Reviews!

To any authors/publishers/ tour companies that are looking for the reviews that I signed up for please know this is very hard to do. I will be stopping reviews temporarily. My husband passed away February 1st and my new normal is a bit scary right now and I am unable to concentrate on a book to do justice to the book and authors. I will still do spotlight posts if you wish it is just the reviews at this time. I apologize for this, but it isn't fair to you if I signed up to do a review and haven't been able to because I can't concentrate on any books. Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time. I appreciate all of you. Kathleen Kelly April 2nd 2024

06 January 2016

Things Unsaid by Diana Y.Paul Spotlight!

Book Details

  • Paperback: 270 pages
  • Publisher: She Writes Press (October 13, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1631528122
  • ISBN-13: 978-1631528125
Things Unsaid, a tale portraying family in all its emotional complexity, traces back three generations rooted in guilt, karma, obligation, duty and broken promises.
Jules, a former professor at Stanford, is sandwiched between competing obligations: to her husband Mike and daughter Zoë and to her dying parents. Jules and Mike have set aside a college fund to pay for Zoë’s tuition as she will be leaving for Stanford soon. But then her parents lose everything in the Great Recession of 2008 and she must choose between her daughter’s future and her dying parents.
Things Unsaid raises the following questions: Do you ever worry about helping your elderly parents with their expenses at the same time you want to help your own children? Are you uncomfortable having to choose between competing obligations? A tale of family love, dysfunction, and sense of duty over forty years. Jules, her sister, and her brother share the same events yet experience them differently, defining themselves in terms of the family they think they know. Ever-shifting covenants between parents and children reveal mismatches that neither mend nor end. Think: “August: Osage County” meets Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant with a touch of Olive Kitteridge.
Diana Y. Paul was born in Akron, Ohio and is a graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in both psychology and philosophy and of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Ph.D in Buddhist Studies.
THINGS UNSAID is her debut novel and published by She Writes Press. It is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble as well as at your favorite indie bookstore including BookWorks in Pacific Grove, River House Books in Carmel, Bookshop Santa Cruz, and Folio Books in San Francisco.  Her short stories have appeared in a number of literary journals and she is currently working on a second novel, A Perfect Match. Currently, she lives in Carmel, CA with her husband and loves to create mixed media art, focusing on printmaking in her studio. To learn more about her and her work, visit her other website at www.unhealedwound.com or follow her on Twitter: @DianaPaul10.

Earlier Non-Fiction Work

As a Stanford professor, she has authored three books on Buddhism, one of which has been translated into Japanese and German (Women in Buddhism, University of California Press). All of her books are available on Amazon.

Lucifer & the indigo kids By Lord Ra Krishna El Poetry Spotlight!


 Lucifer & the indigo kids
By Lord Ra Krishna El
Genre: Poetry, Philosophy

This "new age" book of poetry reflects the diverse views and philosophies of it's author Lord Ra Krishna EL. It's an intimate, humorous and thought provoking group of poems intended to evoke strong emotion. To quote the german philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, this style of poetry can be called "Zukunfts poesie" which translates into "Poetry of the future", where truly original ideas are presented thru poetry.

It's subjects include society, pop culture, religious dogma, God and the new age of Aquarius. This book was written and published during the false incarceration of its author in Chicago's notorious Cook County Jail.


Author Bio
Lord Ra - Krishna EL is an artist, poet and philosopher. After graduating with a degree in psychology Ra moved to Germany to play professional basket ball, from there he went on to live in various countries including France, China, Amsterdam and South America. His studies are but not limited to metaphysics, ancient Egyptian mystery and Hermetic Philosophies.


On Twitter: @Lord_Ra_Krishna
On Author House: http://bit.ly/1jahneQ



05 January 2016

Annie Rose Welch – Saving Angels Series On Sale for $1.99 until January 11th, 2016





Annie Rose Welch – Saving Angels Series
On Sale for $1.99 until January 11th, 2016

Buy Links:

Amazon AU: http://goo.gl/tT6Qt7


Synopsis, Excerpts and Teasers

Marigny Street – Saving Angels #1
  






Synopsis:

Do you believe in the power of dreams? 

