Tag Archives: book giveaway

Author Mackenzie Flohr pens The Rite of Wands

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-n6ade-1264fbe

In The Rite of Wands, author Mackenzie Flohr has created a fantasy world of witches and warlocks set in 13th century Ireland. The main character Mierta, 12, has to earn his magic powers.

“It took me 20 years to write this,” said Flohr. “I realized that I have a dead book.”

But then the new character, originally Gerard, spoke to Flohr and said, “That’s not how it happened.”

Protagonist Mierta too is a neurodivergent like the author. Flohr used an entire disease layer in the story that reminded people of Covid, although the story was completed in 2017. Much like the black plague, she gave the disease a physical appearance.

The book was inspired by The Lord of The Rings trilogy, as Flohr visited a museum dedicated to the movie series.

“And there was my story,” she said. “Mierta goes, we’re going to tell that story.”

Every character in the book has three layers to them.

“They all fit together at the end,” she said. “There is a little bit of myself in both protagonists. I got the wizard language right.”

Flohr is working toward TV series adaption of The Rite of Wands. Listen in for a chance to with an autographed copy.

Sponsored by Doc Chavent & The Lowell Ledger

Happy Fourth of July.

 

Author Nikki Mitchell pens Nighshade Forest

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-2zjeh-1256e00

Enter the fairy world through a magic portal that Eleanor has received as a gift in a book. She turns into a fairy joined by Elfie and Milo to find the magic crystal that will restore order to the kingdom that went bonkers.

Nightshade Forest

It even started snowing in the enchanted purple and blue glowing forest and in the village with gargoyles, goblins, and magicians. Salmon started turning lime green.

Mitchell penned this middle-grade book during the pandemic with its limitations.

“Eleanor is much like I was as a kid,” she said. “I’ve always wished I could travel into all these stories.”

The book is set in 1945 without any technology; Eleanor doesn’t have a cell phone, a computer, or a TV.

“Books and libraries are magical places that people should visit often,” Mitchell said.

Among the insights, she gained from her writing journey was the fact not to put away your writing projects.

“I shouldn’t have put my creative writing on the backburner,” Mitchell said. “Nightshade Forest helped me get my voice out there.”

Listen to the episode for a chance to win a signed copy of Mitchell’s book.

Sponsored by Doc Chavent, the Lowell Ledger and Nikki Mitchell

 

Author Deborah Frontiera pens Superior Tapestry

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-xyb6s-1256ccd

In Superior Tapestry, author Deborah Frontiera combines fiction with non-fiction to create a fun fact read for adults and children. Frontiera picked 27 artifacts from UP history and gave them personality.

“The stories are told from the point of view of objects,” she said. “I had a lot of fun with it.”

In the first story Birch Bark (B. B.) Canoe, Frontiera portrays the canoe as a female traveling from St. Ignace across Soo to Duluth. The objective was to show how native Americans used a canoe for travel. 

Frontiera aimed to strike a balance between the genders of the objects in her personification of artifacts such as the cliffs and the stone in Portrait of Pictured Rocks.

Superior Tapestry

Bishop Baraga appears in several different stories thus weaving a tapestry throughout the book. The idea for personification of objects occurred to Frontiera while writing the article Estabad Pines from the POV of a pine tree.

For details of the book giveaway visit Frontiera’s website http://www.SuperiorTapestry.com http://www.SuperiorTapestry.com

Author Kristoffer Gair pens The Beautiful Moment

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-ni8ct-12401af

The Beautiful Moment is a paranormal romance inspired by Covid-19 set in the UP.

“I wanted to make it current so people can relate to it,” author Kristoffer Gair said.

Gair switched gears from comedy to serious writing during a difficult time in his life. Protagonist Wesley is a bright bubbly guy, but his uncle is making his life miserable.

And then there is Dr. Clark Matsuda.

“I’ve never met anyone whose name was Clark, so I put it in the story,” Gair said.

The decade from hell.
First, Wesley Traylor lost his father and grandmother, then COVID took his mother. His sole remaining family member will stop at nothing to steal his inheritance. In desperation, Wesley escapes to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where no one knows him and he can exist without fear of his uncle’s brutality.

