Shakti of the Illuminated Lotus: A Dark, Erotic & Futuristic Fantasy for Adults by Luki Belle - Book Tour - Blurb Blitz - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Shakti of the Illuminated Lotus

A Dark, Erotic, & Futuristic Fantasy for Adults

by Luki Belle

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GENRE:  Erotic Supernatural Dark Fantasy

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BOOK BLURB:

In a fictitious, mysterious, and futuristic Earth, the Western and Eastern continents are poised to become entangled in an ancient holy rivalry and epic battle.

The enigmatic and powerful king of Asukhas rules over the technologically, scientifically, and militarily advanced Western Continent, closely guarding his blissfully ignorant population of captive humans.

The golden-haired spirit, Ahankara, is suddenly released from captivity in the void and unleashes a powerful reptile upon the world's oceans.

Associate professor of philosophy Anjali Valpolicella seeks psychotherapy from renowned Western psychologist Dr. AlexanDRA, and their therapy sessions may reveal an important secret to possessing the much-coveted Trident of Kumarun.

In Shakti of the Illuminated Lotus: A Dark, Erotic & Futuristic Fantasy for Adults oceans roil as factions doggedly compete in a dark and erotic quest to find the Trident, hidden by the Eastern continent's divine panthers for centuries. The fate of the World teeters on the brink. Who will possess the Trident? Do they want to use it to gain access to the holy realm of Juwala, or will they use the Trident to destroy the realm and take command of military forces of unimaginable power?

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EXCERPT THREE:

“I have found the gateway to Juwala in the womb of the ocean! The path created by the Spirits of Illumination when their leaders Himayiel and Gimael came to Earth” Jashmitha paused intentionally.

A deep frown appeared on the king’s forehead as he unclasped his arms slowly, his mouth opened to speak but words could not be expressed, he was in utter disbelief of what he had just heard.

Mother Balaktaan nodded convincingly “It does exist AlexanDRA!”

The king shook his head vigorously “No! My father dispelled those rumors! There is no such gate only a void between Earth and the underworld of Jackal King Vihaan, where Ahankara has been exiled!! You could not have found something that never existed! My father would have never kept something like this from me!” he said earnestly and walked to her, holding her shoulders firmly to look into her languid eyes.

“AlexanDRA…listen to me…the path and gate to Juwala were protected by the kingdom of Nakandas” she said in her shrill voice without shrinking away from him.

“NO! No! No! You are lying…you are mistaken!! He would have told me!!” he clenched her shoulders, her body starting to writhe beneath from the pain.

 “AlexanDRA…the kingdom of Nakandas, divine serpents of the ocean, their kingdom has disappeared, the path and the gate have been left unprotected! You must call a gathering with the Spirits of Illumination!”

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AUTHOR BIO:

Luki Belle works in the media industry. Listening avidly to stories from diverse cultural fiction books read to her by her extended family, storytelling was a fixture from early childhood. Pouring over magnificent and enchanting illustrated books in her family's library, Luki was drawn to the mythology of South Asian Indians, Greeks, and Romans. These diverse mythologies were her strongest inspiration when, many years later, she started penning the first outline for her debut novel, Shakti of the Illuminated Lotus.

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CONNECT WITH LUKI BELLE:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/people/Luki-Belle/100090188427853

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/lukibelleauthor

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lukibelletheauthor

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL2NPXs_9LTiNkgqN29SI6A

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AMAZON BUY LINK:

Amazon US eBook:

https://www.amazon.com/Shakti-Illuminated-Lotus-Futuristic-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B0CKD1V9HN

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Luki Belle will award a $10 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Private License by Kevin R. Doyle - Book Tour - Book Blast - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kevin R. Doyle will award a $10 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

All Lorie Jones wants is a little help with her divorce. Some extra information, a bit of ammunition to take into court against her no-good husband. And when she hires the biggest and best investigation firm Kansas City has to offer, that’s exactly what she gets. But after their operative wraps up Lori’s case, he decides he doesn’t want to move on, and Lori soon realizes that she’s got an even bigger problem than she had before, one that threatens her privacy, and maybe even her life.

