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A Long Time Dead by T.L. Bequettte

About the Book:

A decade ago, it had been unthinkable when Joe Turner's life-long friend, Owen Prescott, was charged with a grisly murder. Then Owen disappeared, leaving behind a brilliant career and budding romance to live as a fugitive from justice.

Now, haunted by the memory and clinging to a belief in Owen's innocence, Joe dives in to solve the cold case as the FBI closes in on his friend.

The award-winning Joe Turner Mystery series returns with a haunting, serpentine tale that pushes the snarky defense attorney to the brink.

Bequette has penned another riveting thriller that rewards the reader with a signature twist at the finale. Unlock the mystery to the latest Joe Turner thriller today.

Buy the Book – Amazon

Reviews:

San Francisco Book Review – 5 stars

A Long Time Dead is the third book in the Joe Turner mystery series by T.L. Bequette. What I found interesting in this particular book is that Joe was not the main character. In fact, he only popped up here and there during the story mainly during flashbacks of him and his best friend Owen Prescott, the true main character in the book. This threw me for a bit of a loop since I have read one other Joe Turner book where he was indeed the main character and much of that book took place in the courtroom being that Joe is a Criminal Defense attorney.

A Long Time Dead starts with a scene where Owen is running from a man. In further chapters readers will learn that Owen had been arrested in 2013 for the murder of his former professor, Norvel Anendale who was filing a lawsuit against Owen for stealing his book idea. This lawsuit was one hundred percent bogus because it was Owen’s work that Anendale had wanted to collaborate on with Owen responding with, “Thanks but I think I work better alone.” This made Owen the number one suspect in Anendale’s death. The worst part is that Owen’s DNA is found at the scene of the crime.

Bequette does a thorough job of describing his characters and all of their quirks. The book is written in the third person and the reader is given the birds eye view of Owen, Margo (a love interest), and Alyssa (the FBI agent trying to find Owen). Owen’s job of a writer is less than boring as he even has a crazy stalker who he ends up filing a restraining order against.

The day before Owen is about to get convicted, he flees the country. He ends up in the small village of Tetley leaving behind his parents, girlfriend April, and best friend Joe. Living a secluded life with only Mrs. Pembroke, whom he had purchased his cottage from, around and occasionally going to the local pub, Owen is very careful about who he speaks to and is living under the name of Ancil Bradford. Then he meets Margo, a very fit, beautiful woman who he starts falling for. As Owen/Ancil’s world starts to slowly unravel and he becomes more and more suspicious of people, he feels as if he will be caught soon. This book has all the elements of a bestselling psychological thriller, with twists and turns around every corner. The characters are intriguing and all of them seem to have dark secrets. The setting is lovely and quaint. Readers will not be disappointed as every aspect of the book comes together in the end. In fact, Owen may need his very own series soon as he is just as, if not more, likable than Joe.

~ Kristi Elizabeth, San Francisco Book Review

About the Author:

T.L. Bequette is a criminal defense attorney turned writer from Lafayette, California. His debut novel, Good Lookin, A Joe Turner Mystery won the 2022 Independent Press Award for Crime Fiction, a Chanticleer International Book Award, and was a Finalist for a National Indie Excellence Award. Kirkus Reviews called the book “a rigorous, thoroughly engrossing mystery from a writer with immense potential.”

Blood Perfect, second in the Joe Turner series, was hailed by Chanticleer Reviews as “a tale that solidifies Turner as a charmingly reliable champion of the innocent.”

Much of Bequette’s law practice involves defending young men from Oakland accused of murder. He holds degrees from The University of the Pacific and Georgetown Law School and serves annually on the faculty of the Stanford Law School Trial Advocacy Clinic.

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Ms. Pretty Rickey The Street Sweeper by Bryneen Gary

Book Summary:

Ms. Pretty Rickey: The Street Sweeper is a Force to Be Reckoned with, Infamous Poetry about Chief Officials, Freedom from War, Dirty Money, Narcotics Anonymous, World Affairs and Domestic Crimes. A Whisper of Sweet nothings, Fresh delights of Lasting Love in the mist of Terror���s Electronic Harassment and constant tracking through Satellite. Sweeping the Streets slowly through this short Poetic Book of Awareness

 Buy the Book – Amazon

 Reviews:

Resistance, Revolution and Other Love Stories by K. contains a series of short stories bound together by the theme of love during times of trouble. This anthology of stories is incredibly diverse and unique. K. soars above other authors with their sense of language, almost lyrically describing events in an abstractly beautiful way.

However, the prose is often so incredibly poetic that it was difficult for me to figure out what was actually happening. For instance, I had to read “Radius” multiple times in order to figure out what was going on with Mustapha’s brother, and I’m still not entirely sure I understood. There are so many abstract images painted to describe the story that are simultaneously poignant and senseless. During the portion describing Mustapha’s brother, I found myself squinting as if I were trying to decipher a Jackson Pollock painting. I knew it was beautiful, but I wasn’t sure exactly what it was.

Then it’s almost as if a different person picks up the pen to write “Calamity Jane,” wherein a teenage boy is exploring love and sexuality and the seemingly wanton need to tear down all women around him. It wasn’t a story that particularly resonated with me as a reader, mostly due to the amount of denigration focused on teenage girls throughout. The focus is on Jane, in particular, but also on any young girl who happens to wear yoga pants, who is thought of as an object in this young boy’s eyes. He constantly refers to them as “bitches,” and yet, he also constantly notes that they make his genitals “tingle.” If that made you cringe, perhaps skip this particular story. It strikes an ugly chord against the rest of the incredibly beautiful short stories.

In “Dog Whistle,” dogs are cruel in order to appease their masters, but with the touch of a gentle soul, realize the world around them is of their own making. Each story is so different in its own way and love truly ties them all together. I appreciate the different kinds of love woven throughout this story, not just pretty and romantic love. In “The Conversation,” familial love is explored, while in “Head Down,” a cheater falls in love. There were so many different voices within the book that it really felt fleshed out with untold ideas and unique stories. The stories were mostly very short and easy to read.

If you like philosophy, wistfulness, and the notion that love conquers all, this book will be a very enjoyable read for you. 

Jenna Swartz, Seattle Book Review

   "I think we’re destined to one day despise those quirks we once fell in love with."

From the opening tale, it is clear that this collection of twelve stories centering around love will be anything but conventional. Survivor's guilt devours the main character, Mustapha, who survives a bombing in Gaza that claims the lives of his neighbors and own brother, Khalid. In the privacy of his thoughts, he is unable to hide his attraction for Khalid's widow, Khalila, particularly knowing that the affection is reciprocated. However, outwardly he is resilient, thwarting any advances with the common statement that work needs to be done. The imagery of the fallen families, depicted by the metaphor of fallen branches, their limbs and bodies sprawled together yet mangled in every direction, is haunting. While love is central, the author's stories transcend beyond simple romance and dive into contextualized and developed worlds that add unique insight into what drives human behavior.

