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CarboN The Primitivision by Larry Hodge

Review:

Seattle Book Review – 5 stars

CarboN: The Primitivision is the premiere art book by Lawrence Armondo Hodge (aka CarboN). His new book is a collection of CarboN’s work from 1989 to 2021. This Bay Area native drew his inspiration from many cultures, styles, and art genres. As viewers flip through the pages of his book, it is easy to detect design hints from many civilizations and other artists. Mythological and natural forms can be seen in his drawings and figures from his imagination. The book spans thirty-two years of CarboN’s creative process. This book is broken down into four sections, showing the evolution of CarboN’s stylings.

This book takes the viewer through the years of his progression. Browsing through each section, one gets a sense of how CarboN’s art developed. His early works could be considered flash art. The pieces seem to be smaller and simpler but also detailed. The inkwork is lighter, and the art contains more open spaces. Later works tend to be more complex and abstract. Many later works are very involved, and CarboN explores the whole page. The lines get heavier and darker. At first glance, these larger pieces look like elaborate doodles, but the longer one studies them, the more one sees.

It has been said that all art should evoke emotions. CarboN’s works are no exception. Primarily black and white, some works are repetitive, giving them an Escher-like feel. Others are more in the style of Aubrey Beardsley. With the wide range of influences CarboN cited as his muses, it is hard to put a hard label on his works. Though, if I were to give them a genre, I would have to call his art psychedelic tribal with hints of surrealism and abstractism. It is not hard to lose oneself in the pages of this book for hours. Viewing the later works can be an all-day endeavor. The longer one explores these works, the more one will find.

The beauty of CarboN’s art is on full display in this book. It is well crafted yet simple and elegant. This publication would be a great addition for anyone who collects art books. CarboN holds off explaining his pieces, allowing the viewer to put their thoughts and emotions into how the art makes them feel. This book would be great as a conversation starter, for casual viewing, or in-depth meditations. Aspiring artists could draw motivation from this well-done tome. CarboN: The Primitivision is a highly fulfilling viewing experience.

~  Eric Smith, Seattle Book Review

Buy the Book – Barnes & Noble

About the Author:

Lawrence Armando Hodge (aka ~CarboN~) was born in San Leandro CA on October 11, 1970 and spent much of his life in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been consistently honing his drawing style since the mid to late 1980's.

During his younger years he was drawn to art and design from a multitude of different cultures including Pacific islander tattoo design, Ancient Hindu and Egyptian design, Greek, Norse mythology, Celtic, Far East and Oriental, Japanese woodcuts, Native American, Islamic, and African Tribal.

Major influences include: Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Aestheticism, Vorticism, 1960's and 1970's psychedelic and Pop Art.

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Self-Publish a Book in 10 Steps by  Hank Quense

About the Book:

Self-publishing a book is difficult. This book simplifies it by breaking down a self-publishing and marketing project into 10 steps.

This step-by-step process will get your book published and initiate the pre-launch marketing.

Hank Quense has written and self-published over twenty books, both fiction and non-fiction. He is the author of the Author Blueprint Series of books. The Series concentrates on providing valuable guidance on fiction writing, self-publishing and book marketing. Self-publish a Book in 10 Steps is Book 6 in the series.

The book details such vital tasks as developing a compelling book description, building an author platform and getting book reviews to list a few.

Learn the ten step process that will self-publish and market your book!

 Buy the book – Amazon

 Reviews:

This manual stands out among the standard ones about self publishing. In addition to self publishing, there is a focus on marketing. You've published your book. How will anyone know about it? This manual gives great advice on how to market your book, written in 10 comprehensive steps. With a diagram on how to manage publishing your book vs marketing it, broken down into singular tasks to make it easier to do.

Lady Gell, Amazon Reviewer

Self-Publish a Book in 10 Steps and Market It takes the effort of publishing a book a step further than most by making the marketing aspect just as important as the acts of writing and publishing. Writing a book is only the first hurdle. Equally formidable is the task of publishing it and seeing that it receives all the due attention required in order to reach its potential audience. Hank Quense reviews all these keys to success in each of these areas, exploring the pros and cons of different avenues of publication and promoting self-publishing with an eye to explaining the accompanying challenges authors will face in placing more of the decision-making (and work, and profits) in their own hands. He creates an integrated plan that includes a graphical outline of the ten steps covered in his book, treating publishing and marketing tasks as a "unified topic" (as they should be, but too often are not, in competing books). Quense emphasizes that "Self-publishing means the author must undertake ALL the tasks a publisher would do if the author sold the book to the publisher," and he outlines each of these tasks, which are essential ingredients in the formula for success. 

Diane Donavan: Midwest Book Reviews

  About the Author:

Hank Quense has self-published his books for over 12 years.  His non-fiction books cover fiction writing (Creating Stories), self-publishing (How to Self-publish and Market a Book, Self-publish a Book in 10 Steps), marketing (Book Marketing Fundamentals) and author business (Business Basics for Authors). He also lectures on these subjects in schools, libraries and on webinars. Find more information at https://writersarc.com/

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My Expansion by Nancy Manet

Story Summary

Big Bear thinks they know how things are supposed to be for the cub:

Don’t run too fast.

Don’t get your feet wet.

Do what the “good” bears are doing.

Never stray from the traditional path.

But Big Bear’s got a cub on their paws that just wants to go their own way.

Free to explore.

Free to try new things.

Free to love and be joyful.

Free to take a different path.

Big Bear discovers it's hard to love unconditionally when you weren’t raised that way. Parenting is a challenge when you’re glued to the past.

Now Big Bear has a choice: keep stuck in the old thinking they were taught, or see the world brand new through the eyes and actions of their cub.

You are creative and smart.

