Historical Fiction

#BookTour “The Dawning: 31000 BC” by Richard W. Wise

~ Felicia Denise ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to the book tour for historical fiction novel, The Dawning: 31,000 BC by Richard W. Wise!

The Dawning Front Cover

The Dawning: 31,000 BC

Expected Publication Date: October 11th, 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction

The Dawning tells an age-old story of deadly struggle, the heart-rending tale of young love-its aspirations, pain, disappointments and eventual triumph.

Ejil and Lada, son and daughter of a Cro-Magnon tribe (on the verge of adulthood) have begun to explore their maturing feelings when an encounter with a clan of Neanderthal hunters tears their Ice Age world apart. Lada is lost and Ejil finds himself embarked on a desperate odyssey to find the mother tribe.

The Neanderthals, a pale skinned people, occupied Ice Age Europe for three hundred thousand years. Dark-skinned Cro-Magnons, our direct ancestors, appeared forty-five thousand years ago. Five thousand years later, the Neanderthals had disappeared. What happened when our two ancestral peoples came face to face on the ice bound plains of prehistory?

Travel back 33,000 years into our deep past. Set against the backdrop of the fabulous painted caves of Southern France, follow the gripping tale of two young lovers and the sweeping narrative of ancient cultures met in bloody conflict.

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About the Author

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Richard W. Wise is the author of four books: bestseller SECRETS OF THE GEM TRADE, THE CONNOISSEUR’S GUIDE (originally published in 2001, second revised edition in 2016), THE FRENCH BLUE (2010)—an award-winning historical novel–and the mystery/thriller REDLINED: A NOVEL OF BOSTON (2020). He lives with his wife, Rebekah, and their two cats (Charlie and Sammy) in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Richard W. Wise

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#BookTour “The Girl From Saint Petersburg (An Industrial Historical Fiction Series Book 1)” by Joyana Peters

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Welcome the the book tour for Joyana Peters’ latest historical fiction novel, The Girl from Saint Petersburg, the prequel to award-winning novel, The Girl in the Triangle.

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The Girl From Saint Petersburg (An Industrial Historical Fiction Series Book 1)

Publication Date: July 25th, 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction

Sacrifice, Starvation and Survival.

What will she do to stay alive?Russia, 1905: Thirteen-year-old Ruth dreams of growing up to marry the boy next door and living peacefully ever after. But
when he and her father are forced to flee to America after the Bloody Sunday Massacre, Ruth and the other female members of the family are left behind amid the violence and chaos of revolutionary Russia. Overcoming violence and hunger with a strength she never knew she possessed, Ruth resolves to do what it takes to keep her mother and sister alive—whether it be work, beg or steal.

Then she lands herself in a predicament that threatens to put her own neck in a noose. This time she may not be able to keep them all safe, at least not without sacrificing their love for her and all that makes life worth living.

In this prequel to the award-winning novel, The Girl in the Triangle, author, Joyana Peters, portrays a tight-knit family fighting to endure at a precarious and crucial time in Jewish history. Join the countless readers who can’t get enough of Ruth and her story.

