One Polar Bear by Crystal Beach - Book Tour - Book Review - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hi, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Crystal Beach and her new book, “One Polar Bear,” 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 $10 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Crystal and to increase your chances of winning!!

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

One Polar Bear

by Crystal Beach

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GENRE:   Children's Fiction

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BOOK BLURB:

One Polar Bear is a delightful rhyming book filled with lovable animals from the Canadian Arctic. Polar Bear is home sick and alone. His many animal friends drop by to cheer him up. This counting story celebrates individuals with a variety of abilities and disabilities, and the text helps teach the numbers one to ten. Canada is a country made up of many peoples and cultures. This book reflects this diversity by featuring the word "welcome" in different languages amongst its pages. One Polar Bear is a wonderful bedtime story and a beautiful way to educate and celebrate the differences in our world.

If you can be anything, be inclusive.

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EXCERPT ONE:

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MY BOOK REVIEW:

This book, “One Polar Bear” is a sweet, fun, enjoyable children’s read filled with positive and inclusive messages, educational elements, and bright, vibrant illustrations!!

“One Polar Bear,” is full of clever rhyming sequences that are sure to delight young readers while also supporting their cognitive development.  In addition, this book includes numerical values, teaching readers to count from one to ten, further enhancing and boosting their literary skills.  This book is sure to help young readers not only learn to read, but also support phonemic awareness, improve memory, concentration, and thinking skills, as well as provide number recognition, comprehension of number order, and lay down the foundation for early mathematics skills.

This book, “One Polar Bear,” follows an unnamed polar bear that is home sick.  Over the course of the book, a wide range of lovable animals from the Canadian Arctic stop by to check in on their polar bear friend.  With each page flip the story counts from one to ten, displaying the actual number with the corresponding count of friends on that page.  For example, the number 4 on the page also features four seals, four stars, four trees, four music notes, and four swirls; the number 6 on the page also features six walruses and six stars.  I think young readers will enjoy finding and counting the corresponding number of items on each page.

In addition, the author displayed the word, “welcome,” in eleven different languages throughout the book to promote diversity.  For example, one page features the word, “Tansi,” and another uses, “Tunngasugit.”  I love the idea of this; however, I wish it said what language the word was from or how to pronounce it as I can easily see young readers stumbling over these unfamiliar words.  Honestly, I only recognized a few of them; “Welcome,” of course since that’s English, and “Hola!” which is Spanish.  I also identified “Bonjour,” which I should know after six years of French classes, and “Namasté,” which I recognize from many years of practicing yoga.  However, the other seven I don’t know.

This book is full of fun, bright, beautiful illustrations that are sure to keep readers engaged.

I loved that this book featured animals with bandages, casts, wheelchairs, canes, prosthetics, and such, which echoes the author’s dedication page to her daughters and to all children with disabilities and complex medical conditions.  I think all young readers, especially those with disabilities will easily connect with this story and its characters.  I honestly can’t recall seeing these types of books when I was younger, and having been a child with physical disabilities, I appreciate the author making this book truly inclusive.

This book is perfect for bedtime story time and as a learning to read to book.

This book is quick read at 33 eBook pages cover-to-cover and filled with 24 pages of text and illustrations.

This book is appropriately “G” rated as there is no swearing, no gory violence, no adult situations, and no sexual content.

This book is currently not part of a book series and therefore can be read as a standalone book.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book and would absolutely recommend it!!  I think all young readers and their families will like this book too!!  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**

Did you find this review helpful???

If so, please, please, please mark it as helpful on Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3ONYZRY9N5H3B

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AUTHOR BIO:

Crystal Beach is an adoptive mother and caregiver of two children who have complex medical needs and disabilities. Her children are often represented in her work as strong, caring individuals with special gifts and powers. Her writing projects are intended to ensure financial support for her children's future care.

Crystal has a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Her focus is in children's literature, publishing and journalism. She has had many careers including ten years as a MedA with the Canadian Naval Reserve, training as an EMT and continued studies in developmental psychology.

Her volunteer work has included Girl Guides of Canada and wildlife rescue and rehab.

She and her family live in Regina, Saskatchewan in a simple little house with two giant support dogs.

