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Character Interview: Rafaela Louise Sanchez Gomez aka Raffi

Categories Character InterviewLeave a Comment on Character Interview: Rafaela Louise Sanchez Gomez aka Raffi

Today, we are featuring Rafaela Louise Sanchez Gomez aka Raffi, from Herald Petrel by Strange Seawolf, for our Character Interview feature.

The Interview

Character Artwork by Alj https://www.instagram.com/aljeensane/

Welcome to TRB! We are really excited to have you over. Please—

Oh, I am also very excited to be here. Like: big time! I got so many questions for you. Like, how is it to have a book blog? I think that must be totally exciting. But also exhausting, I imagine. I mean, all those reviews, you must read, like, superfast, like, at lightning speed or something. And then—

Uhm, this is a character interview. So, we are asking the character from a book questions, not the other way round. But before we begin with that, please give our readers a brief introduction about yourself.

Oh, yes, of course that makes so much more sense. Okay, my name is Rafaela Louise Sanchez Gomez but everybody calls me Raffi. I like that better, too. Like, you can totally trip over every single part of my full name, but Raffi is something straightforward and easy to say, right?

Right. What is your age and what do you do for a living?

I’m 19, will turn 20 this year. I work as Mister Galahad’s assistant. Have you met Mister Galahad already? He’s like, the cutest boss ever. Oh, wait, no, not what you are thinking. Not like that. I’m asexual, you know? That’s actually why I am Mister Galahad’s assistant. Okay, no, that sounded better in my head than when I said it out loud. But, yeah, matter of fact, I am assistant to the Head of Logistics at the Company but right now it is nearly like I am unemployed because we are on this spaceship and, let me tell you something, a cargo spaceship is like, the most boring place ever. Like, nothing happens round here. Like, if you think watching your toenails grow is boring try being on a spaceship where everybody but yourself has work to do. I had imagined this being much more fun. Ah, well, live and learn, huh?

That ties in well with our next question: How you like to spend your free time?

Oh, I love playing games on the entertainment system. Doesn’t matter what, really. Horror, fantasy, mystery, I do them all, action, strategy, shooters. I hate when they force a romantic sub-plot on your character, though. Seems nobody keeps the aromantics in mind, really. Same with movies. And most of the plot lines are somewhat dull. But it’s still fun. I mean, some of the Company productions are so plain stupid it is just too much fun criticizing them to the ground. We do that sometimes, Mister Galahad and me. We get some snacks and watch a movie together, the more stupid, the better and then we laugh our heads off.

Please share some of your beliefs, principles, motivations and morals (can be social, religious or political or, etc. Anything that will help us get to know you better.)

Okay, so…bear with me. I think religions are just a load of crap but also, it’s okay when people believe in stuff. Like, you know, whatever you need to keep you upright and get you out of bed every day, right?

I myself, I think justice is important and that everybody should be treated equal, no matter the species and rank. You know, nobody is less than the other. But I see that a lot. You know, look who is promoted in the Company and who stays in the entry level positions. Notice something? Yeah, the higher in the hierarchy you get, the more it is exclusively Earthlings. Or look how people are exploited because they are from a certain species. Like, Handorians only doing the menial work like cleaning the offices or Blunkarians being put into jobs they have to perform without breaks just because they have two heads and therefore one can sleep while the other is awake. But that’s not right. Everybody deserves breaks and vacations! And also doing stuff they enjoy! There is so much injustice in this universe. And that’s just not right!

Tell us something about your family and childhood.

Woah, you have to come visit and meet them all! We are one big family, it is amazing! Like, I do have a brother and three sisters, although two of them are technically just my half-sisters but I have so many cousins I can’t even count them! And we all lived together until I moved out to be closer to work. It was like, yeah, several houses which all belonged to my family. And several moms and dads. So, yeah, I do have a biological mom and dad, that’s where I got the Sanchez and the Gomez from but emotionally there is also Pá Ramírez and then there is dear Mommy Matii and Bantak and… I am starting to bore you, right? Well, you can just write down that I had a happy childhood and I love my family very much. Every single one of them. Even the weird ones like uncle Albi. Perhaps especially uncle Albi. But, yeah, don’t get me started…

Tell us something about your dreams and aspirations? Were you able to achieve them or are you planning to?

You know, that’s a good question. I mean, if you think what I really would like to do it would be becoming a game designer or an author for entertainment system series. I could write much better stuff than the crap that is on, you know? But at the same time, I know it isn’t possible. My ideas of a good story just don’t align enough with company’s values. They’d never let me do what I want to do. Might do some *looks around, lowers voice* independent stuff. But you better not write that.

*Continues with her usual cheery, bubbly, excited voice* I think working corporate is okay for the time being. The money is okay. Not much excitement. But I am glad that I now work for Mister Galahad. The team before that was a disaster. They had exactly two topics: romantic relationships and sex. It sucked!

But I think in the future I want to do something different. I like people and I want to have a job that is actually meaningful, you know? One that makes a difference. Still not sure what it could be, but it certainly isn’t what I am doing right now.

What is your biggest fear in life?

Something bad happening to my family or my friends.

How would you describe your life in one sentence?

Ready for my next adventure.

What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you?

When my Granddaddy died. It was so unexpected and so hard for all of us, for Grammy, especially. It was nearly as if the house lost its soul. Nobody knew he was so sick. He always tried to conceal it so we wouldn’t worry. If he had just said something earlier. *gulps* I mean, probably, there was nothing that could have been done but still, why didn’t he say something? He denied us to take care of him, you know? *gulps*

I’m sorry for your loss. Did it change you for the better or the worse?

I think it made me cherish life more, you know? Like, it showed me how fast life can be over and that doing stuff I don’t want to do is a waste of precious time. Also, that we have to watch out for each other and you can’t always see what is going on in people. I try to be more aware of the people close to me, now.

Okay, last question: What are your plans for the future?

Oh, well, I am excited to see Providence 5. I have never been there, have you?

I am not thinking farther ahead because, yeah, as I said, life is precious and I like to see what opportunities arise and just, you know, grab them and see where they take me.

Since this was the last one: Can I ask you some questions, now?

Well, thanks a lot, Raffi, for your intruiguing answers. I look forward to reading more about your adventures in the future!

Herald Petrel

If you ask Harold Galahad, he isn’t fit to lead the crew of the half-destroyed cargo spaceship Herald Petrel back home. But nobody asks Harry.

An explosion leaves the ship helplessly floating in space and Harry reliving his own personal nightmare. He doesn’t want to be a captain anymore, and nobody trusts him as captain—least of all himself. The crew behaves strangely, his first officer is less than helpful, and the more he finds out, the more Harry has to challenge his own beliefs. While forced to relive the darkest part of his past, Captain Harold Galahad needs to figure out what happened and find a way back home.

You can find Herald Petrel here:
Amazon| Goodreads | Books2Read

If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Character Interview: Captain Harold Galahad

Categories Character InterviewLeave a Comment on Character Interview: Captain Harold Galahad

Today, we are featuring Captain Harold Galahad, the protagonist of Herald Petrel by Strange Seawolf, for our Character Interview feature.

The Interview

Captain Harold Galahad, Captain of the cargo space ship Herald Petrel marching down a corridor with cables dangling about. He wears a disarranged company uniform, has a glowing battery under his arm and looks determined.
Character Artwork by Alj https://www.instagram.com/aljeensane/

Welcome to The Reading Bud! We are really excited to have you over. Please give our readers a brief introduction about yourself before we begin.

Thank you for having me. My name is Harry Galahad. I was born on Earth. Current residence Charkovaya. I have a background in Space Navigation and Intergalactic Law. I was navigation officer and later captain on exploratory missions to the outskirts of the universe for my university. Later I worked as a captain for the Company.

Which brings me to my next question: What is your age and what do you do for a living?

I am 47 and I’m Head Logistics Planer for the Company. Well, actually, right now I am captain on a delivery flight to Providence 5, on the cargo spaceship Herald Petrel but that is… it is not what I do for a living, usually. I’m not a captain any longer. It is just… just… because my friend Singh can’t do it anymore. He was the captain. I have just taken over because nobody else was available. And also… I mean, he was my best friend. There are some things that are just… a moral obligation, I guess?

What happened to your friend?

He’s dead.

Oh, very sorry to hear that. Let’s change topic. How you like to spend your free time?

Oh, I love listening to music. Beethoven, mainly. Sometimes Bach and Tchaikowski. Some Jazz as well. I also… *looks around as if to make sure nobody is listening in and lowers voice* …read.

Oh, interesting, what do you read?

Not so loud! People could hear us! *whispers* I have a soft spot for Earth’s ancient literature. They called it Science Fiction, back in the 20th and early 21st century. It is endearing to see how they envisioned the future back then. Nearly cute. I mean, now, 500 years later, of course it is easy to see how wrong they were. I mean, yeah, intergalactic space flight became possible, and Earth rules the universe but… let’s not go into this further.

Alright. Please share some of your beliefs, principles, motivations and morals (can be social, religious or political or, etc. Anything that will help us get to know you better.)

