A Garden on Top of the World

Inside the Book

Title: A Garden on Top of the World
Author: Virginia Aronson
Publisher: Dixi Books
Pages: 112
Genre: YA Ecofiction

BOOK BLURB:

The year is 2066 and life in Greenland is much warmer and more crowded, and lacking in fresh food. Sixteen-year-old Jonnie lives in the Relocation city of Shamed, where hundred-story high rises house extended families from American coastal cities relocated after the Sixth Sea Rise. Work and school are conducted from overcrowded apartments, while the homeless camp out on the streets below. Jonnie is intersex and identifies as she, although her family pressures her to identify as he.

Jonnie’s parents run a high-tech call center out of their apartment. Her older siblings work there, and Jonnie must share a bedroom with two much older nieces. For quiet and privacy, Jonnie often retreats to the empty rooftop.

Red is a homeless man who takes up temporary residence in a pigeon coop on the roof. After Red talks about the seeds in the birds’ droppings, Jonnie gets interested in heirloom seeds. Jonnie knows little about how food grows because meals come in packages ordered online and delivered by drone. Armed with a new understanding of old-fashioned garden-grown food, Jonnie is determined to create her own garden on the roof of her high rise. Along the way, she meets a former cryosphere scientist, a botanist with an urban indoor garden, and twins her own age, one of whom is intersex.

A GARDEN ON TOP OF THE WORLD is environmental fiction for ages 12 and up. Jonnie’s search for who she is and what she might be able to offer the world is one that will resonate with readers of all ages. The information she learns about healthy food, sustainable agriculture, and urban gardens may inspire readers to start their own gardens.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XvMlrd

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Meet the Author

Virginia Aronson, RD, MS, is the author of more than forty books. She is the Director of Food and Nutrition Resources Foundation, a non-profit corporation that supports individuals, organizations, and communities actively seeking to improve access to healthy food, nutrition education, sustainable and regenerative agriculture, and a socially just food system. She is the author of two books of ecofiction: A Garden on Top of the World (Dixi Books, 2019) and Mottainai: A Journey in Search of the Zero Waste Life.

Website Address: https://fnrfoundation.org/

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My Review

At first I was a bit skeptical about A Garden on Top of the World as it seemed liked the book tried to fit too much into one book, however as I kept reading things started coming together and not only did the story keep my interest, but I also found myself learning as well. I am glad that I kept reading as I found a book unlike many others that I have read that both entertained and educated.

The Witch Port Video Game

Inside the Book

Title: THE WITCH PORT VIDEO GAME
Author: Leonard Bassed
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 108
Genre: YA

BOOK BLURB:

Leonard Bassed had no plan to write a novel titled THE WITCH PORT VIDEO GAME when he set out to create a movie script with a similar name.  “I had written the pilot script first and I kept the same ending for the novel…everything from the script I wrote found its way into the finished book version of ‘The Witch Port Video Game,’ said writer-singer-actor Leonard Bassed.  “I was able to spend more time developing the characters and their world…the whole thing was just such an organic experience and extremely enjoyable, creative for me.”

THE WITCH PORT VIDEO GAME tells the story through the lives of three ordinary teens who live in the fictional town of Cradle Creek, USA – a small town they hope to one day escape, attracted by the bright lights and promise of the Big City.  All three are students at a prestigious performing art school with hopes of one day making names for themselves in the entertainment world.

Mr. Bassed continued about his story, “A chance encounter the three have with a girl named Bianca Morris threatens to derail their plans. Bianca introduces them to an enticing video game, ‘The Witch Port Video Game’.  This encounter, coupled with the arrival of the MacQuoid brothers sets in motion a series of bizarre events that spins their lives into chaos and disarray as the three head into a world of sorcery with an ultimate fight for survival.”

As a young boy growing up in South Africa, Leonard dreamed one day of working in the arts.  He wanted to write, to act, to sing.  While drawn to acting and song writing, he was also a good story teller.  “The auditions I would go out for as an actor were never reflective of the kinds of roles I was after to play. It was this realization that led me to writing the pilot script which I planned to pitch to TV and movie producers.  But, once I finished the script I’d grown too attached to the characters and the wonders of their world that ultimately led the script into the shape of a full novel,” he went on to say.