It’s up to Sam Quinton, one-man detective agency, to take on the largest firm in the business, and as Sam digs into the background of Lori’s harasser, he soon finds something bigger, and much more dangerous, than one overzealous guy who just can’t let go.

EXCERPT ONE:

Lorie hadn’t reported the latest invasion of her home. Maybe she was tired of running to the police and getting nothing accomplished, but when I considered the last intrusion and threatening note had happened before Karyn Roberts had suggested coming to me, my stomach fluttered a bit.

“Not exactly the kind of stuff you go to local cops for,” I said. “No offense.”

Sloan grunted. “None taken, mainly because you’re right. And actually, she didn’t initially bother us with the first two incidents.”

I nodded. “It was the third went over the top for her.”

“Yeah.” Sloan closed the file. “Which kind of fits because messing around with someone’s home is cop business. The rest of it lies with the post office and the banking people.”

“So what did you do?”

“About what?” Sloan looked up at me.

I sighed and managed to keep myself from shaking my head. And here we’d been getting along so well. “Did you look into her allegations?”

“These would be the allegations that a respected employee of a respected firm in the city was screwing around with her mind and emotions.”

“No,” I said, dropping my voice an octave or so. “Those would be the allegations a licensed private investigator, an ex-cop at that, was harassing and intimidating his own client.”

“You implying somehow we slow walked this because the guy she mentioned used to be a cop?”

AUTHOR BIO:

A retired high-school teacher and former college instructor, Kevin R. Doyle is the author of four novels in the Sam Quinton mystery series, all published by Camel Press. He’s also written four crime thrillers, including And the Devil Walks Away and The Anchor, and one horror novel, The Litter, along with numerous short horror stories published in small magazines over the years. The first Quinton book, Squatter’s Rights, was nominated for the 2021 Shamus award for Best First PI Novel, and the fifth in the series, Private License, will be out in August of 2024.

CONNECT WITH KEVIN:

Website:
http://kevindoylefiction.com

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/kevindoylefiction

AMAZON BUY LINK:

Amazon US Paperback:

https://www.amazon.com/Private-License-Quinton-Kevin-Doyle/dp/1684923042

GIVEAWAY:

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Happy Harry: A Magical Golden by Barbara Lampert - Book Tour - Book Review - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Happy Harry: A Magical Golden

by Barbara Lampert

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GENRE:  Dog Memoir

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BOOK BLURB:

"Nobody who loves dogs will be able to resist your book! A magnificent love story!"

~ Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, international bestselling author of Dogs Never Lie About Love and When Elephants Weep.

In her dog memoir Happy Harry: A Magical Golden, psychotherapist Barbara Lampert, a lifelong dog lover, tells the story of her beloved Golden Retriever, Harry. Like her first dog memoir, Harry's story comes from her mostly uncensored daily journal and takes place in Malibu, California.

Harry was a genuinely free spirit - wild, and very wolf-like. Did all this contribute to his being exceptionally happy? Perhaps.

Harry was not only the happiest being Barbara's ever known, happy to the very core of him, but also the bravest. More than once in his life, Harry had to face true adversity, and each time, Barbara would look at him in wonder, not fully understanding how a being could be so brave and at the same time continue to be so happy.

Harry literally pranced through life, with a joyous attitude that made being around him like magic. Barbara fell in love with Harry. And as you immerse yourself in Harry's story, it's likely you will too! Happy Harry is unforgettable!

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EXCERPT ONE:

I call Harry my calendar dog. Exquisite face. That’s what drew me to him when he was nine weeks old. Sounds superficial, but I thought his face was extraordinary. And this sounds superficial too, but I’d hoped his face would stay as gorgeous when he grew up. Well, it has. But you know, no matter what he turned out to look like, I knew I would love him tremendously. What’s inside Harry is amazing!

