Tag Archives: coming of age

$25 Starbuck’s GC – Tumult In Mecca by Hans Peter Bech @ireadbooktours @hpbech

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Book Details:

Book Title:  Tumult in Mecca: From Civil Servant to Global Business Adventurer: Henrik Bertelsen’s Unexpected Journey by Hans Peter Bech
Category:  Adult Fiction 18+, 276 pages
Genre:  Literature & Fiction, Historical Fiction, World Literature European/Scandinavian, Coming of Age
Publisher:  BOOX 
Release date:   August 2024
Content Rating:  G: There is no language, sex scenes, etc. 
Book Description:

Tumult in Mecca: From Civil Servant to Global Business Adventurer transports readers to 1979, a year of upheaval and change.

Henrik Bertelsen, a Danish civil servant and baby boomer, is dedicated to his stable life in Copenhagen. Alongside his English wife, Sammy, they are building a co-housing community and navigating the complex adoption of a child from Indonesia. Henrik longs for peace and stability to secure his career.

But life takes an unexpected turn when he is offered the chance to renovate hospital kitchens in Saudi Arabia. His adventurer’s spirit is awakened, and Henrik plunges into a world far removed from the predictable corridors of Danish bureaucracy.

As the project escalates, Henrik finds himself caught in the Mecca conflict—an armed religious uprising that places him in grave danger. Trapped between rebels and police in one of the holiest cities in the world, he must rely on his instincts to survive.

Escape brings him more than safety—it opens the door to a lucrative job offer from an American tech company, setting his life on an entirely new path. Tumult in Mecca masterfully weaves Henrik’s personal quest for fulfilment with the global turbulence of 1979, capturing the tension between career and adventure, ambition and family, security and risk.
Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ B&N 
add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Hans Peter Bech is a bestselling author and a frequent blogger on how to make information technology companies global market leaders. He has produced numerous books, papers, podcasts and videos on business development in the software industry. Hans Peter is also a keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, and an advisor for governments and companies. He holds an M.Sc. in macroeconomics and political science from the University of Copenhagen.

connect with the author:  website ~ X/Twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads
Enter the Giveaway:
Tumult in Mecca: by Hans Peter Bech Book Tour Giveaway



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The Spotlight Is On Almost Infamous by Sarah Ainslee @xpressotours

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Almost Infamous
Sarah Ainslee
Publication date: May 20th 2025
Genres: Coming of Age, Contemporary, New Adult, Young Adult

Jenny Han meets Olivia Rodrigo’s SOUR in this humorous and heartfelt coming-of-age novel from the author of That Wasn’t in the Script.

What do you do when your dad’s a legendary rockstar, but you’re the only one who knows it? For seventeen-year-old Emmy Harper, the answer’s simple: pretend he doesn’t exist. After all, Nick Addison, frontman of the iconic rock band Mayfair, bailed before she was even born.

Emmy’s summer plans are set until her mom drops a bomb: Nick wants to meet her. The catch? She has to spend two weeks on tour with Mayfair—incognito. After two decades of fame, scandals, and tabloid drama, he suddenly wants to get involved? Hard pass. Turns out, Emmy doesn’t have a choice.

Now stuck on the road with a bunch of rockstars, Emmy’s world is flipped upside down. Alongside the charming drummer’s son, Sullivan, she uncovers truths about Nick’s supposed abandonment and how everything she’s been taught about her family might be the farthest thing from reality.

Between band drama, first love, and backstage passes to the wild world of rock & roll, Emmy’s summer is a whirlwind of unexpected twists. But is it a chance for redemption or a ticket to chaos?

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order


Author Bio:

Sarah Ainslee has worn several hats. Nanny, barista, social media manager, and occasional band wrangler (don’t ask.) Through it all, ‘writer’ is the only title that has ever stuck. Telling stories is what she always comes back to.

She’s a YA contemporary author with a penchant for awkward encounters and whimsical adventures—a dash of romance never hurts either. She writes stories for the teenager inside all of us who still dosen’t know what they want to be when they grow up.

