Texas Book Nook: November 2020

Monday, November 30, 2020

Book Tour & Book Review: How the Strawberry Got Its Seeds by Alejandria Kate #blogtour #bookreview #giveaway #childrensbook #picturebook #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours @AuthorParul

How the Strawberry Got Its Seeds, 2nd Edition

Book 2, The Fairy Awakenings series

Children’s books, fairy books, magical, self-esteem for children, self-love for children

Date Published: 10/15/2020

Publisher: Generally Verbose

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This is a story of a young girl who learns self-worth by embracing the very "flaws" that make her beautiful. Strawella Berry is a spunky fairy that enters a singing competition only to realize winning doesn't feel so good when one has to pretend to be someone they are not.

Alejandria Kate wrote How the Strawberry Got Its Seeds with the hope that Strawella’s story inspires children to celebrate being different as well as imparts courage and confidence to any child who has suffered self-esteem issues.

Review

How cute! This is the second title I've read from Alejandira Kate and it is just as vibrant and full of fun as the first.

The illustrations are so beautiful! They add so much to the words in the story.

A great concept, story, and execution with valuable lessons for little ones along the way.

About the Author

Alejandria Kate is a writer, author and certified Mind, Body, Spirit Practitioner through the Sunlight Alliance Foundation. Alejandria is passionate about personal development and uplifting others.

She draws inspiration from the beauty – both large and small – that she observes in the world around her and from the quiet moments connected with Spirit and her own soul. She believes vulnerability is a strength and an open heart is a key to inner joy. She believes that through a shift in perspective beauty can be found within every experience.

Alejandria graduated from the Institute of Children’s Literature, where she studied writing for children and young adults. In her spare time she plays the Native American flute and hikes the walking trails in Southern California in her pursuit of viewing wildflowers.

It is Alejandria’s hope that readers feel comforted and inspired after reading her books.

Alejandria can be reached through her website, www.alejandriakate.com

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Thursday, November 26, 2020

Book Blitz: My Brother's Keeper #promo #mystery #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours @jancarolbooks

A Pale Woods Mystery: Book One

Mystery

Date Published: June 26, 2020

Publisher: Jan-Carol Publishing, Inc.

Seventeen-year-old Jerrod has struggled with the guilt of his actions for an event that took place almost a year ago. His friends have abandoned him, his family ignores him, and he lost his best friend. To make matters worse, he was unable to access records that may have revealed his father's whereabouts. His sister, Ella, guides Jerrod as he tries to learn and accept secrets his family has tried to hide. However, a sinister spirit may be influencing Ella's actions, and it has an agenda of its own.

About the Author

Courtnee Turner Hoyle was raised in Unicoi County, surrounded by the traditions and dialect of the area. She embraced the regional stories, mountain views, and culture -except sweet tea and unannounced visits - and sought to correct the misconceptions about the local people and the town stories that turned into rumors. Despite the challenges that face a young mother, she graduated East Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English, with an emphasis in technical writing, and a Bachelor of Business. She received a Master of Arts in Teaching from the same university, and began writing novels. She volunteers with community organizations, and she has been involved with Girl Scouts of the Southern Appalachians for several years as a Troop Administrator. She also volunteers with the Girl Scout Service Unit in her area. Her responsibilities include planning events, organizing social media releases for the service unit, and writing articles about the activities and accomplishments of all the troops in her county. She resides in Erwin, Tennessee, with her children and husband. She has hiked the section of the Appalachian Trail near her home, has visited many of the caves and other mountain trails in the area, and is fascinated by their enigmatic appeal. She likes reading, writing, and any reasonable music. Most of all, she enjoys sharing adventures with her children and making memories through their experiences.

