Giveaway & Review – Reflections On The Boulevard by L J Ambrosio @GoddessFish @authorlambrosio

Posted on August 10, 2023 by fundinmental

REFLECTIONS ON THE BOULEVARD by Louis J. Ambrosio

GENRE: Coming of age

MY REVIEW

I read the first book, The Reservoir Man (he gives you the illusion of reality instead of reality itself), and loved it, BUT Reflections on the Boulevard by L J Ambrosio BLEW ME AWAY. It was so thought provoking, that I had to stop at times and let it simmer. My mind was overwhelmed by the writing of L J. I laughed and I cried.

I love car trips and we (Michael, Ron and I) traveled the west, hitting new to me places. I loved seeing it through the eyes of an innocent, absorbing the wonder of our parks. I have never been to Europe, but seeing it through Michael and Ron’s eyes, and L J’s vivid descriptions, the world came alive and we knocked out his bucket list.

Ron is on a journey of intellectual awareness without knowing it.

Find your truth, then you will find your freedom.

Michael’s heart has no limits. He strives to see the good in people and shares his life lessons frreely. He is gay, but his relationship with Ron is one of friendship. Helping someone who needs a hand can leave him open to those who want to take advantage, but not so with Ron. His help pays off as Ron creates a life he never envisioned. When he met Michael, he was just looking for a safe place to lay his head and food in his belly. Michael took a lost boy and helped him to become a man. The journey was amazing, and I am so glad I was able to be there with them.

When Michael talks about sitting at his friends side while they struggle through the final stages of Aids, his words rang true, sometimes a person needs permission to go. I sat at my father’s side in the hospital and said those words. Within moments, I heard his final breath. My older sister was in hospice and, for some reason, I got up in the middle of the night to sit by her side for a while. I told her she could go, and she passed in the night. There were more moments like that in Reflections on the Boulevard by L J Ambrosio and I took them all in.

At the end, I saw what was coming and knew it would break my heart. I fought it as long as I could, before tears began streaming down my face as I struggled to see the words. I got so deep into the story, I felt I was sitting on the bench with them. Michael and I both have an appreciation of the power of benches, the incentive to sit a while and watch life happen.

I have never thought of myself as an intellectual reader, but L J, you can put me on your super fan list.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Reflections On The Boulevard by L J Ambrosio.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Michael’s story continues from “A Reservoir Man” (2022) where we find him teaching at a university ready to retire. He unexpectedly meets a young man named Ron who becomes his protege and journeys in a haphazard adventure with him throughout America and Europe in Michael’s final journey in life, each twist and turn of the road bringing unexpected adventures. The journey taken is one of joy, friendship and discovery.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Comedic Drama & Plays, Coming Of Age
238 pages, Paperback
Published April 23, 2023 by Film Valor

ABOUT L J AMBROSIO

Louis J. Ambrosio ran one of the most nurturing bi-coastal talent agencies in Los Angeles and New York. He started his career as a theatrical producer, running two major regional theaters for eight seasons. Ambrosio taught at seven universities. Ambrosio also distinguished himself as an award-winning film producer and novelist over the course of his impressive career.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ljambrosioauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorlambrosio
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louis.ambrosio
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/ljambrosio
Blog: https://ljambrosio.blogspot.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI2XkCETDOj_VUtCFcB74ig

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-on-the-boulevard-lj-ambrosio/1143396462
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3qIfb70
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/reflections-on-the-boulevard/id6448296429
Rakuten Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/reflections-on-the-boulevard
Thalia: https://www.thalia.de/shop/home/artikeldetails/A1068548362
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1384458?ref=draft2digital
Vivlio: https://shop.vivlio.com/product/9798985965162_9798985965162_10020/reflections-on-the-boulevard

MY L J ABROSIO REVIEWS

A Reservoir Man

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Giveaway – The Man Who Scream At Nightall by Rush Leaming @partnersincr1me @leamingrush

Posted on January 22, 2023 by fundinmental

The Man Who Screams At Nightfall…
and other stories

by Rush Leaming

January 16 – February 10, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

The Man Who Screams At Nightfall… and other stories by Rush Leaming

Thailand. The Congo. Greece. Spain. America…

Four continents and 40+ years in the making.