PRAISE

“While the book’s final moments leave us with a rather sudden, enigmatic ending, an end note does indicate a sequel Witch Port Igniting the Coven on the horizon. For those who enjoy the entertaining literary chemistry that results from inquisitive teens and their foray into the mysterious world of sorcery, Bassed’s venture should prove an intriguing reveal.”

–Pacific Book Review

“Filled with cheeky references to famous pop-culture stories of sorcery and mixed with some classic teenage angst, this book is a fast-paced, suspenseful story. The novel’s premise that some teenagers gain special powers through a video game is an updated, modern take on magic and suits the story quite well for a 21st-century setting. The author sets up the story mechanisms so that everything that happens through the students’ video game play also happens in real life. The author states that this novel was originally a screenplay, and those elements shine through, from the descriptive settings to the fast pace in which the action occurs on the page. It will be interesting to see how the protagonists grow with their powers in the sequel.”

–The U.S. Review of Books

Book can be purchased at the author’s web site at www.leonardbassed.com

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Meet the Author

Writer-actor-singer Leonard Bassed was born in the town of Middleburg, Mpumalanga and raised in Johannesburg.  He started taking vocal lessons at age eight and studied drama throughout his high school years.  A mentor encouraged him to pursue an acting career.  Leonard went on to complete acting classes in both South Africa and later Los Angeles.  Currently, when not writing or singing, Leonard continues to study acting techniques with the renowned Margie Haber Studio in Hollywood. In his free time, he enjoys travel, reading and movie going.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://leonardbassed.com/

Facebook page for author: https://www.facebook.com/leobassed/

Twitter page for author: https://twitter.com/LeonardBassed

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My Review

The Witch Port Video Game was a great young adult fictional book. That I ended up enjoying it started out normal (and a little slow), but quickly sped up as the teenagers lives were thrown into chaos. I enjoyed this book and I would love to see more from this author in the future!

DYING MADE EASY(ER)

Book Details:

Book Title:  Dying Made Easy(er): Creating Your Happy Ending by Myra Bennett
Category:  Adult non-fiction (18 +),  270 pages
Genre:  Self help
Publisher:  Balboa Press
Release date:  June 2019
Content Rating:  PG-13 + M (My book discusses death and dying)

Book Description:

Stories of American prowess in technology and medicine abound. And while these achievements have extended the lives of patients, they have not always extended the quality of those lives. As the older population in America skyrockets, more and more people who have received a terminal diagnosis, as well as those who love them, must grapple with the devastating decision of how they will forestall--or face--death. In Dying Made Easy(er) by Myra Bennett, we are guided through the diverse phases and considerations of the end of life by an experienced traveler who's spent many hours "as a guest in the sacred place of the dying." Bennett, a hospice nurse and certified end of life doula, who has also grappled with death in her personal life, invites us to contemplate dying from many different angles: legal, social, physical, psychological, and spiritual. Her Dying Made Easy(er) is both a handbook of pertinent information and a medley of informed suggestions for us to consider when experiencing or sharing the phenomenon that is the end of life. Bennett believes it is imperative that we--as a community--are aware of how to find help when faced with death and dying. In Dying Made Easy(er), she provides the resources to address this pressing need.

​Bennett, who is the co-founder of Compassionate Crossings in Sacramento, has seen it all. She's witnessed the dying process unfold in beautiful ways, with gifts for all involved, and she's seen it devolve into a series of anguished mishaps that leave the family praying for an early transition. As there are no opportunities for rehearsals or do-overs, Bennett is committed to helping us better understand dying as the last--but not the least--chapter of life, and to helping us dream what this chapter might look like. In her warm and wise book, we learn how to turn this dream into a personal reality that will meet not only our deep-felt needs and desires but also those of our family and loved ones.

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com ~ ​Barnes & Noble
Add to Goodreads​​​

Meet the author:  Myra has been a student of death and dying since she experienced the loss of her husband in 2001. The years that would follow saw the loss of many friends and family as well, which gave her life experiences she would later use to care for patients as a hospice nurse at a large national hospice agency.