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Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Release Blitz & Giveaway: BloodLaw by Blaise Ramsay #promo #urbanfantasy #noir #giveaway #releaseday #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours @bramsayauthor

Vampire Chicago #1

Urban Fantasy, Noir, Detective

Date Published: November 25, 2020

Publisher: Indies United Publishing, LLC

Former ADA Alastair Maddox pursues Prohibition Chicago’s most dangerous monsters after witnessing the deaths of his parents and grandparents as a boy. When a former colleague in Chicago PD comes to ask Alastair for help, he comes face to face with the mysterious Alexandra DeLane. But something’s off. DeLane is way too calm and her eyes are the color of blood. After she escapes, Alastair goes on the hunt only to find himself the prey of an ambitious and mysterious mob boss who plots to have him murdered. The problem? Alastair doesn’t stay dead and comes back as something else. Something more dangerous and straight out of a horror novel.

About the Author

Blaise started her journey in writing at the age of the fifteen with her first unfinished urban fantasy novel based on a popular video game series known as .Hack. From there she moved her journey into designing characters and doing concept art for various paying clients. In her older career, Blaise moved into working for the Indie Gaming industry where she did concept art for the company HollowRobot and their debut game, Johnny Reboot and various other clients. Sadly, the game didn’t go anywhere and Blaise found herself losing interest in what she had done for fifteen years.

In 2017, Blaise embarked on her first ever NaNoWriMo challenge where she finished the Paranormal Shifter Romance, Blessing of Luna which she indie published. It has then produced a second installation into the Wolfgods series titled Bane of Tenebris. Both have recently been picked up by BlackRose Writing.

Both of these books gave birth to the first of Blaise’s three businesses. The first, FyreSyde Publishing, a small press, has recently opened its doors to authors and works alongside them in the ever difficult challenge of book marketing. A running joke is Blaise considers herself an “odd duck” in the sense that she loves the marketing phase more than the writing phase of production. Her other two businesses include full-time freelance ghostwriting and the independent bookstore, GreenWood Grove Booksellers.

After falling in love with the Dresden files by Jim Butcher and later Saints & Shadows by Christopher Golden, Blaise found a new love for Urban Fantasy. Reading the beloved Vampire Files by PN Elrod prompted Blaise to initiate her next phase and begin producing paranormal detective and noir novels. Now she combines the two and loves every minute of it.

She currently lives in the hometown of Bonnie & Clyde with her husband, two adorable kids, two cats and a dog.

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Monday, November 23, 2020

Book Tour & Book Review: FINE by AmyLea Murphy #blogtour #youngadult #bookreview #giveaway #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

Young Adult/Mystery

Date Published: 11/17/2020

Six years ago, Anna Williams-straight-A student, cheerleader, and all-around golden child-vanished.

Ever since, her younger sister, Katie, has drifted through life, wracked with guilt, grief, and anger over Anna's unsolved disappearance. But when her own future reaches a breaking point, Katie takes the investigation into her own hands. She searches for answers in her sister's missing person's file and discovers that some questions aren't so easily answered.

Through police memos, interrogations, and excerpts from Anna's diary, Katie breaks down the carefully crafted façade Anna left behind and uncovers the dark truths of her life in the months before she vanished.

For readers of Courney Summers and Sarah Dessen, Fine is an unsettling, surprising, and ultimately hopeful mystery that will break your heart and put it back together again.

Review

This YA was a pleasant surprise. I loved the characterization, the plot, and the pace of this mystery read. The author paints a world in great detail along with giving so much life to her characters. It's fascinating to say the least.

About the Author

AmyLea Murphy is the author of Fine, a young adult novel that blends the mystery of Sadie with the poignancy of Sarah Dessen. Inspired by Gayle Forman and Jennifer Niven, AmyLea enjoys writing about life-changing moments that unearth the resilient beauty of the human spirit in the hopes it empowers her readers to embrace life in all of its messiness. When she isn't writing, AmyLea can be found dancing and singing in the car with the windows down. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband and three children.

