Book Spotlight: The Illusion of Certainty by Greg Messel

The Illusion of Certainty follows two parallel storylines. Marc is a successful businessman who seems to have everything—a great job, a beautiful wife, a house in an upscale neighborhood of Portland, Oregon and two great kids who are preparing for college. But something is not right. Marc is unsettled by the sudden change in his wife, Aimee, who seems distant and unhappy. What’s going on with her?

The second storyline involves a successful young attorney, Alexandra Mattson. Alex, as she is called by her friends, meets a handsome young cop, Sean, during an unexpected crisis in her neighborhood. Sean and Alex seem made for each other and begin to merge their futures in a world of uncertainty.

The only certainty in life is that we will face uncertainty. Despite all fo the technology and controls available in the modern world, sometimes the only comfort comes from the human touch.


Read an excerpt!

The naked woman stood motionless, leaning against the wall of the shower and letting the hot water strike the top of her head and cascade down her back. She placed her hands flat against the tiled shower wall and leaned forward and closed her eyes. The warm water soothed her exhausted body and she felt enveloped in its comforting caress.

She felt safe and was now pampering herself after a grueling night shift at the hospital where she was a nurse. A nurse with considerable responsibilities.

Aimee Hunt-Wilson had enough experience and clout to avoid these awful shifts but as a supervisor she was on a mission this summer. She had been working nights most of the summer to try to rehabilitate the night shift, which was in disarray. Someone needed to repair the damage brought on by an incompetent supervisor who was now gone. Aimee was trying to shape things up. It’s what Aimee did best; however, it was taking a toll on her.

Marc Wilson was having his first moments of consciousness on this Tuesday morning. He slept alone. That was happening more and more these days. From the bed he could see Aimee, his wife, through the clear glass
box that was the shower in their master suite. The only light filtering into the bedroom and casting a soft light on Marc’s bed was the light from Aimee’s shower.

He leaned up on his elbow and gazed through the steam at the nude Aimee. He was getting aroused. Marc still loved his wife’s body. Lately, when he saw her, she was always hidden in the baggy scrubs she wore at the hospital. Her long black hair was plastered to her wet bare back by the shower water. Aimee always tanned so well. At this point in the summer she
had a perfect swimsuit tan. Her body had matured but it had actually gotten
better since the college days when they first met.

Her breasts and hips were fuller now but the rest of Aimee’s body was taunt and lean. She was about 5-5, probably in the best shape of her life. Aimee obsessively exercised and carefully monitored her diet. After her shower she would come to bed to rest and then be pounding the pavement this afternoon running, getting in her miles. Aimee had always been so meticulous about what she ate and she imposed the same standards on Marc.

Marc’s favorite meal, a burger and fries, was considered in the same
category as rat poison by Aimee. If Marc went through a fast food window
to sneak a burger, he felt compelled to hide the evidence from Aimee. But all of this vigilance certainly paid off in the way Aimee looked. This
mother of two, with a manic schedule, looked terrific as she approached
Illusion of Certainty middle age. Her long dark hair, which was naturally curly, was a stunning combination with her bright blue eyes.

Marc now lay in the early morning light watching Aimee step from the shower, all pink and soft, as she began to towel off. She then plugged in
her hair dryer, bent over and began to dry her long hair. As he observed her maneuvers to dry her hair, he was taking in the sight of her bouncing breasts and lovely body. Marc knew that when she finished, she would quickly throw on one of his oversized t-shirts and jump under the covers—just as it was time for Marc to get out of bed and begin his day.

Marc rolled out of bed and attempted to head her off before she dressed
and made it to the bed. He was hoping that somehow he could have her, that he could enjoy the physical pleasures of his sexy wife. This had not been planned but the moment was presenting itself and he wanted her. Marc hoped Aimee would want the intimacy, too.

Aimee slipped on some bright blue bikini panties just as Marc stood in front of her and said, “Hey you’re really looking sexy this morning.”

“Oh Marc, I’m so exhausted, you seem to have the world’s worst timing.”

“Oh come on Aimee, wouldn’t it be fun?”

“Trust me Marc, it wouldn’t be fun right now. I just need some sleep.”

“So when, in this whole summer, would you suggest I make love to you?”

“Marc,” Aimee said with resignation, “I’m begging you to not start right
now.”

Read the reviews!

