Padlocked by p.m. terrell

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. p.m. terrell will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Things People Might Not Know about p.m. terrel

Thank you for hosting me here today! You’ve asked me to share a few things that people would never guess about me, which is a fun topic. Here goes:

I see ghosts. The first time I saw one, I was in my mother’s bedroom with several siblings when we saw a man there. We all saw him. As my mother called for my father, he disappeared into thin air. It turned out to be someone she had dated for years before meeting my father. He had never married, always holding a torch for my mother, and he died the evening that we saw him. My mother always believed he passed through to say goodbye to her.

I believe all creatures have souls. And in the afterlife, I want to go where my dogs went.

I have an insatiable appetite for knowledge. I love history, research, and exploring a variety of topics. I used to read everything I could get my hands on, but these days I limit my news intake, preferring to delve into history, science, and less stressful topics.

I love to cook. I have become a one-pot wonder. I enjoy stews and soups in the winter, and I cook and then refrigerate my own salad pasta recipe that includes Asian vegetables, tuna, and shrimp in a lemon vinaigrette. I could live on salad pasta all summer.

I love bright flowers, and my favorites are neon pink crepe myrtles. They look like flowers in the sky to me as the trees grow taller. I enjoy low-maintenance gardens. I always start off the spring season highly motivated, but once the North Carolina summer heat sets in, I fear becoming like the Wicked Witch of the West and melting away!

Padlocked is an epic historical and visionary novel that follows the lives of a group of ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary, life-altering circumstances as Nazi Germany invades Poland in 1939.

Two foreign photojournalists, an American and a Spaniard, are trapped between armies at Festungsfront Oder-Warthe-Bogen, along Poland’s western border with Germany. It is Hank’s last overseas assignment, and he’s been counting the days until he can go home to North Carolina to be with his family. Rafe fled Spain after the dictator, Francisco Franco, targeted his family. The experience changed him, and he now sees the rise of fascism in Europe as a battle between good and evil. They will find themselves embedded with the Polish, Nazi, and Soviet forces at varying times, forcing them to face moral and ethical decisions in their struggles to survive.

A young woman is separated from her sister in Warsaw as the Nazis encircle it. Agata made a vow that she would return to take Elsa to safety, but soldiers and barbed wire prevent her from entering the newly established Jewish sector. She is consumed with guilt over their separation, and when she discovers her sister was taken by train to a work camp near Krakow, she navigates her dangerous, war-torn country in search of her. Her quest will force her to confront a Hell on Earth to find her.

A young man joins the Jungdeutsche Partei, or the Young German Party. Once bullied as a child, Max’s new affiliations promote him to a position where he can dictate life or death and settle scores. In order to thrive under Nazi occupation, he makes daily choices that legitimize brutality and erode humanitarian principles and scruples.

While they don’t know one another at the start of their journeys, each will make decisions that have the power to transform them and place them on paths that ultimately converge on January 27, 1945, as the 60th Army of the First Ukrainian Front opened the gates to Auschwitz-Birkenau for all the world to witness.

This is ultimately a story about the strength of love, courage, faith, and resilience in the face of unimaginable hatred and obsession with power, and how every decision we make places us further along specific paths.

Read an Excerpt

Max was unprepared for the pandemonium as he stepped outside the building. He supposed it made sense as he could hear the voices from his office even if he hadn’t been able to make out the words. Still, it was jarring to see people who would normally walk with controlled purpose now rushing this way and that, as though the sky were falling. It made him hasten his steps, his heartbeat quickening as he joined the throngs. Many stopped along the way to cheer on the passing army vehicles, but he dodged around them, eager to get his book and get back to work. He didn’t want the soldiers to give his office to anyone else in his absence.

“Max! Max!”

At the sound of his name, he almost hid, thinking his ruse was discovered, but he quickly realized the voice was female. His eyes darted around the crowded faces. After a moment, the horde parted, and Stella rushed through to him.

“They’re on our doorstep!” she shouted excitedly. Her face was aglow, and he wanted nothing more than to scoop her into his arms and kiss her.

But, as others glanced their way, he grabbed her hand and led her to a quieter area. “Stop smiling,” he directed, swinging her around to face him.

“Why?” she demanded.

“They are not here yet. Do you want the Polish Army to pick you up?”

“Why would they? I have done nothing wrong.”

