Arabesque by MG da Mota - Book Tour - Author Interview - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Arabesque

by MG da Mota

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GENRE:    Historical Psychological Drama

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BOOK BLURB:

A woman living alone in a coastal Sussex town in 1998 plants a copper beech sapling at 3 a.m. on a dark, cold night. Why?

A ballet dancer in 1960s East Germany is oppressed, longs for escaping with his little daughter but not his wife. Why? Will he make it?

In 2022 Karsten von Stein, widower and principal of the Royal Ballet, with two young children, meets Ivone Benjamim, a Portuguese, newly-arrived principal dancer. They discover a magical chemistry when dancing and soon it transfers to their private lives.

Against the background of ballet and its dancers, a woman called Grace tells her story from a rehab centre. Obsessive, delusional she begins believing Ivone robbed her of the man of her dreams—Karsten. And then a skeleton is found in a garden...What connects all these people and their stories?

You’ll be the audience facing the stage of this balletic novel.

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EXCERPT TWO:

After a moment I decided in favour of the bus. Taxis were too expensive. Just then I heard the roar of an engine and instinctively stepped back. A red Ducati parked only a few metres away on the side road. I knew about motorbikes. My brother liked them. He owned an Aprilia and took it to the tracks in Portugal much to his wife’s chagrin and my little niece’s excitement. I recognise and appreciate a terrific motorbike when I see one.

Admiring the Ducati from a distance I watched the biker who dismounted with the elegance of a model about to shoot a fashion video. He pulled off his helmet, attached it to the steering, next to a spare already there and walked into the station. I followed him with my eyes. His walk. As if floating. It was him. Last month’s stranger on the Strand. It could only be him. The way he moved was unmistakable. So light. So elastic. Graceful. Not effeminate. Stylish. Noble. With class. He wore black jeans, laced ankle boots, a pilot’s leather jacket and a black and red wool scarf around his neck. I thought he looked like a prince, or at least what one imagined a prince should look like—tall, athletic and handsome.

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

Any weird things you do when you’re alone?

Weird things I do when I’m alone…well, I suppose so. I talk to myself or have conversations with my characters aloud. Sometimes I dance around the room pretending I’m a ballerina or I pretend I’m a conductor at the head of an orchestra performing some of my favourite classical music pieces; other times I sing along to opera.

What is your favorite quote and why?

There are many quotes I like from either books, people I admire or poems and I tend to use quotes in my novels that relate to the different parts of the plot. It’s difficult to name a favourite but if I have to, I’d go for one by Albert Einstein in an interview he gave in 1930: “I never think about the future. It comes soon enough.” I like it not only because it has humour; in my opinion it is true and because when I was younger, I used to plan lots of things ahead of time only to be disappointed because they never happened the way I’d planned. Now, I tend to follow Einstein’s quote and life feels easier and better.

Who is your favorite author and why?

I don’t have a favourite author as such but there are many I admire. I love many authors from the past who have become classics and are considered literary giants – for e.g. In the States Ernest Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald, in England Shakespeare, Stevenson, P D James, Jane Austen and Eva Ibbotson; in Portugal Eça de Queiroz, Fernando Pessoa and Camões, in Germany Stefan Zweig, Clemens Brentano, Heinrich Heine to name just a few. As to contemporary authors there are many I admire and whose books I enjoy. Listing only a few here, I’d say Isabel Allende who is well known; Claire Winter, Cay Rademacher and Sabine Weigand in Germany; in the Portuguese language José Agualusa, José Rodrigues dos Santos, Isabel Stillwell and Rosa Lobato Faria and in the English language Tracy Chevalier, Kate Morton, Minette Walters, Peter May, Robert Harris and Marie Benedict.

There are many more but the list is too extensive to write down here.

What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?

To me the most important elements are:

1) a good command of language to create interesting dialogues and atmospheric descriptions, using the words in a different, more beautiful way than in a colloquial, informal manner. I don’t like it much when people write the same way they talk. 

2) well researched topics. 

3) suspenseful plots 

4) unusual, intriguing characters.

5) Not repeating the same words too often, especially not in the same sentence or paragraph when possible and suitable. Sometimes repetition is necessary to convey certain emotions or impressions.