“This is a wonderfully written and intuitively imagined story. I enjoyed it from the first page to the last, and have no reservations in making it a recommended read.”

– Between the Pages

“Messel did a great job in the storytelling of the characters and their relationships. I give this book 5 Stars and have it sitting out on my new book shelf next to the fireplace. You will have a big grin on your face my friend when you put this book down.”

– April’s Lifetime Show

“I very highly recommend this book! The story is beautifully written and hooks you from the very start. The characters are vivid and realistic. The story is heart-wrenching and tragic at times but always leaves you with a feeling of hope. It’s a very touching story that leaves you feeling satisfied. I first became a fan of Greg Messel’s books after reading Expiation. I look forward to reading more of his work in the future.”

– Life in Review

“Not only were these characters amazingly created, this story itself spoke so many volumes. Being swept away to two different worlds, two different couples’ lives was breath taking, as we watch them embrace their lives; watch them open their eyes to the real world of their relationships.”

– Book Reviews by Molly

“It was so close to perfection. I was absorbed from page one and I never wanted it to end, yet at the same time, I couldn’t wait to find out everything.”

– Just Another Book Addict

“This one wins a perfect 5 out of 5 stars in my book and thank you Greg for adding another book to a permanent home in my personal library.”

– Reviews From the Heart

PURCHASE FROM AMAZON!

Greg Messel has written three novels and three unpublished memoirs. He published his premiere novel “Sunbreaks” in 2009, followed by “Expiation” in 2010 and “The Illusion of Certainty” in 2011. Greg has had a newspaper career as a columnist, sportswriter and news editor. He won a Wyoming Press Association Award as a columnist. Greg also spent many years in the corporate world as a Financial Manager. He now devotes his energies to writing at his home in Edmonds, Washington on the Puget Sound just north of Seattle, where he lives with his wife, Carol.

You can visit his website at www.gregmessel.com. Connect with Greg on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gregmessel  or Facebook at www.facebook.com/greg.messel

Horror Novel Month: Creatures of the Night We Loved So Well by James Fetters

Jeepers Creepers Theater in 1962 ignited a love of horror hosts that was the beginning of a life-long addiction for many fans. But as much as the audience loved the shows, they never knew the horror that occurred off-screen — live adult stage performances, lawsuits and cutthroat competition. What started off as risqué and sexy by 1954 standards ended as risqué sexy by 1984 standards. Horror hosts affected 30 years of television history… a phenomenon that is not known by today’s generation but well remembered by the Baby Boomers and now chronicled for future generations.

Much of this 365-page book is packed with detailed reference material that has been sadly lacking on the subject. In Creatures of the Night That We Loved So Well, you will find: Little-known trivia, Over 250 photos, ads and images–many never seen before movie listings by date, actual scripts, interviews with hosts and writers, and identities revealed for the first time.

Read an excerpt!

Jeepers put out a 45rpm record in 1963. I never knew about it until research on the internet led me to George ‘E-gor’ Chastain, the Web Master for ‘TV Horror Hosts’ site. The precious information was there. Which, of course, sent me on a quest to find this little part of Jeepers History! And I did find it! For the most amazing part of this record… the background music and sound effects were written and performed by a very young and unknown Frank Zappa! Two Gods performing together!

Jim Sullivan was also part of the Jeepers – Frank Zappa collaboration. In fact, Frank wanted Jim to produce his ‘Captain Beefheart and the Grunt People’ film. To quote Jim Sullivan…

“Frank did the music gratis. He was a very talented musician but also could have been a very great film maker. I also have an original script by Frank Zappa that he wanted me to produce at the time. It is called ‘Captain Beefheart and the Grunt People’. Frank even had the sets built (he did them himself) in the wine storage warehouse in Cucamonga, unfortunately, he built them all so small two actors couldn’t squeeze in them, much less lights and cameras. It never went anywhere but it sure didn’t hurt Frank’s career.”

This was in early 1963 and Frank Zappa was a complete unknown! It was another 4 more years before The Mother’s of Invention ‘Freak Out’ album was released and he hit the road to fame.

To be a part of something so unique! Not only to have created Jeepers' Creepers Theater, along with Bob Guy, but to have been in association with Lietta Harvey, Fred Stuthman and The Creeper along with being a part of the beginning of Frank Zappas' career!


Read the reviews!