Circumstances force Wesley to the emergency room and face to face with the beguiling Dr. Clark Matsuda. The last thing Wesley needs—between dealing with strange occurrences at his new house and emergency surgery—is a doctor who’s made it his personal mission to get to know Wesley.

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of The Beautiful Moment.

Sponsored by Doc Chavent and The Lowell Ledger

Author Jon Stott pens Summers at the Lake

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-vt9hs-123fba4

Summers at the Lake is a delightful collection of essays centered around the author’s beloved “Little cabin in the Big Woods” beside Crooked Lake in the Upper Peninsula.

Summers at the Lake

The humorous and meditative essays, that read like prose poetry, track the progression of the seasons. Stott aims to evoke for readers memories of similar incidents and feelings at other lakes and at other times.

Stott, a part-time Yooper, spends extended summers in the solitude of the northern woods where the closest community of Munising is 27 miles away from his cabin.

“I am the old hermit of the woods,” he said in the podcast interview speaking directly from the Munising School Public library, 500 feet from Lake Superior.

In chapter 6 “Day Tripper”, Stott takes us on a trip to Grand Marais which looks like a New England seaside village with a year-round population of 300.

Stott acts as a knowledgeable and funny tour guide as he writes about “Life in a Pickle Barrel” about the history of the Pickle Barrel House. 

Email Stott for a chance to win a signed copy of his new book at jstottuaalberta.ca

Special thanks to the Munising School Public Library.

Sponsored by Doc Chavent, the Lowell Ledger, Modern History Press

Author Summer Porter pens A Mouse Tail on Mackinac Island

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-jkn79-1237c9f

Illustrated by Maggie Chambers, this delightful “tail” of the Mouse family honors the magic of Mackinac Island with all its little nooks and crannies. From the famous fudge to the handsome blonde dock porter Robert, the brand new book brings alive the scenes from the island.

Speaking directly from the main location of the story- the Windermere Hotel- Porter and Chambers share their creative synergy in this interview wrapped in love for the island.

“It’s a cold and foggy day,” said Chambers, “but tomorrow will be sunny.”

“I wanted to give a gift to the island,” said Porter.

During their two-year-long creative journey, Porter and Chambers perfectly complemented each other’s vision for the book. 

“Wouldn’t it be cute..” said Porter.

“If they slept in fudge boxes,” Chambers finished the sentence.

“It just rolled that way,” Porter laughed.

If you happen to be on the island this Memorial Day weekend don’t miss out on the unique opportunity to meet the creators of “A Mouse on Mackinac Island” on Saturday at the Island Book Store, Sunday at Watercolor Cafe, and on Monday at the main location-the Windermere Hotel with all the characters present.

Listen to this story of love for the island for a chance to win a signed copy of this charming children’s book.

Sponsored by Doc Chavent, The Lowell Ledger, Modern History Press

Author Andrew Smith unleashes horror in Another Slice of Fear

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-dhixn-1236842

In his second book in the Slice of Fear franchise, Andrew Smith explores fear in all its dimensions and takes it down deep into this rabbit hole he had found along the way.

 

“I believe that fear is at the core of who we are and it makes us alive,” he said. “Fear is a lot of fun. I use fear to entertain people.”

Another Slice of Fear is an anthology of 16 stories that will stir your imagination.

A man finds the secret to immortality, or does he?

A monster awakens and has to decide who is the monster?

A selfish woman gets eternal servitude, for a price.

A family fortune is saved by unlikely allies.

A scene unfolds from three different perspectives and creates a problem for Kate with exciting results.

A man wins a special vacation for the newly almost divorced.

Early reviews long for the continuation of The Edge carried from the first book into the second one as “The Edges.”

