Curveballs: Unlocking Your Potential Through Personal Growth and Inspirational Music by Gail Taylor - Book Tour - Book Blast - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Gail Taylor will be awarding 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.

Here you are on the brink of a journey all about self-discovery and chasing dreams. With personal stories and tools that shaped the author's path, she focuses on embracing authenticity. You'll explore how living with purpose and passion is achievable. This personal-growth book combines cutting-edge technology and music interaction, reflecting the author's belief that music can transform and positively impact individuals and communities.

EXCERPT ONE:

Many people spend years—decades, even—in jobs that are safe, but not challenging. Stable, but far from rewarding. I refer to that choice as settling.

If you are in this situation, you might tell yourself you are staying in this role for your family or for their future. Sometimes you plan to leave these unfulfilling positions as soon as you have saved a certain amount of money, or have paid for your home or schooling.

I have seen firsthand when opportunities present themselves to folks in these situations whereby they pass on the new challenges and the chance to chase their dreams. You may convince yourself to stay where you are because the field you want to join is too competitive, your skills and talents are rusty and insufficient, or you are too old for a new career . . . a refrain many of us have heard, or uttered. I am so thankful I never believed any of these falsehoods.

When I decided to come out of retirement, three years into it, it was to start my own business: Gail Taylor Music. My goal was to become a keynote speaker, using my stories and music to help others become their best selves. When I mentioned this to my new entertainment lawyer, his first reaction was, “Write a book.” And so here we are.

If you have read the introduction to this book, you know something about my rather tumultuous early life and how I turned things around. For twenty-five years as a financial advisor, I helped clients with investments and with building retirement plans. I absolutely adored my job and imagined staying in this role until I retired, sometime in my seventies. Things might have worked out that way, but when I was fifty-eight, I started taking piano lessons.

The lessons were meant to be a hobby, a diversion from days spent neck-deep in numbers, analytical thinking, and playing it safe with clients’ nest eggs. Instead of just learning an instrument and having a bit of fun, I fell in love with music as it flooded back into my life. After spending two years with my new passion, I decided to retire sooner than planned and dedicate my time to studying this incredible art form. I was financially independent, so I made the decision, at sixty-one, to sell my business and turn over a new leaf.

It was not just an affair I was having with this new interest. I realized I wanted to spend as many hours in the day as possible learning all aspects of music. For someone with no musical background, I was in for an exciting journey and lots of new experiences. Due to advancements in technology, I was able to study online with the Berklee School of Music. It was so exciting. They did not require me to audition. The curriculum was worth every penny of the tuition I paid. I studied bass guitar, piano, keyboard, ear training, and songwriting. After a few years, I began to toy with the idea of reinventing myself as a musician.

When I shared my new passion with people, I was pleasantly surprised by their supportive reactions. “Oh, that is so inspiring,” they would say. I heard this often, from people I knew well and strangers sitting next to me on an airplane. It was as if I was suddenly in the same category as mountain climbers and long-distance swimmers. It felt so amazing to know I could inspire others to pursue their dreams.

AUTHOR BIO:

Gail Taylor, a Canadian songwriter, keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and author, is celebrated for inspiring others to take charge of their lives. With forty years of studying personal growth and peak performance, she proves that designing your own life is possible, regardless of your beginnings. Her expertise has made her a sought-after guest on numerous podcasts.

AMAZON BUY LINKS:

Amazon US:

https://www.amazon.com/Curveballs-Unlocking-Potential-Personal-Inspirational/dp/1779622015

Amazon CA:

https://www.amazon.ca/Curveballs-Unlocking-Potential-Personal-Inspirational/dp/1779622015

GIVEAWAY:

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The Mystery at Love's Manor by D. W. Thompson - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

The Mystery of Love's Manor

by D. W. Thompson

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GENRE:  Cozy Mystery

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BOOK BLURB:

Emma Love never thought she'd return to her hometown after years away from her estranged family. But when her sister-in-law is kidnapped, Emma puts her life on hold to help an old flame, Deputy Sam Mattingley, solve the case and bring Gwen home. With a degree in Criminal Justice and part-time experience working at a detective agency, Emma's skills are tested. As the layers of secrecy are peeled back, Emma realizes the mystery shrouding Love's Manor and her brother's marriage is more intricate than anyone could have fathomed. Can she navigate the convoluted trail of clues and locate Gwen before it's too late? And what of her long-suppressed feelings for Sam Mattingley…are they merely a product of nostalgia…or something more?