"I grew up in San Diego the same time as the author (he grew up in the SD suburb of Lemon Grove, I grew up in Chula Vista) and we are about the same age, so for that crop of dudes out there just like us who loved all of the horror hosts, Aurora monster models, Famous Monsters magazine, watching Lon Chaney Jr. go through the moonlight change, and toughed-out the creakiest moments of the Universal classics (you get the idea, but you can't count yourself among the crop unless you stuck it out watching 'The Mummy' with Karloff and 'Dracula' with Lugosi, again and again, and again... as well as enjoyed those cheesy 'Pizza Man' commercials that ran at 2 a.m.) this book is a treasure.

I am half way through it and loving it. There are loads of informational surprises and I give James huge credit for the research. I never, never thought I'd get to the bottom of who played Ghoulita, find out anything about her or the show (which I thought ran forever but, alas, it only lasted a few months); and Larry "Seymour" Vincent was a god to my brother and I during all three incarnations of his series (with all 3 different stations).

If you're a self-professed and proud horror geek like the rest of us, buy it without question, Fringies. Great work, James."

--Amazon Review by M. E. Graves

"I see that this book is also offered in a Kindle e-version. That might be OK for casual reading, but I'd recommend getting the printed version. Much of this 365-page book is packed with detailed reference material that has been sadly lacking in earlier volumes on the subject.

People interested in Southern California and National Horror Hosts from their very beginnings in the early 1950's to today, will love this book. It is a MUST for monsterkids and scary movie rugrats who delighted in staying up late in the 50's and 60's to watch the classic Universal monsters lumbering accross their flickering B&W TV screens.

The Horror Hosts and Hostesses are presented here with numerous photographic illustrations, bits of scripts, movie playlists, TV Guide display ads - even court transcripts (Remember when Ottola Nesmith was sued by Frankenstein actress Mae Clarke?).

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!"

--Amazon Review by Adam Love

"There is a wealth of information not previously known about these icons of Television history. A great read that I would highly recommend to anyone with a thirst for the Macabre."

--Barnes and Noble Review by Leslie Bruce

PURCHASE CREATURES OF THE NIGHT WE LOVED SO WELL BY JAMES FETTERS AT AMAZON AND BARNESANDNOBLE.COM. SIGNED COPIES AVAILABLE FROM  THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE!

In the late 1950's, Jim's mom turned him onto horror movies by letting him stay up late to watch 'The Mummy's Hand' with her. This led Jim into becoming a horror film fanatic. By 1962 Jim found Jeepers' Creepers Theatre on channel 13 KCOP... a horror movie every Saturday night! And hosted by Jim's new addiction... 'Jeepers'! No matter what the situation was... Jim had to be home and planted in front of the tv every Saturday night at 10:00... forget what movie was showing... he tuned in to watch 'Jeepers'. Soon he was recording every show on a reel to reel tape recorder. Horror Hosts were Jim's only interest. Jeepers, Ghoulita, Jeepers' Keeper.... they all found a place in Jim's heart.

Finding those reel to reel tapes of Jeepers in 1998 inspired him to start a website, which led to contact from directors, script writers, actors, and the creators of the programs he so enjoyed. He's also written articles and worked as webmaster for Scary Monsters Magazine. Currently he lives in Boise, Idaho and spends his time writing and dreaming when he's not acquiring history from nationally shown TV horror hosts.

Visit Jim online at http://www.TRC4U.com. 

Book Spotlight: Nine Insights For a Happy and Successful Life by Dr. Mitchell Gibson

The greatest achievements in human history have been attained by those individuals who strive to elevate themselves above the everyday ebb and flow of life. This yearning to achieve is central to our search for happiness. We want to laugh, to sing, and to feel good at the end of the day as much as we might wish to do anything else.

Happiness is an art. If you wish to practice this art, you must first decide that it is something that you want, above everything else. People that choose to be happy will at some point wake up to a day filled with smiles, joy, and laughter. If they are lucky, they will remember that day, focus on its high points, and strive to repeat it. Before too long, another happy day will appear, seemingly out of the blue. People around them will wonder why they seem to be so different. The reason will not be found in surface changes.