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CONNECT WITH CRYSTAL:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/crystalbeachauthor

Email:

beachcrystal811@gmail.com

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40712712.Crystal_Beach

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/181859020-one-polar-bear

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/46Z65U6

Amazon US Hardcover:

https://amzn.to/3Y111KZ

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/One-Polar-Bear-Crystal-Beach/dp/0228893488

Amazon CA Hardcover:

https://www.amazon.ca/One-Polar-Bear-Crystal-Beach/dp/0228893496

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-polar-bear-crystal-beach/1143804596?ean=9780228893486

Barnes and Noble Hardcover:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-polar-bear-crystal-beach/1143804596?ean=9780228893493

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Crystal will be awarding 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

**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 - Blurb Blitz - 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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EXCERPT ONE:

Life and filmmaking do not often mix well

I offer a detailed look at my journey of making four different feature films for the brand-new filmmaker out there. I am trying to write the book that I could have used in the very beginning. This is a book about what it means to be a filmmaker with little to no industry connections, “ins,” magic tricks, or otherwise.

My “rules,” which are in bold throughout the book, are just some things I keep in mind for myself. Based on my own experience reading books on making films, I want to try to avoid burying what is of value—the information—into a sort of “life story.” That’s boring.

It's very upsetting to see how many people sit around talking about how they never got a chance to make a film in their life, and now they are married, divorced, single, too old, too young, too poor, too comfortable…too anything besides “ready.” There are so many excuses not to make a film, so it’s best to just make one before your time’s up.

Life and filmmaking do not often mix well; you need to make movies and also live your life. “Life” and “Movies” are two separate and severe challenges. So, make movies and make life, even when everything is against you, and it certainly will be. A poignant moment of “The Empire Strikes Back” comes to mind…

“Are you afraid?” asks Yoda.

“No,” answers Luke Skywalker.

“You will be. You will be,” says Yoda, his eyes widening, in a very creepy way.

Your first feature film is simply a difficult but attainable milestone. I now know now why that is. Lack of experience and opportunity to grow is more harmful to new feature film producers and directors than anything else. When you can try and fail at something, or succeed moderately, you can grow, adapt, and overcome. The problem with making feature films is that many do not get a chance to ever make one or, even worse, they make one and never get a chance to try again.

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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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BOOK BUY LINKS:

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

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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.

The Dog Men by Patricia Crandall - Book Tour - Blurb Blitz - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hi, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Patricia Crandall and her new book, “The Dog Men,” 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 Patricia and to increase your chances of winning!!

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

The Dog Men

by Patricia Crandall

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GENRE:   Mystery

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BOOK BLURB:

Ten-year-old Wyatt and eleven-year-old Hannah uncover the dark world of illegal dog fights when they trespass at a Vermont farm and peep through a barn window. And when crotchety old Lester Cranshaw’s dog, Paddy, turns up missing, there is no holding him back from investigating the situation and the kids join in. In the dead of the night, after the trio are captured and held hostage at the Inglis farm, Wyatt will need all of his wits and courage to escape in order to save the lives of his friends. THE DOG MEN draws the reader into a tempest of animal abuse, lawlessness, and kidnapping within the confines of small-town happenings. A chilling plot and a peerless relationship between kids, adults and pets.

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EXCERPT ONE:

Wyatt watched Mrs. Forbes drop apples and oranges into brown paper lunch bags. Then came two bananas.

He frowned. “Won’t the sandwiches get crushed, Mrs. Forbes?”

Her hand stopped in mid-air. She reached into the bags to adjust the distribution of food. “Satisfied?” She smiled.

“Yea.” Wyatt swiped the cowlick bangs away from his forehead.

“I’m not happy, Mom,” eleven year old Hannah piped up. “How about peanut butter cups and Kit-Kats?”

 “You two are breaking me down.” Cleo Forbes shook her head. “I’ll put in candy if you promise to eat the fruit. Just don’t toss it.”

“We’ll eat everything.” Wyatt smacked his lips.

The phone rang and Wyatt watched Mrs. Forbes turn her back to answer it. He heard the loud, whining voice of old Miss Filmore. He inched over to the peninsula and reached into the candy bag, tossing more chocolate into the lunch bags.