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Excerpt

Ruth woke to banging on the front door. Half-asleep, she blinked against the morning light.
Ester shifted on the pillow next to her. “What’s happening?”
“I don’t know, Bird.” Ruth patted her head. “Stay here. I’ll find out.”
Ruth tiptoed out of the bedroom and toward the front door. Her mother was crouched on the floor and peering over the window sill. Her eyes were puffy and red.
“What are you doing?”
“Shh!” Momme tugged Ruth down beside her. “Don’t let them see you.”
“Don’t let who see us? Where’s Tatty? Why were you crying?” Ruth glanced around.
Momme clenched Ruth’s wrist. “I need you to listen. They’ll break in soon. And they will interrogate and hurt me. You need to be brave.”
“Interrogate you? I don’t understand. Where are Tatty and Jeremiah?”
“Tatty left for America last night, but we can’t tell them that.”
Ruth shivered. Her father gone to America without saying good-bye? “Why? Did Jeremiah go too?”
An odd blankness came over her mother’s eyes. She seemed about to answer when an axe crashed through the door.
“Stay in the bed. Cover yourselves to hide and don’t leave Ester.” Momme pushed Ruth toward the bedroom.
Ruth scrambled to her feet and ran. She looked over her shoulder to see her mother dusting herself off. As the door gave way and the czar’s soldiers invaded the house, her mother’s lips moved in silent prayer.
Ruth found her sister hiding under the covers and held a finger to her lips as she crawled beside her. Ester nodded, suddenly appearing older than her ten years. As the men’s voices rose in the next room, Ruth wrapped her arms around Ester and they lay trembling.
There was a slap followed by a muffled sob. Ester cried out. Ruth clapped her hand over Ester’s mouth, but heavy boots stomped toward them and the covers were soon ripped away.
Two soldiers glared down from either side of the bed. They grabbed the girls with rough hands.
“Ruth!” Ester screamed.
“She’s a child!” Ruth begged. “Please, leave her be.”
The soldiers ignored her and dragged the two girls from the house. The street was in chaos. There were more soldiers, and families shivering in their bed clothes. Why was this happening?
The soldier flung her onto the ground, knocking the wind out of her. She scrambled toward Ester, but a soldier stepped between them.
“Please, don’t hurt us, sir!”
“That depends on your mother. If she tells us what we want to know, we won’t need to.”
Ruth tried to squash her instinct to reach for her sister, and instead forced herself to look for her mother.
And there she was—standing with her chin high, in the middle of four soldiers. Ruth could see a dark splotch on her face. Was it blood? But she remained straight and tall. She wasn’t even crying. Ruth was amazed by her mother’s control. How did she manage to appear so unaffected?
A soldier with a drooping mustache stepped close to Momme.
“Where are they?” he growled.
“I told you, I don’t know,” she replied.
“I don’t believe you.” He cracked her on the back of the head with the butt of his rifle and kicked her in the stomach. “Try again. Where are they?”
Momme crumpled forward, coughing. “I don’t know.”
“This is pointless. Grab the girl.” He gestured toward Ester.
The soldier standing near Ester grabbed her. Ester thrashed in his arms.
“No!” Momme lurched forward. “She doesn’t know anything and neither do I. They never returned home.”
“But they were in the square yesterday?” the droopy mustache soldier asked.
“Yes.”
“What was that? I can’t hear you.” He cupped his ear.
“Yes, they were there,” Momme’s voice rang out louder.
Ruth closed her eyes at Momme’s words. This was about Abraham and Jeremiah and wherever they’d gone yesterday. What trouble had they gotten themselves into?
The soldier leaned into Momme’s face. “And the meetings?”
Momme turned away. He popped her in the forehead with his rifle butt so hard she flew backwards. “Answer me!”
A shriek pierced the air. Ruth saw a man being pulled out of his house. His wife reached for him, but the soldiers held her back. They forced the man to his knees and a soldier held a pistol to the back of his head. A shot rang out. The man slumped forward.
Ruth looked to her mother’s horror-stricken face. Droopy Mustache grabbed Momme by the hair.
“Perhaps––now you see how serious we are, drabke?”
Momme moved her head up and down. “They never came home. They must be among the dead.”
“And the meetings?”
“They attended them,” she croaked. “But if they’re dead, what does it matter?”
He studied Momme. Finally, he turned to the other soldiers.
“Search the house again.”

Available for Purchase Here!

About the Author

Joyana Peters Headshot 2

Growing up in New York, she always loved exploring the city, particularly the Lower East Side. This led to her discovery of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the stories it holds.

She currently lives in Northern Virginia where she takes in the sights of DC with her two kids and husband.