The Nine Insights For a Happy and Successful Life emerged from my own life long desire to help thousands of people find happiness. Happiness is a gift that we bestow upon ourselves each time that we embrace the joy that breathes within. This book outlines two main themes that will guide you on the road to happiness. The first explores methods that will help you discover the secret inner joy that already hides within you. The second explores powerful and effective methods that will help you remove the chaos and obstacles that prevent you from feeling and expressing that joy in your daily life.

Success and happiness travel together on the road to joy. Let us discover your inner path together.

Read an Excerpt

Insight Number Four: Remember to Empty Your Cup once in a while…..

In truth, I never really fully emptied my cup enough to enjoy the simple harmony of the moment.

I often held my daughter’s hand when she felt sick, or hugged my son after a long day. My wife and I held hands while we watched television, and sometimes we would hold hands while we sat in the car. But I realized, even with all of these good attentive moments of endearment, I never really let go of the world around me long enough to fully appreciate the beauty of simply being with another person. My cup, as it were, was always full.

I wanted to stay well read. I wanted to stay in shape. I wanted to be well traveled. I wanted to see the best movies, the best plays, and listen to the best music. I wanted to build my practice, meet my financial goals, and be the best father and husband that I could be. In short, I had become adept at keeping the cup of my life full to the brim. I did not ever really stop to think about the fact that at some point, I was going to lose all of those things. At some point, my life on this world would stop and I would have to let go of all of those things that had filled my cup. In the same way that my grandfather and Mrs. Van Damme had slipped away, I too would slip away from this world. As a matter of fact, so too would everyone that I ever met.

The process of emptying my cup would at some point be done for me, whether I wanted it done or not. Those two wonderful souls had given me a precious gift before leaving this world. The insight they left me with had given way to a sense of peace and harmony that remains with me to this day.

The cup of life has the capacity to fill itself each day with a myriad of tasks, both big and small, that we struggle to complete as best we can before we sleep. The reality is however, that we can never really get it all done. No matter how hard we try, something remains undone at the end of the day.

Those little undone tasks consume the waking and sleeping moments of our lives and without realizing it, we often surrender the serenity and peace that we truly deserve to worry and anxiety.

If we choose, we can let go of that cup and fully empty it at any moment that we choose. In a moment, we can choose to contemplate the silence of togetherness, the beauty of sharing life with another. Let me suggest a few methods that you can use to gradually learn to empty your cup:

1. Take twenty minutes a day to sit, close your eyes, and do nothing. You don’t have to count your breaths, say a mantra, or visualize anything. These minutes are yours. Allow your mind to drift for this special space in time. Try to incorporate doing this each day no matter how busy your day becomes.

These minutes are yours. Allow your mind to drift for this special space in time. Try to incorporate doing this each day no matter how busy your day becomes.

2. Share your twenty quiet minutes with a friend or loved one. If you like, hold their hands while you share this time. Let your minds drift together. Try not to talk. Remember to smile.

3. Take two hours each week to do something that you absolutely love. Write out a list of things that you like to do. I mean truly, absolutely like to do. Make an exhaustive search inside your psyche for those things that ignite your passion. Then, clear two hours once weekly to indulge yourself in one or more of the items on your list. You will come to find that these times will become some of the most precious and special times of your life.

Read the reviews!

"This is a helpful resource to individuals who want to consciously live a good life. I enjoyed the simplicity of the message and the ease with which the author makes his points with creative metaphors. The author has an honest, genuine voice that is positive about human potential. Anyone interested in psychology and self-improvement will enjoy his insights. There is depth and complexity to the messages conveyed in each of the insights, yet it is very accessible to laypeople."

--Bibliophile, Amazon Reviewer

"Anyone looking for some guidance and friendly advice will want to read Nine Insights for that extra needed push in the right direction. It is not a long read and the sentences are well spaced but it is informative in a caring way that will warm the reader to its graces."

--One Day at a Time

"If you are looking for a self-help book that can guide you in the essentials for a happier life - this is the one."

--Penny Brien

PURCHASE NINE INSIGHTS FOR A HAPPY AND SUCCESSFUL LIFE AT AMAZON!

Dr. Mitchell Gibson is one of the world’s leading authorities on the interface of science, the human soul, and the frontiers of human consciousness. He is the best-selling author of Your Immortal Body of Light, Signs of Mental Illness, Signs of Psychic and Spiritual Ability, The Living Soul, and Ancient Teaching Stories.