Way down south on Marigny Street in the heart of New Orleans, the land of Catholic intercessions, purgatory, and supernatural superstitions, young Evangeline Chenier dreams of a radiant boy who saves her from a storm. She takes the dream seriously – in her family, dreams are sometimes more than dreams. Sometimes they foretell the future. Sometimes they create it. 

Years later, Eva is no longer the same wistful girl but a hardened woman who no longer believes in dreams. Losing faith in her gift, she becomes lost in a nightmare of emotion, mourning her son, separating from her husband, and stewing in a dead-end job. And then fate brings her an unlikely surprise: one of the most famous movie stars in the world, Gabriel Roberts. 

Caught by something in his eyes, Eva agrees to show him the real Big Easy on his last night in New Orleans—an evening that turns into four dreamy days spent recapturing lost faith and discovering a love neither expected. Realizing Gabriel is the boy from her childhood dream, Eva must leave everything behind—her husband, her family, her history, and the beautiful city she calls home—and gamble it all for the dream that has saved her on MARIGNY STREET.


Excerpt:

I shook my head. “Tell me, Gabriel, what are your dreams about?”
“Nothing.  I never dream.”  He shrugged.
“Never?”
“I’ve never once in my life had a dream.  And I never look in a mirror – or I try my hardest not to anyway.”
“Why?”  How could you never dream?  Or look in a mirror?
He sighed.  “I believe the only things in this life that can truly show your reflection are the things you love the most in this world.  And I don’t love myself enough to want to look in the mirror.”  He laughed.  “But when I look at you I can see myself perfectly.  And even though I never dream, I do pray.  Do you want to know what I prayed for before I met you?”
I nodded.
“I prayed for an angel – to save me.  I asked for a little help from up above, and now you’re here.  You are cake and ice cream; sugar and spice, and everything nice.  And when you smile, you make me feel the way the world looks when the sun shines through a foggy day.”
All I could do was smile.


Teasers:











Synopsis, Excerpts, and Teasers

Red Dirt Road – Saving Angels #2




Synopsis:

The Saving Angels Series continues…

A new cast is introduced, while journeys already taken start to merge with the present, leading you down the old Red Dirt Road.

Death has always seemed just one step behind Layla Hill, taking almost everyone she’s ever loved. After she loses the love of her life, Layla vows to never love again—how could she, when she’s a death magnet?

Trying to outrun fate traveling with her uncle Willie and his band, Layla meets Michael Roberts, a beautiful Irish boxer as gentle on the piano as he is brutal in the ring. He proves as relentless in life, fighting for a place in her world even as she pushes him away, trying to protect him from her killer tendencies.

But neither foresees the sinister presence waiting for Layla at the end of the Red Dirt Road.



Excerpt:

“Yes, you do.  The games we both play.  The way you constantly run away from me.  How you hide in your office and watch me from afar, from behind the window blind.  Do you need me to point out the indention you’ve made?  I see you, just like you see me when I’m watching and looking for you.  I refuse to love you from afar anymore.  This is ridiculous!”

“No, it’s not!  Yes, okay, I admit, I do watch and dream about you, because it’s the only thing I can do, the only way to keep you safe and satisfy myself.  I refuse to lose you.  I won’t.”

“You’re not going to lose me.  Please, stop putting those thoughts in your head.  I cannot promise you that I’ll live forever, but I’ll try my hardest to stay with you for as long as God’s willing to allow me.”

“Which won’t be long when the universe confuses you for me and takes you from me.”

The honesty was spilling out – slightly slurred but freely given. 

“There is no force in the world that could take me away from you.  I was meant for you.  I was created for you.  I can feel it.  I come alive when you’re near me.  Can’t you see that?”

He pulled my face toward his, forcing me to look at him.

