Momma and Her Stories

PROMO: Steven F. Seagull & The Missing Chips

Children's Book

Date Published: 06-13-2024

Publisher: Magnetic Lion Productions

The chipocalypse is the greatest mystery to hit the seaside town of Fry Cove. Join Steven F Seagull on the adventure of a lifetime in this Pencraft Best Book engaging read about courage, friendship and teamwork, which reviewers hail as ‘an unexpected delight.’

Who stole the chips? Was it the Deny the Fry colony, who want all seagulls to quit eating chips? Or was it the seagull mafia boss, Stefano Giacomo, who has concocted a dastardly plot to convert all seagulls to pizza and pasta? As part of the newly formed CIA (Chips Investigation Agency), our reluctant hero, along with Charlie, Steven Colton, the karate chopping Bart, and Steven Rhys pit their wits to solve the mystery.

Whether you’re a fan of whimsical tales or simply in need of a feel-good read, this Readers' Favourite 5 Star ‘war of the best carbohydrates’ book is sure to leave you smiling.

Excerpt

Nervous, I flew alongside my dad, wondering what to expect. Fry Cove looked so peaceful and calm from the air, hiding the chip chaos. Dad took me to a rooftop on the edge of Fry Cove, where we found a hole and squeezed inside the lair of his ex-crime fighting friend.

It was dark inside, except for the light coming through the hole. A seagull emerged from a shadowy corner, smoke surrounding him in a cloudy haze.

“Who goes there?” he grumbled.

My dad held up his wings like he was surrendering.

“It’s okay, it’s me, Steven Petronius.”

A bedraggled seagull hopped forward, a twig drooping from the corner of his beak.

“Hmph, long time no see,” he said. “How long was it since we were both in the seagull police force?”

They slapped each other on the back, and began chuckling.

“This is Steven Sherlock,” my dad said. “He’s a very old friend.”

Both of them tipped their heads back and cackled, “Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!”

“Remember the time we busted that American fries racket?” Steven Sherlock said.

“Oh yeah,” Dad said. “Our finest hour.” He beckoned to me. “This is my son, Steven Fitzgerald.”

The ex-detective’s eyes scanned me.

“A fine boy,” he commented. “What can I do for you? Is it anything to do with the chipocalypse?”

“Still as sharp as ever!” my dad said. “My boy just joined the newly formed CIA, or Chips Investigation Agency. Its mission is to solve the mystery of our missing chips, and restore order in Fry Cove.”

I gulped, my mind racing at the thought of the responsibility I had accepted.

“That’s brave of you,” said Steven Sherlock. “Pull this off, and you’ll be the hero of Fry Cove.”

I hung my head low, knowing I was far from heroic.

“Unfortunately, Steven Zeus put the Artful Dodger in charge of the CIA,” Dad said, shaking his head.

“That fool,” Steven Sherlock scoffed. “So, it means you need all the help you can get.”

He finished his twig, and stubbed it out on the floor.

My dad asked, “Have you got any old tools of the trade to get my boy started?”

Steven Sherlock lifted a wing tip in a lightbulb moment.

“I have something that could help.”

He waddled to the side of the room, which received light from the hole. Pulling out a drawer, he dipped in, lifting something out. It was shiny, but dusty. He dropped it on the floor with a clunk.

“You’ll find this useful when looking for clues,” he said. “It’s my old spy glass.”

He demonstrated by picking it up with one foot, peering through it.

“You can see many things not visible to the seagull eye. It makes tiny things bigger.”

“That’s…great,” I said, not sure how it would help.

“Hmmm,” Dad said. “What else do you have in your arsenal?”

Steven Sherlock rubbed his wings together with glee.

“Glad you asked! I have the full Chip Stealing Investigation tools here!”

He used his beak to pull a cord. A series of drawers and cupboards popped out, revealing a full range of crime fighting equipment. There was so much technology, it made my mind boggle.

“Here, we have a sophisticated tool for analysing wing tip prints.”

I stared at the equipment wide-eyed.

