Monday, March 18, 2024

Straight Browsing from the Library: In All Things by Dr. John Neufeld

 



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotins. The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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The issue of control is a central question of life. At work, in family, community clubs and schools, with the economy or international politics, the question is, "Is anyone in charge here?" Dr. John Neufeld demonstrates the Bible teaching of God's providence. We are assured that God's Hand is upon everything and everyone, without exception. Dr. John explores God's sustaining grip through the natural world and human endeavor, in pivotal matters or the seemingly trivial, the things we welcome and those we shun. He teaches the impact of God's sovereign rule upon our hearts, minds, work, worship, homes, and nation. We can live in the confidence that God is unfolding His purpose for time and eternity.

What people are saying about Dr. John Neufeld's teaching:

"This is such an important message for us today. Thank you, Dr. John, for your encouragement to view what is presently concerning us in the world from the perspective of God and His providence. That should take a huge weight off our shoulders!"

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Once we embrace God’s Providence, we find that nothing happens by accident. Not only is there no bad luck, there is no luck at all. The universe is not governed by fate or a bad alignment of the stars. Nothing just happens. Instead, all things are arranged by the providential hand of God, for his glory and the long-term good of those he has chosen, including the amount of rain we get and the silt that washes into the watershed. Once we embrace how God wisely arranges all things in our lives, we gain confidence in discovering how to grow in holiness, lean upon His grace and consider the needs of others before our own.

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MEET THE AUTHOR


Dr. John Neufeld, Bible teacher of Back to the Bible Canada, is well known both nationally and internationally for his excellence in expositional Bible teaching. Dr. Neufeld is passionate about bringing the truth of God's Word to life across Canada and beyond.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BacktotheBibleCanada
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BTTBCanada
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BTTBC
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/backtothebible.ca
Website: http://www.backtothebible.ca

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/All-Things-Gods-Providence-ebook/dp/B0CP8J2Y77/ref=sr_1_1

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Thursday, March 14, 2024

Straight Browsing from the Library: Picasso's Lovers by Jeanne Mackin



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jeanne Mackin will award a randomly drawn winner a $25 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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You know Pablo Picasso. Now meet the women behind the masterpieces. The women of Picasso's life are glamorous and elusive, existing in the shadow of his fame - until, in the 1950's, aspiring journalist Alana Olsen determines to bring one into the light and discovers a past complicated by secrets and intrique.



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I have a photo, faded and torn, of two women on a terrace. Their black jersey bathing costumes reach modestly down their thighs and up to their collarbones. Their hair is cut short in a flapper bob of the 1920’s. The women gaze straight into the camera with a hint of defiance.

Beyond the terrace is a calm sea. Even in this black-and-white photo, the blueness of the water shimmers. Sailboats are caught forever on that sea, as are the women, ambered into eternal youth and beauty. Between the terrace and the sea are palm trees with fringed tops and grainy trunks.

If you look long enough at the photo, you can feel the Mediterranean sunshine…

There is a secret folded into the shadows of the photo.

In the bottom right hand corner, there is a third woman, blurred in motion rather than posing. The camera has caught her unaware. She wears a print dress, not a bathing costume, and her is long and braided. The sun, directly behind her, backlighting her, makes her face impossible to see. The light halos the shape of her head so that she is everyone and no one.

MEET THE AUTHOR


Jeanne Mackin is the author of several historical novels, including The Last Collection, which has been translated into five languages, and The Beautiful American, which won a CNY award for fiction. She has taught in the MFA Creative Writing program at Goddard College and won journalism awards, and is currently at work on her next novel.

Website: http://www.jeannemackin.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeanneMackinAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JeanneMackin1
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/JeanneMackinAuthor

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Picassos-Lovers-Jeanne-Mackin-ebook/dp/B0C3C2J4FH/ref=sr_1_1

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Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Straight Browsing from the Library: A Twist of Hate by TE Lorenzo



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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They love to hate each other...