Oh, I am just a normal bloke, I guess. I’m not especially religious or anything. I guess when you are traveling the outskirts of the universe and work with a lot of people from different planets, all kinds of species, you know, Blunkarians, Gathesians, Laharians, even some from Phtat’Grthak… you kind of…lose the faith that there is one true religion. I think there are some moral principles that would be good if everybody adhered to them. You know, things like: Treat others like you yourself want to be treated. Help others if you can. When in a stronger position, protect the ones who can’t protect themselves. Common sense, really.

Hm, sounds plausible but also rather generic. Perhaps tell us a bit more about your motivation?

Generic? *scoffs* Universally true and applicable, more like it. But this is your space, so I am not going to argue. Motivation, you say? *exhales* I don’t have much motivation to do anything lately, truth be told. I mean, I want to get over this mission, land that damn thing on Providence 5 and take the next flight back to Charkovaya to get behind my desk again. How’s that for a motivation?

Uhm…enough to understand you don’t want to dwell on that subject. So…Tell us something about your family and childhood.

Ah, yeah, that’s better. I had a happy childhood. My parents were great people and paved the way so I could study. They were a bit disappointed that I didn’t become a priest like they originally intended, but I hope I made them proud with my career. So, sorry, no tragic backstory to unearth here.

Oh, that’s okay. Not every character needs a traumatic childhood, although we see that a lot. Tell us something about your dreams and aspirations? Were you able to achieve them or are you planning to?

Oh, you know, I lived my life. I still know how excited I was as a newly appointed navigation officer. I also know how proud I was when I earned my stripes as a captain. But that’s in the past. Nowadays, those things don’t matter to me anymore. Nothing matters anymore. *stares ahead as if he sees something no one else sees*

What is your biggest fear in life?

I have lost the ability to be scared of anything. When death comes to take me, I am more than ready. *flinches* Oh, wait, no, that’s not true. If something bad happens to Raffi, that would be horrible! And likely. She’s so nosy! She always wants to find out. I just hope she keeps out of trouble.

Who is Raffi?

My assistant. Perhaps you should interview her, too. She sure would enjoy that! And talk your ear off. Be warned. *smiles for the first time during the interview, a very warm smile, his eyes twinkling*

Perhaps we’ll do that, thanks for the hint. How would you describe your life in one sentence?

I can even do in one word: pointless.

What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you?

*mumbles* I have lost my wife. Three years ago. On the 25th of March 2519.

Oh. I am sorry for your loss. What happened?

An accident. I don’t want to talk about it. *brushes over his eyes*

Did it change you for the better or the worse?

*stares at the interviewer for several seconds before asking* Who can tell?

What are your plans for the future?

Bringing this ship to Providence 5 with as little disruption as possible. Get back behind my desk. I hope my life doesn’t last too long.

Well, thanks a lot, Captain Galahad, for your frank answers. I look forward to reading more about your adventures in the future!

Herald Petrel

If you ask Harold Galahad, he isn’t fit to lead the crew of the half-destroyed cargo spaceship Herald Petrel back home. But nobody asks Harry.

An explosion leaves the ship helplessly floating in space and Harry reliving his own personal nightmare. He doesn’t want to be a captain anymore, and nobody trusts him as captain—least of all himself. The crew behaves strangely, his first officer is less than helpful, and the more he finds out, the more Harry has to challenge his own beliefs. While forced to relive the darkest part of his past, Captain Harold Galahad needs to figure out what happened and find a way back home.

You can find Herald Petrel here:
Amazon| Goodreads

If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Excerpt Reveal: Deadly Odds 7.0 by Allen Wyler

Categories Book ExcerptsLeave a Comment on Excerpt Reveal: Deadly Odds 7.0 by Allen Wyler

Welcome to TRB Lounge! We’re thrilled to host author Allen Whyler today, who will be unveiling an intriguing excerpt from their newest release, Deadly Odds 7.0. Dive in and get an exclusive sneak peek into the intriguing world they’ve crafted in their latest work!

About the Book

Deadly Odds 7.0

In Wyler’s 7th installment of the Deadly Odds techno-thriller series, reformed hacker Arnold Gold and his team are contracted to come up with a daring plan to sneak past the building’s newly installed AI-enhanced security systems to hack the computers and offices a high-profile Seattle law firm in an ultra-secure downtown office building while squaring off against the clock and a hard-driving, paranoid Head of Security, Itzhak Mizrahi.

Excerpt

EXCEPT FOR OCASSIONAL intense sapphire glints from her eyes, low sweeping cedar branches formed an island of impenetrable layered shadows in a lake of harsh mercury-vapor streetlight, cloistering a petite female in black jeans, black wool turtleneck, black shoes, and a black ski mask over her pale white skin and regimented coif of platinum-blond hair. She sat cross-legged in a roughly triangular patch of weed-infested ivy, back propped against the scaly red strips of cedar bark. Her third consecutive night of surveilling Arnold Gold’s home from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Precisely. And like the prior nights, no one appeared to be inside the ultra-contemporary cube despite various lights that turned on at the same time each evening. Alexa smart switches, she assumed.

Another glance at her watch. Another sixty minutes had just snailed past. Amazing. The time just seemed to… dissipate. Another sixty minutes of her life had evaporated doing… what, exactly? Surveillance. There was, however, a bright side. Those sixty minutes were billable. The not-so-bright side, however, was that the time could never be recaptured. Oh well, it was a job, and like certain orifices, everybody needs one. If she weren’t doing this, she might be wiping tables and slinging hash browns at a Denny’s. She stifled a yawn. Enough. She had fulfilled her commitment for the evening.

According to the property records, this was indeed Gold’s home. But he wasn’t inside during the specified hours on these specified evenings. Where was he? On vacation? At a girlfriend’s? Or perhaps a boyfriend’s? No idea and not her problem, for she hadn’t been asked to address that question. Adhering to her well-established reputation as a diligent and rigorous investigator, she intended to write up the exact details outlined in the assignment and that would be that. Then on to the next job.

She stood, swatted debris from her black pants, did an about-face to ruffle the matted ivy back into some semblance of natural confusion, then stepped back to inspect how well she’d disguised her presence. Not quite perfect. Bending over, she messed up an edge that didn’t look quite right. Surveyed her work again and nodded silent approval. Now it was perfect. 

Three full strides and she was standing on the edge of the narrow, windy, asphalt side street. Stood still for a moment, scanning the immediate vicinity. No vehicular nor pedestrian traffic. No one in sight. Off came her ski mask, which she quickly wadded into the back pocket of her jeans, then slid from the concealing shadows up the sidewalk of the deserted street. Turned right at the corner, continued straight ahead for half a block, then another right turn into the alley that again shrouded her in the dense shadows of shrubs and fences. Silently she navigated an obstacle course of color-coded recycling, garbage, and compost bins, all the while concealed in the darkest areas. Her contracted three hours finished, she was now working on her own time. But true to her reputation for scrupulous thoroughness, she felt it necessary to add a trademark garnish to her report. Lest anyone should ever accuse her work of being shoddy. And besides, it cost only a handful of minutes. Salve for her conscience. This job, after all, had turned out to be less of a challenge than originally thought, so anything to spice it up…

About The Author

Allen Wyler

Allen Wyler is a retired neurosurgeon who lives in Seattle.

Allen’s thrillers have twice been nominated for the prestigious Thriller Award. He has served on the Board of Directors of the International Thriller Writers and is also an active member of the North American Crime Writers and Mystery Writers of America. He lives in Seattle.

You can find author Wyler here:
Website

If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Book Spotlight: Don’t Feed the Beast: But Do Punish the Free-Riders (Triumvirate Book 1) by Solveig Larssen

Categories Book SpotlightLeave a Comment on Book Spotlight: Don’t Feed the Beast: But Do Punish the Free-Riders (Triumvirate Book 1) by Solveig Larssen

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Solveig Larssen for her latest release, Don’t Feed the Beast: But Do Punish the Free-Riders (Triumvirate Book 1).

Book: Don’t Feed the Beast: But Do Punish the Free-Riders
Author: Solveig Larssen
Publication date: March 1, 2024
Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Political Fiction, Thriller
Page Count: 152 pages
Publisher: Ostkorridor Books

About the Book

Mountainland, the richest, proudest, and freest nation in the world, has resorted to forming a militia and creating incarceration camps to stem the influx of migrants… Fjordland, the most civilised, equal, and just nation in the world, is falling apart, unable to accommodate its newfound diversity…
Meanwhile, life is getting worse on the Savannah and in the Jungle, with autocratic high-tech city-states and abundant cheap labour to exploit. Somewhere, amidst it all, only the rootless global technology organisations seem to prosper.
Eskild, the sympathetic Brotherhood bear, expelled and humiliated—is on his journey to visit his younger, liberal siblings, Dag and Selma. Justice has deteriorated in the world because Selma, to navigate the changes of globalisation, has abandoned her old ways.
If Eskild cannot persuade Selma to support a new order that promises peaceful coexistence among all parties, even with the sinister C-Cult, Fjordland will cease to be a liberal democracy. Globalisation will grind on, forcing most people to join the workforce of the disruptive transnational platform organisations.
Don’t Feed the Beast is the first book in the Triumvirate series, featuring delightful fable animals in a dystopian world. It’s a fast-paced story, perfect for readers who want to explore our changing world.

