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Interview with author Marcus Hurst

Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

It was in 1992 that my story began,
And the title of Marcus Hurst filled the naming demand.
Pennsylvania was the place where our family was raised, And milking the cows is how we spent our days.
Eight siblings I have, which has brought many joys, Two sisters I’ve got—the rest us are all boys.

While in my early teens 80 songs that I knew I stuck in my brain where they all stood in queue,
And then I would sing them while doing my chores And driving the tractors in fields out of doors.

My first job I got at the age of nineteen, And teaching at school had become my routine. Grades seventh and sixth I had taught from my stool, There at West Cocalico Mennonite School.

Then, at a bicycle shop, I had started, To work on those bikes was the course to be charted.
And Red Rock Refuge became my career, To help teenage boys their bad habits to clear.

The framing of houses I did for a year, And then I went back to my teaching career. At a small country school called Limestone Valley,
I helped fourteen students, their numbers to tally. For the last four years I run a workshop for boys
Who are blind or are mentally handicapped joys. As much as I can, I work at my writing, Right now I find poems especially exciting.

(It was during the shutdown, in 2020, A change came over me that puzzled me plenty; It was one morning, from the minute I woke
That rhymes did appear in the things that I spoke. A spontaneous poet I have been ever since,
Though that fact never made me any more of a prince. And now that I find myself being a poet, I decided I might as well practice to grow it.
So, with rhymes I cope, and I haven’t lost hope For it is quite amazing, I find, To tune ears and brain, whether dry or in rain, And behold what rolls out of my mind.
[When I mention this rhyming, I do not mean to boast;
I’m just sharing the story of my recent diagnose.])

Additionally, if folks do not bristle too soon, I often instinctively whistle a tune. I’m also a singer, of low parts and high, And composing of music is something I try.
I find it hard to believe, but it’s true now I say. There are 40 some songs I’ve helped write in some way.

My passion in life, that I refuse now to waive, Is to help other people find the fulfillment they crave. (And whether or not it may sound rather funny, Lasting satisfaction is not found in money. Although monetarily I am actually quite poor
I find I am satisfied, of that I am sure.)

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “The Contentment Dilemma”?

Well, my mind goes to a paragraph from the 2nd chapter of the book, that address that question:
“I have ample evidence that Satan despises this book. He did his best to distract and discourage me from completing it by instigating a horrible mental sensation that used to bother me when I worked on my writing projects. Satan would have gotten me to give up writing if God had not heard my cry for deliverance and made him stop it.”
Besides that, God has been very faithful at helping me write the book. My greatest challenges have been with getting the book published.

Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

The Holy Bible has been my greatest influencer.
Other books that have helped shape this book are: Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis; Impressions, by Martin Wells Knapp; Surprised by Faith, by Dr. Don Bierle; and The Case for Faith, by Lee Strobel

Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

Upon some thinking I have concluded that my favorite spot in America is my home in Buffalo Valley. I have traveled throughout the lower 48 states, and the best part of each trip had always been getting home again.
Besides that, I enjoy camping in the wilds of north central Pennsylvania with my friends. I have many precious memories of star gazing, seeing bear, and kayaking the West Branch Susquehanna River.

Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘The Contentment Dilemma’?

It was God that got after me to write this book and coached me through the numerous phases of its creation. My personal experience,. of locating peace of mind when I surrendered my life to God, has also been a motivator for me to get this book published and aid others at locating that peace of mind.

Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘The Contentment Dilemma’?

The book started as an article that I wrote as a teenager, and at the age of 24 I added a few chapters to it and got the idea of making a book out of it. It took another seven years till this fourth edition of the manuscript got published.

Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?

This book is currently available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and bookshop.org, among other places books are sold.

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Contentment Dilemma’?

