‘Gray: Assorted Poems’ by Conor Noll. Photo: Amazon
Conor Nollis a poet with a lifetime love of the written word and has spent most of it reading and writing. He has had his share of hardships including serving in the military, being a shut-in, and serving time in prison. “Gray” is his first published book of poems with plans for more to come. He currently lives in his Pennsylvania hometown. (Conor Noll, 2023)
“Gray”– This book is a short collection of original poems; a worthy assortment of thoughts and feelings put into words and onto paper. There are topics of love, loss, fond feelings of comfortable places, and also of sadness. Enjoy the poems within.
Poetry can have different meanings for different people. Some enjoy expressing their thoughts while for others, it can be therapeutic. In “Gray,” Conor Noll expresses all types of emotions, from hopelessness to friendship and love. The topics range from the drudgery of daily life to the majesty of the night sky, including the stars and planets. This may be a small book, but it serves as a reminder of the universality of the human condition; that if you are feeling down, you are not the only one and there is always hope right around the corner. Most, if not all the poems are relatable, like Unease, for those of us who have battled with anxiety and The Magical Brew, a humorous ode to coffee and its many benefits. Running reminds us that though it may be hard, sometimes you have to move on from what is familiar. So if you are looking for honest, heart felt poetry to remind you of your humanity, give this one a try. It is an easy read without complicated language and can be read in one sitting, which makes it the perfect book to take to the beach this summer.
“Yet it’s the bad that make, The good all the better, I will not be fake, I refused to be fettered, And I’ll give as much as I can take.” – To Be Human
‘Airbnb 99 Essential Message Templates’ is a resource guide for readers in the Airbnb business. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Are you an Airbnb host who wants to offer exceptional guest experiences and stand out among millions of listings on the platform? If so, “Airbnb 99+ Essential Message Templates” by Message Magic is the solution. (Message Magic, 2023)
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‘Iowa Trouble’ is a politics centered memoir by Tyler Granger, a lifetime Iowan who was heavily involved in the area’s politics. Photo: Tyler Granger, used with permission.
Tyler Granger is a lifelong Iowan who wanted to share his life’s journey and began writing his memoir in 2020 for his infant daughter so she would have a book about her father and her family’s history. He shares his journey in this memoir, which includes stories ranging from football to Warped Tour to working for the Obama campaign. He has a degree in political science from Northwestern College and has worked on a variety of political campaigns and non-profits across Iowa. “Iowa Trouble” is a memoir of political violence across Iowa mixed with a variety of horror stories from punk sub-culture to Iowa gangsters to the politics of the Iowa Caucus. (Tyler Granger, 2023)
“Iowa Trouble”– while it is not for everyone, it includes something for everyone. It is a coming of age/gangster novel/political thriller/horror memoir with the target audience being punks and political junkies.
* Disclaimer: This self-published memoir includes stories of murder, rape, drugs and alcohol, political corruption, and other violent crimes that could be potentially emotionally distressing for some readers.
Author Tyler Granger. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Big Talk is Jarrod Dickenson’s new album. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Jarrod Dickenson is a guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, originally from Waco, Texas, and now based in Nashville. His two albums, The Lonesome Traveler and Ready the Horses, along with his EP, Under A Texas Sky, have earned him critical acclaim and a devoted audience on both sides of the Atlantic. Not one to fear an exhausting tour schedule, Dickenson has entranced crowds all over Europe and the US and shared stages with such legendary artists as Bonnie Raitt, Don McLean, The Waterboys, Jools Holland, and Jimmie Vaughan. He has performed at prestigious festivals such as Glastonbury and Cambridge Folk Festival. After a baptism of fire in the world of the major labels, Jarrod Dickenson now exists as a fiercely independent artist, a look that suits him well and allows his creativity to follow whatever path it damn well pleases. Nowhere is this attitude better encapsulated than in the bluesy rock and roll growl of his uncompromising new album Big Talk, released worldwide on February 3, 2023 via Hooked Records. (IVPR, 2023)
The hardships and infuriation of recent years have only added steel to the resolve of an artist already willing to do it the hard way, prepared to stand in the face of a music business that shows dwindling regard for the brand of artistry that first inspired him to pick up a guitar and sing for his life—and Dickenson laid it all out for the world to hear on Big Talk.
