Tag: Guest Posts

What’s Involved with an Insurance License Exam?

Categories Guest PostsLeave a Comment on What’s Involved with an Insurance License Exam?

Anyone who’s thinking about becoming an insurance agent has a great career ahead of them that’s both lucrative and fulfilling but you’ll have to pass an insurance exam before you can get started. It’s something that all insurance agents have had to do, so you can expect a streamlined process that thousands of people undertake every year. Your first step is to figure out what type of insurance you want to be involved with.

There are different licenses for every type of insurance out there and you’re going to have to pass an exam for the one that you choose. Whether you decide to go with life insurance, property insurance, casualty insurance, or health insurance, you have to know what it’s all about. That’s why the best decision you can ever make is to take classes that will prepare you for the exam you have to pass to get your license.

Every State is Different

On top of every insurance type requiring its license, each state is also going to have its standards that you have to adhere to to become an insurance agent. If you have a license in another state, you can’t simply start practicing anywhere you want. The best course of action is to seek out the best Utah insurance license exam prep that you can find.

Any exam prep you find is going to come with around 200 hours of class work, no matter which states you’re pursuing your license in. That’s because those hours are typically required by the state before you can sit down and take your exam with them. The sooner you start taking your prep classes, the sooner you’ll get through those 200 hours and be able to schedule your test.

Residential and Non-Residential

On top of that, you also have to consider the fact that you might have to get an out-of-state insurance license if your job requires you to travel to different states for work. Once again, exam prep classes are going to get you ready to take any exam from any state and get you on the path toward becoming an insurance agent.

Guest Post: Making Magic Wasn’t Easy by Dr. Kathy Martone

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Welcome to TRB Lounge!

Today, we are featuring Dr. Kathy Martone, author of Victorian Songlight: The Birthings Of Magic & Mystery to share a guest post.

About The Author

Kathy Martone

Dr. Kathy Martone is currently an author and artist living in a small Victorian town in the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. Before retiring, and moving from Denver, CO to Eureka Springs, AR in 2015, she was a Jungian psychologist in private practice specializing in dream work, women’s spirituality and shamanic journeys. The magical world of dreams has fascinated and intrigued Kathy for as long as she can remember. Inspired by a dream in 2005, she began making velvet tapestries imprinted with the image of one of her own dream figures and embellished with ribbons, rhinestones, feathers, glass beads, Swarovski crystals, antique jewelry and semi-precious stones.  Dr. Martone’s work has been displayed in galleries in Denver, Colorado  as well as in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

In 2006 Dr. Martone self-published her first book titled, Sacred Wounds: A Love Story.  Essays and short stories written by Dr. Martone have been published in eMerge, an online magazine published by The Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow.  In addition, some of her writings have also appeared in two anthologies titled Dairy Hollow Echo and Not Dead Yet 2.

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Email 


Making Magic Wasn’t Easy

It was August 1991 and the hot Arkansas sun beat down on my bare arms.  The summer dress I wore hung loosely from my shoulders, allowing my wet skin to breathe in the intense heat.  I watched as rivulets of perspiration traced a path down my arms, weaving a pattern among my girlish freckles, remnants from a childhood I’d rather not remember.  Standing only yards away from the Little Rock train station, I heard the familiar sounds of rumbling wheels, banging boxcars, screeching brakes, and lonesome shrieking whistles.

I stood in front of the Victory House, about as far north on Victory Street as one could go before falling off into the tangled spaghetti tracks of the rail yard.  Although a block away, I could still smell the odors of diesel oil and creosote hanging in the stillness of the sweltering summer air.  Looking up the three flights of narrow cement steps, I took in the sight of my Victorian masterpiece, so aptly named.  I clutched the black iron railing in my right hand and paused just long enough to remember how proud I was to be the owner of this historic landmark.  Hundreds of people’s life stories had been told and retold inside those 90-year-old walls.  Countless paths of healing had been explored, some with great success, others not so fortunate.  But most people reported an exquisite sense of peace and well-being after spending time inside the hallowed walls of this Healing Center.  Because I was the owner and practicing psychologist, people usually credited me with astounding success.  But it wasn’t easy.

I had just returned from Dr. Glenn’s office and my Radix Bodywork session. As I dragged my feet up the red brick steps to Linda and Austen’s office in their suburban Conway home, I felt an overpowering sense of dread.  I stopped for a moment on the front porch to take a deep breath as I remembered how painful my last session had been.  Taking a long look at the cascading ivy that tumbled off the porch and covered most of the lawn, I could smell the delicious fragrance of the thick white Gardenia blossoms that dotted the bushes next to the porch like so many clusters of perfume-drenched clouds, drunk on their own elixir.  I opened the front door, hearing the familiar creak of the hinges as Linda met me with open arms and a warm, inviting embrace.

Lying on a green mat in the middle of the hardwood floor, I began stretching my body into yoga-like positions to loosen my muscles, then slowly merged into the breathing exercises designed to carry me into the deepest recesses of my mind.  Soon a series of cartoon-like figures materialized inside my head.  A tall, dark man appeared first, etched in red.  Initially, he seemed to carry a red cane.  I could scarcely breathe as I watched this walking stick turn into an erect penis, which he rubbed over the naked body of a little girl.  Then the image folded up like a paper fan, transformed into a vertical black line in my field of vision.  A little girl’s voice spoke out:  “Bad boy!  You were not supposed to come out.”  Next, the chubby fingers of a child’s right hand emerged, holding a key.  She reached over and locked the black line, as if it were a door.