Joyana Peters | Facebook | Instagram

 

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#BookTour “Crippled Jack” by Boston Teran

~ Felicia Denise ~ Leave a comment

We’re celebrating the release of Boston Teran’s revisionist western novel, Crippled Jack. Read on for more info and a sneak peek!

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Crippled Jack

Publication Date: September 5th, 2022

Genre: Revisionist Western/ Historical Fiction

CRIPPLED JACK is a revisionist western set against a landmark era in American folklore. Those were the years of poverty, homelessness and hatred between the classes.

In that time when bloodthirsty violence ruled the day a boy was bound and gagged and left to die in the desert. He was not yet nine and suffered what they called the palsy. There was a note pinned to his chest – It’s up to God now.

But the boy did not die. Fate and history merged in his will to live. He was found by a horseman who was at war with the profiteers of the day, the Czars of business, the masters of corporate avarice. He was known as – The Coffin Maker.

He became the star on the boy’s horizon. The boy would grow to become an expert marksman known as Crippled Jack. He will come of age during the labor wars that were consuming the West. His friends will be enemies of the state. He will come to love a woman who has escaped the orphan trains and is a reporter covering the bloodshed sweeping the nation.

Together they will usher in a new America. An America that has every intention of turning the country upside down, so that it may stand right side up.

CRIPPLED JACK transforms the classic American western into a scathing and violent protest novel. A war for social justice, for equality, and for hope – a war we’re still fighting today.

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Chapter One

What tortures await the lives of men? What degree of exile from goodness makes up their souls?

The boy was near about eight, maybe nine years old. His hands and feet had been bound up with heavy rope. His mouth lashed tight with cot- ton strips so he could not cry out.

He was lying just off the Chihuahua Trail where it fed south from San Antonio toward Helena. He had been placed on the most degraded soil, by the remains of a rotted wagon and the sanded-down bones of an ox. A page from the Bible had been torn loose and pinned to his ragged and filthy shirt. And in a fine handwriting was written this:

— It’s up to God now —

…

For days the boy survived on his muffled cries and desperation to stay alive as he caterpillared along, his arms tied behind his back, a thing to behold, crawling inch by inch over rock and gray brown and scrub brush that scored the flesh. Threading down through gullies, his skin blistered, courtesy of the hideous Texas sun. He used his jaw and shoulders and the bottom of his bare bound feet to edge toward a road that grew farther and farther out of reach, until there was no more of him to struggle with.

He lay there alone, awaiting death, in all that unmerciful emptiness with one thought—Why did God hate me so much?

Available on Amazon

About the Author

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For a generation now, the internationally award-winning author Boston Teran has been writing about America and the moral territory of its soul. Many of his novels are translated into foreign languages, and he has been named alongside great American writers, including Hemingway and Larry McMurtry, filmmakers John Ford and Sam Peckinpah, as well as renowned painters and artists for his far reaching vision of time, place and humanity.

His cult novel, GOD IS A BULLET, was adapted to film in 2021 by Nick Cassavetes, and has been compared to such seminal works as Joan Didion’s THE WHITE ALBUM and John Ford’s THE SEARCHERS. NEVER COUNT OUT THE DEAD has been called a modern equivalent of Macbeth. THE CREED OF VIOLENCE is currently in film development with Universal Studios. His DEFIANT AMERICANS SERIES have been praised for confronting an America mired in hatred and human corruption, injustice, racism and inequality, and his characters’ quest for moral order and redemption.

The author has won countless awards, including The American Fiction Award for “Adventure: Historical,” the GRAND PRIX CALIBRE 38, the Stephen Crane Literary Award for “First Fiction,” the Fiction Lovers Association of Japan Award for “Best Novel,” the Benjamin Franklin Award in the LGBTQ+ category, and the John Creasey Award for “Best Novel” by the British Crime Writers Association.

Boston Teran

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#BookTour “The Safe Game” by Wes Verde

~ Felicia Denise ~ Leave a comment

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Welcome to the book tour for The Safe Game by Wes Verde. Read on for more details!