Fans can stream or purchaseBig Talk and check out Dickenson’s collection of music videos: “With Any Luck,” “Prefer To Lose,” “Buckle Under Pressure,” and “Long Hard Look.” Limited edition Big Talk vinyl is available at Dickenson’s official web store.
This album represents Dickenson’s most direct and uncompromising body of songwriting to date and his decision to occupy the producer’s chair has injected Big Talk with a drive and coherence that compliments the muscle of its material. Furthermore, Dickenson has assembled a band of ferocious players to bring these songs to life with striking authenticity in a series of live sessions recorded to tape. Together they create that unmistakable sound that only comes from the assembly of talented players, in a room, having a blast and what better way to flip the bird at those dark entities that inspired the album’s creation than to rage with such joy?
If Dickenson’s previous works have ventured a foot into the territory of rock and roll, Big Talk plants a large flag. It is classic like Petty, gritty like Waits. There are McCartney-esque melodies and the blues get thrown down with a certain Rolling Stones swagger, and yet Jarrod Dickenson has crafted a sound that is all his own. Big Talk sounds for all the world like a man who has found his groove. Get the record, see a show, but just do not piss him off.
Big Talk track list: 1. Buckle Under Pressure 2. Born To Wander 3. Home Again (feat. Oliver Wood & Jano Rix) 4. Prefer To Lose 5. Bamboozled 6. With Any Luck 7. If You’re Looking 8. Long Hard Look 9. Don’t Deprive Me 10. Goodnight
‘Identicality’ is a suspenseful technothriller by Jay L. Koppelman. Photo: Jay L. Koppelman
Jay L. Koppelman, a San Francisco Bay Area resident, is retired from a career in real estate investment and finance. He currently serves as CFO of an educational therapy clinic and has been an active participant on various philanthropic boards. In his spare time, he chases his grandkids, enjoys golf, recreational flying, and reading about science and technology. “Identicality,” his debut novel, is a riveting and thought-provoking science fiction thriller that will keep you thinking and guessing until the very end – and beyond. (Jay L. Koppelman, 2023)
“Identicality” – As founding partner of a prestigious San Francisco law firm, Charlie Wood owes much of his success to business dealings with his life-long friend, the brilliant inventor-entrepreneur Adam Braudy. While Charlie is grateful to Adam, he cannot help envying Adam’s staggering wealth and fame and feels resentful every time Adam calls and expects him to drop everything to do his bidding. As Adam lies dying following an assassination attempt, he asks Charlie to aid him in fulfilling one last request: use his latest invention—a device capable of duplicating human life—to create an Adam replicant. Unable to deny his friend’s dying wish, Charlie sets aside his deep ethical reservations and, at the risk of spawning a Frankenstein monster, creates Adam’s replicant.
Everything seems to be going as planned as the new Adam takes on the first Adam’s role as husband, father, inventor and industrialist—firmly convinced he is the real Adam. But then the first Adam miraculously survives. How far will Adam go to get his life back?
‘The Vanished’ is the new sci-fi thriller by Simon Rosser. Photo: Amazon
When he is not busy with his day job as a lawyer, Simon Rosser is the author of action/adventure-thriller novels, predominantly the Robert Spire action thrillers, which all have an ecological, historical, science-fiction mystery cataclysmic theme. Think James Bond mixed with Indiana Jones and some environmental/historical facts thrown in for good measure. Previous books include “The A-Z Of Global Warming” – updated 2012 edition, and the Robert Spire eco-terrorism action-thrillers “Tipping Point,” “Impact Point,” “Melt Zone,” “Cataclysm of the Ancients,” “Crypto,” and the Galileo Project sci-fi UFO conspiracy thrillers 1-3. The author has also written sci-fi thrillers, “Vaporized” I and II and “Salient,” together with stand alone espionage adventure thriller, “Red Mist.” In his new book “The Vanished,” Robert Spire and Agent Belinda Caruso are sent by the U.K’s GLENCOM Agency to the United States to investigate the strange phenomena surrounding hundreds of individuals, including hikers, hunters, and sightseers who are mysteriously vanishing from U.S. National Parks where animal predation has been ruled out as being the cause. It is a gripping sci-fi mystery and book number 9 in the Robert Spire thriller series. (Simon Rosser, 2023)
“The Vanished” – When Vanessa and Stefan go hiking in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, little did Vanessa know that after finding an idyllic spot to camp, it would be the last time she would ever see her partner alive. Stefan seemingly vanishes into thin air. Since the 1960s, probably earlier, cattle and other livestock have been discovered by ranchers on their land, mutilated as if by scalpel or laser technology and drained of their blood. No tracks or other evidence as to who might be responsible for the unexplained deaths has ever been found. The strange, unexplained mutilations continue to this day.
