Afflictions Eclipsed by Glory: A Guided Journal for Believers

If you’re interested in truly reflecting on scripture and applying it to your afflictions, this is the journal for you. Grab a pen, open your heart, and get ready to transform your mind according to His word. Afflictions Eclipsed By Glory is a daily reprieve from your storm to take solace in God’s word. It will help you clear your mind, immerse yourself in His promises, and give the glory back to Him as you reflect on His excellent track record of working your troubles out for your good.

Available on Amazon

I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post. I only share those books that I feel will be of interest to my readers.

Validations, Reflections & Affirmations: A Guided Journal by Tarynne Lynn Ross

Well-intentioned people often tell their loved ones to “Always look on the bright side” “Be grateful it’s not worse” “You’ll get over it,” the toxicity goes on. Those messages do not instill validation or hope and can fill the receiver with shame and guilt if they are experiencing negative emotions. This journal is to provide a space for users to be mindful of all their emotions without pushing the negative ones away. Users will acknowledge and explore the negative emotions that accompany stressful periods by self-validating, reflecting, affirming with the help of 390 prompts.

Available on Amazon

I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post. I only share those books that I feel will be of interest to my readers.

Top 10 Things About Eve Sanchez from Goddess of the Wild Thing by Paul DeBlassie III ... and more

Today we welcome author Paul DeBlassie III back to my blogosphere. Today he's telling us all about Eve Sanchez, the protagonist from his award-winning thriller Goddess of the Wild Thing. He also gives us some insight into his writing and you can read an excerpt from the book. Follow the tour for more and let him know what you think along the way. Best of luck entering the giveaway!

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Your journey to becoming a writer: 

By age sixteen, I’d read Jung and Freud and decided I wanted to become a psychologist and writer. That’s why my novels are psychological thrillers. They tap into the tumble of rumble of the unconscious mind.

Your writing routine: 

An idea springs to mind then, if it lingers over months and sometimes years, I hit the page running and word after word, sentences and paragraphs a story is birthed. Then comes the cleanup – edits, edits, edits, etc. As we all know, the writing is in the rewriting!

Top 10 ... about one of your characters: 

Eve Sanchez, the protagonist of the Goddess of the Wild Tuing, encounters a seductive and frightening man, criminal lawyer Sam Shear. He introduces Eve to a supernatural world in which the wicked powers of a surrogate mother’s twisted affection threaten love and life. The evil woman walks a fine line between sanity and insanity, dark and mysterious happenings in her wake. Where there’s love, there is often a woman who feels spurned and wills the demise of the loved woman. Eve struggles to discover the identity of the evil woman, a fierce battle with an unexpected outcome. In therapy, I help patients through love issues like this, Goddess of the Wild Thing dramatizing what happens more often that we think.

Preview of an upcoming book/series: 

After writing The Unholy and Goddess of the Wild Thing, I’ve thought about resting; but the resting is in the living and writing—an everyday experience. The new book The Goddess of Everything is white-hot – there’s a woman who thinks she all that and more to boot - can control, cajole, and bag whomever and whatever her nefarious heart desires. It’s a visionary thriller of mother love gone bad and a son’s desire to break free. There’s twist and turns and an unexpected heroine – The Goddess of Everything!

Goddess of the Wild Thing

Winner of the Independent Press Award and the NYC Big Book Award for Visionary Fiction!

Eve Sanchez, a scholar of esoteric studies, is driven into unreal dimensions of horror and hope as she encounters a seductive and frightening man, criminal lawyer Sam Shear.

Sam introduces Eve to a supernatural world in which the wicked powers of a surrogate mother’s twisted affection threaten love and life. Struggling to sort through right from wrong, frightened yet determined, Eve nears despair.

Goddess of the Wild Thing reveals the dramatic tale of one woman’s spiritual journey where metaphysical happenings, unexpected turns of fate, and unseen forces impact her ability to love and be loved.

