A tragic origin story rooted in fantasy and Greek mythology
Kore, a daughter of Demeter and Zeus, has never been so happy. She lives on Mount Olympus and has grown into a powerful young spring goddess. She spends her days frolicking through nature with the other immortals her age, and she’s even fallen in love with a handsome god of sunlight. Her life is perfect—that is, until the night she catches the eye of Hades, King of the Underworld.
When Kore refuses Hades’s advances, he kidnaps her and forces her to marry him. He even changes her name to Persephone—stealing the last bit of agency she still has. In the end, Kore is forced to let go of the world above.
To survive her new role as Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, Kore will have to embrace the darkness and grow into the vengeful goddess she was always destined to be.
***WRATH OF PERSEPHONE is a War on the Gods newsletter exclusive***
I hope you all are getting ready for the Monster Dance! All the scary movies, treat or treaters you could want. Living in a secure apartment building, we don’t get kids showing up for candy. Which I do miss. The neighbors above me had 2 small boys so they would come down for candy, but they moved out this year, so now it’s is ALL MINE! Bwawawawa. Have a safe and scary Halloween.
Published by Bayou City Press / The book is available worldwide in digital and print format
Whiskers Abroadis a lively travelogue featuring a trip to Japan shared by two main characters, Audrey and her cat Ashi, who alternate recounting their versions of events. During a twelve-day trip, the pair visit several cities. Adventures abound. Audrey is still trying to find her place in the universe, while Ashi believes Audrey would sink beneath the waves were he not present to rescue her. Audrey’s daily horoscope offers tantalizing clues as to what’s in store for the pair. Written by Carrie Carter and designed by Stacy Vickers, Whiskers Abroad is both an amusing travel story with unforgettable characters and a useful guide for tourists going to Japan. Lavishly designed, Whiskers Abroadwill delight both your eyes and your sense of adventure.
“ Whiskers Abroad is simply a delight, offering respite and inspections that bring readers into Japan from different perspectives, capturing a writer’s journey through new foods, a different culture, and a cat’s eyes. It’s very highly recommended for its ability to reach beyond the usual travelogue audiences to immerse all ages in its fun adventure”. Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review
About Carrie
Carrie Carter has a profound love for Japan, cats, sumo, dioramas, and eating unusual foods. She has traveled with her husband Jim to Japan fourteen times, so her numerous holidays across her favorite country were the inspiration for her first book, Whiskers Abroad: Ashi and Audrey’s Adventures in Japan. Carrie has run multiple marathons including the Tokyo Marathon, and, as expected, Carrie and Jim live with an adorable cat named Frenemy, who was unhappy at not being selected as the model for the book.
She started and has been playing in an ‘80s band, Molly and the Ringwalds, for over two decades now! In addition to playing the keyboard, Carrie also plays the recorder and bagpipes.
Carrie lives in Houston, TX, and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. At home, she loves to cook, design/create Halloween costumes, daydream about meeting Jacques Pepin, and watch Elvis movies, although not necessarily at the same time. She dislikes overly dramatic music used in reality TV shows. Currently, Carrie is working on her second book, a sequel to Whiskers Abroad, where Audrey and Ashi explore further into Japan and get themselves into even more interesting predicaments.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Carrie Carter, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
How medieval monastic practices—with their emphasis on a healthy soul, mind, and body—can inspire us to live fuller lives today
We know that they prayed, sang, and wore long robes, but what was it really like to be a monk? Though monastic living may seem unimaginable to us moderns, it has relevance for today. This book illuminates the day-to-day of medieval European monasticism, showing how you can apply the principles of monastic living, like finding balance and peace, to your life.
With wit and insight, medievalist and podcaster Daniele Cybulskie dives into the history of monasticism in each chapter and then reveals applications for today, such as the benefits of healthy eating, streamlining routines, gardening, and helping others. She shares how monks authentically embraced their spiritual calling, and were also down to earth: they wrote complaints about being cold in the manuscripts they copied, made beer and wine, and even kept bees.
How to Live Like a Monk features original illustrations by Anna Lobanova, as well as more than eighty color reproductions from medieval manuscripts. It is for anyone interested in the Middle Ages and those seeking inspiration for how to live a full life, even when we’re confined to the cloister of our homes.
