Tuesday, November 22, 2016

The Forgotten Carols



Popular Musical Production ‘The Forgotten Carols’ celebrates 25th Anniversary

The Forgotten Carols, a seasonal concert favorite, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.  Michael McLean, a well-known performer, composer, songwriter, author and director staged his first one-man concert in 1991 with the hopes of it becoming a tradition families would enjoy. For those first performances McLean played all the parts to give people a sense of how families could create their own narration at home.
Over the course of the last 25 years, McLean’s modest one-man show has evolved into a huge theatrical production with over 1 million concertgoers enjoying the music that has become a time-honored Christmas tradition and attracts repeat attendance from guests of all ages. The show has been produced all over the world in limited runs, including shows in Ireland, Germany, England and even Ukraine. “One of the great things about touring is seeing the familiar faces that have been coming for years and are part of the Forgotten Carols family,” shares McLean. “New comers and longtime devoted fans of this production keep the magic of the performance alive. We embrace, giggle, and sometimes cry at these reunions.” 
The Forgotten Carols 2016 concert schedule includes performances in four states Utah, Idaho, Nevada, and Arizona. The production has arranged over 20 shows in 12 different cities and showcases an elegant arrangement of special musical choral performances and solos. McLean stars as one of the musical’s primary characters, John, an elderly gentleman who helps Constance, a young nurse who can’t be bothered with Christmas, discover a new love for the season.   
Each year, local community and student choirs are invited to perform alongside the professional Forgotten Carol company members during the concert in their cities. It’s important to McLean and the show's producers to preserve this tradition that keeps the magic alive for an enchanting experience each year. 
Performance tickets are on sale now. For a complete listing of concert dates and locations or to purchase tickets visit the website at www.forgottencarols.com. Dates below, as well as a chance to win free tickets!




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Sunday, November 20, 2016

Blog Tour: The Traveller Series

blogtourbanner-teohthetravellerseries-presentation
About, The Traveller Series:
The series started from a longing to want to travel after hearing all the good and bad tales from long term backpackers.
Every single piece that made it and didn’t make it in this is book has a special place in my heart as they were the beginning of a journey of a memory that never happened, but a longing that was constant.
We all naturally have it in us to wonder and wander, it’s just a matter of allowing it to take you to places.

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About Tiffany Teoh: WEBSITE/FACEBOOK/TWITTER/INSTAGRAM Tiffany is a Malaysian born Chinese, of Peranakan heritage. She was raised in Kuala Lumpur until the age of 17 and proceeded to live in Australia for 8 years until the age of 25. She is currently hitchhiking and traveling around the world with her fiancé and their puppy. For more on Tiffany, visit her website.

giveaway
Click here or visit Royal James Publishing’s Facebook page to enter to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card and a digital copy of, The Traveller Series by Tiffany Teoh.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Blog Tour: The Wrong Side of Magic





Hudson Brown stopped believing in magic long ago. That is, until the day he is whisked away to the magical land of Logos by a curious compass given to him by his off-beat neighbor, Charlotte.

Hudson discovers that Logos is a land ruled by words, thoughts, and memories. A fairy might ferry you across the river for the price of one memory. But be sure to look out for snarky unicorns, as they will see through those who are not pure of heart.

Not understanding the many rules of Logos, Hudson is quickly saddled with a troll curse. Charlotte, who, along with her father, was banished from Logos, can help get rid of the curse--but only if he agrees to find the lost Princess of Logos in return.











Janette Rallison/ CJ Hill writes books because writing is much more fun than cleaning bathrooms.  Her avoidance of housework has led her to writing 26 novels that have sold over 1,000,000 print copies and have been on many reading and state lists. Her books are fantasy, sci-fi, and romantic comedy because hey, there is enough angst in real life, but there’s a drastic shortage of humor, romance and hot guys who fight dragons. She lives in Arizona with her husband, kids, and enough cats to classify her as eccentric. 

