Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Write Now Lit tour with James Ruvalcaba and remarkable love



Write Now Literary is pleased to be organizing a two-month book tour and $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway for 
The Light Through the Pouring Rain by James Ruvalcaba 

The book tour will run August 2- Sept 30, 2021.  

 Genre: Nonfiction 
 ISBN-13: 979-8575160397 

Before he started writing romance stories, James worked with the special need’s population for 10 Years. He devoted his life giving back to the population. From school's to agencies and everything in between James has worked almost every job within the community. After that, during the pandemic James decided to start writing to pass the time, but to come through on his promise he made years earlier. He devoted his life to giving back, now he devotes his life to telling his stories.  


      

A remarkable love story that pulls on your heartstrings and leaves you inspired. A page turner that gives a first-hand look into the lives of a young couple madly in love and eager to start their lives together, only to have it all halted by a cancer diagnosis. With no clear road map on how to navigate their new normal, James and Anabel proceed into uncharted territory, hand-in-hand, with the love of their families and their faith in God to guide them.  

1. Why do you write the kind of books you do? 

I write romance, love & loss, and inspirational books.

2. Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life? 

My happiest day was the day my book got published because it meant I came through on the promise I made to my Fiancé.

3. How has being published changed your life? 

It gave me the confidence to know that I was meant to write.

 
4. What are you reading right now? 

I am currently reading Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins

 
5. What is your current work in progress? 

I am writing my next installment in my book series.
 
6. What would be your dream vacation? 

I don’t have a particular area, but somewhere by the water so I can hear the waves at night and enjoy the over atmosphere of peace being around. 
 
7. How do you choose your settings for each book? 

I only write non-fiction books, so I pick locations within the stories, but as far as the timelines go , I think of the moments that should be relieved.

8. If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why

I’d say Tyler Perry. I’d love to pick his brain about why he continued to push forward to overcome the obstacles that were placed in his life. 

 

9. What three things about you would surprise readers?

I'm not very much into materialistic items

I have a phobia of holes

I enjoy listening to all types of music.. For example, I listened to Katy Perry's “ Teenage Dream” for most of my high school tenure. 
 
10. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading? 
I enjoy going to the Gym before and after writing and I enjoy being by the beach. 
 

   


 

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

What's in Your Salad?

 


Salad

Growing up in a household made up of a long line of educators and farmers was mostly fun. Words, for instance, were always on the menu. My great-uncle Fred, a farm-raised high school history teacher, has a peculiar conscience about definitions and expectations. To him, salad means green lettuce, with maybe some carrots and tomatoes and cucumbers; vegetables you could walk over and pluck from the garden. To church ladies, salad has more variety. Our favorite is gelatin salad, especially if whipped cream is one of the ingredients. Fred gets this look on face whenever someone brings one of these dishes to the table. It’s an abomination if marshmallows are involved. Naturally, Thanksgiving always includes giggles, lime gelatin, pineapple chunks, cherries, and lots of whipped cream. He has never taken it in good stride, even when we try to remind him that one dictionary definition of salad is “hodgepodge.”


What’s in your salad? My salad has expanded with the size of our garden after relocating to a farm with retirement. We like to experiment with varieties of vegetables, and trade recipes with our Amish neighbors. There are endless varieties of tomatoes! My favorite is an heirloom called Anna Russian. Zucchini, once banned in our former garden, now competes with cukes and minced purple onions, cilantro, and the most beautiful fresh dark leaves of aromatic basil you ever inhaled. Dill…who’d have thought it would go on anything but pickles and tuna…um, salad? Fresh peas, even strawberry slices. With ingredients like that, we hardly need dressing. It’s really about expanding your horizons, trying new things, spreading your wings, and having fun. Taking things in stride, lightening up…throwing whatever comes into the mix and discovering stuff like…salsify. Or maybe not. And keeping a bag of marshmallows in your baking cupboard for those great-uncle emergencies.

Sunday, July 18, 2021

The 10 Win Commandments by Derrick Gray




Write Now Literary is pleased to be organizing a two-month book tour and “free e-book giveaway” for The 10 Win Commandments with by Derrick Gray. The book tour will run July 1-August 31, 2021. 