“Oh? Now that they are here and we are locked in a battle with them, you and I are collaborators.”

“Huh! That is not true.”

“Isn’t it?”

“It is not. We knew nothing of their plans to invade. We only know that we like their system of government.”

“And you don’t think they are here to change our system of government to their own?”

“Isn’t it exciting?”

“Stop it, I say. Stop it!” Max wiped his forehead. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

“The shop where I worked closed.”

“Closed? Why?”

Stella shrugged. “Excitement. Fear. Maybe a little of both.” She peered at him, her eyes narrowing. “Why are you here and not in the mayor’s office? I would have thought you’d be very busy there.”

“I am very busy.” He pulled at his suit jacket as if straightening it. “I have been promoted.”

“Promoted! To what?”

“I am now a liaison to the military.”

“The Polish military?”

“Do you see another here?” He waved his hand toward the tanks passing by them.

“What are you doing for them?” she breathed, her brow furrowing.

“English translation.”

“You don’t speak English!”

“How do you know that? I do, actually. And I am on a mission, and you are delaying me.”

“Be that way, then.” She pouted briefly before adding, “What will you do when the Nazis arrive in Będzin?”

“How do you know that they will?”

She shrugged. “I am hedging my bets.”

“For right this moment, today, I am a military liaison. That is all I know for now.” He waved as though pushing her away. “Now, go.”

As she started to leave him, he pulled her back into an embrace and kissed her. Startled, he thought she might pull away, but she didn’t. She leaned into him, her tongue flicking inside his mouth and her body pressing against him. She smelled of flowers and musk, and he held her more tightly as he inhaled her essence. Then she abruptly stepped back. “Call on me later,” she said, “when you are no longer working your military liaison shift.”

Then she was gone, as if she had never been there; her petite figure disappeared among the taller men and women crowding the sidewalk. He stared in the direction she’d gone, but when he didn’t spot her among the cluster of people, he turned back in the direction of home.

About the Author:

My full name is Patricia McClelland Terrell, and I have been writing under the pen name p.m.terrell ever since a publisher presented me with my first fiction book cover. The graphic designer had also entered my name in lower-case letters; my editor hated it, and I loved it. It’s been p.m.terrell ever since.

I began writing when I was nine years old, inspired by a schoolteacher and elementary school principal. Scott-Foresman published my first book, a computer instructional for universities, in 1984. Scott-Foresman, Dow-Jones (Richard D. Irwin branch), Palari Publishing, Paralee Press, and Drake Valley Press have published 27 books to date.

Before embarking on a full-time writing career, I founded McClelland Enterprises, Inc., in the Washington, D.C., area in 1984, specializing in workplace computer instruction. I opened another business, Continental Software Development Corporation, in 1994, which focused on custom application development, programming, website design and development, and cybersecurity.

I was honored to be the first female President of the Chesterfield County/Colonial Heights Crime Solvers. Since moving to North Carolina, I served on the boards of the Robeson County Friends of the Library and the Robeson County Arts Council.

I launched The Book ‘Em Foundation with Waynesboro, Virginia, Police Officer Mark Kearney, and assisted in Virginia, New Hampshire, and South Carolina events before establishing the Annual Book ‘Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair, chairing it for several years before turning it over to Robeson Community College in Lumberton, NC.

Padlocked is available in all eBook formats, trade paperback, hardcover, and large print editions.

Website: https://pmterrell.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pmterrell.author/
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/padlocked/id6759671735
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/padlocked-pm-terrell/1149563468
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GPWWNBFN
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/padlocked-2
In France: https://shop.vivlio.com/product/9781935970569_9781935970569_10020/padlocked
In Germany: https://www.thalia.de/shop/home/artikeldetails/A1078388459
All other eBook formats: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1977075

As Long As You're Mine by Jenna Jaxon

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jenna Jaxon will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Welcome to It's Raining Books. Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?
br> Well, for starters, I love history. I always have. I think I cut my teeth on The Little House on the Prairie series before graduating to Gone With the Wind. And never looked back. I then became a history major with a fondness for the Renaissance and Shakespeare—the master storyteller—before moving on to Austen, the Brontes, and Richardson. I’ve just always been fascinated by how people lived before all our modern conveniences and had all those rules about what you could and couldn’t do, or say, or eat, or entertain oneself. And it’s so much fun to recreate that world!

What research is required?

