Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Guest Blog & Giveaway: DONATA: In The Mind of a Victim by Donata Joseph #ITMOAV




Title: DONATA – In the Mind of a Victim
Author Name: Donata Joseph


Those of you that’s read my blogs from way back when knows that I am the QUEEN at being inconsistent…. well I have FINALLY stuck to an exercise routine. YEAH ME!!! No seriously, THIS IS BIG. For years I start working out for 30 days, see results then stop all together. I let a few months go by then feel the urge to start working out again. I go in full force for a month or two then stop again. I’m talking years of this same mind set.

In November, I decided to start again, my ONLY goal for the first 3 months was to get my ass to the gym 3-4 times a week. I didn’t care what I did, how long I worked out for, I just had to get there. In February, I added a training program to start running, an app called C25k. I’m still struggling with it because I am not being as consistent as I should. As soon as it started to get hard I backed off. Now I’ve decided it’s ok if I have to repeat a week or two of the training…. JUST DON’T QUIT!!! Are you starting to see the picture? I am taking babysteps and in doing so I keep going verses going in really hard just to quit after a while.

Another thing I realized is doing the same machine/weights/routine over and over again resulted in ZERO changes. Your muscles get used to the same routine and already knows exactly what you’ll do, for how long and at what speed/weight. Mix things up… add weights, do upper body one day and lower body another, vice versa. On the Elliptical don’t go in the forward motion the whole time, throw in some backward pedaling you’ll feel the difference in the muscles you use. Switch up your speed…. fast, slow, extremely fast, slow and so on. That changes the heart rate also.

Can’t get to the gym all the time, download a few apps from your phone… I have the Leg Workout, Ab Trainer X, Butt Workout, Squats and Butt Lift, my #1 favorite Fitness Buddy. Do I use all of them no, but when I can’t get to the gym I do either use my apps or the videos I’ve recorded on my DVR.
What’s my point??? GET MOVING, start 3-4 times a week and if you’ve become addicted you’ll be going 5-6 times a week. Be sure if you are going to the gym or working out 6 times a week, at the most. You’re body will need a rest day. Rest day in between the muscles you workout also. Don’t forget stretch, stretch, stretch.

Ok, this was a few tips from one beginner to another…… LET’S GET STARTED!!!



Author Bio: Short Bio:
Donata Joseph is a motivational speaker who is passionate about encouraging, empowering and elevating individuals in all walks of life. Whether it's through her non-profit organization Adding Doses of HOPE Daily Foundation or through her all natural skincare line DONATA, she endeavors to make and impact on the lives of others.
"Use the darkness of your past to propel you to a brighter future." - Donata Joseph
Long Bio:
Donata Joseph believes in making her mark and changing lives. 
In 2011, Ms. Joseph founded Adding Doses of Hope Daily Foundation to empower families of children with Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). She wanted to share her experiences, challenges and tips for raising two children diagnosed with ADHD. 
In 2012, she decided to break the silence and address the escalating issue of Domestic Violence. Her blog, Behind Closed Doors, chronicled a seven-year abusive relationship. The post elicited responses from people all over the world. The Foundation sponsors events and programs that bridge the gap between mental health and healthy relationships. Through motivational speaking, youth mentoring and parenting education, she encourages, empowers and elevates individuals in all walks of life to reflect on their overall mental wellness. Prior to founding Adding Doses of Hope Daily foundation, Ms. Joseph volunteered in a variety of community settings, including nonprofit organizations, youth centers and churches. 
In 2013, Ms. Joseph created DONATA, a natural skin care line that also offers skincare, nutrition and health seminars. She uses this platform to empower teens and adults to see the connection between their minds, bodies and spirits. The proceeds from DONATA help fund programs for Adding Doses of Hope Daily Foundation. 
Ms. Joseph obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Florida International University with an emphasis in Behavioral Analysis. She was a research assistant in the University’s Center for Children and Families, where she focused on research and treatment of evidence-based approaches in child and adolescent mental health.
She lives in Miami, Florida with her three children.