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Sunday, November 22, 2020

Book Blitz & Giveaway: The Five Core Conversations for Couples #promo #relationships #nonfiction #selfhelp #giveaway #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours @thebulitts

The Five Core Conversations for Couples

Relationships/Self Help

Date Published: February 14, 2020

Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing; ebook distributed by Simon & Schuster

Married for 33 years, David, a divorce lawyer, and Julie, a family therapist, have both been witness to families struggling with life’s most difficult challenges. At the same time, they have weathered their own challenges at home: raising four daughters, two biological and two adopted, and dealing with one child’s mental health and behavioral issues. What they’ve learned about saving a marriage or knowing when to call it quits, when to turn to professionals or when to try tough love, could fill a book—and it does.

About the Authors

JULIE BULITT is a licensed clinical social worker who has spent more than 25 years working with individuals, couples and families. Her private practice focuses on family, couples and individual therapy, ADHD and Executive Functioning coaching. She has served as a Clinical Supervisor and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant for the Montgomery County (Maryland) Mental Health Association, an Adoption Therapist for the Center for Support and Education in suburban Washington, D.C. She presently serves as the in-house therapist for The Discovery Channel in Silver Spring, Maryland. For more,, visit www.livesane.com.

DAVID BULITT is a partner in the Washington, D.C. Metro law firm of Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, PA. For more than a decade, he has been chosen as one of the area’s top divorce lawyers by multiple publications and recognized as one of the “Best Lawyers in America” and a Washington, D.C. Metro “Super Lawyer.” Praised as “the lawyer who epitomizes stability and old fashioned common sense” by Bethesda Magazine, David has a particular interest in families with special needs children as a result of his personal experiences. He is the author of two fiction novels and multiple articles in legal publications and has appeared on several local shows. For more information, visit www.davidbulitt.com.

DAVID AND JULIE have been married for 33 years. They have four daughters, two of whom are biological and two adopted, and three grandchildren. They divide their time between suburban Washington, D.C. and Bethany Beach, Delaware. Learn more about David and Julie at www.thebulitts.com.

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Friday, November 20, 2020

Book Blitz: Blood Land #mystery #thriller #promo #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours @BookBuzznet @rsguthrie

A James Pruett Mystery, Book 1

Mystery, Thriller

Publisher: Wind River Press

Blood Land, the award-winning, must-read first book in series!

Crime's an ugly constant in the big cities. L.A. Chicago. New York. But when a savage murder brutalizes a small town and neighbor turns on neighbor, a tough-as-nails cop is essential to restoring order. Blood Land is a gritty, emotional saga set in the contemporary Wyoming badlands with both greed and vengeance at its core.

When billions of dollars in 21st century natural gas rights hang in the balance, and the town's top law officer's wife is slain by her own brother, a reluctant hero is forced to battle his own demons and ultimately choose between justice, revenge, and duty.

An award-winning, page-turner, in the tradition of Dennis Lehane, Tony Hillerman and James Lee Burke, Guthrie's sparse, haunting storytelling compliments his talent for creating richly-drawn, unflinching law officers with human frailties, a code of honor, and a profound sense of justice.

Don't miss out on the Award-Winning series!

Gold Medal & 2 Best in Categories in Wise Bear Book Awards!

Voted a must-read Page-Turner by Shelf magazine!

An author whose writing will grab you and not let go!

R.S. Guthrie was voted by The Author Show as one of "Fifty Great Writers You Should Be Reading".

Other Books in the James Pruett Mystery Series:

Money Land

A James Pruett Mystery, Book 2

Money Land, sequel to the award-winning Mystery/Thriller series, Blood Land, the book that introduced the popular Sheriff James Pruett.

In this exciting second book, big crime has literally come crashing down on the small town of Wind River, Wyoming. When a small plane bound for the Canadian border carrying money for the Sustantivo Cartel smashes into the remote, glacial Wind River Mountains, the event brings a heartless evil presence to one of the more unknown places on earth.