Months later, the dreams began – strange images of a small hysterical child, hurling herself against the fiery red, burning walls of a pit, desperately wanting out.  “We have to know,” she said.  “We have to let the secret out in order for me to be freed.  Please, please help me!”  I had no idea that the life I had been living was about to crumble like so many pieces of stale bread.

In 1992, I began working with a new therapist who encouraged me to continue with my daily, hours-long meditations.  I continued to have really vivid dreams that pointed toward childhood sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.  Previously, I had had no memories of any sexual abuse and this new information drew me to my knees and set me on a path of considerable pain and suffering. 

Prior to this time, I knew little about shamanism but I was about to be educated when I picked up a book titled “Healing and Wholeness” by John Sanford.  In this text, Sanford discusses what is known as a spirit spouse.  “Quite often the shaman acquired a tutelary spirit, a particular spiritual being who became his instructor….In shamanesses, the tutelary spirit was always masculine, and was like her celestial husband.”

It was not long before I began doing shamanic journeys where I encountered a magnificent spirit or ghost whose name was Grandfather.  He stood about 10 feet tall and had massive golden eyes like ferris wheels right in the middle of his large white face.  He wore long ivory robes with golden threads and eventually he became my spirit spouse, the impact of which would change my life forever.  We spent long hours over many years engrossed in deep telepathic debates in which he drew forth many unknown truths about my own life and that of the cosmic universe surrounding us.  I recorded our many conversations in a journal and these records became the basis for my novel, Victorian Songlight.

About The Book

Victorian Songlight: The Birthings Of Magic & Mystery

The birth of a magical child at the time of the Devil Moon sets the stage for heartache and misery, magic and supernatural love. Beset by unrelenting obstacles and bestowed with remarkable psychic gifts, Kate is often accompanied by fantastical black ravens who carry her through time and space. A well known legend in the Ozark Mountain countryside where Kate lives, Grandfather is a ghost with large golden eyes who frequently rides on the back of Pegasus, another Ozarkian legend. Victorian Songlight is a tale of redemption and renewal, death and rebirth, triumph over darkness. But most importantly, it is a love story. Alone and utterly forsaken, adrift on treacherous waters, Kate meets Grandfather for the second time in her life and they become lovers fulfilling a prophecy at the moment of her birth.

You can find Victorian Songlight here:
Amazon | Goodreads | Barnes & Nobel

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

Guest Post: Cocktail Parties by Nick Gray

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Welcome to TRB Lounge!

Today, we are featuring Nick Gray, author of The 2-Hour Cocktail Party to share a guest post.

About The Author

Nick Gray

Nick Gray is an entrepreneur and author living in Austin, Texas. He started and sold two successful companies: Flight Display Systems and Museum Hack. Nick is the author of The 2-Hour Cocktail Party, a step-by-step handbook that teaches you how to build big relationships by hosting small gatherings. Over 75,000 people have watched his TEDx talk about why he hates most museums. He’s been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and New York Magazine called him a host of “culturally significant parties.” 

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR:

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Tiktok


Cocktail Parties by Nick Gray

Most adults haven’t made a new friend in years. I moved to New York City and hardly knew anyone. But then I made new friends, and those friends helped me launch a multi-million dollar company.

How? And can anyone do this?

Instead of going to random bars or meet-ups to try to create new connections, I decided to go a different route. Instead of going to other peoples’ parties, I decided to bring the party to me.

What I discovered, through lots of trial and error, is that there’s a specific way to structure parties to make them easy and successful—a “formula,” if you will, that anyone can follow to make new friends.

Over the last ten years I’ve hosted hundreds of these small parties. Then I’ve spent the past few years writing this book and testing every single aspect of it with different people around the world to make sure it works.

My book The 2-Hour Cocktail Party is my formula to “hack” your social life by learning how to throw parties. I’ll show you how to easily host fun events in your own home.

Why parties?

Some people may think a party requires loud music, late nights, and tons of booze. But a party is simply where people get together and have a good time. There can be an explicit purpose such as playing board games, celebrating an event, or meeting new people. But the essence of a party is that you are there to enjoy yourself and to connect with others.

Combining partying and relationship-building may sound counterintuitive. But it works. I’ll show you how throwing small parties in a strategic way can be the easiest method to make new friends and even boost your career.

About the book The 2-Hour Cocktail Party

You know that well-connected friend who only exists in the movies? The one who throws the best parties and can set up any introduction you need?

Everyone wants to know someone magical like this who brings people together. The secret is: you can be that person. You should be that person. The 2-Hour Cocktail Party will show you how.

Discover a simple party-hosting formula with step-by-step instructions that help you meet new people, strengthen your existing relationships, and make you the person everyone wants to know.

You’ll learn which days are the best to throw events (probably not the ones you think!) and what to say to the first people who arrive. Learn how to ensure your invitations get responses and your guests show up excited to mingle. Plus, get helpful pre-party checklists and a breakdown of activities to encourage new connections.