Your dreams are wild.

You refuse to be

a stay-in-place child!

There is a choice for Big Bear: reject their cub or learn that loving this unique little bear is a chance to experience the wonderful world in a fresh new way.

Will Big Bear change for the better?

 Buy the Book – Amazon, Bookshop.org

 Reviews:

The narrator in MY EXPANSION is a mama bear. She acknowledges to her cub that she is different from other cubs—she is not a follower but someone who does her own thing—and Mama admits that it may have taken her a while to realize this. She explains that she used to be rigid in her thinking by wanting her cub to be more like her, but in time she learned to listen to her cub and be more open-minded. In the end, she provides encouragement to her cub and tells her to never stop being who she is. Colorful illustrations, by Michelle Buvala, complement the narrative and lighten the mood while dealing with what has the potential for being sensitive subject matter.

Author Nancy Manet’s choice of casting animal characters in the story instead of humans is an interesting one and works well for a number of reasons. First, children seem to be fascinated with animals who take on human-like characteristics. Second, using animals creates a soft distance between the characters and what may be going on in the life of the child, creating a feeling that is likely less hard-hitting than it would were the main character a human. And third, this suspension of reality gives children the opportunity to use their own imaginations.

While MY EXPANSION is clearly a children’s book, the messages it conveys are as much directed at parents as they are at children. The mama bear acknowledges what the cub already knows about herself, reassures the her that it’s okay to be different, and then talks about how she mishandled the situation in the beginning. Accepting responsibility for errors in judgement and conveying the fact that parents aren’t always perfect can only serve to strengthen the bond and respect between a parent and child. Based on the premise that every child is different, there is a broad audience for this book. A child who is not like other children, no matter how significant or insignificant, may need to hear from a parent that there they are nevertheless proud of who they are. The narrative could also have an effect on a child who never thought of him/herself as different by stirring up thoughts germane to the story line.

Nancy Manet’s book MY EXPANSION, beautifully illustrated by Michelle Buvala, is an original, creative and compassionate story to encourage and offer guidance to a child who may be different from other children.

Florence Osmund for IndieReader

 About the Author:

Nancy Manet is a singer-songwriter and first-time author. She spent most of her adult life running a small business and raising her children. Raised in a strict religious community, Nancy did all the right things that “good girls” do. When Nancy first had children, she expected they would behave according to rigid, dogmatic rules.

That didn’t work so well.

In appearance and behavior, Nancy thought her kids should be like perfectly-potted tulips arranged neatly in nice rows. Instead, her daughter was more like a wildflower. Her daughter needed to grow in her way. With a child not following the “right way” of doing things, Nancy had a choice. She could destroy her relationship with her kid through dogma, rules, and rejection of her daughter's uniqueness, personality, and sexuality. Or she could respond with love and grace for Hannah … and herself.

As her daughter began to share her different views of the world, Nancy had a choice. Listen to her daughter and expand as a parent or force her rigid belief system on her daughter. Nancy chooses to expand and now embraces the world through a different lens – inclusive and accepting of everyone.

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Summer of in Betweens by by Richard Read, Jose Saco

 About the Book:

The novel presents a continuation of the lives of Bill McCoy and Susan Myers, key characters in the book, The Go Between. The summer between high school graduation and first year at college finds Bill McCoy working as a handyman on a small farm rented by a woman waiting for the divorce from her abusive husband to be finalized. Bill's girlfriend, Susan Myers, is serving as a summer intern in the Columbus, Ohio office of a federal congressman. Their separation opens the door for unexpected adventures and personal growth as well as dangers to the two young adults that they could never have anticipated.

 Buy the Book - Amazon

 Reviews:

 One summer had never been as eventful as the one that William Bill McCoy and Susan Myers had in The Summer of In Betweens by Richard Read (Jose Saco). As eighteen-year-old William prepared to graduate and start his first year at OSU, he never anticipated that his last summer would be spent separated from his longtime girlfriend, Susan Myers. However, Susan had been selected for a rare opportunity to be a summer aide at the Columbus office of Congressman Roger Bentley. Thankfully, William had his new summer work at the Chase Estate, working for the newcomer in town, Mrs. Maia Storm. Maia had rented an estate in the town of Hartland, escaping a sticky situation at home. However, it may seem the situation followed her to town. William and Susan were both drawn into new experiences that left them shaken, making the summer one they could never forget.

 The book started more like a teenage/young adult story, especially with the background the author had given of the book's prequel. Initially, it seemed to be a simple story. But as the book progressed, a more intricate and exciting plot was revealed. The story intrigued, shocked, and emotionally engaged me. I liked that the author showed the story from different characters' points of view. It allowed me to enter the characters' minds, know what they were thinking and feeling, and connect with them on a deeper level. Read further enhanced readers' engagement with the book by providing visual aids in the form of pictures.

 The book was graphic in a sexual sense. It explored behind the curtains of marriage as it examined delicate issues often tiptoed around in society, like sexual abuse in marriage. Sensitive readers should read with caution. However, lovers of romantic stories might be scintillated by the sexual tension that permeated some parts of the book.

 Many of the characters had a warmth about them. Their conversations were punctuated by a lightness and humor that could make readers giggle with good-natured mirth. William and Susan's characters showed incredible strength and intelligence — a trait that might connect them to the reader. Maia's character embodied a mental strength and personal conviction that made her character endearing.

 Some errors were observed in the book, and I found them disturbing. They bordered on misspelled or wrongly used character names. For example, on Page 236, the name 'Bannister' seemed to be a wrongly spelled version of the character Brock Lannister's name. However, it appeared that Roger Bentley ought to have been there contextually. A similar occurrence was spotted on Page 85 when the character William called another character's name that he had not yet known at that stage of the story. However, these errors took nothing away from the book's enjoyment and would only demand further editing.