Author Links - 
Website: www.adhdfdn.org
Linkedin: http://goo.gl/ruzTTl



Book Genre: Self-Help|Inspirational
Publisher: Adding Doses of HOPE Daily
Release Date: December 7, 2014
Buy Link(s): Amazon

Book Description:
In this soul-bearing book, Donata Joseph reveals why she stayed in a seven-year abusive relationship and the incident that motivated her to leave.

She talks honestly about the judgmental remarks elicited from family and friends who did not understand the emotional, familial and financial complexity of her situation or why she did not recognize herself as a victim.

In a heart-wrenching chapter, Ms. Joseph discusses the impact her abusive relationship had on her two teen daughters and young son and the ensuing parent-child conversations that changed all of their lives.


If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, consider recommending this book. Ms. Joseph wraps up her knowledge, wisdom and advice in a non-threatening package delivered with compassion and understanding.





Follow The Tour Here








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Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Interview, #Giveaway & #VBTCafeTour - Seaville by Jim Reilly






Welcome! Ready to ride?

GR: Tell us about your latest release...

Seaville, my second novel is about a family who helps an alien race being hosted (literally) by their new neighbors. This mysterious race needs the Wells family to help them navigate the complicated human condition while being concealed from a curious but well-meaning old priest. But most of all, they must help them from being captured by a corrupt individual looking to make a profit off the alien’s existence before they leave earth to continue their journey to stay one step ahead of their former masters.

GR: What inspired you to start your writing journey?

I have always had a wild imagination and for most of my life I thought it was a detriment. But after continuing my education later in life, some of the professors complimented me on my writing, as well as, encouragement from my wife I decided to put that imagination on paper. That combined with my love of science fiction; I set out to write about many of the stories I have bouncing around in my head.

GR: Who have been some authors that have inspired you along the way?

I’ve always enjoyed reading science fiction writers like Ray Bradbury (Martian Chronicles), Robert Heinlein (Starship Troopers), Philip Dick (Minority Report and stories that turned into movies, Blade Runner and Total Recall), Arthur C Clarke (2001 space Odyssey) and Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park and Lost World).

Science fiction writers examine political, moral, and social concepts where science fiction is used as a metaphor. It lets us see ourselves from a different point of view and shows the reader the consequences of our actions or inactions.

GR: What is one piece of marketing advice you can give to new authors?

Start early! Whether it’s making your marketing plan or building your Facebook and Twitter followers, it must be done long before your book gets published. Accumulating followers and preparing a tour takes time. Believe me, you want to have a running start once your book’s released. Writing the story is the easy part, getting others interested is a challenge. The people who would love your story are out there, but you’ll need to spend much time, effort, and resources trying to connect them with your story.

GR: If we went on the ride of our life, where is one place you'd like to be sure to stop along the way?

Besides the Vatican, Jerusalem, the Great Pyramids, the Great Wall of China, or Roswell, New Mexico (Sorry, just threw that one in), I would say a ride to the Kennedy Space Center. To walk where astronauts and space vehicles left this planet to explore space would be a thrill for the science fiction writer in me. To step where Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin prepared for the trip to the moon would be wild. It would be even better if we waited a few years until NASA completes its new family of larger rockets that will take more astronauts into space. I can only imagine the rush from viewing one of those rocket leaving earth for the unknown.

GR: Would you be afraid to ride on the back of my bike?

No, I wouldn’t be afraid. However, I would prefer it to be on a long open road. The traffic by me on Long Island can get congested and a little hazardous for bikers. That said, there is nothing like feeling the power of the bike under you and the freedom of experiencing the breath of nature flowing around you as you travel along the roads.

GR: What can we expect from you in the future? Any new projects?

I love to mix the conflict between science and religion, two polar-opposites in philosophy within a story. My next project will show the consequences of an apocalyptic aftermath due to extremes of both science and religion while attempting to show the resilience of people’s resolve to survive and make sacrifices to make things right.


Thank you so much for chatting with me today.

Thank you for having me. I appreciate it.