With The 2-Hour Cocktail Party, you’ll make new friends, boost your career, and leave everyone asking. “When’s your next party?”

About The Book

About the book The 2-Hour Cocktail Party

You know that well-connected friend who only exists in the movies? The one who throws the best parties and can set up any introduction you need?

Everyone wants to know someone magical like this who brings people together. The secret is: you can be that person. You should be that person. The 2-Hour Cocktail Party will show you how.

Discover a simple formula with step-by-step instructions to host parties that help you meet new people, strengthen your existing relationships, and make you the person everyone wants to know.

You’ll learn which days are the best (probably not the ones you think!) and what to say to the first people who arrive. Read how to ensure your invitations get responses and your guests show up excited to mingle. Plus, get helpful pre-party checklists and a breakdown of activities to encourage new connections.With The 2-Hour Cocktail Party, you’ll make new friends, boost your career, and leave everyone asking, “When’s your next party?”

You can find The Mystery Of Martha here:

Book Website | Amazon | Read more

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

Guest Post: An appreciation of The Mystery of Martha by Eduardo Fernandez Lalanne

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Welcome to TRB Lounge!

Today, we are featuring Eliza Harrison, author of The Mystery Of Martha to share a guest post.

About The Author

Eliza Harrison

Eliza has had a lifelong passion for exploring different spiritual pathways in the East and the West and has been a teacher of meditation all her adult life. Alongside her work as a spiritual mentor and guide, she is a photographer and author and has produced several books on the life and landscape of Northern England, including The Light Within – A Celebration of the Spiritual Path, and the story of her own: In Search of Freedom – One Woman’s Journey. Now, with her husband David, she runs Sacred Meditation from their home in Cumbria. 

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR:

Author Website | Facebook | Instagram


An appreciation of The Mystery of Martha by Eduardo Fernandez Lalanne

For me this novel has been a guide and inspiration during intense and challenging personal times, offering profound insights into the meaning of love, truth and life. The stories take place in the Holy Land and the British Isles, two places that have a turbulent history but also a profound spiritual heritage.

The book is written in an exquisite way, in almost Biblical style, full of poetic touches, with compelling stories and profound teachings. While reading, one can travel through time, walk the different paths of each character, and be transported back 2000 years through evocative tastes, smells and visual images. Effortlessly one is able to engage with the trials and tribulations of the different characters, but also be inspired by their personal insights and realisations. It is a courageous move to bring a seemingly unimportant character of the Bible to the fore, but she becomes an inspiration for all those who feel marginalised today. And ultimately both Marthas find the truth of themselves by opening to the experience of compassion and unconditional love. 

The novel enabled me to feel close to Biblical characters for the first time, to sense the depth and truth of each personality: Yeshua, L´azar, Magdala, Maryam, Yehudah and of course Martha of Bethania herself. Despite my Catholic education, I’ve always found it difficult to understand the relevance of many of the Christian stories, but this novel offers a much deeper insight into their meaning. I now realise that the essence of Christian mysticism is rooted in unconditional love.

The stories of the two Marthas are reflections of the path we all walk in order to realise the unity of life – whether experienced within a family context, service to others, intimate relationship or direct spiritual experience. So I shall always be grateful for the precious gift of The Mystery of Martha.

About The Book

The Mystery Of Martha

Two timelines, one truth . . . 

Two women, two millennia apart with seemingly unconnected lives – one from the Lake District in England and the other from Bethany in Palestine. Both experience loss and betrayal, which engender feelings of fear and uncertainty about what their future holds.  

Martha from the Lake District faces challenge and change in 2000 AD as her deepest insecurities are exposed. But supported by her partner Ben, she discovers the mystical Aramaic teachings of Yeshua that offer her a pathway to Self-realisation and freedom.

In Brattleboro, Vermont, a long-forgotten doorway opens, to a land beyond living memory, where two lifelong enemies must journey as allies, to save two worlds, or destroy them.

In 30 AD Martha of Bethany has Yeshua as a friend and guide. From a place of tenderness and vulnerability, she witnesses the last three years of his life as he embodies the ultimate mystery and power of love, which inspires her own journey to awakening. 

These two stories weave together seamlessly until finally they converge in a hauntingly beautiful tale of revelation and redemption.

You can find The Mystery Of Martha here:

Website | Audible | Goodreads

To read more author interviews, click here.

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

Guest Post: The Four Secret Ingredients of a Successful Indie Author by Debarshi Kanjilal

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Today, at TRB Lounge, we are hosting Debarshi Kanjilal, author of SuperBu: Homecoming, to share some secrets of being a successful independent author.

Note: Read author Debarshi Kanjilal’s interview with TRB here

The Four Secret Ingredients of a Successful Indie Author

I wanted to be a writer since the age of eight but didn’t know the path to becoming one.  At the time, my idea of being an author was being published by Penguin Random House or Bloomsbury. Indie publishing had too much stigma around it.

Years later, when I did end up choosing the path of indie publishing, I was still fighting against similar stigma. But several books, blogs, forums, and courses later, I now know the reason for that stigma as well as the way to avoid it.