MY REVIEW:
First off, I want to say I don’t believe in a higher being, but I do believe there’s a right and wrong way we should live our lives. So I picked up a copy for inspiration. I was expecting it to be preachy and full of overzealous religious content. I was wonderfully surprised to find that it wasn’t.
There were lots of illustrations and pictures that related to each chapter’s topic. The writing was straightforward, down-to-earth, and well edited.
We, as ‘Moderns’ have a misconception of what the medieval monastic lifestyle was really like. Yes, it was hard, but they were also educated, and cared about the world around them. Something, us ‘Modern’s’ have forgotten over the centuries.
They also had a very waste-not, want-not mentality. Some orders even shared their underwear. Eww. There were other humorous anecdotal examples that showed their lifestyle wasn’t all hardship. In fact, because of their isolation from the rest of the world, they experienced the same emotional issues we do today. Stress, anxiety, feeling disconnected were all problems that had to be addressed to keep their orders healthy and thriving.
As I was reading through the book, I couldn’t help compare it to the 10 Commandants. Those stone tablets were designed to show our ancestors how to live in harmony and not kill each other off. How To Live Like A Monk is our modern version of them.
If a minimalist lifestyle appeals to you, whether religious or not, this book is for you. I give it 4 stars.
A compelling read about acceptance and understanding by critically acclaimed children’s author, Jane Baird Warren
The book is published by Scholastic Canada and is available in paperback format
Some family secrets feel too big to share…
When her teacher assigns a family tree project for parents’ day, Lizzie knows it won’t be long until Scotch Gully’s gossips start up again. Most folks in her conservative town are used to the fact that she’s the only kid with an unmarried mom, but when Lizzie’s family tree research uncovers a shocking secret about her grandmother, Lizzie knows that certain townsfolk will start their back-fence talk about her family once more. She turns to Harry ― who’s been like a grandfather to her ― for help and advice, but Harry has problems of his own. Someone has arrived at his farm claiming to own it, and is forcing Harry out. Now Lizzie must face losing Harry and the place that’s been her second home. Lizzie finds a surprising ally in David, the new owner’s son. Together, their sleuthing uncovers the keys to saving Harry and his farm, but sharing the secrets she and David have uncovered will put Lizzie’s complicated family on centre stage.
Told in the alternating voices of Lizzie and David, How to Be a Goldfish is a compelling, heartfelt, humorous read about acceptance and understanding, and will provide a gentle introduction to discussions about alternative families, homosexuality, feminism, forced adoptions and social justice.
About Jane Baird Warren:
Jane Baird Warren is a first-generation Canadian with fresh-off-the-boat parents. Literally! Her father came on a boat from Norway and her mother from Scotland. Jane grew up surrounded by a rich and often confusing blend of accents and began collecting new words like some kids collect action figures. At nine she read the dictionary front to back and announced she was going to be a spelunker because she like the word.
Jane left Canada in 1998. For twenty years she travelled extensively in Europe, Scandinavia, the Middle East and Asia as well as South America and Africa. During her travels she completed an MFA in Creative Writing (she loves writing on airplanes). Jane also has a Bed and a BPE and has worked as a teacher, personal trainer, and coach. She currently volunteers as a developmental editor for emerging writers. Jane has been featured on CBC radio and has published short fiction and poetry in more than a dozen literary magazines in North America and the UK. She is represented by Elizabeth Bennett at Transatlantic Literary Agency.
In her fiction and in real life, Jane is fascinated by people — the good ones, the bad ones, and the ones who are ugly inside — but what she values most in both worlds is kindness and courage. She is currently obsessed with the notion of family secrets and how uncovering the truth changes how kids (adults, too!) see and define themselves. She has ridiculous memory for trivia, which she’d always believed was the most useless superpower a girl could have. Until she started writing.
