusty fishermen, many of whom made their living with their hand lines developed hands so calloused they felt like sandpaper to the touch. But their hands were really tender when it came to working a fish. As a ten year old in Santiago de Cuba, Bob Sr. caught his first fish on a hand line, a tarpon who at the time weighed as much as he did 80 lbs. within view of the EL Morro Castle, the stately looking fort sitting at the mouth of “La Bahia de Santiago.” Bob Sr. put a rope through the fish’s gills, threw the fish over his shoulder, the fish’s tail dragging on the ground behind him. The experience would come in handy (literally) years later when he had a three-sided treble hook get stuck in his finger when he brought a kicking bull mahi on board. Each time the mahi kicked the treble lodged itself deeper and deeper. After subduing the fish, we used a wire cutter to slice the steel hook pulling it out of his finger. Bob Sr. didn’t flinch. We bandaged his finger, applied some ointment with a dose of hydrogen peroxide, and continued fishing without skipping a beat.

Little did Bob Sr. know his recent hot streak was about to continue. This was no ordinary bottom fishing trip they were embarking on. No, sir, this time around they were after one of the sea’s toughest competitors. Tuna are known as being finicky feeders, and on this day they lived up to their well deserved reputation. Arriving at dusk you could see their stout bodies pro-truding from the water in a way that said, “yeah, we know you’re here. Now see if you can catch us.” Tuna are so unpredictable many times they don’t even let you approach them without going under water, losing themselves in the depths without a trace to be seen. There hasn’t been a depth finder made yet they haven’t been able to outrun. To catch them, we tried, then tried, then tried again. Nine long hours had passed since the tuna began teasing us. Up to now they were winning the battle of wills in the depths of the 5,000 feet we were fishing. They gave us no indication that they were even still around, seeming to have disappeared. In the interim a few cases of beer, which would have tasted much better with some freshly caught raw tuna fish as a side dish, had been consumed. Innate in the fishermen’s nature is the pleasure of believing the fish always tastes better when it’s caught with his own hand, the pursuit accomplished.

Drawbridge had on a past voyage had a harrowing experience with a boatload of beer. Drawbridge was commissioned with delivery of a vessel from Destin Florida to Cabo San Lucas in Baja, California, where he and his team were going to fish in a marlin tournament. In years gone by Drawbridge had won first prize in this tournament, leading the pack weighing in a grander blue marlin. The boat’s owner was a builder who built condominiums all along the Gulf coast. Drawbridge was always proud, not boastful, just proud the winning grander he landed was measured by girth and length being hung in the entrance way of the first condo his boss built. He could be heard saying from time to time, “Oh yeah, when my dad helped settle Holiday Isle, he never dreamed his son would leave a lasting legacy to carry on his family name.” On this current excursion things would take on a decidedly different twist. No one really knows how or why, but legend has it the boat Drawbridge commandeered was loaded with cases of beer from bow to stern with only enough space to walk from the bridge to the bathroom through a narrow aisle down below. He and his girlfriend Gail set sail in what was thought to be balmy, ideal conditions, feet up enjoying a brand new day’s sunrise. As is often the case, Mother Nature makes plans of her own on short notice, rarely if ever consulting anyone about them. Crossing the Florida Straits at nightfall can be delightful with a following sea allowing tired hard working engines a temporary reprieve.

The vast current propelling the boat forward. Going against those same currents can often be a challenging if not downright horrifying experience, as Drawbridge and Gail would soon find out.

EL Morro Castle overlooking the bay of Santiago de Cuba. Santiago was once the capital city of Cuba. The fort was built to protect the city from pirates in the 1600s. Today it is used as a museum, culminating each day at sunset with a ceremonial firing of the cannon. This is where Bob Sr. caught his first tarpon with an old fashioned hand line.

 

The view overlooking Santiago de Cuba from atop from El Morro Castle.

According to UNESCO, it is the best preserved and most complete example of Spanish-American military architecture. The view is not too shabby either!

Bob Jr. displaying his gaffing skills. He was able to get this one through the mouth, saving all the wahoo’s tasty meat in the process.

 

About the Author

A FLICKER IN THE WATER (Inside The Tales) is my second published work. The first one being a book of poems called “Eagle Claws For Freedom’s Cause”. The latter being so well received it provided the impetus to write this second book. I have always enjoyed the outdoors especially deep sea fishing and wanted this book to focus on those stories. I was born in New York City and raised in Northeastern Pennsylvania where the most popular outdoor sport was Whitetail Deer Hunting. Maybe I will write about those stories in a future book. I now live in Florida, where I still enjoy sports of all kinds. Hopefully one day soon I will get to see the Tampa Bay Rays win the World Series. But for now, I will keep myself busy pursuing then writing about landing the “Big Ones”.

 

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