Harry is the happiest dog I’ve ever known. Genuinely happy, from the core of him. Mostly with a ball game. Harry can’t wait for the moment when he can go out to play.

The first few years with Harry were insane. He was a maniac, wouldn’t listen. Particularly when he was out of the house on a walk or at the big field at the nearby school. We tried every kind of leash and harness. We enlisted a dog trainer. Nothing worked. But little by little, he’s getting better. Still pays scant attention when we’re out of the house, but at least I don’t have the feeling he would run away. Though he’s never off leash when we’re out. Never!

Those first years were so chaotic with him that I was resigning myself to the possibility he might be a sociopath, because he seemed to not care about rules, listening, or consequences. I needed to accept him as he was. But now, at six, Harry has become incredibly devoted and loyal. Our wild wolf has settled into his pack.

I’m at work right now and can’t wait to get home and see Harry. Give him lots of kisses, get his over-the top joyful greeting with a soft toy in his mouth. Seeing Harry brimming with enthusiasm makes me so happy! I love him so much!

Harry’s adapting… But more than that, he’s still so joyful. His abundance of happy energy is so wonderful to be around. He’s still putting stuffed toy rabbits and balls in his mouth, particularly when he’s really happy. Still comes to me with even more enthusiasm and his head held even higher than usual when I say, “Hey Harry.” I love saying that to him, and Harry seems to love hearing it. I only use the “Hey” with Harry. It’s special, just for him. Something I started saying to him a few years ago. To me, it’s a way of emphasizing how cool Harry is. Yes, Harry is really cool, in the true sense of the word. Unafraid, carefree. Still.

Dogs are such special beings. I swear a big reason they were put on this earth is to teach us how to be.

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MY BOOK REVIEW:

This book, "Happy Harry: A Magical Golden," showcases the author's deeply devoted love for Harry, their special bond, and his unfazed happiness, energetic passion, and full of life mentality.

This book, "Happy Harry: A Magical Golden," is a delightful pet memoir about a very special Golden Retriever named Harry. This book is written in journal style entries that date over the course of almost 11 years, starting November 22, 2005, four days after Harry's arrival to the author's home, to September 15, 2016, just a few days after what would have been Harry's 11th birthday.

This book is full of fun, sweet, beautiful, entertaining stories of Harry, his friends and family, and his silly shenanigans and crazy adventures. It's very clear that Harry was so truly loved and cared for. Sadly, he was only here for a short time, however, he absolutely made a impression on all those he met and now, all those who have had the privilege of getting to read his story!!! It's hard not to fall for this sweet, gentle, wild-spirited, beautiful Golden!!!

The author, Barbara and her husband purchased Harry, a pure bred Golden Retriever with AKC papers, from a California pet shop. The book starts out with Harry's arrival to the author's home, his introduction to his new digs and meeting their other pets, including their other Golden Retriever, Barney, a rescue dog found wandering on the PCH. The book then progresses to the family’s adjustment of having a new baby furball full of energy running on his own alarm clock. (As someone who's taken care of both kittens and puppies - the amount of time and energy needed at this growing stage is so very exhausting and stressful, but also so very sweet, entertaining, and rewarding!!!) The book continues to follow Harry and his "big brother/mentor" Barney in their day-to-day lives, including tail-wagging games of fetch, exciting and varied long walks through new areas and neighborhoods full of new scenery, new scents, and new people, and spending time lounging on comfy chairs in their home garden. As Harry continues to grow, both physically and mentally, the author begins to realize that nothing seems to bother this sweet, gentle giant, he always seems so happy, so energetic, so full of life. This book proceeds to showcase a very Happy Harry as he continues to prance through life, enjoying new adventures, making new friends - including a girlfriend, a yellow lab named Roxie, and even becoming a "big brother/mentor" to new family member and playmate, Bentley, another Golden Retriever.

This book, "Happy Harry: A Magical Golden," tells the beautiful story between a pet and their owner, a bond of true love, friendship, and selflessness.