“Much to my delight, Andrew added an act two to the story he began in the first volume. Where he began with “The Edge”, he continues here with “Edges”. I was fascinated by the first act of this tale and having the opportunity to see how the story evolves in the second was marvelous. The introduction of a sacred book to the story requited my desire for new secrets, enticing my imagination with how the sword was forged and why it was sanctified for its purpose. Like a chocolate torte cake, each layer reveals a little bit more delicious tension and suspense. I am hopeful this story will one day grow into a novella or a full stand-alone novel. My anticipation for even more layers to be revealed is undeniable.”
                                                                 -Diana Kathryn Plopa
Listen in for a chance to win signed copies of the books from the Slice of Fear franchise.
Sponsored by Doc Chavent, the Lowell Ledger and Modern History Press

Indie book collector supports authors in a unique way

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-vefv9-122ee64

Hauling a cartful of books, you can find Diana Duell at just about any festival in West Michigan, but her favorite one is the Lakeshore Art Festival (LAF) in Muskegon.

“That’s where I started my book collection,” she said. “I was looking for something new.”

Right off the bat, Duell bought 60 to 70 books that the first year when she discovered Indie local authors.

Her collection of Indie authors counts 60 authors, 171 books read, and 350 TBR. She spends approximately $1,000 a year on books.

“It’s disposable income,” Duell said. “It’s my vacation. I fell in love doing this and I collect more books every year.”

Now, as an established collector, she knows most Indie authors and writes reviews on Facebook and Goodreads.

“It’s all about supporting local businesses and writing a book is a craft,” she said.

She has built-in three bookcases with six shelves, all full.

“There has to be a meaning behind a good book,” she said. “A great book is one you can escape into. Keep on writing and I will keep on buying. That’s a promise.”

Depending on her mood, she likes to read anything from a cozy mystery to a short story, and everything in between.

Among her favorite authors are Ingar Rudholm, DA Reed, and Andrew Allen Smith.

“I wouldn’t want to be on DA Reed’s or Andrew Allen Smith’s bad side,” she said.

Duell is always on the lookout for new authors and new books.

Watch for Duell at LAF this year on June 25 & 26. Listen in to the interview for a chance to win a signed copy of your next favorite read.

In Healing Childhood Trauma author Robin Marvel offers tools to heal

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-a4ecz-1221e63

Author Robin Marvel of Hersey, MI is that girl who has survived mental, domestic, and drug abuse; homelessness, and kidnappings throughout her childhood. Being addicted to alcohol and partying at age 15 resulted in a sexual assault, and later she became a teen mother at age 16.

Since May is mental health awareness month, Marvel opened up to talk about her story captured in her book “Healing Childhood Trauma” from a PTSD standpoint of view.

“I didn’t want to repeat the cycle, and I started working on myself,” she said. “I realized I was in control of what happened to me.”

As a motivational speaker, Marvel talks about self-respect and determination. She strives to be a role model for her five daughters. She chose to grow through the trauma she had endured as a child.

“I didn’t have any role models,” she said witnessing how her mother was abused by her father with subsequent kidnappings of her.

“It was always the same,” she said. “He took me to his mother to get supplies and we slept in a car. I grabbed my blanket.”

But facing all these hardships, Marvel found the strength to overcome being a victim of circumstance.

“It doesn’t happen at the flip of a switch,” she said. “I had to work on myself.”

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of Marvel’s life-changing book.

In Healing Childhood Trauma author Robin Marvel offers tools to heal

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-a4ecz-1221e63

Author Robin Marvel of Hersey, MI is that girl who has survived mental, domestic, and drug abuse; homelessness, and kidnappings throughout her childhood. Being addicted to alcohol and partying at age 15 resulted in a sexual assault, and later she became a teen mother at age 16.

 

Since May is mental health awareness month, Marvel opened up to talk about her story captured in her book “Healing Childhood Trauma” from a PTSD standpoint of view.

“I didn’t want to repeat the cycle, and I started working on myself,” she said. “I realized I was in control of what happened to me.”

As a motivational speaker, Marvel talks about self-respect and determination. She strives to be a role model for her five daughters. She chose to grow through the trauma she had endured as a child.

“I didn’t have any role models,” she said witnessing how her mother was abused by her father with subsequent kidnappings of her.

“It was always the same,” she said. “He took me to his mother to get supplies and we slept in a car. I grabbed my blanket.”

But facing all these hardships, Marvel found the strength to overcome being a victim of circumstance.

“It doesn’t happen at the flip of a switch,” she said. “I had to work on myself.”

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of Marvel’s life-changing book.