Cover Reveal! Nature’s Unbalance: The Chosen Book II

May 4, 2014 – 3:24 pm
Nature's Unbalance: The Chosen Book II

Nature’s Unbalance: The Chosen Book II

Cover Reveal for Nature’s Unbalance: The Chosen, Book Two, By YA Fantasy Author, Andrea Buginsky!

Synopsis:

During a time of celebration for The Chosen, a mysterious force appears on Phantasma, threatening to destroy Nature and all of her creatures. Will The Chosen find and defeat this force and save Nature before it’s too late?

Excerpt:

Suddenly, as if someone had cast a freeze spell, everything stopped. As everyone looked around, they saw the shamans and druids gather together nervously and look up at the sky. Everyone else’s eyes focused upwards to see what was going on; chatter and screams could be heard as the sky suddenly darkened out of nowhere. Day became night in an instant. Now in a near panic, everyone shouted out assumptions.

“It’s Gastle! He’s back!”

“That’s impossible! This must be a new monster.”

“Perhaps it’s Gastle’s descendants seeking revenge for his death.”

“Or an old enemy trying to replace him on the throne.”

“Everyone, please, stay calm,” Striker spoke up. As the head of The Chosen, he normally took command, and it was accepted by those around him. “Let’s try to get some answers before we make assumptions.” He turned to the druids and shamans, who talked animatedly with each other while they pointed to the dark sky. “Red, any idea what this is?”

“It’s definitely not Gastle, or any other creature in Phantasma. There’s something off with the elements. Whatever caused this is a natural entity, and comes directly from Nature herself. There is a definite shift, and it’s unbalanced. We can all sense it.”

“Any idea what it could be?”

“No, but the strongest feelings we received are coming from the North, in the Polard region. We need to go there and see the situation for ourselves.”

Halli glanced at Queen Laurali who stood nearby and listened to the conversation between Striker and Red. The queen came toward the group, and Halli knew what she would say.

“I know this is a day of great celebration,” the Queen said, “but under the circumstances, I think it would be best if The Chosen headed out at once to seek some answers.” She turned toward the bride and groom. “Halli and Silvor, I will send a replacement healer and mage, of course, so you two can start your honeymoon. Until we know more, there’s no reason for you to cancel your plans.” But Halli and Silvor wouldn’t hear of it.

“We go with our family,” Silvor said. Halli nodded in agreement. “We can celebrate our honeymoon once we know what’s happened.”

Queen Laurali bowed her respect to them.

“Very well,” she said. “The Chosen, in its entirety, will head out right away toward Polard to see what you can find out. You may change in my tower while your horses are prepared.”

Coming soon to Amazon!

Andrea Buginsky, Author of NATURE'S UNBALANCE: THE CHOSEN

Andrea Buginsky, Author of NATURE’S UNBALANCE: THE CHOSEN

Andrea Buginsky is a freelance writer and author. The Chosen, a middle-grade fantasy novelette was her first book, and was followed by My Open Heart, an autobiography about growing up with heart disease. Andrea released Destiny, the first book of her New Avalon series, in 2013. She is currently working on more books in both series. You can find Andrea on her website. Her books are available at Amazon. Remember to sign up for Andrea’s newsletter to stay up-to-date on all of her exciting events.

By A. R. Silverberry | Posted in Cover Reveal | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

50 Mindful Steps to Self-Esteem with Dr. Janetti Marotta

March 30, 2014 – 3:16 pm
50 MIndful Steps to Self-Esteem, By Janetti Marotta, PhD

50 MIndful Steps to Self-Esteem, By Janetti Marotta, PhD

I’ve long had an interest in using Buddhist principles and mindfulness-based techniques, both for my personal growth and in my practice as a psychologist. When an experiential course on the subject presented itself, I jumped at the chance to take it. The class, taught by Dr. Janetti Marotta, was beautiful, profound, and life altering. I came away with an abiding acceptance of myself and the world, and a deeper connection to both. Wanting to continue the journey, I purchased Dr. Marotta’s book, 50 Mindful Steps to Self-Esteem: Everyday Practices for Cultivating Self-Acceptance and Self-Compassion. These are pages to be lingered over, pages to be meditated on, pages to turn to daily for moments of stillness and peace. And I do. Filled with metaphors and wisdom, I will be turning to this gem-of-a-book for years to come and sharing the ideas and tools with my clients.

Naturally, questions have arisen, and Dr. Marotta graciously agreed to join us today to answer a few of them.

 

How did you get started doing Buddhist practices, personally and professionally?

 

For six years I struggled with infertility. I lost several pregnancies and tried almost every family-building option available:  in vitro fertilization (IVF), IVF with donor eggs, adoption, and finally surrogacy, which resulted in the birth of my wonderful daughter. Over these years, my sense of worth was reduced to a feeling of total inadequacy and failure. After pursuing different sources for healing, I came upon an East-West spiritual path. I was able to let go of my guilt and anxiety and develop qualities, such as patience and trust, to sustain me on the journey. This path eventually led to mindfulness, which I was introduced to through a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) retreat for professionals. I was so inspired by the experience that I decided to enroll in a MBSR teacher-training program. I began to integrate mindfulness into my work as a psychologist and developed an 8-week mindfulness-based program for fertility. As a sangha member of Insight Meditation South Bay, I support and strengthen my mindfulness practice.

 

What inspired you to write 50 Mindful Steps to Self-Esteem?