I loved that this book also featured many adorable black and white photos of Harry, Barney, Bentley, Oreo, the author, her husband, their home, and their garden. In addition, there are several intriguing wolf themed author quotes weaved throughout the book.

This book spans twenty-six chapters across 295 Paperback pages. Each chapter is also divided up into many short and dated journal entries. I haven't read too many books in this style format before, but I actually really enjoyed it. Some the entries were short, just the basics, and then moved on. Others that needed more detail felt appropriately longer. Thankfully, the author didn't write an entry every single calendar day just to write something, she only wrote when an update was necessary, sometimes days or weeks after their previous entry. It's interesting how the author started the journal to write about her garden, but ended up spending the time talking about her dogs. But who doesn't love dogs?? Especially Golden Retrievers!!! And as someone who used to train Golden Retrievers (also Yellow and Black Labs) for Guide Dogs for the Blind, these are (all three) very special, highly intelligent, and truly just the most amazing dogs ever!!!

Warning - Box of tissues needed!!! While this book does contain many happy, fun stories that are sure to bring laughs and smiles; there are quite a few pages that will bring sadness, tears, and heartbreak. Perhaps it's because we lost a family pet earlier this month, I'm a little more emotional about this, but even as a huge animal lover, it is still very hard having to say that final goodbye. And even having only read about these sweet furbabies, hearing their passings, were still quite sad and heartbreaking.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book and would absolutely recommend it!!  So, add it to your TBR List and get to reading - you won't be disappointed!!

**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations**

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AUTHOR BIO:

My passion is dogs! I’ve had dogs most of my life and hope to have at least one by my side always. Dog energy is the best!

I’m the author of two dog memoirs: Happy Harry: A Magical Golden and before that Charlie: A Love Story. Each about one of my Golden Retrievers. (I told you dogs are my passion!)

I’m a psychotherapist, licensed for over thirty years, specializing in relationships.

I was a flight attendant for nine years. And taught sociology at several universities. I have two master’s degrees and a doctorate.

Gardening is another love – not as much as dogs, but right up there! I see my garden as a work of art and garden as much as possible in my free time. I love being in nature.

I  live in Malibu, California with my husband David and, you guessed it, our two wonderful Golden Retrievers, Oliver and Henry.

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CONNECT WITH BARBARA:

Website:

https://www.happyharryamagicalgolden.com/happy-harry-a-magical-golden

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/barbara.lampert.50

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/barbaralampertauthor

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@barbara.lampert5

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/barbaralampert1

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.com/drbarbaralampert

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amzn.to/3VANV7k

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AMAZON BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://www.amzn.to/4ceb9G6

Amazon US Paperback:

https://www.amzn.to/3VkTR2Z

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Happy-Harry-Magical-Barbara-Lampert-ebook/dp/B0CN842PJ1

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Happy-Harry-Magical-Barbara-Lampert/dp/B0CMTXK538

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Barbara will award a $40 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.

My Gangster Father and Me! by Marcia Rosen - Book Tour - Blurb Blitz - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

My Gangster Father and Me!

by Marcia Rosen

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GENRE:  Memoir

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BOOK BLURB:

Happy Fathers Day.

Our history and experiences can define us, inspire our actions and as writers impact our words and stories.  Mine most definitely has. My father was a gangster. Really!

This is my story about my relationship with my father and how his profession affected me and my life, “He called me Sugar Plum. Both a blessing and a burden, I learned interesting lessons from my father: about generosity and determination, taking risks, and certainly finding the willingness to live life as an adventure.”

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EXCERPT ONE:

Some fascinating and incredible women have inspired me. None, who by the way had a physical beauty, but surely an inner beauty. Being inspired and inspiring others provides us with shared strengths giving us opportunities to be more than we are as one. Those who inspire us, in the process, influence us by their intellect, accomplishments, and wisdom.

