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Thursday, June 29, 2023

To Kingdom Come: An Art History Mystery by Claudia Riess - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hey, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Claudia Riess and her new book, “To Kingdom Come,” here on FAB!!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Claudia and to increase your chances of winning!!

Thanks for stopping by!!  Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!

To Kingdom Come

An Art History Mystery Series

Book 4

by Claudia Riess

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GENRE:   Mystery

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BOOK BLURB:

Amateur sleuths, Erika Shawn-Wheatley, art magazine editor, and Harrison Wheatley, art history professor, attend a Zoom meeting of individuals from around the globe whose common goal is to expedite the return of African art looted during the colonial era.  Olivia Chatham, a math instructor at London University, has just begun speaking about her recent find, a journal penned by her great-granduncle, Andrew Barrett, active member of the Royal Army Medical Service during England’s 1897 “punitive expedition” launched against the Kingdom of Benin.

Olivia is about to disclose what she hopes the sleuthing duo will bring to light, when the proceedings are disrupted by an unusual movement in one of the squares on the grid.  Frozen disbelief erupts into a frenzy of calls for help as the group, including the victim, watch in horror the enactment of a murder videotaped in real time.

It will not be the only murder or act of brutality Erika and Harrison encounter in their two-pronged effort to hunt down the source of violence and unearth a cache of African treasures alluded to in Barrett’s journal.

Much of the action takes place in London, scene of the crimes and quest for redemption.

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EXCERPT THREE:

He wondered now why had it taken such an effort to decide which of his plans to set in motion. Walking off with an artifact or two from Franks House, the British Museum’s storage facility in East London, may have given him his political statement, but at what cost? The place was crawling with workers in lab coats and masks—conservators, project managers, photographers, interns, auditors, volunteers—the lot of them engaged in the end goal of moving 200,000 objects from the museum’s collection of Africa, Oceania, and the Americans to its nearly spanking new World Conservation and Exhibition Centre. True, it would not have been an insurmountable task, entering the quiet road where the quaint redbrick warehouse lay and unobtrusively blending into the workforce, but then what? Would he have been forced to shoot his way out of the place at the risk of being gunned down himself? How sordid and at the same time mundane to mow down an uncalculated number of individuals, only to find himself a mere casualty sprawled among them. Hell no, he was neither a loony terrorist nor a crack- head martyr. The plan in place was the more sensible course, no question about it.

It was restful, hearing below his thoughts the rhythmic phrase of train wheels clacking against the tracks in lulling repetition. His calmness surprised him a little, given what lay ahead. His scenario had been well choreographed, but only on an imagined stage with players moving about under his ironclad direction. In real life, even the most meticulous plan is apt to be disrupted by unforeseen circumstances. He knew that it was exactly 1.6 miles from Effingham Junction Station to the mansion on Ockham Lane in Cobham, Surrey, but was he certain that he would not be accosted by a madman or struck by lightning on his walk to the place?

If he allowed his thoughts to ramble on in this manner, his nerves would start acting up. He must lean into the physical moment and move with it into his destiny. He looked out the window past his reflection and focused on the indifferent stars.

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GUEST POST:

The Craziest Thing I’ve Done in the Name of Research

Well, maybe not the craziest, but surely one of the most embarrassing…

About a year and half ago, I came across an intriguing reference to the Benin Bronzes in a newspaper article.  It sparked an idea for an art history mystery.  First thing I did was order a copy of Stuart Butler’s Benin: The Bradt Travel Guide.  When it arrived from Amazon two days later, I dug right in.  I was reading some fascinating material on Benin’s culture and had just embarked on the section entitled “Practical Information,” when, on page 38, the following highlighted notice hit me like a pie in the face:

 

BENIN AND THOSE BRONZES

I don’t like to be the bearer of bad news, but if your chief reason for

visiting Benin is to see the homeland of the famous Benin Bronzes then you

had better cancel that ticket because you’ve got the wrong country.