In "Calamity Jane," the author changes gears, delivering an attention-grabbing opening line: "Jane was a sweet girl once you got past the fact that she was a bitch." Simply put, the author has a knack for building characters that, while unorthodox, are irresistible and interesting. On the surface, this story could be perceived simply with the purely lust-filled lens of the on-again, off-again relationship of Jane and Jay. However, the perspective of Habib, the main character, provides a spin that is more focused on how much women are taken for granted in relationships. Needless to say, there are underlying themes to every story, albeit subtle, that impel audiences to spend a little more time unraveling the author's message.

As with Jane and Habib, the sexual tension is prevalent in numerous other stories. For example, in "The Hand," the main character is mesmerized by one of his supervisors, describing her moist lips and her black suit jacket as being "buttoned to just below her bust line; the silver buttons a fluvial shimmer against her white blouse." However, the Hand is strongly reminiscent of Orwell's Big Brother, always watching and controlling what memories are formed and even which memories can be kept (e.g., photographs).

On a similar yet different note, "The Conversation" features a blind character whose sexual tension with the pizza guy is palpable. But digging deeper, the reader can relate with her desire to be free from the shackles and constraints placed by her mother (who encourages Silvia to stay indoors) and the constant juxtaposition of what a parent perceives as protection with what the child feels is suffocation. Perhaps the most intriguing of the stories is "Head Down," where the instant attraction between Joseph and Shannon, both physically and from a personality standpoint, intersects with Joseph's tension in an unhappy marriage. A five-day information technology conference in Calgary turns into a whirlwind of passion and romance for the two with lingering effects.

From dystopian stories featuring Game of Thrones-esque great walls, an automaton with a mind of its own, and Greek mythology adaptations to inspired dogs inciting resistance and gardening being a metaphor for life, an element of the unexpected is embedded within each story. Undoubtedly eclectic, each selection takes on a life of its own with electrifying energy and the ability to incorporate themes that will keep ruminating in readers' minds long after the story is finished.

Mihir Shah, US Review of Books

 About the author:

K., an anti-war advocate, studied English, Religion and Philosophy at University of Toronto and has written fiction for years, publishing several stories in literary magazines. Resistance, Revolution and Other Short Stories is K.’s first book. K. lives in Malton, Ontario, Canada, with their spouse, five children, an American Wirehair cat and a Quaker parrot.

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I Eat Men Like Air by Alice Berman

Book Summary:

A lavish, snowy weekend in New Hampshire ends in tragedy - and, a few months later, one of the party-goers is found dead. As famed podcaster Tyler Carroll tries to discover the truth around Alex Sable's dramatic death, he turns to the native Upper East Siders who knew the billionaire's son best. Each of the six people Tyler is investigating has something to hide, and each has chosen a wildly different path: Lulu is an LA influencer, Maxie a Park Avenue Princess turned Chicago housewife, Will a status-obsessed lawyer, Rob a money-hungry trader, Yael a not-so-innocent ER doctor, and Alex himself a party boy with a penchant for darker trouble than even his friends knew. With the shadow of a fifteen-year-old crime hanging over Alex's life, Tyler delves deeply into the complex past that seems almost to have disappeared from memory, hoping to find any answers around who Alex was, alive and dead.

 Link to Buy – Amazon

 Review:

In Berman’s mystery novel, a true-crime podcaster immerses himself in the overprivileged world of a “despicable lot” after a member of the group dies in an apparent suicide.

Police detective Sean Strickland is assigned to the case of Alex Sable, the 30-year-old son of a billionaire who apparently committed suicide in the bathroom at his best friend’s wedding: “Of all times to kill yourself! It’s very selfish,” the wedding planner rails. “The best man. Do you know anyone who would do something like that?” Tyler, a popular podcaster who’s come to this part of New England to investigate the fentanyl epidemic, has questions and increasing suspicions about Alex’s death, which Strickland says could be suicide but also could be an accident or a homicide. Tyler talks with members of the wedding party and Alex’s friends, including Will and Jessica, the shattered bride and groom; famed Instagram influencer Lulu Swanson; Alex’s former high school classmate Maxie Stein-Golden; Rob, a trader, who’s “always just a few seconds late, a few meters short, a few words off”; and Yael, a “perfectly nice” doctor. Through these interactions, Tyler unearths the inevitable secrets and scandals that bind the group together and threaten to tear their lives apart. As Alex’s life comes more into focus, the question of whether his death was self-inflicted or inflicted by another remains elusive. Berman’s debut novel is an instantly addictive read. “Tyler found Alex Sable three hours after he had been declared dead” is the kind of opening upon which entire TV series have been launched, and the large cast of characters mostly avoids falling into whodunit clichés; Lulu, for example, makes Tyler “unnerved” when he finds his assumptions to be flawed: “She looked like she should say like every ten seconds and instead she dropped words like expound and maudlin.” Berman also drops in some fine literary references; the book’s title, for instance, comes from a Sylvia Plath poem. More Metropolitan than Gossip Girl, this novel makes for an entertaining spin on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous line that “the very rich…are different than you and me."

An intriguing whodunit with richly drawn characters.

Kirkus Review

  About the Author:

Alice Berman is the New York City-based author of “I Eat Men Like Air." Hailing from Washington, D.C., Berman attended Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut and graduated with a degree in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania.

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Summer of in Betweens by by Richard Read, Jose Saco

 About the Book:

The novel presents a continuation of the lives of Bill McCoy and Susan Myers, key characters in the book, The Go Between. The summer between high school graduation and first year at college finds Bill McCoy working as a handyman on a small farm rented by a woman waiting for the divorce from her abusive husband to be finalized. Bill's girlfriend, Susan Myers, is serving as a summer intern in the Columbus, Ohio office of a federal congressman. Their separation opens the door for unexpected adventures and personal growth as well as dangers to the two young adults that they could never have anticipated.

 Buy the Book - Amazon

 Reviews:

 One summer had never been as eventful as the one that William Bill McCoy and Susan Myers had in The Summer of In Betweens by Richard Read (Jose Saco). As eighteen-year-old William prepared to graduate and start his first year at OSU, he never anticipated that his last summer would be spent separated from his longtime girlfriend, Susan Myers. However, Susan had been selected for a rare opportunity to be a summer aide at the Columbus office of Congressman Roger Bentley. Thankfully, William had his new summer work at the Chase Estate, working for the newcomer in town, Mrs. Maia Storm. Maia had rented an estate in the town of Hartland, escaping a sticky situation at home. However, it may seem the situation followed her to town. William and Susan were both drawn into new experiences that left them shaken, making the summer one they could never forget.