Today Myra is a certified end of life doula at Compassionate Crossings in Sacramento where she not only guides and supports terminally ill persons and their families, she also speaks and educates on all subjects related to death and dying.

Connect with the author:   Website  ~  YouTube  ~  Facebook  ~  Instagram 

My Review

Dying Made Easy(er): Creating Your Happy Ending by Myra Bennett is a wonderful book that should be read by everyone facing the loss of a loved one as it is a valuable resource. Myra's experience and insight is something that I wish I had read before I lost my grandparents as I feel like her knowledge could have helped ease the process and made it easier on my family.

The Healer's Daughters by Jay Amberg

Book Details:
Book Title:  The Healer's Daughters by Jay Amberg
Category:  Adult Fiction, 312 pages
Genre:  thriller
Publisher:  Amika Press
Release date:   July 2019
Content Rating: Pg-13 + M (Some strong language, terrorism and violence)

Book Description:

​A terrorist bombing in Bergama, Turkey kills twenty-three people including three children. Modern Bergama is built on the site of ancient Pergamon, a city whose art and wealth and culture rivaled Athens. It was also the home of the Aesklepion, the world’s greatest healing center, and the birthplace of Galen, the Roman Empire’s most famous doctor.

Tuğçe Iskan, a Turkish Ministry investigator, finds evidence that links the terrorism to a powerful criminal family and to Galen’s life and Pergamon’s lost treasures. But Iskan is alone, an outcast in the Ministry because she is honest, diligent, and a woman.

As Iskan delves more deeply into the heinous attack, she needs allies outside the Ministry. She must turn to Özlem Boroğlu, a local archeologist, and Boroğlu’s daughter Elif, an artist with an affinity for ancient Aegean goddesses. Can these three women defeat ISIL terrorists, criminal oligarchs, and corrupt officials? Can they even survive?

Praise for The Healer's Daughters:

​"Amberg...shines at creating distinctive characters. Elif and others, for example, conduct a ritual to remember lost lives, which is a striking contrast to others who use the "Bergama Bombing" to boost their political careers. Moreover, Amberg deftly shows how viewing unfamiliar cultures as exotic can be insensitive; Özlem confronts a crass British photographer who thinks nothing of snapping pictures of praying mourners... A large, memorable cast augments this dramatic mystery/thriller." --Kirkus Reviews

"Keep[s] readers on their toes. With its powerful blend of Turkish cultural explorations, international intrigue, a treasure hunt, historical references, and characters who hold their own special interests close to their hearts, The Healer's Daughters is an exceptional thriller that proves hard to put down." --Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review

"All the elements [of] a compelling thriller--international terrorism; a greedy, powerful and ruthless criminal family; a group of inept, corrupt and "bought" government officials; a secret, elite, and clean anti-terror department of the said, corrupt government; and a principled, high-minded academic who will stop at nothing to ensure her country's past and valuable heritage is preserved for the ages." --Grant Leishman, Readers' Favorite

"Drama, pressure, and tensions mount in a plot with great descriptive writing and scene setting.... A glimpse into different cultures, beliefs, and economies [and an] adventure filled with fear, danger, and discovery." --K.J. Simmill, Readers' Favorite
​

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Amika Press
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:   ​

Jay Amberg is the author of twelve books. He received a BA from Georgetown University and a PhD from Northwestern University. He has taught high school and college students since 1972. His latest book, The Healer’s Daughters, is now available from Amika Press. Amberg has also published Bone Box, Cycle, America’s Fool, Whale Song, and compiled 52 Poems for Men. Prior to Amika Press, Amberg published thriller novels Doubloon (Forge), Blackbird Singing (Forge) and Deep Gold (Warner Books). Among his books on teaching are School Smarts and The Study Skills Handbook, published by Good Year. Amberg wrote The Creative Writing Handbook (Good Year) with Mark Henry Larson and Verbal Review and Workbook for the SAT (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich) with Bob Boone.