For the title, I made a list of all the potential titles I could think of, over the course of a few months. Then I crossed out the ones that I didn’t like, and narrowed it down to two or three different ones. I got opinions from friends and kept thinking about it for a few weeks till it finally became obvious that The Contentment Dilemma was going to be the one.
The book cover was professionally designed by Jude Mag-asin, and was the obvious choose of the two options he presented to me; and he sure did an amazing job.

Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

I spent hours upon hours contemplating about the book in God’s presence, and He provided untold amounts of encouragement and advice. Many times when I came across a specific issue with how to word something, a phenomenal solution suddenly came to mind as soon as I prayed about it; and there where times it happen the very second I decided I will need to seek God’s advice. (I share a few of these stories in the book.)
Of a surety, without God’s divine aid this manuscript would not be worth reading.

Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?

“Don’t give up. If it is worth writing it will be hard work, but it certainly will be worth the effort.”

Buy The Contentment Dilemma on Amazon

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Fire Fox

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: Fire Fox 📚
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: R.J. Shields ✍️
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🚀 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰:
Fire Fox written by R.J. Shields and illustrated by Ricky Audy is a must read book for Children’s. The story features a fox who lived in a cave. She only comes out at night to play. She was friends with the wolves and the fireflies.

The Fire Fox had no one to love and felt lonely sometimes. One day, she saw a sparkling and bright star falling from space. Read the story to know yourself how a fox’s life would change with the falling of a star.

The language used in the book is lucid. The cover photo is eye-catching. I appreciate the storytelling skills of the author in creating this beautiful story. It teaches us not to worry if we feel lonely. Somebody exists out there for everyone and we will meet that person or creature soon. A beautiful story with pretty illustrations. Parents should definitely add this book to their children’s bookshelf.

  • 𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5

★ Book Is Available On Amazon

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Interview with author Elijah Lewis

Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

My name is Elijah Lewis. I am from Baltimore, MD. In addition to being an author and motivational speaker, I am an engineer with NAVSEA in Indian Head, MD. I am also a graduate of Tuskegee and Morgan State University. Some of my hobbies would be playing basketball, meditation, and spending time with family and friends, just to name a few.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Your Jewels are in your journey”?

Honestly, there weren’t too many key challenges that I faced in writing “Your Jewels are in Your Journey”. When my publisher and I met to begin the process of writing “Your Jewels are in Your Journey”, he laid out the outline of how to write my book that was very simple to follow. I really thought that was beneficial for a first-time author and I had the benefit of having someone who’s written seven books himself give me excellent advice in the writing process. Thankfully, I didn’t have to go through too much writer’s block.

However, I would say that real key challenges in writing my book would be having to write about certain life experiences that I haven’t shared with a lot of people. I say that because sometimes when you go through painful experiences, you think as time goes on, those experiences don’t affect you anymore. You kind of get the attitude of “well, that happened a long time ago, I’m good. That doesn’t bother me anymore.” However, when you sit down and write about those experiences, you realize those experiences played a big role in where you are today and actually you realize that maybe I haven’t fully healed from those experiences as I thought I did. In fact, writing about certain experiences in my book, such as having your heart broken from someone you care about, or the challenges I went through in high school made me realize that. However, I would say that writing my book was very therapeutic because it allowed me to release the pain of those experiences and put them on paper. Although I felt as though I had to go back to the place of pain to write the book, I do believe the best art can come from pain because pain is something we all have to go through. In the end, I would say chapters 4 and 5 were the most difficult to write for me and I’m sure anyone who reads my book, will understand why.

Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

I would say the books or authors that have most influenced my writing are “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” and the Bible. I say “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” because when you study Malcolm X’s life, you see a how a person can evolve from the absolute worst to the absolute best. If I had to sum up Malcolm’s life in one sentence, it would be it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. In fact, I remember when my father first made read his autobiography and it was very inspiring actually. The timing actually couldn’t have been better as I was going through my own struggles in high school. I admire the fact that Malcolm could go from a high school dropout and a life of crime to one of the greatest leaders in human history. In the end, we all love a good comeback story. Now I would never compare myself to Malcolm, nor my book to his autobiography, but I could make the argument that his life was the original “Your Jewels are in Your Journey” if you will. He definitely had to go through a lot of life lessons to be his optimal self. If you haven’t read his autobiography, I would recommend it.