Sarah currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee. When she’s not writing, you can catch her hunkered down at a coffee shop, sharing every in-depth thought about her love of superheroes and romcoms over on her Instagram.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram


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Giveaway – Tender Temptation by Kaylene Winter @xpressotours @kayleneromance

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Tender Temptation
Kaylene Winter
(Charming Irish, #1)
Publication date: October 3rd 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Tender Temptation is a scorching tale of age-gap, insta-forbidden-love, hidden identities, coming of age, and second chances.

I’m a master at rebuilding structures, yet my own life is a constant work in progress. As the middle brother in a family of superstars, I’ve battled alcohol addiction and shoulder the hefty challenge of taking over the family business.

My world makes a seismic shift when I fall hard for Ivy Bright, a vibrant, enigmatic firecracker whose captivating energy makes me feel invincible.

Ivy is more than just a spark in my shadowed world—she’s a blaze. Her luminous presence ignites a clandestine desire in me that I can’t resist. But Ivy harbors deep secrets and a tragic past that keeps her trapped in a life she never chose. Despite our undeniable chemistry, her decision to conceal her age and identity backfires spectacularly, threatening to unravel both our hearts.

Years later, will our rekindled passion withstand buried secrets that come to light, or will the truths of our past push us apart forever?

Goodreads / Purchase

—

EXCERPT:

Jesus. Will the rain ever fucking stop?

Hustling down Second Avenue, with little reprieve from the endless downpour, I try to pull my heavy canvas jacket closed, my flannel shirt and black jeans are practically plastered to my body. Water sloshes into my work boots as I try to navigate glistening puddles pooling on the sidewalk.

I’m soaked to the bone.

Like most native Seattleites, I don’t own a fucking umbrella.

Stubbornly stupid.

Ah, fuck it. I deserve to be wet and uncomfortable. After the day I’ve had, I might as well get the flu on top of it.

Finally, I spy the green awning up ahead despite the darkened skies. A few more steps and I push through door of the Metropolitan Grill, a Seattle steakhouse institution. Veering left to avoid the hostess, I take a seat at the bar in all my damp glory.

Settling onto my usual stool with embarrassingly practiced ease, I’m self-aware enough to realize it’s an act of defiance against my wicked cravings. My eyes, inadvertently—or advertently, who the fuck knows—drift to the rows of amber bottles gleaming against the under light of the glass shelving.

Particularly to the whiskey. Lord, what I’d give for a fucking taste. How I’d savor it. Vanilla and smoky oak. Sweet notes of caramel and honey. A hint of fruit, either orange zest or a slice of crisp apple. I shut my eyes and practically feel the warmth enveloping me in a comforting glow, radiating through every vein and easing the burdens of my mind. Soothing the aches of my soul. Wrapping around me like a soft, fluffy blanket on a shitty Seattle night.

It’s been over a year since I’ve had a sip. Even though every day is a battle, I haven’t been tempted in months. Today, though, the fight feels harder. The liquor more alluring.

Freddy, the bartender whom I’ve known for years, sets down a tonic water with lime in front of me. I grip the cool, clear glass tightly, hoping the lime’s sharp scent will override the memory of peat and warmth. The guy in a suit two seats down orders a Red Breast neat. My jaw clenches with envy. The liquid gold catches the light as Freddy pours it with an easy flick of the wrist.

Mesmerizing.

Tamping down the old, familiar ache, I turn away. Focus on the clink of glasses and the murmur of conversations around me—anything to drown out the noise in my head. It’s a silent struggle, unseen by the laughing customers in the busy restaurant.

I take a sip of my tonic, the fizz biting at my tongue. It’s a pale imitation of what I truly crave, but at least it’s safe. Necessary. I’m fully aware of the consequences if I were to give in to my demons. I’ve lived and breathed them and won’t live one more day with regret coiling in my gut. Still, I need something…more.

“Hey, man. Can I get a hot coffee?” I tap the polished wood with my finger to get Freddy’s attention. “I’m soaking wet and fucking freezing.”

“Sure.” Seconds later he hands me a steaming mug. “Cream or sugar?”