“You’re killing me by forcing me away, yet you worry about my life being taken.  You can’t see that you’re doing that yourself by pushing me away!  You need to stop living life this way.  You’re wasting your gift.  Before you know it, your life is going to be over and so is mine, and there will be no going back.  So please, it would be an honor to love you, freely, without any hesitation.  You’re going to have to decide, right now: what do you want.  Do you want me to leave?  Or do you want me to stay and love you?  Let me love you!”

The choice seemed so easy – it was either life or death – but I was so confused.

“I don’t know…”

He slammed his hands against the wall.

“Tell me!  What do you want, Layla?”


Teasers:









Synopsis, Excerpts, and Teasers

Lotus Blossom Lane – Saving Angels #3




Synopsis:

Life after Yuma was blissful for Layla and Michael.  After the turmoil of the old Red Dirt Road, their journey seemed to be moving them in the right direction, leading them to Ireland, Michael’s birthplace, where history runs deep and secrets run even deeper.  As the road to happily-ever-after leads them down Lotus Blossom Lane, years of entombed history starts to emerge, changing the course of their lives forever.  And the person waiting for them at the end of Lotus Blossom Lane, one of the biggest starts in the world, will bring them to the Crossroads of the Saving Angels Series.



Excerpt:

“Can you believe this?” I closed my eyes, and the tiny specks felt like confetti falling delicately on my face.

He turned my face toward his. “Look into my eyes, Mrs. Roberts,” he whispered. “There’s nothing on this earth more gorgeous than you, in this moment. I refuse to take my eyes away from you.” He continued to search my eyes, just as if he was seeing me for the first time. “From this moment on, you’ll never be alone. Never, for as long as we fly together, will I ever let you fall.” He rested his forehead against mine.

“I love you,” I breathed onto his lips as the snow continued to fall around us, turning the earth bright white in the pitch-black darkness.


Teasers:










Synopsis, Excerpts, and Teasers

The Crossroads– Saving Angels #4




Synopsis:

How do you get there, darlin’? Well, na’, you start by taking Brighten Place. Follow that road all the way down to Marigny Street. After you travel a little distance you’ll come to an old Red Dirt Road, and that road will take you even further, to Lotus Blossom Lane, but you’ve already been that way. Na’ you’re exactly where you should be, darlin’. You’ve arrived at The Crossroads of your life.
Gabriel Roberts is the most famous movie star in the world. He has everything one man could ever want. He has everything except the one thing he feels will fulfill his purpose and complete his life.
Raphael Rose is dying of pneumonia. As he waits on the waning clock of mortality to chime, he has a story to share. One of the star-crossed lovers he has never lost hope for.
Two doors down, Madam Catalina has her own story – a shocking past, a love of a lifetime left undone.
Locked behind the doors of Charity Hospital during Hurricane Evangeline, the tangling of souls has unraveled and left each of them at the crossroads of their life. And in the end, whichever road they choose will lead them home.


Excerpt:

But there is a charge between us that cannot be ignored. It’s too strong, and there seems to be a light created from the two of us. I don’t know if it’s the tension of issues, the heat, all of the strange occurrences and discoveries over the last couple of hours, or all of the above, but I throw myself on her.

I crush my mouth against hers, forcing her back to the wall. A slight moan escapes her mouth as she pulls me closer, runs her hands through my hair. She leaps up, her legs wrapping around my waist, her hands somehow lifting my shirt. The momentum sends me crashing into the shelf behind us. Things fall around us in disarray. But nothing else matters. She has something I desperately need.

I feel her body, all of it, her tender flesh, her nirvana curves as I run my lips back and forth against the base of her throat. I can feel the beat of the pulse beneath her skin throbbing against me. I can taste the salty sweat on her skin, but it’s mixed with sweetness, like delicious wild honey. And I can’t seem to get enough, as my tongue finds the delicate skin just above her breasts, making a trail back to her lips.

She pulls away from the kiss, my teeth lightly biting on her bottom lip. She sways back and forth with the rhythm and the rocking of our bodies moving in perfect harmony. She comes toward me again, our lips meeting in some desperate plea. Her hair falls wildly around us, only making her seem unreal. I moan into her mouth, knowing she can feel the vibration of my need against her tongue while my fingers get lost in the thickness of her hair. I can spend my forever kissin’ on her this way, buryin’ myself, losing myself in her this way.