I say the Bible because of the wisdom that is in it. In fact, I reference quite a few scriptures in my book to highlight certain chapters. Of course, I am not trying to promote any particular religious path, but my goal is that regardless of the reader’s beliefs, he or she can take in the wisdom and apply it to the journey of their spiritual path, whatever that looks like to him or her. Plus, I will say growing up I spent a lot of time reading the Bible and I actually dive into my religious upbringing, which I think readers will find very interesting and surprising. So, you definitely want to get your copy of my book and check that out for yourself.

Finally, I will say music has influenced my writing because there are certain artists, in which I quote their music to emphasize the jewel that I want to bring out in my book. While writing the book I listened to a lot of music. It helps the writing process along the way and gets the creative juices flowing.

Q4. What’s your favorite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

My favorite place to visit in the United States would have to be Orlando, FL. What makes Orlando special to me is that there are so many activities you can do there. For me, I love adventure and theme parks. Orlando allows you to do both, whether it’s going to Icon Park, Universal Studios, or Disney World, etc. It sort of brings out the inner child in me. I’ve been there three times and have enjoyed every trip, especially the last two because I went with my best friend since elementary school. Hopefully, I’ll be able to visit Orlando again soon! Plus, they’re going to have some new rides at some of their amusement parks and they have built a lot of property down there too.

Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Your Jewels are in your journey’?

It’s funny because prior to me writing “Your Jewels are in Your Journey”, I had no intention of being an author. I honestly didn’t think I had what it took to write a book. What led to me being an author was that in September 2022, I went to the Level Up Black Empowerment Expo in Waldorf, MD and there I met my publisher, Matthew C. Horne. I bought two of his books and the lady who was at his table told me to come back and he’ll sign my book. So, I came back and Matthew signed my two books. Then he asks me, “Brother, you ever think about writing a book? You look like you got something on your mind.”

Honestly, the answer in my head was no, but I said I would consider it. We exchanged numbers and followed each other on Instagram. I said I would let him know by Wednesday, my decision. I kept thinking about my life experiences and the lessons that I have learned from them and I figured that this opportunity would be great for me and other people. So, I let him know Wednesday, we met that Friday and signed the contract. It’s one of those scenarios where someone sees more in you than you do yourself. For me, just the opportunity to give guidance to people is the ultimate inspiration. Booker T. Washington said it best, “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” That’s what led to “Your Jewels are in Your Journey”.

Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Your Jewels are in your journey’?

6 months, I started in October 2022 and finished in March 2023.

Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?

Readers can buy my book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and my website (www.yourjewelsareinyourjourney.com).

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Your Jewels are in your journey’?

For the book cover, I knew I wanted to put a jewel on the cover to grab the reader’s attention. Of course, a diamond is arguably the best jewel of all. Whenever you find a jewel, it usually grabs your attention. The road on book cover represents the journey that we all take in life and on the road of life, we usually find many jewels along the way. The sign “JOURNEY 1,000 miles” is an ode to the saying, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” by Lao Tzu. In the end, I wanted a book cover that encapsulates that message of the reader finding jewels along his/her journey because after all, a picture is worth a thousand words. Like I always tell everyone, we all have a journey to travel on in this thing called life.

As far as coming up with the title “Your Jewels Are in Your Journey”, I have to give credit to Matthew on that. I had thought of thirteen book titles on my own, but to be honest, none of them really stood out to capture the interest of the reader. When Matthew and I met, he wrote the title on a piece of paper and asked my opinion of the title. Soon as I saw it, I knew that was the perfect title. In fact, the title of the book, made the book cover a lot easier to make. In the end, as you go through life, you’re going to find many life lessons along the way.

Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

To keep things fresh for both my readers and myself, I trying to write my book as if we’re having a conversation with each other. My goal of writing my book is to talk to my reader and not down on my reader. I ultimately want to mention life experiences that are relatable and capture the readers’ interest to the point where they don’t want to put the book down. Ultimately, I want my book to different from other self-help books by balancing being serious and humor about my life and the lessons we all need to learn.

I also try to keep things fresh by quoting various sources and people. So, on one hand, I can quote a different book to summarize the jewel I want to highlight and on the other hand, I may use lyrics from a song to do the same thing. When it comes to people, I may quote historical figures, but also celebrities. The bottom line it shows the reader that they can get inspiration from anyone or anything.

Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?

The most valuable piece of advice I’ve been given about writing is “Don’t consider your reader, consider yourself” by Matthew. The way that I interpret that piece of advice is that you should write something that you would want to read. In other words, if you’re writing something just to sound good to your readers, but in reality, you have no interest in it yourself, then you shouldn’t write about it. Smart people know when a person is just throwing something against the wall, hoping that it sticks. They also know when the writer took genuine time and effort in his/her work to display the message they want to convey. That’s my advice to anyone getting into writing, find something that you’re passionate about that you want to write. It doesn’t matter if it’s fiction, non-fiction, a children’s book, etc. If you have an interest in it, go for it. If not, don’t waste your time. In the end, the right people will show up to read your book because if you build they will come or in this case, if you write it, they will read it.

Your Jewels Are in Your Journey on Amazon

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The Cathedral Murders

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: The Cathedral Murders 📚
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: J.E. Morales ✍️
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🚀 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰:
The Cathedral Murders written by J.E. Morales is both a historical fiction and a thriller. It was September morning when Isabella encountered a dying person. When he was checked, no pulse was found. When Isabella was about to do compressions, she noticed a tiny black cross painted over the right side of his chest.

A medical student Isabella got the opportunity to work with the Cathedral. Others told Isabella that she is lucky as she has got a chance to work in this unit. Isabella was assigned a patient Mrs Jimenez. Isabella was worried for her patient as the patient had a blood clot in the leg. During the night, the patient had a cardiac arrest and died. When Isabella checked her body in the morgue, there was a black cross painted on her left cheek.

Read this story to know what happens next. The cover photo of the book is nice and the title is suitable. There are subplots in the story and the author has weaved this tale well. The writing style of Morales is impressive and I enjoyed every bit of this book. I strongly recommend it to my fellow readers.

  • 𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5

★ Book Is Available On Amazon

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Interview with author Verlaine Crawford

Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

Hello, I am Verlaine Crawford, Ph.D. I am an Intuitive, Transformational Coach, Inspirational Speaker, and #1 U.S. and an International Best-Selling Author. From 1990 to 2010, I was invited to teach personal growth and spiritual development in Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, Bali, Europe, and across the U.S. I am honored to be included in the soon-to-be-published book, The 100 Most Inspirational Women in the World.

My fifth book, The Power of Wholeness: Discover A More Fulfilling, Successful, and Rewarding Life reveals the most important self-improvement technique I have ever used, the Infusion Integration Process. I created this process to release our subconscious blocks and integrate opposing core beliefs. This Integration process opened the door to a magical life for me and many others around the world.

My previous books are:
Ø Emotional Healing: Experience Balance and Self-Empowerment in an Age of Rapid Change
Ø The Heart of Transformation and the Butterfly Effect
Ø Daughter of God: Angelic Messages of Wisdom and Love (Poetry)
Ø Ending the Battle Within: How to Create a Harmonious Life by Working With Your Subpersonalities.
Ø I also edited and my company, High Castle Publishing, produced a 12-awards-winning fantasy, inspirational adventure novel, Portals in Time: The Quest for Un-Old-Age, and The Alchemy of the Seven Harmonies by John Teressi.