Hannah covered her face to smother giggles. 

"I don’t know what’s going on,” Cleo said as she returned to the peninsula and greased a cake tin. “But a hike and fresh air will do you both good. Wish I could join you.” She sighed. “At least I’ll get the wool sweaters and blankets aired on the line. It’s a perfect day for doing that.” She started taking stuff out of the cupboards. “And, don't be late like last time. You scared me half out of my mind! When it got dark, I really worried."

"I'll make sure we're back on time, Mrs. Forbes," Wyatt zipped his lunch into his black knapsack. Hannah’s mom was really nice and made terrific brownies, but she was an awful worrier. It wasn’t dark yet when they got back. Not really. “Come on Hannah. Hurry up.”

She was shoving stuff into her backpack. Just like a girl to bring all that. Hannah went out the door ahead of him and Wyatt hesitated. “Mrs. Forbes? When did you say my mom and dad are coming home?”

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AUTHOR BIO:

Patricia Crandall is the author of nine books, and a 2023 winner of the Besties of the Capital Region Awards, Author Category.  Her latest book, “Lacey O’Dunn, The Rookie,” is a crime/thriller involving drugs and car bashing senior citizens on icy winter roads. She has also published numerous articles and short stories in various magazines and newspapers. Her book, “The Dog Men,” third edition was also just released. Patricia is a member of Sisters in Crime (Mavens) and National Association of Independent Editors and Writers. She lives with her husband, Art, and a rescue cat, Bette, at Babcock Lake in Grafton Mountains near Petersburgh, New York. She has two children and three grandchildren who live nearby.

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CONNECT WITH PATRICIA:

Website:

https://www.PatriciaCrandall.com

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/babcocklake

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/pcrandall123

Instagram:

https://instagram.com/pcrandall123

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2770510.Patricia_Crandall

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6065932-the-dog-men

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/3rvRM9s

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AMAZON BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/44v27RA

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/3Q1BI9F

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Dog-Men-Patricia-Crandall-ebook/dp/B004WSQGJK

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Dog-Men-Patricia-Crandall/dp/1614684669

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Patricia 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.

Something to Hold On To: Stories of Courage, Perserverance, and Love by Ann Hajdu Hultberg - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hi, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Ann Hajdu Hultberg and her new book, “Something to Hold On To,” 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 $15 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Ann and to increase your chances of winning!!

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

Something to Hold On To

by Ann Hajdu Hultberg

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GENRE:   Memoir / Anthology

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BOOK BLURB:

In life we hold on to our faith, family, friends, our sense of humor, our memories, and our promises. As a child, it might be a make-believe world. Sometimes it’s something physical like a prayer card or a twist tie, a school bag or a rosary bead. Maybe it’s a photo. Everything we hold dear brings us hope and comfort during both good and bad times.

I write what I and others have held on to; I recount my experiences as a late Baby Boomer raised in rural Pennsylvania, and most importantly, by a Hungarian father, an immigrant, who escaped the Soviet Invasion in 1956.

I hope that you the reader will connect to some of the stories and the things we hold on to.

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EXCERPT THREE:

From “Something To Hold On To”

A mother smothered her child to save fifty adults. She held a wool blanket tight over her infant’s face to stop her cries because their group could not be given away, could not be found in hiding. They all would have been shot or sent to prison camp. The pressure to stop the baby’s sounds stopped her breath.

My father was one of the last of the 200,000 Hungarian refugees who fled the country, traveling by train, truck, or foot, to escape Hungary’s Soviet-imposed policies.

Small in stature, but immense in resourcefulness and survival, dad beat all odds. As a young man he was captured by the Russians and placed in a group to be sent by boxcar to Russia. The people were told to stay in line, or they would be shot. He escaped by pretending to be a doctor to tend to a woman who had fainted. When the guard left to get water for the woman, he made his move and ran to a nearby building. Here a man hid him in his house until the Russians gave up their search.

He was later captured a second time by the Hungarian Gestapo, again to escape by using his wits. He found a Hungarian doctor to falsify a report that he had contagious T.B. and he was released. But others were not so lucky. Raping, killing, stealing-- these atrocious crimes were all part of the Russian occupation. The young, the old, the sick were captured off the street and sent to Russia to work, or to fight for their army, but most died before reaching their destination.