In the magical realm of Aztlan del Sur, a mythopoeic land of hidden horrors and guiding spirits, Eve, with three friends and a wise old woman, is caught in an age-old struggle about love—whether bad love is better than no love— and discovers that love is a wild thing.

Read an excerpt:

“Shirley spoke up, “Maybe we just gotta give it up and say there’s no good out there and no damn good men.” Shirley spat on the sidewalk, as she was prone to do when attitudes turned south and a pissed-off mood overrode a physician’s reserve. A petite woman, hovering around five-foot-three, she was a spitfire to friends and foes. Her red hair was a fine match for her spicy temperament. She never hesitated to snap her tongue, making an envious woman or cocky man shrivel and long to crawl into a nearby hole and cry. Shirley lived as a healer and a warrior, a woman who cared tenderly for the hurting and raged viciously at pretense and abuse.

Eve, Shirley, and two other friends, Tanya and Samantha, were plagued by man troubles the way pollution settles in during dusty days and humid nights in the Middle Rio Grande Valley of Aztlan del Sur. They were four esteemed professional women who could have any man they chose. Yet time and again, they went for the lower, the bad, the worst. They sabotaged the good, the permanent. Commitment was a frightening consideration for four women who’d suffered childhoods of parental dysfunctional neglect and split-ups. They often quipped, “We found each other because like finds like.” Tonight, Eve’s troubles were front and center. She’d done it again or at least worried she had. The glitch in the man was in the type she attracted: charmers—striking and untrue. Suffering had begun. Time was critical. To stick it out or get out was her dilemma. Things with a new man had taken a terrifying turn.”

Available on Amazon

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About Paul DeBlassie III

Paul DeBlassie III, Ph.D. is a depth psychologist and award-winning writer living in his native New Mexico. He specializes in treating individuals in emotional and spiritual crisis. His novels, visionary thrillers, delve deep into archetypal realities as they play out dramatically in the lives of everyday people. Memberships include the Author’s Guild, Visionary Fiction Alliance, Depth Psychology Alliance, International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, and the International Association for Jungian Studies.

Website: pauldeblassieiii.com

Paul DeBlassie III will be awarding $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Her Billionaire Bodyguard (Black Tie Billionaires Book 2) by Jo Grafford

After walking in her two sisters’ shadows most of her life, Bailey Maddox secures a promotion as Vice President of Marketing at DRAW Corporation. She is anxious to prove her worth to her hard-to-please family, but a series of threats propels her straight into the arms of a hunky bodyguard. Knowing her billionaire family will never welcome him into their inner circle due to his lack of wealth and social consequence, she resists the attraction that sparks between them.

Don Kappelman, ex Special Forces Weapons Sergeant, is in the business of serving and protecting. That includes looking after the stunning Bailey Maddox at a charity ball, even though he knows associating himself with a Maddox spells trouble. It also spells heartache when they share a kiss that she brushes off as simply part of his job.

Torn between old loyalties and new, past dangers and present ones, they play the game of hearts within the treacherous realms of the rich and famous.

Available on Amazon

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About Jo Grafford

Jo writes sweet historical and contemporary romance stories — with humor, sass, and happily ever-afters. She loves to visit with readers in her Cuppa Jo Readers group on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/CuppaJoReaders/. To receive a personal email about each book she publishes, join her New Release Email List at JoGrafford.com or follow her on BookBub at https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jo-grafford or her Amazon author page at https://www.amazon.com/Jo-Grafford/e/B00G56XKS2.

I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post. I only share those books that I feel will be of interest to my readers.

Interview with Nino Gugunishvili, author of You Will Have a Black Labrador

Today you get to meet Nino Gugunishvili, the author of a collection of essays and short stories compiled in You Will Have a Black Labrador. I also have a sneak peek inside the book for you. Please enjoy before you download your copy. And then follow the tour to learn even more. Best of luck entering the giveaway!

