Short Story Collection Feature: The Secret of the Smiling Rock Man by Joe Capello #shortstory #fiction #collection #newbooks #newrelease #giveaway #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

Short Story Collection / Fiction

Date Published: 05-15-2026

Publisher: RMK Publications

In his first collection of short stories Joe Cappello presents an array of characters whom he describes as having “rocks in their heads.” Instead of accepting the hand life has dealt them, they pursue more outlandish solutions to its problems. The reader witnesses firsthand the zany antics these characters employ to cope with the situations they encounter in each story: Mortality…daring to know death’s secret and determined to face it without fear and dread; Workplace… seeking an environment that is based on teamwork and respect, rather than fear and intimidation; Family…taking extraordinary steps to unite an estranged family and to bring another closer together; Language…re-establishing the sacred role of words in our lives as a unifier of people and a conveyor of truth. All told with a healthy dose of humor and a belief that life can be joyful, hopeful and a down-right hoot.

About the Author

Joe Cappello’s creative life began when he accepted a minor speaking role in a play, walked on stage for the first time, and came to the terrifying realization that, “Oh, no, they sold tickets!”

Fortunately, he overcame his initial stage fright and began accepting roles in community theatre, the parts of Oscar Madison in “The Odd Couple” and Ivan Lomov in “The Proposal” among his favorites. He studied acting in New York City and performed in a couple of Off-Off Broadway productions including Sam Shepherd’s “Buried Child,” where he played the crotchety, whiney patriarch, Dodge (a part for which his wife felt he was uniquely suited).

He wrote and produced plays for children, awarding roles to his sons and other kids in his neighborhood (earning the gratitude of their parents who considered rehearsals free babysitting). He started writing adult plays and received a number of accolades including an honorable mention in the 2020 Bridge Award contest sponsored by Arts in the Armed Forces (AIAF) for his full-length play, “The Stars of Orion” and selection as the winner of the 2022 Susan Hansell Drama Award for his one act play, “Monarch.”

But the logistics of staging plays proved too time consuming. In his early 30's he started writing short stories and flash fiction pieces and submitting them for publication. Many of the stories presented in this collection have been published in online magazines and anthologies, and some have achieved recognition, most notably, “The Secret of the Smiling Rock Man,” First Place, National Federation of Press Women’s Communications Contest (2022); “They Only Showed Elvis from the Waist Up,” First Place, Southwest Writers Writing Contest (2023); and “Running Errands,” Finalist, Hemingway Shorts Competition, sponsored by the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park (2023).

Joe invites you to read more of his work and follow his anything-but-straight-line career at joecappelloauthor.com.

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Children's Book Feature: Gabriel and the Special Memorial Day by Sherry Roberts #childrensbook #kidsbook #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

Children's Book

Date Published: 05-12-2024

Publisher: Soalnder Press

Are you ready for a heartwarming story? Step into the neighborhood, where Gabriel awaits the start of a special Memorial Day celebration. Despite the pouring rain, he's eager to see what Mr. Wayne has planned. As the rain finally clears, Gabriel sets off with a special gift in tow, ready to show his appreciation for Mr. Wayne's efforts.

What is the surprise Gabriel has in store? Will it be enough to bring a smile to Mr. Wayne's face?

Find out in this touching tale of community and friendship

About the Author

 

 Sherry Roberts is an award-winning children’s book author. She holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Louisville. She has written multiple award-winning fiction picture books such as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas…A First for Gus, Hello, Can I Bug You?, Gabriel and the Special Memorial Day, What’s Wrong with Barnaby, and The Best Reading Buddy. She also has written two non-fiction award-winning picture books, Sonnet, Sonnet, What’s in Your Bonnet? and A Visit Through the Wetlands. These two were illustrated with her photography. Sherry’s newest picture book, Amica Helps Zoe, was featured in Kirkus e-newsletter June 2025 as Indie Pick and received a Get It: Recommend review.

As a former middle school teacher, Dr. Roberts decided to write her first middle-grade novel (ages 8-13). Her debut novel, The Galaxy According to CeCe, is the first book in a three-book series. It was officially released on February 24, 2024. Book two, The Galaxy According to Cece: The Mysterious Dr. Pruitt, was released August 2024. Book three, The Galaxy According to Cece: The Stars Align, released February 2025.

Sherry’s next venture is a chapter book series (ages 6-8). The first book, Just Call Me Pardner, was released August 1, 2025. The series is about a young boy in the 1930s on a small farm in Northeastern Oklahoma and is inspired by stories of her father’s childhood in the 1930s. Book 2, Just Look at Those Boots, launches in early 2026, with Book 3, Just Don’t Give a Girl a Frog, launching in November 2026.

Dr. Roberts has also written many articles that appear in various academic journals, along with three textbooks. Personal Financial Literacy is in its fourth edition (Pearson). She is an associate professor of Marketing in Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University.