 

For many years, I’ve had a passion for writing, beginning with my first love, poetry. On my bookshelf is a binder filled with poems I’ve written over the last 30+ years. A few years ago I wrote an unpublished manuscript in poetic verse on my family’s migration from Italy to America. A manual on mindfulness and fertility followed. Throughout this later manuscript was the theme of “wholeness.” From a Buddhist perspective, we are already whole and complete with our assorted flaws and imperfections. But from a Western perspective, we don’t think of ourselves this way. We take upon an endless search to prove our worth, comparing ourselves against others. Over the last 30+ years we have been obsessed with trying to raise self-esteem, and for the most part these attempts have failed. By using the wisdom of Buddhist paradox, we can turn our thinking around and cultivate qualities of self-acceptance and self-compassion, inviting our original goodness or “Buddha nature” to rise. Looking at self-esteem from a Buddhist perspective seemed to be the perfect antidote to the problem of self-esteem.

 

I understand there is considerable research documenting the benefits of mindfulness and other Buddhist practices covered in your book. What are some of the benefits, and whom can it help?

A host of neuroscience studies of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and the practice of mindfulness report changes in how the brain functions, which, generally speaking, result in reducing perceived stress. For example, mindfulness practice has been found to increase regional brain gray matter density (Holzel, Carmody, Vangel et. al 2011); produce structural changes in the amygdala (Holzel, Carmody, Evans, et. al 2009); and alter brain and immune function (Davidson, Kabat-Zinn, Schumacher, et. al 2003). MBSR has been shown to lessen anxiety as measured by decreased activation in the amygdala (Goldin, 2010); meditation has been demonstrated to reduce the effort it takes to focus attention as measured by activating regions of the brain critical for controlling attention (Lutz et al, 2008); and compassion meditation has revealed increased empathy as measured by a larger brain response in areas important for processing physical sensations and emotional responses (Lutz et al, 2008). MBSR and mindfulness has been shown effective for those with stress related disorders, chronic pain, medical conditions, addiction, insomnia, depression, anxiety, and a host of other conditions. Studies on MBSR and mindfulness are growing exponentially. The Center of Mindfulness reports that the National Institute of Health (NIH) has currently invested in 83 open trials on mindfulness and 25 open trials of MBSR. 

Your book is divided into four sections: 1) Breath and the Body; 2) Thinking and the Mind; 3) Emotions and the Heart; and 4) Being in the World. Tell us about each of these.

 

1. The beginning practices of mindfulness of the breath and mindfulness of the body are presented to set the stage for cultivating qualities of self-acceptance and self-compassion. These awareness practices help to still the mind and connect to what is happening in the present moment, not the reactive thoughts about what is happening.
2. Cultivating qualities for unconditional self-acceptance is presented through thinking practices based on the wisdom of paradox. Through the essential paradox of turning toward that which you resist, acceptance teaches how to be with what is, just the way it is, not the way you wish it were. Acceptance requires cultivating other pillars of mindfulness, such as nonjudging, patience, and trust.
3. While the preceding practices focus on moving toward painful thoughts with mindful awareness and self-acceptance, these practices teach how to embrace painful emotions with self-compassion. Atop the seven pillars of mindfulness is what Buddhism refers to as the crown jewel of compassion and such gemstones as loving-kindness, gratitude, and generosity.

4.  The final part of the book teaches how to bring the qualities of acceptance and compassion into actions through living a life of virtue. It focuses on the three Buddhist virtue practices of wise speech, wise action, and wise livelihood, which are part of the Noble Eightfold Path. Because of our inherent commonality and interdependence on one another, journeying down this Path of Awakening is for the benefit of all.

Self-esteem has a long tradition in psychology. How is the concept of self-esteem different in Buddhist psychology?

In the West, we refer to self as ego—assumptions, beliefs, or stories about what we believe to be true. Experience is identified as me, mine, or I. Taking things personally results in a feeling of disconnection and keeps us from recognizing our dynamic fluid nature. Western psychological approaches are directed at raising or improving self-esteem. Buddhist psychology identifies “no self” or self as an unfolding process—an ever fluctuating flow of experience. Experience does not refer back to self; it doesn’t “belong” to anyone. Rather than saying: “I am sad,” one would say: “This is sadness.” Buddhist psychology is based on acceptance or non-judgmental awareness. It focuses on what’s not wrong. When you are able to embrace all parts of yourself without distinction your Buddha nature or inherent goodness rises to the surface. There’s a feeling of connection to a larger whole.

 

How are Buddhist psychology and Buddhism the religion different? Where do they overlap?

Buddhism is not a religion in the sense of the existence of a god or supernatural being to be worshipped or place blind faith in. When the Buddha was asked, “Are you God?” he replied, “No, I am awake.” Buddha was referred to as the Awakened One. Buddhism can be understood as a religion if viewed in a philosophical, scientific, or psychological way. As teacher, Buddha provides a template for developing insight and psychological freedom from suffering based on direct observation and experience. Buddhist psychology is founded on the teachings of the Buddha.   Mindfulness is at its core. As a psychotherapy, it merges the theory and practice of different schools of Buddhism with Western conventional approaches. The overlap between Buddhism the religion and Buddhist psychology is its psychological approach to understanding how we get “stuck” and how to “break free.”

How does compassion come to play in these steps to self-esteem?

 

Compassion immerses awareness with warmth. Compassion is recognized in Buddhist psychology as a fundamental quality of mind and part of what it means to be human. Holding awareness in compassion offers courage and security to venture into feelings of unworthiness. Qualities linked to compassion support a sense of wholeness, connection, and empathy. These qualities include: openness, equanimity, loving-kindness, gratitude, sympathetic joy, and generosity.

 

In addition to your book, where else can people turn if they would like to enter into Buddhist psychotherapy or get more guidance using these practices?

 

There are so many worthwhile books on Buddhist psychotherapy and practices. Here’s a short list, enjoy:

 

Chödrön, P. 2000. When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times.

 

Germer, C. 2009. The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions.

 

Germer, C., R. Siegel, and P. Fulton. 2005. Mindfulness and Psychotherapy.