Where did you get the idea for this book?

The idea for this book came from my love of ballet and my admiration for the dancers who seek perfection with every performance.

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AUTHOR BIO & LINKS:

MG da Mota is Margarida Mota-Bull’s pen name for fiction. She is a Portuguese-British novelist with a love for classical music, ballet and opera. Under her real name she also writes reviews of live concerts, CDs, DVDs and books for two classical music magazines on the web: MusicWeb International and Seen and Heard International. She is a member of the UK Society of Authors, speaks four languages and lives in Sussex with her husband. Her website, called flowingprose.com, contains photos and information.

Website:

https://www.flowingprose.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/m.g.da.mota

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/margarida-mota-bull

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mgdamota

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GIVEAWAY:

 MG da Mota will award a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter at the end of the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mad Season: Elles Garity's Story by Gregory Armstrong - Book Tour - Blurb Blitz - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Mad Season:

Elles Garity's Story

Book 1

by Gregory Armstrong

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GENRE:   Literary Fiction

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BOOK BLURB:

Fifteen years ago, Elles Garity’s world came crashing down, in more ways than one. Now in her mid-twenties, long since removed from the small island town that she grew up in and never dealing with the pain of her loss, life is calling her back home. In the affirmant of recent unfortunate events Elles finds herself at a turning point once more. This time though, she’ll be forced to confront both her unresolved grief and the people and places she left behind. It won’t be easy. Along the way Elles will learn the truth behind a new friend’s dark connection to her tragic past and be the last to uncover unthinkable family secrets that will unravel everything she ever knew about the family she thought she lost.

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EXCERPT ONE:

Now, I was questioning all of it. I didn’t deal with things well. I didn’t allow anyone to help me deal with things. My life, the road I was on, the lane I had shifted into when I took the wheel, to put it quite figuratively, looked dark and dismal. I was solely responsible for switching my life into cruise control before ever giving myself a chance to learn to drive the damn car.

All these things ran through my head. I didn’t speak to Loyal about any of it. Where would I start? How could she possibly understand my position? Not that I gave her a fighting chance. Time sort of stood still as I sat there frozen, empty. I started this. I made this mess. I had no fucking clue how to fix it. I closed my eyes for a while, and when I opened them, it hit me like a slap to the head. The answer was staring me in the face. Where it all went wrong is where it needed to begin again.

“Grace, I’m worried about you.”

She had never said those words to me before. Ironic, though, how it came across, how I took it—her spotting the wreckage and expressing concern to the very person who was entangled in the heap. Out of upheaval, I took solace in a clouded idea to uproot myself once more. I emerged partially from my funk, oddly enough,

with a wayward smile and slightly brighter outlook. I turned to Loyal, sincere. “Everyone must think I’m horrible.”

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AUTHOR BIO & LINKS:

Born in Westerly, Rhode Island, and a Connecticut native all my life, my family eventually moved to Norwich in 1977, where I grew up. I attended and graduated from Norwich Free Academy in 1991. It was there, in my final two years, where I acquired a passion for writing. At the time, the school provided a writing center, a classroom filled with computers, designated as a creative writing outlet for the students, and overseen by the now accomplished author Wally Lamb. Here, we were free to use our time working on our own projects, developing, learning, and sharpening our writing skills. Each class, we would gather in a circle to show and share our work with Mr. Lamb and the rest of the class by either reading or having our material read aloud, and hearing feedback from our peers.

Mr. Lamb’s writing center instilled a desire in me to one day write a book and become an author, just as he was doing, putting the final touches on his debut novel, She’s Come Undone. Unfortunately, for me, that is when that dream of mine became a struggle that would last decades. At the age of three, I contracted meningitis, which caused me to go completely blind and left me hospitalized for several weeks. Despite doctors believing my vision would never return, it did, slowly and to a certain degree, although my optic nerve had sustained too much damage and I was declared legally blind.