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GUEST POST:

Some of My Favorite Items in My Office

I really like this question! My writing area is cluttered yet organized. All that surrounds me has some significance, some memory that makes me happy. It’s my haven, a place of peace and concentration, where I can fall into a trance of words and sentences.

I write in my computer room at a desk top. My oak desk, made for the family by a good friend, is large with an attached hutch. On the top shelf of the hutch is where I keep my collection of distractions! I sit in a chair where I can no longer work the lever that raises and drops the chair, it’s broken, and so I sit on a pillow for height.

In the center of the hutch is a coffee mug given to me by my good friend, former colleague, and newly published author, Jude. The cover of my book is somehow laminated onto the front and back of the cup. I love that she ordered this for me and it reminds me of what I’ve accomplished in four years: writing, publishing, and promoting a book. I will never drink from this vessel but display the mug as I would a precious piece of crystal.

Next are three wooden blocks, all inscribed with a different saying: “I am silently correcting your grammar,” “Life is short smile while you still have teeth,” and “Relax we’re all crazy.” The latter two remind me to not take myself too seriously. And the former, well, people, let’s write using proper grammar! I’m on the prowl to catch those Facebook posts when I see the misuse of your/you’re or saw/seen, as examples.

On the right side of the shelf is a six inch tan, ceramic owl my dad bought for me on one of his business trips. As a teenager, I collected owls, and this one reminds me of my dad. I write many stories about his escape from Hungary during the 1956 Uprising, and I always want to do good by his name.

I have a jelly jar full of white chalk, which is obsolete now.  The lid holds a cushion with Mrs. Hultberg’s chalk in needlepoint, my name in red and the word chalk in white. Underneath the word chalk is a red apple. My friend Conny made this for me; her needlepoint work is beautiful, and it reminds me of a nearly 40 year teaching career, both at the high school and college level.

A black 1 inch by 2 inch eraser has stamped on one side “Out, damned spot!” Macbeth V. As a high school English teacher, I taught this play many times, along with Hamlet, King Lear, and Othello. I loved teaching Shakespeare’s tragedies and deem him as one of the greatest writers ever.

My sister-in-law gave me a travel mug and wrapped within the clear, plastic cup is a collage of pictures taken over our many girls -only- trips to the beach. Over a dozen pictures capture sunrises, bathing suit poses, beach chairs near the water at low tide.  Then the somewhat scandalous—drinking way too many lemon martinis, who left her bra on the porch?, drinking champagne at sunset and attempting cartwheels afterward, while in sundresses, on the hard sand, and having pulled leg muscles the next day.  What happens at the beach stays at the beach…!

On a tamer note, a globe, which belonged to my husband’s grandmother, sits atop three books: the Webster Dictionary, A Word a Day, and A Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate. I consult all three frequently. Did you know that a supernumerary actor appears in a film with no speaking parts? Or that a pococurante person is indifferent to others?

My walls are equally distracting, but also in a good way. Behind my chair is a painting my dad did years ago of my maternal grandfather, sitting in a lawn chair, near the lake, our favorite spot at the local state park. He is wearing his straw hat and holding a Camel cigarette, two staples he was never without. His good leg is crossed over his wooden leg, replaced by the one he lost in the railroad accident. I remember all of the family picnics we had with my grandparents at that location.

Above my hutch I have the letters- travel- 10 inch wood letters covered with parts of maps, reminding me of places as a family we have visited: Washington, DC, Louisville, NYC, Arizona, and Virginia Beach.

To the left of my chair is a window which allows me to glimpse into my backyard where I have a grapevine and apple tree, both planted by my husband and dad, so many years ago when we first bought our house. Behind the tree is another apple tree taken from dad’s house after he died. Behind that is a two story barn built by my husband and behind that the forest. Occasionally I get to see deer feed in the yard. My setting is bucolic, typical of the town where I live.