I was humiliated, but not defeated.  After all, the notice itself was an indication I was not alone in my ignorance and, as I discovered, like misery, it loves company.  Actually, this flagrant proof of my ignorance had a positive effect on my motivation.  I was more than ever determined to educate myself on the subject, both for the sake of my potential mystery and, I would like to think more so, as a matter of conscience.  I read the reviews of books written on the Kingdom of Benin (in modern-day Nigeria!) and, more specifically, on the British “punitive expedition” of 1897, during which thousands of art and artifacts were seized from Benin City, a few in retaliation for an aggressive action that had occurred about a month earlier.  Dan Hicks’s The Brutish Museums: The Benin Bronzes, Colonial Violence and Cultural Restitution, appeared to be the most comprehensive coverage of the event and its surrounding history.  I started my education with the Hicks book, and continued with John Warne Monroe’s Metropolitan Fetish: African Sculpture and the Imperial French Invention of Primitive Art and Nigel Barley’s The Art of Benin.  Only after completing an in-depth study of the Benin Bronzes and related history did I feel confident enough to write the opening sentence of a present-day murder mystery in which they play a pivotal role: To Kingdom Come.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Claudia Riess is an award-winning author of seven novels, four of which form her art history mystery series published by Level Best Books.  She has worked in the editorial departments of The New Yorker and Holt, Rinehart and Winston, and has edited several art history monographs.  Stolen Light, the first book in her series, was chosen by Vassar’s Latin American history professor for distribution to the college’s people-to-people trips to Cuba.  To Kingdom Come, the fourth and most recent, will be added to the syllabus of a survey course on West and Central African Art at a prominent Midwest university.  Claudia has written a number of articles for Mystery Readers Journal, Women’s National Book Association, and Mystery Scene magazine.  At present, she’s consulting with her protagonists about a questionable plot twist in Chapter 9 of the duo’s murder investigation unfolding in book 5; working title: Dreaming of Monet, scheduled for release winter 2024.  For more about Riess and her work, visit www.claudiariessbooks.com.

All four books in the art history mystery series are available through Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, IndieBound.org and at independent book stores. For bulk discount purchases, contact https://levelbestbooks.wordpress.com.

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CONNECT WITH CLAUDIA:

Website:

https://claudiariessbooks.com

Email:

claudiariessbooks@gmail.com

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/ClaudiaRiessBooks

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/ClaudiaRiess

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.com/claudiariessbooks

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/claudiariessbooks

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHMdwW0-l7Ny_Y8Sy_32a0w

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3052782.Claudia_Riess

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61165646-to-kingdom-come

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/30SHm45

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/3znv2tw

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/3yZ4kWS

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Kingdom-Come-Art-History-Mystery-ebook/dp/B09Z1KFNB4

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Kingdom-Come-Art-History-Mystery/dp/1685121101

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-kingdom-come-claudia-riess/1141597214?ean=9781685121112

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-kingdom-come-claudia-riess/1141597214?ean=9781685121105

Kobo US eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/to-kingdom-come-4

Kobo CA eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/to-kingdom-come-4

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Claudia will be awarding a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

The Script is not Enough by Jamison LoCascio - Book Tour - Cover Reveal - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hi, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Jamison LoCascio and his new book, “The Script is not Enough,” here on FAB!!  For other stops on his Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Jamison and to increase your chances of winning!!

Thanks for stopping by!!  Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!

The Script is not Enough

by Jamison LoCascio

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GENRE:   Non-Fiction (How-to)

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BOOK BLURB:

The Script is not Enough takes a unique look at the making of four different independent feature films. The author takes you through every stage in development from writing, to financing, and to distribution and marketing. Find out how you can learn from the hard experiences and challenges that face the filmmaker along the way.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Jamison LoCascio is an award-winning feature film director. In 2012, Jamison LoCascio began to write the screenplay for his first union short, "Midnight Catch," which garnished much acclaim at the New Jersey International Film Festival and Manhattan Film Festival. LoCascio decided to form his production company, Halcyon Valor Productions Incorporated. Graduated from Montclair State University with honors winning the “Excellence in Filmmaking” award for his numerous successful productions which premiered in film festivals around the world. LoCasio's short films have since been honored by the Screen Actors Guild and screened at such festivals as the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, Montclair Film Festival, and NewFilmmakers New York. LoCascio's shorts "Track 3," "A Stranger's Confession," and "Powerless" were all official selections of the Festival de Cannes Short Film Corner. His films have been anthologized in the prestigious Anthology Film Archives in Manhattan, distributed worldwide on DVD, picked up for online distribution by Film Bay. DIRECTV & AT&T distributed 6 of LoCascio's short films on their new International short film platform. LoCascio's first feature film, "The Depths," starring Michael Rispoli and Patch Darragh won Best Feature Film at the 2017 Manhattan Film Festival and had a strong critical reception. The film also won Best Feature Film and Best Director at the 2017 Los Angeles Film Awards and received domestic distribution with Sony Pictures and The Orchard releasing on all major platforms including Amazon, Itunes, DVD and more. LoCascio's second feature film "Sunset" starring acclaimed actor Austin Pendleton received rave reviews and won multiple awards including Best Dramatic Feature Film at the 2018 Manhattan Film Festival, Best Ensemble at the 2018 Los Angeles Film Awards, Best Leading Actor (David Johnson) International Independent Film Awards. "Sunset" also received domestic distribution with Sony Pictures and The Orchard. LoCascio and Adam Ambrosio have recently launched their latest initiative by filmmakers for filmmakers called Film Valor, a youtube channel with over 3,000 worldwide followers and over 250,000 views, a behind the scenes look at their filmmaking process. "Know Fear," his latest feature film, received critical acclaim and stars Amy Carlson. The film had a limited theatrical release. His next feature film "How Dark They Prey," a unique horror anthology, has been released on major streaming platforms including Amazon Prime, Tubi, Plex, Udu, Mometu and many more with critics hailing the film as "Horror at its best". His latest feature film release “7x7” is a collection of many of LoCascio’s award-winning short films brought together for one viewing experience on major platforms including Tubi and Amazon Prime.

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CONNECT WITH JAMISON:

Website:

https://jamisonmlocascio.wixsite.com/mysite

Blog:

https://genrefilmmakerjournal.blogspot.com

Email:

Filmvalor@gmail.com

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/filmvalor

Instagram:

https://instagram.com/filmvalor

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYMpC0IdUggTr1xMMEqsCPw

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/32891109.Jamison_M_LoCascio

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/141200721-the-script-is-not-enough

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/3NMHdHG

Linktree:

https://linktr.ee/filmvalor

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PRE-ORDER BOOK BUY LINKS:


**The Script is not Enough is currently available for Pre-Order and will be released on July 15th, 2023**

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/3CLH68S

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0C3J9GDB2

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-script-is-not-enough-jamison-m-locascio/1143408268

Kobo US eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-script-is-not-enough

Kobo CA eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-script-is-not-enough

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFO:

Jamison will be awarding a $10 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Theo & Sprout: A Journey of Growth by Joseph Gergen - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hi, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Joseph Gergen and his new book, “Theo & Sprout: A Journey of Growth,” here on FAB!!  For other stops on his Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Joseph and to increase your chances of winning!!

Thanks for stopping by!!  Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!

Theo & Sprout: A Journey of Growth

by Joseph Gergen

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GENRE:   Literary Fiction (YA)

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BOOK BLURB:

While Theo longs for some guidance through the perils of adolescence, the guidance he knew his family wouldn’t give him, he isn’t prepared for Sprout, his inner Divine Feminine, to present herself and offer it to him. In fact, he doesn’t appear to have a choice since Sprout, sassy and confident about her presence, won’t go away.

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EXCERPT TWO:

When you grow up in a large family in a small house, you are never alone, you are never free. As an introvert, I could have just as well been in prison. Never free from prying eyes and perpetual observation, real or imagined. Those heavy shackles kept me from liberation.

“What is this?” I said. I’d lost my fetters, not even concerned she was there. “This isn’t normal.”

“This isn’t your normal. This is my normal, my way of looking at life. This is what your normal could be. Don’t you want this to be real? Isn’t it wonderful?”