 The book started more like a teenage/young adult story, especially with the background the author had given of the book's prequel. Initially, it seemed to be a simple story. But as the book progressed, a more intricate and exciting plot was revealed. The story intrigued, shocked, and emotionally engaged me. I liked that the author showed the story from different characters' points of view. It allowed me to enter the characters' minds, know what they were thinking and feeling, and connect with them on a deeper level. Read further enhanced readers' engagement with the book by providing visual aids in the form of pictures.

 The book was graphic in a sexual sense. It explored behind the curtains of marriage as it examined delicate issues often tiptoed around in society, like sexual abuse in marriage. Sensitive readers should read with caution. However, lovers of romantic stories might be scintillated by the sexual tension that permeated some parts of the book.

 Many of the characters had a warmth about them. Their conversations were punctuated by a lightness and humor that could make readers giggle with good-natured mirth. William and Susan's characters showed incredible strength and intelligence — a trait that might connect them to the reader. Maia's character embodied a mental strength and personal conviction that made her character endearing.

 Some errors were observed in the book, and I found them disturbing. They bordered on misspelled or wrongly used character names. For example, on Page 236, the name 'Bannister' seemed to be a wrongly spelled version of the character Brock Lannister's name. However, it appeared that Roger Bentley ought to have been there contextually. A similar occurrence was spotted on Page 85 when the character William called another character's name that he had not yet known at that stage of the story. However, these errors took nothing away from the book's enjoyment and would only demand further editing.

 The Summer of In Betweens was entertaining, and I enjoyed the reading experience. It was exciting and had some action topped off by fun romance. I'd recommend it to lovers of thrillers meshed with some clandestine romance. As a result of the number of errors found, I'd rate The Summer of In Betweens three out of four stars. 

OnlineBookClub.org

 About the Author:

 The author graduated from Bucknell University with a degree in English and then spent two years teaching high school math and English with the Peace Corps in Eritrea. He worked for twenty-five years as a high school counselor and basketball coach for boys and girls teams.  Upon retirement, he counseled part-time with sexually abused children and their families.  Much of his fictional writing incorporates situations encountered by students and children that he counseled.

 Mr. Read lives in northwest Pennsylvania with his wife.  They have two daughters, four grandchildren, and two toy poodles.  Weather permitting, he enjoys training and competing in sprint triathlons.

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Resistance, Revolution and Other Love Stories by K

About the Book:

Is love the most revolutionary of all acts?

In this wide-ranging collection of twelve short stories, a startling array of characters explore their perspectives on love. The stories sweep from sharp realism to heady allegory, haunting fables to sci-fi thrillers, starring teens and drifting husbands, futuristic automatons and talking dogs, gardeners and gatekeepers, a blind girl, a young father, and many more.

In "Calamity Jane," see love through the eyes of teenage boys obsessed with the calamitous girl of the title; revisit the famous Greek love story in "Orpheus and Eurydice"; Dan's mechanical automaton seems to be his truest friend in the harshly conformist world of "Automatonomatopoeia"; a Crimean revolutionary gets waylaid at a mysterious gate in "The Invitation"; on a construction site in Yugoslavia, a young man tries to come to grips with unconventional fatherhood in "Vikings"; and in "The Conversation", a blind woman manages her relationship with a hectoring mother while finding other types of love.

These are just a few of the tales in Resistance, Revolution and Other Love Stories. Anyone interested in the struggle against stifling societal powers and the potency of love will see some of themselves in these pages. By turns exciting, meditative, and funny, these enjoyable, thought-provoking stories will linger long after the book is closed.

 Buy the Book – Amazon.com, Bookshop.org

Reviews:  

Resistance, Revolution and Other Love Stories by K. contains a series of short stories bound together by the theme of love during times of trouble. This anthology of stories is incredibly diverse and unique. K. soars above other authors with their sense of language, almost lyrically describing events in an abstractly beautiful way.

However, the prose is often so incredibly poetic that it was difficult for me to figure out what was actually happening. For instance, I had to read “Radius” multiple times in order to figure out what was going on with Mustapha’s brother, and I’m still not entirely sure I understood. There are so many abstract images painted to describe the story that are simultaneously poignant and senseless. During the portion describing Mustapha’s brother, I found myself squinting as if I were trying to decipher a Jackson Pollock painting. I knew it was beautiful, but I wasn’t sure exactly what it was.

Then it’s almost as if a different person picks up the pen to write “Calamity Jane,” wherein a teenage boy is exploring love and sexuality and the seemingly wanton need to tear down all women around him. It wasn’t a story that particularly resonated with me as a reader, mostly due to the amount of denigration focused on teenage girls throughout. The focus is on Jane, in particular, but also on any young girl who happens to wear yoga pants, who is thought of as an object in this young boy’s eyes. He constantly refers to them as “bitches,” and yet, he also constantly notes that they make his genitals “tingle.” If that made you cringe, perhaps skip this particular story. It strikes an ugly chord against the rest of the incredibly beautiful short stories.

In “Dog Whistle,” dogs are cruel in order to appease their masters, but with the touch of a gentle soul, realize the world around them is of their own making. Each story is so different in its own way and love truly ties them all together. I appreciate the different kinds of love woven throughout this story, not just pretty and romantic love. In “The Conversation,” familial love is explored, while in “Head Down,” a cheater falls in love. There were so many different voices within the book that it really felt fleshed out with untold ideas and unique stories. The stories were mostly very short and easy to read.

If you like philosophy, wistfulness, and the notion that love conquers all, this book will be a very enjoyable read for you.

