LIFE IN THE CAMEL LANE

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure by Doreen M. Cumberford
Category:  Adult Non-Fiction (18 +),  288 pages
Genre:  Memoir
Publisher:  White Heather Press
Release date:   April, 2020
Tour dates: Jan 25 to Feb 12, 2021
Content Rating:  G. There are no offensive scenes or language

Book Description:

Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure is what Doreen Cumberford, a Scottish author, calls her learnoire! It is a combination of her story and the stories of other expats learned while living in Saudi Arabia for 15 years as expat employees or spouses. The book takes the reader through the four stages of culture shock: arrival, honeymoon, frustration and adjustment stages to final acceptance followed by the return journey back to their home country – mostly the USA. From Saudi weddings, to falconry, to the inability of women to drive at that time, the book seeks to familiarize us with the Saudi culture, lifestyle, and deep traditions of hospitality, generosity and tolerance from an insider’s perspective. There are also chapters on the experiences of 9/11 in the terrorists’ home country and the “Terror Years” of internal terror tactics from inside Saudi Arabia designed to drive the expats out of the country and destroy the Saudi government. Full of examples, stories and compelling honesty the author describes their most challenging journey and many of the lessons learned in the process together. Designed to provide useful insights and inspiration to anyone considering living abroad, Life in the Camel Lane shines the light on the subject of building a new identity and home while abroad, and the difficulties of the journey home.

Buy the Book:
Amazon
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author

Doreen Cumberford is a Scottish expat author who has been global traveler for more than four decades. In her 20s Doreen left her home in Scotland and drove down to London to become a member of Her Majesty’s Diplomatic Service, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Her first posting was as the youngest and most junior British Embassy staffer in Cameroon, West Africa. Later she moved back to London and took a position with an American oil-field construction company based in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. After moving to America, living in Louisiana then California, two extremely different cultures in the USofA, Doreen and family moved overseas to Japan then spent the following 15 years in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With 13 major moves under her belt, she understands the value of moving, building a new life and handling inter-cultural hurdles. One constant has been her ability to explore through the lens of adventure. Her stories are full of multi-cultural intelligence, messy multilingual communications and multi-global perspectives. Doreen is currently based on Denver, Colorado although spends most of the year living adventurously in the Housesitting Lane, which takes her around the globe. Currently she is doing her best to install Spanish in her brain which previously had French and smatterings of Japanese and Arabic. She is passionate about cultural intelligence, global heartedness and life on the road. Featured in the Anthology: Empowering Women, and a co-author in 2018 of Arriving Well: Stories About Identity, Belonging and Rediscovering Home After Living Abroad. 2020 sees the publication of Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure. Honest, compassionate, full of wisdom and inspiration, Life in the Camel Lane comprises stories mostly from women and men who lived in Saudi Arabia from 1950s onward. This memoir contains expert advice sage wisdom and stories that all globally mobile families can use to navigate their international journey. The principles in this book will also encourage anyone who is embracing a more adventurous life, or considering taking the leap to move overseas.

Connect with the Author:  website  ~ twitter  ~ facebook  ~  pinterest  ~ instagram  ~ goodreads

MOMMY'S OVEN by Brandi Pearce

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Mommy's Oven by Brandi Pearce
Category:  Children's Non-Fiction (Ages 3-7),  38 pages
Genre:  Children's Non-Fiction Picture Book
Publisher:  Mascot Books
Release date:   Feb 2021
Format available for review:  print (USA), ebook (PDF)
Tour dates: Feb 2 to Feb 15, 2021
Content Rating:  G for everyone. Suitable for all ages,

Book Description:

In this true story, young August learns about how he will get a new little brother. He learns of how his little brother will grow in someone else's tummy, not his mommy's. Will he look like Augie? Will he grow for too long? Will Augie get to take his little brother home once he is born? Join August on this new, exciting adventure of getting a new little brother in a very unique way. If you are looking for a way to help your children understand that families can be created in many different ways, this is a story to keep on your bookshelf!

