In this unique tale, author Tony Lindsay combines a spy thriller and a vampire novel. The reader experiences both: the life of a CIA operative and life within a vampire family.
The Knights are presented as a blended family with all the peculiarities that accompany those unions, and it is through her experiences with her vampire family that Melody develops an acceptance and respect for humanity.
The novel deals with the origin of American vampires, and a mystery/thriller edge develops when murdered children, human organ farming, and CIA corporate gains are uncovered.
Melody’s growth from a depressed human bride (her fiancee was gunned down on her wedding day) to a vampire that cares about humanity is shocking.
The thriller edge of the novel keeps the reader turning pages: don’t miss this one.
Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of this fine book.
A pre-school teacher turned author Renae Micou gives us a hug with her delightful characters Kai and Ms. Coo in her brand new illustrated children’s book “I Think My Teacher Needs a Hug Today.”
Presenting for the first time at the Ann Arbor Holiday Art show, Micou skillfully recreated the classroom atmosphere, as reflected in her new book illustrated by Stephen Elugbemi.
It took two years to put the book together and to fit it with the right illustrations on the go.
Take a listen for a chance to win a signed copy of Micou’s new book.
The twenties are delivering suprises with twists and turns
“You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose.”
Indira Gandhi
By Emma Palova
The predictions for 2022 are taking shape and form just like in an irregular pentagon. So far, it has been full of surprises, twists, and turns with discoveries along the journey. I will list the first 10 discoveries of the year, followed by a list of more discoveries, less sensational.
Later, I take a step back to gain perspective and shake off negativity and criticism after being in the public eye and scrutiny. The balancing act is important to me. At times, like on this sunny day, my psychic reaches out to me which I am grateful for, and then I know I am loved and embrace all the cosmic energies. Thank you Diana Plopa for bringing sunshine into my day. Yes, I am lucky enough to have a personal adviser, because we’re all in this together.
Be careful what you wish for because you might get it.
Zoom interview with poet Donny Winter
The blitz and downfalls of podcasting
I wanted to have a podcast show, and I got it with all its blitz and downfalls. First the blitz. The podcast “For the Love of Books” hosted and produced by Emma Palova, co-produced by author Colleen Nye and sponsored by Doc Chavent immediately garnered attention, both from the authors and the public. Not too many authors have podcast shows. Why? Because it is a technological and scheduling nightmare for one person including a whole new layer added to already a full stack of tasks. I had to close down the Sigh Up Genius because it was flooded with requests and start sorting through the authors.
2. Discoveries and insights
Discoveries and secrets
Author Luba Lesychyn
Secrets should just stay secrets regardless of what they are. They shift around like the loose grains in the sand. They evolve like the characters in our books. All secrets have their own hidden energy behind them. Once uncovered, they’re not secrets anymore with different energy attached to them causing havoc and chaos in everything. And then comes another secret that needs to be hidden. And it’s a chain reaction of secrets and hiding them under the mask of goodness and sweetness. Like the Russian nesting dolls, inside one secret is hidden another one and so on.
3. Insights
Insights versus secrets
Why do we do the things we do? Are we troubled, unhappy, not motivated enough? Or just unappreciated. Maybe we don’t want to lead a normal life bored to death. So we start acting out like the Lansing killer Steve Miller. I totally enjoyed the interview with true crime author Rod Sadler.
At the end of the interview, I asked him, “Would you like to read to us?”
“I thought you would read to me,” Sadler said.
I chuckled. Luckily I had Sadler’s book Killing Women so I did read to him although not his horoscope or like a psychic from his hand.
4. The unrelenting quest for money
Money is like poison
Money or the quest for it poisons everything including relationships. This one covers a wide spectrum from partners, families to neighbors. You can chase after money and never have it, or you have it and don’t know what to do with it because you are bored and unappreciated.
5. The pretense of kindness and sweetness
Kindness and sweetness get results
You can get almost anything under the pretense of kindness and sweetness including a slice of bread. You can even have both, the icing and cake. But you can’t have peace.