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Describe your book in one sentence or fewer than 25 words.

A humorous collection of essays on simple things that matter; on not taking yourself too seriously and on finding yourself.

What was the inspiration behind this book?

As much as I love fiction, I’m also an avid reader of biographies, memoirs and personal stories, essays and creative nonfiction, so I guess the idea of “You Will Have a Black Labrador” came from a wish to try and write in that genre. What inspired me to write? Probably my unconscious or maybe conscious desire to reflect on the strength of the memories we have and cherish, on some of the key things in our lives, whether it’s our family ties, friendships, the people and events that had influenced us, or affected our upbringing. A great part of the inspiration came from two of the wonderful online journals; Virtual Zine https://virtualzinemag.com/ and Funny Pearls https://funnypearls.com/ who published two of my short stories, motivating me to write more. I just want to say a huge thank you to both of them!

Who would be your dream narrator for the audiobook version?

Ooh, Jennifer Aniston, Viola Davis or Renee Zellweger!

Why should we read your book?

Because I hope, it’ll make you smile at least once! No, actually I’m hoping you’ll have a good laugh!

You should read this book because it’s about love and the many expressions and forms love can emphasize. Because it’s about hope! Because it’s about remembering what shaped you, your family, your culture, your traditions. Because it’s about dogs, and who doesn’t like dogs?!

What do you hope people will get out of your book?

That no matter what our life circumstances are, no matter the differences in our social or cultural backgrounds, no matter what part of the world we live in, and no matter what path we choose, there are universal stories that we have in common and share.

Tell us about your other published works.

My debut fiction novel: “Friday Evening, Eight O’Clock” is about a young freelance journalist Tasha, who decides to change her life entirely and moves to Paris, France, in search of a new job, romance, and mindblowing adventures. I’d totally recommend it to you!

What is your writing routine?

My writing routine consists of trying to focus on work without constantly checking my social media accounts, drinking several cups of coffee and deciding whether I have to cut my hair shorter or not! On a serious side, I try to work uninterrupted as much as I can every day, in the mornings and afternoons preferably. There were several times when I jumped out of bed in the middle of the night longing to write, but up to this moment, it’s rare. My muse is a freakishly morning person, a champion of stealing snacks from the cupboard!

What is the best writing advice you ever received?

It’s not a piece of advice I received personally, but I love this quote from Anne Lamott: 

“How to write: Butt in chair. Start each day anywhere. Let yourself do it badly. Just take one passage at a time. Get butt back in chair.” And there’s another quote from Lisa Genova “Show yourself. Be brave. Be vulnerable. Open your heart. That’s where the real stuff lives and breathes. Now write.”

What is your favorite part about writing?

Sometimes I think that the sole fact of being able to write is a blessing. My favorite part of writing is seeing how words form into a story, trailing their way from mind to paper. I love the excitement and thrill of starting a new story.

What is your least favorite part about writing?

Finding all the imperfections in what I thought was flawless and making revisions all over again. That said, editing of course!

You Will Have a Black Labrador

Love, memories, family, enduring friendships, cooking, movies, dogs, travels, hairstyles, and saying Yes to many No’s in a witty, yet often sentimental, journey of self-discovery…

You Will Have a Black Labrador is a collection of semiautobiographical essays forming a narrative about a modern Georgian woman. Her stories range from the search for a perfect romantic partner to exploring food as an integral part of the Georgian culture. Many of the vignettes center on childhood memories or weird family traditions, such as the way family members stay connected no matter if they’re deceased or alive. One essay reveals how making a simple omelette can change your life; and that No can be the most powerful word in any language. She shows us, too, that a haircut can be a tribute to the movies you love as well as a path to your freedom; and how owning a dog always brings unexpected experiences. In this poignantly humourous collection, reality mixes and interferes with an imaginative world in so many surprising ways.