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The Safe Game

Publication Date: July 22nd, 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction/ Crime Thriller

New Jersey, 1928.

The Cons – Roy, Urbane, and Victoria – made a living by separating fools from their money and rarely stayed in one place for too long. Keeping food in their bellies and a roof over their heads often meant hopping from one game to the next, barely staying ahead of the law or poverty and sometimes both.

That was until the day Roy – the Idea Man – thought he found a big score; one that would put the Cons on Easy Street. No more scraping by. No more hungry nights in the cold or picking pockets in desperation. Maybe even enough to get them out of this life for good. But things were never that simple.

When a tragic death brings the law snooping around, the Cons find themselves running afoul of cops, gangsters, and other powerful people – ones with secrets.

The Cons have gotten out of scrapes before, but their luck may soon run out and this particular game may end in luxury, a jail cell, or an early grave.

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Excerpt

Today she was on fire. Heads started to bob and the group pressed closer, trying to get a better look at the device.

With her work done, Victoria fell quiet. The excitement of the crowd was properly kindled now. A contended grin curled up her full lips. To Urbane’s surprise, her sharp eyes suddenly found his. At first, he thought it might be a fluke. Or perhaps his supposedly concealed location had been somehow compromised. Before he could stress himself over the matter, she winked. Then, all other thoughts fled. Just as his face started to heat up, she returned her attention to Roy. It was his turn to bring it home.

“Now, I’ve been given strict instructions by Treasury Department officials to accept no less than two thousand dollars for this device,” he intoned formally.

This was met with groans of disapproval and one or two boos and justifiably so; one could buy a small house for that amount of money. It was a far higher bid than in previous towns.

Feigning surprise, the Idea Man continued. “You understand, surely, that such a sum would be recovered in a matter of weeks if the prescribed regiment is followed?”

Urbane wondered if that was right. Knowing the scam – game – he had not previously given much thought to its premise. Having lost sight of Victoria for the moment, he quickly did the math in his head and came up with about fifty days. This was with the assumption that the machine was operated every five hours… and that it was not a scam.

As one who dealt in numbers and concrete reality, this world of deception was foreign to him. How people could believe such an outlandish proposition boggled his mind. A naturally curious sort, Urb simply could not fathom the lack of such in others.

Outside, Roy let the groans begin to subside before he extended the olive branch.

“Hang on, now. Hang on. Well… it will mean some hard questions from my superiors. Maybe even some shady bookkeeping on my part. But if that is asking too much, perhaps a discount might be considered. Just for the hard working folks of Lawrence, mind you.” In a quieter voice, he added, “But I must implore you to please keep this just between us. I could go as low as twelve hundred dollars.”

Again, boos. Though, fewer than before. In the end, Roy was obliged to drop the bid twice more before a collection hat started passing around. Urb shook his head, astonished. Roy and Victoria could steer a crowd the same way he could tickle a lock or build a mechanism. For the price of a decent used car, these people had accepted this deal that should have been too good to be true – of course it was. The crowd soon divided into two factions, apparently debating how the forthcoming riches would be allocated.

One man emerged as the representative of the group, holding the collection hat. Urbane’s eyes went wide. It was more cash and coin than they had made in the past three towns put together. If properly budgeted, it could well be enough to carry them into summer. The crowd shifted and he caught sight of Victoria again. She had also glimpsed the considerable sum. Like Urb, she bit her lower lip in anticipation. Seeing the curve of her face and the swell of her hips, he nearly forgot about their windfall and most everything else for that matter.

And he was not the only one to take notice. Would-be suitors were not an uncommon issue. As a professional hazard, Victoria tended to attract male attention like iron filings to a lodestone and today was no exception.