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EXCERPT THREE:

While we waited for our food, Sam started the same game we enjoyed together years ago.

“What about the lady with the blue windbreaker, Emma?”

“Hmm, let’s see. She’s a practical woman judging by the windbreaker over the dress clothes she has on under it. It is a brisk day today. I think she is having marital problems or thinks her husband is cheating. She keeps twisting her wedding band around her finger. She may be plotting an indiscretion of her own by the way she keeps looking nervously over her shoulder at the entrance. She’s expecting someone she probably shouldn’t be seen with. That’s why she picked the shadowed booth in the corner.”

“Not to mention the sunglasses worn inside?”

“Exactly. How about that guy across from us with the pin-striped suit?” I whispered.

“Despite the cheater’s ring around his finger, I don’t think he’s cheating, but the lady with him isn’t his wife. I’d say a first or second date after his divorce, perhaps. Wearing a suit, even a threadbare one, in a very casual restaurant, he’s trying to impress her, and she’s laughing too heartily at his jokes. She’s nervous as well. I’d bet she’s been on too many crappy dates since her divorce. They’re both trying too hard.”

We both laughed when a man entered with dark glasses, ducked his head, and made his way to the first lady’s booth.

It was a good lunch. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as sharing a meal with a good friend.

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GUEST POST:

My Biggest Writing Mistake and the Most Valuable Lesson It Taught Me

I was pitching my first novel many years ago (in a galaxy far away—or so it seems). It was historical fiction based on the nearly mythological life of our local witch, Moll Dyer. Moll’s life has been a subject near and dear to my heart since I first heard her story around a late-night campfire. Her tale was told to children as a cautionary tale in those days, and I believe the novel I wrote, “Sister Witch, The Life of Moll Dyer,” did a lot to dispel that point of view.

With the novel written and edited, and edited again and …, you get the picture. When I thought I had polished my manuscript into a literary jewel, I set about researching publishers. I’m not an exceptionally patient somebody, so waiting months to hear back from an agent wasn’t happening. I picked a half-dozen publishers accepting unsolicited manuscripts and previewed some of their offerings to see if we might mesh well.  Copy, paste, see attached, hit send, etc. My masterpiece was out in the world.

I’m sure at least half of those queries were never opened, but the rejections came in quickly. All were form rejections with one notable exception. One senior editor wrote back that she loved the story but could not use it at that time. I didn’t realize that her publishing house was about to fold, but I did take her advice to heart. She said my manuscript had too much backstory in the style of earlier writers. She said modern readers need the inciting incident front and center to maintain interest.

By now, all my queries had born fruit, decayed and rejected, but the rotted harvest of my labor was in. I set out to implement the change that my one “positive rejection” suggested. I soon completed that task, but the rejections were still too fresh, and my ego was too bruised. The manuscript fermented in my “unpublished” folder for several months, hoping again someday to see the light of an editor’s desk.

It likely would have remained in that folder for all time, but my mother, whom we’d lost years before, wouldn’t have it.

“Moll’s story needs to be told,” she told me in a dream.  “It’s time. Send it out again.”

I did so. The manuscript went out to four publishers the next day. In time, I received contract offers from three, and when I picked one I thought I could work with, I withdrew my submission from the fourth.

So, what did I learn from this first publishing experience?

1.)  The most obvious one? Never give up!

2.)  Some paranormal spice can flavor almost any genre (you’ll find some in “The Mystery at Love’s Manor,” too).

3.)  Don’t be afraid to mix it up. Life doesn’t unfold as a single genre.

4.)  Always listen to your mom even if (no, especially if) her advice is from beyond the veil. Love you, Mom!

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AUTHOR BIO:

D. W. Thompson is the mystery genre pen name for award-winning author David W. Thompson. As a multi-genre author, he's been awarded membership in the Horror Writer's Association, The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association and the Mystery Writers of America. David lives in picturesque Southern Maryland with nearby family and dear old friends.

When he isn't writing, Dave enjoys time with his family, kayaking (flat water, please), fishing, hiking, archery, gardening, winemaking, and pursuing his other "creative passion"- woodcarving.

He'd love to hear your thoughts on his tales that he describes as occasionally twisted, but always honest and original!