Read an excerpt:

‘That’s it,’ Annika, the vet, told me after the second injection. I bent over, burying my face into your fur, inhaling your smell, stroking your fluffy, velvety ears. I didn’t cry. ‘Bye, see you…’ I whispered, stood up, and left the room, still gripping your blue retractable leash. The other vet came in with a huge empty dog food bag and put your body inside, covered in a blanket, then zipped the bag up.

‘I’ll now call the burial service. It’s forty lari, and I won’t take anything for putting him down,’ she said. I paid and gave her your leash. ‘Give it to someone,’ I told her.

‘Yep, Figu was a happy dog, so let’s give it to someone who might need it,’ Annika agreed, and I left, into a sunny January afternoon.

My right hand still senses the grip of the leash, as if we’re going for a walk, and I hold the leash tight to avoid car bumpers and tires on which you regularly peed, as if we’re to avoid other dogs coming our way, because you, let’s be honest, were never properly socialized, and never really liked other dogs. You sure preferred humans, your squishy orange ball, and my slippers.

Before meeting you, I didn’t know what the hell ‘blue roan’ meant. All the cocker spaniels I’ve met or seen were either black or red coloured. But wait, no, that’s not true. Many years ago, there was one particular dog I adored....

Buy on Amazon

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About Nino Gugunishvili

"You Will Have a Black Labrador" is Nino Gugunishvili’s recently released collection of short essays. She is also the author of a women’s fiction novel, Friday Evening, Eight O’Clock, published in English and Russian. She resides in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Twitter: @NinoGuguni

Instagram: ngugunishvili

Facebook Author page: Nino Gugunishvili

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14276355.Nino_Gugunishvili

Nino Gugunishvili will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Slick Filth by Erato

Are you a fan of historical stories? This one takes a comedic look satire and censorship based on a true story from a few centuries ago in England. Even more fun is you'll really feel like you're back in the 1700s with how the book is laid out. I have a sneak peek to help you understand what I'm talking about. Be sure to let the author know what you think and then follow the rest of the tour for more peeks! Best of luck entering the giveaway!

Slick Filth

It's 1737, and England is on edge: someone has tried to assassinate the King at the theatre, and every stageplay is a satire of the royal family. Enter Prime Minister Robert Walpole with a cunning scheme that will grant him power to censor anything that goes on stage -- by writing the filthiest play ever conceived.

Get ready for sex, castratos and cannibalism, because the Prime Minister is ready to shock the city!

Based on true events, Slick Filth includes a recreation of the notorious play The Golden Rump, which so offended Parliament that new censorship laws were enacted for the first time in England's history. The book is typeset in historical fonts, making you feel like you've been pulled back in time to watch the drama unfold first-hand.

Take a sneak peek inside!

Buy on Amazon

About Erato

Be taken to another ERA with ERATO.

Erato (also stylized erAto) is a Hispanic American author of historical fiction. Her stories are often set in the Georgian/Regency period, taking the characters past the traditional bonnets and balls into gritty cities, medical mishaps and painful love affairs. Her stories color in the forgotten and irregular aspects of history, and several of her books are written in the historical English of the period.

https://www.facebook.com/EratoWrites/

https://www.amazon.com/Erato/e/B077QS7SD5

Erato will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Review of Sleuth on Safari by A. R. Kennedy

Welcome to the blurb blitz tour for Sleuth on Safari by A.R. Kennedy! In addition to giving you an excerpt to enjoy from this cozy mystery, I'm also reviewing it, because I love to read cozy mysteries. Follow the tour for even more excerpts and reviews and let the author know your thoughts along the way. Plus there's a great giveaway for a $25 gift card!

Sleuth on Safari

Naomi and her estranged sister are off on a trip of a lifetime—an African safari, a bucket list trip for Naomi on which she got a last-minute deal. Naomi thinks traveling with her sister will be the worst part of her African safari until she finds one of their fellow travelers, the unlikable Dr. Higgins, dead. She gets more adventure than she bargained for when she starts investigating what she thinks is murder but the luxury lodge says was a tragic accident. She only has a few vacation days, and a few game drives, to find the killer.

