Book Tour: Strong and Courageous by Daniel Gibbs #scifi #sciencefiction #blogtour #review @RABTBookTours

Strong and Courageous (Echoes of War, Book 2)

Military Science Fiction

Date Published: April 4, 2019

David has won the battle – but the war is far from over.

Colonel David Cohen has one goal: drive out the League of Sol. After a string of successful engagements, the warship Lion of Judah is ordered on a goodwill mission to assist neutral border planets long caught between sides of the galactic conflict.

What David finds on Monrovia sends shockwaves of horror through the Terran Coalition.

Monrovian citizens of all faiths are being rounded up and sent to reeducation camps, while others are being exterminated to cleanse the population as the planet seeks to join the communist League. Mass graves of thousands of exterminated men, women and children dot the landscape.

David vows to use whatever means necessary to stop the holocaust.

To face down the overwhelming brutality of the League, David will need more than the prayers of the faithful.

He’ll need a miracle.




Review

Daniel Gibbs has written a descriptive novel that does a great job of pulling the reader into the world he has created.

The flow of the novel was well executed and everything as far as pacing went felt smooth.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters both primary and secondary. They all felt like they had their own purpose and had depth that made me care about them.

A wonderful Sci Fi novel in general, but great addition to the series as well!

Previous Book in the Series

Fight The Good Fight (Echoes of War, Book 1)

Military Science Fiction

Date Published: 5-1-2018 (RELAUNCHED March 15th, 2019!)

Corporal David Cohen thought he’d left war behind.

He was wrong.

The Terran Coalition faces repeated and brutal attacks from the repressive League of Sol. To defend his home planet, David trades his dream of becoming a rabbi for a battlefront in the far reaches of space. When particle beams fly, his courage under fire brings quick promotion. But in the lulls between battles when he must confront his soul, David finds a different enemy: the ghosts of those killed under his command.

Yet in war, it’s kill or be killed—and the enemy shows no mercy.

David must square the tenets of his faith against his responsibility to crew and country. If he fails in his command, billions face enslavement by a ruthless regime. Now it’s an all-out fight for the galaxy’s freedom.

Because a man’s greatest foe lies within.

If you love Babylon 5, Safehold, and Destroyermen, you must read Echoes of War, a military sci-fi series that will take you to the heart of duty, sacrifice, and the unseen scars of those who serve.

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Coming Soon in the Series

So Fight I (Echoes of War Book 3)

Military Science Fiction

Colonel David Cohen risks everything in an all-or-nothing battle to turn the tide of galactic war.

Coalition intelligence has discovered the League’s center of gravity—a deep space logistics base that supplies the enemy's entire war effort. The CDF assembles its largest fleet ever for a decisive attack. For the first time since the war began, the Terran Coalition and their Saurian allies have the means to drive the League from their home turf.

Until they dive head first into the League of Sol buzz saw.

The fleet is forced to retreat after a disastrous engagement to assess their wounds and honor the dead. As the names are read and prayers recited, David can no longer avoid the ultimate question in the face of triumphant evil—why?

However, his internal battle must take a backseat to a war that waits for no one. The crew of the warship Lion of Judah develop a risky plan in a last-ditch offensive to take out the League station.

Or die trying.

In the battle between good and evil, is victory at all costs worth the price?

About the Author

Daniel Gibbs is the creator of the Echoes of War universe. An idea that was born nearly twenty years ago, has finally come alive. A former computer engineer, Daniel loves all forms of science-fiction. His first novel was recently released to Amazon, and he is hard at work on the next five novels in the beginning EOW series. With mountains of ideas and notes for additional novels, Daniel will be busy for years to come bringing his universe to life!

With many years of experience supporting the military as an IT engineer, Daniel hopes to bring an authentic lens to military science fiction, especially around the tribulations and trials of those who serve.

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Book Tour: South Pointe by @dwilkesauthor #review #mystery #suspense @RABTBookTours

Mystery & Suspense

Date Published: February 6, 2018

Publisher: RedBird Books

Paige Carson never expected that both a handsome sheriff and a charismatic newcomer would be vying for her affections. The choice isn’t an easy one, as she’s now responsible for raising her orphaned goddaughter, Jess.

Sheriff Sam Wallace didn’t lose at love. He got kicked to the curb. Hopeful that courting the feisty Paige will end differently, he can't help but feel suspicious about his romantic rival. Is Ben Hampshire the man he seems—or is Sam’s jealousy clouding his perspective?

Sam’s determined to win Paige’s and Jess’s love, but he also has to keep Providence Island safe. More than just Sam’s heart is at risk if he fails to find the killer who walks the streets of PI—a killer with more than one agenda.

