Category Archives: Uncategorized

Book Review: Art and Science of Meditation 2.5 Stars (Non-Fiction/Esoteric/ Spirituality)

Posted on by

cover186819-medium

Thank you to NetGallery for my free copy, in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own. Man, this has to be the hardest review I’ve done in years. I was looking over the non-fiction section (as always) and picked this up out of pure interest, with no agenda weeks ago. Being the summer solstice this weekend and an eclipse, I thought it be a great time to flick through. I love these kind of subject matters to explore.

Description

 

Final Thoughts 2.5 stars

I imagined this would make a great reference book, one that you could flick through dip in and out of or read cover to cover.  Either way I imagined a great reference book of some sort. What I found was a LOT of information, but not really sure if much of it is useful ( to me personally). I loved the idea of this book, and really do have  lots of interest in this topic and very open minded, but  the second thing I found was, the organisation of this book is  not  very helpful to read cover to cover or as a reference.  It jumps from subject to subject. Lot of info at the start, not much introduction to the subject matter, and all the information is  from a very scientific POV. Which is fine, I can handle science but with an explanation, rather than just handed to you. It wasn’t that I was lost as I read through, I just couldn’t see how it was helpful I guess,  or what is key. Because of this I found it hard to make links, see relevance or find interesting.

The most helpful area for me was the section on chakras,  that said I knew a lot of this info already. Overall, it was hard for me to take away much info from the book, or learn much with the organisation, jumping and lack of explanation. But  obviously the book has been researched well, that’s for sure! But what good is research with not much organisation of it so the logic can be found, or deeper explanations for the average Joe? This is such a hard review to do, I wanted to and thought I would LOVE THIS BOOK and buy a copy for my book shelf, but sadly 2.5 stars from me.

But I wish the author well and hope that there is a readership found for the book and I thank Netgallery greatly for my free copy.

Book Review: Drawn and Driven, My Haiti Adventure’ 5 Stars! + Giveaway! #amreading

Posted on by
Drawn and Driven
My Haiti Adventure
by Rod Ellis
Genre: Non Fiction Adventure
He was 61 years old. He had a secure position as a tenured associate professor at a major university. He had a bustling mental health practice. His home was loaded with equity. He drove and rode his dream vehicles, a Jeep Wrangler and a Victory Cross Country motorcycle. His son was set for college. Life was good. He could work for a few more years, then retire comfortably in his secluded country home.
One day everything changed. Sitting in a crowded bus jammed between stalled vehicles in a classic Port-au-Prince traffic jam, Rod Ellis decided to chuck it all. Surrounded by the blare of horns and the cries of street vendors, he resolved to close his practice, resign his university position, and move to Haiti.
What possessed him to do such a thing? How could he leave behind everything familiar for a world he knew only a little? Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. There would be no air conditioning or running water. He would drive a 20-year-old vehicle. He would reside in an unfinished house, at the mercy of tropical winds and weather. Light-skinned, he would live in a world of almost exclusively dark-skinned people. Whatever was he thinking? Drawn and Driven: My Haiti Adventure tells the tale. In it, Ellis describes his physical, emotional, and spiritual journey into a country he had visited only a handful of times. He talks about preparing for the move, the people he interacted with after arrival, and the challenges he has faced trying to help the wonderful people of this struggling country. From cultural conflicts to renegade priests to building his own off-the-grid house to the development of a vocational school, Ellis weaves the tale of his great, ongoing adventure: Drawn and Driven.
Rod Ellis retired from The University of Tennessee College of Social Work at the end of December 2016. He had served there for 17 years, as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Acting Associate Dean, and Coordinator of International Programs. During his time at UT, Rod published 6 books as writer, co-writer, or editor, as well as several articles in professional and academic journals. These were published under his full name and credentials, Rodney A. Ellis, PhD, MSW, MA.
For about two years prior to his retirement Rod had been making regular visits to Haiti with the American Haitian Foundation. Upon retirement, he moved to Petite Riviere de Nippes, Haiti where he has helped start churches, repair roads, start small businesses, and provide funding for students. He is currently director of a school that teaches conversational English and several vocational programs. He has also maintained a blog on his Facebook page since before his arrival in Haiti.
Rod is a member of Crossroads Community Church in Baxter, TN, where the folks prayed over him before his departure and continue to pray for him as he works in Haiti. Even today, Crossroads Community Church is still “holding the ropes.”
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

 

Kim’s Review 5 ‘Wow’ Stars

Thank you to Silver Dagger Tours for my free copy, in exchange for my honest review. I was drawn to this book from the title alone, I must say it was a beautiful reading experience. There were difficult parts, learning about the poverty, way of life and massive differences between ‘developed world’ country like the USA and the Caribbean island Haiti. That said  I understood it and appreciated the reality.