You can find more information about Jane Baird Warren on her website. https://janebairdwarren.com Drop by and leave a note. She loves visitors.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Jane Baird Warren, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
A stunning debut novel by award-winning journalist and author, Ken MacQueen
The book is published by Wild Rose Press and is available worldwide in print and e-book format
He seeks redemption, others want revenge
Jake Ockham had a dream job, vetting nominees for the Sedgewick Medallion—the nation’s highest civilian award for heroism. His own scarred hands are an indelible reminder of the single mother he failed to pull from a raging house fire; her face haunts him still. Obligations drag him back to his hometown to edit the family newspaper but attempts to embrace small-town life, and the hot new doctor, are thwarted by unknown forces. The heroes Jake vetted go missing and he becomes the prime suspect in the disappearances. Aided by resourceful friends, Jake follows a twisted trail to the Dark Web, where a shadowy group is forcing the kidnapped medalists to perform deadly acts of valor to amuse twisted subscribers to its website. To save his heroes, Jake must swallow his fears and become one himself…or die in the attempt.
“An edge of your seat thriller. MacQueen, a journalist, ratchets up the suspense and tightens the grip to the explosive end.” –Robert Dugoni, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Tracy Crosswhite series.
“I’m not sure how Ken MacQueen pulled it off, writing a debut novel like he’s been doing it forever. Hero Haters is simply brilliant from start to finish. I can’t wait to see what he’s got coming next.”
-Dietrich Kalteis, winner of the 2022 Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for Best Crime Novel
“Gripping from the first page. A thrill ride with all the right moves.” -USA Today bestselling author Rick Mofina
“MacQueen shares an original premise which reads as if it could’ve been ripped from the pages of one of the newspapers he wrote for. Told at a break neck pace with crackling dialogue, relatable characters and genuinely unexpected twists, it’s a compelling thriller that will be a challenge for you to put down before reaching the last page.” -Daniel Kalla, international bestselling author of The Darkness in the Light, The Last High and The Far Side of the Sky
“HERO HATERS will keep you turning the pages all night, but you’ll be sorry to say goodbye to Jake Ockham and friends. I hope we haven’t seen the last of them – or Ken MacQueen.” –Owen Laukkanen, critically acclaimed author of Deception Cove, Gale Force and the Stevens & Windermere series
“Ken MacQueen has a fine eye, a graceful touch—and a terrific sense of humour. Hero Haters is brisk, tense, refreshing, alarming—and ultimately most satisfying. A great and impressive debut. -Roy MacGregor, award-winning journalist and bestselling author
About Ken MacQueen:
Before turning to fiction, Ken MacQueen spent 15 years as Vancouver bureau chief for Maclean’s, Canada’s newsmagazine, winning multiple National Magazine Awards and nominations. He travelled the world writing features and breaking news for the magazine, and previously for two national news agencies. He has written extensively on crime, politics, disasters, both natural and man-made—and, being Canadian, on the shifting fortunes of the late Queen Elizabeth II and her clan. All of this is potential fodder for future fiction, though the Queen as action hero always seemed unlikely. MacQueen covered nine Olympic Games and drew the athletic prowess of Jake Ockham, his protagonist, from tracking elite rowers in training and on podiums in Athens, Beijing and London. Hero Haters, set in the Pacific Northwest and rural Pennsylvania, is his debut thriller. He and his wife divide their time between North Vancouver and British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Ken MacQueen, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
I love the sun. I sit out on my patio everyday when I can. Since winter is around the corner and the last few days were amazing, my crystals and I took the opportunity to soak up some rays. (Above is a 3-fingered Strawberry Quartz Tower, an Ocean Jasper Sphere, an Ocean Jasper Flame, a Red Jasper Sphere, a Clear Quartz Flame, and an Amethyst Geode.)
Did you know crystals crave the sun too? Which is odd, since they came from beneath the earth. Depending on the crystal, the sun will either cleanse or recharge them. However, there are some crystals that don’t like the sun very well, like the Amethyst, but it will tolerate some exposure.
I have always liked semi-precious stones, jade, tiger’s eye, opal, etc. What I didn’t realize was that they are crystals. Crystals which have their own vibrations and have healing potential.
What do you think of my Green Jade Elephants? Jade, especially, in the form of an elephant, can give good luck or fortune to the owner, or whomever it is given to as a gift. Jade also helps cleanse the body of toxins and will help the kidneys, the bladder, the spleen, and to balance the fluid system in our bodies. How cool is that?