The tail of the plane is eventually discovered, empty. No drugs. No money. Shortly afterward, people involved in the events begin dying in unconvential, brutal ways. Clearly a new criminal element has come to town. Sheriff James Pruett is not the kind of lawman to back down when his town is in the crossfire, and he will do anything to save the neighbors and friends under his protection, the land of Wind River and the surrounding winderness itself, and most importantly, his family.

Anything.

Again, in the sparse, gritty, poetic styling of James Lee Burke, Tony Hillerman, Dennis Lehane, and John D. MacDonald, R.S. Guthrie brings you his revered hero, a good man ready to battle the merciless cartel, as well as the local branch of a federal agency that has betrayed the patriotic honor of its own sworn duties.

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Honor Land

A James Pruett Mystery, Book 3

Honor Land, the third book in the outstandingly-reviewed series!

In this third James Pruett Mystery, the hero is faced with the biggest challenge of his life: saving the life of an even larger hero. Honor Land is a gritty, emotional story of patriotism, multiple murders, a hero Delta Force veteran, Kyle Yoder, who doesn't understand himself any longer, much less whether or not he is capable of the brutal crimes for which he is charged.

James Pruett and his team will have to uncover the answers if they are to keep Yoder from a guilty verdict and a mandatory execution by lethal injection.

In the tradition of Dennis Lehane, Tony Hillerman and James Lee Burke, Guthrie's sparse, haunting storytelling compliments his talent for creating richly-drawn, unflinching law officers with human frailties, a code of honor, and a profound sense of justice.

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About the Author

R.S. Guthrie grew up in Iowa and Wyoming. He has been writing fiction, essays, short stories, and lyrics since college.

Guthrie's "Blood Land" is the first in the Sheriff James Pruett Mystery/Thriller series and represents a project that is close to his heart: it is set in a fictional town in the same county where he spent much of his childhood and lives.

Guthrie lives in Wyoming with his wife, Amy, a One-year-old Redbone Coonhound, an Australian Shepherd, and a Chihuahua who thinks she's bigger than both!

"Black Beast: A Clan of MacAulay Novel" marked Guthrie's first major release and it heralded the first in a series of Detective Bobby Macaulay (Bobby Mac) books. The second in the series (Lost) hit the Kindle shelves December of 2011.

Readers can catch up with what's new with R.S. Guthrie at his official site, rsguthrie.com , or discussions related to writing at his blog, Rob on Writing (robonwriting.com).

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Book Tour & Book Review: They Call Me Gomer... by JC Miller #blogtour #bookreview #newadult #urbanfiction #christian #giveaway #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTorus @authorJCMiller

NA Urban Christian Fiction

Date Published: Release day Nov. 5th 2020

Publisher: Jess, Mo’ Books LLC

"Dear Diary, On September 3, 1982, two things happened that I'll never forget: I acquired an older sister, and I fell in real love. But tell me, what does an eight-year-old know about love?"

For nearly a decade, Hosea Felix and Gomer Williams were inseparable. She loved him from the moment she laid eyes on him. Their friendship was iron-clad until temptation rocked Gomer to her core. Somewhere along the way, she fell for another guy and traded young love for instant pleasure. Not only is Jeri Cole fine—he is a bonafide gangsta, unattainable, and off-limits. Jeri was all Gomer could think about, and the only thing she thought she wanted. Despite her big sister already laying claim to him, not much could stop Gomer from clawing at the possibility of love and diva status. Getting with Jeri felt right...but at what cost?

Gomer never backed down. She is the original bad girl—ratchet, bougie, and insatiable. Feel like you wanna dislike her? Well, get in line.

They Call me Gomer… JC Miller's sophomore spin-off novel enthralls readers with a deeply woven, emotionally heart-tugging take on the Book of Hosea. By examining rape culture, drug addiction, family secrets, and the vulnerabilities of young Black girls in pursuit of fortune and fame, this contemporary tale gives those in search of a good dra-mance all the feelings!