6. Beyond anger
Anger manifesto
Former Lowell police chief Steve Bukala
Anger follows the act of getting caught doing evil and denying it or standing behind your citizens’ rights. It manifests on daily basis in your actions and reactions, as well as in the behavior of people around you.
7. Cheating on tests
Cheating on tests
So your notes written in the palm of your hand didn’t help you or the three geniuses sitting in the back of the classroom during a calculus exam, because a stupid Canadian ass turned around to confirm the insecurity of her own results. And you spend the summer studying for a make-up exam instead of being with your family. Some celebrities went to jail for cheating bribing and casting on the couch. But you never pay the price. You just blow it off into the wind and someone else catches it for you.
8. The polygon effect
The Polygon Effect using characters in plots
A pentagon-shaped circus tent
A classic circus tent is an example of an irregular pentagon, not to be confused with the most famous pentagon of all, the government building in Washington D.C. A regular pentagon is a five-sided polygon with five sides and angles in geometry. It can rotate into a concave resembling a crown, turned upside down it is the shape of a baseball field, it can change angles and sides. Sometimes stars shape pentagons or other polygons. When combined with vectors they become constellations.
In the Polygon Effect plotting, the characters rotate positions. You never know who is going to be at the top or flipped to the home base in the baseball field at the bottom. The sides too are not equal in an irregular pentagon, and the angles or positions change, just like politicians in the government, clowns in the circus, or royalty in the court.
10. The lightness of being
The Unbereable Lightness of Being II from Czech Republic to the U.S.
Apartment complex Jizni Svahy in Zlin
And it all started here inside the somber apartments of the mega-complex where there was nothing else to do but watch hockey, drink beer or just get creative about how you achieve your goals, any goals you wish to accomplish. That’s when I started writing……a diary.
Check out Kundera’s “Unbearable Lightness of Being,” a novel based in Prague made into a movie. The plot uses the polygon method of four characters.
To be continued……a downscaled version.
Copyright (c) 2022. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
In his second book after Carbon Footprint, Donny Winter tackles issues beyond the glitz of stepping out as an LGBTQ+poet, educator, and activist.
The sophomore collection of poems Feats of Alchemy takes readers on a perilous adventure through a futuristic and dystopian world. His experimental free verse poems use science fiction, natural, and pop-cultural images to metaphorically illustrate his experiences as a gay man navigating the different obstacles society presents after coming out.
These poems create a cyberpunk-inspired, symbolic world centered around the cyborg, Solus Arcane, who seeks to understand their existence free of oppressive forces and strives to unlearn the programming given to them by their oppressive creator.
Together, our bodies are welded and soldered by the forces of those seeking to silence, erase, or oppress. Feats of Alchemy acts as a circuit board connecting us with pathways toward self-sovereignty beyond artifice.
Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of this fine collection of poems such as “This Closet is a Chrysalis.”
Author Dallas Woodburn skillfully flips friends into lovers in the love triangle between Carissa, Brad, and Rose using two points of view.
Set for February release the friends-to-lovers romance delivers a heartwarming message about self-improvement, identity, and acceptance in an image-obsessed culture.
This is Woodburn’s second novel with a short story collection How To Make Paper When the World is Ending slated for June publication.
A former John Steinbeck Fellow in Creative Writing, Woodburn’s writing has been honored with the Cypress & Pine Short Fiction Award, the international Glass Woman Prize, and four Pushcart Prize nominations.
When she’s not writing, Dallas hosts the podcast “Overflowing Bookshelves.” Woodburn is also a book doula.
Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of Woodburn’s new novel.
Indie authors from left to right starting at top row: Dallas Woodburn, Donny Winter. Middle row: Erik Bean and Renae Micou. Bottom row: Stacey Rourke, not pictured Tony Lindsay.
By Emma Palova
Lowell, MI – I am very excited to announce the author line-up of diverse authors for the upcoming episodes on “For the Love of Books Podcast.” They are Dallas Woodburn, Donny Winter, Erik Bean, Renae Micou, Stacey Rourke, and Tony Lindsay.
Each author brings their own different perspective to common questions that we all ask from inspiration to stance on issues.