You can find Don’t Feed the Beast here:
Amazon

About The Author

Solveig Larssen

Solveig Larssen is the pen name of Sune Larsen,  a transportation policy advisor, and co-founder of Almenr, a co-living business. Sune lives with his spouse, Regitze, in Copenhagen.

You can find author Solveig here:
Website

If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Cover Reveal: Don’t Feed the Beast: But Do Punish the Free-Riders (Triumvirate Book 1) by Solveig Larssen

Categories cover reveal, Cover RevealsLeave a Comment on Cover Reveal: Don’t Feed the Beast: But Do Punish the Free-Riders (Triumvirate Book 1) by Solveig Larssen

🌟✨ Step into the TRB Lounge Spotlight! 🌟✨

Today, we roll out the red carpet for the amazing Solveig Larssen, who is about to unveil the beautiful cover of her newest dystopian novel, Don’t Feed the Beast: But Do Punish the Free-Riders (Triumvirate Book 1).

Presenting…

About the Book

Mountainland, the richest, proudest, and freest nation in the world, has resorted to forming a militia and creating incarceration camps to stem the influx of migrants… Fjordland, the most civilised, equal, and just nation in the world, is falling apart, unable to accommodate its newfound diversity…

Meanwhile, life is getting worse on the Savannah and in the Jungle, with autocratic high-tech city-states and abundant cheap labour to exploit. Somewhere, amidst it all, only the rootless global technology organisations seem to prosper.
Eskild, the sympathetic Brotherhood bear, expelled and humiliated—is on his journey to visit his younger, liberal siblings, Dag and Selma. Justice has deteriorated in the world because Selma, to navigate the changes of globalisation, has abandoned her old ways.

If Eskild cannot persuade Selma to support a new order that promises peaceful coexistence among all parties, even with the sinister C-Cult, Fjordland will cease to be a liberal democracy. Globalisation will grind on, forcing most people to join the workforce of the disruptive transnational platform organisations.

Don’t Feed the Beast is the first book in the Triumvirate series, featuring delightful fable animals in a dystopian world. It’s a fast-paced story, perfect for readers who want to explore our changing world.

You can find Don’t Feed the Beast here:
Amazon

About The Author

Solveig Larssen

Solveig Larssen is the pen name of Sune Larsen,  a transportation policy advisor, and co-founder of Almenr, a co-living business. Sune lives with his spouse, Regitze, in Copenhagen.

You can find author Solveig here:
Website

If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at  thereadingbud@gmail.com

Guest Post: Author Harold Phifer

Categories Guest PostsLeave a Comment on Guest Post: Author Harold Phifer

Welcome to TRB Lounge!

Today, we are featuring Junis Sultan, author of Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar by Harold Phifer to share his guest article.

About The Author

Harold Phifer

Harold Phifer was born and raised in Columbus, Mississippi. All of his first 25 years were solidly spent inside his home state. After graduating from Mississippi State University and Jackson State University, he went on to work for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for 23 years as an Air Traffic Controller. He left the FAA and began work as an International Contractor, where he has done numerous tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

You can find author Phifer here:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok


Guest Post

A story of a young man survived being reared by a schizophrenic mom and a greedy aunt yet having to deal with bullying, sexual assaults, self confidence, coming of age, an absent father, racism, and dating through his own vision of what life was supposed to be. For more than fifty years, Harold Phifer childhood living conditions remained a secret even to those who thought they knew him best. It wasn’t until an explosion in Afghanistan that his memory blasted back into focus. This book is the result of a long, cathartic chat with a stranger at a beach bar.

About The Book

Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar

For more than fifty years, Harold Phifer’s childhood living conditions remained a secret, even from those who thought they knew him best. No one knew about his past growing up with a mother who suffered from mental illness; a greedy aunt; a mindless and spoiled older brother; an absent father.

It wasn’t until an explosion in Afghanistan that his memory was blasted back into focus. This book is the result of a long, cathartic chat with a stranger at a beach bar, where Harold finally found some peace.

You can find Surviving Chaos, How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar here:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

If you are an author and wish to be interviewed or if you are a publicist and want to get your author interviewed on TRB, then please get in touch through direct e-mail: thereadingbud@gmail.com

Excerpt Reveal: Surviving Chaos, How I Found Peace At A Beach Bar by Harold Phifer

Categories Book ExcerptsLeave a Comment on Excerpt Reveal: Surviving Chaos, How I Found Peace At A Beach Bar by Harold Phifer

Welcome to TRB Lounge! We’re thrilled to host author Harold Phifer today, who will be unveiling tantalising excerpts from their newest masterpiece, Surviving Chaos, How I found Peace at a Beach Bar. Dive in and get an exclusive sneak peek into the intriguing world they’ve crafted in their latest work!

About the Book

Surviving Chaos, How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar

For more than fifty years, Harold Phifer’s childhood living conditions remained a secret, even from those who thought they knew him best. No one knew about his past growing up with a mother who suffered from mental illness; a greedy aunt; a mindless and spoiled older brother; an absent father.

It wasn’t until an explosion in Afghanistan that his memory was blasted back into focus. This book is the result of a long, cathartic chat with a stranger at a beach bar, where Harold finally found some peace.

You can find Surviving Chaos, How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar here:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Excerpt

The 6 Year Old Flirt

Out of nowhere, one of the twins grabbed my cap while the other delivered a blow to my head. She slapped the taste right out of my mouth. I couldn’t even feel my tongue. I spun around to face my bullies. The twins had become triplets. I couldn’t remember ever trying to drink three glasses of anything and this wouldn’t be the day to try. The girls stared at me and said, “Who the hell do you think you are?”

As I approached the twins I smiled, tipped my hat, and continued on my way. I had done the ‘big move’ just as Jerry instructed. I smiled from jawline to jawline; I was so full of myself.

The third girl disappeared. She was a mirage, a figment of my imagination; created when I was knocked senseless. I shrugged and stared back at the twins. They gave me back my cap and told me to get lost. I didn’t challenge those instructions.

So much for Jerry’s advice! I needed to create my own playbook.

Tapping Out

Once I got to know Adela, I learned she was a religious zealot. Her friends and family were of the same mindset. They always tried to ‘out-Christian’ one another. If one person said, “Praise the Lord” then the other had to top it with, “Praise the Lord and Thank you, Jesus!” Or someone would say, “Oh, help me Lord,” then a voice would say, “Help me Lord. You are an angel of mercy on high.” Or, someone would say, “Jesus carried me today,” and suddenly some- one would jump up doing the church dance while screaming, “Won’t he do it, Lord! Won’t he do it!”

Dinner at 2:00

Second, I knew Dad was concerned about my past associations. I was from the Trash Alley. It was my community. I hung out with thugs from the Frog Bottom, the Burns Bottoms, the Red Line, the S-Curve, the Sandfield, the Morning Side, and a bunch of other places that shall remain nameless. I knew all of the “Legends of the Hood”: Sin Man, Swap, Boo Boo, Emp-Man, Cookie Man, Shank, Polar Bear, Bae Willy, Bae 

Bruh, Skullhead Ned, Pimp, Crunch, and Goat Turd (just to name a few). I thought maybe Dad had summoned me as a “show and tell” for the kids in his neighborhood—the hardliner to scare those wayward suburban brats back into reality.

About The Author

Harold Phifer

Harold Phifer was born and raised in Columbus, Mississippi. All of his first 25 years were solidly spent inside his home state. After graduating from Mississippi State University and Jackson State University, he went on to work for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for 23 years as an Air Traffic Controller. He left the FAA and began work as an International Contractor, where he has done numerous tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

You can find author Phifer here:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok

If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Cover Reveal: Surviving Chaos, How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar by Harold Phifer

Categories cover reveal, Cover RevealsLeave a Comment on Cover Reveal: Surviving Chaos, How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar by Harold Phifer

🌟✨ Step into the TRB Lounge Spotlight! 🌟✨

Today, we roll out the red carpet for the amazing Harold Phifer, who is about to unveil the beautiful cover of his newest masterpiece, Surviving Chaos, How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar. Prepare to be enchanted, for what you’re about to see is not just a cover—it’s a visual symphony that captures the very soul of the story. 📚💖

Presenting…

Alternate Cover

About the Book

For more than fifty years, Harold Phifer’s childhood living conditions remained a secret, even from those who thought they knew him best. No one knew about his past growing up with a mother who suffered from mental illness; a greedy aunt; a mindless and spoiled older brother; an absent father.

It wasn’t until an explosion in Afghanistan that his memory was blasted back into focus. This book is the result of a long, cathartic chat with a stranger at a beach bar, where Harold finally found some peace.

You can find Surviving Chaos, How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar here:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

On YouTube

About The Author

Harold Phifer

Harold Phifer was born in a deeply segregated South It is here he learned how to survive the harsh life of being unnurtured and unloved on the streets of Columbus, Mississippi. His first twenty-five years were spent dreaming, hustling, and ducking bullies at every turn. After graduating Mississippi State and Jackson State Universities, he became a highly specialized Air Traffic Controller, living and working as an international contractor, serving numerous tours in lraq and Afghanistan. Because of those experiences of being so close to death and the Taliban, he had no choice but accept the Tee-shirt while authoring his memoir “SleepWalking Out of Afghanistan: Walking it all Back.” Next, Harold followed up with an expanded autobiography, “Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace at A
Beach Bar,” which is a combination of two books through different phases of trauma all meshed into one big novel.