He has delivered addresses to many of the world’s largest conferences related to science and consciousness. These include, The International Science and Consciousness Conference, The Sivananda Ashram Annual Symposium, International Institute of Integral Human Sciences, The SSGRR-IT Conference on Advances in Electronic Medicine in Italy, The Southeast Regional Unity Ministers Conference, The Northwest Astrological Association, The American Federation of Astrologers and many others.
Dr. Gibson has been a consultant for Fortune 500 companies, Hollywood celebrities, professional athletes, A&E Network, NBC, ABC, and CBS regional affiliate television stations, newspapers, radio stations.

He has been a guest on hundreds of radio programs and was the host of his own TV show in Phoenix called “The Doctor’s Corner” for more than eight years. He has been a consultant for A&E for a project entitled “The Other Side”. He was also contacted as a consultant by the History Channel for a project entitled “Seekers 2012″.

Dr. Gibson was born in Pinehurst, North Carolina on August 24, 1959. He was born to William James and Mary Magdalene Gibson. One of five children, Gibson’s parent’s separated when he was 6 years old and he grew up in Ellerbe North Carolina; a small farming community near Pinehurst.

Gibson excelled in academics and received a full scholarship to Florida A&M University. He majored in Premedical Science and graduated at the top of his class, magna cum laude.

Dr. Gibson received his medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He then completed his residency training at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. During his last year of residency he served as Chief Resident in Psychiatry and received the Albert Einstein Foundation Research Award for his work in Sleep Disorders.

Dr. Gibson then moved to Phoenix Arizona where he became Chief of Staff at the East Valley Camelback Hospital in Mesa Arizona.

Dr. Gibson has been listed among the Top Doctors in Arizona in the Phoenix magazine on several occasions. He has also twice been named to the Woodward and White listing of the “Best Doctors in America”.

In 2003, 2004, and 2005 he was honored with listings in the Consumer Research Council of America’s compilation of the Top Psychiatrists in America. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, the American College of Forensic Medicine, and the American Board of Forensic Examiners.

Visit Dr. Gibson online at http://www.tybro.com/.

Guest Blogger: Marilyn Meredith, Author of Bears With Us

My special guest today is Marilyn Meredith, author of the award-winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series. The latest book is titled, Bears With Us.

A burglar turns out to be a bear and Deputy Tempe Crabtree and her pastor husband, Hutch, chase the bear out of the house. This is their first encounter with a bear and the occupants of the home, an elderly couple and their daughter—and it isn’t the last.

A bear turns up at the school, at a restaurant, an apple orchard and two more homes. That is only part of what Tempe is called to handle. A teenager’s suicide, a mother who doesn’t like her daughter’s boyfriend, a wandering senior with a strange form of Alzheimer’s, and a long ago love affair keep Tempe hopping.

AN EVENT THAT INSPIRED MY DEPUTY TEMPE CRABTREE MYSTERIES BY MARILYN MEREDITH


Before I began writing about Tempe, I was invited to a Pow Wow by a friend who’d been asked to take photos of the participants of the event. My job was to write down the names of the people she took pictures of, and get parents’ permission if the subject was a child.

It was my first Pow Wow and I was fascinated. The outfits the dancers wore were beautiful and the dances mesmerizing. I learned the meanings of some of the dances, and believe me, I took notes like crazy.

That evening, I was invited to my friend’s home for dinner and two of her other guests were Native American friends who’d come to town for the Pow Wow. Fascinated, I mainly just listened. I learned they had a garden of native plants surrounding their home, and opened it to visitors. Again, more note taking.

The very first book in the series, Deadly Trail, is mainly set around the Bear Creek Inn, where Nick Two John has created a path through a garden of native plants, some medicinal, others deadly.

The second book in the series, Deadly Omen, begins at a Pow Wow. One of the candidates for Pow Wow Princess is murdered. The best praise I’ve had for this book is an Indian from our local reservation who read the book and called me. His comment was, “I wanted to tell you that you got it right.”

In order to continue with the series, I’ve visited the nearby reservation and learned a lot about their beliefs and legends.

One thing I need to add here though, is I’m writing fiction. The reservation I’m writing about is fictional as are all the Indians—but as I’ve admitted, I borrow a lot from our local Native Americans.

The latest in the series is Bears With Us.

Deputy Tempe Crabtree has her hands full when bears turn up in and around Bear Creek, a young teen commits suicide and his parents’ actions are suspicious, a prominent woman files a complaint against Tempe and her preacher husband Hutch, a love affair from long ago comes to light, and a woman suffering from dementia disappears.