~ Jenna Swartz, Seattle Book Review

 More Comments:

"Fantastical, meditative, and witty... An outstanding collection." -- The Prairies Book Review

"Undoubtedly eclectic, each selection takes on a life of its own with electrifying energy and the ability to incorporate themes that will keep ruminating in readers' minds long after the story is finished." -- RECOMMENDED by US Review of Books

"I ventured into every piece and without fail discovered K's phenomenally joyous understanding of the heights and horrors of human existence. Writing does not come any better than this." -- 5 Stars, Jon Michael Miller, Readers' Favorite

"Each plot is a masterpiece in its own, with such compelling story lines that you are forced to follow them until the end, and to uncover the secret message hidden within." -- Literary Titan

"This short story collection pairs desperate love with acts of violence in a diverse and moving debut." -- BlueInk Review

"An entertaining, fast-paced and powerful collection of short stories,author K's Resistance, Revolution & Other Love Stories is a must-read book." -- Pacific Book Review

"Beautifully penned, thought-provoking, intense and authentically engaging..." -- BookViral Reviews

"A collection of twelve short stories about the many forms of love. A perfect summer read we highly recommend." -- Chanticleer Reviews

 About the Author:

K., an anti-war advocate, studied English, Religion and Philosophy at University of Toronto and has written fiction for years, publishing several stories in literary magazines. Resistance, Revolution and Other Short Stories is K.'s first book. K. lives in Malton, Ontario, Canada, with their spouse, five children, an American Wirehair cat and a Quaker parrot.

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Choosing Life: One man’s journey through alcoholism and depression to wellness and self-discovery by Blue Andrews

About the Book:

Addiction and avoidance. Inadequacy and isolation.

Even though Blue Andrews went from food stamps to a million dollars, and had an amazing family and many supportive friends, his unhealthy responses to life took their toll.

In August of 2010, to the surprise of everyone but himself, Andrews attempted suicide. He woke up in the psych unit of a hospital with fourteen stitches on his wrists. A few days later, he made the most important decision of his life.

He wanted to live. He wanted to be well.

Choosing Life is the story of how he arrived at that conclusion and his ensuing journey toward health, contentment, and self-discovery.

With an open heart, Andrews describes what it's like to seemingly have it all yet still find yourself alone and depressed. He also shares the steps he took to find his way back and the amazing feelings that emerge with being well. The numerous stories Andrews conveys will be both relatable and beneficial, whether for yourself or someone you care about.

Choosing Life was selected as a Finalist in the Health: Addiction and Recovery category of annual American Book Fest “Best Book” awards

Reviews:

“Honest and poignant, Choosing Life is a beautifully written memoir about alcoholism, depression, and the recovery and grieving processes the author has experienced. Blue Andrews holds nothing back as he shares his story, hoping to help and inspire others to not give up on living. Written from the heart, this book is for anyone who is struggling or has struggled with addiction and/or depression as well as the loved ones who have been there for them every step of the way.” 

~ Kristi Elizabeth, San Francisco Book Review

“The book is strongly recommended to readers who have first-hand experience of addiction and/or depression and others who have close relations or friends who do. Also, if you have a hard time comprehending why people feel depressed or suicidal, the book will help you understand that no matter how bad an individual's situation is, they are products of society and not deserving of insensitive judgment. Unfortunately, the pressure to acquire material possessions and gain prestigious titles and recognition is propagated excessively by society. Thankfully, books like this reveal that focusing on one's mental health and self-knowledge can help undo the harmful effects of materialism, peer pressure, unhealthy competition, and people pleasing.” 

~ Foluso Falaye, Seattle Book Review

Buy the Book – Bookshop.org

About the Author

Blue Andrews is a stay-at-home dad living across the lake from Seattle with his beautiful wife and four incredible children. Andrews first career was in sales. He spent over fifteen years in the technology industry working for startups, some successful and some not, a mid-sized company, and IBM. He has a BA in Economics from the University of Washington and Certificates from Bellevue College in both Software Development and Database Development. Andrews grew up in Oregon and has lived in Southern California and Atlanta as an adult. These days his favorite things to do are spending time with his family, exercising, listening to live music, and going on road trips. Andrews has interviewed by  One Mind’s Brain Waves podcast - https://onemind.org/brainwaves For more of his thoughts on wellness, life, and living, visit his website at www.creedsliving.com.

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Room Service Please by Alicia Cahalane Lewis

 About the Book:

Have you ever stopped to think what makes a modern woman, modern?

In Room Service Please, Edie May, a budding dance protégé, has lost her virginity on the night of her sixteenth birthday, June 17, 1922, in New York City's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Unprepared for this turn of events, Edie is nonetheless determined to confront the man who seduced her and demand he make things right. However, Edie has been mistaken for Agnes Ayres, the famous Hollywood motion picture actress.

As much as she tries to convince everyone that she is not the rising starlet, Edie is whisked into a role she is not prepared to play. Using her wits and ingenuity, Edie transforms herself from the daughter of a washerwoman living on the Lower East Side into a shining star of her own making, a true Modern, and one of the first flappers of her era.

 Reviews:

“It all starts with a pair of too-tight shoes from the dime store. Ugly, black pumps for Edith to wear. But her mother wants her to wear them so that’s what Edith does. On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Edith goes dancing without a proper escort and is mistaken for a movie star. No one believes she’s not the rising starlet, no matter how much she tries to convince them otherwise. She only wants a fun night of dancing, to not lose her virginity, and to not have a whirlwind of problems the following morning. No obstacle will stop her; Edith is determined to confront the man who seduces her and demands he makes it right. As she performs a role she wasn’t prepared for, Edith starts to find her true self, not whom her mother wants her to be or whom her dance teacher wants her to be, but whom she’s meant to be.” 

~ Grace Derickson

Full Review

“This evocative, deeply immersive tale is character-driven, a tale about taking impossible chances. Fans of beautifully wrought and suspenseful coming-of-age stories will not be able to resist the spell in Room Service Please. Lewis introduces a young heroine who is born on the wrong side of life but who must reinvent herself to rise up from the conditions to which life has thrust her. She is determined, intelligent, and beautiful. The beguiling prose sets the allure that this novel takes, introducing scenes that are not only focused but infused with realism. In turn inspiring and entertaining, Room Service Please is a tale about art and beauty and choices that shape the characters. I loved everything about this book — the powerful premise, the compelling characters, the unexpected twist, and the gorgeous writing. You won't be able to put it down.” 

~ Christian Fernandez

Full Review

 Buy the Book – Amazon, Bookshop.org

 Book Video 

 About the Author:

ALICIA CAHALANE LEWIS is a ninth-generation Quaker from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Naropa University where her poetry appeared in Not Enough Night. She is the author of nebulous beginnings and strings (Tattered Press, 2017), featuring art by Shenandoah Valley artist Winslow McCagg. Her chapbook, The Fish Turned the Waters Over So The Birds Would Have A Sky, a contemplative meditation on the origins of evolution, was published by The Lune Chapbook Series (Spring, 2017). The Intrepid Meditator (2021), a self-help memoir, and the accompanying novella, Room Service Please (2022), were published by Tattered Script Publishing. Her forthcoming novella, Restless, will be published by Tattered Script Publishing in February 2023. A Reiki Master, Alicia continues to live and work in the Shenandoah Valley.

