#Giveaway The Wars Among The Paines by John M. Millar

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. John M. Millar will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Spanning over 200 years of American military history, “The Wars Among the Paines” (Koehler Books, September 30, 2020), tells the complex story of a family defined by war, accounting in vivid detail its toll in blood, treasure, and emotional turmoil. Nearly 50 years in the making, “The Wars Among the Paines” is the debut novel by Vietnam veteran John M. Millar, who tells a story that illustrates how the consequences of America's foreign wars escape the boundaries of the front lines, and ripple through generations of families, friends, politics, and the lives of we the people.

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OUR TOUR THROUGH EUROPE 

Versailles was our first stop on the tour that Michelle had laid out. Because of my possible military service in the future, we avoided any of the communist countries. We chose to start in Italy after our trip to Versailles. The European railroad system was amazing for how quickly we got to our destinations. We took the overnight train to Naples, Italy, and then worked our way west through Italy. Our next stop was Rome for three days, Siena for two days, Florence for three days, Venice for a wonderful week, and finally for three days at Lake Como. We then traveled up to Switzerland, staying only a day each in Zurich, Lucerne, Bern, and Geneva.

Even after twenty-two years, Michelle would not go to Austria and Germany. To the French, those nations were still anathema for their actions in World War II. She preferred what she called the “romance countries” of Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal. Our next stop was Cannes then on to Aix-en-Provence, north of Marseilles. The next part of Tour Michelle was to Spain with several days in Barcelona and Madrid. We then spent three days in Lisbon, Portugal, before moving on to Andorra in the Pyrenees Mountains. Our last days of the tour were in the wine region of Bordeaux and then back to Paris.

When I looked back on those over forty days of touring, I realized this was a farewell tour for us. We traveled first class on the trains, stayed at the best hotels, ate at the best restaurants, and made love passionately at every stop. I did not realize it at the time, but Michelle knew she was never leaving France again. That meant the likelihood of us marrying and settling in France were remote. Whatever path I took when I arrived back in the States, neither one was likely to lead me back to France and her.

This whirlwind summer tour was meant to keep us from thinking about this reality. It accomplished that for me. I would always remember it as a joyous summer with a touch of sadness. When we arrived in Paris, we stayed at a hotel near Orly Airport, from which I would be leaving in two days. There was much holding, kissing, lovemaking, and crying for those two days. I told her I had not made up my mind about whether to go to law school or Vietnam. I would call her first about my decision. Michelle did not come to see me off because she thought she would break down. I thought that was best because I knew I would break down.

About the Author:

John M. Millar has no traditional experience in writing a novel. “The Wars Among the Paines” is a result of a fifty-year process since returning from Vietnam in 1969. Millar grew up in Central Pennsylvania; and graduated from Cornell University in 1966. He served in the U.S. Army from 1966-1969; graduated from Officer Candidate School in July 1967; served as a First Lieutenant with the First Infantry Division in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969; and received two Bronze Stars, an Air Medal and a Commendation Medal from the U.S. Army. From the Vietnam government, Millar received the Vietnamese Honor Medal and the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross for joint operations. He graduated from the Darden Graduate Business School, University of Virginia with a MBA in 1972. For the past forty-five years, he has served in senior executive positions in the department store, regional mall REITs and mixed-use town center development industries.

Website: http://thewarsamongthepaines.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warsamongthepaines/

https://www.koehlerbooks.com/writer/john-m-millar/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20171543.John_M_Millar

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Wars-Among-Paines-John-Millar-ebook/dp/B086L4L5D7/

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wars-among-the-paines-john-m-millar/1136756769

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Dwarf Story by Professor W. W. Marplot

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Professor W. W. Marplot will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

For Arty to miss a day of school, either he is very, very sick or a fairytale-character turf-war has begun in his backyard — such as what begins this particular Wednesday. First, he finds an ax-swinging, bearded, sweaty warrior Dwarf scaring his dogs. Soon enough, Emma, Cry and other middle-school friends also find fairy creatures — Elves, Spriggans, Pixies, and a hoped-for Dragon — crashing into their normal homework-doing, backpack-carrying, phone-charging schooldays.

Why are these magical beings here? What should be done? Is that axe sharp? Can Pixies be given aspirin?

