Memoir Feature: Improbable and Extraordinary by Saul & Erika Horwitz #memoir #nonfiction #bookreview #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

Memoir

Date Published: April 21, 2025

Publisher: MindStir Media

 

 

Winner of the 2025 Literary-Titan Book Award (Memoir)!

Winner of the 2025 Firebird book award (Addiction and Recovery)!

Winner of the 2025 Firebird book award (Mental Health)!

Finalist, 2024 Literary Global Book Awards and American Writing Book Awards!

 

I believe Improbable and Extraordinary will be an extremely influential book - it's rare to see such a personal and raw account of mental illness, and then the continuous (and in this case, unique) process of overcoming it. Overall, an outstanding and moving manuscript...The flow is excellent and engaging and the voice is very strong. A true accomplishment!

Megan Patiry, author of The Alice Effect.

 

Escaping the torment of depression, anxiety, mania and addiction: Saúl's memoir is a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit, showing how even when it seems unattainable, transformation is possible. Once tormented by the crushing grip of bipolar disorder, depression, severe anxiety, anger, and addiction, Saúl shares the raw, unflinching truth of his battle with mental illness and trauma.

Through a profound exploration of love, not as a romantic ideal but as a fundamental force, and by adopting practical, yet challenging principles, the author discovers a path to inner peace and freedom. Saúl's candid reflections on overcoming a deep, persistent darkness reveal the possibility of peace, freedom, and personal growth.

This memoir doesn't just chronicle survival; it celebrates the power of transformation. Saúl's path through addiction and mental illness reveals that true peace and freedom are within reach, even for those who have lost everything.

By sharing his experience, Saúl aims to inspire understanding and hope, and communicate that healing is not just possible but transformative. This book is a beacon of hope for anyone wanting to find hope for themselves or someone they love.

 

From co-author, Dr. Erika Horwitz, Licensed Psychologist:

As Saul's sister, I witnessed his torments and struggles and his amazing transformation! As a psychologist, I understood the enormity of what he achieved-moving from a place of deep mental illness to stability, inner peace and wisdom. His story is inspiring and a testament to the amazing ability of human beings to transform. It's a story that offers hope to anyone facing mental health challenges and their loved ones. I knew it was essential for Saul to share his story, and I believe it will resonate with anyone who believes in the power of transformation."

 

 

Review

I was invested from the get-go.  It was a powerful read and really helps shed light on some of the things people don't talk about surrounding Mental Illness. 

This is a great example of the struggles a person can go through and the ability to overcome your diagnosis and your struggles. 

It also goes to show you can't always do it alone. It shows how to support someone and love them through it. 

The combined voices of the authors and their writing style is smooth and effortless. I really thought this was something unique by showing both perspectives.

  About the Authors

Saúl Horwitz

Saúl Horwitz is an addictions expert and counsellor for people in rehabilitation and recovery. From an early age he had to struggle with his personality due to suffering from bipolar disorder. Suicide attempts, suicidal crises, depression, euphoria, and other drastic changes in his personality prevented him from leading a normal life like that of others. After receiving help from a non-traditional AA group, El Despertar, not only did he transform many of these symptoms, but he also became a skilled counsellor to those afflicted by addiction and mental illness.

 

Erika Horwitz, Ph.D.

Erika is a Licenced Psychologist working in private practice in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada.  In addition, she is an author, public speaker, university lecturer, and certified Mindfulness Teacher.  She was the former Director of Counselling Services at Simon Fraser University.  She is currently the President of the Board of Directors at the British Columbia Psychological Association, the Vice-Chair at the Council of Professional Associations of Psychology and a council member at the American Psychological Association.  She wrote Through the Maze of Motherhood: Empowered Mothers Speak.  In her leisure time she loves meditation, reading, movies, working out, and spending time with her amazing husband, her family, and friends.

 

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Romance Feature: Secret Keeper by Victoria Pinder #giveaway #newbooks #releaseday #romance #contemporary #rabtbooktours @victoriapinder @RABTBookTours

 

House of Morgan

Contemporary Romance

Date Published: 07-29-2025

Publisher: Love in a book

Anthony Morgan is the last man I should ever work for.
Too bad I don’t have a choice.

It started with an email from Jennifer Gonzales.
It ended with me walking into a boardroom face-to-face with the man who once loved her.
The same man who looks at me like I’m a threat to everything he built.

And maybe I am.

He’s cold. Controlled.
Italian billionaire in an Armani suit, hiding bruises behind bank accounts.
He thinks I’m still loyal to my former best friend—the woman who broke his brother’s heart and stole something she should’ve never touched.