 

Goldstein, J. 1993. Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom.

 

Hanson, R. 2009. Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom.

 

Kabat-Zinn, J. 1990. Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness.

 

Kornfield, J. 2008. The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology.

 

Neff, K. 2011. Self-Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind.

 

Stahl, B., and E. Goldstein. 2010. A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook.

Thanks so much for sharing your insight and wisdom. Readers can sample meditations on your website, where they can learn more about you; your book; 50 Mindful Steps to Self-Esteem: Everyday Practices for Cultivating Self-Acceptance and Self-Compassion; and find a wealth of resources about mindfulness, infertility/mind-body, support, advocacy, and information.

Find Dr. Marotta’s website here.

 

Purchase 50 Mindful Steps to Self-Esteem at these links or your favorite bookseller:

 

 

 

 

About 50 Mindful Steps to Self-Esteem: Everyday Practices for Cultivating Self-Acceptance and Self-Compassion:

Sometimes we all need a little lift–something to put the bounce back in our step. If you are like many, you may struggle with self-confidence. You may also compare your successes and failures with those of others. If everything is going well in your life, this tactic may temporarily bolster your sense of self-worth. But what happens when things aren’t going so well?

Based on the idea that true self-esteem is grounded in internal, rather than external factors, this book offers 50 easy-to-use mindfulness practices that will help you improve inner awareness and live a more fulfilled life without harsh self-judgment. Mindfulness can help you battle feelings of low self-worth by encouraging you to pay attention to your negative thoughts as they occur, accept them, and ultimately control of how you react to them.

The exercises in this pocket-sized book are intended to be simple, brief, and powerful. These are practices to settle into each morning, perhaps before your cup of tea or coffee, and which can be sprinkled throughout the day when you are at work, play, or home. To help you keep track of your thoughts, the book also includes journaling exercises that will help you discover what actions may have led to feelings of positivity or negativity.

By focusing on your own awareness and thought processes, you will begin to understand what factors cause you to feel bad about yourself, and honestly assess those factors without giving in to feelings of hopelessness. You will discover that true self-esteem has less to do with what the world is telling you, and has everything to do with what you tell yourself.

About Dr. Marotta:

Dr. Marotta has a B.A. in psychology from Yale University and a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno. She began her career as an inpatient staff psychologist at the Palo Alto V.A., and then served as an outpatient staff psychologist for patients with chemical dependency and related issues in the Psychiatry Department of Stanford University Medical Center. In 1990, she entered private practice. Drawing from her own struggles with infertility, specialties emerged in the areas of mindfulness, fertility challenges, life transitions, and general life issues. She is the Mind-Body Program Coordinator at Palo Alto Medical Foundation Fertility Physicians of Northern California

Dr. Marotta became interested in meditation in 1971. Since then, she has been a practitioner of transcendental meditation, zen meditation, kriya yoga, kundalini yoga, and vipassana meditation or mindfulness. Between 2003-2005, she participated in a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) professional training program under the direction of Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, Saki Santorelli, EdD, and Bob Stahl, PhD.

Janetti Marotta, PhD, Author of 50 Mindful Steps to Self-Esteem

Janetti Marotta, PhD, Author of 50 Mindful Steps to Self-Esteem

 

 

 

 

 

By A. R. Silverberry | Posted in Author Interview | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Inner Beauty: The Key to Self-Worth

March 19, 2014 – 3:50 pm
Entertaining Angels, by Emerald Barnes

Entertaining Angels, by Emerald Barnes

As a psychologist, I’m a strong believer in basing our self-worth on an inner compass, not on the external images, expectations, beliefs, messages, and relativistic mores of society. When I saw that my author friend, Emerald Barnes, had written a novel exploring just this issue, I jumped at the chance of having her join us for a guest post. Her bio and a synopsis of the novel, Entertaining Angels, can be found below. But first, here’s Emerald’s post!

 

Inner Beauty: The Key to Self-Worth!

By Emerald Barnes

Inner beauty is letting your beautiful personality shine through and making you beautiful on the outside.  But, can you have inner beauty if you doubt your physical beauty?  I think you can, but I don’t think you shine as much as you do when you see just how beautiful you are.

But it’s hard to feel beautiful when magazines and bullies make you feel ugly.  I remember being teased and made fun of for my weight.  It still happens, I’m sad to say, but it was much worse on me when I was in junior high and high school.  Do you know how hard it is to grow up hearing that you’re fat and ugly?  It causes you to breakdown emotionally and feel ugly.  So if this is going on inside of you, you can’t have that inner beauty that shines through.  Sure, you can be as sweet as the day is long, but people can tell when you don’t have the confidence that we should be carrying around.  Most people who aren’t confident in themselves are timid and shy.  We don’t let people in, and we don’t trust people.

It’s important to realize that you are loved.  What those bullies say, it doesn’t matter.  Most of the time, they’re only making fun of you because they’re trying to bring others down to make themselves feel better.  So don’t let them hurt you.

Remember, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!  Inside and out.  I want people to realize this.  What happens when you start realizing it?  Your image of you changes, and you feel better.  When you understand that your opinion matters more than what the world says about you, you’re happier.  When you recognize that God loves you no matter what you do, joy shines through.

I don’t want people to wait as long as I did to come to the realization that I’m a beautiful young woman.  I’m not trying to sound conceited, and I still have my doubts.  But, it’s important to know that just because I look one way when society wants me to look another doesn’t mean I need to give up completely.  If I want to look differently, that’s my prerogative, but don’t judge me.  You don’t know my struggles, and I don’t know yours.  We all have to realize this.  Inner beauty doesn’t come through when people are continuously putting others down.  Let others shine because you, yourself, shine.