You can find author Phifer here:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok

If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at  thereadingbud@gmail.com

Cover Reveal: The Guitar Decoder Ring by Asher Black

Categories cover reveal, Cover RevealsLeave a Comment on Cover Reveal: The Guitar Decoder Ring by Asher Black

🌟✨ Step into the TRB Lounge Spotlight! 🌟✨

Today, we roll out the red carpet for the amazing Asher Black, who is about to unveil the beautiful cover of his newest masterpiece, The Guitar Decoder Ring. Prepare to be enchanted, for what you’re about to see is not just a cover—it’s a visual symphony that captures the very soul of the story. 📚💖

Presenting…

The Guitar Decoder Ring

About the Book

Meet SIGIL—the new language of guitar. Guitarists who want to improvise and compose, from novice to advanced, will find SIGIL works like a decoder ring for the guitar, yet it’s simple enough to keep in one’s head.

Visualize the whole fretboard. Gain portable knowledge of modes, scales, and intervals without wall charts. This is guitar study re-engineered for every level.

Create more interesting solos. Break through your lull or stall. Decrypt the instrument and unleash your play. The authors are a seasoned musician with albums under his belt and a lively storyteller who walk you through the toolset with eye-opening and sometimes hilarious examples.

  • 023 NYC Big Book Award Winner in the category of Music.
  • 2023 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award for a How-to Book.
  • Hollywood Book Festival honorable mention, 2023.
  • Global Book Awards finalist, 2023.

You can find The Guitar Decoder Ring here:
Blurb| Amazon (print) | Amazon (ebook) | Barnes & Nobel | Kobo | SmashWords | Lulu | Scribd

About The Author

Asher Black

Asher Black is an author, karateka, musician, digital ecologist® and maintainer of tobacco pipes of various personalities in Brooklyn, NY. He writes about everything, is a host of multiple podcasts, and (for his day job) connects enterprise sales teams with their audience through sales enablement campaigns and brand story. He boats, dances, and plays with cryptography and linguistics, while reading history and hard-boiled detective novels.

Asher Black is an enforcer for the creativity mafia, plying his art through storytelling (even in non-fiction), collecting oil paintings, improvising and composing for the guitar with the romance of a practitioner in love with the fretboard, and pushing through to zen-like execution of the martial arts. He is a hitman with words, broadcasting from the home studio a continual critique of one-sided thinking, and is known for his raucous sense of humor.

You can find author Black here:
Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub | Twitter | LinkedIn

If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at  thereadingbud@gmail.com

Author Spotlight: Harold Phifer

Categories Author SpotlightLeave a Comment on Author Spotlight: Harold Phifer

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Harold Phifer for his latest release, Surviving Chaos: How I found Peace At A Beach Bar.

About The Author

Harold Phifer

Harold Phifer was born in a deeply segregated South It is here he learned how to survive the harsh life of being unnurtured and unloved on the streets of Columbus, Mississippi. His first twenty-five years were spent dreaming, hustling, and ducking bullies at every turn. After graduating Mississippi State and Jackson State Universities, he became a highly specialized Air Traffic Controller, living and working as an international contractor, serving numerous tours in lraq and Afghanistan. Because of those experiences of being so close to death and the Taliban, he had no choice but accept the Tee-shirt while authoring his memoir “SleepWalking Out of Afghanistan: Walking it all Back.” Next, Harold followed up with an expanded autobiography, “Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace at A
Beach Bar,” which is a combination of two books through different phases of trauma all meshed into one big novel.

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
TikTok

About the Book

For more than fifty years, Harold Phifer’s childhood living conditions remained a secret, even from those who thought they knew him best. No one knew about his past growing up with a mother who suffered from mental illness; a greedy aunt; a mindless and spoiled older brother; an absent father.

It wasn’t until an explosion in Afghanistan that his memory was blasted back into focus. This book is the result of a long, cathartic chat with a stranger at a beach bar, where Harold finally found some peace.

You can find Surviving Chaos, How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar here:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Book Spotlight: Beast: Book One by Emma Roberson

Categories Book SpotlightLeave a Comment on Book Spotlight: Beast: Book One by Emma Roberson

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Emma Roberson for her latest release, Beast: Book One.

Book: Beast: Book One
Author: Emma Roberson
Publication date: September 13, 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Monster-Beast Fiction
Page Count: 220 pages
Publisher: Green Hill Publishing

About the Book

FORCED FROM THE SEA HE ONCE ROAMED AS AN APEX PREDATOR, THE LEVIATHAN MUST FIGHT TO SURVIVE ON LAND.

With a new face and name the Leviathan carves a place for himself in a volatile and violent world where monsters and humans wage war against each other and amongst themselves for survival and supremacy.

An unlikely alliance is forged between the Master of the Vanguard, the leader of the kingdoms royally sanctioned monster hunters, and the Leviathan, once the most notorious and elusive monster of the sea. United by terrible circumstance and bound by a shared purpose, the Master and the Leviathan struggle to overcome the hatred and fear which rules and rots the realm.

The Leviathan must defend the realm from all things monstrous, including himself. He must find a way to conquer the turmoil of the kingdom and the darkness of his own nature.

You can find Beast: Book One here:
Amazon | More Options

About The Author

Emma Roberson

Emma Roberson is an Australian author and illustrator who is obsessed with all things strange, dark and wild. Emma is an avid reptile and horse keeper, and these animals often feature in her writing and illustrations. Beast is the first book of The Leviathan Series, an illustrated fantasy adventure full of frightful monsters and gritty quests. Find Emma, the critters and the latest updates on her written work on Facebook.

Facebook
Instagram
If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Book Spotlight: Surviving Chaos, How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar by Harold Phifer

Categories Book SpotlightLeave a Comment on Book Spotlight: Surviving Chaos, How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar by Harold Phifer

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Harold Phifer for his latest release, Surviving Chaos, How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar.

Book: Surviving Chaos: How I found Peace At A Beach Bar
Author: Harold Phifer
Publication date: Feb 18, 2021
Genres: Humour, Dysfunctional Family, Young Adult, Non-Fiction
Page Count: 267 pages
Publisher: Rise and Read Free Press

About the Book

For more than fifty years, Harold Phifer’s childhood living conditions remained a secret, even from those who thought they knew him best. No one knew about his past growing up with a mother who suffered from mental illness; a greedy aunt; a mindless and spoiled older brother; an absent father.

It wasn’t until an explosion in Afghanistan that his memory was blasted back into focus. This book is the result of a long, cathartic chat with a stranger at a beach bar, where Harold finally found some peace.

You can find Surviving Chaos, How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar here:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

About The Author

Harold Phifer

Harold Phifer was born in a deeply segregated South It is here he learned how to survive the harsh life of being unnurtured and unloved on the streets of Columbus, Mississippi. His first twenty-five years were spent dreaming, hustling, and ducking bullies at every turn. After graduating Mississippi State and Jackson State Universities, he became a highly specialized Air Traffic Controller, living and working as an international contractor, serving numerous tours in lraq and Afghanistan. Because of those experiences of being so close to death and the Taliban, he had no choice but accept the Tee-shirt while authoring his memoir “SleepWalking Out of Afghanistan: Walking it all Back.” Next, Harold followed up with an expanded autobiography, “Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace at A
Beach Bar,” which is a combination of two books through different phases of trauma all meshed into one big novel.

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
TikTok
If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Author Spotlight: Rebecca Butt 

Categories Author SpotlightLeave a Comment on Author Spotlight: Rebecca Butt 

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Rebecca Butt  for her latest release, Lipstick on a Pig: A Memoir.

About The Author

Rebecca Butt

As a young child, Rebecca escaped into books, and wrote happy stories accompanied by bright and cheerful pictures with houses, trees, flowers, and birds,that were a contradiction to her real-life circumstances. Her childhood love for reading and writing endured, and she eventualy wrote and published her short stories and poetry in a literary journal in college. Lipstick on a Pig is her lengthiest writing endeavor.
A licensed Speech Language Pathologist with a master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders, she is the Director of Special Education for a school district in New Hampshire, where she resides.

Instagram
Goodreads

About the Book

Candid and poignant, humorous and heart-wrenching, in nomadic fashion, the directionless Butt Family chaotically relocated throughout the city of Laconia, New Hampshire, like a ship, adrift and lost at sea without a captain.

Encumbered by night terrors, hauntings, and scraps of memories that spoke to a cruelty beyond her mother, Becky sneakily devoured her way into young adulthood and developed a crippling, yet all too comforting, binge-eating disorder.

Morbidly obese, visited often by a seething presence, and drowning under the smothering symptoms of childhood trauma, Becky is sure she’s the defective link in her broken family-until her ghost relative provides her a life jacket of hope that may just keep her afloat.