Genre: Christian Nonfiction 

ISBN-10: 1737398907 
ISBN-13: 978-1737398905




    



Derrick Gray is a Christian Minister, business owner, filmmaker and author of The 10 Win Commandments. A Long Island native and purveyor of all things hip-hop, he knows God’s not through with him yet. Derrick lives in York, Pa with his wife and family.


 

    


Author Derrick Gray has written this debut masterwork that touches the soul with reliable guidance and masterful prose. The author guides us through worldly experiences as a quintessential mentor if life. Students, administrators, CEO's and ministry leaders will find his advice nothing less than masterful. This book profoundly dives into guidance that enables you to go through life at the level in which God intended. The execution of these words of wisdom lays out how victory is achievable for anyone. It's all about self-appraisal, self-reflection, God's direction and personal growth. Everyone has a designed path and achievement is within anyone's grasp. All it takes is the correct compass, and no book maps it out better than Derrick Gray's 10 Win Commandments. 



Thursday, July 15, 2021

New Spec Fiction from Robin Fuson

 


Interruption
Robin Fuson
Inspirational Speculative fiction
July 2021
207 pp.
 
Ebook $2.99
Print $8.95
Buy on Amazon

About the Book

A Christian Speculative Fiction Novella set in the 1930s through 1950s.

Child prodigy Jacquelyn (Jackie) Carter’s life is interrupted when she dies. From the beginning of her life, her Guardian angel, Faphick, senses Jackie is remarkable. God regards all His children as special and important to Him.

Faphick and a host of other Beings play out their roles in the spiritual dimension that surrounds her. Although unseen by Jackie, they are critical to her life.

A visit to Heaven feels like pure bliss, and although she would like to stay, Heaven isn’t ready to keep her. She’d always thought her vocation as a dancer-entertainer defined her life. Sent back to Earth to fulfill her purpose, with no instruction book, wrenches her soul.

As pressure mounts, will she overcome enormous obstacles and find her God-given purpose? Will she accept Aunt Sherry’s help as prospects around her dwindle? Faphick wants to keep evil away and shield her from any distress. How much can he intervene?

 

My review

Fuson adds to her extensive repertoire of inspirational fiction with a tale from the other side. If you’ve wondered about the role of Guardian angels and heavenly Beings, Interruption offers a creative answer.

Jackie is a special child endowed with beautiful gifts. She’s looked after, as are all humans, by heavenly beings who don’t interfere, she’s able to make life choices both positive and inappropriate. We are all give a purpose on Earth. Some of us find it sooner than later; some of us are able to whether storms better than others. When Jackie spirals out of control, everyone from the unseen, fearsome and loving Faphick to her earthly family gathers to help. Whether she accepts it is up to her.

Told in alternating viewpoints and timelines from Faphick to Jackie, Interruption is sure to delight and provide thought-provoking questions about life and faith to readers of inspiring fiction.

 

About the Author

Robin lives in Sugarmill Woods, Florida with her husband Jimmy and their Belgian Malinois, Kenzi. She and her husband celebrate with an overflowing cup of blessings with seventeen grandchildren. An award winner for romance and flash fiction, Robin is multi-published in both fiction and non-fiction and has written well over a hundred stories on her blog for children. Two of her novellas are finalists in the 2020 Selah awards. Her historical and contemporary romances, and Christian women’s fiction, are wrapped around a twist of intrigue. The Rosita Valdez series for children lends itself to a character-building lesson through an adventure. Robin is a member of Word Weavers International, ACFW, and John316 Marketing Network. Robin loves company and challenging her young guests to discover the many giraffes in the obvious and hidden nooks and crannies of their home.


Saturday, June 26, 2021

New Cozy Mystery from Susan Van Dusen


The Missing Hand
Susa VanDusen
Cozy Mystery
 
Aakenbaaken & Kent , released June 7, 2021
Paperback, ‎266 pages, $16.99
ISBN:‎ 978-1938436574
 
