Thursday, September 21, 2023

Release Blitz: Mom Wombat Says Make War No More by Phyllis Schwartz #promo #releaseday #childrensbook #giveaway #rabtbooktours @PublishingAcorn

 

Children’s Fiction

Date Published: Sep 22, 2023

Publisher: Acorn Publishing


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Mom Wombat says, “Make friends, not war!”

“Try to get along and don't keep score… It doesn't matter who has more toys, just have fun, my girls and boys. Don’t YOU be a bully, not even now and then, not even to a foe or friend.”

Known as Mombat to her kids, she has plenty of ideas on how everyone can learn to get along with others and have fun. Using her wit and insightful wisdom, Mombat aims to make the world a better place by teaching positive communication skills and the importance of friendship.

 

About the Author

Phyllis Schwartz is a married mother of two, who, after a highly successful career in the TV news business, finally has the time to indulge in and focus on her “civilian” writing. Even as a kid, she kept a diary and wrote little stories and poems, a creative release that continued well into adulthood.

She wrote news by day and poetry by night. And despite battling three different types of cancer over more than three decades, she is still filled with energy, joy, and optimism, and she looks forward to writing much more poetry and children’s books in the future. Her writing often centers on what she observes daily: including her friends, husband, and two children, as well as her garden and her beautiful beach town residence in dreamy Encinitas, all providing continued inspiration for her verse.

 

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Book Blitz: Maggie the Cat Who Came Home for Christmas by Julia Russo #promo #childrensbook #rabtbooktours @jancarolbooks

 

Children’s Book

Date Published: Sept. 14th 2023

Publisher: Jan-Carol Publishing, Inc.


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Delightful illustrations bring you inside Grandpa Charlie Green’s mountainside farmhouse. Join Maggie the cat, Pip the goat, Grandpa Charlie Green, Daddy, and of course, little Wilhelmina Olive Blessing, as she tells us this sweet wintertime story. What do they do to get little Maggie home? Join the fun. Read out loud yourself or read along with others! You will love the story of Maggie, the cat who comes home for Christmas.

 

About the Author

Julia spent many winters in the mountains along with her little dog, Chloe, and her sweet husband, Kent. She continues to live in Atlanta, but her heart is really in those woods. 

One of her favorite things ever was hearing her first graders read aloud. She sometimes wrote for the government and companies, and later wrote descriptions of homes. She even spent time as what is called a roustabout!

Today, she presents her first ever storybook! She hopes many children will read the story aloud! She continues to visit her mountainside cabin often. She lives in Atlanta along with Kent and two sweet cats named Rigby and Linus. One of these days, she’s hoping to get a little goat.

 

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Teaser: Through My Heart by Kate Hill #promo #teaser #excerpt #romacne #horror #rabtbooktours @katehillromance

Romantic Moments 3


Romantic Horror, Vampire Romance

Date Published: October 01, 2023


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Adrian – I am a vampire whose physical ugliness intensified with my immortality. For centuries I hunted alone, disguising myself from prey, preferring illusions to brutal attacks. Others of my kind spurned me. Some tried to destroy me, and on them I unleashed my wrath. I suffered the agony of eternal loneliness, and then I met Anna.

Anna – My life was almost unbearable until a tall, black-haired stranger with fiery eyes and needle sharp teeth drank my blood and swept me into an unimaginable world. From the night we met, I gave Adrian my heart, but a lie spun by a jealous enemy drove us apart. I swore I would never give him the chance to hurt me again, but denying my love for him was harder than I thought.

Note: Through My Heart is a very short horror romance featuring vampiric love. It has a spicy heat level, violence, and a HEA. This Romantic Moments story is the perfect length for a lunch break, before bed, or any time you want a quick, romantic read.

 

Excerpt

I found her on the streets of Pompeii just days before the fateful eruption of Vesuvius. Many centuries earlier, I had been thrust into the life of a blood drinker, changed on the field of battle.

To this day, I don't know why the blood drinker changed me. Beauty is prized among our kind, and I was known as the Brutal Beast—a warrior with the strength of a dragon and the face of one.

