It's Your Decision by Ed Grizzle Book Feature

Children are gifts from God, but parenting those children can often be a difficult task. In It’s Your Decision, author Ed Grizzle shows how parenting can be successful when it’s carried out according to God’s plan. Using his life’s experiences as a guide, Grizzle explores the importance of making the right decisions in life—from choosing the right lifestyle and the right mate and to raising children according to what God has planned for you.

It’s Your Decision discusses
 • planning for children;
 • knowing what children need;
 • being aware of the important years in a child’s life;
 • understanding that children will test parents;
 • valuing the role of grandparents; • dealing with abused children;
 • communicating openly and honestly; 
• clarifying family roles.

 Grizzle presents a guide to strengthening lives and making your family life more enjoyable. He shows how this is possible when you accept Jesus Christ into your life; he will show you the way in the difficult times.

Would a Maharajah Sleep Here? by Stephen and Leanne Troy Book Feature

Title: Would a Maharajah Sleep Here?
Author: Stephen and Leanne Troy
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 324
Genre: Memoir
Format: Paperback/Kindle

 Inspired by a movie, television show, book, or stories from friends, we may find ourselves daydreaming about trips to exotic locations with exciting adventures. For some lucky ones, these dreams become reality. Would a Maharajah Sleep Here? presents firsthand stories of luxury travel and discovery by two fun and experienced travelers. Authors and travelers Stephen and Leanne Troy provide accounts of historic exploration, luxury hotel stays, and encounters with interesting people around the world. Each trip is private and planned in great detail to make sure each and every adventure is unique and experienced in five-star luxury. Chronicling their exploits at the end of each day, the Troys describe checking into the finest hotels in the world and getting whisked away for incredible tours of some of the world’s greatest treasures. In addition to personal anecdotes, this travelogue shares information about sites, history, culture, and food in countries around the world. The Troys reveal the good, the bad, and, of course, the fun and funny events that they encountered on their trips around the globe.

Stephen Troy earned a BBA from the University of Miami in Florida. He is the founder, owner, and CEO of AeroFund Financial. He is also the author of Business Biographies: Shaken, Not Stirred … With a Twist. He and his wife, Leanne, have visited six continents and more than forty countries. They have three children, two grandchildren, and live in Carmel, California.

One Month Week Day Hour Minute Second by Rebecca Marie Book Feature

Title: One Month Week Day Hour Minute Second
Author: Rebecca Marie
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 113
Genre: Self Help/Personal Growth
Format: Ebook
 Purchase at AMAZON 

Abuse knows no boundaries. It doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, old or young. It can enter your life at any time and stay as long as you let it. In One Month Week Day Hour Minute Second, author Rebecca Marie discusses that the key is to release the secrets, talk about the abuse, and take the power away from the abusers. In this memoir, she shares her personal journey surviving sexual and physical abuse, describing how abusive patterns started at a young age, how negative self-esteem continued to grow, and how it ended in her falling in love with a psychopath. One Month Week Day Hour Minute Second narrates how Marie was victimized and lived in daily fear and despair, but discusses how she chose not to remain a victim and took power over her own life. Hoping to break the cycle of domestic abuse one victim at a time, Marie tells her emotional story to call attention to the problem of domestic violence. Her story shows there is hope for others.

    
Rebecca Marie enjoys being a mentor and her goal in sharing her story is to help others see there is hope.

Warrior of the Way by Nathan Chandler Book Feature

Title: Warrior of the Way
Author: Nathan Chandler
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 376
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Ebook
 Purchase at AMAZON 

Civil war is a curse that touches everyone, including King Tashdar of the Mulamar. When he is ordered by a powerful and mysterious stranger to send warriors toward Kanai and Kadisha to slaughter everyone, Tashdar has no choice but to obey. As the Hebari emperor’s palace is invaded, only one man escapes—a captain of the guard to whom the emperor has entrusted the safety of his remaining two children. Moments later, the emperor’s legacy is erased from the face of the earth. More than forty years later, Pasha Nuvahli of the Sashramans tribe, greatest of the king’s warriors, is devastated when his wife is murdered and his son is kidnapped. Overcome with despair as war and a dangerous sorcerer threaten the southern tribes, Pasha soon finds himself in a crisis of faith as he ponders why Daiyu has allowed such sorrow to befall him. But after he learns of an ancient prophecy and his hidden connection to the last emperor of the south, Pasha is sent by King Juktan to seek an alliance with the five other Hebari tribes and lead them against an ancient enemy from the north. Suddenly, his life takes on a new meaning. In this compelling story, a worried king looks to his greatest warrior to unify the south with the hope the young soldier can save his people before all is lost forever.

