New book release: ‘The Berry Story’ by Yannick Atambona

‘The Berry Story’ by Yannick Atambona will be released soon. Photo: Yannick Atamboa, used with permission.

Yannick Atambona is the author of “The Berry Story,” a polyglot, Certified Interpreter, Translator, and teacher who has traveled the world to learn about different cultures and languages. He started writing when he was a kid. When he had an idea or a story to tell, he would always start by writing it on paper and then read it to his friends and family. He used to write poems for his friends and he also wrote a book about his mother that unfortunately, got lost during his globetrotting. This affected him so because he poured everything he felt and knew in that book about the woman who gave him life. He has always been fascinated by the power of words and storytelling, by how they can shape a person’s personality or mindset. He writes for a broad audience and does not confine his inspiration and writings to a single genre or demographic of readers, so he effortlessly transitions from fiction to nonfiction. As a result, he is equally at ease writing for children, young adults, and adults. “The Berry Story” is part of a series and he hopes that it will help kids to accept and embrace who they are and give those who are victims or witnesses to bullying the courage to stand up to it. It will be available in paperback, hardcover, as an audio book, and a coloring book. A release date and availability details to follow. (Yannick Atambona, 2022)

“The Berry Story” – Brandon the blackberry is no less than a unique and extra caring kid. What makes him sensitive is the remarks and taunts directed at him by some kids. Brandon is regularly bullied by those he wants to befriend and this situation crushes him and creates confusion in his mind. He spends time figuring out how to make friends and be accepted. He tries to befriend other kids but ultimately receives rejection instead of love and acceptance. He keeps his hopes high as he sees that everybody is not evil and his greatest wish, to become better than others, is not, however, shattered.

The author believes that readers will be motivated to thrive through life regardless of difficulties and learn to find strength within themselves in uncertain times, but mainly how to stand up to bullying and rejection. The story delivers a strong message that anyone who is a victim of bullying can always stand up against it but remain kind.

He understands that storytelling is compelling, especially when we can see ourselves and the people we can relate to within the story. His primary wish is to inspire through his writings, provide hope and encouragement to the reader, and cultivate empathy by creating relatable characters that foster hope. He uses fictional or real-life social events to tell stories and describe social and cultural interactions, occasionally with improvisation, theatrics, or embellishment. He infuses his stories with what he learned and saw while globetrotting, incorporating diverse cultures, each of which has its own set of tales and narratives shared for entertainment, education, cultural preservation, or instilling moral values. He coined the term “books with substance” because he believes that every book should teach a lesson; this is what he refers to as a book’s substance. He writes to share a piece of his soul with the world.

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Upcoming book release: ‘Hidden Pictures’ by Jason Rekulak

‘Hidden Pictures’ will be released on May 10, 2022. Photo: amazon

Jason Rekulak is the author of “Hidden Pictures” and “The Impossible Fortress,” a finalist for an Edgar Award. For many years he was the publisher at Quirk Books, an indie press headquartered in Philadelphia, where he ghost-wrote many odd books that may or may not surface on this page, depending on the metadata. Today, Jason is an active member of Writer’s Guild East and Mystery Writers of America. “Hidden Pictures” is a supernatural thriller about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets. It will be released on Tuesday May 9, 2022. (amazon, 2022)

“Hidden Pictures” – Fresh out of rehab, Mallory Quinn takes a job as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy. Mallory immediately loves it. She has her own living space, goes out for nightly runs, and has the stability she craves. She sincerely bonds with Teddy, a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. One day, he draws something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman’s lifeless body.

Then, Teddy’s artwork becomes increasingly sinister, and his stick figures quickly evolve into lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to wonder if these are glimpses of a long-unsolved murder, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force. Knowing just how crazy it all sounds, Mallory nevertheless sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy before it is too late.

