Our Global Crisis

>

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author 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.

Modern society has reached a critical juncture in its existence. Like past civilizations ours has reached a point where its future is far from certain, with its decline, or even collapse, being distinct possibilities.

The Incas, the Mayans, the Romans, the Rapanui, and many others, had seemingly successful societies, yet collapsed when faced with challenges that threatened their continued existence.

Are we to suffer the same fate? What could possibly cause our downfall?

Climate change and environmental issues? Perhaps. It is now almost a certainty that these events are destined to inflict catastrophic damage to our global society. Our coastal cities and island nations, as well as our global economy and agricultural output, will be irreparably damaged. Many of Earth's species, as well as the lives of many millions of people, will be displaced or lost forever.

Such a fate may still be averted, but that opportunity has largely passed. Even if we are able to correct the climatic and environmental issues threatening our society, we must still recognize and address the ultimate source of our problems. For if we fail, a far worse fate potentially awaits us.

Our Global Crisis is an eye opening look at the common weakness shared by societies and civilizations both past and present. But analysis of the problem alone will not solve the global crisis we now face. Thus, the final chapter is dedicated to the simple, yet critical solutions, necessary for our very survival.

Read an Excerpt

Humanity faces an uncertain future. For although we are the product of a great multitude of evolutionary “improvements,” we are nevertheless imperfect. Through the millennia, our shortcomings have contributed to the setbacks and failures of many peoples, cultures, even past civilizations, and they continue to do so. Even today, the future stability and continuance of our global socioeconomic society is not guaranteed. Climate change, environmental degradation, ongoing political and religious tension and violence, and other damaging and contentious issues not only have the potential to destabilize our global society, but if left uncorrected, may precipitate its eventual collapse. The most troubling aspect of this growing possibility is that each of us would ultimately be responsible for its occurrence.

Despite the advanced level of development attained by our species relative to others on Earth, inherent weaknesses in our nature still persist, and it is those weaknesses that each of us must overcome if we are to survive and evolve beyond our current limitations. If we can come to accept who we are and appreciate our weaknesses as well as our strengths, then we may be able to rise above our imperfections. In doing so, the possibility exists that our species may once again find its rightful place within nature and restore balance to the biosphere.

The purpose of Our Global Crisis is to guide us in this direction, to help us better understand who we are as a species, and to allow each of us to come to terms with our inner wants and desires, our strengths, and our weaknesses.

About the Author: Brian McLean, ART, is a former Medical Laboratory Technologist and Information Systems Specialist. Drawn by his passion for the outdoors, he shifted from a successful career to spend nearly two decades working for a family run orchard business. A passionate conservationist and environmentalist, Brian is also a keen observer of human nature and humanity's interaction with the biosphere. Based on those observations, he has been meticulously compiling and crafting Our Global Crisis over the last 22 years. Currently, he is working to restore riparian and temperate forest ecosystems affected by clearcut forestry practices, and when he needs to decompress, he spends time under the stars delving into his other passion, astrophotography.

Website: https://briandmclean.com
Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/0993607225
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/walkingsoftlyinnature
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/walkingsoftlyinnature
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/briandmclean

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Fate of Our Union

GENRE:  Fantasy

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

BLURB:

 

A mountainous thundering bull breaks up battling tribesmen, summoning three struggling youths, as an insidious unseen enemy turns tribes against tribes—pitting rich against poor, sons against fathers, and men against gods. Its insatiable hunger for division threatens to plunge mankind into a dystopian realm ruled by man-eating wolves.

 

A miraculous seven-headed horse, a symbol of unity, assembles the struggling youths of extraordinary origin into a journey of self-discovery. There Sunu the Saxon Poet, Rufus the Roman Stoic, and Keresaspa the Sarmatian Priestess must overcome pride, aversion, and unforgiveness; there they must learn from historical heroes, philosophers, and amazingly similar gods to battle the unseen monster and its rising wolfmen.

 

Fated to part ways to face the demons at home, Sunu, Rufus, and Keresaspa must reunite as they bring divided peoples together to fight the source tearing everyone apart. They must heed the divine wisdom of the seven-headed horse and justly wield the seven magic weapons they’ve mysteriously been given to overcome the unseen enemy and understand the higher purpose of the mountainous thundering bull.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Excerpt One:

 

Sunu meets the seven-headed, winged horse, Long Ears (CH 4 of The Fate of Our Union).

 

Sunu’s breath caught in his throat as he stared at a white stallion with seven handsome heads, spreading a glorious pair of wings. It towered at twenty-one hands, and its seven heads encircled its neck like temple pillars; one faced forward, one angled to the left, one angled to the right. A head was on each side, while two in the back angled left and right. “You are the one we’re speaking to,” its pink lips uttered under black nostrils, the words echoing in Sunu’s ears like a divine melody.