  

 Nathan Chandler received an associate’s degree in technical Spanish translation from Oklahoma State University–Oklahoma City and currently attends the University of Oklahoma, where he is majoring in international business with an emphasis in Chinese language. Nathan resides in Norman, Oklahoma, where he continues to write.

Four Noble Truths by J.D. Buxton Book Feature

Title: Four Noble Truths
Author: J.D. Buxton
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 397
Genre: Action/Adventure
Format: Paperback/Kindle

 Dragon is a handsome, passionate and deeply devoted young man with a hidden, horrible past that haunts him into his present life. After suffering unimaginable abuse in a child pornography ring in Taiwan and an addiction to Heroin, Dragon’s only light on a path of darkness is his love, Raven, who more than fulfills his physical and emotional needs. United by the organization that found and ultimately saved Dragon, he and Raven happily bask in the love of an adopted family of lost souls touched by similar pasts that includes their mentor Sensei, and Wax and Sarge, Dragon’s right-hand men. As they execute their missions to explore the underbelly of the world of human trafficking and the sex trade, and serve the purpose of the organization: to right the wrongs, they have no idea the path they are on will lead them to unlock the door to their freedom. In this compelling story about redemption, love and fate, a young man, his love and his devoted team embark on a dangerous journey to execute vigilante justice for one purpose; to seek out and eliminate the perpetrators of the very crimes from which they all suffered.

 J D Buxton was born and raised in Southern Ontario. After graduating from college, she pursued a career in sales and marketing and lived in Vancouver, British Columbia and Calgary, Alberta where she raised her family. She is married with three children and currently resides in Southern Ontario where she enjoys all things equine, country and western music and home cooking.

Four Before Their Time by Timothy Spillane Book Feature

November is "National Prematurity Awareness Month" (Nov. 17 is "World Prematurity Day").There are nearly a half million babies born prematurely in this country every year. 

Title: Four Before Their Time
Author: Timothy Spillane
Publisher: Skitterbird, LLC
Pages: 342
Genre: Memoir
Format: Paperback/Kindle

Anne had it all. She was a physician, an Army officer, and a great wife. She'd be a great mom, too. But the joy of pregnancy is short-lived after an ultrasound reveals that Anne isn't just pregnant, she's really pregnant - with quadruplets! Now her dad, Tim Spillane, is a grandfather four times over, and much too soon. Just 24 weeks into her pregnancy, Anne delivered, and not one of Tim's grandkids weighs more than half a mug of coffee. So underdeveloped that even calling them babies feels wrong, the odds of just one of them surviving - let alone all four - are heartbreakingly low. And even if the children pull through, they face the likelihood of disabilities so severe that they'd have no real quality of life. It all seems hopeless until Tim's wife observes that just seeing the quads is like "being allowed a glimpse into the miracle that grows in a mother's womb." Four Before Their Time is the true story of four babies surviving on a razor's edge, one mom's overwhelming and guilt-ridden entrance into parenthood, and an entire family's experiences with extreme premature birth. It will take all the faith, hope, and resilience the Spillane family can muster - along with more than a few miracles - just to get the quadruplets home.

For More Information

• Four Before Their Time is available at Amazon.

Tim and his wife live in Chester County, PA and are the parents of three daughters. They became grandparents when their daughter, Anne delivered quadruplets in April, 2010. A graduate of Colorado College (1979) with a degree in English Literature, Tim returned to school to earn his Masters of Public Health from Drexel University in 2005. He has worked in residential construction for more than three decades but is now focusing full-time on his writing. He currently serves on the executive board of Graham's Foundation, an organization for parents and families going through the journey of prematurity. 

For More Information

• Visit Timothy Spillane’s website.
• Connect with Timothy on Facebook.