A traditionally published author enjoys a few unfair advantages because they’re backed by a big money business. But the unfair advantages created by that money can be offset by the additional effort and time put in by an indie author. So, what are these unfair advantages?

Editing

People often jump to the conclusion that big publishing houses sell more because they have a bigger marketing budget. While not untrue, they don’t just put money into marketing. They invest heavily in their editorial team – professional proofreaders, copy editors, substantial editors, they make sure that every book is editorially perfect. An indie author doesn’t always have the budget for all of that, but most rookie indie authors make the mistake of publishing without any editing whatsoever. I have been there and I still have some books out in the market that suffer due to editorial inferiority. But having learnt from those errors, I now have a formula that works – I try to work with at least three beta readers and at least one copy editor and implement their feedback before publishing anything. This ensures that my books have minimal editorial issues without shooting a hole through my pocket.

Typesetting and Formatting

Books are for readers – a very finite market segment. The truth is not many people who are not readers will buy and read your book. And readers are conditioned to expect a certain way of typesetting and formatting books. A good book will just not capture a reader’s imagination if it is formatted or typeset in a way that distracts them. The good news is that the bulk of indie publishing happens on Amazon, and Amazon has a product called Kindle Create that makes it easier to properly format and typeset both print books and e-books. It is important to utilize these resources efficiently.

Mailing List

While big publishers have access to a vast group of readers who are already waiting for their next book, indie authors do not have such a vast pre-existing audience. They need to cultivate that audience and regularly engage with them. A mailing list is the most effective tool to this end. Yes, you can also cultivate your audience via social media, but email is still the most effective way to connect with them on a personal level. A person who receives an email from you will care more about you and your book than someone who stumbles upon your post about your own book on social media. Social media works best when other people start talking about you and your book.

Digital Marketing

Lastly, big publishers have access to thousands of physical bookstores to display their books and therefore putting their books in front of innumerable eyes. As an indie author, you and I may not have this luxury. However, if your book cannot get any eyeballs then your book isn’t going to sell any copies. This is where digital marketing helps. Amazon ads, Google ads, Facebook ads, etc. democratize advertising to the extent possible. Even an indie author can set aside a small budget to test an online ad, see how it performs, optimize it further, and get in front of thousands of eyeballs. This is an opportunity you wouldn’t want to pass.

Being an indie author can be a rewarding as well as a fulfilling journey. But make no mistake, an indie author needs to work harder and keep toiling alone much longer in order to achieve success. That said, a good story supported by these four secret ingredients can make your journey absolutely worthwhile.

About the author:

Debarshi Kanjilal

Debarshi Kanjilal (DK) is an urban fiction writer based out of Bangalore, India. His debut novella, Based on Lies, was touted as a gripping psychological thriller by several reputable reviewers.

His latest novella, SuperBu: Homecoming is an emotional journey of a family and their dog. Debarshi ran the ‘God of Absurdity’ blog from 2012 to 2015, which published humorous anecdotes and reflection pieces.

He is also an accomplished learning experience design professional who has helped shape adult learning strategy for some of the most well-known organizations globally.

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR:

Author Website  | Amazon | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

ABOUT THE BOOK:

SuperBu: Homecoming

This is not a children’s book or a fairy tale. This novella is not all about fun, or that fuzzy feeling you get from stories about dogs. It is a dramatic story of a family who brought home a dog. If you are looking for a book that’ll keep you continuously smiling through the antics of an adorable puppy, this is perhaps not the book for you.

So, now that you know what not to expect, let’s talk about what you can expect from this book. Have you or someone you know ever felt like something is missing in your life and getting a dog could help you fill a void? Did you, or an acquaintance of yours, end up actually getting that dog? Did you and your dog figure out how to navigate through life together?

This is the story of that dog, or a dog like that one. But more importantly, this is the story of that version of you, or that acquaintance of yours, who decided to act and bring home that dog, or of people like you who went through similar experiences in life.

You can find SuperBu: Homecoming 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’s guest post on TRB, then please get in touch through email at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Guest Post: The Power of Metaphors and Similes by Abby Arthur PLUS A Mega 17 YA Fantasy Book Giveaway

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Today, at TRB Lounge, we are hosting Abby Arthur, YA Fantasy author of TWINS OF SHADOW, to share some insights into her process of writing.

Note: Details on the giveaway running for the month of August 2020 are at the end of the post*

The Power of Metaphors and Similes

Ever read a book that sucks you in, describing the setting like a whirlwind of mystery wrapped in the snuggly arms of a wild grizzly bear? 

Or have you found yourself so deep in the thick of a battle scene, you could feel the blood gush from your own arm?

I have experienced this, my friend. And I’ve come to analyze these stories to understand why I was so captivated. 

To give you real-life examples of stories that have sucked me in, there are:

  • CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by Tomi Adeyemi 
  • SORCERY OF THORNS by Margret Rogerson.

From the very start, the books above use words that paint pictures, pictures that make you feel what the character is feeling.

To do this, the authors use METAPHORS and SIMILES.

What is a Metaphor? 

According to author Pat Pattison in his amazing book, WRITING BETTER LYRICS: 

“In its most basic form, a metaphor is a collision between ideas that don’t belong together.”