You can find it in all forms at the publisher:

http://mundania.com/book.php?title=Bears+With+Us/

And of course, it’s available in all the usual places.

The entire series can be obtained through Mundania Press http://www.mundania.com/

Marilyn Meredith is the author of over thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest Bears With Us from Mundania Press. Writing as F. M. Meredith, her latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel is Angel Lost, the third from Oak Tree Press. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, Four chapters of Sisters in Crime, including the Central Coast chapter, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and her blog at http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/


CONTEST DETAILS: Would you like to be immortalized in print? Marilyn Meredith is running a contest during her BEARS WITH US virtual book tour. Whoever leaves a comment on the most blog sites during the tour, will have his or her name used for a character in Marilyn’s next book. Please visit http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/08/11/bears-with-us-virtual-book-tour-october-2011/ for her entire schedule. Good luck!

Book Spotlight: Death with Dignity by Robert Orfali

In Death with Dignity, Orfali makes a compelling case for legalized physician-assisted dying. Using the latest data from Oregon and the Netherlands, he puts a fresh new slant on perennial debate topics such as “slippery slopes,” “the integrity of medicine,” and “sanctity of life.” His engaging writing style brings clarity to these issues. The content is thought-provoking; the arguments are well-researched, air-tight, and original.


This extraordinary book provides an in-depth look at how we die in America today. It examines the shortcomings of our end-of-life system. You’ll learn about terminal torture in hospital ICUs and about the alternatives: hospice and palliative care. With laser-sharp focus, Orfali scrutinizes the good, the bad, and the ugly. He provides an insightful critique of the practice of palliative sedation. The book makes a strong case that assisted dying complements hospice. By providing both, Oregon now has the best palliative-care system in America. Reading this book, above all, may help you or someone you care about navigate this strange landscape we call “end of life.” It can be your gentle and informed guide to “a good death” in the age of hospice and high-tech medical intervention

PURCHASE FROM AMAZON!

Robert Orfali, the guru of client/server systems in the early days of Silicon Valley, co-authored three best-selling books that demystified the complexity of these mission-critical systems and made them understandable to a whole new generation of programmers. The books sold over a million copies. In this book, Robert uses his analytical skills to deconstruct the most complex system he has yet encountered: our modern end-of-life system. He wrote this book after helping his soulmate and coauthor, Jeri, navigate her death from ovarian cancer in 2009. The deep emotions Robert felt allowed him to look at how we die from a different perspective, another angle. Robert also wrote Grieving a Soulmate.

Visit the author’s website and read more book excerpts at Death with Dignity

Book Spotlight: Act of Grace by Karen Simpson

Why would Grace Johnson, an African American high school senior, take a bullet to save the life of a Ku Klux Klansman named Jonathan Gilmore?

The question hovers unanswered over Grace’s hometown of Vigilant, Michigan. Few people, black or white, understand her sacrifice, especially since rumor has it years ago a member of Gilmore’s family murdered several African Americans including Grace’s father. Grace doesn’t want to talk about it, but the decision to speak is not hers to make. Ancestor spirits emerge to insist, in ways Grace cannot ignore, that she bear witness to her town’s violent racial history so that all involved might transcend it.

With hindsight made telescopic by the wisdom found in African American mythology and the book The Velveteen Rabbit, Grace recounts a story of eye-for-an-eye vengeance that has blinded entire generations in her hometown. Faced with the horrific crimes that have disfigured her life, Grace wonders if in the end, she can do as the spirits have asked and lead Mr. Gilmore, the town of Vigilant and her own soul on a journey toward reconciliation, redemption and true grace.

Read an excerpt!

PROLOGUE—RISE

Mr. Gilmore was supposed to have died that day at the Justice Rally, but I got in the way and now people in my hometown of Vigilant, Michigan, are either calling me an Uncle Tom hero or hissing that I’m a double-stuffed Oreo bitch. Actually I’m neither, but I realize now that one of the reasons why people’s attitudes about me are as nasty as dried snot is because there is a critical lack of information about my motives. Those who love me already understand my reasons. For them, it’s enough for me to say the ancestors made me do it. Other folks, however, especially other folks of color, feel I need to testify about why I, Grace Johnson, a supposedly rational African-American high school senior and honor student committed racial treason.