About Entertaining Angels:

Madison Andrews can’t face her reflection in the mirror.  All she sees is a big, fat nobody.  Yet, deep inside she longs for something more, something that’s not skin deep.

Along comes Zach, the new guy in school.  He’s smoking hot and totally out of her league.  She somehow catches his eye, and he makes her feel beautiful for once.  But just as she gets close to Zach, her nerdy best friend, Chase, won’t let Madison doubt her true beauty, no matter how many meals she skips.

Even as Madison begins to realize that she is more than what she thinks, darker forces are at work, darker than the lies and mocking from her peers, stopping her from amounting to her full potential.  Can Madison find true happiness in her own skin?

Entertaining Angels is about one girl finding out just how beautiful she is and how much she is loved.  She thinks she’s nothing.  She thinks that no one could ever love her, but she learns just how much she is loved.

Are you a book reviewer?  If so, please sign up for an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of Entertaining Angels here.

About Emerald Barnes:

Emerald Barnes graduated with a B.A. in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing at Mississippi University for Women.  She resides in a small town in Mississippi and has the accent to prove it.

 

She mainly writes suspense/thrillers in the YA genre, but she dabbles in other genres and her books are enjoyed by all ages!   She’s constantly working on new novels and has more ideas than she knows what to do with.  She blogs, which takes up more of her time than she anticipates but loves it so very much!  She’s also a volunteer at the World Literary Cafe, which is amazing, and she is a crazy grammar Nazi who proofreads novels!

 

She’s an auntie to three beautiful nieces and two handsome nephews who take up the other half of her time, but she couldn’t imagine spending her time in any other way!

 

She’s a Whovian, a little bit of a nerd, a reader, a writer, and a family-oriented person.  God is number One in her life, and she thanks Him continuously for His love and favor.

 

Connect with Emerald:

 

Website

Blog

Inspiration Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Google +

Amazon Author Page

 

Emerald’s other books:

 

Piercing Through the Darkness

Read Me Dead

 Follow Emerald’s blog tour stops!

March 17:

The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something year Old Girl

Andrea Buginsky, Author

Tammy’s Tea Time 

Rachelle’s Window — Guest Post

The Writing Realm — Interview

March 18:

ssteinwriting — Interview

Fran’s Stuff

Sitting On The Porch With Lynn — Guest Post

Angel Breath Books — Guest post

The Serious Reader

March 19:

Totally unrelated to this tour is my interview with Angie Brashear.

Sheila Deeth — Guest post

The Wonderings of One Person

J.L. Mbewe

Ever On Word — Guest Post

March 20:

Community Bookstop

Fictional Reality

A.R. Silverberry — Guest Post

Bonnie Blythe’s Pure Romance

March 21:

The Readers Realm

Blue Brown Books

Beck Valley Books

Belindawitzenhausen.com, Igniteyourcreativity.net & WriterzBlox.net

Nike Chillemi ~ Crime Fictionista — Guest Post

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ENTERTAINING ANGELS Author, Emerald Barnes

ENTERTAINING ANGELS Author, Emerald Barnes

 

By A. R. Silverberry | Posted in Blog Tour, Guest Post | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Bargad: Teaching Children About the Environment

March 10, 2014 – 5:24 pm
Bargad, by Subhash Kommuru

BARGAD, by Subhash Kommuru, Illustrations by Sujata Kommuru

My guest today is Subhash Kommuru, who has a written a picture book about Bargad, the banyan tree, the effects of modernization on the environment, and the importance of connecting children to their cultural heritage. I’ve reviewed the book below, but first, I asked Subhash to do a guest post on the effects of modernization on the environment and the banyan trees in particular. Without further ado, please welcome Subjash Kommuru!

Guest Post:

Modernization has profound impact first on humanity and then on environment. It couldn’t have been any other way. As we modernize we slowly let go of our old belief and call it superstition. We also use science to justify that. There is a festival mentioned in my book, Bargad, Vat Savitri. Vat in Vat Savitri, is referred to Bargad and Savitri is name of a woman. The way legend goes, Young Savitri lost her husband so she held on to her husband’s body under Bargad and fought with angel of death asking for his life back. She was persistent and wouldn’t let go of him. Finally tired, angel of death wants to make a deal with her and he says “Savitri, I will give you anything you want but only condition is you cannot ask for your husband’s life.” She takes up the offer and she says “Ok, give me a happy family with lots of kids.” Angel of death happy to see that this indeed is something that can be offered, grants her wish and about to walk away with her husband, when Savitri interrupts and says “If you take my husband away, how do you suppose I have kids?” So angel of death is forced to give back her husband’s life. That is the story behind celebrating Vat Savitri every year by tying thread around Bargad, the Banyan tree. Now throw modernization into mix and use science to justify why it does not make sense. But pause for a second and think about why is the legend set around a Banyan tree which has no visible fruit or flower? Could it be that if we don’t value them be it by story or festival, you would get tempted to get rid of it? Would our generation have ever seen this tree? What would life be without a tree which lives for centuries keeps environment cooler, literally, during hot summer days if you sit under banyan tree its much colder.

When you look around in India there are many such values which are being overlooked. India has an opportunity to learn from western world pitfalls of industrial growth and how to remediate that or plan accordingly. It’s matter of pausing, thinking planning and then executing.

Synopsis:

A tree that has used its branches to keep people safe for many decades now needs help from those same people to save itself. In Hindi, Bargad means Banyan Tree, the national tree of India. Bargad is a compelling story of love, compassion and gratitude that incorporates the Banyan tree as a way to teach children how to care for and respect many things – from family to the environment, in a way that is easy-to-understand. While this wonderful old tree has withstood all the challenges of time, will it now be able to withstand modernization and will any of the people in the small village come to its aid to help save it the way it has helped save them over generations?