Here’s an example: The princess is a delicate lily.

With using a metaphor to describe the character, you can’t see the princess without seeing a delicate lily, and therefore, you instantly know the princess is beautiful and fragile. 

Try this: The princess is a vicious wolf.

In this example, you don’t think of a flower or fragileness. You see a powerful woman with strength, determination, and a dangerous drive to survive. 

What is a Simile?

A simile is a lot like a metaphor, but it differentiates by the connecting word “like” or “as”. A metaphor says the subject IS the descriptor (the princess IS a delicate lily). But a simile merely compares the two (the princess is LIKE a delicate lily). 

I’ve noticed more similes in stories than direct metaphors. Both are beautiful, but I feel saying “the princess IS a vicious wolf” has a more substantial impact on the story verses she is LIKE a vicious wolf. The “IS” transforms her before your very eyes. Don’t you agree?

So How Do You Make Great Metaphors and Similes?

Practice. Take 5-10 minutes a day before you start writing your stories and create metaphors and similes. You can describe your characters, your settings, your cup of coffee, your dinner, your dog… 

The more you practice, the faster your brain will be able to call upon them when you’re writing. 

I promise, it works! 

Try the practice exercise for 7 consecutive days and you will be AMAZED at your progress in such a short time!

Implement Metaphors and Similes in Your Story

When you write, start to watch for moments you can implement a metaphor or simile. 

Just knowing to keep your eyes open will bring forth the opportunity to add them. 

For example, maybe you’re writing something like, “The princess was tall and thin.” Now that you know to watch for a chance to insert a metaphor or simile, you will realize you can say instead, “She was tall and thin, a towering tree overlooking the kingdom like a noble guard.” 

The more you implement metaphors and similes, the more your story will come to life and transport your readers into your magical world (fantasy or not)!

The Major 17 YA Fantasy Book Giveaway

Now for the moment you’ve been waiting for!

For the month of August 2020, Abby Arthur is giving away a total of 17 YA Fantasy novels and a new eReader from Amazon – the Kindle Fire 7, over the course of the next 4 weeks.

YOU GET 4 CHANCES TO WIN A PRIZE!

The details are as follows, and the link to enter is here: https://abbyarthur.com/giveaways/august2020  

Upon entry, every contestant will also receive a FREE eCopy of Abby’s book, TWINS OF SHADOW.

On August 7

Abby is drawing a winner for the current books in Sabaa Tahir’s AN EMBER IN THE ASHES series, which includes:

  • AN EMBER IN THE ASHES
  • A TORCH AGAINST THE NIGHT
  • A REAPER AT THE GATES

These will be HARDCOVER COPIES! With a total value of $60 US Dollars.

On August 14th

Abby is drawing a winner for 3 books from New York Times Best Selling Authors.

  • CHAINS OF GOLD by Cassandra Clare
  • A BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES by Suzanne Collins
  • HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD by Sarah J Maas

These will be HARDCOVER COPIES! With a total value of $80 US Dollars.

On August 16th
I’m drawing a mid-giveaway bonus winner for Starr Z. Davies’ YA Dystopian duology: ORDINARY. 

  • ORDINARY
  • UNIQUE

These will be AUTOGRAPHED TRADE PAPERBACKS! With a total value of $25 US Dollars. 

On August 21st

Abby is drawing a winner for Holly Black’s series: FOLK OF THE AIR.

  • THE CRUEL PRINCE
  • THE WICKED KING
  • THE QUEEN OF NOTHING

These will be HARDCOVER COPIES! With a total value of $80 US Dollars.

On August 28th

Abby is giving away the grand prize, which includes the eReader and 8 eBooks at a $150 value:

Kindle Fire 7

  • 1 A SONG OF WRATHS AND RUIN by Roseanne A Brown
  • 2 THE KINGDOM OF BACK by Marie Lu
  • 3 WICKED SAINTS by Emily A. Duncan
  • 4 THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION by Kiersten White
  • 5 CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by Tomi Adeyemi
  • 6 THE CURSED CHILD by J.K Rowling
  • 7 SIX OF CROWS by Leigh Bardugo
  • 8 SORCERY OF THORNS by Margaret Rogerson

Enter NOW for your chance to WIN!

Click here => https://abbyarthur.com/giveaways/august2020

Here’s how to enter:

  1. Go to the link above
  2. Enter your email address
  3. Follow Abby on her social platforms (Gives you 50X more chances to win!)
  4. Share your lucky URL (extra 20X chances to win per friend to enter)

Good Luck, my friend!

About the author:

Abby Arthur

Abby Arthur writes young adult fantasy in a fascinating modern world full of magic and adventure that lingers even after the last page. With over 20 years of writing experience, she loves giving readers an escape from reality and is constantly creating new stories. Her magic portal is located in small town Iowa, protected by herself, her husband, and their son. Her first book is Twins of Shadow.

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR:

Website | Twitter  | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | YouTube | Goodreads

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Twins Of Shadow

A crown prince and his twin brother are secretly skilled assassins…

…killing for a cause they both despise.

A crown prince and his twin brother are secretly skilled assassins…

…killing for a cause they both despise.