Natalia is content with hating her co-worker, Adrian. The two can hardly stand being in the same room, despite having worked together for several months. When Natalia agrees to a trip out of town with a friend, little does she know that Adrian will be there, too. This is the time to crank up the hate, right?

The trip is not what Natalia thought it would be. Forced to spend time with her enemy, she finds there is more to Adrian than meets the eye. Will Natalia push aside her hatred and see the true Adrian?

With a twist of hate, just maybe...

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Natalia felt Adrian’s eyes burning into the back of her head while she loaded her purse, but she didn’t turn around, instead slipping out the door next to the watercooler.

Adrian met her in the elevator lobby, not speaking until the glass doors closed behind them.

“Why did you do that?” he asked in a whisper as they stood shoulder to shoulder. She could still hear the shock and worry in his voice.

Natalia smiled, staring ahead as the elevator doors parted and they stepped in.

“You have a future here,” she said. “I don’t. If all goes well, I’ll be out of here before the summer. It’s the least I can do.”

“No one’s ever done something like that for me.” Adrian spoke in a way she had never heard before, a mixture of awe and pure gratitude.

“Well, I guess there’s a first time for everything.” She nudged her elbow into his arm.

“How can I repay you? I owe you big time.”

“You don’t need to do anything. It was a favor. That’s what friends do, right?”

Adrian nodded, looking at the floor as he searched for his next words. “Let me give you a ride to the light rail station. It’s not out of my way at all.”

Natalia knew it was, indeed, out of his way.

“Okay,” she said. “That would be great.”

MEET THE AUTHOR


TE Lorenzo is the debut author of A Twist of Hate. Having lived through his own enemies-to-lovers story, he believes love can come from the most unexpected of places. When he's not writing, TE is likely chasing his kids around, playing baseball, or relaxing with a good book. He is currently living out his happily-ever-after with his wife and three kids in their hometown of Denver, CO.

AMAZON LINK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP2TF94Z
BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-twist-of-hate-te-lorenzo/1144416094
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-twist-of-hate
SW: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1485296?ref=5princepub
GOOGLEPLAY: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/T_E_Lorenzo_A_Twist_of_Hate?id=PbTlEAAAQBAJ

Website: https://www.5princebooks.com/telorenzo.html

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Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Straight Browsing from the Library: Toothbrush Animal Hunt by Carleen Dehaney



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Carleen Dehaney will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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Embark on a delightful adventure with Toothbrush Animal Hunt, the perfect children's book to encourage daily toothbrushing habits in a playful and enjoyable way.

From a clapping sea lion at the beach to a cheeky squirrel in the forest, children will be fascinated as they learn about toothbrushing through the actions and antics of these charming creatures. And don't forget to spot the toothbrushes hidden throughout the pages, making this hunt, a delightful game of discovery.

Say goodbye to toothbrushing struggles and let the adventure begin!

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MEET THE AUTHOR


Meet the author, Carleen Dehaney! Carleen is a mother and wife. She hails from the UK but now calls Canada home. This enchanting book draws inspiration from a tenacious 2-year-old in need of some toothbrushing magic. Carleen embarked on a whimsical journey, incorporating playful animal sounds into her daughter's brushing routine, and thus, the idea for this captivating book was conceived. Today, her little one, who has since outgrown her toddler years, recites this tale back to Carleen, forging cherished moments between them.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Toothbrush-Animal-Hunt-Carleen-Dehaney/dp/0228877024/ref=sr_1_1

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Monday, March 4, 2024

Straight Browsing from the Library: Alex by Dianne Hartsock



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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Alex is twenty and confused. He always is. The world presses on him with its horrors and pain, with scintillating auras that bewilder his eyes and drive the migraines deeper. He hears the cries of the children, sees the brutal images of tortured victims. He feels out of control and his mind slips…

Severely abused as a child, he is left with horrible scars on his body and even worse scars within his mind. Even though it puts him in danger, he’s compelled to help those who call to him. He’s driven, motivated by his visions to rescue them and hopefully uncover the killer. When he can, he helps the police; yet some detectives suspect he’s involved. Often, Alex finds himself alone and afraid in a world he doesn’t always understand.