 

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New book release: ‘The Memory Librarian’ by Janelle Monae

‘The Memory Librarian’ is a collection of stories featuring Yohanca Delgado, Eve L. Ewing, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Danny Lore, and Sheree Renee Thomas. Photo: amazon

Janelle Monáe is widely celebrated as an American singer/songwriter, actress, producer, fashion icon, and futurist whose globally successful career spans over a decade. With her highly theatrical and stylized concept albums, she has garnered eight Grammy nominations and has developed her own label imprint, Wondaland Arts Society. Monáe has also earned great success as an actor, starring in critically acclaimed films including Moonlight, Hidden Figures, Harriet, The Glorias, and the 2020 horror film Antebellum. She will star in the highly anticipated sequel Knives Out 2. “The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer,” her debut book, brings to the written page the Afrofuturistic world of one of her critically acclaimed albums, exploring how different threads of liberation – queerness, race, gender plurality, and love- become tangled with future possibilities of memory and time in a totalitarian landscape and what the costs might be when trying to unravel and weave them into freedoms. (amazon, 2022)

“The Memory Librarian” – Whoever controls our memories controls the future. Janelle Monáe and an incredible array of talented collaborating creators have written a collection of tales comprising the bold vision and powerful themes that have made Monáe such a compelling and celebrated storyteller. Dirty Computer introduced a world in which thoughts—as a means of self-conception—could be controlled or erased by a select few. Whether human, A.I., or other, your life and sentience was dictated by those who had convinced themselves they had the right to decide your fate. That was until Jane 57821 decided to remember and break free.

Expanding from that mythos, these stories fully explore what it is like to live in such a totalitarian existence and what it takes to get out of it. Building off the traditions of speculative writers such as Octavia Butler, Ted Chiang, Becky Chambers, and Nnedi Okorafor—and filled with the artistic genius and powerful themes that have made Monáe a worldwide icon in the first place—”The Memory Librarian” serves readers tales grounded in the human trials of identity expression, technology, and love, but also reaching through to the worlds of memory and time within, and the stakes and power that exists there.

New book release: ‘Sidhe’ by Aria Storm

‘Sidhe’ by Aria Storm is on sale now on paperback and e-book. Photo: Aria Storm, used with permission.

Aria Storm is influenced by major authors from a wide range of genres and time periods. The earliest influences come in the form of Lord Dunsany, William Shakespeare, and H.P. Lovecraft. Modern influences include Gary S. Kadet, Chloe Neill, McKenzie Hunter, Laurell K. Hamilton, Timothy Zahn, and K. F. Brenee. She avidly believes in representing LGBTQIA+ people with valid heroes/ heroines and plots which can be sizzling at times but also contain other aspects outside the queer sex. This author’s entire adult life has been devoted to becoming a better storyteller and to bringing LGBTQIA+ characters to everyone. Most of Aria Storm’s works have been Lesfic, but the author also publishes various other genres and is about to expand even further in the near future. In her new book ‘Sidhe,’ a woman discovers she is a rare breed of fairy. (Aria Storm, 2022)

‘Sidhe’ – A college freshman discovers she is a rare breed of fairy as she is brought to the world of Fairey. Her life is threatened instantly when human assassins discover her in the forest of Fairey. Now, she will be forced to unravel a deeper plot with the help of a sexy female protector called The Hawthorn Knight. Sexual discovery and awakening of her true attractions manifest. Ella is made aware of who she is, not just as a being, but also as a maturing woman.

‘Sidhe’ is available through Amazon and Ukiyoto

Photo: Aria Storm, used with permission.

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New book release: ‘Dream Town: An Archer Novel’ by David Baldacci

‘Dream Town’ is David Baldacci’s new novel in the Archer series. Photo: amazon

David Baldacci is a global #1 bestselling author, and one of the world’s favorite storytellers. His books are published in over forty-five languages and in more than eighty countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. His works have been adapted for both feature film and television. David Baldacci is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. In his new book “Dream Town: An Archer Novel,” the third in the Archer series, private investigator and World War II veteran Aloysius Archer heads to Los Angeles, the city where dreams are made and shattered, and is ensnared in a lethal case. (amazon, 2022)

“Dream Town”– It is the eve of 1953, and Aloysius Archer is in Los Angeles to ring in the New Year with an old friend, aspiring actress Liberty Callahan, when their evening is interrupted by an acquaintance of Callahan’s: Eleanor Lamb, a screenwriter in dire straits. After a series of increasingly chilling events—mysterious phone calls, the same blue car loitering outside her house, and a bloody knife left in her sink—Eleanor fears that her life is in danger, and she wants to hire Archer to look into the matter. Archer suspects that Eleanor knows more than she is saying, but before he can officially take on her case, a dead body turns up inside of Eleanor’s home and Eleanor herself disappears.