Growing up was a struggle. Socially, I was quiet, shy, uncomfortable knowing I was different from all of the other kids, because of my physical limitations and lack in self-confidence. Reading was also a challenge. Even though I soon got my first pair of glasses, which made my vision clearer, being able to see the print on a page was still a major issue. For those reasons, I have never been much of a reader, and how does someone who doesn’t read, who doesn’t study the art of literature through books, because it was a strenuous activity on my eyes, learn how to write?

The fact that I found myself stuck, without the necessary tools and unsure of my own talents and abilities to be a quality writer, all the other insecurities of my childhood at play, I gave it up for a time. My active imagination for storytelling did not. As I got older, and into my teenage years I started listening to more music to fill a void. The more I listened, the more I began to broaden my tastes in artists, groups and genres, and the more I heard stories in the songs. Music, along with television and movies, were combining to strengthen my inspiration to be an aspiring author.

One such movie, which mirrored many of my own self-imposed hurdles, was Eddie and the Cruisers. The character of Eddie Wilson, lead singer of a fictional rock and roll band, was consumed by the notion that his music was never good enough, that if they were going to be a band, they had to be great, if they were going to release an album, it had to be great as well. I had obviously grown-up learning and hearing about the great authors and novelists of all time, the great classic books. I had always put that pressure on myself, the same way Eddie Wilson did. I was convinced that I didn’t know how to write, and even if I did, would it be good enough? I had been told, taught by teachers and others, that there were rules to the writing game, including creating a story outline, character development, a whole assortment of proper steps to follow and processes before the writing even began.

Over the years, I started a novel a time or two, hating it, and giving up again. I met my future wife, got married, started a family, and quit my average job to become a stay-at-home dad. Through all of it, thirty-plus years, that ever-present need to write gnawing at me, the urge still there, my vivid imagination still running wild—I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I had to let that creativity out and give it a real and focused purpose. With the rough idea of a plot in mind, I sat down at the computer and finally let all of those insecurities go. With a shot of determination and a relaxed mind, I slowly but surely discovered my own writing style, and found my storytelling voice. To hell with all the rules, the unrealistic expectations I placed upon myself, the result—a deeply, emotionally charged story of tragedy, personal reflection, and redemption, that is Mad Season.

Website:

https://gregoryarmstrongbooks.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561749654997

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GIVEAWAY:

Gregory will be awarding a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter at the end of the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Pyjama Boy by Steven Murphy - Book Tour - Book Blast - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Steven Murphy 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.

Steven Murphy spent his formative years in Sydney's Redfern.

Abandoned by his mother when only weeks old, his father left him in the care of a cruel, alcoholic stepmother while he himself was in jail. Unbelievably, the child they dubbed the "Pyjama Boy" fought his way through life to achieve his ultimate goal. His story is a poignant and haunting one that captivates its reader from the very beginning and remains long after the book has been closed.

AN INSPIRATIONAL TALE OF SUCCESS AGAINST THE ODDS

EXCERPT ONE:

There was something odd about the woman driving the yellow station wagon. Her eyes darted around suspiciously. Steve watched her from his patrol car. Her 1988 Sigma moved off from his right at the green lights, to enter the late-night traffic. She had a passenger, a young man with a wispy beard. As they moved, the man looked across at the police car waiting third in line at the red light and then glanced momentarily over his shoulder into the back seat. Sparks spat along the dark surface of the road as he tossed his cigarette out the window of the car.

‘Nervy little punk, ’ remarked the older police constable next to Steve.

‘There’s something odd about both of them in that Sigma...,’ said Steve.

‘Yeah, I think we should have a chat with them.’

As lights turned green and when they were clear of the intersection, Steve pulled past the two vehicles in front of them. The Sigma had increased its pace and was nearly out of view as it turned left almost without slowing. Steve’s pulse rate rose with the revs of the police car. They swung into the side street and passed the Sigma with Red and blue lights flashing, then slowed in front of it. The older policeman put his arm out his window, indicating that the Sigma should pull up at the curb.

While the woman searched a handbag for her licence, Steve noticed that there was someone lying on the back seat of the car. Shining his torch through the window, Steve realised with a jolt that the passenger was gagged, with a tee shirt twisted and pulled tightly into an open mouth. The arms were pulled back and bound at the wrists with a leather belt.