Author Bio:
Jim Reilly is a new science fiction / fantasy novelist. He is a married father of four, born and raised in Long Island. After going back to college and finishing with an MBA, some of his professors gave accolades to his writing prowess. With that and encouragement from his wife, he wrote his first novel, Evolution.
The success of Evolution has inspired Jim to continue his writing efforts and finish his next science fiction / fantasy novel, Seaville.
From an early age, Jim always had a fascination with science, science fiction, and fantasy to a point that it became a passion of his. Now he enjoys putting that passion to paper. He has already penned his next book and is working on another.



Author Links -






Book Genre: Sci-Fi / Fantasy
Publisher: Sayville Books
Release Date: September 30th
Buy Link(s):

Book Description:

When new neighbors, Mike and Ann Wells along with their children CJ and Patricia, move into the southern part of town along the Great South Bay of Long Island, they discover the true identity of their neighbors. 
Each of their new neighbors hosts a being from an alien race hiding from the cruelty of enslavement. This mysterious race needs the Wells family to help them navigate the complicated human experience while being concealed from a nosy but well-meaning old priest. But most of all, they must help them from being captured by a corrupt individual looking to make a profit off a race hoping to peacefully secure fuel to stay one step ahead of their former masters. 
As the town of Seaville erupts into chaos, Mike and Ann try to keep their new friends concealed and safe. However, time is running out as their former masters search the universe for their lost property and inch closer to Earth.



Excerpt:
Chapter 1
Toward the end then back to the beginning.
As I sprinted out of my home heading to my neighbor’s house across the street to look for my daughter, I glanced toward town down the row of beautiful old Victorian homes on my block. On the church roof visible to most of the area, there was a man standing with his arms raised toward the south side of town. As I focused in a little, it looked like old Father McNeal, the priest who of late seemed to be out of touch in his waning years. He was wearing his Sunday Mass vestments and was standing on the highest point of the church. Still, as out of the ordinary as that was, it was the least odd sight I would see that early summer evening as dusk approached.
When I reached my neighbor’s house, I ran around to the back just as town Police Officer Rothman sped through the neighborhood flashing his lights and sounding his siren as he headed in the direction of the Great South Bay. As relieved as I was that he went by without stopping, I was apprehensive and nervous about what was about to happen.
Behind my neighbor’s house were old metal cellar doors, and after I opened them, I quickly went down into his basement where I found a large cabinet moved away from the cement wall showing an entrance to a tunnel burrowed deep into the ground. When I made my way through the passageway to the lower levels, I noticed that the sediment holding the underground water from pouring into the tunnels and cavities under this end of the town started slowly to disintegrate as planned and that meant time was running out.
I ran through the extensive tunnels I had been through many times this past year, barely noticing the smell of rotting seafood that was so prevalent my first time in the tunnels. The maze was quite enormous, but I had an idea where to find my daughter. She was supposedly not too far away beneath Henry’s parent’s house. To get there, I needed to pass by the staging area where the craft was preparing to leave. Just as I reached the ship, I saw my neighbors, Ray Bannister and Earl Watson, run up to close the cargo hatch on the right side of the craft and lock it shut. It was then that we heard the banging and yelling coming from inside the ship.
A voice behind the door was saying, “Ray, we negotiated! I came here in good faith and you lock us in a room? I will not stand for this! You better let me out, or I will crush you! You can’t do this to me! I demand you let me out at once! You’re making a big mistake!”







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Friday, September 19, 2014

Funny Books by Rich Leder Book Tour, Interview & Giveaway


Welcome! Ready to ride? 

You know it, brother!

GR: Tell us about your latest release...

This month, I self-pubbed three funny novels: McCall & Company: Workman’s Complication and McCall & Company: Swollen Identity and Juggler, Porn Star, Monkey Wrench on Laugh Riot Press, the social media marketing and self-publishing company I created to promote and market my books and the books of other funny indie authors.

McCall & Company is a PI series set in New York City. The first two books are funny, yes, but they’re also rocking mysteries—most everyone that’s read them has had no idea whodunit until the very end. Juggler, Porn Star, Monkey Wrench is a standalone novel about a LA screenwriter at the end of his personal and professional ropes who comes to terms with the three women in his life (the juggler, the porn star, and the monkey wrench) while he adapts the phone book into a movie. It’s a romantic Hollywood sex comedy and is more or less the story of my improbable life as a screenwriter in Los Angeles. Some of it is exactly true, some of it is inexactly true, but all of it is true enough.