Lastly, I have a framed picture of a bird on a tree with the inscription COUNT BLESSINGS.  Yes indeed, each day I am thankful for all that I have, all that I’ve done.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Ann Hajdu Hultberg, born in Buffalo, New York, grew up in rural Bradford, Pennsylvania. A graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania and St. Bonaventure University, Ann spent 34 years teaching English at Limestone, NY, and Allegany, NY, School Districts; she was also an adjunct college composition instructor and student teacher supervisor at University of Pittsburgh at Bradford for 15 years. She and her husband split their time between Bradford and Naples, Florida, and visiting with their daughter and son-in-law. Something To Hold On To is her debut book.

Ann can be found on Facebook as Ann Hajdu Hultberg. Her Twitter handle is @HajduAnn and Instagram is annelizabeth59. https://www.facebook.com/ann.hultberg.

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CONNECT WITH ANN:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ann.hultberg

Twitter:

https://www.twitter.com/HajduAnn

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/annelizabeth59

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22537632.Ann_Hajdu_Hultberg

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61468290-something-to-hold-on-to

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/3XY8Ws9

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/3XYgXgW

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Something-Hold-Ann-Hajdu-Hultberg/dp/1667856413

BookBaby Paperback:

https://store.bookbaby.com/book/something-to-hold-on-to

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Ann will be awarding a $15 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble 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.

Prophet's Lamentation by Robert Creekmore - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hey, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Robert Creekmore and his new book, “Prophet's Lamentation,” 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 OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Robert and to increase your chances of winning!!

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

Prophet's Lamentation

by Robert Creekmore

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GENRE:   Thriller

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BOOK BLURB:

Two years after Naomi murdered the serial killer and rapist Vernon Proffit, she is attempting to adjust to a quiet life with her wife, Tiffany. But Vernon’s flock is not done with her. Under new leadership, their numbers have swollen as they morphed from a single entity into a network of cultists called Apostles of the Cloven Hand.

Naomi has suppressed her abilities since killing Vernon, but she cannot ignore the voices of the young people the new flock tortures and molests. They scream for help in her dreams every night, causing her to question her own sanity.

When she uses her long-dormant abilities to stop an attempted gay-bashing, Naomi’s true identity is exposed. The cult sends an assassin to kill Naomi and her family, forcing them to flee the state while the Apostles move to take everything the family has built.

Naomi fought the cult before and won. But that was before she had her chosen family to worry about. Now, she must choose between hiding on her own to keep her family safe or fighting back to destroy the Apostles. If she hides, the Apostles will continue to victimize those near them. If she fights, her family will be at risk of the same fate they plan for Naomi.

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EXCERPT ONE:

“Even after your enemies’ defeat, they are still with you.”

Those are Nate’s words. I hear them whenever I wake up screaming and fighting in the middle of the night. Tiffany has similar episodes.

How do you build an ordinary life when you’re not, well, ordinary? Terror and fury molded me for eleven years. That abruptly ended with the death of Vernon Proffit and his acolytes. Sure, there was a period of celebration following. After vengeance, the anger never completely subsides. Don’t interpret that as regret; some motherfuckers need killing.

What bothers me is that before I fed Vernon to the Atlantic Ocean, the screams that woke me were my own as I relived trauma.

The abilities my guide, Mara, gifted me are still intact, but I choose to shut myself off from them. However, now something new comes pulsing forth from the ground that I have no control over. I’m stirred from sleep by the horrors others are experiencing. They cry out for help, but I don’t know how to save them. Mostly, they’re abused young people. Their voices drive me mad. If I could only find them, maybe I could stop their suffering. Last night, it was a young man named Vincent. I couldn’t see where he was. I could only hear him wail in pain as he experienced abject hopelessness.

But I attempt to tarry forward.

Today, I should be happy. It’s July twentieth, two-thousand-six; my twenty-seventh birthday as Naomi Pace. Legally, as Hannah Sillman, I’m thirty-four and will turn thirty-five on Christmas day. That birthday is celebrated more ominously, as the real Hannah rests with her mother, Milly, under an old oak tree high up in the hills of Yancey County. Her father, Al, gifted me with this new life by giving me her identity for my eighteenth birthday. He was more of a father than my own, Amos, who beat me mercilessly when he found out that I was in love with Tiffany. I still am. Their hate and violence couldn’t destroy that.