You can find Lipstick on a Pig here:
Amazon | Goodreads

If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Cover Reveal: Dancer on the Ceiling: More Darkly Humorous Tales by Mark Nutter

Categories cover reveal, Cover Reveals1 Comment on Cover Reveal: Dancer on the Ceiling: More Darkly Humorous Tales by Mark Nutter

🌟✨ Step into the TRB Lounge Spotlight! 🌟✨

Today, we roll out the red carpet for the amazing Mark Gutter, who is about to unveil the beautiful cover of his newest masterpiece, Dancer on the Ceiling: More Darkly Humorous Tales. Prepare to be enchanted, for what you’re about to see is not just a cover—it’s a visual symphony that captures the very soul of storytelling. 📚💖

Presenting…

About the Book

Presenting laugh-out-loud stories for lovers of absurd comedy, featuring an eccentric cast of characters including Derek Organ: Private Investigator, Lionel the Moth, Roman slave Servus Minimus, the Battlefield Masseur, ambulance chaser Bradley Scherp, the Incredibly Delusional Shrinking Man, Compound Fracture the Clown, and of course, the Dancer on the Ceiling.

You can find Dancer on the Ceiling: More Darkly Humorous Tales here:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookBaby

About The Authors

Mark Nutter

MARK NUTTER grew up in a motel near Joliet, Illinois, which is not as glamorous as it sounds. He acquired a taste for absurd comedy while in the womb. Mark is the author of three short fiction collections (Dancer on the Ceiling, Giant Banana Over Texas, and Sunset Cruise on the River Styx). He’s also written for the stage (Re-Animator the Musical, The Bicycle Men, Christmas Smackdown), television (SNL, 3rd Rock from the Sun), and film (Almost Heroes).

Website
If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at  thereadingbud@gmail.com

Book Spotlight: TOX by Harken Void

Categories Book SpotlightLeave a Comment on Book Spotlight: TOX by Harken Void

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Harken Void for her latest release, TOX.

Book: TOX
Author: Harken Void
Publication date: May 29, 2023
Genres: Scienfe-Fiction, Novella
Page Count: 123 pages
Publisher: –

About the Book

The world is dead, suffocated by the greed and neglect of the very children it gave birth to, and humankind itself is dancing on a razor’s edge between survival and extinction.
Coghan, a young Breath Hunter, is sent out on his first mission to collect breathable air for the Dome, one of humanity’s last bastions. But in a world where a toxic atmosphere blocks out the sun, acid rain corrodes metal, and the wind blows away anything else remaining, a single misstep can be your last.
And when everyone looks only after themselves, whom can you trust? Can you hope humanity will learn from its mistakes?
Suit up with Coghan and brave through the toxic hell that is the legacy of a society that killed their own planet!

You can find TOX here:
Amazon | Goodreads

About The Author

Harken Void

Harken Void is the author’s alter ego – his real name is Kevin – and he uses Harken as a medium to tell his stories. In his writing, he likes to incorporate elements of spirituality, science, philosophy, and personal growth, and present it all in as awesome and epic a way as he can. He loves to ask the big questions, explore life’s deepest secrets, and shine light at those darkest places – while keeping a lighthearted attitude and leaving his readers with a sense of upliftment. He feels most at home in Fantasy and Science Fiction, genres of ideas and exploration of reality itself.
While Harken is a multidimensional being, existing beyond all space and time, Kevin is mortal, and he lives in Slovenia, a small country in Europe. He completed a Bachelor’s degree in Geology. Besides writing and contemplating existence, his two most burning passions are music and nature.

Email
Website
If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Book Spotlight: Lipstick on a Pig: A Memoir by Rebecca Butt 

Categories Book SpotlightLeave a Comment on Book Spotlight: Lipstick on a Pig: A Memoir by Rebecca Butt 

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Rebecca Butt  for her latest release, Lipstick on a Pig: A Memoir.

Lipstick on a Pig: A Memoir

Book: Lipstick on a Pig: A Memoir
Author: Rebecca Butt
Publication date: June 30, 2023
Genres: Memoir, Non-Fiction
Page Count: 276 pages
Publisher: Bowker

About the Book

Candid and poignant, humorous and heart-wrenching, in nomadic fashion, the directionless Butt Family chaotically relocated throughout the city of Laconia, New Hampshire, like a ship, adrift and lost at sea without a captain.

Encumbered by night terrors, hauntings, and scraps of memories that spoke to a cruelty beyond her mother, Becky sneakily devoured her way into young adulthood and developed a crippling, yet all too comforting, binge-eating disorder.

Morbidly obese, visited often by a seething presence, and drowning under the smothering symptoms of childhood trauma, Becky is sure she’s the defective link in her broken family-until her ghost relative provides her a life jacket of hope that may just keep her afloat.

You can find Lipstick on a Pig here:
Amazon | Goodreads

About The Author

Rebecca Butt

As a young child, Rebecca escaped into books, and wrote happy stories accompanied by bright and cheerful pictures with houses, trees, flowers, and birds,that were a contradiction to her real-life circumstances. Her childhood love for reading and writing endured, and she eventualy wrote and published her short stories and poetry in a literary journal in college. Lipstick on a Pig is her lengthiest writing endeavor.
A licensed Speech Language Pathologist with a master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders, she is the Director of Special Education for a school district in New Hampshire, where she resides.

Instagram
Goodreads
If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Book Spotlight: Native Knowings: Wisdom Keys for One and All by Steven McFadden

Categories Book SpotlightLeave a Comment on Book Spotlight: Native Knowings: Wisdom Keys for One and All by Steven McFadden

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Steven McFadden for his latest release, Native Knowings: Wisdom Keys for One and All.

Native Knowings: Wisdom Keys for One and All

Book: Native Knowings: Wisdom Keys for One and All
Author: Steven McFadden
Publication date: May 26, 2023
Genres: Motivational, Self-Help, Inspirational, Non-Fiction
Page Count: 84 pages
Publisher: –

About the Book

This original compilation–a small treasure of 72 pages–offers a concise and contemporary compendium of some key North American (Turtle Island) wisdom teachings to help support people through this era of transition.

“I ask you to listen,
not just with your minds.
I ask you to listen with your hearts,
because that’s the only way
you can receive what it is,
what we are giving.
These are the teachings of our hearts.”
– Frank Decontie, Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg

What do some of the venerable, deeply rooted wisdom teachings of the Americas offer in our era of transition?

This Soul*Sparks small treasure offers an array of thoughtful messages, a compilation of keys that everyone has opportunities to turn. We’d be wise to understand and then to weave their enduring insights into the fabric of what we are creating for ourselves, our children, and our children’s children

The words of contemporary elders, in particular, sound a note of urgency.

You can find Native Knowings here:
Amazon | Goodreads | Draft to Digital

About The Author

Steven McFadden

Steven McFadden is an independent journalist based in the Southwest of the USA. In the early 1980s he initiated Chiron Communications as an umbrella concept for his varied interests and pursuits. Chiron is a bridging figure, and bridging is what he has mainly been interested in over the years.
After authoring Profiles in Wisdom and then Legend of the Rainbow Warriors in the early 1990s, he rested the chiron concept to serve as National Coordinator for the annual Earth Day USA celebration, in partnership with the Seventh Generation Fund (1993). Then he returned to the work of chiron.
As a journalist, he is the author of a range of  non-fiction books, including Farms of Tomorrow, Farms of Tomorrow Revisited, The Call of the Land, Teach Us To Number Our Days, A Primer for Pilgrims, and Classical Considerations.
He is also the author of an epic, nonfiction saga of North America:Odyssey of the 8th Fire. This saga (8thFire.net) relates a true story arising from the deepest roots of the Americas, but taking place in the present and the future. In it, circles within circles, honorable elders make a great and generous giveaway of the teachings they carry.
McFadden’s newest agrarian book, Deep Agroecology: Farms, Food, and Our Future won the national Indie Excellence Award in the environmental category (2020). He is a member of the New Mexico Book Association (NMBA), and also the SouthWest Writers association (SWW).

Author’s Website
Facebook
Twitter/X
Goodreads
If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Book Spotlight: Naked Came the Detective by Glendall C. Jackson III

Categories Book SpotlightLeave a Comment on Book Spotlight: Naked Came the Detective by Glendall C. Jackson III

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Glendall C. Jackson III for his latest release, Naked Came the Detective.

Naked Came the Detective

Book: Naked Came the Detective
Author: Glendall C. Jackson III
Publication date: 20th June 2023
Genres: Detective Fiction
Page Count: 102 pages
Publisher: GCJ3 Enterprise
Awards: WINNER: 2023 Paris Book Festival, WINNER, best novella: 2023 Firebird Book Awards, WINNER, best noir mystery: The 2023 BookFest Awards, WINNER: 2023 Literary Titan Gold Book Award, RUNNER-UP, sleuth-mystery: 2023 PenCraft Book Awards

Naked Came the Detective

In many murder mysteries, the call girl gets killed. This novella turns that tired trope on its head.
A skilled and versatile sex worker learns that one of her clients, a prominent businessman, was brutally murdered just hours after their last date. With her unique access to the upper echelon of Washington D.C. society, she embarks on an investigation that leads to a shocking discovery.
Glendall C. Jackson III, an award-winning non-fiction writer, creates a vivid portrait of high-end sex work.

You can find Naked Came the Detective here:
Amazon | Goodreads

About The Author

Glendall C. Jackson III

Glendall C. Jackson III is an award-winning writer who has long specialized in deeply-reported non fiction. Naked Came the Detective, his first novel, won an award in the Paris Book Festival and has earned numerous five-star reviews.

