Book Tour with Guest Post, Review and Giveaway: Deception Is Our Remedy by Alexandra Gavranovic

 

Book Tour with Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: The Ghosts of Rathalla by Matthew K. Perkins

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  The Ghosts of Rathalla by Matthew K. Perkins
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  200 pages
Genre: Epic fantasy
Publisher: Resource Publications
Release date:  February 2024
Content Rating:  PG-13: Some swearing and violence. 

Book Description:

Set in a world that is dominated by a vast desert, two friends are caught in the middle of a civil war. She’s a warrior. He’s a musician. When they discover that the crux of the war is a prophesied newborn baby that one side will do anything to destroy, they become the only people capable of saving the child’s life—all that stands in their way is an active volcano, a barbarian army, and a cunning assassin with motives of his own.

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Guest Post:

Curiosity and Influence

My dad was such a big influence for me when it came to discovering and loving fantasy as a genre. He’s retired now, but he taught middle school language arts for thirty-two years. He read Lord of the Rings for the first time in 1977 and loved it so much that he made it a ritual to reread it once a year thereafter. For many Christmases, my mom gifted my dad a Lord of the Rings calendar for the upcoming year. This was well before the movies, and each calendar had incredible(!!!) artwork by a lot of great artists. Well, my dad saved all this stunning artwork from each calendar, and then, as a teacher, decorated his classroom with it. As a kid, I spent a lot of time in my dad’s classroom—before and after school—waiting for him to finish working so I could get a ride home. In a typical, annoying-kid kind of way, I would get bored, and I would go around the room and point to each picture, What’s this one? What’s this one? What’s this one?

That’s Eowyn battling the Witch-King of Angmar. That’s the fellowship stuck in a storm on Caradhras. That’s Gandalf and the Balrog on the bridge of Khazad-Dum.

Then of course, the follow up questions from me: Who’s Eowyn? Why are they traveling in the mountains with that much snow? What, pray tell, is a BALROG!?

In hindsight, my dad probably just needed to get some papers graded so that we could go home for the day, and the last thing he needed was to answer every question I had about this world I knew nothing about. But he did. He answered every question I had patiently, and thoroughly. And every character, setting, and history, was so exact, and so real in the way that he talked about it. I could tell that he loved it, and it made me love it. I think I loved fantasy before I ever read a word of it.

 

 

My Review:

This one is difficult for me to rate. 

Overall, I was a bit disappointed. This might be a bit spoilery, but I was wondering how anything in the book related to its summary for the first 170 pages of its 191 page length. Only the last 21 pages made sense with most of the summary. 

I found the two characters interesting enough, though I never really came to care for them that much. I didn't feel connected to them or their journey through most of the book. I enjoyed reading the parts that had more action to them and found myself kind of skimming over some of the other parts, especially the historical add-ons.

The last 20 pages made me realize that I was more invested in them then I had realized. While I still wasn't emotionally connected to the characters or with what might happen to them, I still found myself rooting for them and hoping they would have a positive end to their journey. 

I found the writing style interesting. The book didn't have chapters as I am accustomed to. It did have three parts, though I am not sure why. Maybe they were to highlight the different parts of the journey? 

I think I would have to rate this a three star rating. I wanted to know how it ended but I felt no strong emotion about the story or its characters until the very end when I felt a small touch of sadness. I wish there had been another part to it. I found the ending a bit unsatisfying. 

I am not sure who I would recommend this book to. It isn't overly filled with action but has enough to keep it interesting, so I can't say that action lovers will enjoy it. It isn't full of fantastical happenings, so I can't say fantasy lovers should read it. There is no romance or even a mystery. 

I guess I would recommend this to people that enjoy reading about the journey. They travel through some demanding terrain, meet with multiple people, some good, some not, have to fight for their lives against both people and the elements, and they have an interesting travel companion. She was probably my favorite character, and gave me the biggest surprise of the book, and she wasn't even a human!

 

Meet the Author:

Matthew K. Perkins is a proud Wyoming native, where he completed an MA in English Literature from the state’s lone university. He currently lives in Denver, Colorado, with his wife, three sons, and two dogs. He is the author of two novels, 'Saint in Vain' (2018) and 'The Ghosts of Rathalla' (2024).