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He resumed his walk, though he dreaded its destination. Ben wanted to show him the faces of a few missing people. He was afraid he might have to suffer their deaths in brutal visions. Yet there was no escaping it. They would come to him whether he wanted to see them or not.

Despairing, he forced each step he took.

Lost in thought, he didn’t hear the truck until it was practically on top of him. He sprang to the side of the road as it swept by, heading into town. A man leaned out the passenger window, fist raised, and shouted obscenities at him. Something flew out of the rear window, striking him in the face. The sound of laughter floated back to him as the truck disappeared in a cloud of dust.

Alex stared at the can lying in the dirt, soda dripping off his chin. It took a second to understand what had happened, but then heat flooded his face, anger and humiliation burning in his chest. He heard the truck return but kept his eyes on the ground, steeling himself as it stopped with a squeal of breaks.

“Alex?”

His head jerked up as Justin peered at him from the Jeep, his sandy hair windblown and turning blond from the summer sun. His eyes narrowing at Alex’s stained shirt. “Climb in,” Justin said, reaching over to open the passenger door.

He got in without a word, holding onto the roll-bar as Justin quickly turned the Jeep and headed back toward town.

“What happened?”

Alex stared out the windshield. “They hate me. I could see it in their faces as they passed. I think the driver would have hit me if I hadn’t gotten out of the way.”

Justin roughly shifted gears and pressed the accelerator. “Shit.”

Alex laughed shakily as they swept around a corner. “I’m fine. Don’t get us killed.”

Justin snorted but slowed the Jeep. He nodded toward the dashboard. “Angie keeps towelettes in the glove box if you want to clean up.”

He retrieved one of the small packets and wiped his face. Leaning against the seat, he let the breeze cool his skin. “What are you doing out here?”

“Jane sent me. She’s with a client and couldn’t get away, but she wanted someone with you.” He took his eyes off the road to look at him. “It’s going to be bad, isn’t it?”

His knuckles whitened as he clasped his hands. “I’m afraid so.”

MEET THE AUTHOR


Dianne grew up in one of the older homes in the middle of Los Angeles, a place of hardwood floors and secret closets and back staircases. A house where ghosts lurk in the basement and the faces in the paintings watch you walk up the front stairs. Rooms where you keep the closet doors closed tight at night. It’s where her love of the mysterious and wonderful came from. Dianne is the author of m/m romance, paranormal/suspense, fantasy adventure, the occasional thriller, and anything else that comes to mind.

She now lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. Dianne says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee in her hands, which kindles her imagination.

Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

Blog: https://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diannehartsock
FaceBook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/diannehartsockbooks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4850270.Dianne_Hartsock
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diannehartsock

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alex-Dianne-Hartsock-ebook/dp/B0CSYN5Y5C/ref=sr_1_1

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alex-Dianne-Hartsock- ebook/dp/B0CSYN5Y5C/ref=sr_1_1
JMS Books: https://www.jms-books.com/dianne-hartsock-c-224_445/alex-p-4993.html
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alex-dianne- hartsock/1104468927?ean=9781685506599
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/alex-76
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1519070

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Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Straight Browsing from the Library: Happy Harry by Barbara Lampert



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $30 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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In her dog memoir Happy Harry: A Magical Golden, psychotherapist Barbara Lampert, a lifelong dog lover, tells the story of her beloved Golden Retriever, Harry. Like her first dog memoir, Harry's story comes from her mostly uncensored daily journal and takes place in Malibu, California.

Harry was a genuinely free spirit - wild, and very wolf-like. Did all this contribute to his being exceptionally happy? Perhaps.

Harry was not only the happiest being Barbara's ever known, happy to the very core of him, but also the bravest. More than once in his life, Harry had to face true adversity, and each time, Barbara would look at him in wonder, not fully understanding how a being could be so brave and at the same time continue to be so happy.

Harry literally pranced through life, with a joyous attitude that made being around him like magic. Barbara fell in love with Harry. And as you immerse yourself in Harry's story, it's likely you will too! Happy Harry is unforgettable!