 The Summer of In Betweens was entertaining, and I enjoyed the reading experience. It was exciting and had some action topped off by fun romance. I'd recommend it to lovers of thrillers meshed with some clandestine romance. As a result of the number of errors found, I'd rate The Summer of In Betweens three out of four stars.

OnlineBookClub.org

 About the Author:

 The author graduated from Bucknell University with a degree in English and then spent two years teaching high school math and English with the Peace Corps in Eritrea. He worked for twenty-five years as a high school counselor and basketball coach for boys and girls teams.  Upon retirement, he counseled part-time with sexually abused children and their families.  Much of his fictional writing incorporates situations encountered by students and children that he counseled.

 Mr. Read lives in northwest Pennsylvania with his wife.  They have two daughters, four grandchildren, and two toy poodles.  Weather permitting, he enjoys training and competing in sprint triathlons.

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Resistance, Revolution and Other Love Stories by K

 About the Book:

Is love the most revolutionary of all acts?

In this wide-ranging collection of twelve short stories, a startling array of characters explore their perspectives on love. The stories sweep from sharp realism to heady allegory, haunting fables to sci-fi thrillers, starring teens and drifting husbands, futuristic automatons and talking dogs, gardeners and gatekeepers, a blind girl, a young father, and many more.

In "Calamity Jane," see love through the eyes of teenage boys obsessed with the calamitous girl of the title; revisit the famous Greek love story in "Orpheus and Eurydice"; Dan's mechanical automaton seems to be his truest friend in the harshly conformist world of "Automatonomatopoeia"; a Crimean revolutionary gets waylaid at a mysterious gate in "The Invitation"; on a construction site in Yugoslavia, a young man tries to come to grips with unconventional fatherhood in "Vikings"; and in "The Conversation", a blind woman manages her relationship with a hectoring mother while finding other types of love.

These are just a few of the tales in Resistance, Revolution and Other Love Stories. Anyone interested in the struggle against stifling societal powers and the potency of love will see some of themselves in these pages. By turns exciting, meditative, and funny, these enjoyable, thought-provoking stories will linger long after the book is closed.

Buy the Book – Amazon.com, Bookshop.org

 Reviews:  

Resistance, Revolution and Other Love Stories by K. contains a series of short stories bound together by the theme of love during times of trouble. This anthology of stories is incredibly diverse and unique. K. soars above other authors with their sense of language, almost lyrically describing events in an abstractly beautiful way.

However, the prose is often so incredibly poetic that it was difficult for me to figure out what was actually happening. For instance, I had to read “Radius” multiple times in order to figure out what was going on with Mustapha’s brother, and I’m still not entirely sure I understood. There are so many abstract images painted to describe the story that are simultaneously poignant and senseless. During the portion describing Mustapha’s brother, I found myself squinting as if I were trying to decipher a Jackson Pollock painting. I knew it was beautiful, but I wasn’t sure exactly what it was.

Then it’s almost as if a different person picks up the pen to write “Calamity Jane,” wherein a teenage boy is exploring love and sexuality and the seemingly wanton need to tear down all women around him. It wasn’t a story that particularly resonated with me as a reader, mostly due to the amount of denigration focused on teenage girls throughout. The focus is on Jane, in particular, but also on any young girl who happens to wear yoga pants, who is thought of as an object in this young boy’s eyes. He constantly refers to them as “bitches,” and yet, he also constantly notes that they make his genitals “tingle.” If that made you cringe, perhaps skip this particular story. It strikes an ugly chord against the rest of the incredibly beautiful short stories.

In “Dog Whistle,” dogs are cruel in order to appease their masters, but with the touch of a gentle soul, realize the world around them is of their own making. Each story is so different in its own way and love truly ties them all together. I appreciate the different kinds of love woven throughout this story, not just pretty and romantic love. In “The Conversation,” familial love is explored, while in “Head Down,” a cheater falls in love. There were so many different voices within the book that it really felt fleshed out with untold ideas and unique stories. The stories were mostly very short and easy to read.

If you like philosophy, wistfulness, and the notion that love conquers all, this book will be a very enjoyable read for you. 

~ Jenna Swartz, Seattle Book Review

More Comments:

"Fantastical, meditative, and witty... An outstanding collection." -- The Prairies Book Review

"Undoubtedly eclectic, each selection takes on a life of its own with electrifying energy and the ability to incorporate themes that will keep ruminating in readers' minds long after the story is finished." -- RECOMMENDED by US Review of Books

"I ventured into every piece and without fail discovered K's phenomenally joyous understanding of the heights and horrors of human existence. Writing does not come any better than this." -- 5 Stars, Jon Michael Miller, Readers' Favorite

"Each plot is a masterpiece in its own, with such compelling story lines that you are forced to follow them until the end, and to uncover the secret message hidden within." -- Literary Titan

"This short story collection pairs desperate love with acts of violence in a diverse and moving debut." -- BlueInk Review

"An entertaining, fast-paced and powerful collection of short stories,author K's Resistance, Revolution & Other Love Stories is a must-read book." -- Pacific Book Review

"Beautifully penned, thought-provoking, intense and authentically engaging..." -- BookViral Reviews

"A collection of twelve short stories about the many forms of love. A perfect summer read we highly recommend." -- Chanticleer Reviews

About the Author:

K., an anti-war advocate, studied English, Religion and Philosophy at University of Toronto and has written fiction for years, publishing several stories in literary magazines. Resistance, Revolution and Other Short Stories is K.'s first book. K. lives in Malton, Ontario, Canada, with their spouse, five children, an American Wirehair cat and a Quaker parrot.