Enter the Giveaway:

THE GHOSTS OF RATHALLA by Matthew K. Perkins Book Tour Giveaway

Fast Times Big City by Shelly Frome- Review

Fast Times Big City by Shelly Frome

Publisher:  Boutique of Quality Books (Feb 6, 2024)
Category: Manhattan Mystery
Tour dates: February 26-March 25, 2024
ISBN: ‎ 979-8886330267 Available in Print and ebook, Approx. 330 pages

 

Marianne Scott Multi-Book Spotlight Tour with Interview and Giveaway

 

 

Shadow of Doubt by P.A. DePaul: Blog Tour, Giveaway, and Excerpt

 Book Tour and Giveaway

Shadow of Doubt

P.A. DePaul

Blog Tour with Guest Post: Death in Dutch Harbor by D. Macneill Parker

Pistol Rose and the Wedding That Sparked a War by Michael Ryan Hahn

Pistol Rose and the Wedding that Sparked a War by Michael Ryan Hahn: On Tour 

 Publisher:  Swashbuckle Holdings (August, 2023) 

Category: Fantasy, Adult Epic Fantasy, Adventure, Romance, Steampunk 

Tour Dates October 16-November 22, 2023 ISBN: 978-1962089005 Available in Print and ebook, 194 pages

 

Description Pistol Rose and the Wedding that Sparked a War by Michael Ryan Hahn

Murder for Liar by Verlin Darrow Review

Murder for Liar by Verlin Darrow

Publisher:  The Wild Rose Press (May 15, 2023)
Category: Mystery/Suspense
Tour Dates June 26-July 27, 2023
ISBN: 978-1509248971
Available in Print and ebook, 298 pages

 

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Where the Grass Grows Blue by Hope Gibbs

Saving the Selkie’s Heart by Ella Rose: Interview, Review

Saving the Selkie’s Heart (The Selkie Seas, #2) by Ella Rose

Publisher: Lightning Platypus Press, (January 10, 2022)
Category: Paranormal Romance
Tour dates: February 20-March 31, 2023
ISBN: 979-8985603859
Available in Print and ebook, 263 pages

 

Soulful Return by Fidelis O. Mkparu- Excerpt, Review

Soulful Return by Fidelis O. Mkparu

Publisher: DX Varos Publishing (November 22, 2022)
Category: General Fiction, Literary Fiction, African-American Fiction, Immigrant Experience
Tour Dates November 2-23
ISBN: 978-1955065603
Available in Print and ebook, 332 pages

 

Stealing the Selkie’s Heart by Ella Rose: Guest Post, Review

Stealing the Selkie’s Heart (The Selkie Seas, #1) by Ella Rose

Publisher: Lightning Platypus Press, (July 19, 2022)
Category: Paranormal Romance
Tour dates: November 3-23, 2022
ISBN: 979-8985603811
Available in Print and ebook, 286 pages

Loneliness of the Time Traveller by Erika Rummel: Review and Excerpt

The Loneliness of the Time Traveller by Erika Rummel

Publisher: Inanna Publications (June 18, 2022)
Category: Science Fiction, Time Travel, Crime, Suspense, Supernatural
Tour Dates September 7-Oct 7, 2022
ISBN: 978-1771338783
Available in Print and ebook, 298 pages

 

Description Loneliness of the Time Traveller by Erika Rummel

“It is a dreadful thing to be possessed, to be invaded by a spirit woman who commands your body and soul and looks out at the world through your eyes. It happened to me in 1778. Pray it will never happen to you.”

Adele’s diary tells the story of her domination by an incubus Lynne, a serving girl in a London ale house who died a violent death and commandeered Adele’s body for eight years. Can Adele be held responsible for Lynne’s crimes? Will the evil spirit return and renew her tyranny over Adele’s mind?

Lynne has moved on into the 21st century, but the transmigration has left her emotions flat. Lynne is eager to go back to her first life and experience once more the passion she felt for her lover, Jack. To do so, she needs a channel to the past: the manuscript of Adele’s diary, if only she can find it.

A time-slip novel set in contemporary Los Angeles and 18th century London, The Loneliness of the Time Traveller is a story of love, crime, and adventure combined with fantasy, a little bit of Jane Austen-style irony, and a healthy serving of social criticism.