Robert Spire, and Agent Belinda Caruso team up with Spire’s old friend, ex-U.S. Marine Travis Dexter. Initially suspecting some kind of environmental cause, it soon becomes apparent that the U.S Military might be involved. Are the many hundreds of missing people, the unusual lights in the night sky and animal mutilations linked? As Spire digs deeper into the phenomenon, it quickly becomes evident that something inexplicable is happening and that there may well be an other-worldly explanation for what is going on.
This edge-of-your-seat fictional sci-fi mystery thriller will take you into the worrying and inexplicable but factual world of missing people, cattle mutilations and strange lights in the night sky. Buckle up and keep the lights on.
‘The Dot: Book 4’ is the new science fiction adventure by Mark Bertrand. Photo: Mark Bertrand, used with permission.
Mark Bertrand is the author of “Starzel,” “Love Reincarnate,” “A Conscious Thing,” and “The Dot.” He is a writer by day and a stock market trader by night. His career path includes working in aerospace and neuroscience. He received a bachelor of science in aeronautical engineering and his master of mathematics from Boston University. To balance his left brain with his right, his MBA is from the University of California at San Diego. Finally, to quench his desire for knowledge, he completed his Ph.D. in mathematics at the University of Southern California. Mark has been a Buddhist for more than forty years, is considered Mahayana, and has also studied Alan Watts’ and Tich Naht Hahn’s writings on Zen. He managed a small abbey in San Diego, California for ten years. Currently, he is a member of the Sangha at the Enlightenment Stupa of Benalmádena, Spain. In his new book “The Dot: Book 4,” two men on different planets discover themselves and their fathers while confronting planetary existential crises of famine, radiation poisoning, and the collapse of society. (Mark Bertrand, 2023)
“The Dot: Book 4”– The Cyborgs, hoping to create a civilization of kindness and love without the destructive effects of anger, harvest a group of scientists, inject them with a serum to alter their DNA, implant a neurolink brain chip, and send them to Ziran, a planet with minimal technology. Eight generations later, Ziran faces extinction. The planet’s binary star system is producing x-ray radiation, which is destroying crops, poisoning the people, and killing their settlement’s chances at a future. In the hopes of saving their planet, the people of Ziran use an ancient ritual, evoking the gods to possess the bodies of the King and Queen to create a child. This child, Zosimos, is the planet’s only hope.
Zosimos matures at an inhuman rate. As he ages, he displays exceptional mental abilities, helping his people solve a range of technological and medical issues. By the time he reaches the age of six, he is ready to take the crown. When Zosimos is exposed to a plant strain with the side-effect of reversing the DNA-altering serum, he feels anger for the first time. With that anger comes the realization that he is superior to those around him. In a fit of rage, he kills his parents and claims the throne, forcing his people to submit to his tyrannical rule.
The promise of a cure for radiation poisoning leads Zosimos to Kelv, the sage. Still filled with rage, Zosimos forces Vallena, who is friends with the sage, to trap Kelv and obtain a DNA sample, hoping to learn why the sage has survived in the wasteland with no protection from radiation. However, Vallena discovers a way to reinstate the DNA-altering serum and cure Zosimos’s rage, and tricks him into taking the cure. The cure works, and Zosimos grows depressed and filled with remorse. He seeks advice from the sage, and through their lessons on love, truth, and alignment between mind and body, Zosimos becomes enlightened. Zosimos, contemplating the solution to his planet’s crisis, and questioning everything he thought he knew, turns to the conscious supercomputer his father hid in Vallena’s home but it is indifferent to human suffering and unwilling to interfere with frail humanity. Using the teachings learned from Kelv, Zosimos convinces the machine to help them. The machine begins to study the human body’s ability to heal itself and in doing so, finds a solution that can save everyone: transcendence but in order for this plan to succeed, the people must trust the former tyrant Zosimos.
Centuries later, the Cyborgs return to monitor their experiment, only to discover a planet vacant of life. There are no humans, no evidence of civilization, no skeletons. The only indications of the now failed experiment are the abandoned neurolinks, and a dead supercomputer.