Arty with his friends — and spying jerks, and questionable strangers with long names — follow the clues and try to find out, even as things turn dark and dangerous.

The mythical beings are taking sides. The Gwyllion, that legendary Old Woman of the Mountains, has a sinister plan, turning the neighborhood into a fantasy battleground. One that awaits young heroes.

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Some can picture the battle in their mind’s eye, or in others’ eyes, or by using magic to help them see. For the rest, I can tell them what I know.

The Old Woman of the Mountains, a Gwyllion of great and strange powers, made herself stronger by taking one of each kind of fairy: to start a new kingdom in heaven, to steal the ancient place of rest, and to make new creatures and rule over all them and their world. And then, perhaps, ours.

More folktale legends joined the war, and on both sides. Some came to rescue their friends from the foul Gwyllion and her armies of Wights, Trolls, and dark spirits.

All who fight have their own special energies and enchanted abilities; some humans believe in them, most do not. But that does not always matter.

Now the battle rages, using nature, and the earth, and the sky.

In and out of the fight, many struggle to find their way back to Eastward Manor, knowing it as the path home. Some captives that can escape the Old Woman seek and find children and hide. This is a strange occurrence, the strangest of the whole story, for me. The fairies’ connection to these young people, all friends, can only be guessed, and is personal, so should not be guessed.

All the rest, of the living fairy creatures, struggle in the War. The dead only the earth can help.

To conquer the Gwyllion, I will use the spells, and counter-spells, and the ancient symbols that secretly kept the story alive for hundreds of years, waiting for this part of the tale. They complete a mystical alchemy of words and magic. I am here, I was born to be here, to help the armies of folkies, as Arty and Emma and the adopted human children call them: the Spriggans and the Dwarves and the Elves, with any birds and trees who have taken sides.

It was those human children that the Gwyllion did not count on. When Arty sent the counters-spell out to his friends of friends, as he says, the words were read, and spoken out loud, and contemplated. And passed to others, to friends, and to friends of friends, along and along. That is turning the tide—help unlooked for!

And Ted doesn’t know it yet, but our side has a dragon. My dragon.

About the Author: Professor Welkin Westicotter Marplot, of Coillemuir, Scotland, is a collector of esoteric tales of global wisdom and curator of ancient manuscripts. He is a recluse and, as he claims, has been collecting and collating adventure and fantasy stories for over a century.

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#Giveaway 7 Steps to Clarity by Nicole Stwphen, Ph. D.

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Please click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The sheer amount of decisions in life can become an overwhelming burden. Sometimes we just want to know the answers to our questions. We want to know we are making the right choices. It can be hard to see the right path with the noise of the world. There are voices and media all around us, influencing everything we do. In all that noise, where is the true voice, the one that knows? You can call it God or Source or the Universe or your Higher Self, but it is contained within you. Accessing it and giving it room and silence to speak to you is the real key to achieving your best life.

In seven steps, Nicole Stephen shows the way to a happier, more peaceful daily life. To reclaim yourself, you need to shut out the "shoulds," but in order to do that, you need to notice them. Exploring the questions and challenges that Nicole includes in this book will open your eyes to the pressures that you may have been submitting to unknowingly. In clearing up the way you see the world, you can clear a path to knowing yourself, and with that true voice guiding you, you will always find the way.

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Do you ever wonder what your life is all about? Why you are here? You are not alone. As a coach and teacher for many years, there is a common thread that runs through students, young professionals, and even CEOs at the height of their careers: “So what? Now what?” And there is confusion, lots of confusion. “Do I stay in my current job? How can I get a better job? Do I start a family? Do I stay with my current spouse? Why haven’t I found love yet? Why didn’t I stay in the band? I would have had such a diff erent life. Maybe I should be doing something more important, something worthy to impact the world in a positive and meaningful way?” What if I told you that there is a guru—a genie perhaps—that can answer all your questions? This person can make themselves available to you day or night, can answer any question, and can give you clear insights on any situation or decision, no matter how small or diffi  cult. And this guru is free of charge and full of love and support for you. Too good to be true? Well, it is true and the person who has all the answers to unlock your potential with ease and fun is, yes, you may have guessed it, YOU!