I suppose it doesn't matter why. It might have been a gift, or a curse, or perhaps it was just her sense of humor. I can still feel her teeth tearing into my neck. I can taste her blood, as sweet and thick as wine.

I digress. Where was I?

Ah, yes, Pompeii. I had arrived on my merchant ship from Constanta, and while my servants unloaded cargo, I sought nourishment in the brothels that were plentiful in the city. Even then, I caught the scent of death emanating from the distant mountain. I had planned to stay for a while, but just one night might be too long. Still, I needed to drink before moving on.

A delicious scent teased my nose. It was musky, sweet, and sad. The aroma of despair. My gaze riveted to a beautiful woman—hair as black as my own, dark eyes with flecks of gold that my keen vision detected even from across the street. She was slim and her skin kissed golden by the sun. Despite the warmth of the air, she shivered and rubbed her bare arms that were imprinted with bruises from an earlier customer.

I approached, still wearing a hood—blood drinkers are rarely affected by warmth or cold, unless it's extreme. The hood, combined with my powers of the mind, would create the illusion of handsome looks. I didn't spin the dream quite yet, though. Sometimes, I indulged in the self-torture of seeing how they reacted to me.

She glanced at me when I paused beside her, so close that my shadow darkened her face.

"Welcome. Would you like to come inside?" she asked in a soft monotone. Her voice, like her scent, emanated despair. She didn't even look surprised by my appearance.

"Very much."

With a sigh, she turned and led me past a tattered curtain, into the small, candlelit room where she lived and entertained customers.

She gestured toward the stone bed.

I remained standing and said, "We should talk first."

Now she raised an arched black eyebrow. "About what?"

I pulled down my hood, completely exposing my pale, bony face that was covered in scars, most from my mortal life, but some sustained after my change, during fights with other blood drinkers, ones who couldn't keep their mouths shut and their weapons to themselves. My eyes, deep-set and black as midnight pools, intimidated just about everyone who dared lock gazes with me.

She swallowed visibly and audibly, but didn't look away.

"Will you still take me to your bed, my lovely?"

 

About the Author

Kate Hill is a vegetarian New Englander who loves writing romantic fantasies. When she's not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out, watching horror movies, and researching vampires and Viking history. She runs the Compelling Beasts Blog that is dedicated to antagonists, antiheroes, and paranormal creatures. Kate also writes as Saloni Quinby.

 

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Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Cover Reveal: My Life in Stitches by Darla A. Calvet, Ph.D. #promo #memoir #bookcover #coverreveal #comingsoon #rabtbooktours @PublishingAcorn

 

 

A Heart Transplant Survivor Story


Memoir

Date Published: December 12, 2023

Publisher: Acorn Publishing


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Darla Calvet is a thirty-nine-year-old working mom whose life turns upside down when she is diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Suddenly, fear threatens her dreams for the future as doctors’ appointments replace her daily routines and she realizes she may not live to see her daughters grow up. After dying twice while waiting for a new heart, Darla begins to understand her own resiliency—her heart may be weak, but her mind refuses to give up.

My Life in Stitches: A Heart Transplant Survivor Story is a candid, witty account of one woman's determination to transform a devastating prognosis into an inspiring fight for survival. Darla’s story offers insight into the complex world of medicine with a dose of humor about her challenges and victories as a heart transplant patient. In this sensitive, thorough, and informative debut, Calvet brings compassion and gentle wisdom to a difficult subject in hopes of demystifying the uncertainties that inevitably accompany long-term, life-threatening medical decisions.


About the Author

A heart transplant survivor, Dr. Darla Calvet won a gold medal for ballroom dance in the 2022 Transplant Games of America. Currently, she serves as the vice president of the board of directors for the Southern California Transplant Games of America team. She is also the CEO of Blue Tiger, Inc., a strategic planning consultancy. A doctor of education, Calvet holds degrees from Claremont Graduate University, San Diego State University, and the University of California, Berkeley. She lives in San Diego, California, with her husband Pat and their French bulldog Quinn, and she is the proud mom of two adult daughters, Claire and Annie.