Teasers:









Synopsis, Excerpts, and Teasers

Sparrow Way– Saving Angels #5



Synopsis:

The final journey of the Saving Angels series has come to an end. All roads have led you to…

“What’s the address?” she asks.

“Eleven Sparrow Way.”

She closes her eyes for a moment. “I like that. Our journey has flown us here, flown us home….”

Gabriel Roberts found his happily ever after at The Crossroads of his life. He found his brother, Michael, his history in the Legion, and the love of his life, his Evangeline. He has finally arrived at the place he always yearned for—home.

But time stops for no one; not even an angel.

For years, Gabriel has guarded what is most precious to him, Evangeline and their transcendent love story. When the opportunity presents itself in an unexpected way, Gabriel decides to tell his story, and in doing so, answers the riddle of his heart: If life is the journey of years, perhaps love is the journey of a lifetime?


Excerpt:

The concierge had arranged for us two cruising bikes so that we could explore the area and voyage to the famous restaurant that we had heard so much about.
Eva hops on the purple one, sticking me with the pink one that has a wicker basket attached to the front.
“That’s for the fly comment.” She snickers.
“Real men work pink,” I say. “Or so Brad says. He told me my coloring is perfect for pink.”
We cruise into the misty day, the sun barely shining through the many Monterey cypress trees that line the hilly area. Eva steadies her bike and releases the handle- bars. She spreads her arms wide like a bird spreading its wings.
As we peddle, I hear music in the distance floating from one of the houses on the opposite side of the street. I listen harder, trying to place the beat.
“Do you hear that?” I bounce a bit from the turbulence of the tires.
Eva grabs the handlebars. “I would never leave you alone...something, something, something.”
“Hell yeah!” I beat the handlebars with my thumbs to the heavy pace of the drums. “Eva, ‘I’ll be’...” I sing some of the song. “I love The Karate Kid! This place reminds me of the movie.”
“That’s about the only movie you do like.”
“It’s a classic, like Rocky. And if we weren’t riding these bicycles, I’d show you my karate moves! Hi-ya!” I chop the air. “What are you laughing about? You just don’t know the moves your husband has!”
“Hold on, Gabriel-san! Banzai!” Eva shouts before we go flying down a steep street.
“I love it here. I feel like I can breathe better! The air seems lighter.”
“Don’t get used to it. “We’re not taking up permanent residency in the big shake.” I take the camera from the basket as the bole straightens out. I slow down a bit, getting a prime shot of her butt bouncing up and down on the seat. “The scenery is quite beautiful, though.”
She looks behind for a second. “Race you!” She starts going faster and I have to take the camera and throw it in the basket to peddle harder.


Teasers:









Author Bio:



Born and raised in New Orleans, Annie has a habit of shortening her words and telling long stories. She speaks with a southern flair and cooks with it too. At the tender age of twenty- one, she hitched up her wagons (took her first plane ride) and moved out west to the big shake (California). 

Her writing career began one sleepless night when she imagined a gorgeous woman and a man with maniacal hair floating above her like lightening bugs falling from the sky. Curious about them, their story, and why they were floating around in her head, she sat down and penned (typed) her first novel, Marigny Street. A dream come true for her, she hasn't stopped writing since. She loves a damn good love story, always has, no matter what the genre. She is particularly moved by imperfect love that in its own unique way is perfect, the notion of love at first sight, soul mates, and things that are generally out of the norm.

When she's not writing she enjoys dabbling in photography and finding new, inspirational music to add to her collection. Deciding on a whim to hitch up those same wagons, Annie currently resides in Texas (where everything is bigger) with her husband, daughter, and their two peculiar dogs, Boudreaux and Tabasco (who, call her crazy, bark with an accent). 

For lagniappe (a little extra), a virtual cup of café au lait and beignets, please visit Annie's website:
www.annierosewelch.com 

She can also be found on Facebook & Twitter.





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