Bound to a dragon by a powerful spell, Tarrek and Albree are sent on their deadliest mission yet: Overcome an archangel, capture an innocent snake whisperer and smuggle him across foreign soil, alive. If they fail to comply with the spell’s demand, it will drive them to insanity. Yet a deadlier force commands their attention when an ice-wielding slave trader freezes several civilians in a local village, ensnaring Albree’s love interest in the process. Will the twins choose to complete their near-suicide mission or fight insanity to save innocent lives?

All eBook formats Free at https://abbyarthur.com/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Twins-Shadow-Abby-Arthur/dp/1712078585/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

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’s guest post on TRB, then please get in touch through email at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Guest Post – My Writing Journey by R.J. Parker

Categories Guest PostsLeave a Comment on Guest Post – My Writing Journey by R.J. Parker

Today, at TRB Lounge, we are hosting R.J. Parker, author of Requiem, Changing Times, to share some insight about his writing journey and his writing process through a short guest post.

My Writing Journey

It is great to do a guest post on, “The Reading Bud!” I am RJ Parker, author of Requiem Changing Times. I still do not think of my self as an author. I wrote some stories by my teachers’ invitation in Junior High. I even won some awards. But I never gave it another thought as I started into sports, music and dating. Popularity went straight to my head and I couldn’t get enough of the limelight. That started to change when my mother and sister were in a car accident. My sister passed away and my mother was in a coma. When she came out, she was completely different. Life went on with the most wonderful wife, four kids and a promising career. Then everything changed.

I had back pain all my life, but it was getting worse. I had to keep working to take care of my family and worked with the doctors. What turned out to be just an inconvenience became serious within a few months.

I was first diagnosed with lower back deterioration. That wasn’t so bad. Through all my physical activity, sports, and hard work. I had crushed my lower back. That wasn’t so bad. I herniated some of my spinel disks into my nervous system. That wasn’t so bad. It wasn’t until the disks had rubbed so much against the nerves in by spine that I said it was bad. I started to lose feeling and mobility in my leg and begin the wonderful opportunity for doctors to really work on me. I have had several surgeries and procedures. In the time I had of being flat on my back, I read. In reading I was wished I could change the stories I read. So I started to lay the foundation of what I liked to read and what I wish someone would write.

To keep what little sanity I had I begin the story. I found inspiration all around me. I had difficulty writing fast enough before the next story would hit. When I finished, I went back and worked on it repeatedly. I kept at it until I got it to the point it is today. From that time on, I loved to write stories. I have finished four with three more on the way and two more being printed. It has been a humbling journey. I wouldn’t wish what I have been through on anyone, but I wouldn’t change the lessons I have learned for anything.

– R.J. Parker

About the author

R.J. Parker

Russell Parker was born in Bountiful, Utah. As his father was a safety manager he had to move around until his senior year of high school, when he came to Cache Valley, Utah to stay. He married the most wonderful woman in the world and they are the parents of four fantastic kids, with one crazy dog. Russell played all kinds of sports and was an outdoorsman until an accident brought him to writing. A writer since high school, encouragement brout his stories to life.

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR:

Author Website | Publisher Website  | Amazon | Goodreads | Facebook

ABOUT THE BOOK

Requiem, Changing Times

Clint and Corbin are having a weird day. Best friends for life, things are getting a little strange around their town, and at school. When they’re followed by a strange man looking for Clint and later attacked by an imp, it makes sense to retreat to the safety of home. But when strangers from another world, Banks and O’Neil, arrive with their medley of allies, things get even weirder. Why are they here? What do they want? And what is The Requiem that everyone keeps talking about? As Clint and his friends and family are drawn deeper into a thrilling adventure, only one thing is for sure. They may not be getting out alive. And class with Mrs Christenson will seem like a walk in the park after this.

You can find Requiem, Changing Times here:

Amazon | Goodreads | Olympia Publishers

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’s guest post on TRB, then please get in touch through email at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Guest Post: Thoughts And Musings By BDL

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Today, at TRB Lounge, we are hosting BDL, author of Alexandria: World Class Life Story, to share some insight into her book and writing process through a short guest post.

Thoughts And Musings

Hi everyone! I’m BDL and super excited about my debut inspirational novel, Alexandria: World Class Life Story. Please allow me to share a few personal thoughts and musings. First, I should say that I didn’t wake up one day and just decided to become an author. In fact, to be honest, I rarely ever read fiction. The only way I typically experience fiction is when viewing movie adaptations. I love those! So I guess the question for now is why did I write a fiction story?

Well, certainly not because I’m “gifted” or have “arrived” on a white horse. Heaven knows, not because my story will save the day because it’s the “greatest”. Remember I don’t read fiction, so I wouldn’t know anything about that either way. The first reason for writing Alexandriawas strictly for me. In 2014, I was facing a tough time in my personal life and desperately needed a mental escape. Secondly, I was led to spend the entire year of 2016 writing the story. Therefore, I went underground to dedicate myself to Alexandria.