Review

You will definitely want to have plenty of allotted reading time before starting this one. It was hard to put down. I was so engrossed in the story that I put off many of my important things to do.

I loved the descriptive way this novel was written. It really submerges the reader into the world. This novel was very vivid in the descriptions, the writing really jumped off the pages and into my mind, so kudos to her for that. 

On top of that, Wilkes had to also make sure her characters were compelling and I think she did that effortlessly. 

A wonderful ride that was action packed. 

About the Author

Dianna Wilkes is an award-winning contemporary romance author, known for the Providence Island mystery series.

Reading has always been an important part of her life. “I learned to read when I was four years old,” she said. “Writing my own stories seemed a natural progression.”

Dianna holds a B.A. in Visual Communication and a M.Ed. in Instructional Technology. She worked as an Education Consultant for a medical technology company before leaving the corporate world to write full time. Despite all that nerdy stuff, she loves creating stories of romance and mystery with touches of humor.

When she isn’t writing, Dianna is deep in researching various twigs and branches on her family tree or fulfilling entries on her travel bucket list.

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Soul Remains by Sam Hooker #newrelease #fantasy #humor #excerpt & #giveaway @RABTBookTours @SamHooker

Fantasy (Humorous)

Date Published: 23 April 2019

Publisher: Black Spot Books

It’s Dark in the Old Country.

Where do goblins come from? Why do they only turn up in the Old Country, and why do they like swearing so much? In the second book of Terribly Serious Darkness, Sloot Peril—a “hero” who’s staunchly averse to heroics—goes searching for answers. Much to his chagrin, he finds them.

Everything changed after the Fall of Salzstadt, but try telling that to the people of the city, whose capacity for denial is unmatched. They have yet to acknowledge that Vlad the Invader cut a bloody swath through their city, that the dead are walking the streets, or that the Domnitor—long may he reign—has fled to wherever despots go on very long vacations while goblin infestations take care of themselves.

The worst of villains holds all of the power, unspeakable dark forces are on the rise, and everyone wants to kidnap the Domnitor—long may he reign—for their own nefarious ends. If all of that weren’t bad enough, Sloot’s got the fate of his own soul to worry about.

Can his girlfriend help him save the Old Country from annihilation? Is Myrtle really his girlfriend? If all goes well for Sloot—which it never does—he might just sort it all out before the Dark swallows them all up.

Excerpt

Life After Afterlife

There is a common misconception among the living that death is the end of it. Go vigorously onto the business end of a sword, wear the colors of a west-end boulderchuck team into an east-end pub, or simply hang around long enough for your organs to start switching off, and that’s the end of the line.

On the contrary, there is such a thing as death for the dead. No one is really sure how long it takes, but eventually, each and every ghost withers away and ceases to be.

“So that’s it then,” said Sloot after an indeterminate amount of time. “I’ll be a ghost until I’m nothing.”

“Well, not nothing,” said Hans. “Not necessarily.”

“Something else, then?”

“Well, there’s considerable debate on the topic. Especially among the philosophers.”

As if things weren’t already bad enough, thought Sloot. He knew it was coming. It was only a matter of time before—

“Did someone say philosophy?” Arthur appeared in the doorway, his moustaches standing on end.

Oh, no, thought Sloot. “Please, nobody say any—”

“Hans was just telling us that no one knows whether ghosts are really gone after we fade away.”

Arthur’s eyes were wild, like a lion who hadn’t eaten in a week. Geralt must have resembled a porterhouse.

“Portnoy the Sacrilegious once chained himself to the doors of the cathedral to prove the impossibility of life after death! He was wrong, obviously, but his arguments are sound if applied to life after death after death.”

“Well said, Arthur,” Sloot blurted. “I think that’s all that anyone can—”

“Malarky,” said Hans. “You’re saying there’s nothing beyond the Hereafter, based on a theory that there is no Hereafter?”

“I’ve still got a few more questions—” Sloot began.

“It’s not that simple!” Arthur was pacing around the room and gesticulating wildly. Myrtle had always refused to indulge him in that while he had her possessed. “It makes sense in light of his Treatise on Bedtime Disobedience—which he wrote when he was eight—but only if you understand the finer points of Mauler’s Unticking Clock. I can solve this in … seventeen moves!”

“I’m sure you can,” said Sloot, “but I really need to ask Hans about—”

“I studied Mauler in college,” said Geralt. “The Unticking Clock is a metaphor for the struggle between hunger and apathy. I hardly think it applies—”

“That’s where you’re wrong!”

