Book Tour: The First Girl by Jennifer Chase with interview, excerpt, and review

 

Detective Katie Scott stares in horror at what she and her K9 Cisco have discovered: seven shallow graves, the bodies of young women each wrapped carefully in a blanket and buried in makeshift coffins in a rural area.

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

Interview with Shelly Frome, Author of Fast Times Big City

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

 

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

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

It’s Not All About You by Elisabeth L. Morrissey: Review, Interview

It's Not All About You: Living with a Transsexual Spouse or Partner by Elisabeth L. Morrissey 

Publisher: Thursday Night Press, an imprint of DX Varos Publishing (May 23, 2023)
Category: LGBT, Self-Help, Relationships, Non-Fiction
Tour Dates May 23-June 15, 2023
ISBN: 978-1655065-870
Available in Print and ebook, 273 pages

 

Sex, Drugs, and Spiritual Enlightenment by Karuna Das: Review, Guest Post

Sex, Drugs, and Spiritual Enlightenment (but mostly the first two) by Karuna Das 

Publisher:  DX Varos Publishing (March 28, 2023)
Category: General Fiction, Fictionalized Memoir
Tour Dates: April 4-21, 2023
ISBN: 978-1955065764
Available in Print and ebook, 280 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

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.”

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.

Dragons In My Classroom by Barbara Kennard

 

Dragons In My Classroom: A Teacher’s Memoir by Barbara Kennard

Publisher: She Writes Press, (June 14, 2022)
Category: Memoir, Educator Biographies, Mid-Life Management, Inspirational
Tour dates: June 15, 2022-July 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-1647423650
Available in Print and ebook, 224 pages

Description Dragons In My Classroom by Barbara Kennard

As a young book lover with dyslexia, Barbara found the solution to her reading struggles in Miss Gluding, her first-grade teacher, who showed compassion for her student’s plight—and knew how to help her. From that time on, Barbara knew what she wanted to be: a teacher, just like Miss Gluding.

Unfortunately, Barbara also had some bad teachers in the years that ensued—including her sixth-grade teacher, an exacting woman who called attention to Barbara’s learning disabilities in front of classmates. Still wanting to follow in Miss Gluding’s footsteps in 1964, Barbara vowed she would be a better one than her sixth-grade teacher; instead, however, she became very much like her, with unattainable expectations for her students and herself. After seventeen years in the teaching profession, she realized she had to either change her teaching style or change careers. By providence, right as she stood at this crossroads, she was offered the opportunity to teach overseas at The Dragon School in Oxford, England, for a year—an opportunity she jumped at.

In the year that followed, Barbara would rely on her faith in God to give up a lot of what she knew about teaching and learn to do it differently—ways that wouldn’t have room for her perfectionism. In short, she would have to begin again.
Advance Praise Dragons In My Classroom by Barbara Kennard

“In this memoir, an English/dramatic arts teacher recounts a pivotal year at the Dragon School in Britain as part of an exchange program. . . . engaging and thought-provoking. . . . will be of special interest to aspiring as well as seasoned teachers. A well-crafted account about the search for greater flexibility when confronting life’s inevitable challenges.”—Kirkus Reviews

“ . . . engaging . . . This book is an endearing testament to the power of personal growth and reflection in one teacher’s incredibly rich professional life.”—StoryCircle Book Reviews

“In this memoir, Barbara Kennard so expertly captures the array of experiences that teachers encounter—the high and the low, the heartwarming and the hilarious. During her year teaching in Oxford, she comes to learn a new way of approaching both her classroom and her life that makes for an incredibly engaging read. Teachers everywhere will love this book.”—Nadine Kenney Johnstone, writing coach and award-winning author of Of This Much I’m Sure: A Memoir

“For any who struggle to distinguish between perfectionism and a yearning to grow into the fullest version of who God has created us to be, this book is a balm. Barbara Kennard writes candidly and compassionately about the people and places that taught her about self-acceptance and mercy. Her love of great writers and her appreciation for those she teaches and those who teach her shine through in vivid prose and engaging stories. Kennard is a lifelong educator. With humor, honesty, and self-awareness, this book invites readers to learn lessons alongside her about forgiveness, surrender, grace, and love.”—Dr. Jennifer Howe Peace, coeditor of My Neighbor’s Faith: Stories of Interreligious Encounter, Growth, and Transformation and Interreligious/Interfaith Studies: Defining a New Field