“Both.” I slide a twenty toward him. Coffee is no substitute for the nectar of the gods, but at least it will warm me up and keep me sober.

Hell, it’s no small feat considering what happened today. Suddenly, I’m on the brink of losing my shit and I have no one to blame but myself.

Well, maybe my stupid, inherited addiction genes. Memories of my da’s spiral into alcoholism invade my thoughts. Barely a teenager when he crashed and burned. I was instrumental in helping him rebuild the business he founded once he got sober. A decade ago, I took over as CEO and now McGloughlin Construction, is the biggest game in town. For what?

A terrible mistake I made three years ago coming back to haunt me and destroy all my hard work?

Author Bio:

When she was only 15, Kaylene Winter wrote her first rocker romance novel starring a fictionalized version of herself, her friends and their gorgeous rocker boyfriends. After living her own rockstar life as a band manager, music promoter and mover and shaker in Seattle during the early 1990’s, Kaylene became a digital media legal strategist helping bring movies, television and music online. Throughout her busy career, Kaylene lost herself in romance novels across all genres inspiring her to realize her life-long dream to be a published author. She lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and dog. She loves to travel, throw lavish dinner parties and support charitable causes supporting arts and animals.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok


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$20 GC – Reflections Of Michael by L J Ambrosio @authorlambrosio @GoddessFish

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REFLECTIONS OF MICHAEL by L.J. Ambrosio

GENRE:  Literary Fiction/ Coming of Age

I am easily swayed by covers, so I am always curious of how they are chosen. L J Ambrosio is here to talk about his covers for the Reflections Of Michael series. Take it away L J.

Please tell us about the three covers and how they relate to the books.

RESERVOIR MAN

The title is a metaphor. The “reservoir man” is the darkness of corruption. He will tempt us with a banquet of debauched temptation. That temptation could be greed, hating your neighbor, violence, sexual abuse, all the seven deadly sins plus more.

This metaphor will remain in Michael’s life. In his childhood, he would go to a reservoir near his home, waiting for the next person to sit down at his bench to talk to. Michael wanted to hear about their adventures in life but some who sat were men looking to take advantage, sexually, of any young boy. One man who walked around the reservoir took a special interest in Michael and would not leave him alone;  he followed him home and attempted to get into Michael’s house. Michael ran to his sister’s house, but his pursuer followed him there as well, then attempted to break in. Michael gained the strength to push him away.

Michael carried this all his life. He had to admit he did get fooled at times, where some reservoir men came masked towards him and he did not see them for what they were. This metaphor remains consistent in three novels. In “Exiles,” the police officer beating Louie up, in “Reflections on the Boulevard,” the gang that beats up Ron and violently hurts Rhonda are examples.

REFLECTIONS ON THE BOULVARD

This a complicated metaphor as well.  I am quoting the book in the concluding chapter:

“They crossed the street to the other side, he felt the parallel lives of two men meeting, only for a moment. A car passed. In the reflections of the street, one may see the image of a young man and an older man, who had come together one more time, in this place. He felt him, it was a relief, he and Michael were one. He stood now on the Boulevard Saint-Michel.”

By reflecting Michael’s image, Ron found his truth as he became one with Michael’s memory. It was a relief to know that Michael would always be with him;  we all see reflections that give us the ability know what to do in our lives and what we are about.  In “Exiles,” when Louie and Lily imitate the old couple in the music room of the bookstore, they are reflecting the idea of a perfect love. Louie is growing, taking another step to understanding true love. It is a part of his rite of passage. Those trials confront all the characters in these stories. Louie’s pain is in finding who he is, the ability to become a partisan. In our journey, we all pass through these challenges, using reflections from our lives, avoiding the “Reservoir Man” around each corner.

The images on the book are our two journeymen sitting on the edge of le Sien with Notre Dame in front of them.  They are celebrating the incredible structure. The back cover is an image of Ron and Michel driving towards their next magnificent vista. This visual pairing of the two characters in friendship also represents the buddy story line.

