The Indie Express: June 2021

Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Thriller Feature: Dire Redemption by Ishmael O. Ross #blogtour #bookreview #giveaway #thriller #action #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

Action/Thriller

Date Published: Feb 7, 2021

Publisher: The Unseeing Eye

A man is running for his life. An army is deployed to hunt him down. He has no right to be there, he has no right to live. He is not considered human.

A man is on a mission. He is looking for the hunted, for those denied humanity. He is trying to save them, to deliver them to safety, to give them a chance of life.

The year is 2058. The world’s powers have stabilised, the citizens of the newly formed super-states are living in peace and prosperity. But when safety is a privilege of the fortunate, liberty is a radical idea. For those born on the wrong side of the wall surrounding the Federated States of Europe, the price of privilege is unimaginably high.

When fate brings the two men together, they struggle against time, hostile forces and their own prejudices, towards a conclusion, neither of them would have thought possible.

Review

I found this book intriguing. The author developed the characters both main and secondary well.

The plot is fast-paced, there is action at every turn. It will keep you engaged throughout.

With this book, he has proven himself to be an incredibly talented author, and I sincerely look forward to seeing more from him in the future.

About the Author

Ishmael O. Ross is an author, technical writer and software architect. His stories appeared in The Scarlet Leaf Review and The Opiate magazines. Dire Redemption is his first novel.

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Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Alternate History Feature: Born in Salt by T.C. Weber #blogtour #historical #rabtbooktours #review @RABTBookTours @savethereefs

Alternate history

Date Published: May 1, 2021

Publisher: Freedom Thorn Press

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Fifty years after a coup replaced President Franklin D. Roosevelt with a fascist dictatorship, America is a land of hopelessness. Ben Adamson, a 19-year-old farm boy in southern Illinois, wants only to spend his time fishing and hunting. But when his dead brother demands justice for his suspicious fate in a colonial war, Ben and Rachel, his brother’s fiancée, are drawn into an underground revolutionary movement.

After staging a rally against the war, Ben and Rachel are arrested by the Internal Security Service, who have perfected the science of breaking people. Ben is given a choice: betray the rebels, including his best friend from childhood, or Rachel will be lobotomized.

Although traumatized and addicted to a powerful drug, Ben refuses to doom anyone he cares about. Can he find a third option? Can he free Rachel and strike back at the dictatorship, while dodging the suspicions of police and rebels alike?

Review

This book is a melding of so much. It's honest and to the point, the author has a message he sets out to deliver and a theme for this book and he delivers at every single point in the story.

Weber’s world is well developed. It's an adventure, it tests the mind, it makes you think.

Politics and history. Powerful themes and so much more.

About the Author

Ted Weber has pursued writing since childhood, and learned filmmaking and screenwriting in college, along with a little bit of physics. His first published novel was a near-future cyberpunk thriller titled Sleep State Interrupt (See Sharp Press). It was a finalist for the 2017 Compton Crook award for best first science fiction, fantasy, or horror novel. The first sequel, The Wrath of Leviathan, was published in 2018, and the final book, Zero-Day Rising, came out in 2020. He has other books on the way as well. He is a member of Poets & Writers and the Maryland Writers Association, and helps run writing workshops and critique groups. By day, Mr. Weber works as a climate adaptation analyst, and has had a number of scientific papers and book chapters published. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife Karen. He enjoys traveling and has visited all seven continents. For book samples, short stories, and more, visit https://www.tcweber.com/.

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Literary Fiction: Harry Harambee's Kenyan Sundowner by Gerald Everett Jones #promo #releaseday #giveaway #literaryfiction #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours @superscribbler1

A Novel

Literary Fiction

Date Published: 6/29/2021

Publisher: La Puerta Productions

Intrigue on the white sands of the Indian Ocean. From the award-winning author of Clifford’s Spiral.

A lonely widower from Los Angeles buys a tour package to East Africa on the promise of hookups and parties. What he finds instead are new reasons to live.

Aldo Barbieri, a slick Italian tour operator, convinces Harry to join a group of adventuresome “voluntourists.” In a resort town on the Indian Ocean, Harry doesn’t find the promised excitement with local ladies. But in the supermarket he meets Esther Mwemba, a demure widow who works as a bookkeeper. The attraction is strong and mutual, but Harry gets worried when he finds out that Esther and Aldo have a history. They introduce him to Victor Skebelsky, rumored to be the meanest man in town. Skebelsky has a plan to convert his grand colonial home and residential compound into a rehab center – as a tax dodge. The scheme calls for Harry to head up the charity. He could live like a wealthy diplomat and it won’t cost him a shilling!