A crap ton of it! But fortunately, I adore doing research. It’s so much fun to run down how a Regency bedroom or dining room or ballroom looked. Trying to discover what the latest ballgown or walking dress or tea gown looked like in 1892 excites me to no end. And I try to get it right down to the type and color of the lace, who the dressmakers of the time in London or Richmond were in 1892, what the city looked like so my characters can see that world and my readers can see it through their eyes. I’m building the world of the past which I think is harder than building a world from scratch because readers can go back and check your facts if they want to, so historical authors have to be on their toes!

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

From my hero, Rafe, I learned perseverance. He had the most patience with his heroine of any hero I think I’ve written. And I learned to be patient with my writing. I needed time and perspective to see that the book I wrote in 2012 was not the best, when I was too young a writer to see it. And so I think that’s why it took me so long to bring this book to the public. Rafe was whispering in my ear that I needed to grow as a writer before I could make his and Amantha’s story what it truly was destined to be.

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

I do have several quirks when I’m writing.

1) I need quiet in order to write. No music, no talking, no phones, no nothing but me and the computer or notebook.
2) I have to write a detailed outline (usually about 10 pages chapter by chapter) that I then consult religiously as I’m fleshing out each chapter.
3) I write ten-page chapters, so about 3,000 word chapters, and pretty consistently I can turn out a chapter a day. I don’t feel finished until I reach that goal.
4) I really like to write my first draft in longhand. My dear mentor, Judi McCoy’s, best piece of advice to me was “You can fix crap, you can’t fix nothing.” So when I’m writing longhand, I instinctively know that I’ve got to rewrite it as I type it into the computer, so I feel free to write whatever comes into my head because I know if it’s crap I can fix it easily.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

If you can’t tell from the answer above, I’m a plotter through and through. I can’t write anything without an outline. I have to know where I’m going and how I’m getting there before I can start to think about the details of the trip. This doesn’t mean I don’t take side trips or meander off down green leafy trails to see where it takes me, but eventually I’m back on the true road and speeding along toward that happy ever after.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

An air mattress. I’ve been living with my daughter since I broke my shoulder and she just moved into a new townhouse so everything’s in disarray. And I can’t climb the stairs to the bedrooms, so I got an air mattress and that’s to the right of my makeshift writing desk at the moment.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

Now that As Long As You’re Mine is out there, I’m working on the next book in the Welwyn Marriage Wager series for Dragonblade Publishing. It’s book five, called Gem of My Heart.

The premise is that six cousins have a wager put to them by their grandfather the duke. He wants to see all of his grandsons married before he dies so he wagers they all can’t get married within a year. If they do he’ll give each of them an estate, a carriage and equipage, and 10,000 pounds. But if even one of them doesn’t marry, they all get nothing.

We’re getting toward the end of the wager now, and in book five the next cousin looking at getting married has a big problem. The woman he loves, who he wants to marry, won’t marry him because she’s his mistress and very much afraid she’ll force him to break with his family if he marries her. (It would be quite a scandal.)

A scandalous mistake…or a wicked way to happiness?

Hoping to compromise herself, Lady Amantha Easton sneaks into the bedroom of her would-be suitor only to find a total stranger there—a totally handsome, charming stranger to be sure—but not at all the man she plans to marry. She leaves his room with her reputation intact—barely—only to fall victim to the gentleman’s charms in a public place. Now Amantha must face the fate she’s tried to avoid—marriage to a man who will never love her.

All Rafael Beauregard wanted was a warm bed and a good night’s sleep…but what he got was an unexpected romp with a beautiful vixen and a fiery kiss that left him wanting more. An excellent trade, except now he’s got to marry Lady Amantha, one of the most willful women he’s ever met. So Rafe’s challenge is to persuade her that marriage to him might be the best thing for them both…once he convinces himself.

Read an Excerpt

“Oh, Raif!” She could scarcely breathe now. “That…feels…so good.”

“I thought it might. You’re awful sweet.” His low, sleepy voice sounded odd under the covers. On the verge of asking if he was well, she lost the thought when he lifted his head from her breast and crushed his lips to hers.

All else forgotten, she wouldn’t have cared if the house burned down around them. His lips were hot, insistent. Then he plied the seam with his tongue, softly urged it to part for him. She had no desire to resist and soon he had buried his tongue deep in her mouth. A tentative stroke of her own brought a growl of encouragement, and she abandoned herself to explore his willing mouth. She did things she’d never dreamed she’d do, with Raif or anyone else. And she only wanted more. “Oh, Raif. I never thought it could be like this.”