GR: What inspired you to start your writing journey?

I’ve been a working professional writer for 25 years. But I’ve been writing for far longer than that. I wrote a variety comedy show—a Laugh-In clone—that my friends and I performed in my garage for the neighborhood kids and parents when I was nine years old. My army men had backstories, nicknames, families at home. I don’t know what inspired me to be this way. My mother says I haven’t changed a bit since birth. That last sentence makes my wife roll her eyes.


GR: Who have been some authors that have inspired you along the way?

Oh man, Richard Ford, John Irving, Phillip Roth, Donald Westlake, Carl Hiaasen, Sue Grafton, Janet Evanovich, Sophie Littlefield, John D. MacDonald, Stephen King, Elmore Leonard, Sinclair Lewis, Frank Herbert, Ray Bradbury. That’s a start...


GR: What is one piece of marketing advice you can give to new authors?

Get out there and stay out there. It doesn’t matter where, just somewhere in the digital sphere, somewhere in the global village of readers. It’s a matter of time before folks find you. Yes, I know, I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy.

I started Laugh Riot Press because I’m terrible at social media marketing and yet I know how important it is to have a consistent, wide-reaching, year-round online presence. LRP is everywhere readers are every week of the year. That’s the kind of exposure I wanted but knew I couldn’t do myself.


GR: If we went on the ride of our life, where is one place you'd like to be sure to stop along the way?

Mount Rushmore. I want to see the presidents carved into the cliff. I’ve never been there.


GR: Would you be afraid to ride on the back of my bike?

Come on, Burt. Are you kidding? Where are we going and when do we leave?


GR: What can we expect from you in the future? Any new projects?

I’m almost done with another standalone. It’s called Let There Be Linda. It’s a dark comedy that tells the story of two estranged brothers living in the San Fernando Valley who bring their dead mother back to life so she can clean up the mess they’ve made of things. As you might imagine, that can’t be a good idea. Quentin Tarantino meets Monty Python.



Thank you so much for chatting with me today. I wish you the best of success and to always leave your hair blowing in the wind! 

You’re welcome, Burt. Thanks for hosting me.


Author Bio:
Rich Leder
Screenwriter—Novelist—Publisher

Rich Leder has been a working writer for more than two decades. His screen credits include 18 produced television films for CBS, NBC, Lifetime, and Hallmark and feature films for Paramount Pictures, Tri-Star Pictures, and Left Bank Films.

He has written four funny novels to be released in 2014: McCall & Company: Workman’s Complication, McCall & Company: Swollen Identity, Juggler, Porn Star, Monkey Wrench, and Let There Be Linda.

He has been the lead singer in a Detroit rock band, a restaurateur, a Little League coach, a literacy tutor, a magazine editor, a screenwriting coach, a commercial real estate agent, an indie film director, and a visiting artist for the University of North Carolina Wilmington Film Studies Department, among other things, all of which, it turns out, were grist for the mill. He resides on the North Carolina coast with his awesome wife, Lulu, and is sustained by the visits home of their three college kids.

Rich loves to hear from readers and writers. Please don’t be shy.

You can write him directly at rich@laughriotpress.com

Or you can visit him at www.laughriotpress.com/richleder

Author Links - 




Book Genre: FUNNY MYSTERY // FUNNY FICTION
Publisher: LAUGH RIOT PRESS
Release Date: AUGUST 2014
Buy Link(s): Amazon


Book Description:

MCCALL & COMPANY: WORKMAN’S COMPLICATION

WAY-OFF BROADWAY ACTRESS. MURDERED PI FATHER. NEW DAY JOB.

Off-off-off-off Broadway actress Kate McCall inherits her father’s New York private investigation business after he’s a whole lot of murdered in a life insurance company elevator.

A concrete-carrying, ballroom-dancing construction mule says he fell off the scaffolding and can never work—or dance—again, and then sues the contractor for a whole lot of money.

Kate assembles the eccentric tenants of her brownstone and her histrionic acting troupe to help her crack the cases, and they stir up a whole lot of trouble.