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Christian Nonfiction Feature: Living Soul-Full by L.B. Richardson #christian #religion #nonfiction #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

 

 

Renewing the Mind, Restoring the Soul: A Small Group Study for Christian Spiritual Formation

Nonfiction / Religion / Spirituality / Christian

Date Published: February 27, 2026

Living Soul-Full invites you to a 26-week sacred journey of deepened intimacy with the Holy Spirit, rooted in Romans 12:1-2 and the call to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Within a trusted small group, you will explore time-honored spiritual disciplines, discern the obstacles hindering your spiritual growth, and discover the rhythms that nourish your soul. Along the way, we will learn to identify and rewire harmful patterns of thought while opening our hearts and bodies to Christ's restorative love. We do his, in community, for the purpose of living as a healed and healing presence in a fractured world.

 

Review

This was a refreshing take on spiritual growth. I liked how it highlighted how important both mindset and soul care in the Christian journey. 

L.B. Richardson creates a study that is easy to follow yet rich in depth, making it perfect for group discussions. 

It’s a steady, meaningful guide for those wanting to grow spiritually alongside others.

About the Author

 

 L.B. is a hospital chaplain and ministry leader whose passion is to help guide others towards spiritual regeneration and wholeness.

It has been her honor, through writing the Living Soul-Full curriculum, to help build and nurture a holy space for renewal-where mind, body, and soul are restored through God’s grace- and to partner in community with others who desire to live emboldened, Spirit-led lives marked by vulnerability and compassion.

Over more than a decade, LB has edited this guide as it evolved into a trusted 26-week small group curriculum in spiritual formation, integrating biblical teaching, spiritual disciplines, practical reflection and even neuroscience.

She is deeply indebted to all those quoted within Living Soul-Full, whose timeless writings and teachings have, across the centuries, nurtured both our desires and efforts to cultivate a healthy soul within Christianity.

She also carries immense gratitude for every participant, facilitator, and all those whose vision for the “Soul Care” ministry at Mountain Christian Church surpassed her own, investing wholehearted from the very beginning. This curriculum is possible because of the support, feedback, and genuine partnership across her church community.

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Political Nonfiction Feature: Deconstructing America by G.H. Spears #bookreview #political #nonfiction #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

Political Nonfiction

Date Published: January 21, 2026

Publisher ‏: ‎ Seacoast Press

In recent decades, most of us have witnessed increasing social and political strife, tearing apart the very fabric of American society. This polarization stems from decades of shifting ideologies, moving from a foundational center-right perspective toward the left. Acknowledging the root causes of this cultural shift and recognizing the depth of the problem is the first step toward addressing it.

The divide we see today is largely driven by ideas that contradict the founding principles of the United States. Deconstructing America explores these forces through a series of interconnected, fact-based narratives, revealing the key moments and influences that have contributed to America's decline.

Review

The author presents a perspective that is reflective of the current state of the nation. 

It dives into key issues while offering arguments that are easy to follow and impactful. 

It leans strongly into the authors viewpoint and isn't too much the middle of the road but it allows the reader to pick and choose what to delve deeper into. 

 

About the Author

After a long career as an entrepreneur working in the cycling and fitness industry managing, owning, and consulting for numerous retail establishments, it became natural to study the people, cultures, and social environments in and around my working life. Once retirement became imminent it afforded me the time and vigor to completely immerse myself in the social sciences, including anthropology, sociology, social psychology, and history in furtherance of understanding and writing about the complex world issues that humanity faces.

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Self-Help Feature: A Fragile Utopia by Nick Hanson #selfhelp #nonfiction #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

Escaping the Elaborate Facade of Alcoholic Bliss

 

Self-Help

For most of Nick's life, drinking was an integral part of family, friendships, and even professional success. Alcohol was celebrated among his elder millennial peers. Abstinence was not. However, there were breadcrumbs scattered across several decades that a lifestyle in alcoholic bliss was not sustainable. Reckless behavior, relationship woes, declining health, personal tragedy, and dreams unrealized began to fester. Eventually, a life in sobriety became the only option if Nick was to live a life full of meaning and love.

A Fragile Utopia is a turbulent and honest journey into the depths of alcoholism and the path to finding hope and purpose in recovery. The good news is, when we look inward, there is light. If we own our flaws, there can be redemption.

This memoir is a playbook for navigating early sobriety: how it will feel, obstacles encountered, how loved ones will react, insight into treatment, how AA and other fellowship recovery programs work, and examples of how most people fail in early attempts at sobriety.

 

About the Author

 

 Nick Hanson is a passionate recovery enthusiast and advocate for people who are suffering from substance abuse and addiction. He lives in Minnesota with his wife and three children. He enjoys the outdoors, pop culture, reading, music, sports, fitness, cooking and is always up for learning something new.