Read More
If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Author Spotlight: Greg BelliveauAuthor Spotlight:

Categories Author SpotlightLeave a Comment on Author Spotlight: Greg BelliveauAuthor Spotlight:

Welcome to TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Greg Belliveau on The Reading Bud for his latest release, Gods Of Imago.

About The Author

Greg Belliveau

Greg Belliveau’s books include his dystopian novel Gods of IMAGO (Rogue Phoenix Press, 2023), IMAGO, and Go Down To Silence (Multnomah Publishing), a Christy Award Finalist for Best First Novel. He has written a collection of creative nonfiction entitled Seeds: Mediations on Grace in a World with Teeth (Crosslink Publishing, 2017). His short stories have been published in Fathom Magazine, The Atticus Review, The Cleveland Review, and Vine Leaves, where his vignette “LG Don’t Want To Fly” was selected for their 2012 Best Of Anthology, published by eMergent Publishing. He is a Christopher Isherwood grant recipient and teaches Creative Writing at Antioch University, Midwest, and has taught at The Antioch Writer’s Workshop, Yellow Springs, OH. He is currently a Visiting Instructor at Capital University and lives in Ohio with his wife and two daughters.

You can find author Greg` here:
Author’s Website | Facebook | Twitter |Blog

About the Book

Loving & Leaving

It has been ten years since Christopher Dante, the last storyteller, defeated the Ghul in the abandoned subway tunnels under Cogstin, and now he has vanished without a trace. There are rumors and whispers of a new evil emerging, ancient, dark, beyond the Black Mountains, a Horned God who rules the skeleton people of the north. Welcome to Gods of IMAGO, book two in the stunning IMAGO Series. Gods of IMAGO is literary dystopia at its absolute best, blending amazing world-building with thought-provoking, artful prose in an unforgettable, page-turning experience that will haunt the reader long after the last sentence.

You can find Gods of Imago here:
Amazon | Goodreads | Barnes & Nobel

If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Book Spotlight: Gods of Imago by Greg Belliveau

Categories Book SpotlightLeave a Comment on Book Spotlight: Gods of Imago by Greg Belliveau

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Greg Belliveau for his latest release, Gods of Imago.

Gods of Imago

Book: Gods of Imago
Author: Greg Belliveau
Publication date: August 15, 2023
Genres: Fantasy
Page Count: 381 pages
Publisher: Rogue Phoenix Press

About Gods of Imago

It has been ten years since Christopher Dante, the last storyteller, defeated the Ghul in the abandoned subway tunnels under Cogstin, and now he has vanished without a trace. There are rumors and whispers of a new evil emerging, ancient, dark, beyond the Black Mountains, a Horned God who rules the skeleton people of the north. Welcome to Gods of IMAGO, book two in the stunning IMAGO Series. Gods of IMAGO is literary dystopia at its absolute best, blending amazing world-building with thought-provoking, artful prose in an unforgettable, page-turning experience that will haunt the reader long after the last sentence.

You can find Gods of Imago here:
Amazon | Goodreads | Barnes & Nobel

About The Author

Greg Belliveau

Greg Belliveau’s books include his dystopian novel Gods of IMAGO (Rogue Phoenix Press, 2023), IMAGO, and Go Down To Silence (Multnomah Publishing), a Christy Award Finalist for Best First Novel. He has written a collection of creative nonfiction entitled Seeds: Mediations on Grace in a World with Teeth (Crosslink Publishing, 2017). His short stories have been published in Fathom Magazine, The Atticus Review, The Cleveland Review, and Vine Leaves, where his vignette “LG Don’t Want To Fly” was selected for their 2012 Best Of Anthology, published by eMergent Publishing. He is a Christopher Isherwood grant recipient and teaches Creative Writing at Antioch University, Midwest, and has taught at The Antioch Writer’s Workshop, Yellow Springs, OH. He is currently a Visiting Instructor at Capital University and lives in Ohio with his wife and two daughters.

Author’s Website
Facebook
Twitter
Blog
If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Cover Reveal: Naked Came the Detective by Glendall C. Jackson III

Categories cover reveal, Cover Reveals2 Comments on Cover Reveal: Naked Came the Detective by Glendall C. Jackson III

🌟✨ Step into the TRB Lounge Spotlight! 🌟✨

Today, we roll out the red carpet for the amazing Glendall Jackson, who is about to unveil the beautiful cover of his newest masterpiece, Naked Came the Detective. Prepare to be enchanted, for what you’re about to see is not just a cover—it’s a visual symphony that captures the very soul of storytelling. 📚💖

Presenting…

About the Book

WINNER: 2023 Paris Book Festival
WINNER, best novella: 2023 Firebird Book Awards
WINNER, best noir mystery: The 2023 BookFest Awards
WINNER: 2023 Literary Titan Gold Book Award
RUNNER-UP, sleuth-mystery: 2023 PenCraft Book Awards

In many murder mysteries, the call girl gets killed. This novella turns that tired trope on its head.
A skilled and versatile sex worker learns that one of her clients, a prominent businessman, was brutally murdered just hours after their last date. With her unique access to the upper echelon of Washington D.C. society, she embarks on an investigation that leads to a shocking discovery.
Glendall C. Jackson III, an award-winning non-fiction writer, creates a vivid portrait of high-end sex work.

You can find Naked Came the Detective here:
Amazon | Goodreads

In the Press

International Thriller Writers – Author Spotlight

About The Authors

Glendall C. Jackson III

Glendall C. Jackson III is an award-winning writer who has long specialized in deeply-reported non fiction. Naked Came the Detective, his first novel, won an award in the Paris Book Festival and has earned numerous five-star reviews.

Read More
If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at  thereadingbud@gmail.com

Excerpt Reveal: Loving & Leaving by Jack Lucci

Categories Book ExcerptsLeave a Comment on Excerpt Reveal: Loving & Leaving by Jack Lucci

Welcome to TRB Lounge! We’re thrilled to host author Jack Lucci today, who will be unveiling a tantalising excerpt from their newest masterpiece, Loving & Leaving. Dive in and get an exclusive sneak peek into the intriguing world they’ve crafted in their latest work!

About the Book

Loving & Leaving

The first installment of Jack Lucci’s living memoir, Loving & Leaving spans five years, touching on themes of gratefulness and regret and stories of love for people, places, narcotics, and the effort it takes to sustain that love. Far from stable and rather turbulent, Lucci chronicles his life as he oscillates between hero and anti-hero, sharing lessons learned in the Italian countryside, mistakes made in America’s Second City, the angst and constriction of southeastern Washington, and observations on the miserable Oregon coast. Whether you find yourself rooting for or against him, Loving & Leaving is the result of bleeding over the keyboard.

You can find Loving & Leaving here:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Excerpt

The light coming in over the water’s edge was blinding. One must block a portion to see the subject clearly. She was a comet crashing through, a most delighted interruption. A shot and a beer sat in front of her, a half-full pack of American Spirit tobacco, and a single hand-rolled cigarette. While my initial impression would turn out to be partially incorrect, I doubt anyone could live up to the way she appeared to me in that moment.

Discovering love seems to be an instant, a flash, bulbs burst, an image captured forever. A single-minded drive to share a moment. My goal became to talk to her. Stan pumped fleeting courage into my spine, and I kept an eye on her. I waited like an alligator in the brush, on the edge of the water, lying completely still, aware that if she perceived any movement, it would be taken as a threat, and while she certainly may evade me, I had a smile to surprise her with. She began to move, taking a step toward the patio.

This was my moment to act. Other predators inhabit the environment, and they, too, stalk their prey. I drank my beer and positioned a pre-rolled cigarette, ready to light, attempting to appear natural, as if we serendipitously decided to step out at the same time. I stepped outside, and it was like stepping off a cliff. I imagine my face went white because my brain, right then, was completely empty. I struggled to offer a greeting; instead, I just stared, forcing her to acknowledge my presence and attempt to engage with the strange man in front of her.

She asked, “You need a light?”

I responded with words that, looking back, were purely instinctual, as there was no way I spoke on my own volition. She offered me a seat at the bench where she was sitting, which I accepted eagerly…

About The Author

Jack Lucci

 The American melancholic writer Jack Lucci was born in a valley at the base of the blues. Lucci has lived all over the world and shares stories from his travels with a deserved honesty concerning people, places, and things. Although Lucci may at times be his own worst enemy readers can expect honest introspection and vulnerability. His first book, Loving & Leaving is available now. His blog, Separation Naturalist can be found on his website, Jacklucci.com.

Author’s Website
If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Cover Reveal: Gods of Imago by Greg Belliveau

Categories cover reveal, Cover Reveals2 Comments on Cover Reveal: Gods of Imago by Greg Belliveau

🌟✨ Step into the TRB Lounge Spotlight! 🌟✨

Today, we roll out the red carpet for the sensational Greg Belliveau, who is about to unveil the breathtaking cover of his newest masterpiece, Gods of Imago. Prepare to be enchanted, for what you’re about to see is not just a cover—it’s a visual symphony that captures the very soul of storytelling. 📚💖

Presenting…

About the Book

It has been ten years since Christopher Dante, the last storyteller, defeated the Ghul in the abandoned subway tunnels under Cogstin, and now he has vanished without a trace. There are rumors and whispers of a new evil emerging, ancient, dark, beyond the Black Mountains, a Horned God who rules the skeleton people of the north. Welcome to Gods of IMAGO, book two in the stunning IMAGO Series. Gods of IMAGO is literary dystopia at its absolute best, blending amazing world-building with thought-provoking, artful prose in an unforgettable, page-turning experience that will haunt the reader long after the last sentence.