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The Mommy Clique by Barbara Altamirano

About the Book:

Life in suburbia is typical and ordinary--just the same old same old. Only, not in this neighborhood. Here, the impressively large homes and pure green lawns hide a much darker reality that is far from mundane.

When Beth moves back to her hometown in Connecticut to care for her ailing mother, she is forced to confront not only the ghosts of her youth but the other mothers on her street. There is Elise, the queen bee, who determines the fate of everyone and is all-controlling. There is Kelly, Elise's sidekick and most sycophantic supporter, who secretly longs to have a voice and power of her own. There's Ronnie, the informer, who, with her intelligence and investigative skill, digs up dirt on the others in service to the queen. And then there's Gail, the wannabe, who is constantly striving to feel as important and valued as the others.

Looking for some mom friends, Beth seeks a place for herself within this mommy clique. Turns out they do have an available role for her: it's called the target.

Reviews:

“The Mommy Clique is an entertaining and unpredictable novel filled with gossip and betrayal that will keep readers on their toes. Beth comes back to her hometown after many years to take care of her mother. She is worried about coming back to town, and to make matters worse she is forced to face the mean girl clique of mothers on her street. She soon realizes that she has become the target of these women, and they are looking for some fun. We find out that their ‘perfect’ life in the suburbs is not as great as it looks on the outside.” ~ Literary Titan

Full Review

“If you think that “mean girls” can only be found in the high school cafeteria, think again. Author Barbara Altamirano shows that mean girls grow up to become mean mommies in her newest book, The Mommy Clique. The book takes place in a town in Connecticut and centers around a group of women whom all have elementary school-aged daughters...  This book is fun, entertaining, and very humorous at times.” ~ Kristi Elizabeth, Manhattan Book Review

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon, Bookshop.org

About the Author: Barbara Altamirano has been blessed with an abundance of awkwardness, which allows her to write about uncomfortable situations with authenticity. She was thrilled to discover that there actually are perks to being a wallflower. She has had essays published in places such as Guideposts Magazine, WOW! Women On Writing and bioStories. The Mommy Clique is her first novel. After exploring the antics of women who refuse to grow up, she is now working on several young adult novels.

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Tempest Poems by Ryan Meyer

 About the Book:

Ryan Meyer departs from the horror themes of 2018's Haunt in his new collection of poems, Tempest. He explores fear, hope, and self-identity through striking fictional vignettes and surreal personal accounts. Tempest is thus a marriage between the dichotomies of musical, rhythmic poetic dialogue, and the deeper, innate anxieties that accompany change. Discover your truest self and brave the Tempest.

Winner of the American Book Fest 2021 Best Book Award for Contemporary Poetry

Winner of the 2021 IndieReader Discovery Award for Best Cover Design in Fiction

 Reviews:

”Ryan Meyer’s poetry collection Tempest plays with metaphors and myths, assembling an assortment of short poems that filter ordinary experiences through vibrant imagery.

Elements from mythology stand out in the entries, as when Sisyphus recounts his fate and the power-hungry desires that landed him in the torturous underworld, where he feels a connection to the vultures that watch him. Magical realism is a factor, too: the narrator of “Antlers” laments the antlers that protrude “from my skull / Like antennae– / Tangible headaches.” They complicate his life, scraping ceilings as he moves around. But there are also more common subjects: in “Flamingo,” elements of a typical work day, like deadlines, are contrasted with “pink flamingo sunsets” that are reminiscent of a happy vacation.” 

~ Jeana Jorgensen, Forward Reviews

Full Review

“In the foreword, the author explains that, with the poems in Tempest, he aims to capture destructive and terrible things in a beautiful way. Although I can only talk about a couple of the poems in this review, I thought that most of the poems in this book were perfectly in line with this mindset and the dichotomy within them was what kept me interested and fascinated. This poetry collection is about difficult and hard moments as well as incredible moments of clarity. But they don't have the roughness or urgency you'd expect from them. Everything is told with calmness. Reading this book is like hearing the story of a destructive tempest after the boat has been rocked to shore and the sky has cleared again. Everyone is warming up next to a fire. The sea is tranquil and quiet. The fear has gone back into hiding.” 

~ Linda Arrighi, Reedsy

Full Review

 Buy the Book – Amazon, Bookshop.org

 About the Author:

Ryan Meyer is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in Freshwater Poetry Magazine, Beechwood Review, Moon Tide Press' Dark Ink anthology, Folio Literary Magazine, and Spellbinder Magazine. Ryan and his books have been featured in Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Publisher’s Weekly, Pop-Culturalist, Lambda Literary, Connecticut Magazine, and more. ​He published Haunt, his first book of poems, in February 2018, and his follow-up, Tempest, in March 2021. He lives in Shelton, Connecticut. Learn more at NothingPeak.com.

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Breaking the Stigma: Racism, the Opioid Endemic, Lies, and Inviting Grandma to the Dispensary by Charlena Berry

About the Book:

Are you a dispensary who is looking to increase your sales? Are you a budtender who is looking to advance your career? Are you looking to open a cannabis store in your state? If so, Breaking the Stigma is the book for you!

As a cannabis retailer, you face the same challenges as every business today, but there are more obstacles for you than the local brick-and-mortar shops or dominating online stores.

Being successful means creating a customer experience fueled by a thorough understanding of the consumer. For retailers in the still newly forming cannabis industry, this knowledge only comes from breaking through barriers of a deeply ingrained stigma—one with catastrophic consequences.

In Breaking the Stigma, Fortune 500 business executive Charlena Berry provides a framework for becoming a prosperous cannabis retailer, showing you how to overcome your product’s negative connotations and impart vital, need-to-know truths about your industry. With first-hand experience with the devastating opioid endemic, Charlena’s fight for cannabis’s legitimacy is a personal one. She shares decades of business insight to show you how to gain market share using traditional retail strategies to improve the customer experience and ultimately gain profitability. Insure your business and product sustainability and be part of the solution to society’s deadliest problem with this emotionally driven, fact-based strategy for long-term success.

Reviews:

“If there ever was a book that could be named the number one how-to guide on starting your own cannabis business, this would be it. This book covers so much more than just the selling of cannabis...Not only does Charlena talk about the stigma of cannabis, she also gives the readers a solution to the problem. Most of the book contains a full business plan of how to create your own cannabis business. This book is like a gold mine for the entrepreneur! With chapters on customer service, leadership, branding, merchandising, omnichannels, marketing, and story operations, Charlena has literally built a business for anyone who wants to give it a shot.” 