 

“It’s as if all seven were as one!” Sunu imagined the sacred horses merging, gazing breathlessly as they surrounded the seven-headed, winged stallion inside the birch grove. His heart raced in suspense, his eyes wide with wonder, as he awaited its next move.

 

The stallion’s seven heads repeated, “As one.”

 

“I’ve heard of a horse with eight legs.” Sunu imagined Woden’s horse, Sleipnir. “But never one with seven heads . . . that can speak . . . and has wings!” Visually high, Sunu gaped at every beautifully mane-draped head under the dreamily feathered wings.

 

The stallion’s forward-facing head replied in a deep, resonant voice, “It’s time you heard.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Hildebrand Hengest Hermannson’s deep-rooted fire for Indo-European culture and Western Philosophy ignites his first novel, The Fate of Our Union, the inaugural piece in a planned series. His work draws inspiration from the national epics The Saga of the Volsungs (Norse), Mahabharata (Indian), Aenid (Roman), Odyssey (Greek), Táin Bó Cúailnge (Celtic), and Shahnameh (Iranian), weaving these rich cultures into original stories featuring fantasy world-building, dynamic characters, and intricate plots and themes. His Wild Hunt of thought breathes life into his spiritual, ethical, and cultural interests, inspiring us all to strive for imperishable virtue.

 

Website: https://www.hhhermannson.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HHHermannson

Twitter: https://x.com/HHHermannson

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hhhermannson77/

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/hhhermannson/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214514568-the-fate-of-our-union

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CZS7TD5V?ref_=pe_93986420_775043100

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Loving Lizzie Finn

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Lizzie Finn grew up in a brothel, and she’s reminded of that fact every day. She dreams of finding a job and becoming independent. Only then can she be free of her aunt’s disdain. First, she must find an employer who won’t turn her away because of her past.

Byron Greeley is determined to save his family’s business after Lizzie’s uncle falsifies the amount Byron owes on a loan from the bank. Determined to find proof of Teague’s perfidy, Byron slips into the banker’s house and rummages through the study only to be discovered by Lizzie, a red-haired beauty who utterly captivates him.

Byron offers Lizzie a job in exchange for information about her uncle, and because she believes her uncle is innocent, she agrees. When Teague discovers Lizzie and Byron’s growing affection, he threatens to destroy Byron and his family, insisting Byron is exploiting her. Is Teague’s warning well-founded? Are Byron’s feelings for Lizzie true, or is Byron using her for his own gain?

Read an Excerpt

A spring in her step, Emma placed the rose gown on the bed and returned to the wardrobe. “I saw the most handsome man last night.”

Lizzie’s pulse leaped. “You did?” Had Emma seen the drunken stranger in Uncle’s study? The handsome intruder had occupied Lizzie’s thoughts all night long.

“Of course I did. He is a sight for sore eyes.” Emma returned with the green skirt and carefully lowed it over Lizzie’s head. “Dark eyes, almost black in color, with a gaze so intense he nearly stole my breath.”

Yes. Exactly. As much as she’d tried, she couldn’t get the memory of those eyes out of her head.

Emma secured the skirt and grabbed the bodice. “And his hair, the same as his eyes, black as night.”

Slipping her arms into the sleeves, Lizzie disagreed, “I would hardly call it black, more a dark brown, the color of chestnuts. Which suits him quite well.” With strong, bold features, and a lean frame … She smiled a little when she thought of him. A handsome devil to be sure.

Emma came around to face Lizzie and began to button the gown’s front. “No. I’m quite sure Felix has darker hair than that.”

“Felix?” Had that been his name?

“Yes, our new footman.”

Footman? Lizzie’s cheeks flamed, and her smile dissipated. The man she’d met last night was no footman. He’d spoken of running his family’s business. How embarrassing to be caught admiring a complete stranger. What was wrong with her?

About the Author:

A small-town girl with a big imagination, Tamara Hughes had no idea what to do with her life. After graduating from college, she moved to a big city, started a family and a job, and still struggled to find that creative outlet she craved. An avid reader of romance, she gave writing a try and became hooked on the power of exploring characters, envisioning adventures, and creating worlds. She enjoys stories with interesting twists and heroines who have the grit to surmount any obstacle, all without losing the ability to laugh. To learn more, stop by her website: www.tamarahughes.com.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tamarahughesauth
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tamara-hughes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamara.hughes2/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7738043.Tamara_Hughes
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/tamarahughes

Buy link for Loving Lizzie Finn: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFMQ4X1H

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Poseidon Project

 

THE POSEIDON PROJECT

E. William Podojil

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GENRE:  

 

Suspense, Thriller, Mystery

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

BLURB:

 

The Poseidon Project is an international suspense thriller and the first book in The Herb Society Mysteries series  

 

Molly Halloran and her friends have a secret past.  Their bucolic retirement is suddenly upended when Molly’s husband is abducted and held for a steep ransom.  Now she, her friends, her tech executive son, Lukas and his Air Force pilot boyfriend must race against the clock and travel halfway around the world to meet the kidnappers’ demands.  But when they learn why her husband has been abducted, they realize how high the stakes truly are.  Molly and her friends now must face their past in order to save the future.  But not only their futures; the world’s.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

EXCERPT

“There’s just nothing like airplane sweaty body, Ma. I promise I won’t tell anyone you complained about your private jet.” Lukas joked. 