Connect with the author:    Website  ~  Twitter ~  Facebook

My Review

The Healer's Daughters by Jay Amberg was a well written thriller filled with strong female characters like Tuğçe Iskan, who is determined to stop the ISIL terrorists, criminal oligarchs, and corrupt officials. She was a strong character who was determined to not let her gender stop her from doing what she knew was right. I really liked that this book did not take place in the US as I really loved how the author had the book take place in Turkey as it gave me some insight into the country, history, and culture of a a foreign country which I enjoyed.

Views From the Cockpit

Inside the Book

Title: VIEWS FROM THE COCKPIT: THE JOURNEY OF A SON
Author: Ross Victory
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 268
Genre: Memoir

BOOK BLURB:

Views from the Cockpit: The Journey of a Son by Ross Victory is a memoir born from pain. Intimate journal entries morph into a phenomenal dialogue of tender father-son memories, loss, strength and turbulence in a young boy’s life on his journey into manhood. When the author discovers that his father is terminally ill and a victim of elder abuse, he embarks on a journey of reflection and discovery which soars and nosedives, chapter by chapter. Decorated in airplane analogies, with writing you can feel, Views from the Cockpit serves as a catalyst for readers to take perspective of their lives from the highest point. Views is a narrative that provides emotional assurance that readers’ unique experiences of pain, love and loss cannot be recreated or erased, but can be processed in order to not lose sight of their life journeys.

★★★★★ORDER YOUR COPY★★★★★

Amazon → https://tinyurl.com/y4qks6xh

 Barnes & Noble → https://tinyurl.com/y2ydegrg

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Meet the Author

Ross Victory is an American Marketing professional, travel enthusiast, and author of the new memoir, Views from the Cockpit: The Journey of a Son. He spent his early years collecting pens, notepads and interviewing himself in a tape recorder. With an acute awareness for his young age, he was eager to point out hypocrisies and character inconsistencies in children and adults through English assignments. He delighted in provoking a reaction from his English teachers with writing that seemed to wink and smile.

He enjoys writing non-fiction and fiction projects–stories of captivating, complex characters expressed in all their dimensions usually on a path to self-discovery through suffering. After the loss of his father, Ross has married his love for writing to create a compelling memoir to inspire the world. Ross received his B.S. in Business Administration & Marketing Management.

★WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS★

Website: http://www.rossvictory.com

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/rossvictoryofficial

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rossvictoryofficial/

My Review

Views from the Cockpit: The Journey of a Son by Ross Victory was an emotionally moving read that sent my emotions to the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I enjoyed the airplane analogies and I liked the journal entry style of writing. This author did an amazing job with this book,

PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM EOMOTIONAL PREDATORS

Book Details:

​Book Title:  Protecting Yourself from Emotional Predators: Neutralize the Users, Abusers and Manipulators Hidden Among Us
Category:  Adult Non-Fiction
Genre:  psychology, self-help, relationships, divorce
Publisher:  Amare Press
Release date:   January, 2019
Tour dates: Sept 9 to Sept 27, 2019
Content Rating: G

Book Description:

Steven Wolhandler, JD, MA, LPC knows how abusive and manipulative people prey on the emotions of good people - and how good people can protect themselves. He offers a radically different view of these Emotional Predators and provides practical effective solutions. For Emotional Predators, life is a strategy game to dominate and control, and you are either a player to be defeated or a game piece to be used. Without empathy or remorse, they’ll ruin your life, and traditional approaches will make things worse. You’ll learn 5 essential steps for protecting yourself, valuable guidance for safe relationships and over 30 specific defensive tactics for:

• Distinguishing romance from intimacy
• Restoring your self-esteem
• Removing your emotional triggers
• Using gratitude and humor
• Playing their games better than they do - without becoming like them
• Screening professionals to be sure they can help
• Regaining control in family court
• Breaking an addiction to an Emotional Predator
• Re-balancing power in your favor
• Adjusting beliefs that keep you trapped
• Responding strategically, instead of reacting emotionally

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon * Tattered Cover Book Store
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author: Steven Wolhandler, JD, MA, LPC is a psychotherapist, mediator, arbitrator, custody evaluator, national consultant and retired attorney. He has decades of experience dealing with, and learning from, difficult and manipulative people, and helping their victims with penetrating insight, effective solutions, warmth and humor. He lives in Colorado, consults with people internationally through www.creativeresolutions.org.