Eleanor Roosevelt and Golda Meir have been two of my role models. Author Gertrude Stein and many other good writers have influenced me. These are people who dared to go beyond the ordinary. They were not willing to accept the limitations society or family set upon them.

If we are fortunate, there are also those in our lives who inspire us, expressing belief in us. I’ve had a few such people in my life, encouraging me to never give up my dreams and ambitions. I decided long ago to keep at a safe distance people who are angry, jealous, and mean-spirited. Really. Who needs them? Who made them right?

I know it’s not always easy to do. Sometimes they are a close relative, even a parent. And it’s quite a juggling act dealing with those situations. The worse is for any woman dealing with an abusive spouse. Finding support and asking for help is critical. We all deserve better.

 What does all this have to do with me and my dad?

Quite a lot, in fact. His actions inspired me. In doing so, they influenced my actions in many ways. He almost never gave up at times when it would have been easier to do so.

Once asked what characteristic I think most important in a partner, my response was generosity. Oh, not only financial. I also mean being generous in expressing feelings and communication and being generous in kindness, thoughtfulness, and love. Many people are stingy and withholding of those things. They and their relationships have lost so much in the process.

All we need to do is look and listen to the world around us for negative influences. Controlling people need power to fuel their egos and cause pain and chaos. The benefit of their actions is solely for their own egos even though they falsely claim otherwise. The psychology of their actions and rhetoric is for professionals who understand human behavior. But I do know they are difficult people who create difficult situations.

My father showed me his love and affection. Maybe it’s why writing and words matter so much to me. There should be no doubt how much words matter. Cruel and thoughtless words sting. When I owned my first business, two nursery schools, many parents would say goodbye to their child with, “You better be good today!” or “Don’t be bad today!”

I would ask them please, not to do that and just tell their child, “Have a good day,” and better yet, “I love you.”

There had to be something about my growing up, about my experiences providing me with such an awareness.

I think back about my father buying lunch for the homeless man asking for money. I remember him taking a huge basket of food to one of his sisters whose husband was out of work. I saw how he never said no to my mother when she asked for money.

Sometimes a simple action or a few words can influence.

Sometimes a simple action or a few words can inspire.

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AUTHOR BIO & LINK:

Marcia Rosen is an award-winning author of twelve books including nine mysteries, the most recent is An Agatha, Raymond, Sherlock, and Me Mystery: Murder at the Zoo. She is also the author of The Senior Sleuths, the Dying to Be Beautiful Mystery Series, and The Gourmet Gangster: Mysteries and Menus (Menus by her son Jory Rosen). She wrote The Woman’s Business Therapist and My Memoir Workbook and has given Memoir Writing presentations and classes for close to twenty years. Her Memoir Blog can be found on her website. For twenty-five years she was owner of a successful national marketing and public relations agency.

Marcia has frequently been a featured speaker at organization meetings, bookstores, libraries, and Zoom Programs presenting talks on Encouraging the Writer Within You, Marketing for Authors, Writing Mysteries…Not A Mystery and A Memoir Detective…Writing Your Life Story. She has also helped numerous writers develop and market their books.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Southwest Writers, New Mexico Book Association, Public Safety Writer’s Association, International Memoir Writer’s Association, Women’s National book Association and National Association of Independent Writers and Editors—for which she is also a board member.

www.MarciaRosen.com

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Marcia will award 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

Murder at the College by P.H. Turner - Book Tour - Blurb Blitz - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Murder at the College

by P.H. Turner

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GENRE:   Mystery

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BOOK BLURB:

A detective has a smooth-talking heartbreaker for a client, but there’s a problem.

Quinn has scorch marks from her last relationship and plenty of chemistry with Ben, but he could have killed his twin brother. He demands to work the case with her, claiming it’s his life on the line.

A partner is the last thing Quinn wants. What she wants is to prove him innocent. But she’s finding plenty of evidence he isn’t.