Within minutes a second patrol car had arrived at the scene and the couple were taken into custody, their bound and gagged passenger found to be dead. Steve looked at the victim, a man in his mid-thirties and recognised the face of one who had recently ‘helped him in his enquiries.’ Soon there were detectives and forensic officers examining the car and, as the body was being removed, Steve received orders to drive to an address in a nearby suburban street.

AUTHOR BIO & LINKS:

I've never thought of myself as special-just someone who has lived through life's challenges like everyone else. But over time, I've come to see that by sharing my journey, with all its imperfections, I might offer something meaningful to others. Life moves so quickly, and the choices we make shape everything. My hope is that by being honest about my experiences, others might find encouragement or even a little clarity for their own paths.

Speaking at Schools and events across Australia has been an unexpected privilege. These moments aren't about presenting a perfect image; they're about connecting with people on a real, human level. I bring photos, videos, and documents to show the truth of my story-not to impress but to connect. When I speak openly, sharing the vulnerabilities and lessons I've learned, something powerful happens: the audience feels it, and suddenly, it's not just my story-its something they can see themselves in, too.

If you would like to have Steve speak to your School, group or organization he can be contacted through email: stevenmurphy_11@bigpond.com.

You can connect with Steven Murphy through a number of platforms to learn more about his story and work.

Website:

https://thepyjamaboy.com

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/stevenmurphyauthor

Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/56696685.Steven_Murphy

Book Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUopXLOFQU4

Visit his website to view the one bedroom flats he uses to live in and show his living conditions as described in the book.

Feel free to reach out — Steven is always happy to connect with readers and share more about his journey.

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Words to Think. Or to Sing. by Intensia - Book Tour - Blurb Blitz - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Words to Think. Or to Sing.

Intensia

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GENRE:   Modern Poetry

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BOOK BLURB:

Have you ever wondered how your favorite songs really began?

Not with the words, not with the melody, but with a feeling.

Becoming a vision, becoming lines, becoming a complete piece of sonorous truth meant to be shared to unite people who resonate with it.

A mystical, fascinating process you can now be part of.

INTENSIA, a new heartfelt, poetic singer songwriter likely to belong with your favorite pop music companions, is turning the traditional release model upside down, inviting you to look into her soul and mind before anyone else.

Be among the first to witness this spark before her distinctive voice echoes through the world. This unique approach offers an unprecedented glimpse into evolving art, so you can feel and enjoy the essence of her songs before they are even complete.

Dive into this curated collection of lyric excerpts and emotional snapshots from pop songs in progress. Each piece stands on its own as a modern, poetic message, paired with brief reflections about the meaning or emotions behind the words.

It is more than something to read. It is a space to pause, reflect, and connect, with room for your thoughts and reflections too. Write what moves you, what you feel, what you dream. This book and its songs to be are meant to accompany you wherever you go.

For even more space to express yourself, the companion notebook PLACE TO THINK. OR TO WRITE. (ISBN 978-3-911445-02-3) is available as a dedicated space.

WORDS TO THINK. OR TO SING. out 26 June 2025 on Amazon. Paperback (ISBN 978-3-911445-00-9), eBook (ISBN 978-3-911445-01-6).

Join INTENSIA’s free Intense Inside Club at www.intensia.music and discover this special music developing experience as it unfolds, where connection begins as songs come to life.

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EXCERPT ONE:

S T A I R C A S E

I saw red while you held my hand

on that hill in a castle of sand

being nice, coming out of the blue

you were losing me, undeniably true

I was just another trophy for your shelf

overloaded by the further rusty twelve

Dissociating from this charming place

you are a mess inside, I know it’s the case

this romance had better leave no trace

but at sunset we sat here on the staircase

THE HIGHER THE STAIRCASE, THE CLEARER THE VIEW.

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AUTHOR BIO & LINKS:

From Munich’s vibrant core, Intensia is sparking a poetic, tuneful movement with a unique glimpse into her evolving pop songs-to-be book, “WORDS TO THINK. OR TO SING.”. It combines lyric snippets with heartfelt reflections, inviting readers to discover her art in progress in a new and unexpected way.