During my 40-year marketing career, I had the opportunity to be the first woman Vice President of a high-tech company in Silicon Valley and then helped create two more software start-ups. I served as V.P. Marketing and consultant for a variety of companies and non-profit organizations, including AT&T, The Lodge at Pebble Beach, The Queen Mary Project, The International Paper Company, Bank of America, Humana, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, The American Cancer Society, and The AIDS Services Foundation of Orange County, plus serving as Executive Director of the Chambers of Commerce in the City of Seaside on the Monterey Peninsula, San Juan Capistrano, and Laguna Beach.

I have been with my loving. life partner for fifty-four years with a brief separation of fifteen years. We reunited again twenty years ago. I thank the wonder of the Power of Wholeness and my connection to Universal Consciousness (God, Goddess, All That Is) for great health, comfortable abundance, lots of love, and the opportunity to use my creative self-expression to create a wonderful life.

There were plenty of challenges, especially physically, such as cutting my feet in a lawn mower when I was twelve. My brother and I were mowing, and I didn’t know he was behind me, I turned around and walked into his mower, cutting the top of my left foot and removing my little toe on the right foot. I was laid up for a year.

The other was a near-death experience when I was twenty-seven in 1971. I was walking across a small room with two doors and two elevators in an underground parking garage. This was under a 15-story building on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, where I was Chief Copywriter for an ad agency. A man in a guard uniform walked past me, and a voice in my head (intuition) said, “Run!” I argued, “Why should I run? It’s late. I don’t want to run.” The man grabbed me around the neck with a knife at my throat. He started pushing me toward the other door. One of the elevators went “Ding!” The doors opened and two men stepped out. The assailant transferred the knife to my back and stabbed me. The two men, who were lawyers, pulled me into the elevator, my lung collapsed, and I slumped to the floor. Obviously, the doctors were able to save me. I developed PTSD, and fear filled my heart.

The Infusion Integration Process set me free. I was able to transform my internal core beliefs and clear the way to go forward by understanding how our beliefs create our reality. I am excited to celebrate my eightieth trip around the sun on December 9th!

The information about how you can create a new way of being is all outlined in The Power of Wholeness book, and I work with people individually to clear the past, shift beliefs, and help you manifest your heart’s desires.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “The Power of Wholeness”?

The Key Challenge was I thought I simply wanted to update and reprint my book, Ending the Battle Within, because it contained a full explanation of the Infusion Integration Process. It was published in 1994, the floppy no longer worked, and I didn’t have the original manuscript. So, I needed to take the book apart, scan each page into my computer and place the manuscript, page by page, into a PDF program that allows you to edit pages.

Then I began editing and reformatting to bring the book up to date. Very quickly, I realized that I was rewriting the book. I had so much to say, add, and delete. The book was becoming its own representation of what I wanted to say. I meditated and asked for guidance as the message became deeper and more encompassing. Thus, it transformed into The Power of Wholeness.

Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

I have read hundreds, if not thousands of books, including novels, biographies, science and science fiction, the religions of the world, spiritual awakening and self-help. The books that have most influenced my thinking and my life are as follows:

Ø As A Man Thinketh – James Allen. It began my understanding of thoughts creating reality and started my search for answers about why don’t we always manifest our desires completely? What is stopping us?
Ø Seth Speaks and The Nature of Personal Reality – Jane Roberts. These books have so many answers about the “How” we create.
Ø One Mind – Larry Dossey, M.D.
Ø A Course in Miracles – A Foundation for Inner Peace
Ø The Book of Secrets – Osho (And many of his other books.)
Ø Autobiography of a Yogi (Self-Realization Fellowship) by Paramahansa Yogananda
Ø Circle of Doors, a Novel – Ranse Parker
Ø Portals in Time: The Quest for Un-Old-Age – John Teressi

Q4. What’s your favorite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

My favorite spot in the United States is Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. I moved to Carmel when I was fifteen years old with my Mom and brother and attended Carmel High School. It is a beautiful, English-style village with a large, white sandy beach and lovely Cypress trees along the shore. That is where I began writing poetry and spent hours in nature, absorbing the energy.