Buy the Book
Amazon ~ B&N
Mascot Books

Meet the Author:

Having battled Crohn’s Disease for most of her life and after undergoing 82 abdominal surgeries, Brandi Pearce knew she wouldn’t be able to carry children of her own. After a successful surrogacy resulted in her son, August, years later, she wondered how to explain to August that he was getting a new brother who was growing in someone else’s belly. That’s when Mommy’s Oven, Pearce’s debut children’s, book was born. Pearce wants other parents to be able to teach their own children that every family creation is unique and special. She hopes to inspire hope in overcoming adversity, as well as true miracles with this book.

connect with author: website ~ amazon

Are there other books like Mommy’s Oven? The exciting, driving force behind writing Mommy’s Oven

was that no matter how hard we looked, we have yet to find another story out there like it, another

story with the same purpose of teaching children about surrogacy.

What led to the story? After being in the hospital for 6 years fighting Crohn’s disease, and sometimes

only surviving through the strength of others, I knew this process would be no different. We would need

the support of those around us to handle the ups and downs of the surrogate process. What I didn't

know, was how much our journey would help others. As our story began to unfold to our friends and

family on social media, I began to have women reach out and share their own stories. Their heartaches,

their triumphs, their questions, their gratitude for me being willing to open-up and encourage 

acceptance and understanding. I wasn't just having an impact on each of them, they were having an

impact on me. There is so much unspoken about the world of infertility because it is hard to be

vulnerable, it is hard to face pain publicly. Knowing that there are others who have been through it, or

who are going through it right along with you, doesn’t necessarily make it easier, but it does give you a

sense of comfort and understanding.

What would I say to others? People always say, “I could never be that strong, I could never make it

through all of the things you have been through”. When you are faced with the reality that this is the

hand you’ve been dealt, what else can you do? You have got to put your faith in Christ and accept

strength and support from others. You then put on your big girl panties and get to work. You find the

support systems, you find the resources, you accept the fact that it is going to be painful and it is going

to be hard…and then you keep going.

How did Mommy’s Oven Come About? When we started our second journey of surrogacy, I faced a

new challenge. How do you explain to a very observant, inquisitive 3 year old, why we are having a baby

but someone else is carrying it? How do you help him understand that the baby really is going to be part

of our family? When we came up with this story, he not only loved it, but thought that it was so neat

that he was the main character. That is when Mommy’s Oven became not just a story, but a tool in

helping our son understand this exciting journey we were on as a family. After we told him the story, I

realized we are probably not the first parents to go through introducing our child to a new sibling that

didn't come from mommy's tummy. I was right!

About future endeavors? This book has meant so much to me and my family and led me to a world of

writing that I had no idea I loved so much! There may soon be a series called The Adventures of Augie

and Ollie that helps kids comprehend difficult life struggles in positive way. I am also working on an

inspirational personal story of my life-long battle with Crohn’s disease.

My Review

MOMMY'S OVEN by Brandi Pearce was an informative children's book that is great for children about the become a big brother or big sister. The books was both cute and educational, yet the author did a great job with keeping the content and word choice appropriate for children!

secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola

 

I WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS TOUR

Join us for this tour from Feb 1 to Feb 26, 2021!