Yes, it was wonderful. I noticed the park as I hadn’t noticed it since swinging beneath the trees as a child, flying up into the gigantic green trees and the endless blue sky. The colors, the shades of gray, the smells, the sounds of the birds. A lost world I was too busy to see anymore.

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READER BOOK REVIEWS:

Check out these reviews from readers about this exciting new book below:

Reedsy:

https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/theo-and-sprout-a-journey-of-growth-joe-gergen#review

Chick Lit Cafe:

https://chicklitcafe.com/?s=theo+and+sprout

The Children's Book Rook Review:

https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/2022/08/theo-and-sprout-a-journey-of-growth-dedicated-review

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GUEST POST:

Advice for Writers

I suppose free advice is often worth exactly what you pay for it. But here’s some free advice on being a writer or an artist of any sort for that matter.

I want you take ask yourself a question and it’s going to seem like a simple question but bear with me. It’s often the simple question that leads to a greater truth. Reminds me of a comment from a math teacher I had in college. It went something like this: For every theorem there is a simple, easy to understand wrong answer.

That being said the question to ask yourself is “Why?” Why do you write or why do you want to write? Such a simple question.

The good thing is that there is no right or wrong answer. But right or wrong, I’ve found a quick, easy answer might not get to the heart of the matter. And that is what we are after here, the heart of the matter. Not an easy answer.

So it might take some pondering. And if it’s important to you, it’s worth pondering. Looking at what drives you, at what gives you fulfillment, at what brings you back.  Because if you have a better sense of what drives you, you can keep coming back to that purpose, to that calling, like the North Star, you can use it to keep your bearing.

I can’t tell you what the answer is. I can tell you one path to that answer is understanding who you are. What makes you tick. What do you like. What gets your juices going. What do you not like. What shuts you down.

For myself it helps when hearing or reading advice. I comfortable in saying this kind of advice or that will resonate with me or it won’t. I’m petty loosey goosey about rules so anything that sounds absolute or ridged or too structured just isn’t going to work. And I’m okay with that. Even if I think it might be good for me, doing things that make it unpleasant will drive me away. So being aware of why I write and who I am make me comfortable in my choices (which is not to say you shouldn’t ever leave your lane or find discipline in practice or anything like that). To thine own self be true, as they say.

So take your time. Come up with a complicated, dirty, contradictory-filled reason why you write. Then you’ll know whether or not to take my free advice.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Author of “Theo and Sprout”. Born and raised on the plains of North Dakota. Moved to Twin Cities because it’s actually warmer. Enjoy creating in whatever form it takes, including writing, painting, and furniture making. The enjoyment is in the doing. Looking to add a little magic to the world through art.

Other books include “Without a Pang” and “Methane Wars.”

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CONNECT WITH JOSEPH:

Website:

https://josephgergen.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079140443073

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/JoeGergen

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/joegergen

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5219869.Joseph_Gergen

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60424587-theo-and-sprout

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/432OyXM

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/3XpmKMg

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/3NvoBdW

Amazon US Hardcover:

https://amzn.to/3PvZees

Amazon US Audiobook:

https://amzn.to/3JwA2AR

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Theo-Sprout-Journey-Joseph-Gergen-ebook/dp/B09SMSHF61

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Theo-Sprout-Journey-Joseph-Gergen/dp/1734736623

Amazon CA Hardcover:

https://www.amazon.ca/Theo-Sprout-Journey-Joseph-Gergen/dp/1734736658

Amazon CA Audiobook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Audible-Theo-Sprout-Journey-Growth/dp/B0B2CVW4KS

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/theo-and-sprout-joseph-gergen/1141648672?ean=2940186555780

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/theo-and-sprout-joseph-gergen/1141648672?ean=9781734736618

Barnes and Noble Audiobook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/theo-and-sprout-joseph-gergen/1141648672?ean=2940175164221

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFO:

Joseph will be awarding a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

Friday, June 23, 2023

The Place Beyond Her Dreams by Oby Aligwekwe - Book Tour - Blurb Blitz - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Oby Aligwekwe will be awarding a $50 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

2021 National Indie Excellence Awards Winner for Young Adult Fiction! 
2021 Indies Book of the Year Awards Finalist for Young Adult Fiction! 
2021 Best Book Awards Finalist for Young Adult Fiction!