He chuckled. “How soon you forget, Jenny.”

“Jenny?” Amantha froze, her blood turning to ice in her veins. “Who’s Jenny?” Sudden anger lit a fire in her, and she pushed him away. “How many women were you expecting in your bed tonight, Raif?”

“What?” The sleepiness had flown from his voice. “You’re not Jenny?”

“You expected me to be?” This was a nightmare. They weren’t even married and Raif was being unfaithful to her.

“I didn’t expect anyone in my bed.” He threw off the covers and fumbled at the bedside table.

“What do you mean you didn’t expect me? We had planned this, Raif.” What the devil was the man playing at?

“We?” A match flared as he lit the lamp, the sudden light after the darkness almost blinding her. She put her hand up to shield her eyes.

“What do you mean, we?” He sat up in the bed, rubbing his eyes. “Who are you, sweetheart?”

The voice, now unmuffled, certainly did not have the superior tone of Raiford Tolbert. Slowly Amantha lowered her hand to find a man with dark hair she’d never seen before peering at her.

Dear God, what had she done?

About the Author

Jenna Jaxon is a best-selling author of historical romance, writing in a variety of time periods because she believes that passion is timeless. She has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic herself, Jenna has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise. She tries to incorporate all these elements into her own stories.

She lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of pets--including Olive, an almost silent cat, Earl Grey, a very curious bunny, and a Shar-pei mix dog named Frenchie.

Blog: http://www.jennajaxon.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenna.jaxon
Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/jenna.jaxon
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jennajaxon1.bsky.social
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@passionistimeless
TicTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@jennajaxon1
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jenna-jaxon
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jenna-Jaxon/author/B005CHPBD2
Twitter/X: http://twitter.com/@1jennajaxon

Book Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GS54DPYB/ref=sr_1_2

RJ's Adventures in Temecula by Eva Legre Zigre

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Eva Legre Zigre will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Please enjoy an interview from the author:

Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

In my years as a nanny and volunteer teacher, I have noticed the importance of reading children’s books to children! I have been driven to write fictional and non-fictional children’s books from a tender age. The combination of reality and the fantasy world is a wonderful thing!

What research (or world-building – for fantasy/paranormal/Sci-fi) is required?

I do in-depth research on the places, cities, and stories mentioned in the book. It is important that the places represented in the book reflect reality, as RJs Adventures is meant to create a sense of community, cherish old memories, and create new ones.

Name one thing you learned from your hero.

The importance of engaging children’s senses through reading (sight, touch, hearing, smell…)

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

Looking at the sunrise and the birds flying freely in the sky sparks a lot of imagination.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

Both! My ideas come as a pantser, as a general idea and rough draft. And I plot as I write the stories in detail.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

My couch pillow (cover sheet world map)! My reminder that the world is closer than we think and the magic it carries is greater than we imagine!

Anything new coming up from you? What?

Another book in the RJ’s Adventures series.

Do you have a question for our readers?

What city would you like to see in a children’s book?

If you've had a chance to visit Temecula, California, you'd be one of many who have had the privilege of watching hot air balloons take flight during sunrise and descend at sunset, walking the grounds of one of the most beautiful rose gardens in California, and visiting a rare and noble tree that looks to have stood the test of time. You will find some of the most popular and heavily visited sights in Temecula, beautifully illustrated and captured in child-like conversation.

RJ’s Adventures in Temecula is a vibrantly colored board book featuring thirteen of Temecula’s most visited attractions. The illustrations jump off the page, offering children fun images to look at while learning more about Temecula, California’s historic sights.

Beware. Your child may ask to visit some of the attractions presented in this 20-page book, such as Professor Pennypickles' Workshop or the Sugarplum Zoo and Chocolates. Come visit for a week, but first, do your research and take this adventure around Temecula, California with RJ.

Read an Excerpt

Hello Friend!

My name is RJ.

Welcome to the beautiful and sunny city of Temecula. Today is a great day to show you around!

Are you ready for an exciting tour?

About the Author

Eva Legre-Zigre is a children's book author passionate about writing stories that reflect the beauty of communities. Inspired by years of experience as a nanny and a volunteer teacher, she crafts engaging stories that encourage creativity and wonderment in children. Her passion for community, culture, and finding beautiful differences in various states throughout the country gives her the desire to share those unique and exciting places with children.