Buy on Amazon 
Barnes and Noble 
 
About the Book
A valuable heirloom has been stolen from a member of Julia Donnelly’s Torah study group. Grievous sins of the past have pushed their way into the present. Murder, distrust, and ill-gotten gains from World War II Bohemia threaten the peaceful Jewish community of Crestfall, Illinois. Julia, wife of this small town’s mayor and mother of two young adopted sons, is pressed into service to find the bejeweled heirloom which is called a yad, a Hebrew word which means “hand” in English. It is a rod-shaped item with a bulb on the top and a hand with a pointing finger at the bottom that helps keep one’s place when reading the Torah. This particular yad is covered with a fortune’s worth of jewels. With no experience except watching TV detective shows, Julia and Torah group leader Rabbi Fine attempt to solve the mystery and address the misery it causes. After finding the yad, another mystery, much deeper, explores good and evil in the character of the man who brought the yad to America and escaped punishment for his crimes after the war by posing as a Jewish immigrant. Heady stuff for a cozy, but humor takes the sting out. The Donnelly family goes at 90 miles an hour, hollering, hugging, and loving. It all works out in the end. Remember, we all have our own michegas. As we say in Yiddish, Plotsn zolstu—May you explode from pleasure after reading this book.
 
My Review
Whether you don’t know much about contemporary Judaism, are an ardent follower, or somewhere in between, readers will learn that people take desperate risks when they must, theft is never simple, and family is family, no matter where they are on the family tree. Julia wants to explore her roots more deeply, and joins a study group at her synagogue, led by the younger and single Rabbi Fine. The women of the group come from all backgrounds, are of all ages and opinions and walks of life. Rabbi Fine has his work cut out for him, dealing with the best and nosiest Torah group. Sometimes they even study when they’re not sharing recipes and secrets. When a group member’s heirloom yod, or helpful hand for holding open scriptures while reading, goes missing, you know it’s never about the pilfered item that’s the real mystery. Join Julia and friends as they dig deep into the past to learn more about the hearts of mankind, and something about themselves as well.
 
Susan Van Dusen’s delightful adventure, the first of a series, connecting past and present underscores the value of family ties and of sisterhood that goes beyond blood. Unraveling a mystery is only a layer of this faith journey for these courageous and entertaining Torah group members.
 

About the Author

Susan Van Dusen is an award-winning writer of editorials and magazine articles. She has written three books for children on the history of Skokie, and The Synagogue: a Home for the Jewish People. The Missing Hand is the debut book in a series of cozies based on a Torah group solving mysteries using Jewish tradition. She is a member of OCWW, Chicago Writers Association and Sisters in Crime. To learn more, please visit www.susanvandusen.com


Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Essays and inspiration for difficult times



Resilience in Hard Times
Paulette Harper, editor
Nonfiction Anthology of personal essays and inspirational advice
 Thy Word Publishing
June 15, 2021
Buy on Amazon
$1.99 ebook; $20.45 print, 222 pp.
 
About the Book:
Resilience in Hard Times are stories from twenty women who learned how to survive and pivot in the most troubling times. 
People who read these incredible stories of….
 
How they overcame self-doubt and turned it into self-confidence.
How they faced odds and climbed those mountains to success.
How they choose to use their voices and experiences to lead them to victory.
How they decided not to allow the scars, pain, and uncertainties to defeat them.  
 
These are stories about transformation, courage, and resolve from women who were determined to make a difference in their own lives and show others how it can be done. 
 
These women are using their voices and influence to break chains and strongholds that once captured them.

My Review:

Twenty extraordinary authors share encouraging words, prayers, and advice from the depth of their pain in this new collection from Thy Word Publishing. Women candidly discuss topics from staying in love over the long haul, parenthood, the sandwich generation, prejudice, betrayal, illness, and every kind of dilemma that would break the heart of a lesser human—all with a healthy appreciation for their strength of faith and the precious concept of forgiveness for others and ourselves. “A resilient person has the ability to bounce back and recover from horrendous events, hard times, and adverse conditions. That’s how God created you. Yes, God created you with the bounce back, but there are some things you need to do as well,” Paulette Harper says in the opening selection.

Coming from all walks of life: medical specialists, career authors and publicists, homemakers, businesswomen, ministerial and educational professionals, the authors tell how they are facing down challenges from divorce to abortion, racism and sexism, physical setbacks, death of loved ones, job loss and financial difficulties, to self-doubt and suicidal thoughts. Their testimonies will promote and engender healing for everyone dealing with similar events. Each of the twenty stories relate a personal hard time and how they struggled and worked diligently to get a handle on their often heart-rending circumstance. “My hope is that by sharing this experience with you, it will guide you to recognize in yourself your deep desire for a life without worry, struggle, and pain,” Jana Marie Toutolmin writes.