When I returned from Los Angeles in 1972 after being stabbed in the back by an assailant, I became Executive Director of the Seaside Chamber of Commerce and two years later became the Director of Sales at the Lodge at Pebble Beach, which is a gated community with golf courses overlooking the Pacific.

To the south of Carmel is the Highlands and Point Lobos, a state park with craggy cliffs, crashing ocean waves, and amazing vistas. The whole area feels like heaven to me. I left Carmel in 1965 to expand and grow in Orange County and Los Angeles. I met my soulmate, John Teressi, in 1969. In the 1980s, I lived in the San Francisco Bay area, where I got involved in the emerging high-tech industry in Silicon Valley. Yet, of all the places I have lived and visited, Carmel holds my heart.

Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘The Power of Wholeness’?

I wanted to focus on one thing, one purpose to leave as a legacy to help humanity. When I was stabbed in the parking garage and thought I was dying, a statement came to my mind that surprised me. I said to myself, “Dear God, if I should live, please make me an instrument of your peace.” I have been attempting to be that instrument of peace throughout my years in business and community organizing. I used the concept of integrating our subpersonalities with individuals, integrating and uniting departments in corporations, and bringing together business, education, tourism, ecology, and local government in communities.

I want the information in The Power of Wholeness to become widespread. I would like it to be taught in schools, used in business and governmental agencies, and initiated in governments and the United Nations.

Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘The Power of Wholeness’?

It took about six months, but the information had been touched upon in my other books, and I had added insights to my notes and journals for many years. Writing my book required many edits, and my life partner, John Teressi, graciously volunteered to help with the editing process. He believes in creating a feeling of flow in the words and the structure. I also used Grammarly, which is a gift for any writer. It was challenging to look at the material over and over again, but I know that the book is now quite complete.

Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?

My books are available on Amazon. Some are on Barnes and Noble also.

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Power of Wholeness’.

The name “The Power of Wholeness” came to me intuitively. It popped into my head. John immediately loved the title, which is a big deal, because he is a natural critic. I looked up that name on Amazon and found that it was part of some titles, but it wasn’t used as a distinct title. I had always thought I wanted a picture of a pirate ship on the cover to go with my first book’s title, “Ending the Battle Within.”

I like the idea that we think we are “Captain of our ship, Master of our Fate. But I see it as a Pirate Ship, and the Crew is Planning Mutiny.” Thus, I came up with the idea of a pirate ship on the cover.

John pronounced a resounding “No!” He suggested instead that I create a sophisticated, beautiful cover to go with the message. I asked the AI image generator on Canva to create some mandalas for the cover. And I particularly liked the one I chose with the pink and turquoise. It represents a symbol of nature and wholeness, somewhat like a Native American image might be. The soft yellow background cover was to infer the warmth of the sun shining on us.

Q9. When writing a book, how do you keep things fresh for both your readers and also yourself?

Often I begin to hear what I need to write next. Whether it is a chapter, adding a sub-head, a chart, an image, or an example will come to mind, and I sit down to write or look up pictures. Sometimes I receive a message when I wake up and hurry to write down on paper what I am hearing. Often it is when I am in the shower, taking a walk, or gardening.

If none of this is happening, I ask questions related to the topic. I love asking questions. Then I start to write what I think the answers are and continue asking, answering, and opening to new ideas and new ways of thinking. I also do research to see what others are saying about the subject and then see how I can add to it.

Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?

Try to keep what you are conveying clear, concise, descriptive, and energized! Make sure the sentences and paragraphs flow when you read them out loud.