It was a young fella. The excessively confident ones often were and Urbane frowned as this one fixed Madame Charmer in his sights. She inspired many emotions: infatuation, longing, lust. Urb was a thinking man, but after six months of living and working in close proximity, even he could not fully resist her allure. Watching others make the attempt for her affection, even knowing they were doomed to fail was not good for his heart.

Though entirely capable of rebuffing such attempts, it seemed Vic had not yet detected her latest admirer. As the young man drew closer, Urb realized too late that something was off. This fellow had none of the telltale signs of one about to ask for a date.

At the same time, another speaker fired a bombshell question directly at Roy.

“How is this not counterfeiting?”

Available on Amazon

About the Author

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Wes is an engineer by trade, a busybody by habit, and a lifelong Jersey boy.

Writing has been a hobby in one form or another since 2006 when he started drawing 3-panel comics. When he is not putting words down, he is picking them up; the “to-read” pile only seems to grow larger.

A fan of nature, he spends as much time outside as possible.

Wes Verde

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#BookBlitz “Duty Bound (Shades of Gray Serial Trilogy, Volume 1)” by Jessica James

~ Felicia Denise ~ Leave a comment

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Shades of Gray Serial Trilogy, Volume 1

Historical Fiction

Date Published: 06-08-2021

 

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Award-winning Enemies-to-Lovers Civil War novel.

 Can two adversaries reach beyond the battle lines to unite in the midst war?

Honor and conviction clash with loyalty and love in this sweeping Civil War tale that pits brother against brother. Duty Bound is Volume I in the Shades of Gray Civil War Serial Trilogy.

Colonel Alexander Hunter would rather die than see the Union set foot on his beloved Virginia soil. And while he holds the line against Northern aggression with legendary skill, a treacherous boy on horseback always thwarts his offensives.

His allegiance is tested when the traitor he unmasks is the woman he once swore to his brother he would protect.

Andrea Monroe would do anything to make her country whole again. A Southern-born Union spy, she’s dedicated to undermining the arrogant Confederate officer. When she’s taken captive and badly injured, Andrea is shocked to wake up in the legendary home of her nemesis, rather than prison.

As prisoner and captor spend time together, their mutual loyalty grows into unexpected devotion. But as fresh conflicts arise, they again, cross swords.

There’s a fine line between friends and enemies. Can these two headstrong foes overcome their differences?

 “It is a book I think could have the impact of a ‘Gone With the
Wind.” – J. Noyalas, Assistant Professor of History

 

“The best Civil War fiction book since Cold Mountain.” –
J. Bibb, SCV, Trimble Camp 1836

 

“Andrea and Alex will surely take the place in my heart of Rhett and
Scarlett as the perfect Civil War fictional love story!” – A.
Deyarmin

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About the Author

Jessica James is an award-winning author of historical fiction, suspense/thrillers and heartwarming Southern small town fiction, who has a special place in her heart for old trees, old houses and old books.

She writes inspirational novels with emotional plots, fascinating characters, unforeseen twists, and touches of heart-warming romance.

James’ novels have been used in schools and are available in hundreds of libraries including Harvard and the U.S. Naval Academy.

She shares her passions for travel and history on her blog Past Lane Travels, where you can read about off-the-beaten-path historical sites she visits.

To sign up for her newsletter and receive a free book, go to http://www.subscribepage.com/jessicajamesnews

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Travel Blog

Goodreads

Pinterest

Instagram

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Purchase Link

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#BookTour “A Dream of Democracy” by Helmut Siewert & Cheryl Bartlam du Bois

~ Felicia Denise ~ 1 Comment

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Welcome to the book tour for A Dream of Democracy by Helmut Siewert and Cheryl Bartlam du Bois!