Connect with the author: Website​    Facebook       

The Wolf Queen

Title: THE WOLF QUEEN: THE HOPE OF AFERI (Book 1)
Author: Cerese Rennie Murphy
Publisher: LionSky Publishing
Pages: 242
Genre: YA Fantasy

BOOK BLURB:

Once great and powerful sorcerers, the Amasiti were hunted to the brink of extinction by the Hir and his followers. For four hundred years, their legacy faded from memory waiting for the hope of Aferi to be renewed…

In the Land of Yet

At the edge of the Forbidden Forest

A young woman lives alone.

Forced to fend for herself after the brutal murder of her family, Ameenah Yemini has made a life for herself as a master tanner and farmer, only venturing into the world to earn her living then return to the safety and seclusion of her home.

Until a chance encounter brings her work to the attention of the powerful Hir

And her careful life begins to unravel.

Drawn to the hidden magic that lingers in everything she touches, the new Hir insists on having her for himself, using the people around her to force Ameenah into his grasp.

When she realizes that her greatest enemy may hold the key to a secret she thought lost to her forever, Ameenah is determined to reclaim her stolen past.  But, at what cost? As an ancient power waits to be unleashed, Ameenah’s choices will make the difference between awakening a new magic or delivering it into the hands of evil.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/yxqrrsrz

B&N: https://tinyurl.com/y38gg5y8

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Meet the Author

 

Cerece Rennie Murphy fell in love with science fiction at the age of seven, watching “Empire Strikes Back” at the Uptown Theater in Washington, D.C., with her sister and mom. It’s a love affair that has grown ever since. As an ardent fan of John Donne, Alice Walker, Kurt Vonnegut and Alexander Pope from an early age, Cerece began exploring her own creative writing through poetry. She earned her master’s degrees in social work and international relations at Boston College and Johns Hopkins School for Advance International Studies, respectively, and built a rewarding 15-year career in program development, management and fundraising in the community and international development arenas – all while appreciating the stories of human connection told in science fiction through works like Octavia Butler’s “Wild Seed,” Frank Herbert’s “Dune” and “The X-Files.” In 2011, Cerece experienced her own supernatural event – a vision of her first science fiction story. Shortly after, she began developing and writing what would become the bestselling Order of the Seers trilogy.  Order of the Seers was selected as one of The Best Kindle Books of 2014 by Digital Book Today.  To date, Mrs. Murphy has published nine speculative fiction novels, short stories, and children’s books.

In addition to working on the 3rd book in the award-winning Ellis and The Magic Mirror children’s book series with her son and releasing her 5th adult novel, The Wolf Queen, Mrs. Murphy has launched NARAZU, an online platform designed to deliver the best in indie sci-fi content and comic culture to the fans who love it most. You can visit the new site at www.narazu.com.  Her current writing projects include the second book in The Wolf Queen duology and plotting a science fiction thriller set in outer space.  Mrs. Murphy lives and writes in her hometown of Washington, DC with her husband, two children and the family dog, Yoda.

Website: www.cerecerenniemurphy.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cerecermurphy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cerece-Rennie-Murphy-205753729546299/

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My Review

THE WOLF QUEEN: THE HOPE OF AFERI (Book 1) was a great read that left me excited for the next book in the series! I loved the fact that Ameenah Yemini was a strong female character who was able to survive on her own and take care of herself. I loved reading about her trying to uncover her past. I really loved this book and I finished the whole thing in one go!

Mall

Inside the Book

Title: MALL
Author: Pattie Palmer-Baker
Publisher: Del Sol Press
Pages: 272
Genre: Dystopian

BOOK BLURB:

A Novel by Pattie Palmer-Baker Winner of the Del Sol Most Promising Novel, 2017

MALL is a sparkling alternate world where everyone is beautiful, employed with enough income to consume and to experience a myriad of pleasures including drugs, gambling, theater, holographic adventures. No poverty and little or no crime. A lot of sex.