“We are most courageous at our weakest; when we believe we have faced what we fear the most and have nothing more to lose.”

Set against the backdrop of two warring towns, Oby Aligwekwe’s Young Adult debut—told from the viewpoint of her main character—is inspired by her West African heritage, fables, and spiritual beliefs. Ona’s journey reveals the power of choice, the true source of happiness, and, most importantly, the transformation one must go through to realize and eventually occupy their purpose.


At the sudden death of her grandfather, Ona’s pain transports her to mystical Luenah—a place of infinite possibilities, free of turf wars and other ills that plague the earthly dimension she lives in. In Luenah, where her grandfather awaits her, Ona learns she is an Eri, one bestowed with unique intuitive and spiritual gifts passed down from generation-to-generation.

On her 18th birthday, she returns to Luenah and is handed a box to deposit her "exchange" for love and happiness—her greatest desires. Burdened by her quest, Ona crosses paths with danger and heartbreak as the two men that love her dearly are viciously pitted against each other. As evil looms, she learns that dreams carry a hefty price, and no one is who they seem. Now, she must unmask the villain and save the one she loves, even at the risk of losing everything she holds dear.

“Young adults and older readers will be enchanted by this fantasy's magic, romance, and life lessons.” (Booklife by Publishers Weekly)

EXCERPT ONE:

As my mind went around in circles pondering the purpose of their visit, as I’d become accustomed to, I caught a glimpse of the future—a small flash of Okem’s face staring intently at me. Before I could make any sense of what I’d seen, and figure out if it was good, bad, or completely inconsequential, my grandfather called me back to earth. Okem had taken the seat next to the couple and proceeded to watch me. I followed his gaze and noticed he’d been admiring the sparkly red shoes my grandfather got me the last time he visited London. “Dorothy’s shoes,” Papa had called them. They reminded him of the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz.

“Hello,” I said, grinning and waving my hand slowly when Okem looked up and gave me a faint smile.

“Hi,” he responded, leaning uncomfortably into his seat and locking his ankles.


One look at his clothes told me he was of a lower status. His intonation didn’t help matters. Before I got the chance to complete my assessment, my grandfather announced, “It’s concluded. Okem will stay with us. We’ll take care of him like our own. There’s no need to worry. He’ll go to school with all the other kids in the town, and in the future, he may even become a doctor and make you proud.”

Hearing my grandfather tell total strangers that their son would come to our house and distort the dynamics I’d only just become accustomed to, created the tightest feeling in the pit of my stomach. I remember wondering why my grandfather had not forewarned me.

Right then, I heard my grandmother calling.

“Ona…Ona.”


I excused myself and left the room. After a few steps, the image I’d seen earlier came back to me.

“Grandma,” I called, taking a second to stare at her delicately aging face. I admired the way the wrinkles formed a crescent around her mouth.

“Yes?” she answered, raising her brows.


AUTHOR BIO:
Oby Aligwekwe is the award-winning author of Nfudu, Hazel House, and The Place Beyond Her Dreams—her third novel and Young Adult debut. In 2021, The Place Beyond Her Dreams won the National Indie Excellence Awards in the Young Adult Fiction Category.

When Oby is not working on her day job or whipping up stories, she enjoys traveling to exotic locations and bringing pieces of her travel with her. She lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her family and supports her community through her charity Éclat Beginnings.

CONNECT WITH OBY:

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram


BOOK BUY LINKS:

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Babe in the Woods by Jude Hopkins - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hey, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Jude Hopkins and her new book, “Babe in the Woods,” here on FAB!!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $20 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Jude and to increase your chances of winning!!

Thanks for stopping by!!  Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!