I won. Why am I still so sad? Why do I disregard my own life, feeling guilty about those I couldn’t save, like Charles? He died during our escape. There was nothing I could do. I know that, logically, but I can’t convince my heart of it. It eats at me with each heartbeat, saying, ‘you could have done more.’ It does so now, at four-thirty in the morning. I’m sitting up in bed with no one to speak with. I don’t dare wake my beautiful bride, Tiffany, as she sleeps soundly next to me.

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GUEST POST:

How to Write Books That Appeal to All Readers While Staying True to Your Genre

If you write adult fiction, and your work angers no one, you’re doing something wrong.

I feel as though the purpose of my writing career is to piss off all the right people. Who are the right people? Those who have used their station in life to make existence miserable for others because of immutable differences. In fact, I believe this theme to be the characteristic that sets good literature apart from paragraphs of window-dressing bound between two covers.

In my work, I deal with the realities of the rural, Evangelical South, which is the environment where I grew up. I was even named after Confederate General, Robert E. Lee. Though, I am of no relation. I attended a church and school where I was taught to hate anyone who wasn’t white, straight and a specific type of Christian.

Today, I write fiction featuring LGBTQ+ characters fighting against a cult with similar viewpoints, albeit, far more extreme as the novel series goes on. However, the beginning of the first novel provides a rather accurate depiction of what the world was like for queer youth in the early nineteen-nineties.

The Prophet’s Debt series is also an allegory that begins purposefully during the rise of modern Christian nationalism, specifically, nineteen-ninety-three. That was the year of the Branch Davidian incident in Waco, Texas.

By the end of book three, I lay out a vision of how a militia movement metastasized so virulently that it bamboozled an entire population to a point where they were willing to base their entire lives around a man who is the antithesis of the savior they claim to worship. The truth is, they only wanted an excuse to hate openly and to control others who weren’t like them.

This, along with the extreme level of violence in my novels, will probably be a turn-off for a lot of readers. I’m fine with that. I’m here to appeal to the weirdos. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Robert Creekmore is from a rural farming community in Eastern North Carolina.

He attended North Carolina State where he studied psychology. While at university, he was active at the student radio station. There, he fell in love with punk rock and its ethos.

Robert acquired several teaching licenses in special education. He was an autism specialist in Raleigh for eight years. He then taught for four years in a small mountain community in western North Carolina.

During his time in the mountains, he lived with his wife Juliana in a remote primitive cabin built in 1875. While there, he grew most of his own food, raised chickens, worked on a cattle farm, as well as participated in subsistence hunting and fishing.

Eventually, the couple moved back to the small farming community where Robert was raised.

Robert’s first novel Afiri, is a science fiction love letter to his childhood hero Carl Sagan. It was nominated for a Manly Wade Wellman award in 2016.

Robert’s second novel is the first in a trilogy of books. Annoyed with the stereotype of the southeastern United States as a monolith of ignorance and hatred, he wanted to bring forth characters from the region who are queer and autistic. They now hold up a disinfecting light to the hatred of the region’s past and to those who still yearn for a return to ways and ideas that should have long ago perished.

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CONNECT WITH ROBERT:

Website:

https://robertcreekmore.com

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/RobertCreekmore

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8458028.Robert_Creekmore

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123362407-prophet-s-lamentation

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/39VEBWE

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/44xARBS

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/46V83VG

Amazon US Hardcover:

https://amzn.to/46Vx6Ym

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Prophets-Lamentation-Robert-Creekmore-ebook/dp/B0BZ6MRPVW

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Prophets-Lamentation-Robert-Creekmore/dp/1953971792

Amazon CA Hardcover:

https://www.amazon.ca/Prophets-Lamentation-Robert-Creekmore/dp/1953971806

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/prophets-lamentation-robert-creekmore/1143243070?ean=2940166034724

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/prophets-lamentation-robert-creekmore/1143243070?ean=9781953971791

Barnes and Noble Hardcover:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/prophets-lamentation-robert-creekmore/1143243070?ean=9781953971807

Kobo US eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/prophet-s-lamentation

Kobo CA eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/prophet-s-lamentation

Smashwords eBook:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/1366391

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Robert will be awarding 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

**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.