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A Break in the Fog by Molly Salans

About the Book:

A family in turmoil, a dangerous cult, and God at the center of it all, A Break in the Fog is a psychological novel that explores how faith can be used to heal, but also how abuse and how family is all that matters in the end.

With her mother dead, her sister Wendy addicted to drugs, and her father condemning her every decision, Clara Greenwood shoulders the weight of all her dysfunctional family’s problems. Desperate for a way out, she is reluctantly goaded into attending a meeting for a secret school, The Ancient Side of Ideas. She is quickly swept up in the cult, however, when she meets the charismatic Damien - one of its teachers. His charm and good looks melt her skepticisms away, convincing her to give up everything in her old life. But when Clara finds herself in too deep, can she find her way out before it’s too late?

Reviews:

“A Break in the Fog is a beautifully written story with themes of love, addiction, post-traumatic stress, and the true meaning of family. In this book, author Molly Salans, writes with prose that dances in the reader’s ear as she tells the story through the points of view of the three main characters. Joe (or Yosev)the father, and Clara and Wendy, the adult daughters. Well-written with beautiful scenery and complex characters, A Break in the Fog will have its readers wide-eyed and hoping for the best.” 

~ Kristi Elizabeth, Seattle Book Review

Full Review

“A Break in the Fog, by Molly Salans, had me thinking about Clara, the story’s main character, well after I finished the story. A wonderfully well-done novel, this is not a light read. The story follows Clara’s journey recalling her traumatic childhood, dysfunctional family, and her eventual wash up in a deadly cult. A tale that truly shook me, readers of serious fiction or those who are seeking a deeper understanding of cults, would thoroughly enjoy this book.” 

~ Theresa Kadair, San Francisco Book Review

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon

About the Author:

An award winning psychological thriller, A Break in the Fog is a story about a family in turmoil and a dangerous cult. This novel is loosely based on the author's own cult experiences years ago.

A Break in the fog has won a first place award for best historical fiction, thriller and suspense

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Equipment by Hesse Caplinger

 About the Book:

In 2005, Charles Foster is suffering setbacks both personal and professional: he's been pulled from jet-setting overseas duties and stuffed behind a lectern in a rust belt river-city town--where his wife and child have left him to return to the alabaster and cordials of Washington, DC. When he receives a pet assignment and an inevitable personal challenge, he discovers he may make the worst of them both.

Edmund LeFrance is a habitual gambler and itinerant hit man whose employer accepts a job from a CIA agent--it's a simple fix that could have long-term implications.

Hoyt Gamlin is retired SAS from working-class Britain. A missing compatriot draws him from sunny Los Angeles into the search--and his characteristic aggression.

And Marek Hussar is a recent arrival--seemingly a businessman with little furniture and a wealth of kit--an eccentric and enigmatic foreign national whose motions and motivations interleave and unfold beside Foster, LeFrance, and Gamlin, as they each move to discover, subvert, and survive the intentions of the other.

Reviews:

“A well-written, thrilling adventure, Equipment takes the reader on a fascinating rollercoaster ride. Two main players, Doctor Howard Charles Foster, CIA agent, and Marek Hussar, a well-connected hitman, find each other in the most advanced game of cat and mouse you could imagine. And although the storyline is intriguing, what I found the most pleasure in while reading this book was the way it was written. The prose felt like a cross between a James Earl Jones narration and a scene out of Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. The action was exciting, just as it should be, with car chases that not only describe the vehicles but also every detail as the driver shifts gears and the style of road he is on. The reader can literally hear the gears shift as the two vehicles race through the scene.” 

~ Kristi Elizabeth, Manhattan Book Review

Full Review

“I should have put more stock in the foreword, where the editor said this novel doesn’t fit neatly into any particular genre. Is it literary fiction? A thriller? Espionage? There is no easy answer, because it’s easily all of these. The protagonists are spies, the book opens with an explosion, and the author’s tone throughout makes it clear this isn’t your standard genre novel. It’s something far more compelling.” 

~ Jo Niederhoff, San Francisco Book Review

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon, Bookshop.org

About the Author:

Hesse Caplinger has written fiction, essays, profiles, and criticism. His work has appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Magazine, Glasstire, and elsewhere. He is the author of the novels "Equipment" and "Terrain."

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The Mommy Clique by Barbara Altamirano

About the Book:

Life in suburbia is typical and ordinary--just the same old same old. Only, not in this neighborhood. Here, the impressively large homes and pure green lawns hide a much darker reality that is far from mundane.

When Beth moves back to her hometown in Connecticut to care for her ailing mother, she is forced to confront not only the ghosts of her youth but the other mothers on her street. There is Elise, the queen bee, who determines the fate of everyone and is all-controlling. There is Kelly, Elise's sidekick and most sycophantic supporter, who secretly longs to have a voice and power of her own. There's Ronnie, the informer, who, with her intelligence and investigative skill, digs up dirt on the others in service to the queen. And then there's Gail, the wannabe, who is constantly striving to feel as important and valued as the others.

Looking for some mom friends, Beth seeks a place for herself within this mommy clique. Turns out they do have an available role for her: it's called the target.

Reviews:

“The Mommy Clique is an entertaining and unpredictable novel filled with gossip and betrayal that will keep readers on their toes. Beth comes back to her hometown after many years to take care of her mother. She is worried about coming back to town, and to make matters worse she is forced to face the mean girl clique of mothers on her street. She soon realizes that she has become the target of these women, and they are looking for some fun. We find out that their ‘perfect’ life in the suburbs is not as great as it looks on the outside.” 