EXILE

James Joyce was very clear in his beliefs that when the artist is oppressed and creatively cripple, they must leave to exile themselves. Joyce went to Paris and the continent for over 30 years before he went back to Dublin. He was not the only artist to leave, an entire generation of American artists left. They were called the Lost Generation, they found harbor in France.

Louie and Ron both find safe harbor at the bookstore, that is where they exile. I imagine the bookstore represents all the words they need to understand, they have the comfort of all those great writers.

They leave to go across America to finally find peace at Walden Pond. The native Americans believed that the dragonfly would take your soul to a resting place. Our characters do change; they are changing at the end of this novel and beyond it. Louie believes in this at the end, as he mourns Lily’s death.

To “Exile” is not to run away, but to find a new environment to grow and flourish as an artist and human being. The cover of the book “Exiles” represents this safe harbor for these individuals, the dim lights of safety and warmth, growth, and adventure as represented by the books by the many authors of the world. What better place to find a new life than at a bookstore, where many lives and stories and pathways are converging at once. The bookstore is a place with which these characters can all find a pathway to the life they individually need to live, with their own purpose.

Thanks so much for visiting us today and good luck with the tour.

A Reservoir Man

A Reservoir Man, critics have hailed this explosive and timely work as “a must-read coming-of-age story of 2022.” Twists and turns further pull the reader in to Michael’s action-packed tale, with powerful themes, from betrayal and family to secrets and identity. “Be sure not to blink because you just might miss a pivotal moment in Michael’s rousing, larger-than-life story.” —

R.C. Gibson, Indiestoday.com. “This book is a dream, a gamble, a utopia, even.” — Kalyan Panja, Bookmarkks.

Reflections on the Boulevard

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, each twist and turn of the road bringing unexpected adventures. The journey taken is one of joy, friendship and discovery.

Exiles

In this final chapter, Ron’s story concludes from Reflections on the Boulevard (2023). Michael’s wish was for Ron to exile himself in the heart of Paris with its beautiful culture and citizens as they protest and fight for the soul of the city. Ron’s journey is met with life-affirming friendships and lessons along the way. The final book in the Reflections of Michael Trilogy, which started with A Reservoir Man (2022).

AUTHOR Bio and Links

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
  • Buy the series on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C79G6BB3
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Follow the tour and comment. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. Follow the tour HERE.

MY L J AMBROSIO REVIEWS

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$20 GC – Exiles by L J Amrosio Book Blast @pumpupyourbook @authorlambrosio

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In this final book in the Reflections of Michael Trilogy, Michael’s wish was for Ron to exile himself in the heart of Paris with its beautiful culture and citizens as they protest and fight for the soul of the city. Ron’s journey is met with life-affirming friendships and lessons along the way…

Title: Exiles

Author: LJ Ambrosio

Publication Date: May 21, 2024

Pages: 195

Genre: Coming of Age/Fiction

In this final book in the Reflections of Michael Trilogy, Michael’s wish was for Ron to exile himself in the heart of Paris with its beautiful culture and citizens as they protest and fight for the soul of the city. Ron’s journey is met with life-affirming friendships and lessons along the way.

A story that began with A Reservoir Man, and continued in Reflections on the Boulevard, concludes with this final book, Exiles.

You can pick up your copy at Amazon.

Book Excerpt:



CHAPTER ONE

A cool autumn breeze, in the twilight, wrapped around our exile who sat on a bench in front of a bookstore that resembled a place we might find in a Tolkien novel. On this street, rue de la Buccheri, was the bookstore Shakespeare and Company. The store itself was famous for housing the books of many great literary artists on their shelves. They also supported any young or old artistic vagabonds by allowing them to sleep in the aisles of the bookstore on makeshift beds when finding themselves homeless.

Ron, who managed the store, sat on this bench every evening thinking of Michael. Ron thought of things he remembered and how much he learnt from Michael. He felt the emptiness in his soul, yearning to have that connection just one more time. He had lived in Paris for six years now, a brief time for an exile, yet he was free from a society drowning in untruths; his refuge was the bookstore.

Just like every night, as Ron prepared to close the store, he occasionally checked the front of the store, looking for his friend. Then, he noticed another young man still looking at books on the outside shelves.