“While over here,” he added, “I have some special cement for making casts of footprints, chalk for drawing around dead gulls, and a poop splatter examination kit. It can also analyse ketchup, mayonnaise, and even barbeque sauce smears.”

“It’s so…hi-tech,” I said.

“You’re in the best of wings,” Dad said. Turning to Steven Sherlock, he added, “Where do you suggest my boy starts?”

He pulled the cord again, and the equipment rolled back into its secret location.

“Go to the places of previous chip sightings, and use the spy glass to find clues. Take samples of any ketchup smears or small items that you think are suspicious, then bring them back to me in these little bags.”

He passed me some empty chip bags.

“Okay,” I said, my voice quite shaky.

“You can do this,” Dad said. “I believe in you.”

It was time to show Fry Cove my capabilities, but could I live up to my dad’s expectations?

About the Author

Kitty May Gruchelska loves creating fantastical worlds for her readers, full of diverse and quirky characters. In a past life, she was probably a cat because she likes tuna, dislikes water, and frequently knocks things over, but luckily, she has nine lives. Kitty May teaches in a magical desert kingdom full of sunshine, camels, and rice dishes. She loves travelling, which also inspires her to write.

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PROMO: Forever

YA Christian Fantasy

Date Published: April 1, 2025

The End Times have arrived…

Grace Fortune leads the rebellion against the United Earth, devastated by the belief that her husband, Jared Lorn, has joined the dark side as the son of the ruthless Supreme Lord Grigori Zazel.

But Jared, now known as the gladiator and demigod Baldyr, is locked in a desperate battle with his fallen angel father. His father's plan? To annihilate not just Israel but the entire world.

As the apocalypse looms, will Grace and Jared find a way to reunite before the world is destroyed? Can they survive the coming devastation? And what happens when a new, even more terrifying enemy emerges—one who will exploit their love and humanity to bring about their downfall?

All these questions and more will be answered in the thrilling conclusion of The Forlorn series.

About the Author

Gina Detwiler is the author of the award-winning YA Supernatural series Forlorn and is co-author with Priscilla Shirer of the bestselling middle-grade fantasy series, The Prince Warriors. Her non-fiction books include The Ultimate Bible Character Guide and The Ultimate Bible Character Devotional.

She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, her dog, several imaginary friends, and all of the characters from her books, even the dead ones. She is also the author of three beautiful daughters, for whom she shares credit with her husband, Steve.

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PROMO: The Victorian Locket

A Galveston Historical Mystery

Cozy Mystery

Sarah Anne Law, affectionately known to family and friends as Sam, was playing the stalking game with her cat when she inadvertently discovered a secret compartment in her haunted Victorian home. Not only did Sam find a hidden treasure, but she also realized that their playful game aroused a long-dormant spirit. Perhaps the newly awakened spirit and one of the more disturbing hauntings in her beautiful home were connected. Did a murder occur? As Sam followed clues to unravel the 125-year-old mysteries, she unveiled the true horrors of Galveston’s deadly and gruesome past.

About the Author

Elefair King, a native Texan, grew up in Houston. Retired, she now lives in The Woodlands, Texas. Married for 40 years, she has one son who lives nearby. Driven by her compassion to serve others, she founded several non-profit organizations as well as served on committees and boards of many local and regional charities. Elefair loves history, especially about her beloved Texas. She frequently stops along its country roads to read historical markers when seeking new adventures.

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Friday, March 28, 2025

PROMO: The Dan Alsop Series

Book 1, The Dan Alsop Series

Murder Mystery

Date Published: March 28, 2025

A cowboy lies dead on the trail, shot through the heart with no one around. Detective Dan Alsop must find his killer through a maze of squabbling relatives, disgruntled friends and Hollywood mobsters. Was it a single event or will the killer strike again?

Book 2, The Dan Alsop Series

Murder Mystery

Date Published: March 28, 2025

His mentor lies dead at his feet. Detective Dan Alsop is stretched thin with only the notion of an ancient casino robbery to guide him. His search for the elusive killer takes him to cemeteries and silver mines until he strikes again.