But not as much trouble as Kate, who sticks her nose in the middle of the multi-million-dollar life-insurance scam her father was investigating and gets a whole lot of arrested for murdering a medical examiner.

Will Kate bust the insurance scam, prove who really killed the examiner—and her father—and get out of jail in time to pull off the ballroom sting of the decade?  She might, but it's going to be a whole lot of hilarious.


MCCALL & COMPANY: SWOLLEN IDENTITY

BEAUTIFUL BILLIONAIRE SOCIALITE. COLD-BLOODED CORPORATE ASSASSIN. MCCALL & COMPANY BACK IN BUSINESS.

Way-off Broadway actress and NYC PI Kate McCall had promised the police and the Assistant DA—her son—that she was all done investigating any damn thing in New York...

Meaning beautiful billionaire socialite Brooke Barrington says someone has stolen her identity and the corporate assassin who murdered Kate’s father has shot the eyes out of the CEO of Superior Press...

Meaning McCall & Company is back in business...

Meaning Kate enlists the help of the eccentric tenants of her brownstone—the House of Emotional Tics—and her melodramatic acting troupe, the Schmidt and Parker Players...

Meaning things spiral hilariously and dangerously out of control...  


Meaning she is confronted by Brooke's demonic identical twin, Bailey, accosted by international counterfeiters, and arrested for impersonating a hooker.

Will Kate stop Bailey from murdering Brooke? Or will she stop Brooke from murdering Bailey? Or will she figure out how to tell one from the other in time to survive the wrath of the Bulgarian mob men hired to protect the counterfeit cash?

And will she finally find her father’s killer?  

She might, but it's going to be a fast, funny, furious ride.



JUGGLER, PORN STAR, MONKEY WRENCH

My name is Mark Manilow. I am a Hollywood screenwriter. Here’s my recipe for a cocktail called “Romantic Hollywood Sex Comedy.”

Start with my estranged wife, who left me two years ago to become a juggler.

Pour in the ensuing emotional tailspin conjoined with a brutal case of writer’s block.

Mix with my last-gasp writing job, a ridiculous porn flick called Broken Boner.

Add in the Broken Boner porn star, who seduces me into an ill-fated relationship.

Blend with the gun-toting producer and eccentric Montecito billionaire, who hire me to adapt the phonebook into a movie.

Toss in the return of my headaches and a trip to an ancient Chinese healer, where I meet the healer’s beguiling granddaughter—my monkey wrench.

Serve with wonderment as to whether or not I’ll find a way to settle things with the juggler, break it off with the porn star, and fall in love with the monkey wrench...or if anyone will stop laughing long enough to notice. 

Excerpt:

MCCALL & COMPANY: WORKMAN’S COMPLICATION

“Your father’s dead, Miss McCall. Got himself murdered.”
I thought I might hear that sentence one day, but I was even less ready for it than I imagined I would be. I blinked a few times, then walked to one of the toilets, sat down, and gestured at his cigarettes. “I’ll take one of those now.” Some bad news is simply too big to process right away.
He gave me a Camel, lit it, and moved back to the sink. “I work for Mel Shavelson, your father’s attorney. I’m the bearer of bad news. That’s my job.”
He talked about how my father got himself murdered—something about sticking his nose someplace it had no business being, something else about the police finding him late last night (actually, at three o’clock on Friday morning) tied to a chair in an elevator in an office building, two big fat bullet holes where his eyes used to be—but I wasn’t listening.
Instead, I was thinking about the final curtain of the last performance of Bye Bye Birdie. My father had given me flowers, handing them to me on the stage while the audience applauded. They were roses from a Korean market and smelled like ginger.
“Shavelson’s going to read the will, and you’re supposed to be there,” Barnes said. He put his cigarette out in the sink, tossed the butt in the trash, and crossed to the toilet, where I sat watching the Camel burn down to my fingers. (I don’t smoke). He handed me Mel Shavelson’s business card and said, “Date and time’s on the back. Monday morning, ten thirty.”
I took the card, still smelling the ginger roses, grief growing inside me, building, building, getting ready to bust through the wall of shock that had been constructed in the same second the fire hydrant had delivered the bad news, which, as he said, was his job.
“I knew your old man,” Barnes said. “He was a hell of a PI.” And then he left.
There had been a voicemail for me from a Detective Harriman earlier in the day, but it was just a general “Please call me as soon as possible” sort of message. I had been busy, and usually the police only contacted me to verify something or other about Jimmy getting into trouble on the job. Jimmy always worked that kind of thing out for himself and had told me, “Never cozy up to the cops unless you’re impersonating one.” I deleted Harriman’s message and didn’t call him back. Maybe that’s what he was going to tell me, that Jimmy had been murdered. Anyway, now Barnes had told me.
I dropped the Camel in the toilet, looked at the card, and wept like a seventh-grade girl.