But what about the Mall Code? And what happens when Sara, a 21st century woman, accidentally finds her way into this alien yet familiar world? Nona, a MALL mental health practitioner treats Sara upon her arrival and goes against the Code to help her acclimate. Sara seems to be just what she needs, an antidote to Nona’s secret and growing boredom.

At first Sara desperately wants to get home, and, as she seeks a way out as well as answers about her new reality, Nona begins to see MALL in a new light. Is abundant gratification enough?

Things aren’t all beauty and pleasure. Sara experiences dancing in a dangerous orgiastic dance club on a lower level. She attends a gambling session where people bet on living more years when their “number’s up” and a “passing ceremony,” where Mallites are supposedly resurrected into a new life.

Junkers, outsiders lurking on the fringes of MALL, have been fighting Mall Management’s control by creating increasingly dangerous disturbances. For years they have struggled to discover an exit, based on rumors of those who made it Outside and were never heard from again. Through them Sara and Nona meet someone who might help them escape. They both must make the choice that will change their lives forever.

Who will risk leaving and who will decide to stay?

MALL by Pattie Palmer-Baker was recently published by Del Sol Press and winner of the Del Sol Press Most Promising Book, 2017.

ISBN: 978-0-9998425-5-3.

PRAISE:

What a suspenseful journey Mall was—a real “page-turner”-  imaginative with firm command of psychological expression and dialogue! Pattie Palmer-Baker captures some of the sexual contradictions, insecurities, and darker motivations of her female characters, and the complex relationships between women. The “surface” allusions to sex and violence throughout the story line work well with the superficial world she describes. Sex all the time—and yet, really, not much explicit writing about actual sexual encounters—the same for violence. This tension of content and form works well for me. What gives pleasure? What gives pain? The many hallways and mirrored rooms give the setting a creepy fun-house effect and increase the sense of a closed world and claustrophobic doom. Her descriptions of the Mallites’ physical appearances and their individual choice of costume in this strange place is creative—a breath of lightness in this frank examination of our quandary about the meaning of freedom in an existential existence. What is real? I was “on the run” with Sara for the entire read! And what a turn at the end!

— Cathy Cain, Portland poet and artist

ORDER YOUR COPY AT AMAZON

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Meet the Author

Pattie Palmer-Baker is a recognized award-winning artist and poet. Her artwork has been exhibited in galleries throughout the Pacific Northwest. Locally and nationally she has won numerous awards for her art and poetry.

An accomplished poet, Pattie had been nominated for the Pushcart Poetry Prize. Her work has appeared in many journals including Calyx, Voicecatcher, Military Experience the Arts, Minerva Rising and Phantom Drift. In 2017 she earned first prize in the Write to Publish contest, and in 2019 she won first, second, and the Bivona prize in the Ageless Poetry contest.  She has served as the poetry co-editor for VoiceCatcher: a journal of women’s voices and visions.

Del Sol Press awarded MALL first prize for the most promising first novel in 2017.

Pattie lives in Portland, Oregon with her beloved husband and rescued dachshund.

Her website is www.pattiepalmerbaker.com/.

You can follow her at Facebook at https://tinyurl.com/yykrz36e.

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My Review

Mall was a great read that was very different from anything I have read before. I loved the alternate reality of it and the characters. Nona was a great character, though it was Sara that became my favorite with her 21st century view of this new, yet not too different world!

Twists Turns and Truths

Inside the Book

Title: Twists Turns & Truths – The Life and Lines of a Master Scientific Hand Analyst
Author: Jayne Sanders
Publisher: Full Gallop Press
Pages: 204
Genre: Memoir/Self-Help

BOOK BLURB:

A master scientific hand analyst and conversational storyteller, Jayne Sanders courageously reveals several of the more emotive high and low experiences of her life—stories about everything from love to animals to abuse, and then connects some of her characteristics involved to relevant markings in her hands. Readers will laugh, cry, cheer, and even wince as they peek into her journey full of challenges, celebrations, and vulnerability. Jayne’s stories demonstrate how Scientific Hand Analysis provides a blueprint to who people are and why they’re here on the planet, their gifts and tripping points, and answers to their big why questions.

How might your stories show up in your hands? Do you have some of the gifts and challenges Jayne shares in these revealing tales?