The Man Who Screams At Nightfall is a landmark collection of short stories depicting a young man on a classic voyage of self-discovery, scouring the earth in search of some purpose in life.

From childhood to parenthood and everything in between—these tales are at times raw and unflinching, at other times poignant and moving.

Get ready for a literary journey unlike any you’ve experienced before.

WARNING: Some of these stories contain strong language, depictions of graphic violence, and sexual situations.

Praise for The Man Who Screams At Nightfall…and other stories:

“A powerful, gritty, and exquisitely written anthology —not to be missed.”

J. Miller, Reader’s Favorite

“A short story collection that excels in its sense of literary psychological growth and discovery. Libraries looking for interconnected short stories that represent life journeys and revelations will find The Man Who Screams At Nightfall…and other stories an appealing acquisition that promises much fodder for discussion to book club readers interested in fictional blends of psychological and social revelation.”

Midwest Book Review, D. Donovan

“Sharply observed, nuanced, precise, and morally challenging…”

The Prairies Book Review

“Leaming’s light hand with dialogue and keen sense of human psychology create a book that highlights weighty issues by putting a compassionate human face on human struggles. Sharp, inventive, and deeply moving: a fine literary collection.”

Book View

“Without a lengthy description of the characters, just enough to provide the imagery necessary to identify them, he catches and holds the reader’s attention like no other I’ve experienced in the hundreds of books and stories I’ve read over the years.”

Reader’s Favorite, L. Allen

Book Details:

Genre: Literary Fiction
Published by: Bridgewood Publishing
Publication Date: November 2022
Number of Pages: 150
ISBN: 0999745670 (ISBN-13: 9780999745670)
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

…I could see the glow of a fire up ahead of us, and as we reached the mango tree, Pumbu motioned for me to stay low and follow him along a small wall of honeysuckle bushes. We crouched down, and from our hiding place, I saw Kachamba furiously pacing back and forth in his yard in front of a small bonfire. He swung his arms wildly in the air as if he was fighting off something that was falling on him. He dropped to his knees and then suddenly sprang three feet off the ground. Then he began to dance, swaying and spinning his body so close to the fire that I was certain he was going to fall in. All the while he screamed and shouted deep into the empty black night.

He spoke in a dialect that I couldn’t understand, so I had to ask Pumbu to tell me what he was saying. I asked him many questions: Why was he doing this? Who was he speaking to? Was he drunk? What was going on? Pumbu patiently explained to me that no, he was not drunk, and that he really didn’t know who he was speaking to, but that Kachamba’s wife had left him a few years ago, run off with another man and taken their children, and that ever since, he had not been right in the head. He was not from this village and had been kicked out of all the other places he had lived. He came here only because Kachamba’s father, the chief of Kitengo’s uncle, had once saved the life of the chief’s father (Kachamba’s uncle) and so the chief had to let him stay to repay that old favor. It was all very complicated, Pumbu said, and he didn’t fully understand it himself.

I was hardly listening, instead transfixed and horrified by what I saw. Spinning, swirling, shouting, and screaming—Kachamba’s face, so calm and happy as I had seen it earlier that day, was now knotted and twisted like a grotesque carnival mask, like some gargoyle sprung from the lowest depths of hell. The glow of the fire cut fierce shadows and gorges in his face, adding to the haunting vision that I saw.

For a long while, Pumbu and I hid behind the honeysuckle bushes and watched Kachamba shriek and wail and try to push back the night, until suddenly, all at once, he just stopped. Suddenly, he just stood still and quiet and stared at the sky. I followed his gaze and saw another shooting star. When I looked back, Kachamba had disappeared.

“Is that it?” I asked.

“That’s it,” said Pumbu. “He usually only does this for an hour or so.”

“And he does this every night?”

“Almost,” said Pumbu and yawned. “Mmm. I’m tired. I think I am going to go home.”

We left the bushes, went past the mango tree, and said good night. I walked home alone, both exhilarated and troubled by what I had seen.