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A Dream of Democracy

Publication Date: April 25th, 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction/ WW2

A DREAM OF DEMOCRACY is a ten-year-old boy’s escape from the Russian invasion of East Prussia at the end of WWII in January 1945. With his mother and sister aboard his aunt’s horse-drawn wagon, they fled with thousands of refugees from the barbaric Red Army. Since Hitler and the German Army failed to evacuate or protect German civilians on the Eastern-Front, they ran for their lives on the wagon train west with Russians soldiers on their heels who were determined to seek revenge from Hitler’s previous invasion of Russia–pillaging as they went, raping women of all ages and killing the men and boys.

Available on Amazon

About the Authors

Helmut Siewert was born in East Prussia in 1934 and survived the Russian invasion at the end of WWII at the age of 10. He emigrated to America where he became a successful businessman. He now lives in Florida with his third wife after his second wife died.

Cheryl du Bois is a writer and screenwriting instructor who has written many books and screenplays during her career. She has a BFA from VCU and took graduate courses at UCLA and AFI in film and writing. She lives in Florida, where she writes fulltime.

 

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Book Tour Schedule

July 11th

R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com

@2manybooks2littletime (Review) https://www.instagram.com/2manybooks2littletime/

@thrillersandcoffee (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/thrillersandcoffee/

July 12th

@hodophile_z (Review) https://www.instagram.com/hodophile_z/

Riss Reviews (Review) https://rissreviewsx.wixsite.com/website

Nesie’s Place (Spotlight) https://nesiesplace.wordpress.com

Rambling Mads (Spotlight) http://ramblingmads.com

July 13th

@amber.bunch_author (Review) https://www.instagram.com/amber.bunch_author/

Bunny’s Reviews (Spotlight) https://bookwormbunnyreviews.blogspot.com/

Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com

July 14th

@fariha_binte_islam (Review) https://www.instagram.com/fariha_binte_islam/

Latisha’s Low-Key Life (Review) https://latishaslowkeylife.com/

@latishaslowkeylife – https://www.instagram.com/latishaslowkeylife/

July 15th

@brandidanielledavis (Review) https://www.instagram.com/brandidanielledavis/

Liliyanna Shadowlyn (Review) https://lshadowlynauthor.com/

Timeless Romance Blog (Spotlight) https://aubreywynne.com/

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#BookTour “Taking On Secrets” by Kevin Pilkington

~ Felicia Denise ~ 1 Comment

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Welcome to my stop on the Taking on Secrets tour! Read on for more details about this book!

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Taking On Secrets

Publication Date: April 2, 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction/ Coming-of-Age

Publisher: Blue Jade Press

A coming-of-age tale about our protagonist Benjamin Kissel as he grows up as a single child in a upper middle class catholic home during the 60’s and 70’s. Experience his struggles with his family, lust, lies, and love as he grows from a teenager to a successful adult in the city that never sleeps, NYC.

“A coming-of-age story by Kevin Pilkington, who is a creative writing professor at the prestigious Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY, a tony suburb of New York. The story is also set in Bronxville and Manhattan. I used to live in Bronxville, and Pilkington’s descriptions are spot on.” – Susan Schwartzman

“A spirited, humorous mosaic of teen life in a 1970’s America, an adult life in a forgotten Hollywood, a forgotten Lower East Side, too, and dead-on reflections on pop culture, family, and traditions. Taking on Secrets is a furious, transcendent, urgent sweep of a full life, with a prose filled with rhythm, energy, humor and poetry.”—Ernesto Quinonex, author of Bodega Dreams

“Are we merely the sum of our experiences, or can we become something more? That’s the questions that Kevin Pilkington’s Taking on Secrets is asking between the lines of every page. An addictive, funny, fearless coming-of-age story.”—David Hollander author of Anthropica and L.I. E.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

About the Author

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Kevin Pilkington is a member of the writing faculty at Sarah Lawrence College. He is the author of ten collections: Spare Change was the LaJolla Poets Press National Book Award winner; Getting By won the ledge chapbook award; In the Eyes of a Dog received the New York Book Festival Award; The Unemployed Man Who Became a Tree was a Milt Kessler Poetry Book Award finalist. His poetry has appeared in many anthologies including: Birthday Poems: A Celebration, Western Wind, and Contemporary Poetry of New England. Over the years, he has been nominated for four Pushcarts.