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EXCERPT THREE:

The Starlight bar’s back door was unlocked, and the old door creaked like a rusty garden gate. If Kat was already there, she knew someone had arrived. Quinn ran through the corridor and past Ben’s dark office toward a light burning over the mixologist workstation. Ben was dropping orange peels into a steaming pot of water and wearing earbuds. He was humming softly to himself.

“Ben,” she yelled as she raced up the steps to join him.

He turned around and jerked out the earbuds. “What’s going on?”

Suddenly, the lights went out, plunging the bar into the dark. The only light came from the gas flame flickering under the bubbling pot. “Call the police,” Quinn said.

“It’s okay. It’s the storm. I have a flashlight around here somewhere.” Ben bent over and pulled a light out from under the counter.

Quinn whirled around to stare into the back hall. She’d heard something, but it was black as pitch, and she couldn’t see.

Ben must have heard it, too. He aimed the powerful flashlight into the hallway. “Who’s there?”

The overhead light flickered once and came on, and the hairs on the back of Quinn’s neck rose.

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AUTHOR BIO:

P.H. Turner (Pat) writes contemporary mysteries spiked with long-held grudges, secrets, and murder. With roots in a Texas farm homesteaded in the 1850s, she calls Austin home. When she's not writing, she's cooking for family, or taking care of a pair of hairy mutts, or in her garden coaxing roses to bloom in the Texas heat.

Pat is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and Romance Writers of America.

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CONNECT WITH P.H. TURNER:

Website:

https://www.phturner.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/P.H.TurnerAuthor

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/pht97

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.com/pathturner

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/P.H.-Turner/author/B00NZ8RW0K

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AMAZON BUY LINK:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-at-College-P-H-Turner-ebook/dp/B0CW1MQLWG

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

P.H. Turner will award 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

Imperfections by Ann Chiappetta - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Imperfections

by Ann Chiappetta

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GENRE:   YA Contemporary Fiction

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BOOK BLURB:

For Lainie, feeling unwelcome is only the beginning of her struggles. Her mom is addicted to painkillers, her stepfather is a felon, and her dad traded her in for a new family.

So what if she’s kicked out of high school? Determined and attractive, Lainie sets out to make her own path.

Shane, the young man she begins dating and believes is trustworthy, transforms into a possessive and cruel boyfriend. When Efren, Shane’s older cousin, enters her life, Lainie grasps onto a shred of hope, falling in love. Shane’s obsessive and abusive treatment of her, however, casts a deep shadow over Efren and Lainie’s chance to find  safety and a future free of the fear of Shane’s  sadistic retribution.

Will their love persevere, or will Shane’s pervasive and negative influence push Lainie and Efren apart, forcing them to love secretly?

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EXCERPT THREE:

Shane wasn’t who he once was, and I needed to do whatever I could to help her feel safe. Witnessing the abuse and shame she’d endured because of his sick obsession twisted me, and I wanted nothing more than to pummel his snotty little face until he begged for mercy. How could anyone abuse someone like Elaina?

She strode past Shane and into my suite with the final armful, ignoring him.

“I’m done,” she said.

“I hope she doesn’t disappoint you in bed,” said Shane.

The anger boiled, but I kept myself in control. “Enough of that. This isn’t the time to rearrange your face, you snotty wanker,” I said, my voice thick with anger.

I waited until Shane dropped his gaze, then I said, “I hope that day comes soon, cousin. I hope you step over the line so I can make some improvements to your complexion.”

He retreated to his room. I heard the lock engage, and I permitted myself to feel a little regret at not defending Elaina’s character with direct contact of my fist against that arse’s face.

I entered the room. Elaina had stacked her belongings, her life, into a corner of the sitting area. It saddened me to know that a few cases and boxes were all that remained after Shane had stolen and sold the rest to get high.

There was so much about her that I wanted to know. Why her father never helped her. Why she didn’t ask for help from her relatives in New York. I knew her mother was an addict and that she and Elaina did not speak. She was enrolled in East Bay Community College and was close to earning an associate’s degree. She wanted to obtain a bachelor’s degree in kennel and stable management. So focused, and yet she seemed sad.