Missing client or not, Archer is dead set on finding both the murderer and Eleanor. With the help of Callahan and his partner Willie Dash, he launches an investigation that will take him from mob-ridden Las Vegas to the glamorous world of Hollywood to the darkest corners of Los Angeles—a city in which beautiful faces are attached to cutthroat schemers, where the cops can be more corrupt than the criminals and where the powerful people responsible for his client’s disappearance will kill without a moment’s hesitation if they catch Archer on their trail.

New comic book release: ‘The Adventure of Reese Rabbit’ by Hunter Reese

‘The Adventure of Reese Rabbit’ features a fun-loving, energized, life-size bunny named Reese Rabbit. Photo: Hunter Reese, used with permission.

My name is Hunter Reese. I am a young writer who grew up in Southern California loving comic books; my favorites were the ones about superheroes. I am also a big fan of cartoons so I thought I would make some cartoony comics as well. Over the years I have written so many stories and characters and I thought it was time to finally bring them to life. This is the start of many issues of Reese Rabbit comics I plan to write as well as other comic books from multiple genres. “The Adventure of Reese Rabbit” is the first in the series. Read all about the adventures of a fun-loving, energized, life-sized bunny named Reese Rabbit as he travels through his animal-filled world. It is illustrated by Inggit Awalliyah. (Hunter Reese, 2022)

“The Adventure of Reese Rabbit” – This comic book is about an anthropomorphic bunny rabbit named Reese who lives in a carrot-shaped house within a city filled with other anthropomorphic animals. This particular issue focuses on Reese Rabbit and his best friend, Jack Houndsberg, trying to get rid of a rat that has made itself at home in Reese’s house.

Available now through CWS Book Store in paperback form or digital download. 

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New book release: ‘L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 38’

‘L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 38’ will be released June 28, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

The Writers of the Future anthology of award-winning science fiction and fantasy short stories just released volume 38 at a major Hollywood event. L. Ron Hubbard, the author of the sci-fi classic “Battlefield Earth,” started the contest as “a means for new and budding writers to have a chance for their creative efforts to be seen and acknowledged.” Bringing on board a panel of blue-ribbon authors to select the stories, it continues to make publishing history year after year. There is not publication or program like this for new authors. “L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 38” will be released June 28, 2022. It is available now on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited for a limited time. (Writers of the Future, 2022)

The judges include fantastic authors like Brandon Sanderson, Nnedi Okorafor, Orson Scott Card, Kevin J. Anderson, Jody Lynn Nye, Tim Powers, Larry Niven, Katherine Kurtz, and many more. A literal who’s-who of fantasy and science fiction masters.

The writing contest is free to enter and the stories are judged blind to ensure authors and illustrators of every ethnic background, gender or age compete on equal footing. Very cool. (If you are an aspiring writing, you need to check this out).

Volume 38 also has bonus content from several great authors: Frank Herbert (yes, THE author of “Dune,” who was also a judge!), L. Ron Hubbard, and David Farland as well as writing tips for new writers.

Featured authors: L. Ron Hubbard; Frank Herbert; David Farland; Brian Herbert; Kevin J. Anderson; Diane Dillon; Azure Arther; Desmond Astaire; J. A. Becker; Lazarus Black; Z. T. Bright; John Coming; Em Dupre; N. V. Haskell; Michael Panter; Brittany Rainsdon; Mike Jack Stoumbos; M. Elizabeth Ticknor; Rebecca E. Treasure

The International Review of Books calls it a “literary smorgasbord where each new story comes with a feeling of excitement and mystery. It’s a binge read. Just one more, you think, and the next thing you know the entire book is gone!”