But I’m not here for Belle.
I’m here to do a job.

Security.
Protection.
No distractions.

Except Anthony Morgan is a distraction.

His eyes strip me bare.
His voice is a seduction I never saw coming.
And every time we fight, it feels like foreplay.

Getting too close to him is a mistake.
Falling for him?
Dangerous.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from war zones and heartbreak…
It’s that the most forbidden fire burns the hottest.

And Anthony Morgan is pure flame.

 

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling Author, Victoria Pinder grew up in Irish Catholic Boston before moving to the Miami sun though she left that for a while to live in New Orleans, Denver and now Pittsburgh. She started single but the husband and then children joined in on the fun. She’s worked in engineering, then lawyer, then teacher, and finally novelist. She refused to one day turn 50 and realize she had nothing but her career and hours at a desk.

During all this time and travel, she always wrote stories to entertain herself or calm down. Her parents are practical minded people demanding a job, and Victoria spent too many years living other people’s expectations, but when she sat down to see what skill she had that matched what she enjoyed doing, writing became so obvious. The middle school year book when someone wrote in it that one day she’d be a writer made sense when she turned thirty.

She’s always been amazing, adventurous and assured. It’s what gets her through the day.

Her website is www.victoriapinder.com where you can get a free read NOW. Please write as she loves writing back to her fans.

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Health Nonfiction Feature: The Plight of Pudgy by Tammy Waldoch #releaseday #newbooks #giveaway #nutrition #health #nonficton #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

Health & Fitness Diet & Nutrition / Weight Loss Humorous Memoir

Date Published: 07-29-2025

Publisher: BookBaby

Studies have shown that laughter and music are proven ways to facilitate healing. Author Tammy Waldoch uses this potent secret sauce in her book Plight of the Pudgy: Stories, Inspirations, and Preposterous Parodies for the Slim at Heart. From weight loss drugs, chronic diets, and toxic body shame, the book is an open invitation to connect authentically with someone who deeply understands the plight. Her own pilgrimage to finding self-love and a place to "fit in" includes a near-death car accident, a bipolar diagnosis that turned her life upside down, and a lifelong struggle with poor body image.

Waldoch authentically pours her heart and soul into sharing raw stories and songs filled with deep faith, side-splitting humor, and a resounding message that we are all perfectly made in God's eyes.

Tammy writes this book not only as a testimony of her faith but also to share her private path of redemption and healing.

Among the pages, readers will also enjoy fiction stories designed to encourage laughter and reflection, along with some preposterous (and creative!) parodies that provide a backdrop of humor to lighten the burdens of The Slim at Heart.

Early Review

Heart Felt And Honest - This book will make you laugh and cry. The lament of women who struggle with body image applies to a good majority of women.

About the Author

Tammy Waldoch is an imaginative author/singer/songwriter/painter with a degree in Liberal Arts from the University of Wisconsin, Lacrosse, emphasizing Aesthetic Education—teaching using the creative arts. She did just that in The Plight of the Pudgy, combining musical parodies with literature to teach others how to overcome obstacles and rise above adversity. She is actively involved with the Writer’s Well at the White Bear Center for the Arts and gathers with other inspiring writers of all ages to explore their creativity. She also consults with the Springboard Center for the Arts in St. Paul, MN for further resources.

She and her husband of 38 years share a dynamic love for better for worse, in sickness and in health, that has endured all things.

She is also a proud parent of two sons and has two beautiful daughters-in-law who share life’s joys and challenges. Her faith is at the heart of everything she does, and this book is a testimony of her Lord and Savior’s incredible loving kindness toward her. Gilda Radner once said, “Life is full of delicious ambiguities.”

Tammy invites everyone to share those ambiguities with her!

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Memoir Feature: You Make My Heart Giggle by Brent John Larsen #newbooks #memoir #nonfiction #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

Dadisms, The Wisdom and Wit of Dad

Nonfiction, Feel Good, Memoir

Date Published: July 29, 2025

Publisher: Elite Online Publishing

If you liked “Chicken Soup for the Soul” or “Tuesdays with Morrie,” you will love this book.

 

You Make My Heart Giggle: Dadisms, The Wisdom and Wit of Dad is the perfect book for anyone who cherishes the timeless wisdom of fathers and the lessons they impart, often disguised as quirky sayings. Whether you're seeking inspiration, laughter, or a heartfelt reminder of life's most cherished values, this book is for you.

Inside, you’ll discover:

● Time-tested Dadisms, each packed with wisdom to inspire courage, persistence, and optimism—so you can tackle life's challenges with confidence.