Book Details:

Book Title: The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola - the most famous woman you've never heard of by Melissa Muldoon
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+), 345 pages
Genre:  Historical Fiction, General Fiction
Publisher:  Matta Press
Release date:  December 2020
Format available for review:  print (USA), and ebook (mobi for Kindle, epub).
Tour dates:  Feb 1 to Feb 26, 2021
Content Rating: PG-13 + M. includes mature themes (suicide, adultery, sexual relations, murder)

Book Description:

Set in the sixteenth-century, The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola tells the story of a woman’s passion for painting and adventure. In a world where women painters had little to no acknowledgment, she was singled out by Michelangelo and Vasari who recognized and praised her talent. Gaining the Milanese elite’s acclaim, she went on to become court painter to Spanish King Philip II and taught his queen to paint. One can’t live such an extraordinary life without having stories to tell, and tell them Sofonisba does to Sir Anthony Van Dyke, who comes to visit her toward the end of her life. During their meeting, she agrees to reveal her secrets but first challenges the younger painter to find the one lie hidden in her tale. In a saga filled with intrigue, jealousy, buried treasure, unrequited love, espionage, and murder, Sofonisba’s story is played out against the backdrop of Italy, Spain, and Sicily. Throughout her life, she encounters talented artists, authoritative dukes, mad princes, religious kings, spying queens, vivacious viscounts, and dashing sea captains—even a Barbary pirate. But of all the people who fell in love with Sofonisba, only one captured her heart. The painter may have many secrets but the truth of her life is crystal clear from the beginning. Always a strong, passionate woman with a dream, she was an intelligent artist who knew her self-worth and in the end, as Michelangelo had done for her, Sofonisba passed her brush to a new generation.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ B&N ~  Bookshop 
Autographed from Author
Add to Goodreads 

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You May Also Review:

Book Details:

Book Title: Eternally Artemisia—some loves, like some women, are timeless by Melissa Muldoon
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+), 305 pages
Genre:  Historical Fiction, General Fiction
Publisher:  Matta Press
Release date:  March 2019
Format available for review:  ebook (mobi for Kindle, epub), and audiobook (audible download
Tour dates:  Feb 1 to Feb 26, 2021
Content Rating: PG-13 + M. includes mature themes (suicide, adultery, sexual relations, murder)

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Book Description:

They say some loves travel through time and are fated to meet over and over again. For Maddie, an art therapist, who wrestles with the “peculiar feeling” she has lived previous lives and is being called to Italy by voices that have left imprints on her soul, this idea is intriguing. Despite her best efforts, however, proof of this has always eluded her. That is, until one illuminating summer in Italy when Maddie’s previous existences start to bleed through into her current reality. When she is introduced to the Crociani family—a noble clan with ties to the seventeenth-century Medici court that boasts of ancestors with colorful pasts—she finally meets the loves of her life. One is a romantic love, and another is a special kind of passion that only women share, strong amongst those who have suffered greatly yet have triumphed despite it. As Maddie's relationship develops with Artemisia Gentileschi—an artist who in a time when it was unheard of to denounce a man for the crime of rape, did just that—Maddie discovers a kindred spirit and a role model, and just what women are capable of when united together. In a journey that arcs back to biblical days and moves forward in time, Maddie encounters artists, dukes, designers, and movie stars as well as baser and ignoble men. With Artemisia never far from her side, she proves that when we dare to take control of our lives and find the “thing” we are most passionate about, we are limitless and can touch the stars.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Audible
B&N ~  Bookshop ~ BookBub
Autographed from Author
Add to Goodreads 

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Book Details:

Book Title: Waking Isabella—because beauty can't sleep forever by Melissa Muldoon
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+), 271 pages
Genre:  Historical Fiction, General Fiction
Publisher:  Matta Press
Release date:  November 2018
Format available for review:  ebook (mobi for Kindle, epub), and audiobook (audible download
Tour dates:  Feb 1 to Feb 26, 2021
Content Rating: PG-13 + M. includes mature themes (suicide, adultery, sexual relations, murder)

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Book Description:

Waking Isabella is a story about uncovering hidden beauty that, over time, has been lost, erased, or suppressed. It also weaves together several love stories as well as a few mysteries. Nora, an assistant researcher, is a catalyst for resolving the puzzle of a painting that has been missing for decades. Set in Arezzo, a small Tuscan town, the plot unfolds against the backdrop of the city’s antique trade and the fanfare and pageantry of its medieval jousting festival. While filming a documentary about Isabella de’ Medici—the Renaissance princess who was murdered by her husband—Nora begins to connect with the lives of two remarkable women from the past. Unraveling the stories of Isabella, the daughter of a fifteenth-century Tuscan duke, and Margherita, a young girl trying to survive the war in Nazi-occupied Italy, Nora begins to question the choices that have shaped her own life up to this point. As she does, hidden beauty is awakened deep inside of her, and she discovers the keys to her creativity and happiness. It is a story of love and deceit, forgeries and masterpieces—all held together by the allure and intrigue of a beautiful Tuscan ghost.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Audible
B&N ~  Bookshop ~ BookBub
Autographed from Author
Add to Goodreads 

Meet the Author:

Melissa Muldoon is the author of four novels set in Italy: Dreaming Sophia, Waking Isabella, Eternally Artemisia, and The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola. All four books tell the stories of women and their journeys of self-discovery to find love, uncover hidden truths, and follow their destinies to shape a better future for themselves. Melissa is also the author of the Studentessa Matta website, where she promotes the study of Italian language and culture through her dual-language blog written in Italian and English (studentessamatta.com). Studentessa Matta means the “crazy linguist” and has grown to include a podcast, Tutti Matti per l’Italiano and the Studentessa Matta, YouTube channel, Facebook page and Instagram feed. Melissa also created Matta Italian Language Immersion Programs, which she co-leads with Italian schools in Italy to learn Italian in Italy. Through her website, she also offers the opportunities to live and study in Italy through Homestay programs. Melissa has a B.A. in fine arts, art history, and European history from Knox College, a liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, as well as a master’s degree in art history from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She has also studied painting and art history in Florence. She is an artist, designer, and illustrated the cover art for all four of her books. Melissa is the managing director of Matta Press

Connect with the author:  Website  ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads

THE WINTER SONG by Saurav Dutt

 

Book Details:

Book Title: The Winter Song (a novel) by Saurav Dutt
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +),  170 pages
Genre:  Romance
Publisher:  Amazon Publishing
Release date:   December, 2020
Tour dates: January 25 to February 12, 2021
Content Rating:  PG-13. In a few places there is some moderate bad language.

Book Description:

From the acclaimed Author of 'The Butterfly Room' comes a powerful afterlife drama conveying how great gifts can be hidden in death and how they can bear fruit in our lives if we have the faith to let them unfold.

Somewhere between the mountains and the mist in North India, a widower must reconcile himself to the loss and grief that haunts him after the recent death of his wife.

Unhinged by grief, anger, and guilt, John Perera has set off on a journey, a journey to honour the love of his life and to fulfill the promise he made to her to uncover the truth behind the mysterious death of their son. It is a journey of extraordinary self-discovery that will take him to the extremities of his soul and question all he believes about life, death, and faith.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Amazon.uk

Meet the Author:

Saurav Dutt is an Author, Political Columnist and Human Rights Campaigner. A journalist in three continents, his acclaimed debut novel 'The Butterfly Room' explored issues of domestic violence and homophobia within South Asian communities and has been showcased alongside leading political figures and human rights campaigners. His work for human rights and charity campaign work has taken Dutt to speaking engagements at the WEF, IKWRO, IWN, Houses of Parliament and TEDx. After exploring the issue of psychological abuse and domestic violence in 'There Is A Light That Never Goes Out' Dutt was commissioned by a major Hollywood production house to pen the official novelization of the major motion picture 'Tiger' (starring Golden Globe winning and Academy Award nominated actor Mickey Rourke) and he commemorated the centenary of the infamous Amritsar Massacre in India with 'Garden of Bullets: Massacre at Jallianwala Bagh' which was featured in TIME magazine. TIGER is the biographical account of Parminder Singh Nagra, a trailblazing Sikh boxer who fought successfully for the right to compete in the ring with his beard, an essential part of his faith. A syndicated political columnist, Dutt writes for the International Business Times, The Times of Israel, Human Events, and American Herald Tribune. He has featured on CNN, GQ, Huffington Post, BBC television and radio, RT (Russia Today), Press TV, Sky News and more. He resides in the United Kingdom, Los Angeles, and India.