A resident of Temecula, California, known for its wineries, Mrs. Legre-Zigre was inspired by her own child to find and highlight family- and child-friendly attractions in her city. Some of these attractions are featured in her debut book.

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/authorevalegre
Website: http://www.rjsadventures.com

My Friends and I Series by T.X. Troan

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. T.X. Troan will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Perfect for curious minds and sharp eyes, these interactive puzzle picture books encourage creativity and exploration while fostering a love of reading. Can you and your friends find everything that lurks in these places? Get ready for unforgettable adventures filled with magic, mystery, and a whole lot of fun!

Fantasyland (Book 1) Blurb:

Join Evan and Page on an enchanting adventure in My Friends and I Spot Fantasyland: A Puzzle Picture Book! From creepy spiders lurking in shadowy corners to shimmering butterflies fluttering through sunlit glades, this captivating search-and-find journey invites readers of all ages to step into a vibrant world brimming with delightful surprises and mysterious wonders.

Perfect for curious minds and sharp eyes, this interactive puzzle picture book encourages creativity and exploration while fostering a love of reading. Can you and your friends find everything that lurks in this place? Get ready for an unforgettable adventure filled with magic, mystery, and a whole lot of fun!



Time Travel (Book 2) Blurb:

Embark on an exhilarating journey with Jason and Mary as they navigate through unexpected challenges and captivating experiences.

This children's book combines fun dialogues with engaging search-and-find illustrations to offer young readers an exciting exploration of imagination and adventure throughout various periods and places in time. Each page will not only encourage reading but also develop observation skills and spark curiosity about history, science fiction, and the ocean's mysteries.



About the Author:

Thuan Doan is an award-winning author of the Sophia Freeman series. He conceived his first middle-grade fantasy novel, Sophia Freeman and the Mysterious Fountain, during a trip to Gabriola Island, British Columbia in the summer of 2013. Then he took his work and settled in a small town of Enderby, where it’s peaceful and quiet.

Thuan is writing under a pen name of T.X. Troan. “X” stands for Xu, his grandmother’s name who passed away. And “Troan” is a combination of his parents' names.

“No matter how this turns out, I want my family to be a part of this wonderful journey.”

Website: http://www.txtroan.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TXTroan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/txtroan/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18815756.T_X_Troan

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07ML3W2WW/allbooks
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/T.X.%20Troan%20My%20friends%20and%20I%20spot
Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/browse/0?facet=brand:T+X+Troan
BookShop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/my-friends-and-i-spot-fantasyland-a-puzzle-picture-book/e050b9b6fdb1d79a

;IGY6 by Dean Sali

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dean Sali will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

;IGY6 is more than just a self-help guide, it is a beacon of hope for those in the military and beyond. Whether you are a soldier, a veteran, or someone who supports them, this book provides invaluable insights and practical advice that can make a real difference. Readers will find solace in the shared experiences and learn how to navigate the complexities of PTSD towards a better, more fulfilling life.

Read an Excerpt

I’ve wanted to write ;IGY6 for some time now. I have complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, and I’m lactose intolerant. It’s a heavy list, and my doctor, a gastrointestinal specialist, calls me his medical miracle because he’s never had a patient with this combination. Lucky me. PTSD can be extremely difficult, but doing nothing about it is a big mistake. If sharing my experience helps you to take a step I waited too long to take, then it’s worth every word. “;IGY6” stands for “I got your six,” military slang for “I’ve got your back.” But there’s much more to it than that. The “6” is your six o’clock position—your back— and “got your six” is a pledge to be there for each other. The semicolon at the front is a symbol from the suicide prevention initiative called Project Semicolon, and it represents a pause instead of an ending, a reminder that your story isn’t over.1 When paired with IGY6, the semicolon sends a powerful message to those living with PTSD: “You’re not alone, and we’ve got your six.” A related movement, the ;IGY6 Foundation, highlights the sobering statistic that an average of twenty-two US veterans die by suicide every day.2 Imagine a world where we all watched out for each other. That’s the promise at the heart of this book. 1 Project Semicolon. “Our Mission.” Project Semicolon, https://projectsemicolon.com

About the Author: Dean Sali is a resolute advocate for personal growth, resilience, and inner healing. With a background in the military and law enforcement, he has faced intense challenges that tested his strength, confidence, and sense of purpose. He served on a UN tour in Rwanda in 1994, an experience that deeply shaped his perspective on trauma, recovery, and the human spirit. His journey with PTSD has given him firsthand insight into the struggles of rebuilding from within, and he has spent years exploring methods of healing, including chi exercises, mindfulness, and reconnecting with nature.