Since this is the beginning of 2022, which sounds futuristic to me, we will be talking about creative goals and tips to succeed in the literary world.
How do you start and finish a book from the original idea to the final marketing plan?
I’ve been privileged to meet only a few authors featured on the podcast “For the Love of Books” in person at authors’ events. So, I am happy to be able to bring their expertise to all listeners via the podcasting magic on all major apps.
Even though Covid has been bad for all of us, in a way it united us in our common fight not only against the disease but against bias, since the virus strikes all equally.
Then, the Zoom technology that enables podcasting the best shines because of the pandemic.
Find time to listen to all of these indie authors at their best.
Author Jules Nelson emphasizes women’s role in history before Civil War rocked the nation in her book “Shadows.”
It was an era when men entered history as pioneers while women ensured that everything else around was a success.
“Girls and women played a huge part in history,” said Nelson. “History is not just about men. What we do is important even if it does not make it into a history class.”
With her deep love for history in its quirkiness, Nelson portrays the main character Emma in the shadows of times marked by rumors that can create a shadowy reputation.
Nelson encourages everyone to read and write reviews.
“Reviews are like tips for writers,” she said. “It’s what gets us noticed.”
As author psychologist Halvorsen puts it: “Go gently into 2022.”
Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of featured authors’ giveaways.
In “Warehouse Dreams” author Theresa Halvorsen pitches the “Wilds” against the “Breds” embodied in delightful characters Kendle and teacher Stephen.
Kendle recruits teens with psychic abilities, for the Warehouse, the only school for Wilds. Accepting teens with Wild Gifts is risky; refusing means they face life under sedation. Stephen, the telepathy teacher, is a celebrity Bred with perfect genes. Can a Bred fall for a Wild like Kendle? As society’s hatred of Wilds goes up, the schools’ resources go down. Can Kendle protect her students?
Email the authors for a chance to win a free signed copy of their books.
Character Adam is edgier and author Andrew Allen Smith tells the story of the immortal in first person with the final fifth book in mind. “Adam” is a product of a dream, as often is the case with Smith’s books.
“He’s the first and only of his kind,” Smith said. “I tried to stay away from the stereotype of immortals. I wanted to stay on the edge of it.”
In this book, the author tackles the concept of death among many others from a different perspective.
“…here I am, cradling her in my arms. The cool breeze blowing across my face. I am looking down at a woman between life and death. I can save her, but at the cost of her being a little of me. I can watch her pass as I have seen so many pass before. The decision is mine. As I wrestle with it, the sirens scream in the background, closer and closer. Just a drop of my amazing blood will give her life, but how can I decide?”
Smith also talks about grieving during the holidays or at any time of the year in this special holiday episode.
“Don’t go through it alone,” he advises. “Be there for people who are grieving.”
Smith penned his only non-fiction book “What Not to Say to People Who are Grieving” after the tragic death of his niece in 2020.
Listen in to the episode for a chance to win a signed copy of “Adam.”
Happy holidays from the “For the Love of Books Podcast” and children’s author Melinda Falgoust.
Listen in for a chance to win a free book from this fabulous author.
In this special holiday episode, Falgoust, the international award-winning author of fiction for children and adults, talks about her new release “The Curious Casebook of Katie Q. Putt.”
“Move over Sherlock Holmes. There’s a new detective in town, and her name is Katie Q. Putt! Ten-year-old Katie loves a good puzzle. She loves learning about new things even more.
When she uses the cool facts she discovers to help solve some of Freyburg’s most baffling crimes, it’s no mystery the bad guys don’t stand a chance! From missing monkeys to vanishing valises, Katie’s sharp eye for detail helps her police chief father stop crime in its tracks.
Now, you, too can read Katie’s casebook and match wits with some crafty criminals in ten cool cases. Each chapter also contains a STEM or STEAM activity to help you dust off your detective skills. Learn how to make your own fingerprint powder, paint like Piet Mondrian, and write secret codes to your family and friends!
Wondering if you’ve got the right stuff? Grab a clue and read The Curious Casebook of Katie Q. Putt and the mystery is solved!
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