Connect with the Author here: 
~ Goodreads ~ Website ~
 ~ Amazon ~


Character Casting
The main characters include two thirteen-year-olds, a pair of snarky Brittish unicorns, and a couple six-foot-tall roaches, so it would be hard to name a complete cast. (I will resist the urge to cast politicians in the role of the roaches, although I really want to.)
Charlotte is a cute redhead, so perhaps Harley Bird would work but as far as Hudson . . . well, I wish Jonathan Taylor Thomas was thirteen and not thirty-five, because he had that sort of mischevious charm that I imagine Hudson to have.
The tyrant king is an easy call. I'd cast Tim Curry, probably because I thought he made such a convincing, animated, and yet likable Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island. (Yes, I do own the movie and can hum along with the songs.)
As far as Charlotte's father, Aziz Fantasmo, I always imagined him to be a lot like Christopher Lloyd from Back to the Future. He's just a little bit crazy and a flamboyant dresser. 

Snippet
SOMETIMES MAGIC SNEAKS up on a person like a sudden rainstorm, or bad news, or a mugger wearing really quiet shoes. That’s what happened to Hudson Brown. He was an average eighth grader, with average brown hair that usually needed to be cut and average brown eyes that didn’t always pay attention to his teachers. He lived in an average bedroom that needed to be cleaned and had average friends— many of whom also needed to be cleaned.
In short, Hudson was the type who hadn’t believed in magic for years. Truth be told, magic hadn’t believed in Hudson for even longer, but boys are often getting tangled in trouble, and Hudson was no exception. Except his trouble involved trolls, wizards, and several other things that wanted to kill him.
It started with a cat. Many problems do, which is why dogs, mice, and grumpy old men don’t like them.


To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 



Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Thankful for Cash $250 Giveaway!

Thankful for Cash Giveaway



Thankful for Cash $250 Giveaway
November 15th to December 15th

Enter for your chance to win a $250 Amazon Gift Code or $250 in Paypal Cash!! Thanks to this awesome group of bloggers and authors who have joined with me to bring you one fabulous prize!!

Sponsor List I Am A Reader Ebooks For Review Aubrey Wynne: Timeless Love Pat Esden Helen Smith The Book Referees Lori's Reading Corner Cynthia Luhrs Author Heather Gray Bookworm Lisa Elizabeth Isaacs Diana's Book Reviews Niki Danforth, author Barefoot by the Sea Caroline Clemmons Glistering: B's Blog Krysten Lindsay Hager Melissa A. Hanson, Author Bookroom Reviews Talia Jager Simple Wyrdings Every Free Chance Books Author Melissa Wright Laurie Here - Cont Fiction and MORE B. Kristin McMichael Author Inger Iversen Rockin' Book Reviews Nicole Tone Everly Frost, YA author Rachelle J. Christensen Cindy C Bennett Book Crazy Scrapbook Mama Melissa Giorgio  

Giveaway Details $250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com eGift Card Ends 12/15/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Book Tour: Doorway to Murder




Secrets lurk in a small New York town and betrayal is just around the corner. The morning after the worst blizzard of 1934, Detective Steven Blackwell takes on a highly charged murder case. The investigation starts badly: one clue, lots of lies and alibis. To make things worse, Steven is seeing visions of a woman in his house.

One night, she speaks. Her name is Olivia Watson and she lives in 2014. She believes time has folded over in the house they share. As their relationship deepens, Steven’s investigation intensifies. Soon he can no longer trust anyone in his own time. Can Olivia help crack the case—and catch a killer?