“The story of Barbara Kennard’s quest should inspire anyone who feels a calling to seek patiently for the best way to answer it and put it into play. This wise memoir should also remind us that although perfection can never be attained, we stand to have a lot of fun in the pursuit.”—David Smith, author of Be a Teacher: A Memoir in Ten Ideas

Suzie's Review and Author Guest Post: Time and the Tree by Róisín Sorahan

Time and the Tree by Róisín Sorahan


Publisher: Adelaide Books, NY (September 6, 2021
Category: Literary Fiction, Fantasy, Modern Fable, and Self-actualization
Tour dates: January-February, 2022
ISBN: 978-1955196635
Available in Print and ebook, 282 pages

Description Time and the Tree by Róisín Sorahan

A modern fable about the nature of time and the quest for happiness.

It’s darkly funny, deceptively simple, and a necessary read for testing times.

In this gripping philosophical tale, a boy awakens beneath a tree in a forest in summer. He is soon joined by Time and his slave, a withered creature hooked on time and aching to disappear. The story evolves over the course of a year as a host of characters are drawn to the Tree for guidance. The unlikely cast grapple with choices and grope towards self-knowledge in a world where compassion is interwoven with menace. As the seasons bring great changes to the forest, we watch the child grow while the trials he faces mount. Then the time for talk and innocence passes as the forces of darkness rally, threatening the lives of his friends.

Lyrical, honest and heart-breaking, Time and the Tree confronts readers with a unique perspective on the challenges life presents. A wise and hopeful book, it is uplifting and unsettling by turns.

Suzie's Review and Author Guest Post: Square Up by Lisa Dailey

Square Up: 50,000 miles in search of a way home by Lisa Dailey

Publisher:  Sidekick Press, (March 30, 2021)
Category: Memoir, Travel, Family Travel, Adventure Travel, Grief
Tour dates: January 17-February 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1734494556
Available in Print and ebook, 272 pages

 

Description Square Up by Lisa Dailey

Have you ever wished you could run away and leave your life behind? Born on the “Day of the Wanderer,” Lisa Dailey has always been filled with wanderlust. Although she and her husband had planned to take their family on a ’round-the-world adventure, she didn’t expect their plans to come together on the heels of grief, after losing seven family members in five years. 

Square Up shows us that travel not only helps us understand and appreciate other cultures, but invites us to find compassion and wisdom, heal from our losses, and discover our capacity for forgiveness, as well as joy.

Suzie's Review and Author Guest Post: Finding Sisters by Rebecca Daniels

Finding Sisters: How One Adoptee Used DNA Testing and Determination to Uncover Family Secrets and Find Her Birth Family by Rebecca Daniels 

Publisher: Sunbury Press (September 14, 2021) 

Category: Non Fiction, Memoir, Genetic Genealogy, Adoption, Family Reunion, Extended Families 

Tour dates: January-February, 2022 

ISBN: 978-1620065587
Available in Print and ebook, 125 pages

 

Description Finding Sisters by Rebecca Daniels

Where does she come from?

Who are her genetic parents?

Who is she?

Does she even want to know?

With almost no information of her genetic heritage, adoptee Rebecca Daniels follows limited clues and uses DNA testing, genealogical research, thoughtful letter writing, and a willingness to make awkward phone calls with strangers to finally find her birth parents.

But along the way, she finds much more.

Two half-sisters.

A slew of cousins on both sides.

A family waiting to be discovered.

With the assistance of a distant cousin in Sweden and several other DNA angels on the internet, Daniels finally comes face to face with her birth mother just months before her passing. Join in on this author’s discovery of family and self in ‘Finding Sisters: How One Adoptee Used DNA Testing and Determination to Uncover Family Secrets and Find Her Birth Family.’

Book Tour and Guest Review: The Awakening by Dana Claire

 

The Awakening: Three Sources. Two Worlds. One Connection 

by Dana Claire 

City of Deadly Dreams by Elyse Douglas Book Tour with Guest Review

 

City of Deadly Dreams: Mystery by Elyse Douglas 

 Publisher:  Broadback (May 1, 2021) 

Category: Hard-Boiled Mystery, Private Investigator Mystery 

Tour dates: May 31-June 30, 2021 

ISBN: TBA 

Available in ebook,  250 pages 

Blog Tour: Dirty Deeds with Guest Post by R.J. Blain

Book Tour with Guest Post and Review: Dream It & do it by Holly Sharp