Behind the Taffeta Curtain by Verne Castress Book Feature

Title: Behind the Taffeta Curtain
Author: Verne Castress
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 102
Genre: Women's Fiction
Format: Paperback/Kindle

 Clair, a small-town girl attending Iowa State University in 1940, has her palm read for a laugh—and gets a surprisingly specific prediction about her career, marriage, and children. She laughs it off, with no idea of how accurate it will turn out to be. After a failed romance, she hastily marries a man named John, has two children, and very soon finds herself miserable. John is not only abusive and controlling, but also a compulsive gambler. In an effort to support their family, Clair finds work in a nearby department store, and her career in fashion begins. In the sixties and seventies, Clair works her way up through the industry, chipping away at the glass ceiling of a field with far fewer women executives than the ad firms of Madison Avenue at the time. As an executive buyer for numerous retail conglomerates, she travels the globe searching for innovative fashions and meets regularly with iconic designers such as Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, and Oscar de la Renta. Among the fashion elite living the high life, there are steamy affairs, drugs, and suicides, as tragic elements mark the lives of these women in fashion whose insecurity remains hidden beneath their stoicism. This novel tells the story of Clair’s journey through the fashion world, a single mother contending with the conniving wiles of men and women and facing obstacles in the devious, behind-the-scenes political struggle of those climbing to the top.

Verne Castress retired following a forty-five-year career as a fashion executive, for which she traveled the world in search of innovative fashions for the American market. The mother of two adult children, she currently lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.

GIVEAWAY

Tom is giving away one $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter.
• This giveaway begins November 10 and ends November 21.
• Winner will be contacted via email on Monday, November 24.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Impure by J.R. Bailey Book Feature

Title: Impure
Author: J.R. Bailey
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 272
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Ebook
Purchase at AMAZON

 "As darkness spills down from the north and stains all it touches with sin, a den of vampires known as the Great Citadel reaches out with its snaking hands. A change in the winds is signified by the death of an emperor—and the time for retribution has come. No one desires vengeance more than Koristad Altessor, a young necromancer and son of the legendary Black Guardian. Although it has been nearly twenty years since the Vampire King murdered his father, stole his throne, and then unleashed barbarians upon the defenseless villages of the foothills, Koristad’s thirst to kill the evil king remains unquenched. As he relentlessly searches for the monster and attempts to protect those he loves, Koristad’s own legend begins to take shape. With the powerful Executor Blade in hand, he sets his sights upon the Great Citadel and the Vampire King. But now only time will tell if he is prepared for the terrible secrets he may find there. In this continuing tale, a child of darkness instigates a mission of revenge against the lord of all vampires—a conflict destined to shake the very pillars of hell and test him in ways he never imagined."

   

J. R. Bailey began writing as a child after his first encounter with a typewriter and has never stopped. He is an eccentric dreamer who spends more time exploring the worlds of his imagination than the one at his fingertips. J. R. currently resides in southern Nebraska.

J.R. is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Amazon Gift Certificate or Paypal Cash.
• This giveaway begins September 1 and ends on September 13.
• Winners will be contacted via email on Monday, September 16.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest post from Natsuya Uesugi, author of grydscaen

ABOUT GRYDSCAEN

Title: grydscaen
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Author: Natsuya Uesugi
Publisher: Xlibris
EBook: 288 pages
Release Date: July 21, 2011

 Follow the lives of the main characters as they come together in the backstory to grydscaen:retribution, the first volume of the grydscaen saga. Faid is tired of life on the run in the Echelons, trying to keep his psychic power in check, he founds the Packrats establishing a safe haven for psychics. As a hacker he uses his jack to support his neurocyne habit. Lino is recruited by the Psi Faction and is sent on a mission to kidnap Faid. Riuho, Lino’s half brother becomes a prisoner of the Elite military and they experiment on him, train him and subject him to mind control, then send him out on a mission. On his return, Riuho is set on escaping and recruits Faid who hacks into the Psi Faction systems. They escape and return to the Packrats leading up to the start of grydscaen:retribution.

Xlibris

The grydscaen series which is set in 2055 in the near future is a microcosm of today’s society. Technology is pervasive and infiltrates the day to day lives of the people recounted in the book. The lead character of grydscaen is Ameliano “Lino” Dejarre who is the son of the Viceroy of the Pacific Territories and a prince. Lino is a clandestine psychic operative of the Psi Faction who’s job is to fight against cyber terrorism and the infiltrations of the Atlantea Federation which dropped the nuclear bomb called the Dionysis Effect on the Pacific Territories.

Lino and the psychic operatives of the Psi Faction are set against the Packrats which are seen as cyber terrorists by the government. The grydscaen series makes a commentary about freedom and anti government actions. Today we have activists and hackers standing up against oppression in various countries. I think that grydscaen gives voice to that fight and shows how things could happen in a world where there are less freedoms and the government rules everyday life.