The fair gowns hung on a hook in the closet. Her fingers caressed the pewter and black one.

The gesture brought me a sense of gloom, as if she were saying goodbye. After I had crept into Rita’s box and listened to her sobbing, the moderate measure of guilt I felt for punching Shane, the wanker, then asking Rick to assist in throwing him over the fair gate, had been assuaged. Shane should have gotten a sounder beating, but he was still blood kin. That was the only thing that had saved him from my rearranging his mug.

Listening to Lainie’s sobs, I realized I wanted to pick her up off Rita’s back and be the one to absorb those tears. I needed her to trust me. She was so vulnerable and isolated that I wondered if she would ever take a chance on sharing the abuse I knew she had endured during her time living with Shane. I hoped when she finally decided to trust me, I would be able to handle it.

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GUEST POST:

World-building can be the most important element of your book. What media outlets, role-models, and real-life inspirations did you draw from while writing this book?

This is a great question. My book’s main location is San Jose and the Santa Clara valley and the towns and cities surrounding it. Towards the end of the book Lainie and Effren make a trip back to New York. I drew upon plenty of my personal knowledge for the chapter written for the trip to New York, having lived in both locations. I grew up in New York but also spent eight years in the Santa Clara valley, bummed around in Santa Cruz and San Francisco.

I used the web for researching professional dog kennels and spoke with a few dog trainers I know. I am a guide dog user, being blind for over thirty years. I know more than the average person about the handling and training of service dogs and am fascinated with Schultz Hund and military working dogs.

As for role models, I create a character layer by layer. I am a retired family therapist. Delving into personalities and crafting memorable characters is challenging. I actually enjoy it. Ray Miller, Lainie’s boss, is modeled after the high school principal I knew and liked. Ray is a combat veteran with a below-the-knee limb loss. I came into contact with men and woman veterans in my profession and creating a positive sketch like Ray -- overcoming a devastating trauma and injury -- solidified Ray’s character on the pages and readers found him engaging.

The Renaissance fair knowledge is both personal and researched. In a weird twist of fate, I experienced both a Renn fair in New York for many years and prior to New York, spent an entire weekend at the one held in Northern California.

I did the most research with the timeline in relation to cellular and mobile phones and computers. Lainie began her journey just prior to Silicon valley exploding with the commercial production of the semiconductor. She didn’t have a cell phone when the book begins and by the end of the book  four years transpire, enough for me to insert mobile phones and household computers. I do admit shortening the smart phone and pc revolution in terms of time and I do blur the boundaries a bit to suit the story.

Thanks so much for hosting me and my book, Imperfections. 💖

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AUTHOR BIO & LINKS:

Ann Chiappetta, M.S. Poet and author 

Ann’s award-winning poems, creative nonfiction, and essays have appeared internationally in literary journals, popular online blogs, and print anthologies. Her poems have been featured in The Avocet, the Pangolin Review, Plum Tree Tavern, Magnets and Ladders, Oprelle, Western PA Poetry Review 2024and Breath and Shadow. Ann’s short story, The Misty Torrent appeared in the Artificial Divide anthology published by Renaissance Press (2021).

Ann is the recipient of the 2019 GDUI Excellence in Writing award and the WDOMI 2016 Spirit of Independence award.

Independently published since 2016, the author’s seven volume collection includes poetry, creative nonfiction essays, short stories and contemporary fiction.

Diagnosed in 1993 with a rare form of progressive retinal disease, Ann accepts vision loss as part of her life but doesn’t let it define her as a whole person.

The author resides in western Pennsylvania with her husband, retired guide dog pet dog and cats, striving to develop a mutually-beneficial relationship with her assistive technology.

Contact Ann by visiting her Website:

https://www.annchiappetta.com

Subscribe to Ann’s Blog:

https://www.thought-wheel.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/verona.chiappetta

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Ann 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