 

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Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Teaser: Wild Asses of the Mojave Desert by Lis Anna-Langston #promo #teaser #excerpt #comingsoon #womensfiction #newadult #rabtbooktours @LisAnnaLangston

 

New Adult – Literary – Contemporary fiction – Women’s fiction

Date Published:10-20-2023

Publisher: Mapleton Press


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This novel about friendship, nostalgia, and finding oneself is funny and tender, moving and poetic, while standing firmly in hope and love. The characters are thinkers, overthinkers really, who are trying to find their way by asking the deep questions of life with wide-eyed wonder and talking through life's uncertainties. They fearlessly confront the choices they've made, examining their desires and their mistakes. The result is a smart, engaging novel depicting a young woman's search for the people and place she will call home.


A RECOMMENDED read by the US Review

 

 

Excerpt

 

The inside of the White Tavern was dark and smelled like stale cigarettes and grease. A server came over, wearing tight black skinny jeans and an old Van Halen concert tee.

Dylan turned sideways in the booth to stretch his legs out. “Tell me about this beer that’s cheaper than gas.”

“Dollar eighty-four,” the server said, which was, in fact, cheaper than gas.

“Do you have any fries to go with those competitive beer prices?”

It had been a long time since I’d had my favorite sandwich. Pimiento cheese. Pickles. Ham. I sunk my teeth into a yummy bite of teenage years and moaned out loud.

Dylan looked up from his double order of fries and raised an eyebrow. “Do you and that sandwich need to be alone?”

I ignored his comment. “Was there anything else in that car? Anything that might indicate a drug deal gone bad?”

“Nope. Just the cooler and the rock.”

“Huh.”

Dylan locked eyes with me. “That rock means something, Skye.”

The dining area was empty except for us, and one other table near the back with kitchen staff. Still, Dylan leaned across the table and whispered urgently, “It’s like that scene in Pulp Fiction with the briefcase in the diner.”

I furrowed my brow and gagged on a sesame seed. “With Honey Bunny?”

“And Pumpkin.”

“What?”

Dylan leaned back and shrugged. “The guy’s name was Pumpkin. Honey Bunny and…”

“I know. I’ve seen it thirteen times. I’m just wondering why we’re out here in the middle of the desert with you drawing comparisons of your life to a film that came out when you were seven years old.”

“You—you, you mock me, Skye, but there’s a connection.”

“Between a film and that glowing rock?”

“Yes.” He clasped his hands together firmly and laid them on the table.

“There’s no rock in Pulp Fiction.”

“It’s implied.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yeah, it is. It’s in the briefcase.”

“We never see what’s in the briefcase.”

Dylan squirmed in an exaggerated way and said, “God, use your imagination, Skye. It’s a glowing rock.”

“Okay. Say it is a glowing rock. What does that have to do with us?”

“It’s our time to finally make sense of our lives.”

“That’s what I’ve been doing.”

“No, you haven’t.”

I grabbed the ketchup bottle and whacked the bottom. “How do you know?”

“Because you’re here. Right back where you started. Look, don’t get me wrong, I love sitting out in the desert drinking Miller High Life, listening to the coyotes howl, playing charades in the firelight with your sister, but I’m glad you’re home.”

“You played charades with my sister?”

“Sure. Isn’t that what you were doing back east? Playing charades? Sounds like? Feels like? Rhymes with?

“You saying those six years were nothing more than a game?”

“We were all playing a game. It’s okay to admit the truth, even if it’s hard.”

His answer was so simple and earnest, I didn’t know whether to kill him or cry. I looked down at my plate with a strange mixture of surrender and hunger. “What do you think I was doing on the East Coast?”

Dylan inhaled and shrugged, “Trying to escape this place and burn Trevor out of your mind with hot yoga and gluten-free buns.” He touched my greasy hand and said, “It’s not a judgment. Look, I don’t know what you were doing out there. You didn’t exactly call. But you’re here now, and so am I, and I believe this is some kind of strange gift.”