Beyond his professional experiences, Dean is a devoted father of four, with a granddaughter on the way. His writing is deeply personal, offering practical guidance and heartfelt encouragement to those seeking clarity, confidence, and peace. Through his work, Dean hopes to inspire others to embrace their own healing journey and discover the strength they already carry inside.

Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/0228815371
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/67545013.Dean_Sali

The Quantum Revelations by Stuart Heinrich

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The world is on the brink of an apocalyptic climate crisis and quickly spiraling out of control into a dystopian nightmare. As everything collapses around them, two scientists struggle for relevance in their quest to build the world’s first practical quantum computer. They discover so much more. A mystery of physics that goes deeper than they could have ever imagined.

I have to admit...the inclusion of the word "physics" in the blurb almost made me turn down this book. I barely made it through biology (thanks, lab partner) so I knew that physics was way out of my wheelbase. However, I do love me a good distopian, so I thought I would at least give it a try, and I'm so glad I did.

This book goes way beyond the science and incompasses human emotion, human striving, and the desire to know the truth. I really enjoyed seeing how Zara and Skyler's relationship grew from barely tolerating each other to actually working together on the quantum computer project once Skyler realized his accidental discovery (no spoilers, but it's a doozy).

This discovery led them both down paths that neither anticipated. It changed everything they knew.... or believed they knew...about the world around them.

If you are a scientific minded person, you will love this book. And I was able to follow enough of it to understand a little. But don't fear, readers, if you are not. The storyline is strong, the narrative is riveting, and the dialogue carries you through the story even if you have to skip a bit about the science. It still makes for a rolicking good thriller and a great reminder that we need to take care of this planet before it's too late.

Thanks for that warning.

Read an Excerpt

Zara looked down at the metal framed hospital bed where her mother lay camouflaged amid an array of tubes, wires, and beeping machines. An intubation tube was taped over her mouth, and Zara cringed as she imagined what it must feel like to have a tube like that rammed deep down her throat. The ventilator pulsed with a soft mechanical hum, and her mother’s chest rose and fell artificially.

The nurses stood on either side of the bed and used a sheet to roll her mother’s body slightly. They had to move her twice a day to prevent bedsores.

“All done,” said Leanne. “What’s for dinner this week, Zara?” she asked.

Zara forced a smile and set down the takeout bag on the bedside table. “Korean fried chicken, extra spicy,” she said. “It’s been a while since we did this one, hasn’t it?” she said to her mother.

Just because her mother was incapacitated didn’t mean she couldn’t continue to uphold their old Friday night tradition of dinner with mom.

“Sounds delicious, enjoy!” said Leanne, waving goodbye. Then she and the other nurse left, closing the door behind themselves.

Zara sat down on the bed and took her mother’s hand. “Hey Mom, it’s me,” she said softly.

Seeing her mother like this always made her heart ache. Even though she had been visiting every Friday for over a year now, it was like reopening an old wound every time. How could her vibrant, bubbly mother just be laying there as if her body were a living husk? There, but not there...

The doctors said they could detect brain activity, but she had no reflexes or responsiveness. They didn’t know if she was brain dead, or dreaming, or fully conscious — listening to everything they were saying but unable to move. Trapped inside her own body, yet unable to scream.

It would have been easier if her mother had simply died in the accident. Then she could just grieve and move on, but she didn’t wish for that. She still had hope that her mother would wake up someday, even if the odds were low.

About the Author: Stuart Heinrich is a computer scientist with a PhD from NCSU and a passion for studying the fundamental nature of reality and physics. He is known for his unique theories on the Relativity of Existence (ROE), the Maximally Biophilic Principle (MBP) and Quantum Fluid Dynamics (QFD).

Please see his website below for editorial reviews.