 

“You know, Lukas, I know it’s your romantic life, and you don’t need your mother meddling in your affairs, but Taylor is quite a catch if you ask me. You two look so natural together, like you’ve known each other forever.”

 

“I hope you mean that in a good way, Ma.” Lukas blushed a bit. His mother could see right through him. “I’m waiting ’til he reveals he’s a psychotic serial killer. That’s usually how my relationships go, well, not the serial killer part, but definitely the psychotic part.”

 

“I think you should go for it, for what it’s worth. And why are you so negative about relationships?” his mother asked.

 

“Mom, I’ve known him for a week and during one of the most awful, chaotic weeks in my life. I’d like to see how we get along in a normal setting, like normal, boring life. Watching Netflix, making popcorn, folding clothes, you know? Simple life stuff. That’s when you know whether you’re with the right person or not.”

 

“You haven’t changed much, Lukas,” his mom pointed out. “You look at everything with logic,

precision, follow the rules, and with as little variation as possible. You’ve been that way since you were little, and I love that about you, but you have to let yourself feel emotions. Allow yourself to be vulnerable and take a leap of faith. You’re not a Klingon, for God’s sake.

a leap of faith. You’re not a Klingon, for God’s sake.”

 

 

Lukas held back a laugh. “I think you mean a Vulcan, Mom.”

 

“Let me ask you something, Lukas. How do you feel when you’re around Taylor?”

 

Lukas pondered. “That’s easy, Ma. I feel like I’m right where I want to be. I feel joy, fear, happiness, then scared and vulnerable. Panicked and terrified he’s going to walk away.”

 

“Like Drew, you mean?”

 

Lukas paused. “Yeah, Ma, like Drew.”

 

“You live once, honey. You’re almost forty, and before you know it you will be my age. It’s best to share a life with someone, not run probability formulas to predict success or failure. Sometimes, you just have to jump and know, that no matter what happens, you’ll be okay.”

 

“What did you and Dad do before I was born?” Lukas quickly changed the subject.

 

Molly was taken aback. “Um, well, we had a lot of adventures, that’s for sure. Not much money, so we both worked a lot, but we had fun.”

 

“Mom, how did you meet your friends, you know, Linda, Betty, and Donna?”

 

“We worked together.”

 

“Teaching? Lukas asked.

 

“Not teaching. We worked together at Argonne National Laboratory before teaching.”

 

“What did you guys do there?”

 

Molly thought about a response. “Lots of stuff.”

 

“Mom, can you tell me more than that?”

 

Molly let out a sigh. “Not every story is my story alone to tell. I have to get the ladies to explain some things. It’s a long story, so let’s go get them so we can tell it together.”

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

E. William Podojil has worked as a writer, advisor and  international business executive while living in the Netherlands and the United States. He studied screenwriting at UCLA. His first novel, The Tenth Man, was published in 2004, by Haworth Press.  His latest novel, The Poseidon Project, will be published by Wild Rose Press in August, 2024 as the first book in the Herb Society Mysteries series. 

 

Podojil currently resides in Northeast Ohio with his husband and three sons. He travels extensively and writes about his experiences on his website www.ewpodojil.com.  

 

https://www.facebook.com/ewilliampodojil

http://www.twitter.com/EWPodojil

https://www.instagram.com/ewilliampodojil/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Love For Reading

My love affair with books began when my parents read Little Golden Books to me.  I remember one that especially impressed me.  I wish I could remember the title, but it’s long gone.  It was about a family of pigs who were so messy no one would go to see them.  After they finally cleaned up their house, they had tons of visitors.  I also remember a book about Woody Woodpecker.  After my mother read that one to me, I wrote my first story which I dictated to my father who wrote it in pencil on a piece of notebook paper.  I was every bit of five years old then.  

Later, after I learned to read, my mother made a treat out going to the library each week.  The minute she got home from work she’d take my sister and me to the library.  Afterward, we’d go to eat hot dogs at the local diner.  It wasn’t anything special, but at an early age we learned to associate reading with good times.  