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CONNECT WITH D. W. THOMPSON:

Website:

https://www.david-w-thompson.com

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15425511.David_W_Thompson

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/dwthompson1

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/davidw.thompson.1238

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/D.-W.-Thompson/author/B0DHY6G5FM

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GIVEAWAY:

D. W. Thompson 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

The Fate of Our Union by Hildebrand Hermannson - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

The Fate of Our Union

by Hildebrand Hermannson

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GENRE:  Fantasy

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BOOK BLURB:

A mountainous thundering bull breaks up battling tribesmen, summoning three struggling youths, as an insidious unseen enemy turns tribes against tribes—pitting rich against poor, sons against fathers, and men against gods. Its insatiable hunger for division threatens to plunge mankind into a dystopian realm ruled by man-eating wolves.

A miraculous seven-headed horse, a symbol of unity, assembles the struggling youths of extraordinary origin into a journey of self-discovery. There Sunu the Saxon Poet, Rufus the Roman Stoic, and Keresaspa the Sarmatian Priestess must overcome pride, aversion, and unforgiveness; there they must learn from historical heroes, philosophers, and amazingly similar gods to battle the unseen monster and its rising wolfmen.

Fated to part ways to face the demons at home, Sunu, Rufus, and Keresaspa must reunite as they bring divided peoples together to fight the source tearing everyone apart. They must heed the divine wisdom of the seven-headed horse and justly wield the seven magic weapons they’ve mysteriously been given to overcome the unseen enemy and understand the higher purpose of the mountainous thundering bull.

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EXCERPT ONE:

Sunu meets the seven-headed, winged horse, Long Ears
(CH 4 of The Fate of Our Union)

Sunu’s breath caught in his throat as he stared at a white stallion with seven handsome heads, spreading a glorious pair of wings. It towered at twenty-one hands, and its seven heads encircled its neck like temple pillars; one faced forward, one angled to the left, one angled to the right. A head was on each side, while two in the back angled left and right. “You are the one we’re speaking to,” its pink lips uttered under black nostrils, the words echoing in Sunu’s ears like a divine melody.

“It’s as if all seven were as one!” Sunu imagined the sacred horses merging, gazing breathlessly as they surrounded the seven-headed, winged stallion inside the birch grove. His heart raced in suspense, his eyes wide with wonder, as he awaited its next move.

The stallion’s seven heads repeated, “As one.”

“I’ve heard of a horse with eight legs.” Sunu imagined Woden’s horse, Sleipnir. “But never one with seven heads . . . that can speak . . . and has wings!” Visually high, Sunu gaped at every beautifully mane-draped head under the dreamily feathered wings.

The stallion’s forward-facing head replied in a deep, resonant voice, “It’s time you heard.”

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GUEST POST:

Book Dream Cast

Sigurd, descendant  of Odin, who slew the giant serpent Fafnir (Norse Myth).

Brynhild, valkyrie of Odin, who counsels Sigurd in rune magic and moral wisdom (Norse).

Arjuna, Son of Indra, who slew Karna the son of the Sun God (Indian).

Odysseus, descendant of Zeus, who devised the construction of the Trojan Horse (Greek).

Aeneas, son of Venus, who led Trojan War survivors in search of a homeland (Graeco-Roman).

Cú Chulainn, the son of Lug, who slew innumerable men in single combat (Irish).

Rostam, son of the simurgh-raised Sal, who overcame the Seven Trials (Iranian).

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AUTHOR BIO:

Hildebrand Hengest Hermannson’s deep-rooted fire for Indo-European culture and Western Philosophy ignites his first novel, The Fate of Our Union, the inaugural piece in a planned series. His work draws inspiration from the national epics The Saga of the Volsungs (Norse), Mahabharata (Indian), Aenid (Roman), Odyssey (Greek), Táin Bó Cúailnge (Celtic), and Shahnameh (Iranian), weaving these rich cultures into original stories featuring fantasy world-building, dynamic characters, and intricate plots and themes. His Wild Hunt of thought breathes life into his spiritual, ethical, and cultural interests, inspiring us all to strive for imperishable virtue.

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CONNECT WITH HILDEBRAND:

Website:

https://www.hhhermannson.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/HHHermannson

Twitter:

https://x.com/HHHermannson

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/hhhermannson77

Pinterest:

http://pinterest.com/hhhermannson

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214514568-the-fate-of-our-union

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AMAZON BUY LINKS:

Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CZS7TD5V

Amazon CA:
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CZS7TD5V

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GIVEAWAY:

Hildebrand 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