~ Literary Titan

Full Review

“If you think that “mean girls” can only be found in the high school cafeteria, think again. Author Barbara Altamirano shows that mean girls grow up to become mean mommies in her newest book, The Mommy Clique. The book takes place in a town in Connecticut and centers around a group of women whom all have elementary school-aged daughters...  This book is fun, entertaining, and very humorous at times.” 

~ Kristi Elizabeth, Manhattan Book Review

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon, Bookshop.org

About the Author:

Barbara Altamirano has been blessed with an abundance of awkwardness, which allows her to write about uncomfortable situations with authenticity. She was thrilled to discover that there actually are perks to being a wallflower. She has had essays published in places such as Guideposts Magazine, WOW! Women On Writing and bioStories. The Mommy Clique is her first novel. After exploring the antics of women who refuse to grow up, she is now working on several young adult novels.

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Just City by Olga Tymofiyeva

About the Book:

Just City is a story of 21-year-old Nathan who dreams about creating a cool start-up with his friend Jack. To get money for the start-up Nathan starts playing a virtual reality game as part of a scientific experiment. The game forces Nathan to discover what it is like to be in the skin of somebody else, for whom the cards have been dealt differently. The depressing experiences of playing the game make Nathan question his belief in meritocracy and pick a fight with Jack. What is just and what do we really deserve? This is only the beginning of Nathan’s search for a new life credo that will have both love and reason at its core.

Reviews:

"Just City is a fantastic book that will have its readers contemplating life and the choices we all make.

It will make readers understand a little bit better about how the brain works and hopefully stimulate compassion for those who are less fortunate.

Just City is an amazing, engaging book with life lessons that all adults should be reading about." 

~ Kristi Elizabeth, San Francisco Book Review

Full Review

"Gripping, moving, and thought-provoking... A page-turner.

The story seems straightforward initially, but relentless twists unravel a hidden complexity, keeping readers invested. The characters are fully fleshed out, including the secondary ones. Tymofiyeva's prose is crisp as it places readers alongside Nathan, thriving as a young man surrounded by love, legacy, and promise before his life turns upside down and he begins to question everything he has known.

Thoughtful and absorbing, the novel makes for a winner." 

~ The Prairies Book Review

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon

About the Author:

Olga Tymofiyeva, PhD, was born in 1981 in Kyiv, Ukraine. After having lived in Ukraine and Germany, she now lives in the US and works as an Associate Professor of Neuroimaging at the University of California in San Francisco. Just City is Olga's first fiction book, which reflects her passion for science and critical thinking.

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Tempest Poems by Ryan Meyer

 About the Book:

Ryan Meyer departs from the horror themes of 2018's Haunt in his new collection of poems, Tempest. He explores fear, hope, and self-identity through striking fictional vignettes and surreal personal accounts. Tempest is thus a marriage between the dichotomies of musical, rhythmic poetic dialogue, and the deeper, innate anxieties that accompany change. Discover your truest self and brave the Tempest.

Winner of the American Book Fest 2021 Best Book Award for Contemporary Poetry

Winner of the 2021 IndieReader Discovery Award for Best Cover Design in Fiction

Reviews:

”Ryan Meyer’s poetry collection Tempest plays with metaphors and myths, assembling an assortment of short poems that filter ordinary experiences through vibrant imagery.

Elements from mythology stand out in the entries, as when Sisyphus recounts his fate and the power-hungry desires that landed him in the torturous underworld, where he feels a connection to the vultures that watch him. Magical realism is a factor, too: the narrator of “Antlers” laments the antlers that protrude “from my skull / Like antennae– / Tangible headaches.” They complicate his life, scraping ceilings as he moves around. But there are also more common subjects: in “Flamingo,” elements of a typical work day, like deadlines, are contrasted with “pink flamingo sunsets” that are reminiscent of a happy vacation.” 

~ Jeana Jorgensen, Forward Reviews

Full Review

“In the foreword, the author explains that, with the poems in Tempest, he aims to capture destructive and terrible things in a beautiful way. Although I can only talk about a couple of the poems in this review, I thought that most of the poems in this book were perfectly in line with this mindset and the dichotomy within them was what kept me interested and fascinated. This poetry collection is about difficult and hard moments as well as incredible moments of clarity. But they don't have the roughness or urgency you'd expect from them. Everything is told with calmness. Reading this book is like hearing the story of a destructive tempest after the boat has been rocked to shore and the sky has cleared again. Everyone is warming up next to a fire. The sea is tranquil and quiet. The fear has gone back into hiding.” 

~ Linda Arrighi, Reedsy

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon, Bookshop.org

About the Author:

Ryan Meyer is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in Freshwater Poetry Magazine, Beechwood Review, Moon Tide Press' Dark Ink anthology, Folio Literary Magazine, and Spellbinder Magazine. Ryan and his books have been featured in Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Publisher’s Weekly, Pop-Culturalist, Lambda Literary, Connecticut Magazine, and more. ​He published Haunt, his first book of poems, in February 2018, and his follow-up, Tempest, in March 2021. He lives in Shelton, Connecticut. Learn more at NothingPeak.com.

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Dangerfield's Promise by Terrance Newby

About the Book:

Dangerfield's Promise explores what freedom truly means to two protagonists living in two different centuries. Blending historical events and contemporary fiction with elements of magical realism and psychology, Dangerfield's Promise weaves the two story lines together as both protagonists search for their families, and ultimately, their souls. Dangerfield Newby, a newly-emancipated black Virginian, wants to buy his wife Harriet and all of his children out of slavery and move them into the free state of Ohio. Harriet's owner refuses to sell Harriet or any of the children. Outraged but powerless, Dangerfield decides to join abolitionist John Brown, who he has met previously during his travels through Ohio.