Read an excerpt:

Something red on the walkway, about fifteen feet away from me, toward his room, caught my eye.

I slowly walked toward it. From a few feet away, it looked like a blob, something spilled. As I stood over it, it looked like a paw print. Like the ones my childhood dog, Molly, would leave in the kitchen after playing in the mud. But it was red.

I looked to my left, down the walkway, toward the fifth cabin, Dr. Higgins’ cabin. “Dr. Higgins, you there?” I shouted. There was no answer. I hesitated but then stepped off the walkway. Slowly, I walked toward his suite, listening intently for any sound. I stood at his door, which was ajar. “Dr. Higgins? It’s Naomi from next door. Everything okay?”

With each step, I saw more red. Maybe he had spilled some wine. He liked the red wine. Not as much as Jack liked his beer but it was his drink of choice for the trip so far. He was still at dinner when Charlotte and I left last night. Maybe he came back to his room and had a few more glasses. And somehow spilled it everywhere outside his room.

Standing at the door, I yelled in, “Dr. Higgins? It’s Naomi. I’m going to come in, okay?”

No response. No refusal but no permission either. I went in anyway.

Seated in the sitting area’s plush chair, facing the window and the beautiful landscape, was Dr. Higgins. His head was hanging back. His hand was hanging down by his side, a broken wineglass on the floor next to it. There was even more red everywhere inside the room too. Maybe he’d had a late night after all.

I poked him on his shoulder and prepared for him to yell at me for entering his room unauthorized.

Still no response.

“Dr. Higgins, it’s time for our morning drive.” I tapped him again. “You’re late,” I added, just to annoy him.

Still nothing.

I walked around him to face him head on.

And I screamed.

Buy on Amazon

**My thoughts**

I love cozy mysteries, and there are so many of them out there. This one particularly caught my eye because it takes place in Africa. Naomi and her sister Charlotte go on a safari in Africa, which Naomi landed for an excellent price. (How that came to be is later revealed.) There are all of these great descriptions of all of their safari rides and all of the animals that they encounter. Only the one guy who is a stick in the mud PITA randomly dies of an apparent hyena attack. Only Naomi thinks something more sinister actually happened and attempts to find out what happened.

Her investigation is not as corny as what other cozy mystery sleuths do. She does get pretty sneaky along the way, but is working really hard to uncover the truth. You are right there with her as she tries to figure it all out. I had suspicions of who the murderer was, but was really left guessing until the end.

I enjoyed watching the mystery unravel. And I particularly enjoyed the entire African setting. I am going to watch out for more in this series for sure!

Thank you to the author/publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

About A.R. Kennedy

A R Kennedy lives in Long Beach, New York, with her two pups. She works hard to put food on the floor for them. As her favorite T-shirt says, ‘I work so my dog can have a better life'. She’s an avid traveler. But don’t worry. While she’s away, her parents dote on their grand-puppies even more than she does. Her writing is a combination of her love of travel, animals, and the journey we all take to find ourselves.

Links to social media:

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ark_author

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ARKennedyauthor

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ark_author

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7382548.A_R_Kennedy

Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/profile/a-r-kennedy

A. R. Kennedy will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Where the Hell Is My Bacon? by Beth Anne Campbell

Bacon bits. An untimely health directive. Frazzled technology departments. These may not sound like the makings of a company-wide protest, but, when mixed together with a dash of humor and a pinch of social media, a hilarious and enlightening story begins to unfold. Unexpectedly, fried pork becomes the voice of the people and a beacon of change.

Where The Hell Is My Bacon? is the true story of how bacon mastered change management and employee engagement in modern-day corporate culture and helped an entire department find its mojo again. It is a polygamous marriage between bacon, business, and humor with timely messages about overcoming poor management.