The author has done a brilliant job at painting a very vivid picture of what life is like, the highs, lows, challenges and his experiences. I enjoyed this from start to finish,  I highly recommend this non-fiction read to everyone! For me it’s a must read, especially for anyone who has an interest in what would drive a man to up-sticks, leave the USA and go to do what he feels called to in the Caribbean.  I salute the author, just wonderful! 5 wow, interesting and beautiful stars from me.

Hot New Release; Erotic Romantic Suspense by Ayden K. Morgen

Posted on by
The Teplo Trilogy
The Complete Series
by Ayden K. Morgen
Genre: Erotic Romantic Suspense
He’s an undercover DEA agent on a dangerous mission. She’s the disabled prima ballerina living across the street from his target. Thrown together by chance and desperate to forget their painful pasts, they will risk it all for love. If they survive the violent drug cartel gunning for them…
When Tristan Riley and Lillian Maddox meet beneath the bright lights of Teplo, neither is prepared for the explosive chemistry between them…nor for the consequences of their tryst. Within a matter of days, their lives careen wildly off course, hurling them both into a deadly game of cat and mouse with one of Mexico’s deadliest drug cartels.
The cartel will stop at nothing to keep a lethal new drug out of the DEA’s hands, forcing Tristan to drag Lillian deeper into a violent world she knows nothing about. As lust turns to love and the case grows ever more complex, they will sacrifice their futures and their hearts to save innocent lives.
And when a devastating betrayal puts Lillian directly in the hands of the enemy, Tristan will risk everything to get her back. Even if doing so catapults the entire West Coast into a drug war unlike anything they have ever seen before…
The Teplo Trilogy Box Set includes Ravished, Rhapsody, Rapture, and over 40 pages of bonus content from bestselling romantic suspense author Ayden K. Morgen.
Grab The Teplo Trilogy Box Set today to dive into this pulse-pounding, high heat series!
Ayden K. Morgen is the Amazon Bestselling Author of the Ragnarök Prophesies series. She lives in the heart of Arkansas with her childhood sweetheart/husband of sixteen years, and their furry minions. When not writing, she spends her time hiking, reading, causing mischief, and building a Spork army.
Ayden writes dark and steamy romantic suspense, most often centered around gang and cartel crimes such as human and drug trafficking. Her books feature alpha male cops with protective streaks, the fierce, independent women who love them, and the difficult, heartrending cases that unite them.
She graduated summa cum laude with her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Forensic Psychology in 2009 before going on to complete her graduate degree in CJ and Law. She puts her education to use as a 911 Dispatch Supervisor, where she’s responsible for leading a team of dispatchers as they watch over police, EMS, and firefighters for her county.
Ayden also writes New Adult Fantasy/Paranormal Romance as A.K. Morgen.
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

 

Freedom Was Granted But, Don’t Lose Focus Now. #freedom #blacklivesmatter #blacklivesmatteruk

Posted on by

juneteenth-5296299_1920

I want to take a moment to acknowledge today from overseas, as many African-Americans  across the water  might be celebrating! The date 19th June or Juneteenth freedom  was granted for ancestors from slavery . It’s a day to remember, no doubt.  You know what’s funny I posted on Facebook today a celebration message for this demographic of people, and last night I posted a very important clip of Rayshard Brook’s unfortunate encounter with the police in Atlanta on the 12th June, showing how he was not resisting arrest and no threat. Do you know I lost two Facebook friends, laugh as I write this, and I laughed when I noticed also.