Having learned to love reading, I was never without a good book close by.  I read so many good ones!  Black Beauty, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, The Sherwood Ring, the Trixie Belden mysteries, My Friend Flicka, the Black Stallion series, the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, and so many more!  I wish I could remember them all. 

I was content to be a reader until about ten years ago.  I had gone through a period where nothing special caught my fancy.  At the same time my son wrote a book.  I decided to give it a try too.  To my surprise, it totally captivated me.  I spent long hours before the computer writing the kind of story I wanted to read and couldn’t find.  I became totally addicted to writing.  I even took my computer with me on vacation so I wouldn’t miss a single day writing.

Did I stop reading because I was now an author?  No indeed.  If you’ll check my Goodreads page you’ll find a sample of the things I’ve read in the recent past.  I just finished Careless in Scarlett.

Whenever I need an escape from my reality, books are always there to provide it.  My life is richer today because of all the wonderful things I’ve read in the past, and I know my future will be filled with many more happy hours reading.  Parents, read in front of your kids.  Teach them to love books.  Their lives will be richer for it. 

Katie Walsh

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Enter to win a $15 Amazon/BN gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Katie Walsh expects to write a love story someday. The hero resembles her father, and the heroine the deceased mother she never knew but imagines from the longing on her father’s face.

Katie doesn’t expect her father to be murdered, or his will to leave their farm to Guy Knowles, the man she hoped to marry, and order her to another state. Betrayed by the men she trusted, what should have become a love like no other withers and dies.

Until Ted Howard, who doesn’t fit the hole Guy left in her heart. Instead, he fits himself into what she needs—someone who will stay, protect her, and break his own heart for her if needed.

Read an Excerpt

When our neighbor, Guy Knowles, began to drop by and take me for long but mostly silent walks across Papa’s pasture, I wondered if my parents had done the same thing and if my excitement mirrored what my mother’s might have been. Did she, like me, translate every quiet step into tender words? Did she see lifelong devotion on Papa’s face then, like I watched for it now on Guy’s?

I expected my love story—the one I would write and the one I would live—to be like theirs. What I didn’t expect was that both stories would begin the day a stranger came to my door and told me my father had just been killed. Killed, not died.

Nor did I expect this tale of “A Love Like No Other” to reach full bloom in a tiny jail cell far away.

About the Author:

Colleen L Donnelly was born and raised in the US Midwest but ventured to other parts of the country as an adult to experience life from other perspectives. Besides writing, she spends time outdoors, antique hunting, reading, or watching a good movie. Even though she retired from a career in laboratory science, she is never bored and always busy at something.

Social Media Links:

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/colleen-l-donnelly
Website: http://www.colleenldonnelly.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColleenLDonnelly
Goodreads: http://www.Goodreads.com/colleenldonnelly
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colleenldonnelly/
Amazon: http://amzn.to/37vcnO4
Twitter: https://x.com/ColleenLDonnell/

Buy Link: https://amzn.to/3YQIFP2

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ok I've Decided

 “Are there any subjects, people, or topics that you have never written about, but would like to?”

This is an interesting topic because I’ve always written straight, contemporary romance, but a few years ago I decided to add something different to my romances. The first time I did so I wrote a fantasy romance. It had mythical creatures, magic spells, and a seemingly invulnerable foe. Add to that I created wizards that were both good and bad. I was fun to write the book because I liked creating new worlds. 

I also have a book that deals with a plane that was a victim of the Bermuda Triangle. This book hasn’t been submitted yet, but it’s written and ready to go. 

Blue 52 which is one of my best has time travel in it.

So what’s next? I’ve never written a western before, but it would be such fun to write one. I’d have gorgeous cowboys, cattle drives, beautiful scenery, and maybe some bad guys who played dirty to get the ranch. I don’t know if it would be set in the past or present. I’ve never written a historical either, I think I’d love to do it. 

What do you say, readers? What do you think you’d like to read?“Are there any subjects, people, or topics that you have never written about, but would like to?”

This is an interesting topic because I’ve always written straight, contemporary romance, but a few years ago I decided to add something different to my romances. The first time I did so I wrote a fantasy romance. It had mythical creatures, magic spells, and a seemingly invulnerable foe. Add to that I created wizards that were both good and bad. I was fun to write the book because I liked creating new worlds. 

I also have a book that deals with a plane that was a victim of the Bermuda Triangle. This book hasn’t been submitted yet, but it’s written and ready to go. 

Blue 52 which is one of my best has time travel in it.

So what’s next? I’ve never written a western before, but it would be such fun to write one. I’d have gorgeous cowboys, cattle drives, beautiful scenery, and maybe some bad guys who played dirty to get the ranch. I don’t know if it would be set in the past or present. I’ve never written a historical either, I think I’d love to do it. 

What do you say, readers? What do you think you’d like to read?