“L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 38” – In the world of science fiction, this Anthology stands out for three reasons: The stories. The art. The extras. Which will you love most? Standing on the shoulders of giants, these writers of the future have earned their place in the hallowed pages of volume 38. With 25-award winning authors and illustrators, this collection is a master work. These diverse stories will fill you with wonder and new ideas. And a few just might break your heart.

Just imagine…

  • It is game on, the fate of the universe is on the line—and you are about to go all in.
  • Saving the mammoths is in your hands—can you conjure the magic to make it happen?
  • You have got a monster BFF—whom you are hiding from your own monster-hunting family.
  • You are part of a sting, out to catch some bar hoppers who are not only bending their elbows, but bending time as well.
  • And much more!

Would you like to know the “Single Most Important Piece of Advice” from the author of “Dune?” The beautiful art and writing tips by Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson, Frank Herbert, L. Ron Hubbard, and Diane Dillon are just as wonderful as the collection of stories.

Volume 38 is a treasure. You will love this collection from past and future science fiction masters because these stories will keep you turning the page.

Additional helpful links:
Free Writing Workshop
Writing Podcast
Writing Forum
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Former Lost Boy of Sudan turns adversity into opportunity

Paulino Mamiir Chol’s ‘Leading the Lost Boys: The Untold Story’ tells the story of his extraordinary personal journey from kidnapping survivor to leader. Photo: amazon

Paulino Mamiir Chol is an author and current PhD candidate dedicated to using his experience, expertise, and education to help his current community in the US as well as his East African homeland, South Sudan. For decades, despite multiple kidnapping attempts by the radical militias, airborne assaults, and the murder of his friends and family, Mr. Chol rose in the leadership hierarchy and helped over four thousand Lost Boys to come to America. Mr. Chol has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Colorado and a master’s degree in Law and Policy from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. He looked death in the eye multiple times, surviving abduction, a 3,000-mile barefoot trek in searing heat across South Sudan, and unspeakable starvation during the Second Sudanese Civil War. His memoir, “Leading the Lost Boys: The Untold Journey” tells of his extraordinary journey from kidnapping survivor to leader, showing how tragedy can be turned into triumph. (Mac Foundation, 2022)

As a member of the Lost Boys of South Sudan who led over 700 boys across three African countries, from refugee camp to refugee camp, Paulino Mamiir Chol is the only one in a position to tell this story. A testimony to the atrocities happening at that time—the killings and kidnappings committed by radical militias before and during the Second Sudanese Civil War—the book describes how the author had to build the grit, determination, and sheer organizational ability to save lives, and find freedom. In so doing, he also offers hope in the power of the human spirit to overcome trauma and tragedy—especially when we focus on serving others. “Leading The Lost Boys: The Untold Journey” is part of Paulino Chol’s effort to fight the inhuman darkness we are all capable of, and to empower and inspire the hearts of those suffering.

“This book is a form of defense, and I promise to fight against inhumanity and human rights abuses. This fight consolidates my belief, faith, and hope in humanity, and human rights.” – Paulino Mamiir Chol

All proceeds will go to the Mamiir Chol Foundation (MACH), which will provide funds to villagers in Twic County for clean drinking wells, clinics, schools, and community centers. Proceeds will also support organizations working for human rights, homeless children, widowed mothers, disabled people, and to protect women and girls from sexual abuse, exploitation, and gender-based violence. “Leading the Lost Boys: The Untold Journey” is available in digital and paperback on amazon and other major retailers.

Craig Lewis books on addiction and mental health

‘You’re Crazy, Volume Two’ by Craig Lewis. Photo: Craig Lewis, used with permission.

Craig Lewis is an Expert by Experience, a Psychiatric Survivor, author, a lifelong punk rocker, a fearless activist, a workshop trainer, and international speaker. Craig has survived a lifetime of struggle and has chosen not to waste it. Craig shares his experiences, knowledge, and lessons learned in the hopes of supporting others in living happier, healthier, and more satisfying lives. This is an ongoing journey and Craig, like all of us, is a work in progress. Two of his books are “The Craig Lewis Guide to Surviving the Impossible” and “You’re Crazy, Volume Two: First Hand Accounts of Surviving Trauma, Addiction & Mental Health from within the Punk Rock Scene.”