● Historical insights and personal stories, showing how these simple sayings align with some of history’s greatest moments, giving you a new appreciation for their deeper meanings.

● A heartfelt tribute to fatherhood, reminding you of the love, humor, and guidance that shape our lives, so you can cherish and pass these lessons down to generations.

 

This book is authentic, inspiring, and proven to make you laugh, reflect, and appreciate the impact of a father’s words in ways you never imagined.

Don't wait, grab your copy today and relive the wisdom, laughter, and love that only a dad can provide!

Excerpt

 

A little about my dad

Little Johnny as my father was known spent his early childhood in cache valley a beautiful mountain setting in northern Utah. The valley was lush and green in summer with horses and cows grazing peacefully in fields framed by homemade log and wire fences. The severe winters were in stark contrast to the mild summers. bitterly cold but beautiful. Each morning the sun would stream through the trees causing the hoar frost (which had settled on the branches during the night) to sparkle like a thousand little gems. Against a cobalt blue sky, the contrast was stunning. cache valley was a wonderful place for an active young boy to grow up in. pine covered mountains to climb, clear running rivers to fish and plenty of places to explore. cache valley got its name from the mountain men and trappers who traveled the Rockies in search of valuable furs, fox, beaver and bear, beaver pelts were in high demand in the east because top hats were all the rage and a beaver top hat signaled wealth and class. Jim Bridger, and Jedediah Smith were a few of those who roamed the high mountains in the 1820’s. Jedediah was born and raised in Boston, Jim hailed from Chicago These young men had left the comforts of eastern cities for the lonely and rugged life in the west. it was a solitary existence always working the trap lines by themselves. Each spring around the first week in May, these intrepid young men would assemble together (to retrieve their hidden furs “caches” that they had created during the winter months,) in what was for them the high social event of the year It was called the rendezvous.

Dads father Rube was slight of build. He had come from humble circumstances. raised on a small farm that managed to put food on the table but little else. Rube would spend his entire life raising livestock and living off the land the same as his father and his grandfather before him had done. Dads mother Charlotte was the daughter of John Anderson. A tall man, and rather quiet and soft spoken. He was impeccable in appearance. altogether a rather handsome man. He had amassed a small fortune in real estate, as president of the Logan First National Bank and the proprietor of the ZCMI Mercantile Store on main street. in 1864 as a young boy He had walked from St Louis to the Rocky Mountains to homestead with his family in the northern Utah Territory. it was said of charlotte that she could have any man in the valley but settled on a quiet country boy. As a cattleman Rube was hardly ever home. He was demanding of his children but in a kind sort of way.

My father (little Johnny) was a very active and outgoing young boy with little fear of anything, always towering over his fellow schoolmates. Despite his size, he was a kind and gentle child. As an adult, he was larger than life not only physically, but he was also large intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. At 6’ 6” 320 pounds, size 16 shoes, coat size 56, everyone quit calling him little Johnny and he simply became known as Big John.

He had an unwavering love for his country. He was part of what Tom Brokaw called “the Greatest Generation“ serving in world war II in the south pacific. He was involved in the battles at Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima, Leyte, Philippines, and Okinawa. along with being part of one of the first contingencies to enter Hiroshima after the Atomic Bomb was dropped.

He loved golf, he loved to travel, he never held public office but was deeply involved in local caucuses, state conventions, and campaigning for candidates he believed in. As far as singing, he could not carry a tune, but he loved music and the arts and saw to it that we often attended the Utah Symphony, plays at the Promised Valley Play House, and excursions to the local galleries so we could appreciate fine art. We could decide for ourselves as to whether or not we wanted to play sports, but we had no such freedom when it came to learning how to play a musical instrument. To dad it was non-negotiable, He said simply. “You will”

I knew he loved me not only by what he said but by what he actually did. One night in late August of1968, my father came home from work and asked me if I could visit with him for a few minutes. My first though was “Oh no what have I done now. I soon realized that his tone was very different from past visits. He said, “Son I have been offered the job to be the principle of your high school, and I need to know if that would bother you in any way”? I then asked him “what he would do if the answer was yes”, His response surprised me, he said “Son, you are far more important than any job could ever be, and if it would cause you even the slightest worry or concern, I will turn the job down” I knew that he really wanted that job but I also knew he really meant what he said. My answer to him was that it would be fine and for the next 3 years we had what many would call a rather unique experience together.

I hope the stories I tell here will be of some interest, but more importantly I hope it will awaken in each reader the realization of the lessons that each has learned from those who have been their source of inspiration and learning. Those who have truly made a difference in their lives.