Website: http://www.stuartheinrich.com
http://www.thequantumrevelations.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/234819016-the-quantum-revelations

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Revelations-Stuart-Heinrich-ebook/dp/B0F9PXS78S/ref=sr_1_1

House of Cards by Phillippa Mann

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Phillippa Mann will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

A raw and unflinching memoir of survival, truth, and transformation. Phillippa Mann takes readers deep into the fractured world of a girl who grew up living with a monster--a world where love and fear shared the same face, and silence became a means of survival.

Through heartbreak, chaos, and betrayal, Phillippa's voice emerges from the shadows as she begins to piece together a life that was never hers to begin with. Her journey is one of courage and reckoning, of facing the unbearable truths that shaped her, and finding strength in vulnerability.

More than a story of pain, House of Cards is a testament to the power of healing and self-forgiveness. It reminds every survivor that bringing hidden truths into the light is not the end - it's the beginning of reclaiming your story and rebuilding the foundation of who you were always meant to be.

Read an Excerpt

My parents were married in England in June 1969. They emigrated to Canada in 1970, had my brother in September 1972 and me in October 1974. Both sets of my grandparents emigrated to Canada shortly after this to be closer to us.

I was born in Northern BC. My mother separated from my dad and moved to the Lower Mainland in 1976, approximately 900 km away, with her boyfriend at the time. While I have no recollection of that period as I was quite young, I’ve come across photos of my younger self with my dad and brother, and I can see the joy on my face. In those times, I truly felt happy. I remember camping with my dad, fishing, pretending to shave with him, and the smell of the Coleman stove. It was returning home to my mother after spending time with my dad that was the toughest part. Even though I was so little, I knew that something at home wasn’t right. I always felt such intense sadness and anxiety when my dad brought us back home after summer camping, winter break, or his weekend visits. I didn’t know how to articulate what I was feeling, and I struggled to express my emotions at such a young age, but I just knew that I hated it when my dad brought me back home. This is the first recollection I have of the abuse.

Naturally, at such a young age, I didn’t see it as abuse, and it took me over two decades to realize it. My dad would drop me off at my mother’s house before returning north, and even though I knew I’d see him again in a few weeks, to a three- or four-year-old without a grasp of time, it seemed like an eternity. I would cry when he left because I loved him so much and didn’t want him to leave. After my dad left, my mother would be so unkind to me, often ignoring me for days. I do not remember a single word being spoken to me. I recognize she must have said something to me; however, I remember the silence more than anything—the absence of good nights, hugs, or any trace of warmth. It continued until I finally begged her to say something, anything. Eventually, once she got what she wanted, she’d pretend nothing had happened, slipping back into normalcy as if the hurt had never occurred.

About the Author

Phillippa Mann is a Canadian author who is passionate about helping others find healing through shared experience.

Her memoir, House of Cards: Surviving Munchausen by Proxy and a Mother's Web of Lies, explores the emotional journey of growing up in chaos and reclaiming strength through forgiveness and self-discovery.

Family is at the heart of everything Phillippa does. She and her husband share a love of creating together, and their children and grandchildren inspire her every day to live with gratitude, laughter, and purpose. When she's not writing, Phillippa can be found playing with her Corgi, Glenn, crafting handmade gifts, baking cookies and cupcakes for her family business, Sweet Lavender Designs, which she started in memory of a dear friend.

She is currently working on her next creative project, a heartwarming children's book titled Hop Hop and the Great Garden Adventure, inspired by the wonder and imagination of her grandchildren.

Website: https://phillippamannauthor.com/
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/phillippamann.author
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1834381525

A Real Collusion by Stu Strumwasser

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Stu Strumwasser will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

A Real Collusion is about the secret conspiracy between the Republican and Democratic parties to control the US government through an illegal duopoly.

From the author of the bestselling novel, The Organ Broker, (hailed by Lee Child, New York Times # 1 bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series as, "Exciting and thought-provoking--the perfect package") comes, A Real Collusion, a stunning political thriller and expose.