Harry has to come to terms with questions at the heart of his character: Is corruption a fact of life everywhere? Is all love transactional?

Harry Harambee’s Kenyan Sundowner is an emotional story of expat intrigue in Africa, reminiscent of The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene and The Constant Gardener by John le Carré.

Praise for Clifford’s Spiral (Independent Press Awards 2020 Distinguished Favorite in Literary Fiction)

We've seen and noted the comparison of this author by other reviewers to literary giants like Roth and Vonnegut. And we can't disagree. Yet we feel there may be yet another strata for Gerald Everett Jones, who arguably is doing the best work of his career. We predict that he lacks only a mention in the The New York Review of Books or, better yet, Oprah, to become a nationwide best-selling author. Five-plus stars to Clifford's Spiral, a true literary novel if ever there was one. We say in all seriousness that if you only read one novel this year, this should be it. - Don Sloan, Publishers Daily Reviews

Preacher Finds a Corpse (NYC Big Book Awards 2020 Winner in Mystery, IPA 2020 Distinguished Favorite in Mystery, Eric Hoffer 2020 Finalist in Mystery)

This is literature masquerading as a mystery. Carefully yet powerfully, Gerald Jones creates a small, stunning world in a tiny midwestern town, infusing each character with not just life but wit, charm, and occasionally menace. This is the kind of writing one expects from John Irving or Jane Smiley.

- Marvin J. Wolf, author of the Rabbi Ben Mysteries, including A Scribe Dies in Brooklyn.

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Poetry Feature: Tears of Change by Debbie A. Monteggia #promo #releaseday #giveaway #poetry #rabtbooktours @RABTBooktours

Poetry

Date Published: 6/29/2021

Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing

Tears of Change is a collection of poems and quotes that takes you on a journey through the everyday emotions of life. In this book you will find unique, one-of-a-kind poems. Some will touch your heart and bring you to a place of appreciation and peace, and others may change the way you view and look at things. You will find ones that will move you through joy, loss, acceptance and renewal, as well as pain and sorrow. My hope is that one or many will inspire you to take a leap into expressing all of your own emotions so you can reach a deeper place of love and gratitude within yourself.

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Monday, June 28, 2021

Memoir Feature: I Hear the Black Raven by Claire Ishi Ayetoro #blogtour #bookreview #memoir #nonfiction #giveaway #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours @ishiayetoro

A Petite Memoir

Date Published: 06-04-2021

Publisher: Equal Age

At 31 years of age, Claire Ishi Ayetoro has lived enough lives to fill an ensemble cast. In this, her first memoir, no topic is off-limits as she paints portrait after portrait of her triumphs and her battles with bipolar disorder, religiosity, and that ever elusive cure-all: love. A vividly compassionate depiction of psychosis, Ayetoro weaves words of wisdom, encouragement, and inspiration into every layer of her storytelling. Journey with her through the mountains and valleys of manic depression, guided by that singular spirit of flight: the black raven. You never know, it may even be calling to you.

Review

This was not a lengthy read, but it was full of so much! The author really puts her everything in this and it was a wonderful read. Poignant and profound. The author really manages to bring so much important insight to the reader. Utterly beautiful.

About the Author

Claire is an African-American author and a creative at heart. Born in the southern hills of Mississippi, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and has been re-designing and re-defining her world to live her best life ever since. She is an advocate for human rights and helps others to find freedom of mind through her coaching. When she is not writing, she can be found catering to Rupert (the family cat), daydreaming about warm spring days and cool fall nights, and whistling (a favorite pastime taught to her by her beloved "Papa Ray").

Sign up for her email list at www.ishiayetoro.com and receive a free gift. Become an advocate with her by exploring www.equalageco.com.

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Saturday, June 26, 2021

Memoir Feature: Red Card by Tony Kelly #promo #memoir #nonfiction #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours @BookBuzznet @kellysredcard

Red Card: A Bet You Can Win!

Memoir, Sports, Non-Fiction

Published: April 2021

Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers

Former UK professional soccer star (footballer), Tony Kelly lost it all, but he stands today as someone who is unbreakable!

Having lost most of his wealth, his house and eventually his fiance', Tony refused to be broken and fought back.