About the Author:

Nicole Stephen is the founder and principal consultant for Miramar Group. During her 20-year career as an executive coach and organizational development consultant she has worked to help individuals, teams, and organizations accelerate growth and realize their potential. She holds a Masters’ and PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Virginia Polytechnic and State University. Nicole lives on the coast in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband, two children, and dog Henry.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20026975.Nicole_Stephen

https://www.miramarconsultinggroup.com/

Links to buy:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Steps-Clarity-Personal-Guidance-System/dp/1734181443/ref=sr_1_1

Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Steps-Clarity-Personal-Guidance-System-ebook/dp/B085HB5SNP/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0

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#Giveaway Island Fire by Bobbi Smith

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Bobbi Smith will award a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

An untouched young girl finds a gorgeous man shipwrecked and washed up onshore on a tropical island in the Pacific and they find pure ecstasy and the promise of eternal love.

Espri Duchant saves the shipwrecked shipping magnate, and when his gaze meets hers, he celebrates his good luck. Adrift at sea, he survived when all the others perished. Innocent Espri Duchant has always sworn to guard her virtue. But when she discovers the handsome stranger lying on her beach, she soon vows she will kiss his chiseled lips, feel his tender touch. Espri is eager to learn the mysteries of sensual ecstasy—and when she finally succumbs to the passion of his powerful embrace, it is as if she has led him to it. Espri takes him to a sun-drenched island cove, the perfect hideaway with the lapping water like a cool sheet against the heat of their searing island love.

HIS FIERY NEED

After being kidnapped, shanghaied, shipwrecked, and nearly drowned, Mitchell Williams sees no reason to wait for paradise—he’s already there! He will one day have to return to the helm of his profitable shipping company, but the next sailing ship will not pass by the remote Pacific island for many months. In the meantime, nothing can stop him from exulting in the sensual pleasure of this woman, her flawless flesh and natural beauty. She teases him that he will never turn to another and that no woman will ever satisfy him the way she does. Soon all he craves is her. He is enchanted by Espri’s island fire.

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San Francisco

Mitch felt little remorse for ending his relationship with Lucinda as he left her home. He had told her when they’d first started seeing each other that he wanted no commitment. Long ago he’d decided he would not marry, and that wasn’t going to change. He made his way to where his driver was waiting for him.

“Let’s go home, Nelson,” he ordered as he opened the carriage door.

The driver nodded in agreement as Mitch climbed inside.

Bill had been hiding in the coach, and he was more than ready to attack when his intended victim entered the conveyance. Springing forward, he took Mitch completely by surprise as he swung his blackjack with unerring accuracy. As Mitch collapsed heavily across the seat, unconscious, Joe, anxious to help, jumped down from this position atop the vehicle and looked inside.

“How’d you do?”

“No problem. He’s out.” 

“You didn’t hit him too hard, did you?”

“He’s still breathing.”

“Good. I didn’t want you to hit him like you did the driver. He ain’t worth nothing to Jack dead.”

“Don’t worry so much. This worked out better. Since he and the driver are about the same size, all we gotta do is switch their clothes. You got a rope?”

“Yeah, let’s tie Williams up just in case he comes to. We don’t want him giving us any trouble.”

“He ain’t going to give us any trouble. Why don’t you get us out of here. We can take care of the rest of this down on the waterfront.”

Joe climbed onto the driver’s seat and drove the carriage away at a deceptively casual pace.

About the Author:After working as a department manager for Famous-Barr, and briefly as a clerk at a bookstore, Bobbi gave up on career security and began writing. She sold her first book to Zebra in 1982.

Since then, Bobbi has written over 40 books and 6 novellas. To date, there are more than five million copies of her novels in print. She has been awarded the prestigious Romantic Times Storyteller Award and two Career Achievement Awards. Her books have appeared on the New York Times Best Seller List, the USA Today Best Seller List and the Wal-Mart Best Seller List.

The rights to Ms. Smith’s books have been sold to China, France, Germany, India, Israel, Russia and Sweden. Bobbi has also written two faith-based contemporary novels – Haven and Miracles – using the pseudonym Julie Marshall.

https://www.fantasticfiction.com/s/bobbi-smith/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13375.Bobbi_Smith

https://bobbismithauthor.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Bobbi-Smith/e/B001JSBQMS%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

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#Giveaway Ribbon of Light by Claire Yezbak Fadden

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Claire Yezbak Fadden will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Julie Rafferty’s life-long dream is within her grasp. But just as the toy company she founded verges on becoming a multi-million-dollar enterprise, her husband abandons their marriage.