Schedule

September 7 - Introduction at VBT Café Blog

September 8 - Spotlight at Debbie Jeans

September 10 - Spotlight at Words, Words, Words

September 12 - Guest Blogging at PubSlush

September 15 - Interviewed at A. Literary Mafia

September 17 - Guest Blogging at Lori's Reading Corner

September 19 - Interviewed at Bikers With Books

September 22 - Review & Guest Blog at Lilac Reviews

September 24 - Reviewed at KimberkyandCompany

September 26 - 5 Things I Know For Sure at CAT Magazine

September 29 - Interviewed at BK Walker Books Etc.

October 1 - Review & Interview at My Life, Love, & Passions

October 3 - Guest Blogging at The Avid Reader

October 6 - Interviewed at YAH Did Radio 6:30pm EST

October 8 - Spotlight at Black Coffee, Brown Cow

October 10 - Spotlight at A Cup Of Tea & A Big Book

October 13 - Author 2 Author Marketing at BookIt BK

October 15 - Interviewed at Ghost Rider Book Promotions

October 17 - Review & Interview at AG Lang Writes

October 20 - Spotlight at Dalene's Book Reviews

October 22 - 6 Besties at BK Walker Books

October 24 - Reviewed at BK Walker Books




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Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Soul Searching by Jamie-Jo Brenner Guest Blog & Giveaway




What made me choose my genre?

I’ve always felt most comfortable writing for young adults or at least about young adults. Perhaps I’m still a child at heart. I have a lot of experience working with young people/teens so it’s always in the forefront of whatever I write. I love the idea of helping them through difficult times, so if I can’t do that physically through my volunteering then I hope that my writing can do it.

I feel that a coming of age story is something everyone can related to, because you’re either going through it or you’ve been there already. Either way, it’s something that you can understand and identify with. I know that this story sort of crosses between genres a little bit. It could be considered a drama and even slightly a supernatural piece, but at its heart I believe it to simply be a coming of age story about a group of friends who try to find themselves. Brent has to wrestle with his past which causes his sister to have uncertainty about her future. I think that their story is the most important within the book. Their relationship. Their experiences. Their thoughts and feelings with what they are forced to endure is the heart of the novel.


 I believe that these are things that anyone can relate to, but that it worked better having them young adults rather than in their 30’s like I am. I just feel that being a teenager is difficult without any added problems or pressures, so when you put them in certain situations it makes the whole thing a lot more fun to write about. I think as a whole, we’d feel more empathetic toward a young person dealing with an identity crisis than we would with someone more grown up. I guess that’s why I choose the genre, because the story I wanted to tell would be more easily understood and believed coming from someone so young.




I'm a 2nd Dan Black Belt in Tang Soo Do. I have been on mission trips, one to Haiti and the other to a Native American Reservation/Camp in Oklahoma. I loved both experiences.

I am in the Army Reserves. And I volunteer at Camp Sunshine each August. I also work in Security for Farmer's Insurance. And I was a victim's advocate for the YWCA.

My passion is writing and I love to read. I wrote a books, A Place for Me, and most recently, Soul Searching.

When I was 19, I made an independent film (wrote, directed and starred in it) called, Weight of the World. I wrote A Place for Me when I was 20. Published it at 21. When I was 22, my cousins and I made a indie movie out of it.

Now at 32, I wrote another book. Soul Searching.

Author Links - 





I also have a facebook page for me, Jamie-Jo Brenner as well as Soul Searching novel page.