Reviews:

The past collides with the present in DOORWAY TO MURDER, an exciting new mystery by debut author Carol Pouliot.
With its fresh premise covering two eras that crackle off the page, Carol Pouliot introduces compelling characters to lead her series forward. Add a sharply written mystery with clever plot twists, and you have all the elements that make DOORWAY TO MURDER an accomplished debut.
Marni Graff, award-winning author, The Nora Tierney series and Death Unscripted

Mystery. Romance. Time-travel adventure. DOORWAY TO MURDER is the total package. Carol Pouliot interweaves the past and present as easily as I turned the pages. I highly recommend this fun read.
Betsy Bitner, award-winning humor columnist, Times Union (Albany, NY)

There's nothing I like more than a time-travel tale, but how much better to get a crisp, fair-play police procedural, too. The atmosphere grabbed me. The ending surprised me. I'm already looking forward to Steven and Olivia's next adventure.
Catriona McPherson, multi-award-winning author of the Edgar-shortlisted The Day She Died

Steven and Olivia make a great couple of crime busters in this era-jumping romance and hard-boiled police procedural. Join them. You’ll be glad you did.
Steve Axelrod, author of the Henry Kennis Nantucket mysteries






Hi! I’m Carol Pouliot. (French pronunciation the “t” is silent.)            


I’ve always loved books and learning. I can still picture the library my family went to when I was little. I remember my excitement picking out books. Now, the bookshelves lining the walls of my house are stuffed to over-flowing mysteries, political thrillers, time-travel, ancient Egypt, French literature, biographies of British kings and queens, and favorites from my childhood. I guess it was inevitable I’d want to write.

I fell in love with France and all things French at age 11. Throughout high school, I dreamed of getting my passport, packing my suitcase, and going to Paris. I graduated from SUNY Oswego with a BA in French and Spanish and got my MA in French at Stony Brook University. Then, I headed to France for my first teaching job.

After returning home to upstate New York, I taught French and Spanish for over 30 years. I also started my own business an agency that provided translations in over 24 languages.

I’ve always felt very much a part of the world and at home everywhere I’ve ever been 5 continents so far. I did volunteer work for a couple of international organizations. I loved getting to know people from all over the world. A friend from Kenya taught me some Swahili; a woman from Japan showed me how to make her mother’s favorite chicken recipe; a friend from Panama taught me to salsa. All these wonderful experiences have enriched my life beyond measure.

I currently live on several acres of woods in the lake-effect zone. This means I get about 10 feet of snow every year thanks to the strong winds off Lake Ontario. I enjoy seeing the deer, chipmunks, and foxes. I also love watching the birds at my kitchen-window feeders over 25 different kinds at the latest count.   

Connect with the Author here: 
~ Website

Author's Top Ten List

1. Writing
2. Going for a walk on a crisp fall day when the trees are changing color
3. Renting a car and exploring the countryside in a foreign country
4. Watching my great nephews play
5. Travelling by train
6. Going crazy at a Def Leppard concert
7. Savoring my espresso every morning
8. Snuggling under the covers with a good book
9. Watching the snow fall
10. Listening to the rain 

Snippet
Unaware of the blizzard raging all around her, Olivia Watson slept peacefully and dream-free, snuggled under a pile of blankets and thick comforter. A nightlight glowed at the end of the hall and the carriage clock on the mantle downstairs ticked away time. Like a lump of coal, Mr. Moto was curled up at the foot of her bed, tail twitching every now and then, little body rising in deep kitten breathing.

Hissssss shattered the silence. A current of air caressed her face and Olivia’s eyes flew open. Her heart was hammering against her chest, blood pounded in her ears. All her senses rocketed to high alert.

Someone was in the house.


To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 



Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Book Tour: League of Elder Saga



Welcome Author Ren Garcia with his Saga today!



Book 1 - Sands of the Solar Empire
GET THE BRANDY TO BAZZ . . .
That’s all Paymaster Stenstrom, the Lord of Belmont-South Tyrol, has to do and the old warbird Seeker is his. He has dreamed of captaining a Fleet ship his entire life.
Little does Paymaster Stenstrom realize that he is in the grip of an old Vendetta and the short trip to Bazz might very well be his last.
Faced with a dead ship and a lost crew, Paymaster Stenstrom finds help in the strangest places: the thief Marine and the milquetoast young man from the Admiral’s office, and, though he just became acquainted with these two strangers, he discovers they have been influencing each other’s lives for a very long time.
Something sinister hovers over Paymaster Stenstrom and his two new friends, something they are only now becoming aware of. The SANDS OF THE SOLAR EMPIRE stretch out before them in an endless gulf brimming with the unknown. Can a masked Paymaster, a thief, a coward and a once great warbird face what awaits them?