Ron moved outside to get a closer look at the late customer under the guise of moving the outdoor book bins back inside. He suddenly noticed that the young man was putting a book down his pants.

Ron raised his voice and shouted for the thief to put the book back on the shelf. The young man, caught in the act, ran away.

The young man sprinted and tripped while running past the café. In this stumble, he decided to turn the corner and make his way rapidly toward la Seine.

Ron, weak in the legs from forgetting the spirit of his youth, had been managing bookstores more than living life. His legs pumped forward. but with the awkwardness of an old man who had forgotten how to walk. In a few seconds he was up to speed and ran faster to catch the thief.

Near the corner, Ron had missed his opportunity to slow and check for other people walking, so he slammed into a group of women. He especially blasted into an old lady whose groceries flew into the sky, and a yogurt splattered against a wall and the faces of the other women. She turned to condemn her assailant, but he was already on the next block in pursuit of the thief.

He spotted the thief at the Notre Dame Hotel, out of breath, leaning against a pillar. Surprised at the thief’s choice to stop here, he slowed down and let his feet pound the street into a halt.

Ron grabbed at him but still missed his shoulder.

“Give me the book back!” he said, very loudly.

The thief just shrugged his shoulder, a mocking smile. His smile made the act of chasing him through the streets feel silly, as if this were a game that had been played and he took it too seriously.

The thief looked at Ron and asked, sarcastically, “What language are you speaking?”

“What do mean? I am speaking French!”

Our thief laughed, turned to a random man who walked down the street, and said, “This young man thinks he is speaking French Go ahead say something to this stranger; he will tell you are speaking some other language other than French!”

“I will call the police,” Ron said firmly.

 



About the Author
 

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 7 Universities. Ambrosio also distinguished himself as an award-winning film producer and novelist over the course of his impressive career.

Connect with Louis:

X: https://twitter.com/authorlambrosio

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louis.ambrosio

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ljambrosioauthor

 


LJ Ambrosio giving away one autographed copy of his book, a dragonfly necklace, $20 Amazon Gift Card to anyone who enters & $20 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky tour host!

Terms & Conditions:

  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • Four winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter.
  • This giveaway starts May 23 and ends May 24.
  • Winner will be contacted via email on May 25.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

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  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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The Innocence of Children – Island Santa by Owen Thomas @OTFiction

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Island Santa by Owen Thomas is a cute, coming of age, holiday story about a child’s wishes, dreams and the innocence of her belief, at twelve years old, that Santa is real and how will he find them on vacation in Hawaii.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The Nelson family is spending Christmas in Hawaii, a dubious proposition for Peter and his ten-year old sister, Katie.

Katie still believes in Santa Clause. Embarrassing, but true. Having finally come to grips with the tragic “extinction” of unicorns and the senseless exile of the Tooth Fairy, little Katie now clings to Santa with a tenacity so grim and so combative that her older brother and her parents can only exchange worried looks across the dinner table. Someone should talk to her about the real world.

But no one quite seems to have the courage.

Needless to say, the idea of running off to Hawaii just as Santa is loading up his sleigh is met with more than just a little resistance. After all, how is it reasonable to expect that the red-suited fat man will know to look for them in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? What will he think when he parks his reindeer atop their dark and empty home?

Peter, fourteen, has his own concerns, less about Santa than the sacrifice of holiday tradition. What about the snow and stringing the house with Christmas lights? What about the first-person-shooter zombie video games at the neighbors’ Christmas Eve party? More importantly, how can a Christmas away from home not have a devastating impact on the volume of Christmas-morning loot?

Not that the Nelson kids have any real say in the matter. The tickets have been purchased. The bags have been packed. Peter will have to console himself with the belief that his friend Cody is right: that the Islands are teeming with topless women. Katie, meanwhile, will just have to trust that Santa is capable of adapting to rapidly changing circumstances.

Neither of them is prepared to understand why their father seems to have forgotten his true age, or why their mother is calling him a sex pony, or even why he pushed for the trip to Hawaii in the first place.

In the end, everyone is going to believe what he or she wants to believe about the world.