Psychics are oppressed in grydscaen and I wanted to make a commentary about marginalized groups in society such as the transgender and gay community. LGBT youth also have to face bullying in schools and can have a difficult time adjusting to just being who they are. I wrote grydscaen to provide positive role models to today’s youth and show them that they can be different and still be respected. Bullying is a big problem today in person and online. I remember being bullied in high school for just being who I was and who I liked. This shaped who I am and I wrote grydscaen because I wanted to give back and let gay and trans kids know that they can be accepted for who they are.

The other topic that I touch on in grydscaen is mental health. There is stigma about mental illness that is pervasive in society. One of the grydscaen characters named Sati Ima has schizoaffective disorder but he is a pilot in the military. He just needs to take medication and otherwise he handles his symptoms. There are many people who deal with depression and other mental illnesses that take medication. There should be no stigma to that. I wanted to shed light on this and make it clear that people with mental illness can lead full and fulfilling lives and they should be treated with dignity and respect.

Grydscaen deals with difficult themes all rolled up into a science fiction backdrop. I also talk about LGBT homeless youth in the series as one of the characters Rom who is 16 years old lives on the streets. I wanted to detail the plights of homeless youth and give them a voice that is often not heard. Many people think this is just a problem in the inner cities but there are many cities where gay kids come out and tell their parents and then they are kicked out on the street, or for some reason or another they are running away from abusive situations. Homeless youth need a voice and I just wrote a grydscaen short story which is available on the grydscaen blog called “A Storm’s Coming” which is about Rom the homeless LGBT youth.

Grydscaen makes a commentary about life and marginalized groups in society. It calls for equal rights and equality like the marriage equality initiative that is getting media now. When I was in college I wished that I had strong LGBT role models that I could look up to who would have helped me find out more about who I am. I wrote the grydscaen series to provide this voice for those that might not feel that they were worthy of having a voice or had no means to speak up. Grydscaen shows that a gay teenager can have a position of power and rise up and make a change in his environment for the better. Lino is that character and the grydscaen series revolves around him. I wanted to give him a voice and tell about his struggles and his triumphs. Grydscaen is about respect and being recognized for your talents. I wanted to give back and grydscaen allows me to do that.

There are currently 4 books published in the grydscaen series: grydscaen: utopia, grydscaen: beginnings, grydscaen: retribution and grydscaen: war with a fifth book grydscaen: alliance due to be published this year. I hope that you would take a look at grydscaen and the positive message that it brings for today’s youth.

For more on grydscaen visit http://www.grydscaen.com

The Way to Financial Independence by Pearl Iseabell Roberts

Title: The Way to Financial Independence
Author: Pearl Iseabell Roberts
Publisher: Xlibris
Pages: 48
Genre: Business/Economics
Format: Ebook
Purchase at AMAZON 

The way to financial independence is like building a house. You can't build unless you have a solid foundation. You need to have the desire, the determination, and the goals to become self-sufficient. Be confident in yourself and be motivated. Let's name some of the building materials that you will need: education, as much as you can get, and the learning process never stops. As I converse with people, I find myself saying, "I didn't know that" While learning how to manage your money, also pay off your debts. Have a budget and saving plan. Be disciplined in spending. Don't be wasteful. Take time to get the best for your buck. Learn how to invest. Know what you are investing in and how it will make you money. Do not do risky investment, and do not gamble and be responsible. Learn everything that you can about finance and save, save, save.
 
 Pearl Iseabell Poole Roberts is a born again Christian. I am a widow. I was married for thirty-eight and a half years. I am the mother of three children. My oldest son Walter Leon Roberts is deceased. My second son is Brian Keith Roberts. I have a daughter, Paula Lynette Brown, a son-in-law, Otis Tito Brown and two grandsons, Otis Tyree Brown and Omarie Thomas Brown. I am a retired licensed practical nurse. I worked as a nurse for forty-five years. I worked for one of the largest hospital in Philadelphia, PA and for several nursing agencies. When you retire, you should retire from something to something. So your life will be full. The things that I didn’t have time to do when I was working, now I can do them. I like spending time with family and friends. I am active in my church and other ministries outside of my church. I like to read, watch movies, travel, and play games. I enjoy listening to gospel music and bowling, just to name a few.