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Interview with author Briar Hex

1. Please introduce yourself so that the readers will get to know you better. 

I live in the Midwest with my husband and daughter. My favorite holiday is Halloween.

2. What is your inspiration behind your book “Cupcake’s Magical Christmas”?

I was have a conversation about A Christmas Story and the person asked me to tell them a story.

3. When did you realize you want to be an author?

Ever since school I’ve loved creating stories.

4. Please tell us something about your book “Cupcake’s Magical Christmas”?

Cupcake is someone I hope little girls can learn from about love.

5. For which age group is your book “Cupcake’s Magical Christmas” suitable for?

Babies to 10 years old

6. What is your favorite Quote?

“A satisfied life is better than a successful life. Because our success is measured by others. But our satisfaction is measured by our own soul, mind & heart!”

7. What do you like the most about your country?

Many beautiful places to explore

8. What suggestion do you want to give to parents of little readers regarding a reading habit? 

Reading to your children starting when they are born will help a child’s verbal development.

9. What does literary success look like to you?

Having others excited to buy my book.

10. Lastly, who is your inspiration in life and why?

My daughter and husband make me want to be better than I was the day before!

Buy Cupcake’s Magical Christmas on Amazon

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One Troy Ounce

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: One Troy Ounce 📚
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Carolina A. Wren ✍️
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🚀 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰:
One Troy Ounce written by the author Carolina A. Wren is a must read. The story features an adult Anna Wexler as the main character. Robert Gerhart was a man who was in a suit when he first met Sally. Even though Sally’s parents didn’t approve of their relationship, Sally still married him. When she informed Robert about her pregnancy, he was elated. Anna soon came into their lives and when Anna was three years old, Sally knew that Robert was unfaithful.

One day, Robert walked out on them leaving Sally and Anna alone. Sally needed to find a job to pay bills and she thought about putting Anna into foster care. Her world turned upside down when she found out that Robert is also married to another woman. Robert earned a fortune by mining silver in the hills of Nevada. Read this story to know more about how Anna would be the receiver of his fortune.

The story is intriguing and kept me on the edge of my seat. The author has written a very interesting storyline. The cover photo is nice and the title is suitable. The characters are written well by the author. This story will stay in my head for a long time. I am definitely interested in reading more books by the author in the future.

  • 𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5

★ Book Is Available On Amazon

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Barren Womb

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: Barren Womb 📚
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Denise M. Walker ✍️
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🚀 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰:
Barren Womb written by the author Denise M. Walker is an intriguing story that hooked me till the last page. The main character of the story is Hannah Jefferson. She is happily married to Levi.

Hannah and her mother’s relationship is not on good terms. Her mother always treats her differently and this makes Hannah wonder what she has done to receive this ill-treatment. As a kid, Hannah was abused by Uncle Malcolm. When Hannah told this to her mother, her mother blamed her only.

It was Hannah’s dad who had supported her for over years. Her dad and Aunt Melissa taught her to trust God but the events that happened in her life made her to reject church. Hannah is determined to do best for her baby even though her mama was never there for her. She even tried calling her mom to sort things but her mama didn’t respond properly. Levi wants Hannah not to take stress and focus only on the baby. Will Hannah heal in life?

The story is heart touching. The writing style of the author is amazing. The title of the book is suitable. I loved every bit of this story and I want to read the next book by the author. Hannah’s character is my favorite from the story. Go ahead with this book without any second thoughts.

  • 𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5

★ Book Is Available On Amazon

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Interview with author Robin Michaels

Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

Hi! My name is Robin Michaels and I’m excited to be featured today. I’m originally from Connecticut but have lived in Atlanta for the last 12 years. I love to travel, read, and visit local coffee shops in search of the best lavender latter there is. I work full-time in addition to being a writer, having spent years in the sports and event marketing industry. Writing has become a new passion of mine and I look forward to the journey it will take me on!

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “The Bonds We Break”?