Sign up to receive the first chapter of “The Dot: Book 4” for free.
‘Braxton’s Turn: Watch Out Washington’ is a humorous political novel by Stephen R. Marks. Photo: Stephen R. Marks
Stephen R Marksis the author of “Braxton’s Turn: Watch Out Washington.” He started writing it in 2012 and as a busy businessman running a company, he had little time to devote to the manuscript until he retired in early 2020. His company helped raise money for research and he was asked to join the JDRF Los Angeles Board of Directors in 2011. That experience exposed him to the work of advocacy groups, parents, and the medical research community in pursuit of a cure for type 1 diabetes. Yet despite millions of dollars raised through charitable giving combined with large annual research grants from the U.S. Congress, there was still no cure and no preventions in hand or on the horizon. In 2012 he got the idea for a story about how the right man, in the right place, at the right time could lead the efforts that would result in the cure. That developed into the story of Jonathon ‘JB’ Braxton; a story filled with comedy and quirky characters in addition to serious discussion of life with type 1 diabetes and other social commentary. Hopefully, it will be a source of hope and inspiration to those in the diabetes community and to those who desire our country to have better people seeking public office. (Stephen R. Marks, 2023)
“Braxton’s Turn: Watch Out Washington”– In the spring of 2012, an unlikely transformational figure inadvertently breaches the perimeter of U.S politics. Unencumbered by political ambition and devoid of greed or lust for power, Jonathon Braxton reluctantly enters the arena. Fueled solely by a desire to advocate for more medical research funding to find a cure for type 1 diabetes afflicting his son, Braxton agrees to speak at the 2012 Republican National Convention courtesy of two influential power brokers who see ‘JB‘ as the future of the party. Lance Reibus, the Republican National Committee chairman, is pressured by two important power brokers, Carlton and Cornelius Hale, into giving Braxton a prime time speaking slot with the intent to showcase Braxton to the party and to the country. Braxton is aware of their motives but does not care as he sees this as an opportunity to advocate for his cause and one that cannot be passed up despite his disdain for politics.
Braxton’s passionate speech advocating for increased funding for stem cell research catapults him into the political limelight and launches his political career and a journey that leads him to the U.S. Congress and the height of U.S. political power. Along the way he remodels Washington DC political norms and cable TV opinion shows as he becomes a regular on Wallis Kriss’ Big News Sunday show. Braxton’s monthly Sunday morning appearances with Kriss become must watch TV for much of the country and serve to reshape the U.S. political landscape.
As the 2016 presidential election comes into view, Braxton finds himself in the orbit of the Democrat front-runner, and current Secretary of State, Heather Carrington. The Republican Braxton intrigues Carrington and they form a bond as Carrington faces uncertainties about her desire to be president and Braxton strives to navigate the halls of Congress in pursuit of his agenda. On the cusp of the election, a series of events bring Braxton and Carrington closer together and lead to a surprising conclusion as Braxton brings both the Democrat and Republican parties to the brink of extinction.
Home Is Where The Heart Is will be released April 28, 2023. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
The Davisson Brothers Band is a genre-blurring mountain rock band formed in Clarksburg, West Virginia, by Chris and Donnie Davisson. Along with nephew Gerrod Bee and lifelong family friend Aaron Regester, the band has created a uniquely authentic Appalachian country sound which has helped them grow into one of the most successful independent acts in the world. Since their founding in 2006, the band has recorded three albums, been celebrated as a Highway Find on Sirius XM, charted on country radio with “Foot Stompin’,” and scored a hit song in Australia with “Po’ Boyz”—while also earning a dedicated following in the Jam Band/Bluegrass scene and standing shoulder to shoulder with mainstream country stars at festivals like CMC Rocks (Australia) and the Carolina Country Fest (USA). Their new album, Home Is Where the Heart Is, will be out April 28, 2023. (IVPR, 2023)
When it came down to telling the story of their home and exactly what it means to them, the Davisson Brothers Band took pride in not only correcting any misunderstandings but painting a true and downright fun picture of everything from their humble mountain roots to their present rock and roll reality. Their upcoming album Home Is Where The Heart Is does just that, pulling twelve tracks straight from the Davisson Brothers’ world and wrapping them in their most authentic sound to date. Created like a declaration of musical independence—a national anthem for the Appalachian way of life—Home Is Where The Heart Is is the masterpiece the band has worked toward their whole career, and after working hard to earn the respect of their peers, it was not done alone.