He poems have appeared in numerous magazines, including The Harvard Review, Poetry, Ploughshares, Iowa Review, Boston Review, Yankee, Hayden’s Ferry, Columbia and North American Review.

He has taught and lectured at numerous colleges and universities including The New School, Manhattanville College, MIT, University of Michigan, Susquehanna University and Georgia Tech. His debut novel, Summer Shares, was reissued in paperback. His collection, Where You Want to Be: New and Selected Poems was an IPPY Award Winner. A new collection entitled Playing Poker with Tennessee Williams was recently published. Taking on Secrets is his second novel.

Kevin Pilkington | Facebook | Instagram

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#BookTour “Daughter of the Boricua (Song of the Boricua #2)” by Olivia Castillo

~ Felicia Denise ~ 2 Comments

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Blurb

The clouds above were dark and ominous. Moctezuma lay there bleeding, tears rolling down his swollen, bloodstained face. He thought of his firstborn, Isabella, at the mercy of the murderer of his people, Hernán Cortés, and it made him tremble with anger and loss. In a last act of defiance, Moctezuma murmured his revenge:
”Oh powerful god, I ask you to avenge my people. I ask that the next daughter of Hernán Cortés and her seed be cursed.”
With that he closed his eyes and destiny was set in the stars above him.

Daughter of the Boricua continues the saga of the award winning book, Song of the Boricua, and follows the story of Puerto Rico, told through the lives of three generations of women.
Liani; a Taino torn between her loyalty to her people, and her love for a Spanish officer.
Isabella; direct descendant of Aztec princess Isabella Moctezuma, cursed as her grandmother was.
Josephine; daughter of Isabella, afraid to love, but finding herself caught between love or career.
Are they cursed? Will they succeed or will their lives converge and end with the storm of the century?

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EXCERPT

Cristobal

Vega Alta, Puerto Rico

April 2015

The past is only a shadow emerging from nowhere. (Julia de Burgos, Farewell from Welfare Island)

Cristobal felt the darkness growing within him. He didn’t know what was happening to him, but as the months went by, he felt the dark cloud grow over him and over his marriage.

He would catch Isabella staring at him when she thought he wasn’t looking. He felt terrible, sad, and melancholy, but he couldn’t stop the growing feeling of impending doom.

He worked on his import-export business from the home office. His window overlooked the beautiful sea and the lush avocado trees they were growing.

Even with the paradise before him, he could not shake the feeling that something was going to happen.

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AUTHOR BIO

Olivia Castillo is a New York native. After going to the prestigious Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, she went on to study graphic design at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. Along with being an entrepreneur, she is the mother of three children, and grandmother of two. When not writing or spending time with her family, she travels the world and paints.

Song of the Boricua is her first novel in her trilogy series called Songs of the Boricua. Daughter of the Boricua is her second book.

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#BookTour “Finding Light in a Lost Year” by Carin Fahr Shulusky

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Finding Light in a Lost Year by Carin Fahr Shulusky BannerMay 16 – June 10, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Finding Light in a Lost Year by Carin Fahr Shulusky
Roni Wright thought she had everything; huge home, successful husband, kids, and a brilliant career. That is until the worse pandemic in 100 years swept away the shallow façade of her life and she nearly lost it all.

This is the story of how a broken family navigated the most difficult year of their lives and found hope in the middle of so much loss. You will recognize many of the things that nearly broke us all as we struggled with pandemic restrictions and the new normal. But you will cheer as they work their way out of darkness into a better world.