Why? Because  firstly, it shows a high level of ignorance  that’s still out there, people are still unwilling to face facts, that statistics support the argument that there is a serious problem with law enforcement towards men of colour. Secondly,  that some are  still unwilling to accept that a person of colour would want to express celebration for freedom, that should have rightfully been theirs anyway. Now, if that bothers you, you need to get over yourself and remember who the victims are here, and have historically  been.

It certainly is not law enforcement, and it certainly is not those who choose to not want to be friends with a person of colour highlighting celebration of a key date, and that white  male police officers in the USA and where I’m from have a lot to answer for. You can’t dispute it, the statistics are too strong.

So happy June 19th my African-American cousins!! Us overseas rejoice with you, and support your fight for equality ( again after all these years), so that people can ‘get their foot of your neck’ as Malcolm X once said!

Have a wonderful day, and everyday that we have freedom from racist, derogatory, and downright disrespectful behaviour, and the right to  not be killed at the drop of a hat. You continue the fight! We salute and stand by you overseas have a wonderful day.

With love

Kim

Chit Chat + Thank you + What’s Inside the Book!?

Posted on by

Yesterday, I done something I really don’t do! I went live on Facebook to express gratitude to everyone who I know, and don’t know who purchased a copy of 365 of Writing prompts for Romance Writers, and sent it to #1 on Amazon’s new release best-sellers list!  I also cover in detail what’s inside, read some of the writing prompts and share some of the top tips I have shared! Check out the live here…

 

 

 

 

Hot New Romance Series , By Stacy Eaton + $15.00 Giveaway! #amreading

Posted on by
Mission: Believe
Rise Again Warrior Series Book 1
by Stacy Eaton
Genre: Contemporary Military Romance
Staff Sgt. Shane Logan is lucky to have come from a privileged family, and after losing both of his legs in the war, he now has the best prosthetics that money can buy. While he is trying to move forward with life, he struggles with the past and the way people react to him and his disability.
Dr. Lauren Falcone works tirelessly to help veterans deal with the trauma and pain of their deployments. Her unique virtual approach to therapy keeps her busy, and the assistance she provides to service members as they recover mentally helps her resolve her own anxieties.
When Shane meets Lauren at a fundraiser for his father’s organization, he wonders if there just might be a chance for him to get his dream off the ground and maybe find a normal life with someone who can look past his flaws and see the man he is inside.
Shane and Lauren are drawn to each other by their hope to make life easier for veterans, both physically and emotionally. Their goal is to build Shane’s dream organization, Rise Again Warrior, that will assist veterans to integrate more easily into society and have the opportunity to receive state-of-the-art technology and therapy.
Now, if they can only have faith in themselves, learn to deal with their own demons, and believe in each other, they might find a way to bring this dream to fruition.
Mission: Accept
Rise Again Warrior Series Book 2
Dana Donahue might be Shane Logan’s cousin, but she’s nothing like him—she’s quite the opposite of him. Her thoughts focus on what money and people can do for her. She never approved of Shane joining the military and knows little about the world he has lived in for most of his life. All that will change when she has to ask him for a job after her father cuts her off.
Derek Stall lives on the streets by choice—not circumstance. Memories of what he did under order sometimes haunt him, other times give him the strength to move through one more day until he can finish the mission he started.
A chance meeting between Dana and Derek will lead to an unlikely friendship that might just save his life, but the drastic differences between them could be the dividing wedge that keeps them apart.
When Derek feels he has to leave Rise Again Warrior to complete his mission, he begins to realize that he could be leaving behind more than just a few friends. Could he be leaving behind the possibility of a healthy future before he finally accepts his past?
**Just
Released!**

 

Mission: Repair
Rise Again Warrior Series Book 3
“Ms. Eaton takes on a subject that most people overlook. The trials and turmoil that our wounded men and women face when they return home from war.”
Technical Sergeant Brady Vanover has a solid career as a Civil Engineer with the United States Air Force, a loving wife of nine years, and two young children. While Brady is on deployment, the things he sees and hears begins to wear on him and take him to a place he never imagined himself being.
Once Brady returns, his troubles descend further over him, and it becomes a battle not to lose everything that he has worked so hard to achieve. With anger issues and his need to self-medicate with alcohol, Brady finds himself teetering on the edge of losing his career and his family.
With the help of the Rise Again Warrior organization, Brady will have to work hard to repair what he has damaged.
**Available
for Pre-order!**