Dangerfield sees John Brown's bold plan to capture the armory in Harpers Ferry and eliminate American slavery as his best option to free his enslaved family. But the insurrection in Harpers Ferry is quickly put down, and Dangerfield is the first of Brown's men killed in the raid, shot down in an alley as he flees the approaching army. He carries letters from Harriet in his pocket when he dies. Fictional protagonist Michael Turner is a brilliant black surgeon who embodies the late 20th Century American dream. But his success has come at a high price. He is estranged from his family - he regards them as lacking ambition and innate talent. And his family views him as aloof, arrogant, and neglectful of his responsibilities to his family and the black community. After Turner's dying grandmother tells him that he may be distantly related to Dangerfield Newby, he begins to research this possible link with history, and in the process, uncovers dark family secrets unknown to anyone living.

Reviews:

“Dangerfield’s Promise by Terrance Newby is part Historical Fiction mixed with a transformative journey of self-discovery. Destiny forms a crucial part of Dangerfield’s and Turner’s lives, especially when it comes to each man reaching a fork in the road: Dangerfield in joining the abolitionist fray and whether Turner relinquishes his investigative journey. The splitting of the narrative between past and present makes this excellent book no less compelling. A moving and wonderful book.” 

~ Philip Zozzaro, Manhattan Book Review

Full Review

“The book is a must-read for fans of classic historical narratives, like Django Unchained and 12 Years A Slave. Plus, readers who enjoy magical realism will have their fill of thrills with the hair-raising ghost appearances and intriguing visions. Told through multiple third-person perspectives, the book brings different strong characters and times together in a one grand, epic narrative that is perfect for a complete escape from the mundane.

This remarkable story about the inhumane act of slavery will inspire readers to question the practices they view as normal but future generations might find equally deplorable. Dangerfield’s Promise is so lifelike and emotional that it helped me appreciate how far humanity has come—even though there’s still much room for improvement. Terrace had better make it a series because I want more!” 

~ Foluso Falaye, Seattle Book Review

Full Review

Buy the Book – Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org

About the Author:

Terrance C. Newby is an attorney, writer, and playwright based in Roseville, Minnesota. His first play, "The Cage," was professionally staged in St. Paul in 2016. His play, "The Body Politic," was professionally staged in June 2018. His short stories have appeared in OurEcho and in Straitjackets Magazine. "Dangerfield's Promise" is his first novel.

[boogerknights]

The Art of Lifelong Customers by Mihaela Akers

About the Book:

We’ve been conditioned to treat strangers better than customers and to endlessly chase what we don’t have. But the key to a highly profitable and fulfilling business is acknowledging and appreciating what we already have—in particular, our existing customers.

Products are replicable, but the way you make people feel can never be replicated. You can stand out in a crowded market by making your customers feel acknowledged, respected, and appreciated.

Drawing from her career in customer-relationship marketing with major brands like Gucci, Ralph Lauren and La Redoute, Mihaela Akers lays out the essential ideas for building sincere, long-lasting relationships with customers who not only adore you, but who also eagerly buy from you for life.

In The Art of Lifelong Customers, you’ll discover how to:

Become a magnet for high-quality customers

Make your customers feel seen and appreciated

Speak differently to different customers

Build a VIP Customer Love Program

Become best friends with your customer data

Create an authentic emotional connection

You’ll find that the forgotten art of making people feel appreciated is the new science of making customers stay.

Mihaela Akers’ marketing insights have been featured in major media venues, including NBC News, Fiscal Times, and U.S. News and World Report. She’s helped shape the marketing strategies of some of the world’s leading companies, including Ralph Lauren and Gucci. She believes in the power of acknowledgement, sincerity, and caring about your customers.

Reviews:

“Mihaela Akers brings to the table only what years of experience can. With tips on everything from mindset to gift-giving to marketing, The Art of Lifelong Customers is simply fantastic. This book will help business owners create lasting customer retention by building meaningful, authentic relationships." 

(Manhattan Book Review)

“This book is packed with essential information. The Art Of Lifelong Customers will engage readers and provide much-needed advice. People who have a business or provide any services will find this book extremely useful. The friendly tone feels like talking to a friend. The author does not simply write the do's and don'ts, but she backs it up with analytics, good examples, personal experiences, and proper research.” 

(Independent Book Review)

The Art of Lifelong Customers is a fantastic way to help you stand out in the crowd, whether your business is a kitchen table start-up or a multinational enterprise.” 

(Readers’ Favorite)

Buy the Book – Amazon,

About the Author:

Mihaela is the author of The Art of Lifelong Customers, the non-fiction book in which she lays out the essential ideas for building sincere, profitable and fulfilling relationships with customers who not only adore you, but who also eagerly buy from you for life.

Mihaela’s 14+ years of marketing experience includes working with Gucci, Ralph Lauren, La Redoute, KingSize Direct, MedicAlert Foundation and others. She started her career as a marketing analyst and in her last full-time role, she was a Director of Global Customer Intelligence and Experience Management at Ralph Lauren. She’s worked with databases of millions of customers and conducted hundreds of marketing experiments.

Mihaela’s marketing ideas have been featured in NBC News, Authority Magazine, Shopify Plus, US News and World Report, Fiscal Times, National Federation of Independent Business and others.

Mihaela is passionate about writing, sharing her expertise and inspiring people to become fulfilled, peaceful and abundant. She writes about business and personal growth on her website, www.builduplab.com.

Mihaela holds an MBA from NYU Stern Business School, a M.S. in Direct Response Marketing from NYU and a B.A. in English from Vassar College.

[boogerknights]

Woody's Leap of Faith by Julie Boden Schmidt

About the Book: From beginning to end, readers of all ages will fall in love with Woody, a little wood duckling, and his siblings, Buzz and Zoey. The day after hatching, the ducklings must jump from their nest, forty feet high in a tree. Buzz and Zoey are ready – Woody does not want to go!