Book 2 - Against the Druries
That’s what they say on Bazz, that the “Deep Sea”, the open space between the two planets, is cursed and full of bad dreams—but nobody ever listens to people from Bazz, do they?
Paymaster Stenstrom, Private Taara and Lord A-Ram struggle to navigate the Seeker, an old warbird, through the shipping lanes to Bazz. If the Paymaster can’t get to Bazz with his cargo of brandy, he loses the ship and will probably end up in jail as well.
Jail? If only . . . The three adventurers are about to discover the old farfetched mariner stories are very real and that the Devil himself waits for the unwary in dark places where there is no help.
The Circle closes in on Stenstrom, Taara and A-Ram, and its judgment for them is far worse than any jail cell. The Seeker is about of become just another ship that set sail from safe shores and was never heard from again, unless . . .
The Belmont Saga concludes in this heartbreaking and action-packed tale of friendship and dedication, of vile evil and hopeless terror, and that sometimes help for those gone astray comes from the most unlikely of places.







Ren Garcia is a Science Fiction/Fantasy author and Texas native who grew up in western Ohio. He has been writing since before he could write, often scribbling alien lingo on any available wall or floor with assorted crayons. He attended The Ohio State University and majored in English Literature. Ren has been an avid lover of anything surreal since childhood, he also has a passion for caving, urban archeology and architecture. His highly imaginative "League of Elder" book series is published by Loconeal Publishing

  



Connect with the Author here: 

Facebook ~ Website ~ Amazon ~



Chapter 1: The Deep Sea,  from Against the Druries:

Three souls huddled in the dark of the great, airless ship flying backwards through the deep sea to Bazz. 
A fabled ship with a proud history, the Seeker had seen better days. She was designed decades prior to be fast and strong, to be agile, to inflict damage up the enemy, and to comfortably house several hundred souls deep into the empty cradle of space, the “Deep Sea” as the Fleet sailors called it. The MVF Seeker had done that and more. A veteran of such classic battles as Sorrander-quo, Mirendra I and II, Two-pitch Nebula, Hardee and Xandarr, she had survived them all, had sunk many enemy ships, and was feared among them. 
But, as in all things, time passes, the new becomes old and the state-of-the-art becomes obsolete. The glory days of the past become footnotes on withered pages in a forgotten history book and the Seeker, old and worn, in need of costly repairs and refits, ought to be barge-towed to the boneyard, smelted, and remade into something fresh and useful. Many great ships had taken that sorry trip. 
But, the right people favored the Seeker. The Sisterhood of Light, beloved of the Fleet Admiralty and of the League, was fond of the old Warbird. “How is the Seeker?” they often asked, and those casual asides, frequently posed, helped save her. The Admiralty could not simply smelt the Sisters’ favorite ship that would not do. So, they decided to raise the Seeker’s chair for debate one last time, and appoint a captain with vast sums of money to donate and demonstrate to the Sisters once and for all that the Seeker was simply too old and unsafe to continue flying. Why, they could melt her down, sell the refined metals to the Sisters, and they could build a new convent from it if they wished. That would be a bold irony. 
So, they put the Seeker’s captain’s chair on the blocks and they appointed a captain, an odd man from Tyrol wearing a hated HRN coat and a mask of all things: Lord Stenstrom of Belmont-South Tyrol, a self-styled eccentric and a Paymaster to boot. He had been the only person to make a serious offer for the chair, and he had privilege, he had Programmability, and best of all, he had money. Lots of it. 
Giving the chair to a Paymaster, a civilian clerk, was unheard of, and, not only that, he was a clown as well in an HRN coat and mask. Such an appointment would make the Admiralty a laughing stock—if such a man could take a Warbird’s chair, why not anybody? Soon every peg-legged Diddy from Calvert would be storming the Admirals’ Hall demanding a chair. What would become of the Fleet? 