INTENSIA’s story began in childhood with a simple radio cassette recorder, a portal to a mesmerizing world where her voice became a powerful way to explore emotions and transform them into melodies.

Her lyrics delve into self-reflection, personal growth, relationships, and empowerment. Themes that reflect the vision of her boutique flagship label, Intensia Music International, which is also dedicated to inspiring others to explore their creative side.

With a high art, down-to-earth attitude, INTENSIA stands for emotional pop tunes that feel like after a meaningful conversation with a good friend. Step into her world at www.intensia.music and you will find a new sonorous companion for life.

Artist Website:

http://www.intensia.music

Publisher Website/Music Label:

http://www.intensia.international

Author Amazon Page:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09HZ6HCH9/about

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24676392.INTENSIA

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AMAZON BUY LINKS:

Amazon US:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F9RR5TK9

Amazon CA:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0F9RR5TK9

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GIVEAWAY:

Intensia will be awarding a $20 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter at the end of the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Theirs Until Always by Mae K. Knight - Book Tour - Book Blast - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Mae K. Knight 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.

Adam:

Men like me don’t get happy endings.
When my demons talk to me, I talk back.
I heeded their call when they demanded my parents’ death.
I even listened when they ordered my own.
And they nearly won.
Until her.
One night changed my life. Then I lost it all. I lost her.
Now, I’ll do anything to get my sunshine back.
But can a sinner like me be willing to share after learning I’m not the only one craving her light?

Jordyn:

When a man shows you his red flags, run.
But running from Adam is easier said than done.
When he re-enters my life, my world implodes with the secrets he’s keeping.
Can I forgive him and learn to live in his shadows? To be the light he thinks I am?
Or will his darkness consume me?

Abel:

Witnessing your twin nearly die, hardens something in you.
I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Adam breathing.
As kids, he’d protected me, even though that was my job as the older brother.
Now, it’s my turn to protect him.
You can run little sunshine, but you won’t get far.
If Jordyn’s what my brother needs to keep his demons at bay, then I’ll claim her for us.
She’ll be ours, always.

EXCERPT TWO:

I hum a tune under my breath, slightly dancing in place as I move forward in the line, wiggling my body back and forth.

Caffeine makes me happy.

And I enjoy the excuse to get out of the house, to feel like an actual human being instead of a robot answering calls and dealing with insurance prior authorization claims—my work-from-home job. It pays decently, but I still pinch pennies, and these little treats are worth every dime.

For mental health.

Nodding to myself in agreement, I smile when it’s my turn at the counter, spitting out my order by memory alone without needing to look at the menu. I’m reaching down for my purse when a familiar pair of tattooed fingers enter my line of sight, tapping a card to the terminal before I’ve a chance to grasp my wallet.

Whirling around, I gape up at Adam, soaking in the sharp angles of his face, piercing aqua eyes, and aristocratic nose. Metal glints in the light, a piercing on the edge of his bottom lip and three hoops through the upper helix of his left ear, leaving the right undecorated.

I’ve missed him so much I could kiss him.

I don’t, though, blinking and taking a step back upon realizing we’re holding up the line.

He places a hand on my hip, guiding me away from the counter to the area where completed orders get placed. Stunned, I let him.

“W-what are you doing here?” I mumble then mentally say fuck it, reaching a hand out to grasp his bicep.

AUTHOR BIO & LINKS:

Mae K. Knight is a self-published author based in Louisiana, who enjoys writing “trauma boys” as her readers coined them, BIPOC FMCs that look like her and fast, smutty stories that leave you craving for more. When not writing, she’s reading monster romances penned by her fellow indie authors, studying for her nursing degree, or lifting heavy weights in the gym to feel like a bad bitch on a competition platform.

If you want to read more of her work, check out her Website: https://maeknight.carrd.co, buy Signed Paperbacks directly from her: https://mackandmae.shop or go directly to her Amazon Page for her KU titles: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mae-K.-Knight/author/B0D3674KWR.

Plus, connect with her on Social Media:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560507610143

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49729390.Mae_K_Knight
Threads:

https://www.threads.com/@maek.knight

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@maek_knight

GIVEAWAY:

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