If it were up to me, I wouldn’t say anything. I would just leave everyone in the dark and go on about my business. But, the voices of the ancestors tell me I owe an account of my story as an example of the true meaning of my name. Now, I can blow people off, I can tell them what part of hell to go to and give them detailed directions on how to get there. The ancestors, however, cannot be ignored. They can’t be told to mind their own ethereal business because we, the living, are their business. Pain and suffering have made my hindsight telescopic, so let’s begin at the true beginning, a breath to prime my memory: “Rise, story, rise.

Read the reviews!
"Grace’s intimate narration and folksy-but-modern-Southern-down-home voice immediately pulls the reader into the story. You can’t help but like her: she’s sassy, she’s smart, and when her Nana explains to her that she is to be a conduit for their ancestral spirits, you know immediately that the right girl was chosen for the task."
~Marlon Edwards-The Speculative Literature Foundation

"Loved this story. I was even more impressed when I realized that this is Ms. Simpson’s first novel. Her style of writing is just beautiful, as she weaves the character’s stories together in a seamless journey. I don’t want to be a spoiler, but let me just say that this is a timely novel that reveals much about race, gender, and the search for peace across generations. My guess is that there are many among us who will be able to relate to Grace’s journey, as she is challenged by her spirits to push herself further than she ever thought possible. Bravo! I can’t wait for the movie."

~Lisa Ruby

PURCHASE ACT OF GRACE AT AMAZON!

Karen Simpson is passionate about the craft of writing fiction, the art of quilting, and the discipline of historical research. She received her bachelor’s degree in Animal Husbandry, M.A. in Foreign and International Trade and a M.S. in Historic Preservation. A historic preservationist trained in heritage interpretation and administration, the subjects and themes of her fiction are often taken from the stories she discovers while doing research for museum exhibits. In 2009 Simpson was awarded the Speculative Literature Foundation’s Older Writers Grant. She is lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Act of Grace is her first novel.

You can visit Karen Simpson’s website at http://www.karensimpsonwrites/, her blog at http://www.lafreya.blogspot.com/ or connect with her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lafreya1



Horror Novel Month: Embraced by the Shadows by Mayra Calvani

In a bazaar in Istanbul one evening, ten-year-old Alana Piovanetti sees a man standing in the shadows. He smiles, and over time she convinces herself that it was just her imagination that placed sharp fangs amongst those flashing teeth.


Twelve years later, Alana is surprised when she is chosen to manage a new restaurant opening in her home city of San Juan. She has neither training nor experience to justify her success. But La Cueva del Vampiro has the kind of ambience she adores, for Alana has always had a penchant for horror and the dark side of life. Yet she is also plagued with dreams of dark sensuality, dreams that take on shattering reality when she meets the stunningly handsome, charismatic Sadash.

For Sadash is the man she saw in the shadows so many years before...and Sadash isn't human….

Read an excerpt!
 
Prologue

Istanbul, twelve years ago

The Grand Bazaar was bustling with locals and tourists, as it had always been on warm summer nights for the past few centuries. The glitter of gold and copper and brass, lavishly displayed behind dozens of shop windows, could dazzle anybody's eyes. Heavy spices, Ottoman sweets of grape and nut pastes with the promise of aphrodisiac qualities, sacks filled with Arab coffees and the best teas from the northeastern little city of Rize, almond oils and musks, hennas, hundreds of hand-made silk carpets, their bright colors and details blinding. And the leather…endless rows of leather shops, filled with the soft yet pungent scent of animal skins. A very loud, wildly exotic belly-dancing melody came out of one of the shops, and an oddly pleasing smell, that of cigarette smoke mixed with incense and raki—the local alcoholic drink made from anise—hovered in the air.

The girl with long red curls stood in front of one of the many shops which swarmed this ancient place. She gazed intently at an oil painting of angels displayed in the window. Dramatic and disturbing, the painting depicted in painful detail an auburn-haired angel being cast out of Heaven.

From afar, the vampire watched.

Same profile, same hair. Uncanny, the resemblance. Just like...

For a bitter second the vampire closed his eyes and commanded himself to forget. Then everything was fine again, and his eyes opened and the ghost of a smile crossed his face.