connect with author: amazon ~ twitter ~ facebook

New Yorkers

 

Title: NEW YORKERS: A FEISTY PEOPLE WHO WILL UNSETTLE, MADDEN, AMUSE AND ASTONISH YOU
Author: Clifford Browder
Publisher: Cliff Browder Books
Pages: 345
Genre: Memoir (with bits of history and travel lore thrown in)

A quirky memoir by a longtime resident with bits of history and travel lore thrown in…

A quirky memoir by a longtime resident, with glances at his city’s history and bits of travel lore all rolled into one.

Readers will learn how the Statue of Liberty almost didn’t happen; how the author found the sacred in the city, and learned the Charleston on You Tube; how  mobsters shared the corridors of the legendary Waldorf Astoria hotel with the Duke and Dutchess of Windsor and an ex-president; and how the author had an affair with a Broadway chorus boy (if the Cardinal Archbishop of New York could do it, so could he).

Plus Mohawks, hustlers, scams and cons, wigmakers and crematory managers, racoons in Central Park, Trump Tower, cholera, and the Beatles.  A fun book, but with some serious moments.

New York is the most exciting city in the world.  The author wants to share it with everyone.

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/2JmBfP1

 Barnes & Noble → https://bit.ly/35MTpB5

Meet The Author

Clifford Browder is a writer and retired freelance editor living in New York City, which he celebrates in his blog, “No Place for Normal: New York.”  His published works include two biographies; three New York City memoirs; a critical study of the French Surrealist poet André Breton; and four historical novels set in nineteenth-century New York.  His poetry has appeared both online and in print.  He has never owned a car, a television, or a cell phone, barely tolerates his computer, and eats garlic to fend off vampires.  (So far, it seems to be working.)

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My Review

New Yorkers had its own unique style to it that made it stand out among the other New York travel books. The memoir style kept things interesting and held my attention as I learned about New York, its history, and its people.  

CRUISING THE MISSISSIPPI: FROM NEW ORLEANS TO MEMPHIS ON A GENUINE PADDLEWHEELER

 

Title: CRUISING THE MISSISSIPPI: FROM NEW ORLEANS TO MEMPHIS ON A GENUINE PADDLEWHEELER
Author: Al & Sunny Lockwood
Publisher: Front Porch Publishing
Pages: 185
Genre: Travel Memoir

If you love travel, beauty, history, fabulous food, and genuine old-fashioned fun, you’ll love this amazing paddle wheel adventure along the mighty Mississippi River.

From a vibrant New Orleans’ Jazz concert at famous Preservation Hall, to the largest plantation mansion on the Mississippi (Nottoway Plantation), to eye-opening Civil War battlegrounds, this lively travel memoir brings American history and Southern culture to life.

The paddlewheeler itself is an enchanting antebellum masterpiece. Period furnishings. Tiffany lamps. An authentic steam calliope. And a huge front porch with comfy rocking chairs where you can relax and enjoy the natural wonder of America’s greatest waterway.

Riverside cities offer their own unique attractions, steeped in history and plantation grandeur.

In this warm and personal travel memoir you’ll learn things about America you never knew before.

PRAISE

“Cruising the Mississippi gives the reader a genuine sense that they are also on board the American Queen, exploring the small towns that line the river and luxuriating in an atmosphere that exudes the glories of a bygone era.”

— 5-stars Readers’ Favorite Book Review

“If it’s a ‘you are there’ experiential survey of the paddlewheeler environment that is desired, along with . . . Mississippi history and culture . . . then there could be no better virtual tour than Cruising the Mississippi.”