I entered my room and prepared for bed, but long after I had extinguished my petrol lantern, I lay there staring into the darkness. I couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned. It wasn’t that unusual—I noticed that it had been happening a lot lately, that I couldn’t sleep. I got up and found the bottle of Johnnie Walker and knocked back a tall glass until at last I was floating, and at last, my eyes did shut…

***

Author Bio:

RUSH LEAMING has done many things including spending 15+ years in film/video production working on such projects as The Lord of the Rings films. His first novel, Don’t Go, Ramanya, a political thriller set in Thailand, was published in the fall of 2016. His second novel followed suit in the summer of 2018, entitled The Whole of the Moon, set in the Congo at the end of the Cold War. 2021 saw the 5-star reception of his crime thriller Dead Tree Tales. His short stories have appeared in Notations, 67 Press, Lightwave, 5k Fiction, and The Electric Eclectic.

He has lived in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Zaire, Thailand, Spain, Greece, South Carolina, England, and Kenya.

Catch Up With Rush:
LeamingRush.wixsite.com/Nightfall
Goodreads
BookBub – @RushLeaming
Instagram – @RushLeaming
Twitter – @LeamingRush
Facebook – @RushLeamingStories

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaway entries!

ENTER TO WIN:

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Rush Leaming. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

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Books From The Backlog – The Force of Patriots by Cameron Reddy #BooksFromTheBacklog @cameronreddy

Posted on November 21, 2019 by fundinmental

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks.

If you would like to join in, swing by Carole’s Random Life in Books.

Amazon / Goodreads

GOODREADS BLURB

There is a darkness moving over the land, obscuring hope, erasing freedom. It threatens to destroy. It promises to shackle. But wait … as the shadows close in, a small band of patriots rise up to fight. But Jeff and Anne Krieg can’t help but wonder Is it too late for freedom? Did we wait too long? After two terms of the most liberal president in decades, America continues its plunge down the slippery slope of socialism by electing yet another politician, hell-bent on destroying all the Founding Fathers held dear.

I won a paperback copy back in 2012 and added it to my TBR on 7.6.12. It sounds like a good one to me.

Goodreads rating: 3.83. It is available on Kindle for 4.99.

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
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Free – Love’s Sorrow by Terri Rochenski

Posted on June 13, 2015 by fundinmental

Yes, you read that title right…

Love’s Sorrow is FREE on Kindle!!

Be sure to share this offer with your followers & cyber buds…it’s only available for FREE download until Friday!

Love’s Sorrow
Means of Mercy #1
by Terri Rochenski
Release Date: April 21, 2014
Genre: Historical Romance
Keywords: Romance, Historical, Series, Civil War, Scotland, 19th Century, America

Hired as a nanny for her cousin’s children, Anne Tearle finds security and a loving family. The children are a dream, but London society is a world of its own, one where a displaced farm girl has no business being. But, wealthy rake, Gavin MacKay, helps her to see associating with the upper class might not be as horrid as she first assumed.

Like all things worthwhile, love comes at a price, and the cost soon bestows more anguish than joy. Lost, but not undone, Anne must find the courage to begin life anew, or succumb to sorrow’s unrelenting waves of grief.

Download your FREE ecopy from Amazon!!

~~~oOo~~~

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT LOVE’S SORROW!

5 Harleys!! – Harlie’s Book Reviews

“Do yourself a favor and buy this book. Put it on the top of your TBR pile and spend a day with Anne and Gavin. You will feel gutted, stunned and just plain open-mouthed in the end. Don’t say I didn’t warn you but this book is not to be ignored. Ms. Rochenski has written a brilliantly, in some ways brutal, book that everyone must read and then come back and cry with me. Only 7 months until the next book.”

5 Stars! – Amazon Review

“This is not a cookie cutter romance that can be found in every bookstore. I applaud Terri Rochenski for writing the truth about Love. It can be faked, and people learn everyday in all walks of life that they have been used by people that they thought loved them.

I’m excited to see Anne’s journey continues with Love’s Revenge. It is a book I’ll definitely read.”

5 Stars! – Amazon Review

“I have to admit when I read the blurb and first started reading Love’s Sorrow I though it was a very well written but run of the mill historical romance, but don’t be mistaken I do not at all regret reading this book in fact I am avidly awaiting the next installment and believe me if I could help Terri Rochenski in any way for it to be out earlier I would.”

4 Stars! – Amazon Review

“If you want a feel-good, not-too-realistic romance, don’t read this book. If you want a realistic depiction of London in the 1800s, society’s prejudices, people’s selfishness and love and all its agony, this is the book for you.”