You can find Gods of Imago here:
Amazon | Goodreads

In the Press

International Thriller Writers – Author Spotlight

Gods of IMAGO by Greg Belliveau

Authors Guild of America: Author Spotlight

About The Authors

Greg Belliveau

Greg Belliveau’s books include his dystopian novel Gods of IMAGO (Rogue Phoenix Press, 2023), IMAGO, and Go Down To Silence (Multnomah Publishing), a Christy Award Finalist for Best First Novel. He has written a collection of creative nonfiction entitled Seeds: Mediations on Grace in a World with Teeth (Crosslink Publishing, 2017). His short stories have been published in Fathom Magazine, The Atticus Review, The Cleveland Review, and Vine Leaves, where his vignette “LG Don’t Want To Fly” was selected for their 2012 Best Of Anthology, published by eMergent Publishing. He is a Christopher Isherwood grant recipient and teaches Creative Writing at Antioch University, Midwest, and has taught at The Antioch Writer’s Workshop, Yellow Springs, OH. He is currently a Visiting Instructor at Capital University and lives in Ohio with his wife and two daughters.

Read More
If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at  thereadingbud@gmail.com

Cover Reveal: The Dreamer: The Girl Who Dreamed the War Over by Julie G Fox and Tzuri King

Categories cover reveal, Cover RevealsLeave a Comment on Cover Reveal: The Dreamer: The Girl Who Dreamed the War Over by Julie G Fox and Tzuri King

Welcome to TRB Lounge. Today, I’d like to welcome authors Julie G Fox and Tzuri King for the cover reveal of their upcoming book The Dreamer: The Girl Who Dreamed the War Over.

Presenting the beautiful cover of The Dreamer: The Girl Who Dreamed the War Over by Julie G Fox and Tzuri King

In “The Dreamer: The Girl Who Dreamed the War Over,” readers are transported to a small town in Ukraine where a young girl and her family huddle together in a bomb shelter. With bombs raining down above her, she dreams of a peaceful world where she and her pet are safe, her family is reunited with her veteran dad, and she can dance with her friends without fear. Through the eyes of the brave and hopeful girl, we see the power of imagination and the strength of family in the face of unimaginable hardship. This heartwarming story inspires children of all ages to dream big and never lose hope, even in the darkest of times.

The Dreamer is the brainchild of Tzuri King and Julie G. Fox. It is the first book in a series that aims to incorporate the UN Sustainable Development Goals into children’s literature. This first book is dedicated to Global Goal 16, which promotes ‘peace, justice and strong institutions’. There are more books to come!

You can find The Girl Who Dreamed the War Over here:
Amazon | Goodreads

About The Authors

Julie G Fox

Julie G Fox is the author of over fifty award-winning children’s books.
Julie’s philosophy is to write  up to children, challenge them with demanding stories and use language and ideas to help them  become empathetic and responsible citizens of the world.
As an ambassador for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Julie incorporates into her work the UN’s messages of peace and  prosperity for people and the planet, ending poverty and other deprivations, improving health and  education,

reducing inequality and tackling climate change.

Read More

Tzuri King

Tzuri is a curious adventurer with a warm, empathetic personality.
He ponders the mysteries of the world, and loves lighting fires, fishing, and listening to music. Though he values solitude, he also has a group of students whom he teaches to swim every summer. He has a restless spirit and feels a strong urge to travel and explore. He divides his time between Tel Aviv in the spring and summer, and wandering during winter. His students often ask him why he travels and he answers, to see new things and to have time alone without feeling lonely.
He is a non-material person, carrying everything he needs in a single suitcase. Zuri is not fond of authority and hates restrictive signs.
He has a sweet tooth and loves his mother’s cakes, especially chocolate ones.

Read More

If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at  thereadingbud@gmail.com

Author Spotlight: Jack Lucci

Categories Author SpotlightLeave a Comment on Author Spotlight: Jack Lucci

Welcome to TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Jack Lucci on The Reading Bud for his latest release Loving & Leaving.

About The Author

The American melancholic writer Jack Lucci was born in a valley at the base of the blues. Lucci has lived all over the world and shares stories from his travels with a deserved honesty concerning people, places, and things. Although Lucci may at times be his own worst enemy readers can expect honest introspection and vulnerability. His first book, Loving & Leaving is available now. His blog, Separation Naturalist can be found on his website, Jacklucci.com.

You can find author Lucci` here:
Website | Goodreads

About the Book

Loving & Leaving

The first installment of Jack Lucci’s living memoir, Loving & Leaving spans five years, touching on themes of gratefulness and regret and stories of love for people, places, narcotics, and the effort it takes to sustain that love. Far from stable and rather turbulent, Lucci chronicles his life as he oscillates between hero and anti-hero, sharing lessons learned in the Italian countryside, mistakes made in America’s Second City, the angst and constriction of southeastern Washington, and observations on the miserable Oregon coast. Whether you find yourself rooting for or against him, Loving & Leaving is the result of bleeding over the keyboard.

You can find Loving & Leaving here:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Book Spotlight: Loving & Leaving by Jack Lucci

Categories Book SpotlightLeave a Comment on Book Spotlight: Loving & Leaving by Jack Lucci

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Jack Lucci for his autobiographical fiction release, Loving & Leaving.

Loving & Leaving

Book: Loving & Leaving
Author: Jack Lucci
Publication date: 28th March 2023
Genres: Autobiographical Fiction
Page Count: 108 pages
Publisher: Koehler Books

About Loving & Leaving

The first installment of Jack Lucci’s living memoir, Loving & Leaving spans five years, touching on themes of gratefulness and regret and stories of love for people, places, narcotics, and the effort it takes to sustain that love. Far from stable and rather turbulent, Lucci chronicles his life as he oscillates between hero and anti-hero, sharing lessons learned in the Italian countryside, mistakes made in America’s Second City, the angst and constriction of southeastern Washington, and observations on the miserable Oregon coast. Whether you find yourself rooting for or against him, Loving & Leaving is the result of bleeding over the keyboard.

You can find Loving & Leaving here:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About The Author

Jack Lucci

 The American melancholic writer Jack Lucci was born in a valley at the base of the blues. Lucci has lived all over the world and shares stories from his travels with a deserved honesty concerning people, places, and things. Although Lucci may at times be his own worst enemy readers can expect honest introspection and vulnerability. His first book, Loving & Leaving is available now. His blog, Separation Naturalist can be found on his website, Jacklucci.com.

Author’s Website
If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Author Spotlight: Amir Shaheen

Categories Author SpotlightLeave a Comment on Author Spotlight: Amir Shaheen

Welcome to TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Amir Shaheen on The Reading Bud for his latest release, F*** My Brain .

About The Author

Amir Shaheen is a 36-year-old writer, comedian, and creative producer from Norway. He is one of the creators behind the TV series “Home for Christmas,” a Netflix Originals, and the author of the humorous book “F*** My Brain!” Shaheen’s writing often explores themes of belonging, society, and alienation, as well as the experience of growing up between two cultures.

You can find the author Shaheen here:
Website

About the Book

F*** My Brain

F*** My Brain!” is a humorous and relatable book aimed at a young audience. The book delves into themes of belonging, society, and alienation, capturing the challenges of growing up between two cultures. Told with a lighthearted and engaging tone, the book explores the experiences of being a minority in a different country.

Through easy-to-read narratives infused with humor, “F*** My Brain!” offers an insightful and entertaining journey for readers, as they navigate the complexities of identity, relationships, and cultural differences. In this book, he takes you on an unforgettable journey, humorously sharing what it’s like to grow up between two cultures. Finding one’s place amid such distinct cultures isn’t always easy.

Prepare yourself for a rare reading experience, and we can promise you one thing: This book is anything but boring. “One of the Minds Behind the Netflix Success ‘Home for Christmas'”

You can find F*** My Brain here:
Amazon | Goodreads

If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest, or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Book Spotlight: Unwanted: Fighting to Belong by Mary Beth Moore

Categories Book SpotlightLeave a Comment on Book Spotlight: Unwanted: Fighting to Belong by Mary Beth Moore

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Mary Beth Moore for her latest release, Unwanted: Fighting to Belong.

Unwanted: Fighting to Belong

Book: Unwanted: Fighting to Belong
Author: Mary Beth Moore
Publication date: 8th September 2022
Genres: Memoir, Disability, Parenting
Page Count: 218
Publisher: New Degree Press

About Unwanted: Fighting to Belong

“He is my son. A person. He is not a condition or a statistic. He’s my son.”

Mary Beth Moore chose to have hope in a situation experts deemed hopeless. She was encouraged to abort her son when an ultrasound revealed the presence of multiple disabilities. Years later, experts education said the limitations of the school system could not be changed to meet her son’s needs. Again, Mary Beth chose to have hope.

Unwanted is a powerful story about one mom’s journey to make the world a better place for her son. Full of heartbreak, grit, and triumph, it raises awareness for disability rights and advocates for the human right to belong.