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Harry had a girlfriend for a while when he was about four or five years old. Probably for a couple of years. Oh he didn’t see her every day, but for that two year-or-so stretch maybe once or twice a week. …

Roxie, a one-year-old Yellow Lab – the taller, leaner hunting type – was beautiful, energetic, and happy. Just like Harry. Roxie lived a few miles from our house, on the Point in Malibu. …

When Harry knew he was going to see Roxie, he would get so excited. He would pant, start running around, tail up, and on the ride over he would stand or pace in the back seat the whole time. So eager, such joy. And when we got there, he would literally go flying out of the car, with David at the other end of the leash. Tail up, full steam ahead. And Roxie, being just a year old and still quite a playful puppy, would go equally berserk when she saw Harry. They would sniff and kiss each other through the openings in the fence. …

Sometimes they would chase each other or run together, with the fence between them. David would run with them, since he had Harry on the leash. A few times Roxie’s owner came out and opened the gate to let Harry and Roxie be together. More kissing, chasing, tails up, sniffing. Both not believing their good luck. Both always bursting with joy the whole time they were together. Such a sight. …

Barney didn’t get nearly as excited as Harry about Roxie and didn’t interfere in their relationship. This was Harry’s territory. And it appeared Roxie only had eyes for Harry. …

It was always difficult to leave, because the whole time we were there Harry and Roxie were inseparable. Whenever Roxie’s owner would come out, we’d talk and laugh about the two lovebirds. It was wonderful seeing Harry and Roxie so happy. How he loved her…

MEET THE AUTHOR


My passion is dogs! I’ve had dogs most of my life and hope to have at least one by my side always. Dog energy is the best!

I’m the author of two dog memoirs: Happy Harry: A Magical Golden and before that Charlie: A Love Story. Each about one of my Golden Retrievers. (I told you dogs are my passion!)

I’m a psychotherapist, licensed for over thirty years, specializing in relationships.

I was a flight attendant for nine years. And taught sociology at several universities. I have two master’s degrees and a doctorate.

Gardening is another love – not as much as dogs, but right up there! I see my garden as a work of art and garden as much as possible in my free time. I love being in nature.

I live in Malibu, California with my husband David and, you guessed it, our two wonderful Golden Retrievers, Oliver and Henry.

https://www.happyharryamagicalgolden.com/happy-harry-a-magical-golden
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMTXK538
https://www.facebook.com/barbara.lampert.50/
https://www.facebook.com/barbaralampertauthor
https://www.tiktok.com/@barbara.lampert5
https://www.instagram.com/barbaralampert1/
https://www.pinterest.com/drbarbaralampert/

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Friday, February 23, 2024

Straight Chatting from the Library: Dr. Vyvyan Evans



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a randomly drawn winner a copy of the audiobook. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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What is your reading comfort zone?

Science fiction, high fantasy, and often literary fiction

How often do you read out of your comfort zone?

Sometimes. But that usually entails postmodern or experimental literary fiction. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace is a case in point.

Can you read in the car?

I usually do the driving. But I enjoy reading on trains or planes.

What makes you love a book?

I love anything with a unique and captivating voice. But I also like to be challenged to think in new ways and am a sucker for unexpected twists.

What will inspire you to recommend a book?

A book that moved me.

Favorite reading snack?

Chocolate.

Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.

Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution is a 2022 novel of speculative fiction by R. F. Kuang.

How often do you agree with critics about a book?

Around 50% of the time.

How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?

I tend not to read books that I don’t think I will have something to learn from, or enjoy in some way.

If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?

I can and do read in two foreign languages. But if I were to choose a third it would be the Tuscan dialect of Italian, so that I could read Dante in the original.

The longest I’ve gone without reading.

I don’t remember the last day that I didn’t read something.

Name a book that you could/would not finish.

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. I go too absorbed by the footnotes….

What distracts you easily when you’re reading?

Ideas for writing.

Favorite film adaptation of a novel?

Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. These three movies do something approaching justice to the majesty of the original.

Most disappointing film adaptation?

The crazy David Linch movie version of Frank Herbert’s Dune.

The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?

I’ve lost count of the vast sums I’ve spent on books.

How often do you skim a book before reading it?

Never. I just dive straight in.

What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?

If I got too distracted by the footnotes, which became so absorbing they prompted further research—see Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace.

Do you like to keep your books organized?

I do, by genre, in a vast series of book shelves.

Your favorite fictional hero/heroine/villain/etc.

Ebba Black, the protagonist from my own The Babel Apocalypse: she’d be great a conversational partner on the mysteries of language, how it works and why language is the hallmark of what it means to be human.

She is also a badass: “What sustained the blackness of her sorrow was vengeance. Vengeance past and vengeance yet to be dealt. Ebba nurtured it in the dark palace of her mind—the innermost, most private mental shrine where she kept the one list, the list that was actualized and ritualized. The list of lists.”

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Language is no longer learned, but streamed to neural implants regulated by lang-laws. Those who can’t afford monthly language streaming services are feral, living on the fringes of society. Big tech corporations control language, the world’s most valuable commodity.

But when a massive cyberattack causes a global language outage, catastrophe looms.

Europol detective Emyr Morgan is assigned to the case. Suspect number one is Professor Ebba Black, the last native speaker of language in the automated world, and leader of the Babel cyberterrorist organization. But Emyr soon learns that in a world of corporate power, where those who control language control everything, all is not as it seems. After all, if the mysterious Ebba Black is to blame, why is the Russian Federation being framed for an outage it claims no responsibility for? And why is Ebba now a target for assassination?

As he and Ebba collide, Emyr faces an existential dilemma between loyalty and betrayal, when everything he once believed in is called into question. To prevent the imminent collapse of civilization and a deadly war between the great federations, he must figure out friend from foe—his life depends on it.

And with the odds stacked against him, he must find a way to stop the Babel Apocalypse.

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Ebba was all too aware that she was viewed as an anomaly by pretty much everyone; she was neither feral nor out-soc. So, some of her students—especially those from outside the Republic, such as the Grand Union, and other places too—thought she must be breaking the law. It was a common misconception. She had even once been reported to the authorities by one of those types. For being an unchipped ghost, as they called her. That made her laugh; a dark laugh at the irony of it. The mutes, she called them. Those who had been fitted with Universal Grammar tech.

But while she officially resided in the Nordic Republic, and as long as she remained there, Ebba wasn’t doing anything illegal. The Republic was something of a curiosity even among Tier One states, never having passed a lang-law. Yet this singular absence was offset by the special requirements of Nordic birth licenses. To have one granted, prospective parents had to consent to their newborn being fitted with Universal Grammar tech. So everyone got a language chip at birth anyway, together with an ear implant transceiver. Which meant that voice command tech was, for all intents and purposes, de rigueur even without a lang-law. But that was the Scandinavian way. In the Nordic Republic, they organized freedom.

For her part, Ebba knew it wasn’t her. It was everyone else who had the problem. “That’s what you would think,” her braver, typically male students told her. “You’re Ebba Black.” Ha! Whatever that means. How do they know what Ebba Black would think anyway?

MEET THE AUTHOR


Dr. Vyvyan Evans is a native of Chester, England. He holds a PhD in linguistics from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., and is a Professor of Linguistics. He has published numerous acclaimed popular science and technical books on language and linguistics. His popular science essays and articles have appeared in numerous venues including 'The Guardian', 'Psychology Today', 'New York Post', 'New Scientist', 'Newsweek' and 'The New Republic'. His award-winning writing focuses, in one way or another, on the nature of language and mind, the impact of technology on language, and the future of communication. His science fiction work explores the status of language and digital communication technology as potential weapons of mass destruction.

Book website (including ‘Buy’ links):http://www.songs-of-the-sage.com
Author website: https://www.vyvevans.net/
Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@vyvevans
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VyvEvans
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vyvyan.Evans.Author
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