Babe in the Woods

by Jude Hopkins

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GENRE:   Women's Fiction

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BOOK BLURB:

It’s September 1995, the first year of the rest of Hadley Todd's life. After living in Los Angeles, Hadley returns to her hometown in rural New York to write and be near her father. In addition to looking after him and teaching high school malcontents, Hadley hopes to channel her recent L.A. heartbreak into a play about the last moment of a woman’s innocence. But she seeks inspiration.

Enter Trey Harding, a young, handsome reporter who covers sports at the high school. Trey reminds Hadley of her L.A. ex and is the perfect spark to fire up her imagination. The fact that Trey is an aspiring rock star and she has L.A. record biz connections makes the alliance perfect. She dangles promises of music biz glory while watching his moves. But the surprising twist that transpires when the two of them go to Hollywood is not something Hadley prepared for.

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EXCERPT ONE:

“Have you ever fallen in love?”

He winked at her. “All the time.”

She’d have the last word, something she realized was important to her. “I think it’s wrong, all these women you lead on. Don’t you? I mean, they may get attached, fall for you. But you seem to use them, to see what you can get out of them for your own purposes. I think that’s wrong, They’re human beings, after all. With feelings.”

He turned around, his eyes drained of any light. “They use me, too. It’s not like they’re not getting anything out of it.”

“What am I getting out of this?” she asked him, if not rhetorically.

He stood on one hip, a move that made him appear more rakish than usual. “I really don’t know, Miss Todd. I wondered that myself. I thought perhaps you were bored or intrigued. Or maybe you’re a control freak.” He took a step toward her so he was within half an inch of her face. “Or maybe you’re just like the rest and can’t resist me.”

Hadley stood her ground. “How do you know when it’s over? The moment when love, or lust, turns into something else. Something not as passionate?”

“I don’t think about it,” he said, returning her gaze. “It’s something that happens. Maybe it’s not one moment. It just is.”

He turned around and walked out of the room.

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GUEST POST:

I remember the first agent who requested a full (the entire manuscript) of my book Babe in the Woods.

She was a well-known New York agent. I remember being so excited, I had to take a long drive and listen to music just to calm down. Surely she would love the rest of the manuscript; after all, she’d read the first 25 or so pages. I was certain the good-news email would follow with a contract.

But it didn’t happen. She didn’t like my protagonist. “Too negative,” she wrote.

My protagonist, Hadley Todd, had a lot going on. She was a 35-year-old single woman who was determined to find love with a man who not only cooked, but did the dishes, too, as she put it. She would be in control in her next relationship, having always been the one dumped in previous ones. Hadley was also worn down from teaching English to high school malcontents and had an ornery father she was watching over.

But too negative? Complicated, yes. Hadley certainly expressed her disappointment in not being in love, was often sarcastic, and admitted to being tired, somewhat embittered and in need of “a jolt.”  If that’s too negative, OK, but it’s not as if women don’t feel all of those things at times.

Women are human, too. They aren’t always upbeat, comforting, and sunny.

Not long after that rejection, I got another request—this time from a dream agent, another well-known and well-respected New York agent. Her assistant wrote that the agent was interested in seeing the full manuscript. She also asked me if the manuscript was out with other agents. It sounded very hopeful because this agent, as the first, had read a hefty sample of the manuscript already, so she knew my writing style.

But this agent, too, rejected it—for the same reason. My protagonist just wasn’t positive enough.

Good grief! Does the publishing world want only Stepford Wives as main characters? I thought Hadley was a strong character in spite of her constraints. In addition to all her duties as a teacher and a daughter, she had the impetus to write. Toward that end, she was a member of a local writing group so she could melt her writer’s block.

Hadley was trying—and she had a goal, a personal goal. Hardly “too negative,” in my opinion.

Several other agents followed suit—requesting a full, then rejecting the manuscript because of Hadley.

Either the entire publishing world wanted something I couldn’t give them, or I needed to take another look at my protagonist. I figured it would have to be the latter.

Because I was unable to “see” my problems with Hadley, I found an editor whom I thought would be just right in pinpointing what was wrong. At least I was right about the editor. She told me two things about my protagonist. First, for someone so acutely self-aware, Hadley didn’t seem to be using that quality to get out of her depressing situation. She was stagnating. Write her, my editor advised, so that her self-awareness extends to her desire to change herself, to explore new avenues to improve her situation.