 

 

About the Author

Brent was a product of the fascinating and turbulent decades of the 60’s and 70’s. He came from a very average middle-class family. Growing up, he would be labeled by society’s standards as almost invisible. He was surrounded by incredible role models that greatly influenced his life, including teachers, friends, and most importantly, family. Brent was an Eagle Scout and served a two-year mission for his church in Northern England.

He met his future bride in a geology class at the University of Utah and graduated with a BS degree in History. Putting himself through school, he worked for First Security State Bank. Brent taught students with reading disabilities at Union Jr High School and History at Alta High School before leaving education to work for Pfizer Pharmaceutical. Eventually, he started his own highly successful construction company, which now includes three of his sons as part of the family business. He also owns 3 companies involved in real estate development and acquisition.

Brent's greatest joy comes from his family. He is a proud father to 2 daughters and 5 sons, and a contented grandpa to 30 grandchildren, with one great-grandchild on the way. He loves sports, photography, travel, especially in France, England, Holland, and the inside passage of Alaska and being in the outdoors; he cherishes time at their cabin in the Manti Lasal mountains or their condo in the red rock country of southern Utah. He enjoys hiking and rappelling slot canyons in the southwest and river running, especially the mighty Colorado River. Brent also started the Metra Learning Center and On-line productions. He played the clarinet in the University of Utah marching and pep bands and remarkably built his first home with no prior construction experience, which still stands 45 years later.

Throughout his life, Brent has been driven by the undeniable influence one person can have on generations untold and the profound lessons taught by a father to his sons and daughters. His life reflects the deep and enduring relationship between a father and his children.

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The 6th Heaven by Monica Broussard #comingsoon #excerpt #metaphysical #speculative #christian #fiction #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

 

Book 3 in the 21 Tattoos Series

 

Speculative Fiction; Visionary and Metaphysical; Christian Fiction

Date Published: September 17, 2025

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

How far will a man go to save his very soul?

Derek Hollinger has walked a long, hard road since a fateful encounter with an Indigenous shaman woman turned his life upside down. Now married to Kendal, his angel and savior, Derek desperately wants to be the man she deserves. But his obsession with his tattoos—what they mean and how to get rid of them—is tearing down everything they’ve built together.

Paralyzed by depression and self-loathing, Derek is convinced that only one person can help him now: the granddaughter of the shaman whose power inked him from head to toe. Enlisting the aid of his loyal friend and spiritual advisor, Father Mike, Derek treks deep into the heart of the Amazon jungle, where a final reckoning between good and evil awaits.

But God’s plan for Derek isn’t what he expects. And coming back alive—whole in mind, heart, and spirit—will require every ounce of his fortitude and faith.

Excerpt

But then, one morning, the tattoos appeared after he had a vivid nightmare of a swirling spiderweb that seemed to move and change as he tried to escape. He had awoken with a start, his heart racing and his body drenched in sweat. He remembered every detail—the grotesque spider with its sharp, black legs and beady eyes, looming over him as he struggled to free himself from its web. In his dream, he had been half-paralyzed with fear, unable to escape the creature’s grasp as it taunted and tortured him.

Now, as he lay in his bed, still trembling from the intensity of the recurring dream, he realized that the spider was not just a figment of his imagination. It was a manifestation of his deepest fears and insecurities, a symbol of the overwhelming challenges and struggles he faced in his waking life.

The tattoos covered his body from head to toe—even his face.

He had tried to subconsciously resist the spine-chilling transformation, to hide by going back into a deep, fitful sleep that night, hoping it was only a nightmare. But the tattoos seemed to have a mind of their own, and soon, his entire body was covered in a symphony of ink, intricate and detailed, each telling a story he could not understand.

Derek became a spectacle, a mystery, and a work of art. People would point and gawk at his tattoos. He nearly lost his medical practice.

He could not explain the disturbing dichotomy, but he felt an intense connection to these markings. He intuitively realized they were a part of him and he would never be alone again. After experiencing the vicious beating when he was a teenager that almost took his life, Derek struggled with feelings of unworthiness, believing that he somehow deserved what had happened to him. He had been selfish that day, not listening to his mother and not wanting to visit with his grandmother. Then she died suddenly; he never saw his grandmother again. It felt like there must have been something inherently wrong with him if the universe was willing to use its power against him in such cruel ways.

As a prominent plastic surgeon, he performed each reconstructive procedure with as much focus and precision as if working on his own body. His attention to detail and excellence in each procedure were an extension of the reconstructive surgeries performed by Dr. Christopher Casey on him as a child.