 

Purchase Bargad on Amazon

 

Bargad on Goodreads

 

Review, by A. R. Silverberry:

 

Bargan is a moving story about honoring traditions and the sacred communion between man and nature. Poignant and powerful, it brought tears to my eyes. The words are tender and hopeful, the illustrations whimsical and sweet. A wonderful tale for children of all cultures!

Excerpt:

 

Bargad, an excerpt

Bargad, an excerpt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bargad Banner

 

 

 

 

Giveaway!

Enter the Bargad International tour-wide giveaway! Prizes include Ebook copy of Bargad!

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Subhash Kommuru, Author of Bargad

Subhash Kommuru, Author of Bargad

By A. R. Silverberry | Posted in Guest Post | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (3)

Vision of Shadows: Vincent Morrone Interview

January 16, 2014 – 5:20 pm
Vision of Shadows, by Vincent Morrone

Vision of Shadows, by Vincent Morrone

YA author Vincent Morrone joins us today to discuss the release of Book I of his VISIONS series, Vision of Shadows. Readers who enjoy young adult paranormal romance will love this one!

Silverberry: What inspired you to write Vision of Shadows?

 

Morrone: I wanted to write a novel told first person. I decided on a girl who could talk to ghosts because I wanted to be able to have opportunities for a lot of humor and emotional moments.

 

Silverberry: What’s the novel about and who would enjoy it?

 

Morrone: In short, 17-year-old Bristol Blackburn is psychic. And she’s about to literally meet the boy of her dreams. A boy she’s seen since she was a little girl, but has never met. And when she does, she knows that there are two possible destinies for them. He’ll either be the love of her life, or the end of it.

 

And she’s not sure which possibility scares her more.

 

Silverberry: What does your main character, Bristol Blackburn, yearn for?

 

Morrone: Bristol comes into this book having hidden her secret from everyone. She’s convinced that she’s unlovable as it is, and anyone who found out about her would call her a freak. She wants to be loved, but is afraid of it at the same time.

 

I’ll let you guess who the first person is to find her secret out.

 

Silverberry: How did you approach creating the world Bristol inhabits?

 

Morrone: I made it a small town in Upstate NY since that’s where I live. It’s a town with a curse. Occupied by two families with a feud going back generations. I wanted a setting that was far enough removed from a big city that gave the characters a certain freedom.

 

Silverberry: Bristol has special powers. What are they, and what, if any, are the downsides to having those powers?

 

Morrone: For one, she can see and talk to ghosts. She has been since she was little. She’s never been afraid of ghosts. In fact, she feels more comfortable around the dearly departed than she does anybody that has a pulse.

 

She also has visions. They can be visions of the past, present or future. They often come in dreams, but can happen while she’s awake and are sometimes triggered by physical contact.

 

She’s also empathic. She can sometimes feel the feelings, both emotional and physical of others when they’re very powerful.

 

However, she has no control over these abilities. She never know when a ghost might drop in, or when she’ll get a psychic “flash.” Plus her visions aren’t set in stone. She has visions of this boy and her meeting, falling in love and building a long and happy life together: having a family, growing old by each other’s side.
She’s also seen him murder her before they graduate high school.

 

She’s had other visions of this boy. Growing up, he was always getting hurt. Too much for one person to have survived.

 

Silverberry: What do think makes for a fabulous YA novel?

 

Morrone: To a great extent, the same thing that makes great any kind of novel. Characters that you care about and a story the sucks you in. The idea that when you reach the end of a chapter, you can’t wait to start the next one.

 

Silverberry: Is Vision of Shadows a series? If so, what’s your approach to writing the sequels?

 

Morrone: Yes, it’s called the Vision series. Book II is done, and awaiting editing. It’s called Vision of Serpents. Book III is also done and waiting for approval. I’m working on Book IV and Book V is rattling around in the shadows of my mind.

 

Each book has Bristol growing. She gets closer to understanding the mystery of the curse that afflicts her family.

 

Silverberry: What’s ahead for you?!

 

Morrone: Well, as I’ve said, I’ve got the rest of the Vision series to work on. I’ve also got a New Adult Romance coming out in October of 2014 called Just Breathe. Plus I’ve got a few other WIPs right now. Just Breathe has no paranormal elements, but I think mostly you’ll see stuff from me that has supernatural elements of some sort or another. I’ve got about 3 things started totally unrelated to the Vision series.

Silverberry: Thanks for joining us today. VISIONS sounds like a dynamite series! Readers can follow you and purchase the book at the following links.

 

Purchase Visions of Shadows on Amazon

 

Vincent Morrone’s Website

 

Vincent Morrone on Facebook

 

Vincent Morrone on Twitter

 

Vision of Shadows Synopsis:

 

“Is Bristol Blackburn about to meet the love of her life…or her killer?

 

After the death of her parents, Bristol Blackburn’s life is thrown into chaos and she’s forced to move to Spirit, a small town where shadows are stirring. As she learns to navigate her new school and figures out how to keep her psychic abilities secret from her family, Bristol comes face to face with the boy who makes a regular appearance in her dreams: the gorgeous, possibly deadly, Payne McKnight. Soon she’ll find out if Payne will be the love of her life, or the end of it — and she has no idea which possibility scares her more.

 

And that’s not even the worst of it. Strange shadows are haunting her dreams, and they’re up to something that could put Bristol and the lives of everyone she loves in jeopardy.

 

About Vincent Morrone:

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn NY, Vincent Morrone now resides in Upstate NY with his wife. (Although he can still speak fluent Brooklynese.) His twin daughters remain not only his biggest fans, but usually are the first to read all of his work. Their home is run and operated for the comfort and convenience of their dogs.

 

Vincent has been writing fiction, poetry and song lyrics for as long as he can remember, most of which involve magical misfits, paranormal prodigies, and even on occasion, superheroes and their sidekicks.