“If the rock is so important, why haven’t you moved it?”

“It’s really heavy. I’m going to have to dig it out. That’s where you come in.”

Dylan was always a crazy trailblazer adjusting his tinfoil hat, but he’d leveled up the weird while I was gone.

“I have to go to the bathroom.”

If I stood perfectly still in the stall, I could hear the sound of the end coming. A sharp chapter break pushing forward. Tracks winding into a new future. One I couldn’t see, because I was still stuck in the backseat of my past life. I sat on the toilet and thought about escape. The problem was I’d been escaping my entire life. Running from everything. Destiny. Relationships. Myself. I looked down at my jeans bunched up around my knees. I’d already managed to get stuck in a hole, might as well grab a shovel and dig.


About the Author

Lis Anna-Langston was raised along the winding current of the Mississippi River on a steady diet of dog-eared books. She attended a Creative and Performing Arts School from middle school until graduation and went on to study Literature at Webster University. Her novels have won the Parents’ Choice Gold, Moonbeam Book Award, Independent Press Award, Benjamin Franklin Book Award and NYC Big Book Awards. A three-time Pushcart award nominee and Finalist in the Brighthorse Book Prize, William Faulkner Fiction Contest, George Garrett Fiction Prize and Thomas Wolfe Fiction Award, her work has been published in The Literary Review, Emerson Review, The Merrimack Review, Emrys Journal, The MacGuffin, Sand Hill Review and dozens of other literary journals.

Hailed as “an author with a genuine flair for originality” by Midwest Book Review and “a loveable, engaging, original voice…” by Publishers Weekly, you can find her in the wilds of South Carolina plucking stories out of thin air.


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Monday, September 18, 2023

Release Blitz: I Smile at the Sun by Judith Barrett Lawson #promo #childrensbook #poetry #newbooks #releaseday #rabtbooktours

 


Verse for Children and Misidentified Grownups


Children's Poetry

Date Published: September 19, 2023

 

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Each poem is a celebration of life.

Between Judith Barrett Lawson's clever wordplay, and the delightful illustrations by Netta Jones, I Smile at the Sun will transport readers on a whimsical journey through childhood -- it's joys, silly mishaps, and small everyday wonders. Yet you don't have to be a child to smile at I Smile at the Sun.

In the Tradition of Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky, but in her own unique voice, Lawson brings together lighthearted humor with heartfelt insights, offering friendly wisdom on growing up, loss, and the importance of dreams.

If you grew up reading Dr. Seuss and love fun tongue-twisting rhymes, then you've come to the right place. Judith Barrett Lawson has written an amazing poem book that is not only just for kids but also Misidentified Grown-ups.

Immerse yourself in I Smile at the Sun and relive treasured memories, share its magic, and let Judith Barrett Lawson's poetic enchantment illuminate your day.


About the Author

Writer, screenwriter, playwright, and lyricist Judith Lawson worked in film and television casting for 10 years. She is co-author of screenplay based on award-winning author Kaye Gibbon’s novel Sights Unseen. She has had more than 35 song cuts recorded, and her play of I Smile at the Sun has been produced four times to stellar reviews.


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Teaser Tuesday: The Ladder Larceny by Caron Pescatore #promo #teasertuesday #comingsoon #excerpt #middlegrade #giveaway #rabtbooktours @caronpescatore

 

A Kids' Court Whodunit #6

 

Middle-Grade / Mystery

Date Published: 09-29-2023

 

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A missing ladder. A relentless bully. Can the junior lawyer uncover the truth before chaos erupts?

Luana Porcello has discovered a new love: volunteering at the community dog pound. Still, as much as she enjoys working with animals, law remains her true passion. So, when the local bully accuses his neighbor of theft, she happily resumes her attorney role, confident of her client’s innocence.

But as Luana gets to work, a formidable wall of evidence stands against her client, from physical proof linking him to the alleged crime scene to an eyewitness who insists he saw the accused commit the deed. Undeterred by the odds stacked against her, Luana is relentless in her quest to vindicate her client. Will her determination be enough to tip the scales of justice in their favor?