 

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Business Nonfiction Feature: Navigate Cancer by Teresa Ferreiro-Vilariño #excerpt #leadership #business #nonfiction #giveaway #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

Coaching for Resilience

 

Leadership / Self-Help / Health / Business

Date Published: April 29. 2026

Publisher: Serapis Bey Publishing, Arizona, USA

 

This empowering book launches the new Cancer Compass; an essential self-leadership resource for people facing cancer. It extends its reach to caregivers, healthcare professionals, and organisations committed to offering meaningful support to anyone in their workforce dealing with cancer. It encourages us to see cancer not solely as a medical challenge, but as a profound moment to honour the resilience of our human spirit, embrace growth, and reclaim control of our lives for a brighter future.

Teresa Ferreiro-Vilariño challenges her readers to shift their perspective, prioritising personal empowerment, connection and purposeful living. Her insights about resilience coaching and each person’s human potential are uplifting. Her book is deeply rooted in practical application, including thoughtful exercises and tools that prompt us to access our inner resources, engage in self-discovery and cultivate our secure bases. These unique gifts guide us to align our decisions with our values and goals, helping us chart a path forward with choice, clarity and confidence.

Excerpt

Navigate Cancer – Coaching for Resilience is an essential self-leadership resource for people facing cancer. Its reach extends to caregivers, healthcare professionals, and organisations committed to offering meaningful support to anyone in their workforce living with cancer. 

 The book invites us to see cancer beyond a purely medical challenge—to honour the resilience of the human spirit, embrace growth, and reclaim a sense of control, shaping the cancer experience from a place of agency and choice. 

 The Cancer Compass, which the book introduces, offers orientation: a way to move forward without denying fear, to reclaim agency without resisting reality, and to live—not just survive—while walking through illness. Teresa Ferreiro-Vilariño challenges readers to shift their perspective, prioritising personal empowerment, meaningful connection, and purposeful living. 

Grounded in resilience coaching and a deep belief in human potential, the book is both inspiring and practical. It includes thoughtful exercises and tools that invite self-discovery, strengthen inner resources, and cultivate secure bases. These elements guide readers to align their decisions with their values and goals, helping them chart a path forward with choice, clarity, and confidence.

 

About the Author

Teresa Ferreiro-Vilariño is the Founder and CEO of Kimberlite (https://www.kimberlite.es), an innovative organisation dedicated to providing comprehensive support to people navigating cancer—particularly within corporate settings—through professional coaching. A Master Certified Coach (MCC) accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), Teresa brings more than 20 years of experience working with leaders and organisations worldwide.

At the age of 36, a breast cancer diagnosis marked a turning point in her life, redirecting her focus toward empowering people living with cancer. In the years that followed, she authored her first book, I Have Breast Cancer–What Now?, recognised for its inspirational and practical guidance, embraced motherhood, and founded a charitable initiative supporting young women navigating motherhood after cancer. She later earned a PhD focused on applying professional coaching methodologies to the specific needs of people facing serious health challenges. In recognition of her commitment to patient advocacy, she was honoured with the European Patient Champion Award by EyeforPharma in 2019.

Teresa is also an executive coach and coaches across multiple programs at IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland, including the flagship High-Performance Leadership (HPL) Program, supporting leaders in developing resilience, clarity, and sustainable performance.

 

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Historical Fiction Feature: Goodbye Demons by JJ Harrigan #bookreview #historical #fiction #giveaway #Rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

 

Historical Fiction

Date Published: 04-24-2026

Publisher: Salty Books Publishing

When injuries put an end to the figure skating career of Angela Fernandez Parnell, she joins the Peace Corps.

She is assigned to Tunis where she falls in love with U.S. diplomat James Whitcomb. At the conclusion of their tours of duty, they marry. Within weeks of the wedding, he is taken captive in the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979-81.

James, held hostage in the U.S. Embassy in Teheran, endures the same demons that afflicted the real life hostages during the actual crisis 45 years ago.

Angie, biting her nails at home, endures her own demons. How can she support him? Should she join efforts to force the president into negotiating a release? Or even a rescue?

When the ordeal finally ends fourteen months later, the couple faces a new set of demons. Rebuilding their life together as they each recuperate from their own PTSDs.

Review

This was a wonderful read, even though it hits on some darker themes and times in history.

The author’s willingness to confront difficult emotions head-on makes the narrative feel real and grounded. 

It’s clear that the authors goal in sharing the journey being told is one of both struggle and transformation to have the reader contemplate things on a deeper level. 

About the Author

Historical thriller author JJ Harrigan is a former US Service Officer and political science professor. He scribbles his tales of intrigue on the banks of the St. Croix River in Minnesota, where he lives with his wife, Sandy.

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