All the Rivers Flow into the Sea by Khanh Ha: Review, Interview

All the Rivers Flow into the Sea and Other Stories by Khanh

 HaPublisher: Eastover Press LLC (June 7, 2022)
Category: Short Stories, Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Vietnam
Tour dates: July 25-August 31, 2022
ISBN: 978-1958094020
Available in Print and ebook, 208 pages

 

Description All the Rivers Flow into the Sea by Khanh Ha

From Vietnam to America, this story collection, jewel-like, evocative, and layered, brings to readers a unique sense of love and passion alongside tragedy and darker themes of peril. The titular story features a love affair between an unlikely duo pushing against barely surmountable cultural barriers. In “The Yin-Yang Market,” magical realism and the beauty of innocence abounds in deep dark places, teeming with life and danger. “A Mute Girl’s Yarn” tells a magical coming-of-age story like sketches in a child’s fairy book.

Bringing together the damned, the unfit, the brave who succumb to the call of fate, All the Rivers Flow Into the Sea is a great journey where redemption and human goodness arise out of violence and beauty to become part of an essential mercy.

All the Rivers Flow into the Sea was selected as a winner of the 2021 EastOver Prize for Fiction and has received much advanced praise.

Inseparable by David Kruh

Inseparable: An Alcatraz Escape Adventure by David Kruh

Publisher: DX Varos Publishing (June 21, 2022)
Category: Historical Fiction, Action/Adventure
Tour dates: July 6- 26, 2022
ISBN: 978-1955065504
Available in Print and ebook, 325 pages

 

Description Inseparable by David Kruh

Tommy knew the right thing to do was turn them in to the cops. But that wasn’t the adventurous thing to do!

What happened to the three men who escaped from Alcatraz prison in June, 1962? Did they meet the same watery fate as dozens who preceded them into the cold San Francisco Bay? There is credible evidence two of them – brothers John and Clarence Anglin – not only survived but lived for years in South America. Inseparable is a fictional account of how a 13-year-old boy named Tommy helped them to freedom.

Tommy O’Conner was an only child whose mother, a widow of the Korean Conflict, had been left to make it on her own. She passed her independent, sometimes lonely spirit, to her son. But Tommy was also, in many ways, no different than other boys his age who dreamed of adventure. Then, one June day in 1962, his daydreams were interrupted by the real thing when he came face to face with John and Clarence Anglin – two of the Alcatraz escapees – and made the decision which would change all their lives.

Blessed By the Best by Brian Dawkins- Review, Guest Post

Blessed by the Best: My Journey to Canton and Beyond by Brian Dawkins, Michael Bradley (Contributor)

Publisher: Camino Books, Inc; 1st edition (August 30, 2021)
Category: Memoir, Football Biographies, Sports, Inspirational
Tour dates: June 27-July 14, 2022
ISBN: 978-1680980257
Available in Print and ebook, 256 pages

  

Description Blessed By the Best by Brian Dawkins

Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1996, Dawkins fought to elevate not only his own game but that of his entire team. He sweat, bled, and dominated through sixteen season in the NFL all the way into the Hall of Fame, but not for a moment did he believe his strength alone brought him that glory. Every step of the way the Lord had his back. From coaches that wanted to break him to defeats and bitter lessons in humility, his career is a testament to his faith and an homage to the countless people that helped him along the way.

In the wake of his success, Dawkins comes forward to describe his journey to become one the best safeties in the NFL. Physical training wouldn’t cut it. Blessed by the Best follows Dawkins trials to train his mind and faith along with his skill. As a nervous kid from Jacksonville, he never dreamed of one day standing in front of a crowd to accept that golden jacket. But one way or another, he made it. Dawkins tells his story straight, unafraid of exposing his own weaknesses; his over competitive spirit that takes losses to hard, the tunnel vision that estranged him from his kids, and the self-doubt that plagued much of his early years. Triumphs, pitfalls, love, and struggles Dawkins shares them all, not for himself, but in gratitude of those who have helped him along the way.

“I had been blessed by the best. First, that meant the Lord, who has blessed me with so much. It also meant all those people and things around me that I believe were the best for me. Maybe they weren’t the best for somebody else. Your best may not be my best. That’s fine. Everything that has happened to me has been to bring out the best in me. Even the toughest, hardest times in my life were the best things for me. If I hadn’t gone through them, maybe I wouldn’t be the person I am today.”

“This is not a football book. It has football in it, but this is a life tool,” Dawkins told Heavy. “These are things that I have gone through in my life, that others have taught me.”