About the Author

SJ SLAGLE started her career as a language arts teacher. When she began writing, her initial interest was children’s stories, but then she moved on to Western Romance, Mysteries and Historical Fiction. She has published over 30 novels and her website is www.sjslagle.com.

SJ has written several Western Romance series including the THESE NEVADA BOYS, RANCHER, and THE WESTERNERS, as well as Mystery series: FLOYD SISTERS MYSTERIES and SHERLOCK AND ME. All her books are distributed in digital, paper and audiobook formats.

Her first historical fiction novel, LONDON SPIES, was awarded a B.R.A.G. Medallion in 2018. She was given the Silver Award with the International Independent Film Awards for her screenplay called REDEMPTION. She conducts writing/publishing symposiums in her local area.

S.J. Slagle lives and works in Reno, Nevada.

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Twitter: @SindaSlagle

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Thursday, March 27, 2025

Blog Tour: Grit & Grace

The Transformation of a Ship & a Soul

Memoir

Date Published: February 27th, 2025

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

Deborah Rudell’s world unravels when the leaders of her spiritual commune are exposed, arrested, and imprisoned for bioterrorism and attempted murder. Crushed and adrift, she moves her family off the commune to create a sense of normalcy. But when her husband seeks an opportunity to dismantle and rebuild a derelict fifty-foot schooner, Deborah uproots their children once again and joins him in Kauai. For the next five years, she dedicates her life to restoring a boat.

Pouring herself into the work at hand can only distract her so much as disillusionment about the cult’s lies and manipulation slowly rises to the surface. While she grapples with emotional turmoil and contemplates a new life path, Deborah sets out to accomplish something she never thought possible: sailing across the Pacific to the Olympic Peninsula. Will the dangers that come with navigating the ocean be too much to bear, or will she find resolution and fortitude in the turbulent adventure?

Grit & Grace: The Transformation of a Ship & a Soul is one woman’s account of conquering overwhelming challenges with tenacity and ingenuity and ultimately discovering her inner strength.

Excerpt

“You really are new, aren’t you?” The red-clad, pony-tailed sannyasin laughed kindly when I asked her what ‘drive-by’ was. I was eating lunch with two thousand other devotees in the cafeteria on my first day at the communal Ranch in the fall of 1982.
“Bhagwan drives by on the road every day after lunch, and we line up along the edge and sing and dance and wave to Him. It’s a daily celebration,” she explained.
I followed the crowd out the door and back onto and off a bus, jostled and nudged into a line along the well-maintained gravel road. People stood quietly, some talking softly. My mind and heart were in turmoil. I had just left my home, family, and career to follow a spiritual path with a living master. While I had read His books, listened to His audiotapes, and watched His videos, I had never seen Him in person. What would it be like?
Eventually I saw a car in the distance and then the line of disciples came alive, clapping, singing and swaying to the songs from a group of musicians half a block away. Bhagwan drove slowly, one hand moved up and down, as He celebrated with us. His dark eyes scanned the thousands of happy faces lined up to greet Him.
Standing amongst strangers, my eyes wet with tears and shining with emotion, I watched the car Bhagwan was driving follow the road lined with disciples, getting closer and closer. The last vestiges of angst, the self-doubt, the wondering what I had done by giving up my life as I knew it, all disappeared as I looked in His eyes. I felt my body dance, and my hands clapped.

It was as if we were all One. Unity at last, all consumed by our love for the Master, the Enlightened One. The One who had gone before us in realizing the true nature of this world. The One who could give us glimpses of our own promise, our own abilities to transcend the density and illusion of material existence to bring peace, joy, and love from heaven above down to the Earth.

About the Author

A college professor in San Diego, California, Deborah Rudell participates in her city’s vibrant writing community. She is a graduate of Hay House Writer’s Workshop and the Certificate in Memoir Writing program at San Diego Writers, Ink. Her work has been published in the International Memoir Writers Association’s anthology, Shaking the Tree: I Didn't See That One Coming.

Deborah lives with her black cat in a tiny house built in 1906 by a retired sea captain, who carved a sailing ship into the front door. This is her first book.