Book Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Self-Published through CreateSpace on Amazon
Release Date: July 16, 2014
Buy Link(s):




Book Description:


Brent Harper is the perfect guy. He's Max's hero--the boy she's had a crush on since the school year began. But when Brent goes missing, Max must face the truth that she really doesn't know him at all. In order to find him, she will first need to learn everything she can about him.

After Brent wakes up without any memories, his only choice is to trust the first person he sees. Alison, the girl who finds him, promises to help him remember. But what if he doesn't want to remember? When his memories start to return, Brent is confronted with the hardest decision of his life.

How do you choose between who you thought you were and who you want to be?








Excerpt:


Prologue
Brent

There is no easy way from the earth to the stars.
-Seneca

Images of the fight flooded my mind. I’d considered Lucas and Mark my friends, but I wasn’t so sure anymore. I stopped them from picking on my best friend, Max, and the next thing I knew I was shoved against a locker. The cold metal rattled loudly when my body slammed into it. My head throbbed in pain at the contact.
“Stay out of it for once,” Lucas growled.
“Maybe it’s time you learned your place,” Mark spat at me as his fist knocked the wind out of my lungs.
Lucas’s knee connected with my ribs, and I winced in pain. They alternated between knees to stomach, and punches to my face. I fell to a clump on the ground. I knew I should‘ve defended myself, but I made a promise to someone--a promise that I swore I’d keep. I took the beating without complaint, because I knew I deserved it. I always deserved it.
Between kicks, I heard Mark say, “Dude, fight back.”
It sounded like a plea. But I lost consciousness before I figured out the significance of it. It’d been hours since that fight, but even now my ribs hurt and my face ached. Even with all the blood washed away, I bore evidence of the fight, and had feared going home.
I wandered the streets and watched the sky darken around me as I prayed for answers that never came. If they had come, I wouldn’t have done something that I already regretted. I made my choice. And even if I didn’t remember this in the morning, the truth of it weighed heavily on my mind tonight. My demons always found a way to haunt me. Somehow, I knew they’d follow me this time as well. I just wished I hadn’t chosen to start this journey alone.
I reached my destination, and had I taken one last look at the sky. I found my favorite constellations, and recalled all the times I’d admired this same sky. I always felt at home among the stars--they were the only good thing about the darkness. Their presence harkened the depths of imagination. They were ageless as they gazed back at us. We were mere fragments in the lifetime of a star. I longed for that kind of immortality. Even now, I yearned to exist.
I collapsed onto the grass, and fought off sleep for as long as I could. I was terrified of tomorrow. Exhausted, I dispelled one last breath of hot air, and I resigned myself to my fate. Things were finally going to change, I’d seen to that. I couldn’t run forever. And with that thought in mind, I had closed my eyes, and allowed the spell to take me.





Schedule

August 24 - October 13


August 24 - Introduction at VBT Café Blog

August 26 - Guest Blogging at Coffee, Books & Art

August 28 - Spotlight at Cherry Mischievous
September 2 - Reviewed at Give Me The Books
September 4 - 6 Besties at BK Walker Books
September 8 - Guest Blogging at Bikers With Books
September 10 - Spotlight at Mom With A Kindle
September 12 - 5 Things I Know For Sure & Favorite Recipe at CAT Magazine
September 15 - Reviewed at AG LANG Writes
September 17 - Interviewed at Ghost Rider Book Promotions
September 19 - Interviewed at BK Walker Books Etc.
September 22 - Guest Blogging at Black Coffee, Brown Cow
September 24 - Reviewed at Debbie Jeans
September 26 - Review & Interview at Deal Sharing Aunt

September 29 - Review & Guest Blog at

 3 Partners In Shopping - Nana, Mommy, & Sissy Too!

October 1 - Interviewed at The Avid Reader
October 3 - Guest Blogging at Lori's Reading Corner
October 6 - Author 2 Author Marketing at BookIt BK
October 8 - Interviewed at Yah Did Marketing Radio at 6:30pm EST
October 10 - Interviewed at Immortality & Beyond
October 13 - Reviewed at BK Walker Books






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