Next, give her an opening scene where she is the one highlighted. In my previous manuscript, I had opened up with Hadley surrounded by numerous other characters. Readers couldn’t get to know her. By giving her an opening scene in which she was the main focus, readers would be more apt to sympathize with her. In doing this, the editor said, Hadley’s strength and intelligence will be spotlighted. Readers will root for her.

So, I did that. The results were startling. The qualities I had written into Hadley—intelligence, ambition, willfulness, compassion and humor—were now illustrated in the first scene where the point of view focuses mainly on her and her reactions. Readers could become invested in her and her goals and how they were difficult to achieve given her busy life. They could also see that her way out of her “jolt-deficient” life lay in her writing a play about a woman’s last moment of romantic innocence. They would want her to succeed.

As a result of these two perspectives, I was able to make Hadley shine as the strong, but sensitive, woman she was, more inviting to readers as someone they would like to follow on a journey.

After I made these changes, I was offered a book contract shortly thereafter.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Jude Hopkins has published essays in The Los Angeles Times, Medium, the belladonna—and poetry in various journals including Gyroscope Review, Timber Creek Review and California Quarterly. She is currently working on her first novel, Babe in the Woods.

It has always been her desire to write. She was featured in Dickinson College’s literary magazine when she was an undergraduate. One poem in particular, “Mixed Metaphors,” contrasted two viewpoints in a lakeside scene: one of a romantic young woman who thought the wind was blowing through her hair like an Aeolian harp; the other, that of her suitor who believed the water looked as cold as hell. Ah, love’s different sensibilities! What she lost in that relationship, she gained from her sojourn at Dickinson, earning her Phi Beta Kappa key while there, as well as a desire to continue her education.

Then it was on to graduate school at Arizona State University where studying for her master’s degree in English and grading essays as a teaching assistant took most of her time (and partying — it was ASU, for Pete’s sake). However, she did have a germ of an idea for a self-help book that she began outlining, fueled by many a Thermos bottle of Dunkin’ coffee.

It wasn’t until she moved to L.A. that she thought about writing a proposal for that self-help book. She got some bites from agents. Top agents. But working three jobs took precedence. (One of those jobs was at a Hollywood record company where she met a Beatle, among other artists.)

When she finally moved back to Pennsylvania, she began seriously writing again, squeezing in time to pen some poems between endless essay grading at one of the University of Pittsburgh’s branch campuses. As an adjunct English instructor, Jude was uncompromising on what she expected from her students, knowing they were capable of achieving great things when challenged, but she tried to balance the hard work with humor. Nevertheless, she knew that discipline and knowledge could turn even the most reluctant student into a pretty good writer. To achieve that end, the cellphones had to be put away, and attention had to be paid. The result? Some model research papers and essays from memorable students (she taught English in Pennsylvania, New York state, California and Arizona).

The need to write something besides comments on student essays gnawed at her. One day, she took out her old self-help book manuscript from a cobwebby drawer and began the process of turning it into a novel. That novel became “Babe in the Woods” and will be traditionally published by Wild Rose Press sometime in 2023. She blogs about that novel, so, readers, please follow her blogs as she updates everyone on the book's progress. Please also check out her essays and poems, also featured herein.

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CONNECT WITH JUDE:

Website:

https://www.judehopkinswriting.net

Twitter:

https://www.twitter.com/HeyJudeNotJudy

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/29749936.Jude_Hopkins

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123214774-babe-in-the-woods

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/3NCWURI

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/42QS8UT

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/42YWPMI

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Babe-Woods-Jude-Hopkins-ebook/dp/B0BZWRBQC2

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Babe-Woods-Jude-Hopkins/dp/1509248439

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/babe-in-the-woods-jude-hopkins/1143104918?ean=2940185577462

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/babe-in-the-woods-jude-hopkins/1143104918?ean=9781509248438

Kobo US eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/babe-in-the-woods-5

Kobo CA eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/babe-in-the-woods-5

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Jude will be awarding a $20 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.