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Wednesday, March 26, 2025

PROMO: Innatraea - Novella One Small Footsteps

Small Footsteps

Fantasy

Date Published: January 16, 2025

Magic is in her blood...

The destiny of Innatraea is in her hands…

Can she rise to power, or will the forces against her prevail?

"Every legend begins with the small footsteps of ordinary Innatraeans." -Tavid the Traveler

Rosalie Sharone, one of the strongest magic wielders ever born, has been waiting and training for this moment all her life. Orphaned as a baby, the child prodigy was raised in the small farm town of Aliselle Falls, away from suspecting eyes. Now she is a young woman ready to fulfill her destiny by traveling across Innatraea to become an initiate of The Weavers, an ancient and powerful order on the island kingdom of Sceotan. In doing so, she must leave her adoptive mother, her first love, and her friends behind. Yet emotional trials are not the only challenge awaiting Rosalie and those closest to her. Weavers especially attract danger, and Rosalie will face her share as she makes her way to her destiny. This is only the beginning of her story however. Once on Sceotan, her magic and intellect along with The Weavers’ influence across all of Innatraea will either make her the most powerful woman in history or completely destroy her.

Power, sacrifice, and destiny collide—get your copy today and dare to walk the path with Rosalie as she begins the journey to her ultimate fate.

__________________

Innatraea Novella Two: Am'ayim

Coming July 26, 2025

"Ele o aiga uma e toto. O nisi e fananau mai i Di Asin.

Not all families a blood. Som a dem born inna Di Saalt.

Not all families are blood. Some of them are born in the Salt."

-Am'ayim Saying

Rosalie has finally left the dangers of Aedonia behind in her quest to reach Sceotan and the Weavers. She now embarks upon another leg of that long journey aboard an Am'ayim vessel known as Di Ariela. Here, she will meet new friends amongst the ship's crew and face new threats and challenges, all while still grappling with the loss of her mother and parting ways with her childhood friends. Rosalie must now find the strength to go on alone and become the woman she's meant to be. But the twisting tides of destiny and fate are tricky and may yet claim them all or unite them as her journey across Innatraea continues. Destiny is no easy thing, though; fate may have more in store for her than she ever imagined.

About the Author

E.R. Zaugg has published several articles on being the parent of a vulnerable child, won poetry contests, and been an avid reader and world traveler for decades. His work is inspired by seeing the world and encountering different religions, spiritual beliefs, and cultures in both literature and actual journeys. These experiences have led to a body of deeply poetic work that explores what it means to be human. The Innatraea novella series highlights the value of vulnerable cultures, children, and strong women, with the goal of imparting to its readers a greater understanding and love of humanity.

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Blog Tour: The 21st Minute

Self-Help

Date Published: November 20, 2024

Publisher: MindStir Media

One in six American adults take psychiatric medication and yet, doctors are only allotted twenty-minute appointments that are spaced out by months at a time. This book starts at minute twenty-one and is filled with everything you wish your doctor had time to explain about mental health. Nearly sixty million American adults struggle with mental illness but half are not receiving any treatment and only a quarter of them have access to psychotherapy. With demand for treatment far outpacing supply, our current mental health crisis requires a new approach that goes beyond the limitations of the health care system.

Dr. Julia Krankl, a Harvard and UCLA-trained psychiatrist, trauma resilience specialist and physician educator details her mental wellness menu-fifteen practical ways to improve mental health that don't involve taking a pill or doing formal therapy. Readers of The 21st Minute will be empowered to become the hero of their mental wellness journey using tools that work. The 21st Minute bridges the gap between what doctors hurriedly explain in twenty minutes and what we all need to thrive. For physicians and therapists who practice holistic mental health care, The 21st Minute stands as an evidence-based resource of alternatives and adjuncts to medication management and psychotherapy.

The 21st Minute offers an accessible and transformative roadmap to optimal mental wellness using modern medicine, evolutionary psychology and diverse cultural perspectives. If you are ready for a new approach to achieve your mental health goals on your terms-this is it.