~  Kristi Elizabeth, San Francisco Book Review

Full Review

“’The stigma of cannabis is one of the biggest barriers we face as retailers,’ writes Berry, a former Fortune 500 executive who now operates a cannabis business consultancy. This informative book begins with the author’s sobering admission that she got interested in medical marijuana when she witnessed opioid addiction in her own family...Having addressed the negative perceptions and positive impacts of cannabis, Berry turns her attention to the retail side in the book’s remaining chapters. She covers customer relationships, leadership, branding, service, merchandising, omnichannel, marketing, and store operations; in short, it’s a comprehensive menu of what any retailer needs to know, with a specific focus on selling marijuana.”

~ Kirkus

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon

About the Author:

Charlena Berry is the author of Breaking the Stigma: Racism, Lies, the Opioid Endemic, and Inviting Grandma to the Dispensary. In this book, she exposes lies that created the stigmas associated with cannabis, and how these stigmas must be addressed to see continued growth in the marketplace. She then outlines a framework that provides key strategies for retailers to implement to improve the customer experience and increase profitability.

Writing from her experiences in the industry, Berry is a global cannabis business executive and the founder of Cannabis Business Growth, a premier cannabis business consulting firm. Prior to that, she spent more than a decade in Supply Chain and Retail Operations for Fortune 500 companies like Whirlpool and Office Depot/Office Max.

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Woody's Leap of Faith by Julie Boden Schmidt

About the Book: From beginning to end, readers of all ages will fall in love with Woody, a little wood duckling, and his siblings, Buzz and Zoey. The day after hatching, the ducklings must jump from their nest, forty feet high in a tree. Buzz and Zoey are ready – Woody does not want to go!

Follow Woody from being afraid of his future to taking a courageous leap of faith with support from his siblings, all told with wit and wisdom.

Reviews:

“I thought this book was an adorable story capturing perfectly the importance of courage. It shows young readers the benefits of bravery, and how more often than not, troubles are not as bad as they at first seem. Additionally, this book had absolutely stunning illustrations. The large, beautifully drawn images had so much detail and life to them. I also loved the formatting; with feather details on each page and boxes around the words, the book is easy to follow and fun for young readers. I would recommend this story to all readers, but especially to those in the four to nine age group. I think readers of this age, whether being read to by a caretaker or reading solo, would appreciate this book the most.” ~ Theresa Kadair

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon

About the Author: The author spent much of her career in health care, but always dreamed about writing a book. A great mystery fan, she assumed if she ever pursued that dream it would be a mystery. Then, one day while working in remote Montana, she saw three photographs of wood ducklings preparing to leave the nest - by jumping! Her curiosity was roused and imagination stimulated about it was like to take that jump. And so, Woody (who doesn't want to jump), his brother Buzz, who has a buzz cut and wears sunglasses, and his sister Zoey, who wants to be a ballerina and wears a tutu came to life!

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Saving Ryan by Emil D. Kakkis

 About the Book:

Saving Ryan is the inspiring story by physician-scientist Dr. Emil Kakkis about his journey to develop a new, first-ever treatment for an ultra-rare genetic disease called MPS. The scientist had great challenges getting grant and industry support for this rare disease despite the solid science behind doing the treatment. Simultaneously across the country, Mark Dant was in a quest to save his 9-year-old son, Ryan, afflicted by MPS for which there was no cure.

Through extraordinary persistence, and with a clock-ticking on Ryan’s declining health, Mr. Dant eventually learns of Dr. Kakkis and his work, whose enzyme replacement therapy could potentially treat Ryan successfully. With renewed hope of saving his son’s life, Mr. Dant turns his attention to fundraising through his own Ryan Foundation to support the continued development of the life-saving treatment. Through an extraordinary series of obstacles and heartaches, Dr. Kakkis develops a successful treatment and ultimately gains the required support of a biotech company to complete the project.

Despite early success treating MPS patients, the FDA’s abruptly changing policies caused great uncertainty as to whether the therapy would ever get approved – leading to a dramatic showdown at an FDA Advisory Committee meeting. In the end, the treatment was finally approved for all MPS patients, and ultimately saved Ryan. Ryan has been on the enzyme replacement therapy for more than 23 years. He went on to graduate college and in 2021 was married.

 Reviews:

“In this memoir, the author describes the research he conducted to develop an enzyme replacement therapy to combat the disease on minimal funding. He recounts the early stages of research in which the treatment was used on dogs in trials. Besides the therapy’s successes, Kakkis outlines the risks of the treatment, including a crisis one patient experienced during an infusion. Along with Ryan’s story of hope (which features family photographs), the volume relates the conflicts with the Food and Drug Administration and the uncertain road to the treatment’s gaining eventual approval...An erudite and heartwarming account about determination in the face of overwhelming odds.” 

~ Kirkus

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon

Book Video 

 About the Author:

Emil Kakkis is a physician/scientist best known for developing many novel treatments for rare and ultra-rare diseases and being

a leader for policy change to accelerate biotechnology innovation for rare diseases.

Through experiences in academia at UCLA, in biotechnology at BioMarin and Ultragenyx, and

in nonprofits as founder of the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases, Dr. Kakkis has advocated and innovated ways to take the science that exists and treat patients struck by genetic lightning with first-ever approved treatments that can save their future.

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The Art of Lifelong Customers by Mihaela Akers

 About the Book:

We’ve been conditioned to treat strangers better than customers and to endlessly chase what we don’t have. But the key to a highly profitable and fulfilling business is acknowledging and appreciating what we already have—in particular, our existing customers.

Products are replicable, but the way you make people feel can never be replicated. You can stand out in a crowded market by making your customers feel acknowledged, respected, and appreciated.

Drawing from her career in customer-relationship marketing with major brands like Gucci, Ralph Lauren and La Redoute, Mihaela Akers lays out the essential ideas for building sincere, long-lasting relationships with customers who not only adore you, but who also eagerly buy from you for life.

In The Art of Lifelong Customers, you’ll discover how to:

· Become a magnet for high-quality customers

· Make your customers feel seen and appreciated

· Speak differently to different customers

· Build a VIP Customer Love Program

· Become best friends with your customer data

· Create an authentic emotional connection

 You’ll find that the forgotten art of making people feel appreciated is the new science of making customers stay.

Mihaela Akers’ marketing insights have been featured in major media venues, including NBC News, Fiscal Times, and U.S. News and World Report. She’s helped shape the marketing strategies of some of the world’s leading companies, including Ralph Lauren and Gucci. She believes in the power of acknowledgement, sincerity, and caring about your customers.

Reviews:

“Mihaela Akers brings to the table only what years of experience can. With tips on everything from mindset to gift-giving to marketing, The Art of Lifelong Customers is simply fantastic. This book will help business owners create lasting customer retention by building meaningful, authentic relationships." 