Trevor had no choice but to walk away from Julie. How else could he show his wife that the business was her priority, not him and their three children? His drastic stunt backfires though, jeopardizing the family business and seemingly pushes Julie into the arms of a younger man.

Just when Julie and Trevor find their way back to each other, a ruthless competitor escalates a bogus lawsuit. Together they plot to reclaim control of the toy company, only to uncover a shattering betrayal that puts them in unimaginable danger.

Can they overcome their dreadful mistake and reclaim the passion, trust and commitment that once drew them together? Or will the greed of an evil man irreparably destroy everything they hold dear?

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Julie gazed around the gymnasium, hoping for a sign of Trevor. During the timeouts, she spied Jason’s blue eyes scanning the stands, searching for his father, too. His broad shoulders and solid frame reminded her of a young Trevor. Her firstborn, a full head taller than most of his teammates, knocked hard on the door to manhood, seemingly overnight.

Trevor was staying away on purpose, she realized, her eyes misting over. His way of getting even because she was leaving on a business trip.

“Hey.” A familiar hand touched Julie’s shoulder, causing an electrifying charge to pulse through her body.

“I was wondering if you were going to show up,” she said with more bitterness than she meant.

She was relieved to see Trevor. She wanted to be near him, touch his face, hold hands like they used to. Instead, she made a snarky comment, driving another wedge between them. Seemed like inflicting hurt and pain became the goal of every conversation they shared recently. Somehow their loving, supportive relationship had turned spiteful and vindictive.

Julie couldn’t put her finger on when things changed, but she knew why. Trevor never understood her need to stand on her own two feet and take pride in something she created. He would never understand how her company gave her a sense of security he never could.

She moved her jacket to make room for him. Instead, he squeezed in between the girls. “Don’t start with me. I work too, you know. I got here as soon as I could.”

“Jason went on a scoring run. He has twelve points, eight from free throws.” Julie allowed her pride to slip out.

“Guess all that time you spent in the driveway teaching him how to draw a foul paid off.”

“Someone has got to be home with our kids,” Trevor said, his words dripping with judgment.

“Nicole, Emily. Go wash that sauce off your hands,” Julie ordered.

“I can just lick them clean,” Emily said.

Nicole stood. “Come on, Em. Let’s go. I think they’re going to fight again and Mom doesn’t want us to hear.”

“We’re not fighting,” Trevor said. “Just go wash your hands like your mother asked.”

She watched the girls head toward the bathrooms.

“They’re right, you know. All we do anymore is argue.”

“Not true. You’re not at home long enough. I can’t believe you have another week-long business trip.”

“I have a commitment to the company and the people who work there,” Julie said in hushed tones. “If you can’t or won’t accept that, then there is nothing I can do to make things better between us.”

About the Author:When she’s not playing with her granddaughters, Pennsylvania native Claire Yezbak Fadden is writing contemporary women’s fiction. Her books feature strong women who overcome life’s challenges, always putting their families first.

There's a special spot in Claire's heart for carousel horses – quite possibly the result of watching “Mary Poppins” 13 times as a young girl. She loves butterflies, ladybugs and confetti! Just ask anyone who's received a birthday card from her.

The mother of three lives in Orange County, California with her husband, Nick and three spoiled dogs.

Claire’s work as an award-winning journalist, humor columnist and editor has appeared in more than 100 publications across the United States, Canada and Australia. Ribbon of Light is the third novel in her Begin Again series. 



Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GZTZK3T/ref=sr_1_1

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ribbon-of-light-claire-yezbak-fadden/1129446496

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/892576

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ribbon-of-light

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41578682-ribbon-of-light

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/ribbon-of-light/id1434756246?mt=11

Follow Claire http://www.twitter.com/claireflaire

Email her at claire@clairefadden.com

Like her Facebook Fan Page  https://www.facebook.com/claireyezbakfadden

Visit her at http://www.clairefadden.com

Join her mailing list: http://eepurl.com/cclBRv.

Woman@Heart Blog. https://clairextraordinaire.wordpress.com

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#Giveaway Our Secret Power: Telepathy, Clairvoyance, & Precognition by Terje G. Simonsen

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Terje G. Simonsen will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Is the paranormal normal?