“The Craig Lewis Guide to Surviving the Impossible” is written by a human being who learned the hard way the difference between being alive and truly living. This book is intended to help readers figure out their true path. If you put in the effort, you will experience improvements. The bottom line is this: You, the person reading these words, have the power within to heal and become whoever you were born to be. That is the path that this author has chosen. May your journey result in healing, peace and love. “The Craig Lewis Guide to Surviving the Impossible” features fifteen passages and worksheets intended to encourage the reader to go within themselves and figure out how to heal what is hurting them.

“You’re Crazy, Volume Two” is a collection of personal stories written by twenty punk rockers from around the world. All of the writers have experienced trauma, addiction, and mental health struggles. As you read these stories, you will know both the pain and the beauty that makes these uniquely brilliant human beings who they are today. We are unapologetic for surviving. Instead, we choose to live the lives we deserve. We hope that others like us will read these stories and recognize that they, too, have the power to create the better lives they want. After all, we are Punk Rockers!

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Book review: ‘The Still Point: The Simplicity of Spiritual Enlightenment’ by Kevin Krenitsky, MD

‘The Still Point’ is Kevin Krenitsky’s new book on spiritual enlightenment and awakening. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Kevin Krenitsky has been, at times, a professional rock musician, a medical doctor, and a business executive. Despite leading a life deemed outwardly “successful,” he lived with a deep background of anxiety, fear, and stress that came and went since early childhood. At the age of forty, in the midst of decades of suppressing tremendous inner and outer conflict, he reasoned there must be another way. This “willingness” led to a decade of studying non-duality by way of “A Course in Miracles.” At the height of a successful business career, he turned away into relative isolation and soon found the direct path to the recognition of our true nature. One day in meditation, a thought came that a book called “The Still Point” would be written. Five years later, the first words arrived. Krenitsky’s The Still Point: The Simplicity of Spiritual Enlightenment” takes readers on a journey of self-discovery, ultimately leading to the recognition that our self-aware nature is happiness and peace itself.

“The Still Point” begins with an Introduction where the author explains that this book is about “discovering and living as your indestructible, true self, which is deeper than just the body and the mind.” He refers to our true self as the Still Point and defines it as the experience of recognizing our own awareness; simply put: “being aware of being aware.” According to him, our unconscious living has not only created stress, anxiety, wars, and famine, but our choices have brought us to the edge of mass destruction. The earth has suffered greatly from our collective human unconsciousness. With this book, he shows us how to discover and live our lives in alignment with our true self. Each chapter begins with an introduction of the subject and is followed by a question and answer discussion. Some of the questions are from people he has encountered but most of them are questions he himself has had in his journey to self-discovery. The book is divided into two parts: the first has chapters such as The Discovery of Our True Nature, The Healing of Our Relationships, and Awakening and the Limits of the Mind; the second part deals with subjects such as Taking Responsibility for Your Happiness, Be a True Student of Peace and Happiness, and The Illusion of Control.

For such an intense subject, “The Still Point” is relatively easy to read, due in part to the Q & A format that the author chose to present his ideas. It reads like an interview and the language is straightforward and down to earth. The important takeaways include the significance of living in the moment, realizing that we share a consciousness with each other and the planet, and self-awareness. When we focus on the noise of the outside world, we lose our feelings of peace and happiness. Highlight include Chapter 14: Taking Responsibility for Your Happiness, as it reminds readers that “The desire to project blame on others, the world, or past events is a universal trait of the egoic mind” and Chapter 20: Be a Seed of Light in a Desperate World where it emphasizes the importance of taking pride in your job. It is important to find a job you like but “…never diminish whatever it is you find yourself doing in the present.” These may not be new theories, but in today’s world, in the midst of all the chaos, both external and internal, it pays to slow down and re-evaluate what makes life worth living. Filled with practical life advice, “The Still Point” is recommended for readers who value concepts such as meditation and self-awareness and are searching for tips on easing the load we all sometimes have to carry.

“There is no denying the terrible injustice that has been happening for a long time, but treating people who are desperately calling out for love with hate and anger simply will not work.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Read an excerpt here. 

Rating: 4 out of 5.