It’s going to be an interesting Christmas.

  • Genre: Christmas, Comedy and Humor, Coming of Age, Fiction, Holiday, Novellas and Short Stories
  • Format: 69 Pages, Kindle
  • Published: November 25, 2014 by BookBaby

ABOUT OWEN THOMAS

Owen Thomas is a life-long Alaskan living on Maui because life is too short for long winters. He has written six books: “The Lion Trees” (which has garnered over sixteen international book awards, including the Amazon Kindle Book Award, the Eric Hoffer Book Award, the Book and Author Book of the Year, the Beverly Hills International Book Award and, most recently, a finalist in the Book Excellence Awards); “Mother Blues,” (a novel of music and mystery set in post-Hurricane Harvey Texas); “Message in a Bullet: A Raymond Mackey Mystery,” (the first in a series of detective novels); “The Russian Doll” (the second installment in that series); “Signs of Passing” (a book of interconnected short stories, and winner of fourteen book awards, including the Pacific Book Awards for Short Fiction, also named one of the 100 Most Notable Books of the Year by Shelf Unbound Magazine); and “This is the Dream,” (a collection of stories and novellas that explore that perplexing liminal distance between who we are and what we want). Owen maintains an active fiction and photography blog on Facebook, Tumblr and on his author website at www.owenthomasliterary.com.

For the ninth consecutive year since he has been measuring his commercial success as an author, Owen has not won the Orange Prize for Fiction. Also, to great acclaim, he has not won the Man Booker Prize. Most recently, in April of 2020, Owen was not nominated for a Pulitzer.

Owen makes his home in Alaska and Hawaii. When he is not writing, Owen can be found recreating and taking photographs in the grandeur of these wonderfully picturesque locations. Some of these photos are posted on Owen’s photo blog, 1000 Words per Frame.

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Tumblr / Pinterest / LinkedIn / YouTube

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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Review & Giveaway – If The Sun Spares Us by Brenda Marie Smith @GoddessFish @bsmithnovelist

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IF THE SUN SPARES US by Brenda Marie Smith

GENRE:  Post-apocalyptic thriller

MY REVIEW

We begin If The Sun Spares Us by Brenda Marie Smith where If The Light Escapes Us left off. The books are best read in order, letting the characters seep into your heart, the danger get your pulse pounding, and your hopes for them come to fruition.

Oh man, I never saw Bobby doing what he did. Was it the right thing to do? Who knows in the crazy world they are living in.

It’s a year later and they have settled into their new home. They still have their highs and lows and are meeting and trading with others, taking in those who want a place in their community. Perhaps there is hope for humanity yet.

Life goes on and mistakes will be made. Rebuilding the world will not be easy, but taking one step at a time and letting bygones be bygones allows them to work together to create their new world one step at a time.

Braving The Light Series by Brenda Marie Smith has been a tragic, gut wrenching adventure filled with despair and hope and love.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

BLURB

Two years ago, a solar pulse destroyed modern life. Bea Crenshaw organized her starving, suburban neighbors into a farming community. But now Bea’s gone, and her grandchildren must carry her legacy forward.

In the post-apocalyptic pressure cooker of Austin, Texas, 19-year-old Keno and his younger cousins struggle to ensure their community’s survival even as they’re forced to relocate to safer grounds. Northern Lights that don’t belong this far south grow increasingly intense, making Keno fear what harm the sun will cause next.

Even worse, a marauding militia called the Raiders is closing in, led by a deranged woman who preys on teenage boys. Despite Keno’s debilitating flashbacks from a firefight, he and his wife have a new baby to protect. Though Bea is dead, her spirit desperately searches for ways to shield her grandkids. When Raiders target two neighborhood members, the only hope lies in the community’s strength, Keno’s ingenuity, and the family’s fierce love for one another.

EXCERPT

I’m half-starved, about to drop in my tracks, and emotional pain is clawing me up inside. Living through this apocalypse, I don’t know if it’s the deprivation or the heartache that will kill me first.