Vincent Morrone, Author of VISION OF SHADOWS

Vincent Morrone, Author of VISION OF SHADOWS

VISION OF SHADOWS BLOG TOUR

VISION OF SHADOWS BLOG TOUR

By A. R. Silverberry | Posted in Author Interview | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)

Blog Tour Service List!

December 29, 2013 – 7:11 pm
Wyndano's Cloak, By A. R. Silverberry

Wyndano’s Cloak, By A. R. Silverberry

Book Tour Services!

 

Below is a short list of Book Tour Services I’ve participated in as a host or which an author friend referred me to. Some people have told me they use more than one service! Stop by periodically, as I’ll add to this list. Prices may change since the date of this post. Results (sales, reviews) are not guaranteed with any service.

 

Juniper Grove Book Solutions

 

Juniper Grove Book Solutions provides Book Blasts ($40, plus Giveaway, 20-25 blogs) Book Blitzes ($30, 20-25 blogs), Cover Reveal Blitzes ($30, one day, 20 blogs), Scavenger Hunts ($35, one day, 20 blogs), and Virtual Book Tours (Up to 20-25 blogs at $75). Other book tour packages can be customized (tours that features multiple authors, have a theme, and/or that features multiple books in a series.) I’ve interacted with Laurie, who’s an author herself, and she great to work with!

 

I.O. Book Tours

 

Provides a number of packages reasonably priced. For example, you can get a three-week tour of 15-17 stops for $75. You’ll receive a variety of book reviews, interviews, guest blogs, and excerpts.

 

Beck Valley Books

 

Beck Valley Books gives you a dedicated tour coordinator. They arrange reviews and tours, including interviews, guest posts, tour button, and Giveaway contest, at a cost of $15 per stop. Additional promotional addons are available.

 

Fiction Addiction

 

Fiction Addiction provides a variety of packages, including Cover Reveal, Standard Package (reviews, interviews, playlists, giveaways, and guest posts with up to 20 stops), and a one-day Promo Blitz. For package prices, use their contact form.

 

Book Review Tours

 

Book Review Tours provides Cover Reveals, Book Blasts, Release Day Blitzes, Scavenger Hunts, and Review Tours. Contact Debdatta for prices.

YA Bound Book Tours

 

Offers a range of affordable services including tours from 15 stops for $50 to 50 stops for $200; Book Blitz, Cover Reveals, Review Query Service, Social Media Book Blitz, and Trailer Reveal.

 

Mascquerade Book Tours

 

Offers the usual services. Posted the following stats:

Website averages over 100,000 hits a month, 69,000 Twitter followers, 1800 Facebook likes, and 5000 friends on Goodreads.

 

Girl’s Heart Book Tours

 

Offers Cover Reveals, Release Day Events, Book Blitz/Promo Events, and Virtual Tours at affordable prices.

Promotional Book Tours

Offers a wide range of reasonably priced services. Here’s a short list of their tours, but they offer much more: Pre-Release Buzz Builder, Release Day Promotional Blast,Promotional Contest Blast, Reviews Tours, Value Tours, Social Media Campaign, Social Media Campaign, and Twitter Chat.

Fabulosity Reads Book Tours

HAPPY TOURING!

 

The Stream, by A. R. Silverberry

The Stream, by A. R. Silverberry

By A. R. Silverberry | Posted in Blog Tour | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (3)

.99 KINDLE AUTHOR SALE!

December 26, 2013 – 7:45 pm
.99 EBOOK SALE!

.99 EBOOK SALE!

WELCOME TO THE .99   HOLIDAY AUTHOR SALE!

Between December 26 and December 29

ONLY,

you can get ALL of these books for a mere

.99, including WYNDANO’S CLOAK!

Have a certain genre you prefer?

Scroll down until you find the one you

prefer and browse that category!

FOUR DAYS ONLY!

HERE’S THE LINK! http://ow.ly/s4CNR

Wyndano's Cloak, By A. R. Silverberry

Wyndano’s Cloak, By A. R. Silverberry

By A. R. Silverberry | Posted in Book Sale | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Bethlehem’s Baby: Five-Minute Bible Stories

December 16, 2013 – 3:36 am
Bethlehem's Baby, By Sheila Deeth

Bethlehem’s Baby, By Sheila Deeth

 

Author in the House: Meet Sheila Deeth!

It’s a pleasure to feature an interview with author Sheila Deeth today. Sheila’s work spans multiple genres, including several novels and novellas, Bible Picture Books for children, and the Five-Minute Bible Stories. A life-long Christian, she has spent many years in Christian education and teaching Sunday School. She has Bachelors and Masters degrees in mathematics from Cambridge University. Without further ado, let’s learn more about this prolific author!

Silverberry: What inspired you to write five-minute Bible stories?

 

Deeth: Partly they were inspired by telling stories as children’s sermons in church, partly by reading The Silmarillion in college, and partly by the fact that so many of my sons’ friends in England dismissed the Bible as a book of fairy tales, and I wanted to counter that.

 

Silverberry: What are some of the stories that you tell in Book Six, Bethlehem’s Baby, and why did you select these?

 

Deeth: I wanted to include all the well-known stories—three kings with camels, angels appearing to shepherds, no room at the inn, and so on. But I wanted to tell them from a different point of view, to encourage readers to think about them. So I wrote about the wise men’s research student who never got any credit for figuring out the star, the old shepherd who kept complaining about the noise and suddenly heard angels, and the friends and relatives in Bethlehem struggling to fit the clan into a tiny two-room house

 

Silverberry: What were the most memorable Bible stories for you as a child?