 

Stacy Eaton is a USA Today Bestselling author and began her writing career in October of 2010. Stacy took an early retirement from law enforcement after over fifteen years of service in 2016, with her last three years in investigations and crime scene investigation to write full time.
Stacy resides in southeastern Pennsylvania with her husband, who works in law enforcement, and her teen daughter. She also has a son who is currently serving in the United States Navy, and two grandchildren.
When Stacy is not writing, she enjoys photography and relaxing on the beach.
$15 Amazon
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

 

Stop What You’re Doin’ Let’s Show Some Love To These Authors!! #amreading

Posted on by

colorful-1325264_1280An author friend of mine has sent over the link to her newsletter. She’s not an author of colour, but she’s on a mission to promote them  this month. Here’s round one of her letter, here you’ll find authors from Asian-Indian, Japanese, African-American and everything in between backgrounds! Check them and her newsletter out, there are some free reads too. Some I will be adding to my kindle.  Happy reading.

Check  them out here https://preview.mailerlite.com/r9y9y3

From Award Winner to Amazon Best Selling Author – My Thank you.

Posted on by

BestSeller Status

 

Good afternoon guys,

I really am trying to be happy every writer wants to be an Amazon ‘best seller’ one day. Personally I was happy with  just awards! That’s another blog post lol it made me very emotional to win ‘Best Romance 2017’.  But, in all honesty first I want to thank everyone personally who has pre-ordered a copy of 365 Days of Writing Prompts for Romance Writers and every future reader of my writer’s reference. From the bottom of my heart I appreciate you, and I hope one of my prompts and tips on crafting realistic and page-turning romance turns you in to a best-seller and/or award-winner too in the genre.  I hope I spark some great stories! I woke up to an orange banner and notification I just became an Amazon Best Selling Author. I find it ironic I have achieved this by penning something outside my normal genre LOLZ.

It’s a massive achievement for me from Award Winner and I thank you. I’ve never thought about this day, or how I would feel I just want to write because…well, I can! And love it. The truth is this achievement has come during the aftermath of a very serious event in Atlanta.

Seriously, I’m grieving  people I woke up this morning  switched on the news again, and was over run with emotion just as I was when I went to bed last night. My good news didn’t even stem the anger, upset, frustration and personal trauma I felt as I watched the scenes in Atlanta. Another black man has died unjustly at the hands of a white police officer, and it was my intention to focus in on a blog post about this! Not write this thank you note. I am humbled, thankful and extremely appreciative, but I’m grieving to the point I could not greet my Facebook family as I normally do with a ‘good morning’.

Once again, thank you and good luck all romance writers around the world.

Love Kim

 

Hot New Romance ‘A Thin Line’ Just .99 Cents by D.L White + $50.00 Giveaway!!

Posted on by
A Thin Line
by DL White
Genre: Romance
Angie Blake and Preston Reid are oil and water, fire and ice. Whether it’s in the courtroom, where they’re always in opposition, or in their personal lives, they don’t mix.
Nearly two decades have passed since they were high school sweethearts and split in an emotional firestorm, but their best friends are dating, and now engaged so they haven’t had a moment’s peace from each other. And they won’t get one since the soon to be newlyweds have roped Angie and Preston into planning their destination wedding. They’ve been tasked with organizing the most romantic, memorable event of their lives without tearing apart the lifelong foursome in the process.
Angie and Preston are wise to this game. This clever ploy to push them back together in the hopes that their long-dead romance will rekindle couldn’t possibly work.
Could it?
There’s a thin line between love and hate.
**Only .99 cents May 22-24, and then only $1.99 May 25 – 29!!**
DL White is an Atlanta based author of women’s fiction and romance, centering Black men and women. She began seriously pursuing a writing career in 2011.
She has a deep and abiding love for coffee and Sunday Brunch, especially on a patio, but her true obsession is water— lakes, rivers, oceans, waterfalls.
By day she is an Executive Administrative Assistant for a billion dollar beverage brand. By night, when not writing books, she devours them and blogs reviews and thoughts on writing at BooksbyDLWhite.com.
$50 Amazon gift card
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!