She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, "I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now. Hosea 2:7

Review

We follow Gomer also known as Go-Go as a young lady growing up with an extremely difficult childhood. There are several scenes of child abuse, drug abuse, and rape. Just in case you have any triggers. This is not for the faint of heart.

The way Go-go found herself so lost in all of this tragedy to the point she didn't want to be found was heartbreaking. There she makes her decision to chase the money by stripping and doing drugs instead of continuing school and getting out of the mess that had been created.

It was a good quirky read and all the characters were well developed and extremely relatable.

Dark at times, but ultimately a story of redemption.

About The Author

JC Miller lives in the scenic Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania with her husband, children, and floppy-eared Bassador pup.
Raised by a single-mother in the Bronx, JC pulls from early experiences to showcase the soul of the ghetto through faith-based novels. She also dedicates much of her time uplifting women via her blog and creating content with partner MR Spain, through their publishing company, Jess, Mo’ Books LLC. 
On her days off, you can find JC whipping up her famous Red Velvet Cake and listening to songs from her impressive vinyl record collection.
 
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Thursday, November 19, 2020

Book Blitz & Giveaway: The Dragon in the Closet #promo #giveaway #juvenile #fantasy #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours @CarolynWDubisch

Issue #1, The Curse

Juvenile Fiction Fantasy Graphic Novel/Comics

Date Published: 9-24-2020

Publisher: Abigail Books

Orin Bean has terrible luck and a problem with monsters. However, his Nana seems to be a powerful witch, but he's really a perfectly normal boy who just happens to have a dragon in the closet. What kid wouldn't want that? A comic book for children ages 5-10.

A Peek Inside

About the Author

Carolyn Watson Dubisch is the author and illustrator of 10 children's picture books, and is a creator of 3 comic book series for kids, including "The Horribles", "The People That Melt in The Rain" (writer and colorist), and "The Dragon in The Closet ".

Originally from New York, she currently lives by the ocean in Mazatlán, Mexico, with her husband, fantasy artist, Mike Dubisch, and their three daughters, who are at the moment studying online due to the COVID 19 pandemic. She also has a very old dog and four very young Mexican street cats that keep life interesting every day.

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Book Tour & Book Review: So Long Earth by @mbeany1 #blogtour #bookreview #giveaway #scifi #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

Science Fiction

Published: January 2020

2017. Dr. Thomas Burns, an environmental engineer, is listening to the President, talk about global warming. He and his colleagues quickly realize that Earth will no longer be able to sustain life in a few years. Environmental disasters all over the world are occurring at a quicker rate, and each one seems to be stronger than the previous one. As a result, Tom begins to develop and carry out his plans to build 4 spaceships for 1,000 people each to leave Earth and travel to a new galaxy to find a place to live. The Russians, Germans, and Australians all agree to build spaceships and join Tom in search of a new home somewhere in the Alpha Centauri Galaxy.

Over the next 20 years of planning Tom along with his wife, Sarah, determined but naïve son, Sam, his loyal second-in-command, Bob Jackson, and an amazing medical doctor, Dr. Sato, Tom must wrestle with inevitable questions. How are they going to sustain life for such a long journey? How can they travel fast enough? Will the Russians fully cooperate? How will they be able to successfully launch four huge spaceships at the same time? Most of all, will they be able to save humanity?

Review

Bienenstock writes such entertaining stories unlike others in the genre for me. He developed a sci-fi atmosphere that was rich in detail and action.

I love the way the reader is involved in the creative world the entire way through. From the beginning you are brought up to speed on the politics, races and police state actions very quickly.

Since humanity is as messed up as we are, I wouldn't be surprised to see something along those lines actually happen. Hopefully, good sense prevails sometime in the very near future!!

About the Author

Michael Bienenstock is a retired teacher with over 35 years of teaching experience. He has published papers and given numerous presentations and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Rochester Institute of Technology, a Master’s degree from Gallaudet University, and a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Maryland at College Park. He is married with one son and lives in Florida. So Long Earth is Michael's debut novel and no, his clone did not write this book.

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