From the Book

learn to change your paradigm to effectively collaborate with your doctor to improve your health (chapter 1);

learn to proactively take ownership of your life, happiness, and success by focusing on things within your control in order to be the hero of your story (chapter 2);

get to know your ancestors to understand what makes your modern brain tick (chapter 3);

understand the mind-body connection and learn how, in the face of stress, to keep calm and carry on (chapter 4);

identify, understand, and navigate your tough emotions so you can feel it to heal it (chapter 5);

learn to focus on the present moment and stop and smell the roses in order to regulate your nervous system (chapter 6);

discover why taking the long way is sometimes the quickest way to reach your chosen destination (chapter 7);

learn how to harness your motivation, figure out what you want, and just do it (chapter 8);

master how to build your toolkit of coping skills and learn to drive through life (chapter 9);

learn about human behavior and relationships so you can build your tribe of people ready and able to support you in achieving your vision (chapter 10);

uncover how to let go of what is no longer serving you, believing that less is more (chapter 11);
• embrace an eat well, live well lifestyle by feeding yourself brain fuel and maintaining an active lifestyle shared with loved ones (chapter 12);
• recognize that mother nature knows best and optimize your health by staying in harmony with nature through lifestyle modification, quality sleep, and exercise (chapter 13);
• learn to work hard, play hard, recognizing that laughter is often the best medicine (chapter 14); and

• learn that practice makes progress and that preventative mainte- nance is the secret sauce to achieving a healthier life (chapter 15)

About the Author

JULIA KRANKL, MD is a board-certified psychiatrist, trauma resilience specialist, physician educator, winemaker and recovering perfectionist. All proceeds from The 21st Minute will be donated to mental health nonprofits.

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Tuesday, March 25, 2025

PROMO: Lessen the Stressin'

Strategies for Becoming Smarter in Managing Stress

Nonfiction / Self-Help

Date Published: February 12, 2025

A Practical Guide for Learning Ways to Better Manage Stress

How do you experience more joy each day and remain productive and focused on what is most important to you despite sometimes being surrounded by the dark clouds of stress circling overhead or looming on the horizon? Lessen the Stressin’ effectively answers this challenging question by providing a comprehensive review of practical strategies and information essential to managing stress. Conceived and written with the goal of offering an enlightening training opportunity, this book also includes self-assessments and anecdotes to enhance learning. In addition, there are chapters focused on ways for handling stress generated in three areas often found to be particularly problematic – conflict, change, and communication, including digital communication. Dr. German’s insights and thorough coverage of easy to implement strategies help contribute to the optimistic feeling that with some effort, it is possible to successfully manage stress in an increasingly complex world.

About the Author

Dr. Steven German is a licensed psychologist and nationally certified counselor who has sought throughout his professional career to help others deal with the potentially negative impact of stress. This goal has been achieved while serving as a guidance counselor, school psychologist, and special education director in the public schools, as a trainer and consultant in the outplacement field, as a psychologist with the Medical Service Corps of the U.S. Army Reserves, and in his private practice of almost three decades. In addition to his published works, he has delivered training for organizations on topics related to stress. In his spare time, Dr. German enjoys hiking, traveling, singing, working on small building projects, and spending quality time with family and friends.

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Blog Tour: The Seer

Historical Fiction/Paranormal Fiction

Date Published: March 11th, 2025

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

In 1890s Missouri, secrets are a matter of survival.

Clairvoyant Sarah Richardson screams as her older sister Katherine is forced into a straightjacket and thrust into a carriage bound for the St. Louis City Lunatic Asylum. She is devastated to learn Katherine has been blamed for her inadvertent role in an abused woman’s murder. Now, too frightened to speak up, she hides the truth that it should have been her in that carriage.

Sarah’s mounting guilt becomes too much, and she heads to St. Louis, determined to regain her sister’s confidence and prove herself worthy of forgiveness.

While working to heal their relationship, Sarah meets a timid housewife who tries to hide her bruises. When troubling psychic visions of the woman begin to affect her, she sees an opportunity to atone for her past mistakes. Desperate to do whatever it takes to make things right, Sarah embarks on a perilous journey that may cost her everything—including her own life.