Thirdly, I struggle to maintain my personal beliefs and often flatter myself into thinking that my troubles are uniquely mine and that no one else resides on Depravity Street alongside me. I hurt, I feel pain, I’m constantly “fascinated” (never frustrated) by life’s journey, and I keep falling off the wagon in my pursuit of defeating addiction. Sugar is a very powerful substance and king sized chocolate bars are the worst. Yet, I start over every morning to fight onward. And for the few of you out there who’ve also visited the dungeons of depravity then we can keep each other company through a story that’s uplifting, inspirational, relatable, drama-filled and thought-provoking. As for me, I began to actively pursue some healing while writing the story and hope that others will too.

All of those reasons framed the embodiment of Alexandria. A drama that offers a realistic, gritty, honest, adaptation of experiences that many of us actually do face in life. Of course, there are some exceptions to this as some people actually do live a pristine existence or at least aspire to that. However, living in a world without sin, crude language, violence, sex and socio-political controversies is a dream; not realistic. Therefore, those things are all interwoven in the story.

As background, my approach to writing Alexandriawas to simply make it read like a movie I’d want to watch. And this made me free to write a contemporary tale the way intended; no holds barred. I liken writing Alexandriato making a sandwich just the way I like it. If I were to make you a sandwich to eat then I’d make it exactly the way I like it until and if you stipulate otherwise. So that was the method used while constructing Alexandria. The ingredients includes: an omniscient narrator driving the pace of the storyline, a strong main character (MC) who is super flawed and evolved, a comprehensive A- to Z- narrative from beginning to ending, a sports drama element, the grind of private life, an interwoven political plot, compelling supporting characters, realistic humor, unpredictability and uneasy scenarios that may be a bit uncomfortable yet keeps you invested for the outcome. All told from a worldview perspective.

A good story depicting the dark side of human nature instead of through some artificially engineered villain lends to authenticity. For similar to real life, villainous behavior is commonly perpetuated by the people we know, love and trust, more often than by some stranger. This is what the relatable characters of Alexandriaportray. Reality based human intricacies that we all encounter in the game of life.

The concepts for Alexandriawere derived from my personal tastes. I have always loved sprinters, my favorite type of athlete. And the conception came about once I realized that I had never ever before seen an extensive fictional portrayal of one. I wanted to be swept away into the sprinter’s world and to add a real life dramatization to these most dynamic athletes. Therefore, Alexandriahas given me the chance to pay homage to the unsung world class runners by creating a protagonist that could drive and inspire themes of love, sacrifice and fortitude.

Next, I realized my concern for what’s happening in the world today increased along with aging. Hence, the speculative political angle that determinedly shifts the story. Finally, my favorite types of non-fiction books are biographies. So using those ideas to create a fictional MC embodying such experiences gave birth to Alexandria. Therefore, it seemed natural to make Alexandriaa fictional multi-genre epic of a world class athlete that chronicles common human struggle, failure, growth and triumph. All essential components to a powerful drama set against the backdrop of the American society from the MC’s lifetime.

This is where the prospective political climate of America converges in Alexandria. The narrative of sports and politics make for a provocative ambitious drama laced with themes of humanity, morality and resolution. A subjective ode to my beloved sprinters. My personal fantasy, made real by the characters and plotting portrayed in Alexandria: World Class Life Story. Get a sneak preview of the race that went past the finish-line toward the “End Game” by clicking on the book trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InALJixvCZk. So, please come. Join me. Let’s take the journey, together.

~BDL

About the author:

BDL is a proud American from the Southeast. The Author sends a warm sincere thanks to TRB and to all for taking interest. Also, BDL would love to hear from you on Twitter and email. And honest fair reviews are always welcomed. Alexandriais a marathon, not a sprint. Happy reading and cheers!

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR
TWITTER | EMAIL | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB
About the book:

Ruth is a legendary runner of the late twenty-first century whose biography inspires a dynamic political resistance to a future Judeo-Christophobic America. Her incredible World Class Life Storyis paralleled by a quest to salvage her beloved nation from extermination. But, she must first find a way to embolden a new generation of patriots to stand against dystopia.

Alexandriais a powerful drama that ambitiously explores what happens in this type of society. Will this be the end of America? And liberty? Discover the importance of following through with commitments no matter the cost. Are you ready to see how this provocative epic tale unfolds? So get set. Get ready. And gear up for the spellbinding dramatic “End Game”.

“She raced past the finish-line toward the End Game—because she loved her country.” ~ BDL

Check out Alexandria: World Class Life Story‘s book trailer on YouTube.

get the book here:
AMAZON | NOOK | iTUNES

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’s guest post on TRB, then please get in touch through email at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Guest Post: E-Book Revolution by Kenneth Eade

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TODAY, AT TRB LOUNGE, WE ARE HOSTING AUTHOR Kenneth Eade, AUTHOR OF Traffick Stop.

Presenting Kenneth Eade…

EBOOK REVOLUTION

When I was going to college, I loved to go to the library to study, slink into a nice comfortable chair, and read until I drifted off to sleep. When Borders came out with their neighborhood blockbuster book stores, I did the same thing, and often left the store with a book I had the pleasure of sampling in the same comfortable way. Now, most people buy their books on the Internet, and read them on their Kindle.