Many readers will be surprised when learning that reputable scientists, among them several Nobel laureates, have claimed that telepathy is a reality. Their curiosity will increase when reading that Cleopatra’s lost palace and Richard III’s burial place were recovered by means of clairvoyance. And some will think it to be science fiction when finding out about Stargate—the espionage program where the American military and CIA engaged in the development of psychic spies!

Simonsen, a Norwegian historian of ideas, introduces an array of entertaining paranormal tales from history, archaeology, anthropology and psychology, and presents scientific research that has provided fascinating results. He argues that the stories we hear about telepathy, clairvoyance and precognition ought not to be dismissed as superstition

In step with spiritual and occult traditions, the author suggests that consciousness is not limited to our own head. Rather he thinks that all humans (and perhaps all living beings) are linked together in a “Mental Internet.’ Via this network we may exchange ‘telepathic emails’ with friends and family and make clairvoyant ‘downloads’ of information.  Thus perhaps what we usually call ‘supernatural’ is completely natural but little understood communications via this Mental Internet?

Our Secret Powers gives us a engaged and entertaining analysis of a controversial subject and would make an excellent travel companion.

"Superb survey of the paranormal... Although serious in content, it is written in a light, often humorous, style which is a delight to read. As someone who has myself made a lifelong study of the paranormal, I cannot recommend it highly enough." ~ fantasy author, Herbie Brennan

"Simonsen describes his book as "A travelogue from the twilight zone,"but he is far too modest. Our Secret Powers is a sprawling work, meticulously researched, in which the author deftly, and with engaging wit, pulls together the various strands of "psi"--telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition,telekinesis, and healing--and presents them for our consideration." ~ Pulitzer-prize winner, Teresa Carpenter

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Based on this idea, we launch a quite simple model, called the “Mental Internet.” The basic metaphor here is that somewhat in the way our computers are linked together via the Internet, the ‘consciousnesses’ of all humans, and perhaps all living beings, are linked together via some sort of Mental Internet. Consciousness, like the Internet, is—on some level—something that we are all doing together; it is networking. And telepathy is the communication that drives this network.


I therefore invite the reader to engage in a little thought experiment throughout the book: namely that an Internet Model of consciousness may have some relevance. Galileo once invited the Inquisition to look through his telescope in order to see what he himself had seen. But, as we know, the inquisitors were not very keen on having their horizons expanded and instead muttered murkily of ‘the work of the Devil.’ However, I take it for granted that the reader has a radically more open attitude than those darkened souls, and I am therefore confident that my invitation will be well received.


I find it intriguing to think that our everyday perception of Space and Time may, in some respects, be merely a mental frame, a habit. And therefore it might be possible to think outside the box in a more radical way. The proposed thought experiment about a Mental Internet allows for this, and telepathy can then be considered as the ‘emails’ sent and the ‘downloads’ made   via this mental network. Many phenomena that otherwise would appear inexplicable will in light of this model fall quite nicely into place. More (much more) about this later!



About the Author:

Terje G. Simonsen is an author with a Ph.D. in the History of Ideas. He has increasingly focused his attention on the esoteric and occult traditions and on paranormal phenomena, as telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, telekinesis, healing etc. Recently he published the highly acclaimed Our Secret Powers, based on his extraordinary knowledge within this field. Elegantly and with great personal wit and insight, he discusses parapsychological phenomena such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition. 


Simonsen has had his work praised by several of the world’s most renowned experts on the paranormal: The bestselling parapsychologist, Dean Radin, chief scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, says: ‘As an encyclopedic introduction to the psychic side of the fascinating but puzzling domain known as the paranormal, there is no better choice than Our Secret Powers.” And Stanley Krippner, expert on hypnosis, shamanism and altered states of consciousness, former leader of two departments in the American Psychological Association, says: “This is an outstanding book and it deserves all the attention it can get. Not only is Our Secret Powers a book for all seasons, it is a book for all reasons!’”.



http://www.paripublishing.com/authors/terje-gerotti-simonsen

https://www.amazon.com/author/terjesimonsen

Buy link Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8895604334/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Buy link Amazon.UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Our-Secret-Powers-Clairvoyance-Precognition/dp/8895604334

Buy link Pari Publishing: 
http://www.paripublishing.com/books/our-secret-powers




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