The presence of disabilities is a natural part of humanity, and in no way makes someone less worthy of living a full, inclusive life. Children with disabilities face pervasive discrimination and systemic segregation in school systems across the United States and around the world. Unwanted explores the evolution of special education law, research on creating inclusive classrooms, and real-world stories of families and teachers actively fighting to protect the rights of children with disabilities in our education system.

You can find Unwanted: Fighting to Belong here:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Praise for The Girl Who Dreamed the War Over

“Unwanted is a captivating page-turner that will resonate with any parent who has found themselves navigating between the legal rights of their child and the historical practices and financial restrictions of the public educational system. Mary Beth challenges the segregated classroom environment, provides practical advice for parents, and inspires systemic change in a way that has never been done before—she is a true powerhouse with the most generous heart.”

~ Kimberly Fradel, Licensed Clinical Social Worker

“As an educator and a mom of a child with Down Syndrome, Unwanted is a must read for educators, parents, and service providers. It gives an authentic glimpse into the realities of raising a child with a disability and the education system in our present day society. Thank you Mary Beth for shining light and attention on the importance of inclusion for all.”

~ Janessa Ginn, Special Educator

“Unwanted is exactly the kind of book that inclusively-minded educators and parents need to read. Despite all of the barriers to inclusion, Mary Beth shows her family’s path to advocate for their son and hopefully can light the way for other families who want the same.”

~ Tim Villegas, Director of Communications for MCIE, Host of the Think Inclusive Podcast

“My heart pounded out of my chest reading Unwanted just knowing someone else experienced the same things I have experienced. I know now that I am not alone and that others also share this journey of fighting for a child that is worthy.” 

~ Johnna Elstob, mother of a boy that is very much wanted

About The Author

Mary Beth Moore

I have been writing for most of my adult life, first as a military intelligence analyst and then as a professional marketer and occasional ghostwriter. In the fall of 2022, after many prayers, long bouts of procrastination, a fair amount of cussing, and a lot of rewrites, I finally became a published author! 

The title of my debut book is Unwanted: Fighting to Belong. It is a vulnerable story that chronicles my journey from the moment I discovered my child would be born with multiple disabilities, through all of the challenges I faced in getting his basic needs met, and how the lessons I learned transformed me into a leading advocate for inclusive education.

Author’s Website
If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Book Spotlight: The Dreamer: The Girl Who Dreamed the War Over by Julie G Fox and Tzuri King

Categories Book SpotlightLeave a Comment on Book Spotlight: The Dreamer: The Girl Who Dreamed the War Over by Julie G Fox and Tzuri King

Welcome to TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author  Julie G Fox and Tzurei King for their latest release, The Girl Who Dreamed the War Over.

The Girl Who Dreamed the War Over

Book: The Girl Who Dreamed the War Over
Author: Tzuri King and Julie G. Fox
Publication date: 8th March 2023
Genres: Children’s Fiction, Graphic Novel
Page Count: 36 (print)
Publisher: Independently Published

About The Girl Who Dreamed the War Over

In “The Dreamer: The Girl Who Dreamed the War Over,” readers are transported to a small town in Ukraine where a young girl and her family huddle together in a bomb shelter. With bombs raining down above her, she dreams of a peaceful world where she and her pet are safe, her family is reunited with her veteran dad, and she can dance with her friends without fear. Through the eyes of the brave and hopeful girl, we see the power of imagination and the strength of family in the face of unimaginable hardship. This heartwarming story inspires children of all ages to dream big and never lose hope, even in the darkest of times.

The Dreamer is the brainchild of Tzuri King and Julie G. Fox. It is the first book in a series that aims to incorporate the UN Sustainable Development Goals into children’s literature. This first book is dedicated to Global Goal 16, which promotes ‘peace, justice and strong institutions’. There are more books to come!

You can find The Girl Who Dreamed the War Over here:
Amazon | Goodreads

Praise for The Girl Who Dreamed the War Over

“Using the thread of Torria’s innocent prayers and the vivid subjects of her grandmother’s poems, [the authors] have done a brilliant job of weaving together the story. The authors speak to their readers from the copyright page to the end of the book, reflecting their own style of communication, instead of adopting common practices. The vibrant colors will catch the eyes of readers, and the book will be dear to them long after the last page. The story is comforting and gives readers a sense of safety as they understand Torria’s situation. Even though Torria seems to dream her wishes and prayers into her life, the story is realistic, and it provides a happy ending. The Dreamer is a great selection for children who fear the uncontrollable effects of war and wish they had the power to end it”.

– Courtnee Turner Hoyle

The Dreamer is not just a children’s book. Tzuri King and Julie G. Fox paint a dark, but to our horror, almost mundane picture of a family spending so much time in a bomb shelter. The repetitions in the text indicate that their life is the same day after day. But there is a distraction from the tragedy of war; the bedtime stories Torria asks her granny to read over and over again like children often do. Natali Barbalat’s excellent illustrations contrast the dim light in the shelter and the vivid colors of the world from the stories, where there is no war. Tzuri and Julie do not name Torria’s country directly, but the girl prays for yellow and blue dreams, telling us it is Ukraine. At the same time, The Dreamer leaves a place for hope for a better future for all children around the world affected by war. The story shows that children should not be separated from their friends and family members and should not lose their pets because of the endless shelling. But despite the hard setting, the story has a beautiful plotline and ends on a high note. Also, I appreciate the brilliant editorial work by Leonora Bulbeck and René Nel for The Dreamer is flawless.

– Nino Lobiladze

talented, and her prose is evocative and thought-provoking. It captures both the heartwarming and tragic aspects of the story beautifully. This book will bring children face to face with the harsh realities of war and its effects on innocent civilians in a way that is both gentle and relatable. The story begins with the young Torria listening to her grandmother read from inside a bomb shelter. The reader is quickly drawn into Torria’s world and that of her family as they try to survive in a war-torn country”.

– Louise Jane

About The Authors

Julie G Fox

Julie G Fox is the author of over fifty award-winning children’s books.

Julie’s philosophy is to write  up to children, challenge them with demanding stories and use language and ideas to help them  become empathetic and responsible citizens of the world.

As an ambassador for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Julie incorporates into her work the UN’s messages of peace and  prosperity for people and the planet, ending poverty and other deprivations, improving health and  education,

reducing inequality and tackling climate change.

Read More

Tzuri King

Tzuri is a curious adventurer with a warm, empathetic personality.
He ponders the mysteries of the world, and loves lighting fires, fishing, and listening to music. Though he values solitude, he also has a group of students whom he teaches to swim every summer. He has a restless spirit and feels a strong urge to travel and explore. He divides his time between Tel Aviv in the spring and summer, and wandering during winter. His students often ask him why he travels and he answers, to see new things and to have time alone without feeling lonely.
He is a non-material person, carrying everything he needs in a single suitcase. Zuri is not fond of authority and hates restrictive signs.
He has a sweet tooth and loves his mother’s cakes, especially chocolate ones.

Read More
If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Author Spotlight: Blake Miller

Categories Author SpotlightLeave a Comment on Author Spotlight: Blake Miller

Welcome to TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Blake Miller on The Reading Bud for his latest release DELOS: The Moon’s Eye.

About The Author

Blake Miller is a graduate of Episcopal High School in Alexandria, VA and Rhodes College in Memphis, TN.
He presently resides in his hometown of Lexington, KY.

You can find author Miller` here:
Website | Goodreads

About the Book

DELOS: The Moon’s Eye

The magikal world gets even larger, the adventure gets even more thrilling, and the mysteries get even
more intriguing in the second installment of this epic fantasy series, where climaxes and anticlimaxes once
again abound, keeping you glued to the story.
THE QUEST OF SIX WATERS
When Cynthia Summers and Kaden Krossway learn that the Lil of Lurkur has gone missing, they join
up with Alec Mulsiver and a surprising fourth companion to find her. This leads to another trip into Lurkur
Woods, a haunting discovery about what has happened to the Lil, and then to Diluvium where they must
undergo the Quest of Six Waters to claim what they need to save the Lil’s life: the Seventh Water. The
problem is, no one has survived the Quest in over 6,000 years. . . .
The amazing story of Cynthia, Kaden and Alec continues.

You can find DELOS: The Moon’s Eye here:
Amazon | Goodreads

Praise for the Book

“Blake Miller’s DELOS: The Moon’s Eye packs war, love, family drama, prophecy, and humor into a fast-
paced (and satisfying standalone) world of quests, magik and deceit. A must-read for fans of sci-fantasy, and
one that will bear readers easily along to its next port of call.”

– IndieReader.com (4.5/5 Stars)

“Delos: The Moon’s Eye blends different elements from science fiction and fantasy to create a non-stop
adventure that is fast-paced, humorous, and clever.”

– Readers Favorite (5/5 Stars)


“The nature of the quest amazed me, as it repeatedly tested the questers’ intelligence, resourcefulness, and
daring. Their friendship, love, and the ability to trust each other often determined the outcome. I liked how
they readily made sacrifices for the greater good. The gently blossoming romances completed the young adult story. All in all, I would recommend this engrossing novel to anyone who appreciates science fiction and
fantasy.”

– The Chrysalis BREW Project (4.8/5 Stars)
If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com