Through years of pain and suffering, somehow, Tony managed to turn his life around in a positive way, and his journey from disaster to redemption and triumph is nothing short of amazing. Tony has literally been to hell and back, but through family and friends' support, professional help, his renewed faith, and sheer courage, he is now in a position to help others, and that is something he could never have envisioned six years ago.

A tragic, yet uplifting and inspiring tale of one man's journey through gambling addiction. It's a must-read for those who feel lost, broken, and without hope, as Tony's story is testimony that all is not lost. That this is a bet you can win!

About the Author

Best selling Author Tony Kelly is a former professional (footballer) soccer star who played for six teams within his nine-year career. He is also a recovering gambling addict. In his first book, Tony wrote and shared this story, "Red Card: The Soccer Star Who Lost It All To Gambling," in 2013. He now released his much anticipated second book titled "Red Card: A Bet You Can Win!" in April 2021 and is available on Amazon Kindle, Amazon Books, Barnes & Noble, and other fine online book stores in both the UK and USA.

Tony was crazy about (UK Football) soccer from the age of seven. At sixteen, he was the youngest player ever on the first team at Bristol City, UK. In his twenties, Tony turned professional and went on to play for clubs such as Stoke City, Cardiff City, Leyton Orient, and Bury in the second and third divisions of the Soccer (Football) League. He also enjoyed a spell playing for a team in Sweden. His career was cut short and ruined by a gambling addiction. He continued to gamble addictively and lost jobs, the rest of his soccer career, his partner, and his financial wealth he worked hard to gain.

Today, Tony is the Founder and Managing Director of 'Red Card Gambling Consultancy and Gambling Support Project' (Non-Profit) in 2015 and has been sharing prevention of problem gambling and addiction with individual one on one therapy, awareness, prevention, educational workshops, visiting and speaking at schools, and much more in and around London, UK.

Tony has helped and worked with the UK Gambling Commission in an advisory role on regulations. A tireless advocate of recovery, Tony has grown to become well-respected within the gambling harm reduction and prevention sector throughout the United Kingdom. His work has been endorsed both by the UK media and the UK parliament. As a recovering addict, his wish for the book release is to help raise awareness and educate the public about this crippling gambling disorder.

Born Nyrere Anthony Kelly in England, Tony resides in London; his books are his journey of 'Redemption and Recovery' as Tony is proof that miracles do happen and recovery is possible.

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Friday, June 25, 2021

Middle-Grade Feature: Maya Loop by Lis Anna-Langston #promo #releaseday #giveaway #middlegrade #fantasy #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

Middle Grade Fantasy

Release Date: June 26, 2021

Publisher: Mapleton Press

Get ready to meet the blue haired girl from Baltimore who saves the world.

Following maps her grandmother drew before she disappeared, Maya Loop, the brave, blue-haired girl from Baltimore, has to depend on her wits and bravery to face the alien race of Landions who have taken her grandmother and best friends to an underground world of creatures living beyond the limits of time. The Landions are not only trying to end the human race but erase them completely. A delightfully fast-paced story crackling with energy, Maya Loop meets young readers in the wide-open world of being a kid where everything feels like magic.

Praise for Maya Loop:

"Maya Loop is Alice in Wonderland meets the Wizard of Oz, with the sweet tinge of Fortnite and Percy Jackson thrown in. I loved every page." - Linda Sands, Award winning Georgia Author of the Year

"Readers interested in a passionate journey of determination and evolving wisdom will find Maya Loop unpredictable, driven by understandable emotions and extraordinary events that lead Maya to a new form of determination and courage." - Midwest Book Review

About the Author

Lis Anna-Langston was raised along the winding current of the Mississippi River on a steady diet of dog-eared books. She attended a Creative and Performing Arts School from middle school until graduation and went on to study Literature at Webster University. Her two novels, Gobbledy and Tupelo Honey have won the Parents’ Choice Gold, Moonbeam Book Award, Independent Press Award, Benjamin Franklin Book Award and NYC Big Book Awards. Twice nominated for the Pushcart award and Finalist in the Brighthorse Book Prize, William Faulkner Fiction Contest and Thomas Wolfe Fiction Award, her work has been published in The Literary Review, Emerson Review, The Merrimack Review, Emrys Journal, The MacGuffin, Sand Hill Review and dozens of other literary journals. She draws badly, sings loudly, loves ketchup, starry skies & stories with happy aliens.

You can find her in the wilds of South Carolina plucking stories out of thin air.