Sloot wandered off. He could never stomach philosophy for this very reason. Even if you didn’t know anything about Nutter’s Hungry Clock or whatever, you could join in the conversation with your angriest voice. Philosophy, as far as Sloot could tell, was the art of determining who could have the loudest opinion while not doing anything useful.

About the Author

Sam Hooker writes darkly humorous fantasy. He is an entirely serious person, regardless of what you may have heard. Originally from Texas, he now resides in southern California with his wife, son, and dog.

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Giveaway

3 signed copies of Peril in the Old Country, the first book in the series. 

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From Mind to Body: You Can Do It by Reza Zarmehr #nonfiction #selfhelp @RABTBookTours

Self-help ( particularly in Health & Fitness)

Date Published: Feb/2019

You have goals, and you have plans to reach them.
You may have a step-by-step process in place for how you’re going to get there, maybe even complete with milestones and a timeline. But have you considered the most important thing?

Have you conditioned your mind for success?

Mind conditioning goes beyond having a positive mindset. It means “working out” your mind and elevating it to better habits of thinking, which in turn affects everything you do, leading you closer and closer to what’s most important to you. There are many factors that lead to a healthy and high-quality lifestyle; one of the most important of those factors is how you program your mind, and in turn, your body.

So how do you work out your mind? From Mind to Body will show you everything you need to know to start conditioning yourself for success!

About the Author

Reza Zarmehr is a 25-year weightlifting veteran and former world-class bodybuilder. He knows exactly what it means to “work with what you don’t have.” With determination at a young age, he trained with discipline and grew up to build his career in his home country of Iran, which he continued to expand when he came to Canada. Despite the personal and professional challenges that come with moving to a new country with very little financial support, he grew his business to become a life coach, fitness trainer, and osteopath.

He had the goal to become an industry leader in the health and wellness industry, but he wasn’t sure how to get there. The secret, he learned years later, was not to ask himself what he could do with what he had; instead, he learned to ask himself how he could work around the things that he was missing. He asked how he could take what he didn’t have and turn it into what he would have, and what he would need. Asking questions in this way forced him to look at the world differently—to focus on using the shadows to find the light. He began to forge practical solutions in attaining his goals and chart reliable pathways toward success.

Reza is always looking for new ways to help people reach their goals and thrive in all areas of their lives. He is happy to bring you his second book, From Mind to Body to help you do just that!

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Book Tour: The Impaler's Wife by @autumnbardot #review #giveaway #blogtour #historical #romance #gothic @RABTBookTours

Part of a Fearless Women in History series

Historical fiction, Historical Romance, Gothic Romance

Published Date: April 3, 2019

The year is 1464 and young King Matthias controls Hungary, his family, and the fate of the world’s most notorious political prisoner, Prince Vlad Dracula. 

 Ilona Szilágy, the king’s cousin, is young and ambitious. Dracula is determined to marry into the Hunyadi family. It is love at first sight…but the king has other plans. The Impaler Prince, however, never takes no for an answer.

This begins Ilona’s journey into the treacherous world of court intrigues, family betrayals, and her husband’s dark desires. Eager to become Vlad’s trusted confidant, Ilona soon discovers that marriage to man tortured by his past comes with a price.

Woven throughout is a peek into the life and times of one of the world’s most enigmatic and maligned rulers…the man before the legend.

With Bardot’s decadent period detail and a cast of gritty evocative characters, The Impaler’s Wife offers a fierce yet sensuous glimpse into the violent 15th century.

Review

Often times the female character really makes or breaks the story for me in these kinds of books. Ilona really made this one for me. She is fierce and she is strong as a female, especially in historical times. I always like to read about characters who break the mold and give me a reason to root for them. 

Vlad is a typical male lead in books like this, but I loved that he was redeemable. He does things to make you really question if you like him, but understandably so for the time period and premise of the story. 

It's dark at times and it's beautiful at times. There are many ups and downs for these characters both personally and together. 

A great attention to detail from the author in which she uses wonderful imagery to transport you to the time and her mind for the story.

About the Author

Autumn Bardot writes smart erotica and historical fiction about sassy women, spicy sex, and daring passions!

 Her erotica includes Legends of Lust, ( Cleis Press )and Confessions Of A Sheba Queen ( Cleis Jan 2020).  Autumn has a BA in English literature and a MaEd in curriculum and instruction. She’s been teaching writing and literary analysis for fourteen years. Autumn lives in Southern California with her hubby, rescue pooch, and ever-increasing family.  Her favorite things include salty French fries, coffee, swimming, and a great book.