The removal of bacon bits from the company cafeteria salad bar—courtesy of an executive health mandate—could not have come at a worse time. The IT department was in the middle of a demanding transition of their day-to-day work to an offshore team. People feared for their jobs, confidence in management was nil, communication abysmal, and morale was at an all-time low. So, when the health decree came down and bacon disappeared from the cafeteria, it was the final blow.

Following a single social media post lamenting the loss of their beloved pork, the voice of the department exploded. The masses had suffered enough, and they revolted in a grand, food-centric protest.

It was a sad day for bacon but a triumphant moment for the people, who brought to light important lessons about good leadership, employee engagement, communication, and trust.

Available on Amazon

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I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post. I only share those books that I feel will be of interest to my readers.

105 Things You Need to Know to Keep Your Brain Happy and Healthy by Paul M. Willette, MD

How does memory work? 

How can you curb anxiety and stress in your life? 

Why is movement important? 

What does “brain health” really look like? 

The brain is the most complex known structure in the universe. When the brain is not working optimally, your entire body is affected. The opposite is true as well: when the body is not working correctly, your brain is affected. With the occurrence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s on the rise, it’s more important than ever to uncover how to keep your brain functioning well and yourself feeling good. 

There may be a different path to achieving health than taking medications, and this enlightening book teaches you how to take control of your health. By giving the brain and body the nutrition and building blocks it requires and blocking stress, you can improve your mood, memory, and movement. 

Explore the interesting world of science, cell biology, and nutrition and discover everything you need to know to keep your brain and body optimal—even when you’re older. These solutions are based on a deep understanding of human anatomy, physiology, nutrition, cell biology, and anti-aging. The fundamentals involving cell membranes, mitochondria (energy production), microglial cells, and more are important, exciting, and relevant in building a better brain and body health—an emerging field promoted by Global Health Science Solutions, LLC.

Available on Amazon

(affiliate link)

I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post. I only share those books that I feel will be of interest to my readers.

Review of Words From the White House by Paul Dickson

Words From the White House

"A compendious, entertaining look at our nation's leaders through words and turns of phrase." — Kirkus Reviews

From George Washington's "New Yorker" and Thomas Jefferson's "pedicure" to Theodore Roosevelt's "lunatic fringe," Richard Nixon's "silent majority," and Donald Trump's "covfefe," this entertaining and eminently readable volume compiles words and phrases that were coined or popularized by American presidents. Discover the origins of "bloviate" (Warren G. Harding), "military-industrial complex" (Dwight D. Eisenhower), "misunderestimate" (George W. Bush), "squatter" (James Madison), and other terms that have helped define American culture. The entries are listed alphabetically, featuring a definition and — in most cases — a brief discussion that places them in historical context.

"Thoroughly enjoyable." — The Washington Post

"The author is an essayist and lexicographer who presents this entertaining look at how presidents have used and shaped our language." — The Dispatch (Columbus)

Book Links

Goodreads * Amazon * BN * IndieBound

**My thoughts**

I'm a logophile, so this kind of book appeals to me. I love etymology and often find myself looking up the histories of words and phrases. I guess I just didn't realize before how many words and phrases were actually coined by US Presidents. So this book also gives you some history lessons as well as the background of some of your favorite terms. It has been updated from the original version to allow for the foibles and new words coined by the current occupant of the White House, and I am guessing to correct any previous errors.

It isn't necessarily the kind of book you are going to sit down and read from cover to cover in an evening. Instead, you'll digest parts of it here and there, making it a great book to have on the coffee table (or yes, even bathroom reading). I found myself hoping to memorize some of the stories in the event they pop up in a trivia game or something like that. I did actually recognize a couple of facts from recent trivia nights.

Being a lover of words and history, I think I would have enjoyed this book even as a kid. I think it can appeal to all ages.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a review copy. I was not obligated to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.