 

Book Details

Genre: Family & Relationship, Biographical Fiction

Published by: Fossil Creek Press

Publication Date: May 2022

Number of Pages: 170

ISBN: 978-1-7362417-2-1

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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Read an excerpt:

April 2020 – When It Rains, It Pours

On April 1, I picked up my calendar, as I did at the beginning of every month—usually to see what we had coming up and to schedule more—and started crossing off everything. I had already crossed off the March trip to Paris. Now I crossed off this month’s planned trip to the banking conference in San Francisco. I slashed through the conference in New York. And with a little more pain, I crossed off the two Broadway shows to which I had tickets. An old college girlfriend was going to go with me to one and Dan the other. Broadway closed. New York closed. All crossed off, as was the St. Louis Symphony concert to which we had tickets. Canceled. Hockey, canceled. Three birthday parties, canceled. My appointment at the nail salon, canceled. Hairdresser, canceled. Canceled, canceled, canceled. April was looking so gloomy.

The only exercise I was getting was walking through one of our beautiful parks with the kids. Sometimes, we took bikes and rode a trail. But with April came gloom and rain and even that little bit of escape became impossible. Then the St. Louis County Executive closed all county parks. We were now required to wear a mask if we were out in public, especially indoors, and to stay six feet apart wherever we were. The gloom was growing daily. My life had no order. We were in free fall.

On April 9, we got a big shot in the arm, as it were, when $2,400 appeared in our checking account—a gift from the U.S. government. Officially the money was part of the Economic Impact Payment, but the payments were more often called stimulus checks. We just called it salvation. Like many families, we weren’t sure how we would make ends meet. This money was a gift from heaven—or the government, depending on your point of view.

By the second week of April, our school district was making an effort at learning. They asked parents to pick up “home learning packets” from the school. When I drove up to the school, someone handed me the packet for our kids’ grade levels. But when I got home, there was little explanation about the work. It was terribly disorganized and made little sense to me. Katlin wanted to learn more, and Oliver wanted to learn less. I just wanted more alcohol. Lots more. I decided hard times called for hard alcohol. Wine was OK now with lunch, but by dinner time, I needed a cocktail.

I set up a place in the basement family room for the kids to study. I tried hard to make Oliver work on letters and sight words. He would work with me for maybe thirty minutes, then he’d start disrupting everything I did. He’d rip papers and run away. Meanwhile, Katlin was trying to figure out her lessons with great frustration. She didn’t know what was wanted of her, and I couldn’t figure it out either. Oliver did everything in his considerable ability to disrupt our efforts. Most sessions ended with all three of us crying.

Not only was I failing at trying to teach my kids, I was failing at keeping them out of Nathan’s living room office. Every time Oliver ran away from me, he ran right into one of Nathan’s meetings. No order. No peace. No joy.

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Excerpt from Finding Light in a Lost Year by Carin Fahr Shulusky. Copyright 2022 by Carin Fahr Shulusky. Reproduced with permission from Carin Fahr Shulusky. All rights reserved.

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Author Bio:

Carin Fahr Shulusky

Carin Fahr Shulusky was born and raised in west St. Louis County. She attended the University of Missouri, Columbia, where she received a B.J (Bachelor of Journalism). After college she worked in advertising for GE and Monsanto. She was the first professional woman in her division of each. After 25 years in Marketing, she created her own firm, Marketing Alliance. She was president of Marketing Alliance, from 2002 – 2014. She is a past-president of the Business Marketing Association of St. Louis. Carin Fahr is married to Richard Shulusky. They have two grown children and one marvelous granddaughter. Grandma Carin has a life long love of cooking, even writing her own cookbook. In 2014 Carin retired to devote full time to writing. Her first book, In the Middle was inspired by her own battle to care for her beloved mother, Dorothy Fahr. Many of the stories Carrie Young’s mother tells her in In the Middle came from Carin’s mother. Carin is a lifelong member of Pathfinder Church in Ellisville, Missouri, where she volunteers in early childhood.

Find Carin Online:

carinshulusky.com
Goodreads
Instagram – @cshulusky
Twitter – @shulusky
Facebook

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