I think I’ve been scouting South Central Austin for a place to move my family and neighbors for about two weeks, but I’ve lost track of time, and I’m not finding a freaking thing. We have to move; we just have to. I was hoping to find a place with walls and water, but no such luck.

It’s dusk when I come upon a row of warehouses, looking for a spot to sleep. Most warehouse doors are bent, with the jambs and locks broken. All looted inside, messes that don’t look like they have anything worth scavenging. One door has a big hasp and a bigger lock intact. Maybe I’ll break it in the morning to see if I can find some food.

A few doors down, there’s a stairwell leading to a basement door. A good place to hide where I have an escape route. I duck down into it.

“We’re so screwed,” I grumble to myself as I lean my rifle on the stairwell and slide off my backpack.

“You got that right.”

F***. Who said that? I whip my face around, my hand on the pistol behind my back.

“I wouldn’t fire that if I were you.”

A face looms above me… behind a crossbow that’s aimed at my head. I throw up my hands.

“Don’t shoot!”

AUTHOR Bio and Links

2018-10-18_Brenda Marie Smith

BRENDA MARIE SMITH is attracted to stories where everyday characters transcend their limitations to find their inner heroism. She lived off the grid for years in a farming collective where her sons were delivered by midwives. A lifelong community activist, Brenda has managed student co-op housing, produced concerts, and raised a small herd of boys. She and her husband live in Kyle, Texas. They have more grown kids and grandkids than they can count.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

  • Website: https://brendamariesmith.com
  • Blog: https://brendamariesmith.tumblr.com
  • Twitter: @bsmithnovelist
  • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJlLSnORIyoaygvZ1j49ZKw

Buy Links for the Braving the Light Series:

  • IF DARKNESS TAKES US (Book One): https://amzn.to/461geyL
  • For IF THE LIGHT ESCAPES (Book Two): https://amzn.to/464zPOD
  • IF THE SUN SPARES US (Book Three): https://amzn.to/3LzIpwA
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MY BRENDA MARIE SMITH REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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Review – If The Light Escapes Us by Brenda Marie Smith @GoddessFish @bsmithnovelist

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

If The Light Escapes Us by Brenda Marie Smith can be read as a stand alone, but I highly recommend beginning with Book I in the Braving The Light Series, If The Darkness Takes Us. An electromagnetic pulse has created an apocalypse and their Austin, Texas neighborhood has become dangerous and unable to sustain their small community long term. Decisions will need to me made, and disagreements will arise.

It’s four months after If The Darkness Takes Us.

The story is told through Keno’s voice, a teenager forced into adulthood before his time. He is not the only one, and when his wife, Alma, becomes pregnant he vows to protect her with his life. The choices seem monumental and his nightmares haunt him. Alma, grounds him and helps him see that everything is a process. One step leads to the next and the next and the next….

Milo can be reckless and I saw what was coming. I hated it, but, thank goodness, Mazie has a connection with him that nobody understands. I also knew there would be another character or two that would cause trouble.

We shall see, in If The Sun Spares Us and I can hardly wait!

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The standalone sequel to IF DARKNESS TAKES US. A solar electromagnetic pulse has fried the US grid. Now, northern lights are in Texas—three thousand miles farther south than where they belong. The universe won’t stop screwing with eighteen-year-old Keno Simms. All that’s left for him and his broken family is farming their Austin subdivision, trying to eke out a living on poor soil in the scorching heat. Keno’s one solace is his love for Alma, who has her own secret sorrows. When he gets her pregnant, he vows to keep her alive no matter what. Yet armed marauders and nature itself collude against him, forcing him to make choices that rip at his conscience. If the Light Escapes is post-apocalyptic science fiction set in a near-future reality, a coming-of-age story told in the voice of a heroic teen who’s forced into manhood too soon

  • Genre: Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Science Fiction
  • 257 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published August 24, 2021 by Southern Fried Karma
  • Series: Braving The Light, Book 2

ABOUT BRENDA MARIE SMITH

2018-10-18_Brenda Marie Smith

BRENDA MARIE SMITH is attracted to stories where everyday characters transcend their limitations to find their inner heroism. She lived off the grid for years in a farming collective where her sons were delivered by midwives. A lifelong community activist, Brenda has managed student co-op housing, produced concerts, and raised a small herd of boys. She and her husband live in Kyle, Texas. They have more grown kids and grandkids than they can count.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