Follow Woody from being afraid of his future to taking a courageous leap of faith with support from his siblings, all told with wit and wisdom.

Reviews:

“I thought this book was an adorable story capturing perfectly the importance of courage. It shows young readers the benefits of bravery, and how more often than not, troubles are not as bad as they at first seem. Additionally, this book had absolutely stunning illustrations. The large, beautifully drawn images had so much detail and life to them. I also loved the formatting; with feather details on each page and boxes around the words, the book is easy to follow and fun for young readers. I would recommend this story to all readers, but especially to those in the four to nine age group. I think readers of this age, whether being read to by a caretaker or reading solo, would appreciate this book the most.” ~ Theresa Kadair

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon

About the Author: The author spent much of her career in health care, but always dreamed about writing a book. A great mystery fan, she assumed if she ever pursued that dream it would be a mystery. Then, one day while working in remote Montana, she saw three photographs of wood ducklings preparing to leave the nest - by jumping! Her curiosity was roused and imagination stimulated about it was like to take that jump. And so, Woody (who doesn't want to jump), his brother Buzz, who has a buzz cut and wears sunglasses, and his sister Zoey, who wants to be a ballerina and wears a tutu came to life!

[boogerknights]

The Queen of Gay Street by Esther Mollica

About the Book:

In New York, the party never stops and love’s always just around the corner. At least, that’s what queer journalist Esther Mollica told herself when she quit her job during the 2008 recession and moved three thousand miles away to become New York City’s first blogger on lesbian dating. Her hometown brought her nothing but heartache, and none more devastating than learning that the love of her life was secretly married to a man. On the other hand, New York, with its brazen, sadistic wiles, promised something more than just another walk of shame.

What it really delivered was the woman who became Esther’s hardest subject to write about: her editor. Soon, their tempestuous relationship turned into something as twisted and trauma-inducing as it was intoxicating. And even the haze of all-girl nightlife glamor at the height of pre-pandemic New York couldn’t help Esther hide from the truth: about their dysfunction, about her past, and about the life she longed for in the city she loved.

Gritty, dazzling, heartfelt, and hilarious, The Queen of Gay Street is a personal window into the queer dating scene and a promise that those in search of true love will find their own happily ever after.

Reviews:

“Mollica’s reminiscences are both a celebration of the promise of New York to a young woman hungry for connection and a plangent account of the pitfalls of bad relationships and isolation. Her depictions of lesbian life and dating are well observed and brimming with humor (“You lost track of how many people you’ve slept with?” “No! I, ah, I just mean that it’s more than twenty, and either at or less than thirty. I think”), but she also writes with penetrating subtlety about the pain of sputtering relationships: “This time, something in her touch and embrace had drawn me in deeper and shown more of her vulnerability than any time before, yet I felt something else fading and falling apart.” The result is an exhilarating ride on Gotham’s emotional roller coaster.

An entertaining, often poignant portrait of New York romance blending humor with heartache.” 

~ Kirkus Reviews

Full Review

“Mollica’s (I Feel Love: Notes on Queer Joy) memoir is a raunchy, fun, tell-all love letter to New York City and finding one’s place in it. Mollica left San Francisco to move to Astoria, Queens, in 2008 to recover from a devastating breakup and pursue her dream of writing. With the tart, self-deprecating humor that powers the book, Mollica reasons, “After all, wasn’t New York’s motto basically, ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your undersexed’?” She also discusses with disarming frankness her family’s cycle of abuse, her efforts at establishing a career, her strings of unfortunate dates and lovers, and how she found love in the city. Especially engaging is her account of the heartbreak and hilarity of writing “Broads in the Big Apple,” a column in the lesbian magazine, GRL that became ‘comic relief for a microscopic subset of lesbian magazine journalists.

” ~ BookLife

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon, Bookshop.org

Book Video 

About the Author:

Esther Mollica has written for Wired, GO, Bust, Curve, Autostraddle, Nonchalant and The Bay Area Reporter. Her short romantic comedy, Never the Bride, was featured as one of four films by up-and-coming women of color in San Francisco's Frameline Film Festival, 2010.

In 2011 she was named, "New York's Most Eligible Lesbian Bachelorette" by Time Out New York, which ironically almost scared off her wife.

[boogerknights]

Mia, The Crooked Road by D.A. Jennings

About the Book:

Adventure comes when you least expect it. Sometimes, when that happens life turns upside down. In this sequel to Mia, Ripples in the Water, Mia finds herself wandering down a path she never planned to take.

This detour forces her to question who she is and who she is becoming. It challenges what she believes to be her purpose in life and throws her into turmoil over the issues of forgiveness and friendship.

The crooked road is not part of her plan but perhaps it is exactly where she need to travel to discover who she is meant to be.

Reviews:

“In this follow-up to Jennings’ children’s novel Mia: Ripples in the Water (2019), Mia is back with her family of anthropomorphized mice in Italy. She takes part in the daily gathering of food, cooperates with her brothers, Cade and Rupert, and copes with the hostility and jealousy from another group of siblings led by her sister, Invidia. The book opens with an incident in the marketplace, where the mice escape a cat and the attentions of the merchants whose crumbs they steal...This vibrant blend of the spirit of the Redwall fiction series and the Ramona Quimby novels will likely appeal to young independent readers.”

~ Kirkus Reviews

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon, Bookshop.org

About the Author:

Mia, The Crooked Road, Receives International Children’s Book Award and 5-star Review.