So, they kept the appointment quiet, out of the Posts and usual gossip and intended Paymaster Stenstrom not sit on the Seeker’schair for long. Admiral Derlith of the 3rd Fleet devised a wonderfully devious plan to ensure just that. 
They went in and gutted the Seeker, had her huge SM coils ripped out, her thermoplant dismantled, her battleshot batteries and canisters hauled away, and her bridge partially disassembled. They took everything: carpeting, tables, chairs, beds, they even took food from the pantries, stationary from the drawers, and toilets from the heads, leaving bare, knurled metal and gaping holes where toilets once resided. As for the crew, they were allowed to conscript onto other vessels and were encouraged to do so. 
As per tradition, a newly appointed captain was obliged to perform a mission at the pleasure of the Admiralty. Normally, this mandatory mission was something simple and easily accomplished; however, if Lord Belmont were to fail in this mission, then his chair would be lost and his money forfeited. 
Lord Stenstrom’s mission for Admiral Derlith: Deliver brandy to a ball being thrown at the Fleet HQ annex Teflegar-Martin II on Bazz in twelve days hence. It was more of an errand than a mission. Bazz was barely a full day’s hard sail away, unworthy of a once great Warbird. 
But, with the Seeker disembowled in a steadily decaying orbit, with no crew to man her, no engines to propel her, and with his orders specifying that the Seeker herself be the one to deliver the brandy to Bazz, Admiral Derlith and the rest of the Admiralty couldn’t conceive of any way Paymaster Stenstrom could possibly succeed. 
In one devious stroke, Admiral Derlith would take Lord Stenstrom’s money, humiliate him in the process, and prove to the Sisters that the Seeker was done as a Main Fleet Warbird—why, it couldn’t even make an easy trip to Bazz; the fact that she was scuttled and without propulsion was irrelevant. 
In sporting terms, the plan was the Cinco Pass. It couldn’t fail. 
One small thing Admiral Derlith didn’t plan for or anticipate: great ships are said to have a soul and a will of their own. Like a champion race horse that refuses to lose though its competition might be stronger and faster, the Seeker had never failed a task it had been assigned, not in decades and after hundreds of engagements. Its current task: deliver brandy to Bazz, a demeaning, worthless task, but, regardless, that’s what was set before it, and if it had to make the trip to Bazz on its knees, gasping, crawling every inch of the way with stolen parts and a misfit crew, then so be it. 
Great ships found a way. 



To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 



Saturday, November 5, 2016

Book Tour: Kavan




Ashlyn wasn't looking looking for a man. She had books, her best friend, and a job she loved. Unless she found a man like the ones in her books, she was happy being single. Until she met Kavan.
Working with his family, Kavan kept the human’s safe from what lurked in the shadows. He wasn't looking for his mate, wasn't ready to settle down. Until he found Ashlyn.

Can Ashlyn accept Kavan and the life he offers. Can Kavan keep Ashlyn safe from the monsters hunting her?












~ Amazon ~ Amazon UK



Paranormal romance author, Kristen Clark-Frost,
lives in New Hampshire with her family.
A die hard metalhead, you’ll find her at her computer,
headphones blasting, while pounding away at the keyboard.
Her cat, who believes he’s trans species
and really a vicious canine, sleeping by her side.

An avid reader with a voracious appetite for the written word,
Kristen made a bold move and changed careers to chase her dream;
creating spectacular new worlds for others to enjoy.

Previously working and advocating for children and adults
with developmental disabilities,
Kristen spent many hours introducing others
to the power and magic of the written word.
When opportunity arose, she dove headfirst into writing full time.

Kavan is the first book in the Drelatta Wolves Series.



Connect with the Author here: 
Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads ~

Character Casting
Kavan = Clive Standen
Ashlyn = Emma Watson
Kian = Jason Mamoa
Tori = Mila Kunis
Cahal = Henry Cavill




To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page