 

Deeth: One of the most memorable Bible stories for me was the parting of the Red Sea, mainly because I spent so very long trying to work out how it could be done. After all, when Jesus calms the storm, the disciples are really impressed that he can control nature. But I didn’t know until relatively recently that there was a natural event which could have parted the Red Sea. Now the story means even more to me because it’s so clearly miraculous and NOT a fairytale.

 

Silverberry: What ways can parents and Sunday School teachers use these stories to teach children about the Bible?

 

Deeth: I hope the stories give children a real-world anchor for reading the Bible, and a real way to enjoy what they learn. They’re written to invite children to relate, imagine, and ask questions—a teacher might use the author’s notes to answer some of the questions, and might ask children to apply the same imagination to other Bible stories, or even to seeing God’s influence in their own lives.

 

Silverberry: What were the joys and challenges of retelling these stories?

 

Deeth: The main challenge is in trying to keep the stories true to the Bible, and true to science and history. But I really love doing the research, so that’s also the greatest joy for me.

 

Silverberry: You have a background in the Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Free Evangelical, Presbyterian and Christian Reformed churches; and a master’s degree in mathematics from Cambridge University, England. What does that background bring to your writing?

 

Deeth: When I was a child, my mixed background meant I could never believe without first questioning. I knew different Christians interpreted the same passages differently, so that gap between word and interpretation became very important to me. As an adult, I’m moderately logical, and very well-trained in math and science. So when faith and science seem to disagree, I automatically look for the gap again—what is known, what is guessed, and what is just interpretation? Then I write.

 

Silverberry: Tell us about some of your other books? Do you have a favorite?

 

Deeth: My first novel, Divide by Zero, came out last year, then the publisher closed. In a way, I guess that’s my favorite because it was such a milestone. And it’s just been accepted as the first of a set of three by another publisher, so I’m really excited! I’ve had three spiritual speculative novellas released as ebooks, and I have a particular fondness for the third of them too. It’s called Flower Child, and it grew out of a childhood misunderstanding and my own experience with miscarriage. I have a romantic novel “coming soon” with another publisher too.

 

Silverberry: What’s ahead for you?

 

Deeth: Now I’ve got contracts for those three novels, finishing the edits on the second (Infinite Sum), and reworking the third (Imaginary Numbers) are pretty high on my list. I’m currently editing the seventh book of Five-Minute Bible stories too, and the eighth and ninth are due to be released next year, so I’ll be working hard on researching and writing them.

 

Silverberry: Thanks, Sheila!

 

Deeth: Thank you for inviting me, A. R.!

 

Bethlehem’s Baby:

 

Meet the Emperor Augustus’s advisors, the quiet research student helping wise men study stars, the shepherd whose granddad keeps complaining, an Egyptian fisherboy, a Roman soldier, and more in this set of 40 5-minute read-aloud stories based around the events of the Christ Child’s birth in Bethlehem.

 

Purchase links:

 

Amazon Kindle

 

Barnes and Noble Nook

 

Kobo

 

Smashwords

 

Find out more about the Five-Minute Bible StoryTM Series on the publisher’s website.

 

Connect with Sheila!

 

Website

 

Blog

 

Facebook

 

Facebook Fan Page

 

Twitter

 

Goodreads

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sheila Deeth, Author of Bethlehem's Baby

Sheila Deeth, Author of Bethlehem’s Baby

By A. R. Silverberry | Posted in Author Interview | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)

“Teleportation in the rain” – Why I write for Teenagers

November 27, 2013 – 5:04 pm
The Curious Disappearance of Professor Brown, By Tim Flanagan

The Curious Disappearance of Professor Brown, By Tim Flanagan

 

“Teleportation in the rain” – Why I write for Teenagers.

A Guest Post By Tim Flanagan

Writing for teenagers is refreshing!

It provides me, as a writer, a lot more freedom to write ideas and possibilities than I could ever get away with in an adult book. Teenagers are much more likely to accept things that an adult’s methodical and scientific brain would be closed of to. With children there is no ‘that’s not possible,’ or ‘he wouldn’t do that,’ or ‘because of the erratic nature of ion’s it would not be physically possible for teleportation to occur when it rains.’

As a teen, I read loads of books. I read whatever I could get my hands on. I particularly loved to read comics; they were pure imagination and fantasy. It was an exciting moment for me when I would visit the local Virgin Megastore and buy a DC Comic. I always went for the ones in plastic covers so that I could keep them in perfect condition. Other things I read – Sherlock Holmes, Action Man and the odd Dragonlance book.

But, despite reading loads, my English teacher had a problem with me.

When I was about 14 years old my English teacher said that I could never compose complete sentences, so being a stubborn person, I set out to prove him wrong. I remember sitting in my bedroom spending ages writing the greatest piece of descriptive work I possibly could about a tree. Yes, you read it right – a tree. The Thesaurus had never been used so much! But the important thing was that I went back over the 500-word piece of writing and edited it several times joining the short sentences together to improve it. I realized that I couldn’t write as fast as my brain worked, so editing and rewriting were vital if I wanted to improve the structure and flow of my work.

The next piece I wrote was a fantasy story that ended up being a lot longer than was required (don’t they always!). After I had handed in the masterpiece I had called ‘The Citadel’ (together with an artistically drawn front cover) the English teacher stopped me in the corridor as I was going for my lunch break and asked if I had really written ‘The Citadel.’ He then gave me the highest mark possible for it and from then on we seemed to have a reasonable appreciation of each other.

It was quite some time later when I went back to fantasy novels. After University I wrote a couple of medical textbooks, but let’s be honest, they’re pretty boring. For my own pleasure I had continued to write many different things including an Agatha Christie style whodunit, as well as a rather depressing story that was supposed to be a love story, but many of them still sit unfinished in a folder. One of the reasons I think I got bored with them was because they were restricting in many ways for me as the writer.