A phenomena of the Internet has been the consolidation of retailers into new monopolies. Retailers such as Netflix replaced blockbuster stores such as Blockbuster Video, who found it impossible to sustain its brick and mortar retail stores against the power of the Internet and the popularity of download streaming. Newspapers have been outdated by means of publishing the written word more expeditiously, and, as a consequence, journalism has had to adapt to try to maintain some kind of quality.

The same has happened to the publishing industry, and the brick and mortar bookstores. Borders, one of the “Blockbusters” of books, was gobbled by Barnes and Noble, who now finds its biggest competitor to be Amazon. Amazon has developed a suite of tools that allow authors to enter the publishing industry, a place once reserved for the elite, and more closed than the world of Hollywood filmmaking.

A recent study found that nearly 70 percent of consumers say it is unlikely that they will give up on printed books by 2016 (per this story at tinyurl.com/q4fm2hu), and the British marketing research agency Voxburner recently surveyed more than 1,400 people, ages 16 to 24, about their media-consumption habits; the survey found that 62% of the respondents said they prefer printed books to eBooks (per this story at tinyurl.com/ktljhph).

I was surprised by these findings because I was sure that ebook sales had been growing at an exponential rate. The annual BookStats Study reports that 457 million ebooks were sold last year; a 4456% increase since 2008, when 10 million were sold (http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/05/15/e-book-sales/2159117/). Although paper titles sales are higher, you cannot ignore the steady increase in the number of ebook sales, which I still think is the future of publishing. I think you have to account for the demographic, in that most older readers will naturally choose a print book, whereas younger readers, who tend to do their homework on their laptops, will opt for an ebook.

According to successful New York Times Best Selling Author Hugh Howey, who has turned his back on the publishing industry and now publishes his own books, he makes more money self-publishing and it frees his time that he would be using chasing agents and publishers to write more and better books.

Print books are still being purchased because the non-Generation Y readers are slow to convert to Kindle. They prefer having a printed book in their hands, so there will be a market for the printed book in the near future. However, ebook Sales are still up, and older readers are buying Kindles. Impulse buying is much stronger with eBooks, which are delivered instantaneously, and they are cheaper than print books. I think the reading public will still prefer print books, but, as time goes by, eBook sales will overcome them, merely due to the demographics.

My ebooks both have printed versions that sell on Amazon and are also offered at Barnes and Noble. Although they sell only online, online book sales account for more than 50% of all book sales, as recently reported in Digital Book World (http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/online-retail-now-accounts-for-nearly-half-all-u-s-book-sales/). I think that the trend is toward online sales taking over traditional retail outlet sales. We have observed many book store closures and consolidations in the past few years and I think we can continue to see more. I myself will miss being able to go into a book store, pick up a book and relax in a soft chair while sampling its passages to see if I feel like buying it, but you cannot deny the trend. My ebook sales are still running about three times higher than my printed book sales, but the option is there to appeal to both markets, and that is what Amazon is doing with giving authors their “Create Space” platform.

I think publishers have to offer both ebook and print book formats to appeal to both sides of the market. In the end, it is the quality of the book and the promotions that are used to bring awareness to it rather than the medium that is going to control. Like any other product, you have to package and offer it to the consumer in a way that appeals to his or her buying habits.

However, as the reading public ages, new readers will be almost exclusively eBook oriented. I regret the demise of the printed book, but I don’t see that there will be anything that can be done about it, except to preserve them in libraries and museums. With the trend toward iPads and Kindles, and public schools even proposing issuing iPads to students, young people will eventually grow up not knowing what it is like to read a printed book. Technology will do the same thing to the book that it has done to the printed newspaper.

About the author:

Described by critics as “one of our strongest thriller writers on the scene,” author Kenneth Eade, best known for his legal and political thrillers, practiced law for 30 years before publishing his first novel, “An Involuntary Spy.” Eade, an award-winning, best-selling Top 100 thriller author, has been described by his peers as “one of the up-and-coming legal thriller writers of this generation.” He is the 2015 winner of Best Legal Thriller from Beverly Hills Book Awards and the 2016 winner of a bronze medal in the category of Fiction, Mystery and Murder from the Reader’s Favorite International Book Awards. His latest novel, “Paladine” is currently a quarter-finalist in Publisher’s Weekly’s BookLife Prize for Fiction. Eade has authored three fiction series: The “Brent Marks Legal Thriller Series”, the “Involuntary Spy Espionage Series” and the “Paladine Anti-Terrorism Series.” He has written sixteen novels which have been translated into French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.

About the book:

From the best-selling & award winning author critics hail as “one of the strongest thriller writers on our scene” comes the continuation of the unforgettable story of an unlikely “anti-hero,” Robert Garcia, a dangerous and unfeeling assassin of jihadist terrorists, exalted by social media as “Paladine”, a living paladin whose mission is to rid the earth of evil for the betterment of mankind, is an assassin working covert black ops for the CIA. In this installment of the series, Paladine seeks to retire from the assassination business and finds himself fighting a band of Syrian sex traffickers.

Please Note: This book is on sale till 13th March 2017 on US and UK Kindle for 99 cents and all royalties will be going to Prajwala (http://www.prajwalaindia.com/) to benefit victims of human trafficking.

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’s guest post on TRB, then please get in touch through e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com