(Manhattan Book Review)

“This book is packed with essential information. The Art Of Lifelong Customers will engage readers and provide much-needed advice. People who have a business or provide any services will find this book extremely useful. The friendly tone feels like talking to a friend. The author does not simply write the do's and don'ts, but she backs it up with analytics, good examples, personal experiences, and proper research.” 

(Independent Book Review)

The Art of Lifelong Customers is a fantastic way to help you stand out in the crowd, whether your business is a kitchen table start-up or a multinational enterprise.” 

(Readers’ Favorite)

 Buy the Book – Amazon,

 About the Author:

Mihaela is the author of The Art of Lifelong Customers, the non-fiction book in which she lays out the essential ideas for building sincere, profitable and fulfilling relationships with customers who not only adore you, but who also eagerly buy from you for life.

Mihaela’s 14+ years of marketing experience includes working with Gucci, Ralph Lauren, La Redoute, KingSize Direct, MedicAlert Foundation and others. She started her career as a marketing analyst and in her last full-time role, she was a Director of Global Customer Intelligence and Experience Management at Ralph Lauren. She’s worked with databases of millions of customers and conducted hundreds of marketing experiments.

Mihaela’s marketing ideas have been featured in NBC News, Authority Magazine, Shopify Plus, US News and World Report, Fiscal Times, National Federation of Independent Business and others.

Mihaela is passionate about writing, sharing her expertise and inspiring people to become fulfilled, peaceful and abundant. She writes about business and personal growth on her website, www.builduplab.com.

Mihaela holds an MBA from NYU Stern Business School, a M.S. in Direct Response Marketing from NYU and a B.A. in English from Vassar College.

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Cycles of Norse Mythology by Glenn Searfoss

About the Book:

These stories are old, old as the Behmer Wold and seldom in life has there been such a brewing...

Cycles of Norse Mythology captures the passion, cruelty, and heroism of an ancient world. Encompassing Odin’s relentless pursuit of wisdom across the nine worlds, Gullveig’s malicious death at the hands of the Æsir that sparks a brutal war with the Vanir, Thor’s battles against the giants of Jotunheim, the tragedy of Volund, the many devious machinations of Loki, and the inescapable events of Ragnarök, this lyrical re-imagining of the Norse myths presents the gripping adventures of the Norse gods and their foes in a style to delight modern readers of all ages.

A detailed glossary provides a quick reference to the meaning behind names and terms used in the book. A Source Reference is included for persons who want to delve deeper into the study of Norse mythology.

Reviews:

“Searfoss brilliantly captures the voice of ancient Norse myths through a stunning writing style and characters who deliver astonishing tales about the time of gods and creation. The tales are divided into cycles, with the events occurring based around themes of prophecy, victory, vengeance, premonitions, Ragnarok, and the relationship between gods and men. The stories are brought to life with well-crafted details and vivid characters as Searfoss reimaginines the beginnings of well-known Norse characters. Several of the characters featured include Loki, Thor, Freyja, Sif, and Odin, each of whose origins are explored as well as their victories and struggles.” 

~ Elizabeth Konkel, Seattle Book Review

Full Review

“There are many stories about the Norse realm. Only a few are common and easily accessible. Glenn Searfoss gives readers access to more than just the common ones. The reader gets more dimensions with regards to the characters in the fictional universe. This book is a rewrite of the stories on Norse mythology with a fresh voice and packed with exciting tid bits. The book offers a revamped look at all the suffering, victories and battles of the characters in Norse mythology accompanied by a glossary for a better reading experience.” 

~ Literary Titan

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon, Bookshop.org

About the Author:

Engaging storytelling transports the reader to a different time/place/viewpoint and encourages their exploration of a subject.

A professional writer of 30+ years, Glenn Searfoss has authored numerous technical manuals, as well as books in the arenas of computer science, natural history, science fiction, and mythology.

Glenn lives with his wife in a turn-of-the-century, brick farm house in Colorado, USA. When not busy making a living, he gardens, works on the house (there is always something to work on with an old house), reads classic and not-so-classic literature and does research for new book projects.

Edda's and Sagas of the Northland recount epic struggles for control of the world. In this land lost amid the cycles of time, canny gods battle shrewd giants, while valiant heroes struggle against honorable foes. Comprised of over 100 stories, Cycles of Norse Mythology takes the reader on a thrilling exploration of the Norse Universe as the Gods and Giants are exposed in their complex interactions. From creation of the world to its violent ending, this comprehensive re-imagining breathes life and modern relevance into the Norse gods and their foes. Cycles of Norse Mythology is the culmination of 16 years intensive study of Norse myths that involved consuming research literature and story compilations published from the late 1700's to the present. Through engaging, lyrical storytelling, this work presents the author's interpretation of the subject matter. It is frustratingly easy to find out what happened to Odin, Thor, and Loki at Ragnarök, but not the other participants in the battle, nor the goddesses and the animals that populated their world. Delving into this world prompted the inevitable who, what, where, and why questions, which required more background and more tales from earlier in the mythology. So, the scope of this work lengthened over the years to encompass the entire breadth of Norse Mythology.

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Equipment by Hesse Caplinger

About the Book:

In 2005, Charles Foster is suffering setbacks both personal and professional: he's been pulled from jet-setting overseas duties and stuffed behind a lectern in a rust belt river-city town--where his wife and child have left him to return to the alabaster and cordials of Washington, DC. When he receives a pet assignment and an inevitable personal challenge, he discovers he may make the worst of them both.

Edmund LeFrance is a habitual gambler and itinerant hit man whose employer accepts a job from a CIA agent--it's a simple fix that could have long-term implications.

Hoyt Gamlin is retired SAS from working-class Britain. A missing compatriot draws him from sunny Los Angeles into the search--and his characteristic aggression.

And Marek Hussar is a recent arrival--seemingly a businessman with little furniture and a wealth of kit--an eccentric and enigmatic foreign national whose motions and motivations interleave and unfold beside Foster, LeFrance, and Gamlin, as they each move to discover, subvert, and survive the intentions of the other.

Reviews:

“A well-written, thrilling adventure, Equipment takes the reader on a fascinating rollercoaster ride. Two main players, Doctor Howard Charles Foster, CIA agent, and Marek Hussar, a well-connected hitman, find each other in the most advanced game of cat and mouse you could imagine. And although the storyline is intriguing, what I found the most pleasure in while reading this book was the way it was written. The prose felt like a cross between a James Earl Jones narration and a scene out of Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. The action was exciting, just as it should be, with car chases that not only describe the vehicles but also every detail as the driver shifts gears and the style of road he is on. The reader can literally hear the gears shift as the two vehicles race through the scene.” 