Three centuries ago he would have drunk from her. No man, woman or child could be safe from him during those first dark days. His hunger insatiable, he would have been lost in the rapture of the draught. But that was three centuries ago. Nowadays he preferred men with cold murder in their past, and he liked to take them completely, loving the gush of warm blood in his mouth, until he ceased to hear the haunting, drum-like beat of the heart.

The girl seemed mesmerized by the painting of the fallen angel. The virulent clouds; the agonizing faces of the good angels surrounding the “fallen” one; the almost palpable sadness and rage, all stroke a deep cord within her.

The vampire could see through her artistic soul; unbeknown to herself, she had fallen in love with the beauty of the colors, the purity of the lines, and the tragic fatalism of it.

He read her thoughts…

She loved the painting. She wanted her mom to buy it for her, but she knew her mom wouldn’t. It looked way too expensive…

And then something happened. She seemed to sense his presence, turned around, and stared right into his direction.

She frowned, uncertain. Something about him had caught her attention. His tall frame dressed in black, a flash of white teeth.

The vampire retreated into the shadows of the alley. He felt a twinge of guilt. He had not meant to frighten her.

The girl’s mother and uncle, carrying bags of goods and souvenirs in their hands, stepped out of the shop. The girl pointed to the painting and pleaded with her mother to get it for her. Her mother took one look at it and shook her head. “That’s morbid!” she said, then went on to argue that she had already bought her many gifts and her unreasonable requests would make them bankrupt. Nevertheless, she went inside the shop to ask for the price. A moment later she came back, looking incredulous and muttering in disbelief, “Ridiculous! A thousand dollars for that thing. Sorry, mi amor, but I can’t afford it.”

As they headed toward the exit of the bazaar, the girl glanced over her shoulder to the alley. But this time she didn’t see him.

After the girl was out of sight, the vampire walked into one of the many ill-reputed, dark narrow streets near the bazaar and finished off a couple of shabby, despicable-looking mortals in two intense short draughts.

Then he walked back to the shop to purchase the painting.

Read the reviews!

"[Embraced by the Shadows] is a superbly written, deftly balanced story of love and death and twisted loyalties that will keep you enthralled from beginning to end. More importantly, it will make you think and perhaps take a closer look at the shadowed corners of your own psyche.”

–The Blue Iris Journal


"Mysterious, intriguing and somewhat unsettling at times, this novel is a must for all vampire reading fans. A rich, twisting plot and a surprising ending awaits you."

--The Midwest Book Review

"[Embraced by the Shadows] is a wonderful tale of a woman torn between a love she can not resist and a life she does not understand. Alana is a character to fall in love with... Mayra Calvani did an exemplary job in weaving this story of passion, love and betrayal. Once the reviewer started the prologue she was hooked and could not put this book down. This is a must read for fans of paranormal!"

--Love Romances

“A dark brooding novel, Calvani takes us on a journey into the darkest corners of our hopes and desires, especially the desire of all humans to somehow survive and how far would we go if we were given the chance to live forever...This is a must read for all fans of vampire romance novels.”

--Murder & Mayhem Book Club

"...For any of you female readers that have always had the fantasy of your masculine vampire following you all through your life and not revealing himself until he thinks you are ready, this book is for you. This was an excellent read."

--ParaNormal Romance Reviews

PURCHASE EMBRACED BY THE SHADOWS FROM TWILIGHT TIMES BOOKS AND AMAZON!

To celebrate the release of her new novel, Marya is giving away two of her other books for free. This offer will run until Halloween night only. Of course, she hopes you’ll consider supporting her work by purchasing a copy of Embraced by the Shadows, but if for whatever reason you decide not to, the two free ebooks are still yours to download. This is her Halloween gift to you!

The FREE ebooks she is giving away are: Dark Lullaby and The Cat Cellar and Other Stories and they’re available in various formats on Smashwords:

Dark Lullaby https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94529

The Cat Cellar and Other Stories https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95031

Mayra Calvani writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults.  She’s co-author of The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing, a ForeWord Best Book of the Year Award winner. She’s had over 300 stories, articles, interviews and reviews published. A reviewer for more than a decade, she now offers numerous book review workshops online. She also offers workshops on the art of picture book writing. Mayra is a proud member of the Working Writer's Club. Visit her website at http://www.mayracalvani.com/. Be sure to check out her free ebooks at http://mayracalvani.com/freebies.