A Real Collusion is a David Vs. Goliath(s) story about a man who accidentally becomes the leader of an independent political movement that nearly takes down the two-party system in America, while exposing a conspiracy that affects the results of the 2016 election. It explores universal and deeply human themes of loss, and the tension between justice and power. In the opening sentence the narrator points out that, “Ordinary people often do extraordinary things.” The characters in the book do, and the action is driven by the fantastic events of a unique political satire. It is also the heartfelt story of regular people struggling with lost love, alienation and nearly universal disaffection who find strength in enduring loyalty and friendship

This is the story of John Campbell (a regular guy from the lower east side of Manhattan) as recounted by his friend Skip Winters. Skip becomes John’s campaign manager and later, a congressman in his own right. He narrates the stunning-but-plausible story of how John Campbell and The American Coalition race to popularity, raising over a hundred million dollars from grassroots contributors—and become a threat to the political duopoly of the Democratic and Republican parties. The book sprinkles in references to real events from recent history, and real political leaders including Trump, John McCain, and more. This imbues the novel with a sense of realism, albeit one of an alternate reality. Skip discovers a deep-seated conspiracy within our political system whose leaders orchestrate a murder, destroy his friend and tip the scales of the election. The novel turns out to be Skip’s exposé of the secret collaboration between the two major political parties in our country—a cooperation to protect the duopoly that is, in part, real.

Read an Excerpt

"Ladies and gentlemen, my name is John Campbell, from the lower east side."

The crowd responded with another enthusiastic round of cheers, but this time John held up his palm and said, "Please, please…." And that threw a quasi-hush over the audience.

"Thank you for coming to this little park tonight to hear me speak. Three nights ago, on the evening of July 10th, I attended our local Community Board meeting to propose that cigar smoking not be allowed on the sidewalk in front of bars and restaurants. That's all. I was not there to critique our government and I didn't ask for any of the attention that I have since received. I'm just like most of you, and I never anticipated that newspapers and newscasters would ever solicit my opinions on political issues. But now they're asking, and I have decided that I have a responsibility to answer. I am not embarrassed to say… I care."

Then, John paused. He had their rapt attention and he knew it. He looked directly at me, suddenly brimming with confidence. It might have been the kind of glance that Keith and Mick sometimes give to the roadies right before they go into the encore. I think that the feeling which washed over me then was pride. John turned back to the crowd and loudly said, "So, would you like to hear my answer?!"

Thunder from the crowd. "Yeah!" they yelled, some pumping their fists in the air.

"I won't give it to you!" John shouted, but then quickly added, "Instead, I will give you my proposal for OUR answer!" which elicited yet another roar.

"In recent years our system of government has broken down. Everyone knows it. Washington has become caught up in never-ending partisan fighting. It was on display during the recent government shutdown. The two major political parties no longer represent us. Frankly, how could they represent the spectrum or sum total of the thoughts, feelings and will of three hundred million citizens? There is a reason that more young people now choose "Independent" than either party when they turn eighteen. The political parties today exist as little more than machines for the never-ending raising of money to combat the enormous amount of money raised by their opponents (their "enemy counter-party" or, as I prefer to refer to them: "fellow Americans.") Let's stop standing for it. The Democrats and Republicans currently run our nation like two petulant children fighting over which show to watch on TV and who gets to hold the remote. When one party chooses the program, the other storms out of the room. Is that really the way we want to be led?

About the Author

Stu Strumwasser is a modern-day muckraker who writes literary novels that address important sociopolitical issues. His first novel, The Organ Broker, was published by Skyhorse (distributed by Simon & Schuster) and shortlisted as one of five finalists for the Hammett Prize for literary excellence in crime writing. Strumwasser was also the primary songwriter and drummer for the indie rock band Channeling Owen. He is a longtime investment professional (investing in sustainable technology that improves the manner in which we make food) and hails from Brooklyn NY. His new novel, A Real Collusion, is both an exposé and analysis of broken government and a fictional David Vs. Goliath(s) story of the man who almost took down the two-party system in America.

WEBSITE: https://www.arealcollusion.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/244895746-a-real-collusion
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/stuthemeddler
Tik Tok: http://www.tiktok.com/@stuthemeddler
To read the first two chapters of the novel please visit: https://arealcollusion.com/first-two-chapters/

Amazon Link to pre-order Amazon EBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G5K3BJ1K
Amazon Link to pre-order Amazon Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GCCR2XMS
BN.com EBook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-real-collusion-stu-strumwasser/1148954359?ean=2940185040737
BN Hardcover: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-real-collusion-stuart-strumwasser/1148954359
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-real-collusion
Google Play EBook: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=NxSlEQAAQBAJ&hl=en_US
Google Play Audiobook: https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details?id=AQAAAEDqp1LnqM&hl=en_US
Apple Books: http://books.apple.com/us/book/id6757249400
Payhip for the book: https://payhip.com/ARealCollusion