–D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, MidwestBook Review 

“Without ever boring the reader, the authors present . . . many absorbing facts and events that simply jump off the page. From the luxury . . .of travelling on a paddlewheeler to the history of the river and many of the exciting spots they travel to . . . . I was thoroughly engaged to the last page.”

–Wishing Shelf Book Review 

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/38UATK0

 

Meet The Authors

Al and Sunny Lockwood have traveled by foot, car, rail, air and cruise ship.  They’ve camped in national parks, hiked mountain trails, photographed springtime flowers in Death Valley and wintry surf along the rugged beaches of Northern California.

They’ve watched July 4th fireworks over Lake Tahoe, explored New Mexico’s Taos Pueblo and ridden the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad through forests ablaze with autumn colors.

They’ve ridden the amazing Falkirk Wheel in Scotland, the Flam Railway in Norway and Ushuaia’s train at the end of the world.

They’ve photographed Gibraltare’s Barbary apes and Gentoo Penguins frolicking in the surf on Falkland Island beaches.

From North Carolina’s Outer Banks to New Orleans’ Bourbon Street and Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, Al and Sunny love to wander and wonder and enjoy.

Everywhere they go, they capture unforgettable moments with their cameras and notebooks, moments to share with their readers. Their work has been published in magazines and newspapers.  It has been recognized with awards from the National Federation of Press Women, the California Newspaper Publishers Association, the Wishing Shelf Book Awards, Seven Sisters Book Awards, and The Independent Author Network Book Awards.

“We write to encourage others to travel, to take a break from their ordinary routine and discover the many rewards of traveling with your eyes wide open,” Sunny said. “Go somewhere new, even if it’s only in the next county. And have fun exploring the sites, the sounds and flavors of the place. You’ll be amazed at how much fun you’ll have.”

Al added, “We also write to share the wonder of our own travels. To help you feel what it’s like to be on a cruise ship, or wandering the back alleys of Venice, Italy. We hope our books give readers a real sense of our travel adventures.”

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My Review

CRUISING THE MISSISSIPPI: FROM NEW ORLEANS TO MEMPHIS ON A GENUINE PADDLEWHEELER was a great read I loved learning about new places and the memoir style of the book kept it interesting. This is so much better than the normal dry travel books I normally see. I can't wait to plan my next trip!

EMBERS ON THE WIND (Book 7)

 

Title: EMBERS ON THE WIND (Book 7
Author: Dylan Doose
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 384
Genre: Epic Fantasy / Sword and Sorcery / Dark Fantasy

The Contract: Get to the Tower, Kill the Beast.

Simple enough? The problem is Theron, Aldous, and Kendrick are no longer in a world they know and between them and the tower are a few hundred miles of woods and waters infested with beasts and monsters.

With a mutant and a dead man as their only guides, the three will have to rely on their trust for each other more than ever to get through.

A Twisted Tale of Three Unlikely Heroes

Heretic monk turned sorcerer, Aldous Weaver. Infamous crusader turned fugitive, Kendrick the Cold. Aristocrat, rogue, monster hunter, and legend in his own mind, Theron Ward.

Three men condemned to die for their crimes find in each other both the will and the means to survive. A dark brotherhood with Sword and Sorcery is forged, and all monsters meek and mighty do fear the three.

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08D8KCFR

 

Meet The Author

Dylan Doose is the author of the ongoing dark fantasy series, Sword & Sorcery. He also pens the new weird western series, Red Harvest. His debut novel received honorable mention in Library Journal’s Indie Ebook Awards and was a Shelf Unbound Magazine Notable 100.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://www.dylandooseauthor.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dylan_Doose

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

My Review

EMBERS ON THE WIND (Book 7) was a great read! I have to say from this series that Theron, Aldous, and Kendrick are by far my favorite characters! I love the way they interact with each other and how in depth their characters were. I loved this series!