Things changed for me one morning in the bathroom two years ago when my son James and I came up with the idea for The Moon Stealers. He was only 9 years old at the time. We were getting ready to go out and he asked me to tell him a story. I plucked the name ‘The Moon Stealers’ out of thin air and by the time we had finished getting ready we had the whole idea for the story mapped out. James wanted to draw some pictures based on the story, so I started writing some bits down but I soon realized that the story was going to be much longer than a few pages. Throughout the entire process of writing the books, he still goes through every chapter I write with a pencil looking for errors or making suggestions. He loves the fact that he gets to read them before anyone else in the whole world. It’s even given him some additional ‘street-cred’ at school!

They always say that a writer should write what they know, but I don’t totally agree with that. You should write what you enjoy. Writing for teenagers takes me back to my childhood. It awakens the excitement I used to get from the comics I read, or the tingles I felt when I heard the first chord of the Star Wars theme tune. To a child anything is possible. And, as a writer, that’s exciting.

Writing is inspiring. Children are refreshing. Freedom to write what you want is liberating.

Sentences are sometimes short.

About the Author:

At some point in Tim’s childhood, he was abducted by aliens and sent on a voyage of knowledge and discovery across the universe. Eventually the aliens realised how pointless this was and, as a failed student, he was returned to Earth and left with a family who brought him up as a human bean. But, the persistent memories of new worlds, dragons and other creatures, continued to knock at his frontal lobe, desperately trying to break out.

To avoid making a mess and calm his imagination, Tim began writing as a way to communicate with Earthlings. Fuelled by Chilli and Nachos and a bottle of wine, Tim manages to balance a love of loud rock music and fast cars (preferably red!) with emotional chic flicks, smart leather shoes and a well-tailored suit. He has successfully infiltrated the humans and hides behind the façade known as a family. He learns from his children, but is regularly told to stop acting like a child by his wife.

Naturally shy and unsociable by nature, he is selective of the human company he keeps, preferring to be around old books, bonsai and art. He cries at ‘It’s a wonderful life’ but sulks if fed evil vegetables disguised as Parsnips or Peas. He is bored by mundane conversation, excited by architecture and castles and fuelled by Caramel Latte Macchiato’s.

Occasionally, he likes to catch up with old acquaintances on Tatooine, Westeros, and Middle Earth, and stare at fantasy and concept art as if it is a window to his childhood adventures. He is always trying to learn lessons from the masters, Mr Charles Darwin and Mr Lionel Ritchie, about life and love. Tim’s galactic mission is to translate his brain activity into a language that inspires and entertains you, transports you to different worlds and grants you an audience with the characters you have dreamt about, but never dared to remember. All of this in an attempt to redeem himself with his childhood alien abductors and travel the stars once more.

The Curious Disappearance of Professor Brown, or The Pumpkins of Doom.

A Lawrence Pinkley Mystery

By Tim Flanagan with illustrations by Dylan Gibson

Eighteen-year-old Lawrence Pinkley is Whitby’s greatest Private Detective. In fact, he’s Whitby’s only Private Detective.

Pinkley’s skills are called into play in the first case of a reluctant career.

One night, in a high security laboratory, a scientist mysteriously disappears, leaving behind an overly nervous assistant and a trail of pumpkin juice. Pinkley is hired to investigate the disappearance by the professors beautiful daughter, forcing him to quickly learn the skills he needs to solve his first major crime.

 

But every move Pinkley makes is being watched.

 

As he blunders from one clue to the next he stumbles across secret messages, talking pumpkins, the Russian mafia, and hired hitmen. His life now depends on him solving the case. Not to mention the future of mankind!

Purchase for Kindle

Purchase Paperback

Follow Tim Flanagan:

Website

Author Marketing

Facebook

Twitter

Join Tim’s mailing list. He will only contact you when he has a new book release.

Links to Tim’s other books:

The Moon Stealers and the Quest for the Silver Bough (Book 1)

The Moon Stealers and the Queen of the Underworld (Book 2)

The Moon Stealers and the Everlasting Night (Book 3)

By A. R. Silverberry | Posted in Guest Post | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Wyndano’s Cloak Blog Tour!

October 21, 2013 – 2:05 am
Wyndano's Cloak, By A. R. Silverberry

Wyndano’s Cloak, By A. R. Silverberry

 

TWO NEWS FLASHES!

News Flash One! The Wyndano’s Cloak ebook has a new cover! I’m hoping it’ll grab the attention of a wider audience, including young adult and adult readers who enjoy fantasy, adventure, and edge-of-your-seat suspense. To celebrate, I will be touring blogs from November 4th through December 31st.

Follow me on the tour stops of the following awesome authors and bloggers. I’ve got some killer interviews and guest posts lined up! And here’s the best part: The book’s on sale for .99 during the tour! Grab ’em while they’re hot!

 

11/4          Beth Elisa Harris

11/6          Andrea Buginsky

11/8          S. M. Boyce

11/11        Micheal Rivers

11/13        Shevi Arnold

11/15        Sheila Deeth

11/17        Laurie Jenkins

11/20       Wayne L Murphy

11/22       LucaLashes

11/25       Claude Bouchard

12/2        JLBCreatives

12/3        Amy Manneman

12/4        Tim Flannagan

12/6         Emerald Barnes

12/9         Susan Ricci

12/12        Jade M Phillips

12/13        Sheena Freitas

12/18        James DiBenedetto

12/19        Vincent Moronne

TBA           Melissa Smith

 

NEWS FLASH TWO! If you live in the Bay Area, I’ll be signing copies of the Wyndano’s Cloak hardback at 2 PM at Village House of Books, 326 Village Lane Los Gatos, California 95030. I’d love to see you there!

 

 

By A. R. Silverberry | Posted in Blog Tour | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)