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Book Tour: Sellenria: The Starship and the Citadel by Chuck Boeheim and Daniel Elswit #scifi #review @RABTBookTours

Science Fiction

Date Published: June 20, 2018

Publisher: Lampworks Publishing

An archaeologist from a star-faring society faces a world of legends and impossible creatures... 

Stenn Gremm set out to solve the mystery of his ancestor’s disappearance but instead found himself stranded on a forgotten planet. A creature made of clay has just ground his vital technology into dust and is about to do the same to Stenn when he isrescued by the deadly and enigmatic swordswoman Gilwyr.Instead of studying the life of a medieval society, Stenn must now learn to survive it.However, his training in swordsmanship and court intrigue is cut short by the chaos that follows the murder of the heir to the throne.All the archaeological digs that he had led via telepresence had not prepared him to get dirt under his fingernails and blood on his hands!

Fleeing with Gilwyr and their mentor, Ox, Stenn begins a journey of discovery, both of this world and of himself. Who are the reclusive Kir Leth who raised Gilwyr? What is the truth behind the legend of the Grimmerroth, the sorcerer who once laid waste to this land? Perhaps the answers may be found in the mysterious citadel that is said to be hidden in the desert far to the south. Stenn must combine his scientific insights with newfound skills and something that might be called magic to try to uncover the truth behind the legends before time runs out.

A fantasy adventure wrapped in a hard SF environment, Sellenria is a world where technology is myth, but myths are real. As the War of the Grimmerroth appears destined to replay itself, Stenn and Gilwyr must struggle to transcend their roles. The last war devastated the planet; this time it could extinguish all life on this unique world.

Review

First of all, that blurb completely drew me in. I was pleasantly surprised by the way Boeheim and Elswit were able to keep me on my toes. 

An intriguing storyline. I think that the way the authors have written the story really allows readers to become sucked into the characters lives and ultimate outcome. It was very well written and I enjoyed the mix of action and science fiction.

This novel was very vivid in the descriptions, the writing really jumped off the pages and into my head.

About the Authors

Chuck Boeheim is a life-long denizen of physics laboratories, where he worked on the computing for major high-energy physics experiments. Daniel Elswit studied Archaeology in college and has worked in University IT ever since. Dan had ideas for a story about an archaeologist in a middle-earth-like setting, which Chuck hijacked to turn into a science fiction story set on an alien planet.

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Bed, Breakfast, and Beyond

Memoir, Travel

Publisher: BookBaby

In September of 1998, Ted and JoAnn Dawson purchased a horse farm in rural Maryland to fulfill their lifelong dream of owning a bed & breakfast. Little did they know what lay ahead! 

Restoring a filthy, dilapidated, nearly condemned Victorian house to a charming and welcoming country inn while raising two rowdy young boys was only the first of their challenges. Dealing with shady former owners, a string of ghostly events, and a wide variety of colorful guests opened their eyes to a whole new world.

With the fortitude and life lessons born of years growing up on a dairy farm, the rare good fortune of choosing the perfect partner in life, and a boatload of humor thrown in to preserve their sanity, they have managed to keep Fairwinds Farm Bed & Breakfast running strong for over twenty years.          

About the Author

JoAnn S. Dawson grew up on a dairy farm in Newark, Delaware and has been a full-time horse stable owner since 1983.  She currently owns and operates Fairwinds Farm & Stables in North East, Maryland with husband Ted, offering riding lessons, summer camp, trail rides, horse-drawn carriages, pony rides, hayrides, local honey, birthday parties, weddings, and a bed & breakfast. (www.fairwindsstables.com.)

Fairwinds Farm has been honored as a national finalist in the 2015 Time to Ride Challenge, an inductee of the 2015 Cecil County Business Hall of Fame, 2011 Cecil County Tourism Business of the Year and 2009 Outstanding Farm Operation, and has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, and on Good Morning America.

JoAnn works as an animal wrangler for film and TV, and as a Screen Actors Guild member has held principal acting roles in The Sixth Sense, 12 Monkeys, and Oprah Winfrey’s Beloved.  She is the author of the award-winning Lucky Foot Stable series for ages 8-12 and appears at schools and book signings with her pony, Butterscotch.  She is a 4-h leader, former columnist for Cecil Soil Magazine, an appointee to the MD Equine Advisory Committee, a LEAD Maryland fellow, a board member for Cecil County Economic Development Commission and Cecil County Tourism, and is known nationally for her hilarious and enlightening presentation Bed, Breakfast & Beyond: Twenty years of Kooky Guests, Gentle Ghosts, and Horses in Between - based on her book of the same name.

JoAnn is the mother of two grown sons, Zach and Nick, and teaches both Equine Science and Acting for Stage and Screen at Cecil College in North East, Maryland.

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