EXCERPT

 

CHAPTER

1

 

Bully for You!

 


“I’m Only going to say this once. Gimme back my ladder, or you’ll be sorry.” Billy Green hardened his jaw as he glowered at the small boy.

“But I don’t have it!” Adam Garcia rubbed his sweaty palms on his green t-shirt.

“You’re lying.” Billy clenched his fists and fought against the urge to hit the boy.

Adam’s eyes darted around the park, searching for an escape. But there was none. Billy and his companions had him trapped in a deserted area. “I didn’t take your ladder, Billy. Honest, I didn’t!”

“I didn’t take your ladder, Billy. Honest,” one of Billy’s friends parroted mockingly.

A fourth boy laughed, and Billy twisted his lips. He would have found Evan’s mocking impression of Adam hilarious at any other time, but not now. Now, Billy was angry. Someone had taken his ladder—he was sure that someone was Adam—and was determined to get it back.

The four boys were in the playground at Oakdale Park, a vast compound on the outskirts of downtown Oakdale with tennis courts, basketball courts, a swimming pool, and more.

Adam gulped and tugged at the neck of his t-shirt. He wasn’t sure how he would get out of this mess. He didn’t know Billy well but knew he and his friends were troublemakers. Adam’s eyes continued scanning the area, desperately looking for a miracle. He noticed the grass was still damp from the night’s heavy rainfall and the deep shadows surrounding them where they were in the shade of the climbing wall. What Adam didn’t see was another person. That was no surprise, as when he’d arrived at the park earlier, he’d purposely chosen this area because of the isolation. Adam had wanted to be alone. That decision had been a mistake. Adam bit the inside of his cheek and peeked at his tormentor.

“I’ll give you till the count of five.” Billy towered over Adam. “If you don’t tell me where my ladder is by the time I finish, you’ll pay. One. Two. Three.” He counted off each number on the fingers of his right hand.

Adam hunched over, squeezed his eyes shut, and awaited his fate. A fleeting urge to run overcame him, but he couldn’t outrun Billy. Despite being overweight, Billy was fast, and running away would only make him angrier. Adam knew he’d pay once Billy caught up to him. No, it was better to stay put and accept his doom. Besides, he and Billy were neighbors, so it wasn’t like Adam could hide from the boy.

Meanwhile, Luana Porcello and her best friend, Phoebe Chen, rode along one of the many bike paths that wove throughout the park grounds. The girls were on their way home after spending the morning at the Oakdale Animal Shelter orientation for new volunteers. Their friend, Carmen Diaz, a long-time volunteer at the shelter, had been showing them the ropes.

Phoebe noticed the four boys in the distance as they turned a corner, and the playground appeared. She recognized Billy and his cronies and slowed her bike. “I wonder what’s going on over there?” 

Luana’s brow creased as she followed Phoebe’s gaze with her eyes. “Hmm. I doubt it’s anything good.”

“That’s for sure. Billy Green and those two he hangs with are bad news, and they have that poor kid outnumbered.” She glanced at Luana. “Maybe we should go find out what’s going on. He might need help. What do you think?” Without waiting for an answer, Phoebe changed directions and pedaled toward the playground.

“Phoebe! Wait!” Luana increased her speed, trying to catch up to her friend. Sometimes, she wished Phoebe would think before she acted.


About the Author

Caron Pescatore was born in the United Kingdom. She spent most of her childhood in Jamaica before migrating to the United States. After practicing as a registered nurse for many years, Caron decided to enter law school, obtaining her J.D. in 2001. She worked as an attorney for several years before leaving the profession to become a stay-at-home mom—her most challenging career to date. She recently resumed working as an attorney at Legal Aid, representing people from marginalized communities. Ms. Pescatore is passionate about justice and fairness for all, a sentiment that led, in part, to her decision to write the Kids’ Court Whodunit series. Her favorite pastimes are reading, writing, and watching true-crime shows. She also recently discovered a love of painting using stencils. At present, Ms. Pescatore lives in Florida with her husband and two children.


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