Jump right in to find out, and prepare for twists, turns, and eye-opening truths.

Praise:

Reviewed By Liz Konkel for Readers’ Favorite

“Twists Turns and Truths: The Life and Lines of a Master Scientific Hand Analyst by Jayne Sanders is a thought-provoking read with an inspiring voice, scientific hand analysis, and personal stories. The book is used to teach readers how everyone’s own experiences are reflected in their hands and how to understand each detail.

Each chapter is written with genuine honesty and an admirable openness, revealing different experiences which she then uses to show how these are seen in her hands. Several examples of hand analysis follow each chapter which makes it easy to understand and learn the significance of every moment in your life through every detail in your hands. Also throughout are lovely poems which tie into various stories. The poems have a stunning lyrical style with profound emotion and depth drawn out of each, making them perfectly fitted to the voice and tone of the memoir aspects. Twists Turns and Truths is a unique read with honest stories told through an emotional lens and with a focus on scientific hand analysis, ideal for those seeking honest memoirs, genuine voices, and unique topics.”

★★★ ORDER YOUR COPY ★★★

Amazon → https://tinyurl.com/yxzf3kfu

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Meet the Author

A MASTER Scientific Hand Analyst and Purpose & Law of Attraction Coach featured in a FORBES article about her work, Jayne Sanders helps leaders, business owners, and managers love their lives and their work.

After an MBA and many years in the corporate world, Jayne did a complete 180 and now reveals your innate purpose, special gifts, and blind spots, then guides you into the inspired meaning, passion and fulfillment you crave in life and work. Corporate and team benefits are numerous as well.

When not doing her purpose work, Jayne can be found out on the trail riding her beautiful Arabian/Appaloosa horse, Darby, or eating dark chocolate J.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website → https://precisionwisdom.com/

Blog → https://precisionwisdom.com/blog/

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/PurposeWisdom/

And → https://www.facebook.com/jayne.sanders.1297

Goodreads → https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47582803-twists-turns-truths

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My Review

As a psychology graduate student I found Twists Turns and Truths to be an interesting read. I liked the idea about how one's life effects one's hands. I liked how the author wrote a book that was a mix of memoir stories and self-help. I found that I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would and I hope to read more from this author in the future!

A Twist of Oleander

Inside the Book

Title: A TWIST OF OLEANDER
Author: Raven McKray
Publisher: Keystone, Imprint of Brownridge Publishing
Pages: 204
Genre: Cozy Mystery / Romantic Suspense / Detective Fiction

BOOK BLURB:

An escape from madness leads to murder …

After suffering a manic episode, twenty-six-year old Maddie Malone retreats to small-town Kenowa and her aunt and uncle’s cattle ranch for peace and restoration. But things are never quiet for long in Maddie’s world: She finds her heart torn between her childhood sweetheart and a suave older man. Then tragedy strikes: Maddie’s uncle is found dead; poisoned by a cup of oleander tea. The police think its suicide. Maddie knows its murder. Now it’s up to her to prove it.

PRAISE:

“This is a well-plotted cozy mystery, and you do a great job casting plausible suspicion on all of the main characters so that the big reveal during the climax is satisfyingly unexpected and exciting.”–Kindle Scout Editorial Review 2018

ORDER YOUR COPY AT —> AMAZON

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Meet the Author

Raven McKray lives in Ontario, Canada. She received her master’s degree in English Literature from Carleton University and has a degree in Education from theUniversity of Ottawa. Her first novel, “Under A Fairy Moon,” written under the pseudonym “T. M. Wallace” won the Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award (Fantasy) and the Canadian Christian Writer’s Award (Young Adult Fiction) in 2012. “A Twist of Oleander” is her first mystery novel for adults, and the first book in the Maddie Malone Mystery series.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website —->www.ravenmckray.com

Twitter —-> https://twitter.com/RavenMckray

Facebook —-> https://www.facebook.com/raven.mckray.9

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My Review

A Twist of Oleander made for a cozy sort of mystery that I enjoyed reading in bed. I really liked Maddie as she made a great main character and her determination made her feel like a real person. I enjoyed reading of her journey through mystery and romance.