Produced by wildly popular songwriter and recording artist Brent Cobb and Nashville’s legendary recording studio character David “Ferg” Ferguson, Home Is Where The Heart Is finds Davisson Brothers Band—brothers Chris and Donnie Davisson on lead guitar and lead vocals, respectively, their nephew Gerrod Bee on bass and life-long family friend Aaron Regester on drums—joined in the studio by bluegrass and jam-band royalty to help round out their “mountain rock” sound.
Taste of Country premiered the music video for “Mountain High,” the Davisson Brothers’ first single from Home Is Where TheHeart Is. The video finds the Davissons, band, and extended family and friends at home in the mountains of West Virginia singing along with the songs fiddle-ridden refrain: “We get down on a mountain high / It’s where we’re from, it’s where we’ll die.”
Fans can watch the “Mountain High” video, stream or purchase“Mountain High” here, and pre-order or pre-saveHome Is WhereThe Heart Is ahead of its April 28 release on Rollin’ The Dice Records.
Home Is Where The Heart Is track list: Home Mountain High Appalachian Breeze Eastern Kentucky Wild and Wonderful Cross My Heart John Deere Tractor Long Hard Road She Ain’t Coming Back Life On Fire I’m Good With It Morningstar
Catch Davisson Brothers Band on tour: April 15 – Boonsboro, MD – Dirty Boots Country Fest 2023 May 6 – Saint Marys, WV – St. Marys High School June 16 – Kannapolis, NC – Swanee Theater June 17 – Saint Albans, WV – YakFest 2023 August 1 – Petersburg, WV – Tri-County Fair August 4- Ravenswood, WV – Ohio River Festival August 10 – Mannington, WV – Mannington District Fair Association August 11 – Davis, WV – Canaan Valley Resort & Conference Center September 2 – Webster Springs, WV – Bergoo Bash 2023
‘Self Care for Black Women: A Powerful Mental Health Workbook to Quiet Your Inner Critic, Boost Self-Esteem, and Love Yourself’ is five books in one. Photo: Amazon
Layla Moon is a full-timer writer, spiritual practitioner, and a coach living in Brooklyn, NY. She struggled with poverty, as well as toxic relationships within families and partners throughout her life. In her mid-20s, she started seriously practicing the law of attraction, hoodoo magic, and other spiritual practices. Over the next 7 years, she would go onto successfully manifesting her dream life; a life filled with happiness, a loving partner, and a fulfilling career in writing and coaching. She now teaches others how to do the same through her books. When not writing, you can find her spending time with her family, practicing yoga, and discovering new books to read. Her new book “Self Care for Black Women: A Powerful Mental Health Workbook to Quiet Your Inner Critic, Boost Self Esteem, and Love Yourself” is a collection of five essential books for black women looking to prioritize their mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being. (Layla Moon, 2023)
** For a limited time, from April 1 through April 9, this title will be available for .99 **
“Emotional Self Care for Black Women: A Powerful Mental Health Workbook to Silence Your Inner Critic, Raise Your Self-Esteem, And Heal Yourself”
“Spiritual Self Care for Black Women: A Powerful, Holistic Workbook to Radically Love Yourself and Heal Your Mind, Body, & Soul”
“365 Powerful Positive Affirmations for Black Women: Reprogram Your Mind to Boost Confidence, Self-Esteem, Attract Success, Money, Health, and Love”
“365 Badass Positive Affirmations for Strong Black Women: For BIPOC Women to Overcome Negative Thinking, Increase Confidence, and Self-Love”
“One Year Self-Discovery Journal for Black Women: 365 Eye-Opening Questions to Discover Your Self, Raise Self-Esteem, and Embrace Your True Beauty”
Not only do these books provide useful knowledge and inspiration, but also come with a journal to record your own self-care journey. Each book has been chosen with care to provide black women a comprehensive picture of self-care, encompassing subjects like physical health, emotional health, mental wellbeing, and the importance of sisterhood and community.
After reading these books, you will acquire the skills and information necessary to take charge of your own mental health and develop a self-care strategy that works for you. This box set is the ideal resource whether you are trying to develop your practice or are just beginning your self-care journey.
SA Examiner 