Some of my favorite passages include:“I had finally realized I was never supposed to fit it! I was meant to be the STAR! My light is not to be dimmed. I am not to fit in. I am to let my light shine before others,” from The Journey to Becoming a STAR! by Alena Zachery-Ross, and “Praising the Lord through one of the hardest times in my life is what kept me emotionally, mentally and spiritually sounded,” from Pushing Past the Pain to Praise by Pastor LoNika A. Harris. Other passages of advice are equally inspired, like “Keep your prayers and positive affirmations all around you, and most of all keep encouraging people with wisdom by your side,” Tonja Harris Dews writes in I Don’t Look Like My Storm; “I knew I had to stop giving people the power to control my happiness” in Overcoming the Mean Girl Spirit by Yvonne R. Wilson, and the most reassuring of all in the final piece, Shattered Heart, by Marilyn Williams-Jerrels: “I had no clue about how God was going to help me survive, but I had faith that I would be carried. 

For those who are going through a mild rough patch or a calamity, these wonderful essays are sure to shine through your despair. Especially recommended as a gift.

 


Friday, May 21, 2021

Totally fun brain teasing poetry with Kelleyina Johnson

 


I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU: Treasure hunt your mind and house for answers to these brain teasing poems
Kelleyina Johnson
 
April 2021
58 pg, print $13.99
Buy on Amazon

About the book
The selected poems are brain-teasing, mentally stimulating, and fun! What makes them unique is that each poem asks a series of questions. After hearing them, the listener has to figure out what those questions are revealing about the answer. I provide the answers, but I don't just give them to the reader, they have to unscramble them.
 
A brief interview with the author:
 
Kelleyina, share a little about your writing journey. What prompted you to write a book, and how did you go about learning how to do it?
What prompted me to write this book was a little journal I purchased. I saw it and it was just the cutest most delicious looking cover. I looked at it and said, "I know just what I'm going to do with you, I'm going to put poems in you, then put them in a book and get it published." In my mind all of that was happening. After I had gotten enough poems, so I thought, I sent my manuscript out to get my copyright  registration. After that I was not sure what to do, so I prayed. That's when God sent a young lady named Robyn Norwood to me. She was starting an authorship class and  she was the answer to my prayers. Her class taught me what I needed to do to complete the process of getting my book published.
 
How did you come up with your lovely, intriguing, and fun poems?
The way I came up with most of my poems were spirit led. I would arise, after sleeping, with a thought in my head to write something down. Of course I was obedient. Even throughout my day when I got an idea I always stopped to jot down what I was thinking. 
 
What are your favorites? Which gave you the most trouble and why?
OK, so, I have to be biased here and say, "they are all my favorites." Even when I had about twelve poems and thought I was done, and Robyn challenged me to add a few more, I was always consulting my Heavenly Father for the words.
 
What do you like to read in your spare time? What are you reading now?
In my spare time I like to read books on leadership, positive thinking, creating a better future for myself, relationships and prayer verses. Right now I am reading Think Big by Terri Savelle Foy, In The Meantime by Iyanla Vanzant and Kicking Over Sacred Cows by Charles Capps. It depends on whichever room I'm in that determines my read for that moment.
 
What’s next for you?
My next project is a children's book as well. Except This one will consist of illustrations for the poems. It will be about the yellow school bus.

Sneak peek from Lisa: it's really cute. Can't wait to see it. Thank you for your time today, Kelleyina.
 
About the Author:
Kelleyina Johnson is a wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, friend, woman of God and teacher to preschoolers in-home daycare. Many years ago she survived a car accident, totally uninjured, after the car she was in flipped over three times before coming to a stop. This was a blessing because God has used her as a vessel to do so many things outside of her box. She’s a member of the Franklin Road Community Association in Marietta, Georgia and the secretary of “Advance To Excellence,” Toastmasters Club, District 44. She also teaches in the Junior class at her church, World Changers Church International, Marietta Satellite location, which consists of middle schoolers from eleven to thirteen years of age.