  • Website: https://brendamariesmith.com
  • Blog: https://brendamariesmith.tumblr.com
  • Twitter: @bsmithnovelist
  • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJlLSnORIyoaygvZ1j49ZKw

Buy Links for the Braving the Light Series:

  • IF DARKNESS TAKES US (Book One): https://amzn.to/3Q6TvKU
  • For IF THE LIGHT ESCAPES (Book Two): https://amzn.to/464zPOD
  • IF THE SUN SPARES US (Book Three): https://amzn.to/3LzIpwA

MY BRENDA MARIE SMITH REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

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

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REFLECTIONS ON THE BOULEVARD by Louis J. Ambrosio

GENRE:  Coming of age

Amazon / Goodreads

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

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  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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Review – Sketching Rebellion by Felicia Ketcheson @booksirens

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I want to thank Book Sirens and Lava Lake Books for the opportunity to read and review Sketching Rebellion by Felicia Ketchseon.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I grabbed Sketching Rebellion by Felicia Ketcheson not realizing it was going to be a series. It seems like most of the books I read any more are series. It’s okay, as long as I get to find out the final result, beginning to end, but that doesn’t always happen. Anyways I did enjoy Sketching Rebellion. I was on a binge of apocalyptic/dystopian reading and got a little click happy, grabbing willy nilly.

Sketching Rebellion’s target audience is teen and young adult. I do enjoy a good coming of age story and Breel was a fascinating character. Normally, I like a little more brutality and depth of despair in my apocalyptic reading, but the blurb states that Breel is seventeen years old, so that is a clue for the target group.

As usual, those in power wield a heavy sword to keep everyone in line, using the threat of execution for the slightest infraction, like sketching/drawing, when she is forbidden to do so. How far can you push someone, no matter the age, before they push back? And what happens when they do?

One of the scariest things is…there is no punishment for those who report other citizens. In fact, they are rewarded for it. Who can you trust? You can never be sure what is going on in someone’s mind. Family turning in family, friends turning in friends, coworkers…Instead of ‘lock her up’, it’s take her out.

Some of the most unlikely people will be those who support taking action against the regime. Some will fall, and the ending….I was saddened, afraid for the ones who chose to reshape their world into something better. BUT, that is for another day. I am hooked and I look forward to finding out what comes next. I rated Sketching Rebellion with the target audience in mind.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Sketching Rebellion by Felicia Ketcheson.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Conformity is mandatory. But seventeen-year-old artist Breel rebels anyway.

In the city of Lexum, personal choice is nonexistent, and defiance is severely punished. Breel is alone in seeing the injustices in her world. Isolated due to her beliefs and haunted by the disappearance of her uncle, she finds solace in the forbidden act of drawing. Creating art is a rebellion against an oppressive regime that stifles self-expression.

When a glimmer of hope emerges in the form of a resistance group, Breel faces a decision. Will she risk execution to join their fight for a society which would celebrate rather than condemn her artistic skills? Or will she continue hiding her non-conformity?

The outcome of her choice will not only define her own fate but may also set in motion a revolution that could reshape her world forever.

2022 Killer Nashville Claymore Award finalist (Juvenile/YA) .

  • Genre: Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Fiction, Science Fiction, Suspense, Technothriller, Thriller, Young Adult
    [ Previously published as Intercludae.]
  • 320 pages, Paperback
  • Published July 1, 2023

ABOUT FELICIA KETCHESON

Felicia Ketcheson is the author of Intercludae, which was a 2022 Killer Nashville Claymore Award finalist (Juvenile/YA category). At age seven, she wrote her first book about a dog, cat, and bee. Four years later, she randomly started writing a short novel, catapulting her into the world of series writing. When she’s not devising ways to destroy the lives of her fictional characters, she works as a medical researcher and database developer. Database developing is a passion she simultaneously loves and hates. She lives in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

Website / Facebook

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
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