~ Kristi Elizabeth, Manhattan Book Review

Full Review

“I should have put more stock in the foreword, where the editor said this novel doesn’t fit neatly into any particular genre. Is it literary fiction? A thriller? Espionage? There is no easy answer, because it’s easily all of these. The protagonists are spies, the book opens with an explosion, and the author’s tone throughout makes it clear this isn’t your standard genre novel. It’s something far more compelling.” 

~ Jo Niederhoff, San Francisco Book Review

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon, Bookshop.org

About the Author:

Hesse Caplinger has written fiction, essays, profiles, and criticism. His work has appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Magazine, Glasstire, and elsewhere. He is the author of the novels "Equipment" and "Terrain."

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A Break in the Fog by Molly Salans

 About the Book:

A family in turmoil, a dangerous cult, and God at the center of it all, A Break in the Fog is a psychological novel that explores how faith can be used to heal, but also how abuse and how family is all that matters in the end.

With her mother dead, her sister Wendy addicted to drugs, and her father condemning her every decision, Clara Greenwood shoulders the weight of all her dysfunctional family’s problems. Desperate for a way out, she is reluctantly goaded into attending a meeting for a secret school, The Ancient Side of Ideas. She is quickly swept up in the cult, however, when she meets the charismatic Damien - one of its teachers. His charm and good looks melt her skepticisms away, convincing her to give up everything in her old life. But when Clara finds herself in too deep, can she find her way out before it’s too late?

Reviews:

“A Break in the Fog is a beautifully written story with themes of love, addiction, post-traumatic stress, and the true meaning of family. In this book, author Molly Salans, writes with prose that dances in the reader’s ear as she tells the story through the points of view of the three main characters. Joe (or Yosev)the father, and Clara and Wendy, the adult daughters. Well-written with beautiful scenery and complex characters, A Break in the Fog will have its readers wide-eyed and hoping for the best.” 

~ Kristi Elizabeth, Seattle Book Review

Full Review

 “A Break in the Fog, by Molly Salans, had me thinking about Clara, the story’s main character, well after I finished the story. A wonderfully well-done novel, this is not a light read. The story follows Clara’s journey recalling her traumatic childhood, dysfunctional family, and her eventual wash up in a deadly cult. A tale that truly shook me, readers of serious fiction or those who are seeking a deeper understanding of cults, would thoroughly enjoy this book.” 

~ Theresa Kadair, San Francisco Book Review

Full Review

 Buy the Book – Amazon

 About the Author:

An award winning psychological thriller, A Break in the Fog is a story about a family in turmoil and a dangerous cult. This novel is loosely based on the author's own cult experiences years ago.

A Break in the fog has won a first place award for best historical fiction, thriller and suspense

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50 Ways to Love Wine More by Jim Laughren

About the Book:

Winner-Best Wine Book, National Indie Excellence Award; Winner-Best Cookbook, Independent Press Award; Winner-Best Design, NYC Big Book Award. Finalist-USA American Book Fest Awards; Finalist-Foreword Indies.

Wine appreciation as it was meant to be. No textbook necessary, just open arms and a mind and palate ready to explore. 50 Ways to Love Wine More is about discovering wine on your terms, at your pace, with your friends and fellow wine lovers. Let your ideas and desires intersect with the wonder of wine to enhance and expand your wine knowledge and appreciation.

Author Jim Laughren, a certified wine educator--and certifiable oenophile--shares the insights and lessons learned from 20+ years as a wine importer, distributor, collector, consultant and confirmed aficionado. He reaffirms what is important about wine and our relationship to it. With this foundation to build on, the details, the history, the geography, the art, and the science of wine are easy to assemble and appreciate.

While 50 Ways to Love Wine More is brimming with facts and "vintellect" on a wide variety of wine-focused topics, what you'll learn most is how to let wine wrap you in its embrace, whisper its secrets in your ear, and welcome you to its confederacy of aficionados.

Reviews:

“This book is a must-have for anyone who is even remotely into wine or wine-drinking. 50 Ways to Love Wine More is an easy-to-read book with simple ways to enhance the reader’s knowledge of wine. One aspect of the book that I immediately noticed and loved was the use of wine glass rings on several of the pages. That little ring that red wine makes on the table or napkin gives the book an authentic, warm feeling whether you are drinking while reading or not. The overall design was so thoughtfully laid out, with the rings and corks labeling each chapter along with the red wine accent color used for the page number borders. Jim Laughren does a wonderful job of teaching the reader about all aspects of wine, not only what to look for when tasting but also the history of wine and methods of wine-making.” 

~ Kristi Elizabeth, Manhattan Book Review

Full Review

“Jim Laughren’s 50 Ways to Love Wine More: Adventures in Wine Appreciation is a fun and approachable guide to becoming more knowledgeable about buying, serving, and drinking wine. There’s no fug of elitism or pretension here; each of the fifty short chapters sets up a self-directed task that expounds on an aspect of wine history, grapes and regional wine types, aspects of viticulture and winemaking, and other related topics, making it easy to dip in and out. One could use the book as a solid wine appreciation course, plowing through it in linear fashion, or meander through it over time to pick up wine hints and tips as one’s social calendar and wine purse allows.” 

~ Rachel Jagareski, Forward Reviews

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon, Bookshop.org

About the Author:

Jim Laughren loves wine. And has for a very long time. He is a former importer and distributor of fine wines from around the world. He is also a Certified Wine Educator who has both taken and taught dozens of classes and seminars dealing with various aspects of wine and spirits.

But it’s sharing—with you!—that means the most to him. And it’s writing that allows him to share his knowledge, experience, and passion with all the people he’d love to meet but probably won’t have the chance to.

He has little use for the snobbery and condescension that have, somehow, become part of the world of wine. “Wine is a joy, a gift of the gods, bounty of the earth, and should be shared and celebrated. Whether someone is brand new to the wine scene or has many years of vinous pleasure at his or her back makes no difference.

“Wine, to me, is part of the human story. From Mesopotamia to the ancient lands of Egypt, Israel, Persia, Greece, or Rome, wine has been drunk and shared and influenced cultures and lives in ways we can only imagine.”

Known for his irreverent, fun-loving approach and abiding enthusiasm, his writings, whether in the pages of “A Beer Drinker’s Guide To Knowing & Enjoying Fine Wine,” “50 Ways to Love Wine More,” or the coming series of “Everything You Need to Know About Wine in 15 Minutes” is targeted squarely at the wine enthusiast with an open heart and curious mind.