Excerpt

“Do you girls know what that bird is?” Grandma Rose asked in a lilting voice, as if she was trying to mimic a bird’s song. I knew she wanted to lift our spirits.

Katherine ignored her and kept right on tugging to free the damp bed linen from the basket.

I looked to where Grandma was pointing. “I think it’s a wren. Is that right?”

She gave a slight smile and nodded, but her attention was on Katherine. “For such a little bird, they sure have big voices, don’t they? Say, have I ever told you girls about my favorite poem?”

Grandma had always been in love with birds, pointing them out here and there, trying to get us to identify them by sight or sound, so I had no doubt her favorite poem had something to do with them.

I waited a couple seconds for Katherine to answer. When she didn’t, I said, “No ma’am. Is it about a bird?”

“Yes. It’s called ‘Ode to a Nightingale’ by an English poet named Mr. John Keats. It’s about a bird’s song so captivating, it eases someone’s suffering to the point they’re able to forget their troubles for a while. Isn’t that lovely?”

“Yes, it is,” I said. “My favorite bird is the hummingbird. They’re so fast and when the sun hits their feathers, their colors—” The sound of horse hooves beating the ground stopped me.

We turned our attention to the road. All three of us quit hanging laundry and looked out to see Daddy riding Jessie up to the house, followed by an unfamiliar horse and carriage.

Grandma stepped out from behind the wash line. Her mist changed from bright to shadowy blue in a blink of an eye. “No, Charles,” she whispered.

“Katherine!” Daddy yelled as he alighted Jessie. The black carriage came to a stop.

“Charles, please!” Grandma screamed as she rushed over to Daddy. “Charles, don’t!”

A heavy-set gentleman in a waistcoat and top hat dropped the reins and stepped down from the carriage. He opened the door and helped out two women in white dresses, and then walked over to Daddy. He said something I couldn’t make out. Daddy and the man started toward us.

“Run!” I urged as I tried to pull my sister away. As Katherine took a couple of steps the men each grabbed an arm and lifted her off the ground, tearing my hand from hers. “Please don’t take her, please!” I begged. “Grandma, please don’t let them take her!”

Grandma pulled at Daddy’s arm and dug her heels into the dirt. He yanked his arm away. When they got close to the nurses, the women held up a white garment with elongated arms and Katherine began to scream. Her body writhed as she wrestled to free herself from their grip.

I ran over and tugged on Daddy’s arm. In the chaos, he jerked away from me, causing his elbow to hit me under my chin. I bit my tongue and reeled backward. The fat man’s top hat fell from his head as both men and nurses secured Katherine’s arms behind her back. One of the women reached into a bag and pulled out what looked like a piece of rolled up white cloth. Katherine’s pleading eyes were locked on mine as the woman placed the cloth into my sister’s mouth and tied it behind her head. Since she could no longer scream, I screamed for her. It sounded unearthly, as if it was coming from someone else, from somewhere else.

Grandma grabbed me and held me so tight I could hardly breathe. We watched as they struggled to lift Katherine into the carriage. I squeezed my eyes shut as my sister’s guttural wail filled the air. When she was in, the women quickly entered the carriage and closed the door.

The portly man huffed as he bent over and snatched his dusty hat off the ground. He straightened and looked at Daddy. “She’ll be all right,” he said. He hoisted himself into the seat, took the reins, and slapped the backs of the horses.

I clung to Grandma, begging God to let this be a bad dream as the carriage rambled away. When it was no longer visible, I looked at Daddy. The sight of him crying angered me. I jerked away from Grandma and ran at him, my fists flying into his chest. “How dare you cry!” I yelled as I pounded over and over. “How dare you!”

About the Author

Award-winning author Raquel Y. Levitt holds an MFA in creative writing and a master’s degree in English. Her short stories have been published in various anthologies and literary journals and reflect her passion for writing about strong women finding their voice and their power. She is a world traveler, an amateur nature photographer, and a collector of cool rocks. Raquel and her husband live, work, and play in the Texas Hill Country and Montana’s Bitterroot Valley. The Seer is her debut novel.

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