I have to say, once I held a real crystal in my hands, I was hooked. I can’t get enough of them. I always thought Jade was my favorite, but it’s actually the Carnelian that captured my heart. It feels like warm butterscotch when held between my palms. So soothing.
I’m just starting on my crystal journey and have so much to learn. I can’t wait. Stay tuned for upcoming videos and posts. And if you have any questions, just ask away and I’ll find the answers for both of us. 😁
A new children’s book about growth, interpersonal relationships, as well as speaking to multiple health benefits by acclaimed author Diann Floyd Boehm and illustrated by Judy Gaudet
Released and published by OC Publishing! / The book will be available worldwide in all formats
Charlie and the Tire Swing is a beautiful intergenerational story told from the perspective of Charlie and his Grandpa Jack. Over a cup of hot chocolate, Charlie’s grandfather tells the story of how he planted an acorn with his own grandfather, Charlie’s Great-Great Grandpa George, and how he tenderly cared for it and watched it grow, from one season to the next. He shares that over the years, as the acorn grew into a mighty oak tree, how each generation enjoyed the shade of the tree, climbing it, reading under it, and gathering together as a family around it. It’s a story of growing strong family ties, of sharing stories from generation to generation, and of appreciating nature, and the simple things in life, like swinging on a tire swing.
“Thank you, Diann Floyd Boehm and Charlie’s Tire Swing, for giving me the opportunity to relive my childhood wonder at the miracle of nurturing growth and my childhood memories of carefree summer days spent on my own tire swing. A sweet intergenerational story.” Lana Shupe, author, The Lonely Little Lighthouse
“A beautiful, whimsical story about the love and wisdom that generations bestow upon each other. The essence of this story will shift young hearts and minds towards beauty in all aspects of human existence and life.” Rhonda Paver, owner/executive director, Stepping Stones School
MORE FROM DIANN FLOYD BOEHM:
Every night the little girl in the moon watches the earth from afar just like the earthlings gaze at the moon and wish upon the stars. One night she sees so many wishes not quite reaching the stars and she tells her mommy how it worries her. She wants, with all her heart, to help the wishes get to the stars so they will come true. Her mommy whispers a secret to her that sparks the little girl’s imagination. Before long the Little Girl in the Moon gets a ‘Big Idea’ and she and her Moonling friends write a song to go with it. All the moonling families gather to sing the song and something very special happens. The “Big Idea” works! And, for a moment in time, there is peace and harmony in the universe.
ABOUT DIANN:
Diann Floyd Boehm is an award-winning international author. Diann writes children’s books and young adult books. In addition, Diann writes books to inspire kids to be kind, like themselves, and to “Embrace Imagination”. You can find all her books on Amazon.
Diann’s Story Garden YouTube Channel gives children the opportunity to hear different children authors read their stories.
Diann is the co-host with Dr. Jacalyn on USAGLOBALTV.
Diann continues to be involved in various humanitarian projects with multiple organizations.
Diann was born to parents of George and Mabel Floyd in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but grew up in Texas with five brothers. She has traveled extensively to many parts of the world and has lived in the Philippines and Dubai.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Diann, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
The Newest Novel in The Sugarwood Mystery Series by critically acclaimed author, Diane Bator
Released by BWL Publishing / The book is available worldwide in digital and print format
Christmas blooms in Sugarwood in the form of a brightly lit tree in town square, colourful ornaments, and a snowstorm. It’s just Audra Clemmings’ luck that she literally stumbles over the local butcher in Miss Lavinia’s shop. Then a witch doctor arrives in town.
Can Audra solve the mystery before the killer turns their sights on her?
Other Books in The Series:
Audra Clemmings loves Halloween. At least until she sees the display of voodoo dolls in the shop next door that resembles nearly everyone in Sugarwood, Ontario—including her. Then there’s the matter of the dead cowboy on the bench in front of her shop Stitch’n’Time…
About The Author
A prolific Canadian mystery writer, I am the mom of three kids, two cats and a step-dog as well as author of Wild Blue Mysteries, Gilda Wright Mysteries, Glitter Bay Mysteries, and the Audra Clemmings Mysteries from Books We Love Ltd. with many more books and plays to come! You can find me at:
To request additional review copies or an interview with Diane Bator, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
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