When he performed craniofacial surgery, it was, in his mind, a repetition of the one performed on his face so many years before. A reconstructive microsurgery on the delicate bones of a hand that might someday perform life-altering procedures.

In his dreams, he relived moments of profound regret and insecurity. He had told himself it was for the best when Kendal had left him for a short time before they married. He was protecting himself from the disappointment and hurt that inevitably came with a relationship’s dissolution. He had been able to rehabilitate himself in her eyes.

But now, in this vivid dream, he gripped the steering wheel of his parked Bentley and felt the familiar explosion go off in his head. He could not deny the truth any longer. He was a lonely and lost man. The realization was like a punch in the gut, and he could not help but feel a wave of sadness for what might have been.

 

About the Author

Monica Broussard

Writer, speaker, and certified life coach Monica Broussard is passionate about writing fiction that contains fantasy elements and keeps the reader intrigued about the lead character’s motives. She also writes an occasional article for her hometown’s magazine, SeaCliff Living. She belongs to American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and enjoys attending national writers' conferences.

Born in North Carolina on a Marine Corps base, Monica now lives in “Surf City,” Huntington Beach, California, with her husband of thirty-nine years. She has enjoyed various occupations, but her favorite job is the one she’s doing now—writing.

The 6th Heaven is book 3 in the 21 Tattoos Series.

 

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Young Adult Fantasy Feature: The Thane Amulet by CJ Nicolson #youngadult #fantasy #yafantasy #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

 

Thane Amulet Tales, Book 1

 

YA Fantasy, Fantasy

Date Published: October 30, 2024

 

In Book One the Thane Amulet, an thrilling adrenalin-fueled fantasy series, The Thane Amulet is missing. Tri Earth world is about to be torn apart because of one thoughtless deed. Its perpetrator the one and only Pascal, steam-punk Pixie and purveyor of dodgy magic. Two teenagers and an in between-ager are left to cope alone with a less than useless au-pair; little knowing they are about to be thrown headlong into an adventure of magic, myth, siege and science. When Connor is twelve, he discovers his older sister and brother Alex and Kyle have been keeping a deep dark secret from him about a parallel dimension. Evil forces are gathering to rule this world and all they need is a willing human youngster. Kyle and Connor embark on an electrifying, enchanting and dangerous adventure to save Alex and the world she is transported to. The stakes are high and time will change everything Beautifully illustrated, it is a story to enthral young and old lovers of fantasy but particularly those between ten and sixteen.

Other books in the Thane Amulet Tales series

 

A Tale of Two Castles

Thane Amulet Tales, Book 2

 

The second book of the Thane Amulet series takes Connor, Kyle and Alex deeper into the world of the Tri Earth

The wizard Necrov’s power is waxing whereas the world of Lord Claus and the Elvin kind is waning.

Who can restore the balance? In the gothic passages of Necrov Castle Connor, disguised as a Goblin, takes on evil face to face. In the Ice Palace, the eclectic Onderdharka Dark Duncan tries to break the siege.

Beautifully illustrated, it is a story to enthral young and old lovers of fantasy but particularly those between ten and sixteen

 

Available on Amazon

 

Mirror of Darkness

Thane Amulet Tales, Book 3

 

Darkness gathers strength in the third book of the Thane Amulet series and time grows short in the search for the purple crystal. Kyle and his conversational Dragon join forces with Grumbleman Forkbeard, the beautiful Shimra and wild Dark Duncan. Can they stop Necrov or will the hunters find Connor and Alex first?

Available on Amazon

 

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Fiction Feature: A New Life by L.J. Ambrosio #bookreview #fiction #giveaway #rabtbooktours @authorlambrosio @RABTBookTours

 

 

Reflections of Michael Trilogy Book 4

Fiction

Date Published: ‎June 9, 2025

From America to the streets of Paris, A New Life follows two friends as they navigate grief, love, and self-discovery in a city filled with history and hope. A New Life is a story that lingers long after the last page.

 

Review

A delight from the first word to the last.

Filled with drama and sharpness, yet evenly balanced with lightness. Its really a well rounded read.

Warm, tender, while at times a little deeper and makes you think.

Ambrosio’s intelligent, witty novel captures the essence of his characters and really allows the readers to stay invested in their story.

About the Author

Louis J. Ambrosio ran one of the most nurturing bi-coastal talent agencies in Los Angeles and New York. He started his career as a theatrical producer, running two major regional theaters for eight seasons. Ambrosio taught at 7 Universities. Ambrosio also distinguished himself as an award-winning film producer and novelist over the course of his impressive career.

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