Discovery of the Five Senses by K.N. Smith

Discovery of the Five Senses: The Urban Boys, Book 1 by K.N. Smith

Publisher: Two Petals Publishing (Sept. 15, 2021)
Category: Young Adult Action-Adventure, Young Adult Thriller, Urban Fantasy, Mystery/ Thriller, Super Heroes
Tour dates: July 5-August 31, 2022
ISBN: 978-0989474757
Available in Print and ebook, 340 pages

 

Description Discovery of the Five Senses by K.N. Smith

Welcome or unwelcome. Fate has arrived. “A captivating and poetic tale of mystery, fantasy, and reality tied together by action!” 5-stars, Lars Jackson, Amazon Customer

A suspenseful incident in a forbidden preserve heightens the senses of five friends. Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell become super-gifts that forever change the world. But furious battles confront the boys as they try to understand their sensory super powers in a race to save mankind.

With light beings and mysterious strangers complicating their plight, can the boys defeat the evil Druth before it’s too late? Get prepared for the twisting and grinding of this award-winning, action-adventure story — an edge-of-your-seat narrative for young and mature readers alike.

Shadow Of the Gypsy by Shelly Frome- Review

Shadow Of the Gypsy by Shelly Frome

Publisher: Boutique of Quality Books (May 3, 2022)
Category: Amateur Sleuths, Crime Thriller, Love Story
Tour dates: June 9-July 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-1952782572
Available in Print and ebook, 330 pages

Description Shadow Of the Gypsy by Shelly Frome  

A nemesis out of the past suddenly returns, forcing Josh Bartlett to come to terms with his true identity.

Josh Bartlett had figured all the angles, changed his name, holed up as a small-town features writer in the seclusion of the Blue Ridge. Only a few weeks more and he’d begin anew, return to the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut and Molly (if she’d have him) and, at long last, live a normal life. After all, it was a matter of record that Zharko had been deported well over a year ago.

The shadowy form Josh had glimpsed yesterday at the lake was only that—a hazy shadow under the eaves of the activities building. It stood to reason his old nemesis was still ensconced overseas in Bucharest or thereabouts well out of the way. And no matter where he was, he wouldn’t travel thousands of miles to track Josh down. Surely that couldn’t be, not now, not after all this.

Evita and Me by Erika Rummel: Guest Post, Review

Evita and Me by Erika Rummel

Publisher: DX Varos Publishing (May 24, 2022)
Category: Historical Fiction, Crime, Women’s Literature
Tour Dates June 21-July 22, 2022
ISBN: 978-1955065320
Available in Print and ebook, 384 pages

 

Description Evita and Me by Erika Rummel

Evita Peron’s jewels are missing. Only three people know that they are in a vault in the Swiss Alps; Evita’s corrupt and brutal brother Juan, her bodyguard Pierre, and a teenaged girl Mona, her newest protegee. What happens if two of them team up?

Like Eva herself, Mona comes from a broken family and has to make her own way. Perhaps that’s why the two women feel close. Evita is at the pinnacle of success but already in the grip of a fatal illness. We see her life through the eyes of Mona and Pierre, two people she trusts — and who betray her in the end. Or can theft and murder be justified?A story of love, adventure, and murder.

This World of Love and Strife by Shawn Mackey: Review, Excerpt

This World of Love and Strife by Shawn Mackey

Publisher: D.X. Varos (March 15, 2022)
Category: Horror, Vampire Thriller, Dark Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
Tour dates: June 16-July 22
ISBN: 978-1955065238
Available in Print and ebook, 350 pages

Description This World of Love and Strife by Shawn Mackey

It is the duty of the Vanguard to protect the world from unseen demonic forces.

But what if the organization falls to corruption? Their reformation is up to Cato, a disgraced former member who discovers many of the elite using their powerful positions and martial skills for ill-gotten gains rather than fulfilling their true purpose: aiding mankind in a secret war against their eternal foe.

Aldous is a Vanguard who fell from grace after being stricken with vampirism by a mysterious figure known as the White Lady. His increasingly vile appetites are tolerated because his knowledge as an alchemist is vital in the Vanguard’s battle against the demons. When those desires lead to the abduction of the woman Cato loves, Cato wages a one-man war against Aldous and his werewolf henchman.