With her latest book, Mia, The Crooked Road, author D.A. Jennings delivers another adventure where the courageous mouse, Mia, overcomes sibling conflicts, jealousy, and bullying from her sister Invidia. On her unplanned journey of self-discovery, she forms unlikely friendships with different creatures who share their opinions and advice with humor and sincerity. The Crooked Road powerfully shows how lies and misunderstandings can lead to a break in family relationships and even depression, and how forgiveness can lead to self-realization and friendship.

In addition to the Mia series, author D.A. Jennings has written three other successful children’s illustrated books that have been well received. She is an adjunct instructor for creative writing at Harford Community College and is regularly requested to present her books at schools and special events. Her books promote how to overcome conflicts, being a friend, taking care of the environment, and using your imagination. All her books may be viewed and purchased through her website dajennings.com or Amazon.com.

[boogerknights]

Jus Breath by B. Lynn Carter

About the Book:

It started the day she heard Daddy slur, "She ain't mine. You had the nerve to name her Dawn. Look at her! You shudda named her Midnight!" Then Daddy left . . . for good. And the loving music that had filled Dawn's life went silent.

That was the day that a "Midnight" Duckling appeared in the mirror, took up residence in her chest, and controlled her ability to breathe. That was the day she learned to recognize "leaving time" . . . her superpower.

Couched in speculation, Jus Breathe is the tale of a young Black woman's struggle to defy her inner "Duckling" and embrace her true self. Set in New York City during the turbulent sixties, it's an improbable love story with precarious impulses, secret pasts, and inner demons.

Dawn, a survivor, flees her stepfather's violent home. While struggling to go to college, she perfects sofa-surfing and hones her ability to leave situations in an instant. But in the mist of the chaotic uprising that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, serendipity spins Dawn into Danny's world.

Toxically in love, no longer a "leaver," Dawn realizes that in order to survive, she must break free of Danny's dominance. But that Duckling, who's allied with Danny, threatens to squeeze the life-breath from her if she dares to leave . . . that ugly, midnight-black Duckling, she has to kill.

Reviews

“There is a layer in Jus Breathe, which feels like a blend of Jazz by Toni Morrison and Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson. All explore the stories of Black folks, specifically Black girls and women, as they are in reality. Dawn feels real because she is real; she embodies the tenacity asked of girls, especially Black girls. With this offering, Carter ensures a happy ending for at least one Black girl. With resilience, strength, and the power of her breath, Dawn returns to music and takes a lesson from Aretha Franklin: she was always worthy of love and respect.” 

~ Keana Agula Labra, Manhattan Book Review

Full Review

Buy the Book – Amazon, Bookshop.org

About the Author

B. Lynn Carter was born and raised in New York City’s Bronx county. She earned a degree in creative writing from The City College of New York

[boogerknights]

Breaking the Stigma: Racism, the Opioid Endemic, Lies, and Inviting Grandma to the Dispensary by Charlena Berry

About the Book:

Are you a dispensary who is looking to increase your sales? Are you a budtender who is looking to advance your career? Are you looking to open a cannabis store in your state? If so, Breaking the Stigma is the book for you!

As a cannabis retailer, you face the same challenges as every business today, but there are more obstacles for you than the local brick-and-mortar shops or dominating online stores.

Being successful means creating a customer experience fueled by a thorough understanding of the consumer. For retailers in the still newly forming cannabis industry, this knowledge only comes from breaking through barriers of a deeply ingrained stigma—one with catastrophic consequences.

In Breaking the Stigma, Fortune 500 business executive Charlena Berry provides a framework for becoming a prosperous cannabis retailer, showing you how to overcome your product’s negative connotations and impart vital, need-to-know truths about your industry. With first-hand experience with the devastating opioid endemic, Charlena’s fight for cannabis’s legitimacy is a personal one. She shares decades of business insight to show you how to gain market share using traditional retail strategies to improve the customer experience and ultimately gain profitability. Insure your business and product sustainability and be part of the solution to society’s deadliest problem with this emotionally driven, fact-based strategy for long-term success.

Reviews:

“If there ever was a book that could be named the number one how-to guide on starting your own cannabis business, this would be it. This book covers so much more than just the selling of cannabis...Not only does Charlena talk about the stigma of cannabis, she also gives the readers a solution to the problem. Most of the book contains a full business plan of how to create your own cannabis business. This book is like a gold mine for the entrepreneur! With chapters on customer service, leadership, branding, merchandising, omnichannels, marketing, and story operations, Charlena has literally built a business for anyone who wants to give it a shot.” 

~  Kristi Elizabeth, San Francisco Book Review

Full Review

“’The stigma of cannabis is one of the biggest barriers we face as retailers,’ writes Berry, a former Fortune 500 executive who now operates a cannabis business consultancy. This informative book begins with the author’s sobering admission that she got interested in medical marijuana when she witnessed opioid addiction in her own family...Having addressed the negative perceptions and positive impacts of cannabis, Berry turns her attention to the retail side in the book’s remaining chapters. She covers customer relationships, leadership, branding, service, merchandising, omnichannel, marketing, and store operations; in short, it’s a comprehensive menu of what any retailer needs to know, with a specific focus on selling marijuana.”

~ Kirkus

Full Review

 Buy the Book – Amazon

 About the Author:

Charlena Berry is the author of Breaking the Stigma: Racism, Lies, the Opioid Endemic, and Inviting Grandma to the Dispensary. In this book, she exposes lies that created the stigmas associated with cannabis, and how these stigmas must be addressed to see continued growth in the marketplace. She then outlines a framework that provides key strategies for retailers to implement to improve the customer experience and increase profitability.

Writing from her experiences in the industry, Berry is a global cannabis business executive and the founder of Cannabis Business Growth, a premier cannabis business consulting firm. Prior to that, she spent more than a decade in Supply Chain and Retail Operations for Fortune 500 companies like Whirlpool and Office Depot/Office Max.