Being a new author, I often felt out of my element, comparing myself to my favorite authors. Writer’s block got the best of me more times than I felt I should have, but I had to have grace with myself since this is a brand new endeavor. The comparison trap is real in so many facets, but it was a mental challenge to build myself up and believe that I’m just as talented and have a voice like everyone else.

Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

I love to read other thrillers. Riley Sager, Lucy Foley, and Lisa Jewel are all at the top of my list of authors I ran out and got their new book. Alice Feeney’s “Rock, Paper, Scisors” is hands down one of my favorites that I’ve read in the last few years. I didn’t see that twist coming at all and thoroughly enjoyed diving into that one.

Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

My favorite place is Cape Cod, Mass. I grew up vacationing there, so it brings back so many fond childhood memories. There’s something about the seawater air on a crisp summer night, that rejuvenates me. Living in Atlanta now, I don’t get back there much but still love to visit when given the opportunity.

Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘The Bonds We Break’?

A couple of years ago my father passed away after a long health battle and after taking that first year to grieve and give myself grace to mourn in any fashion I needed to, I found that I had this pent-up energy that I needed to put towards something creative. I had always felt like I would have grand ideas but no follow-through, so I was looking for an outlet that would allow me to continue the healing journey while also challenging me. I thought I would explore writing, as my dad dabbled in it for a while too. One day I got an email from an alumni group at my undergrad university and it sparked the idea of the plot, and here we are now, with my first published book!

Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘The Bonds We Break’?

I started it in April of 2022, finished the first draft by December, then went into editing. Overall from start to publication day, it was 15 months.

Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?

Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Apple Books. They can also request it from any independent bookstore as well.

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Bonds We Break’?

Since the events of the book take place at an alumni reunion and a general theme is centered on friendships and broken friendships, I wanted the title to reflect those two elements. There’s a line in the book that is almost like a mantra for the alumni, that comes from their alma mater – “Bonds Strong ‘Til The End” and the book explores if those bonds we make in college are truly unbreakable. What would you do for your best friends? That was also reflected on the cover – the shattering of glass and falling to the floor, the dropping of a champagne bottle, all symbolizing something so fragile being broken.

Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

For myself, I try to mix up where I’m writing. I had a favorite spot – Pop’s Coffee, to do most of my writing, but sometimes I would need to mix up the scenery. I also made sure that I gave myself time away from writing so that I could experience life around me and get inspired by conversations that my friends and I had or nuances that I wanted to build into a character. For the readers, I think the changing of perspectives in my book keeps the story moving. You travel back in time as well, so there’s a lot of back and forth that helps to build the story without being confusing.

Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?

Not everyone is going to like the story, and that’s ok. There are plenty of times that I’ve started to read something and I just can’t get into it, but that doesn’t mean someone else doesn’t love it. I’m creating something for myself in the end, and my hope is the masses will like it, but at the end of the day, I did this for me and that’s good enough!

Buy The Bonds We Break on Amazon

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Haunted by Hattie

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: Haunted 📚
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Hattie Levi ✍️
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🚀 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰:
Haunted, written by the author Hattie Levi is an interesting story that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the book. The main character of the story is Isabelle Morris. Once she saw a spirit in her attic. When Isabelle told Connor about it, he didn’t believe her. He thought maybe it’s because of her asthma attack that she is hallucinating. 

Isabelle told this to Zack and he told her about the kid Oliver who died in the same house years ago. Is this Oliver’s spirit? What will Isabelle do with the ghost in her attic? Isabelle and her friends take the readers on an adventurous and dangerous journey of ghost hunting. 

The writing style of the author is nice. The cover photo is eye-catching and the title is suitable. The story is well paced and I wasn’t bored anytime while reading this book. Go ahead with it without any second thoughts. The story will send chills down your spine while reading it and it is entertaining at the same time. 

  • 𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5/5

★ Book Is Available On Amazon

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