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Nonfiction Feature: The Diversity Playbook by Hephzi Pemberton #blogtour #bookreview #nonfiction #business #giveaway #Rabtbooktours @BookBuzznet @RABTBookTours @hephzipemberton @equalitygroupgl

Transforming Business with Inclusion and Innovation

Non-fiction / Business / Leadership / Diversity and Inclusion

Date Published: June 8, 2021

Hephzi Pemberton’s first nonfiction, business book The Diversity Playbook provides an empowering and uplifting experience. It contains proven expertise, factual examples and practical tools to transform your business and leadership approach with inclusion and innovation as a central shared goal and priority.

Her book demonstrates with clarity, relevant case studies and the latest research, as well as an applicable exercise in each chapter, to show how leaders and firms who embrace and embed inclusion and diversity into their business will benefit. They will be the businesses that innovate and adapt more rapidly. They will have a workplace culture that the latest talent seeks out and stays with. They will reach a wider set of customers and clients who feel valued and understood. They know that to achieve these benefits and many others besides, leaders and businesses now and in the future will have to take inclusion and diversity seriously.

Review

This is an important read for business leaders, management, owners, etc.

Learn how to ensure you are being inclusive. With plenty of research and studies to back up her words, you will learn more than you even thought.

Highlighting the benefits of creating a new and diverse environment.

About The Author

Hephzi Pemberton is a UK business founder and advisor, who believes in the power of good business to transform society. After completing an undergraduate degree at Oxford University, Hephzi began her career in Investment Banking at Lehman Brothers. In 2009, she co-founded Kea Consultants, a financial headhunting firm that specialises in investment and high-growth organisations, which she quickly grew into a profitable and sustainable business.

In 2018, Hephzi founded Equality Group, an Inclusion and Diversity specialist business focused on the Finance and Technology industry. Equality Group helps companies to diversify their teams, using their executive search service, and creates a more inclusive cultures with their consulting and education services. Equality Group has partnered with many leaders in sustainable investing, such as Generation Investment Management, and Private Equity and Venture Capital firms who are committed to being leaders in inclusion and diversity.

Hephzi has been angel investing since 2010 and has invested in technology start-ups across AI, Logistics, Health and Beauty, E-Commerce and Education. She has also advised a number of businesses on their hiring practices, board composition, compensation structure, strategic and fundraising plans.

Alongside her commercial experience, Hephzi has founded a social enterprise called Kiteka, empowering female micro entrepreneurs in Uganda to access digital opportunities through mobile technology. Hephzi has sat on the board of trustees for three other charities focused on youth employment, homelessness and community development.

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Website

http://www.hephzipemberton.com

http://www.equality.group

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hephzi-pemberton/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/equalitygroupglobal

Twitter

https://twitter.com/hephzipemberton

https://twitter.com/equalitygroupgl

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https://www.instagram.com/hephzipemberton/

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https://www.facebook.com/hephzi.pemberton

https://www.facebook.com/equalitygroupglobal

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Thursday, June 24, 2021

Fiction Feature: Words on Paper by Michael Ross #blogtour #bookreview #giveaway #fiction #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours @mikerosswriter

Love story with hard edges

Date Published: Jun 7, 2021

Publisher: SE

From the depths of tragedy it might well be that anything is possible. ‘Words on Paper’ is moving story based on a real life tragedy that divided strangers even further apart. However, for them, aside from all the pain, is a hope that life still has potential, and the reminder that in life sometimes two minuses make a plus. Emma and Will have nothing in common other than a mutual tragedy and a pain they share from a different perspective. All things are achievable but the fates are fickle and their lives are on hold as they travel the rocky road that could lead from tragedy to contentment.

Review

Great easy read! I had a hard time putting it down. I love that you can start and stop and read a little or a lot at a time.

It was very well thought out in how it was put together. It flowed nicely and had great meaning.

It's powerful and relatable on many levels.

About the Author

Born and raised in Bristol, England. I spent my adult life in business, the majority of that time marketing cars. I eventually owned the largest Saab specialist in the world, before a divorce put an end to that part of my life. This led me to leave Bristol to live halfway up a mountain in the Welsh Valleys, start a part time six year English Literature course at Bristol University, and attend creative writing classes in Cardiff. My interest in English literature flourished and I have won several prizes for my short stories. My first book, 'Twenty Short Stories - Settling a score," reached No 1 in the Short Stories Best Sellers.

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Pages

Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Monday, June 28, 2021

Saturday, June 26, 2021

Friday, June 25, 2021

Thursday, June 24, 2021