Tag: Blog Tour

Friday JohnKu – AKA TGIF – Call for Volunteers to Help Launch The Contract

~ John W. Howell ~ 69 Comments

The Contract

Award-winning author Gwen M. Plano and I are launching our Inspirational Thriller, The Contract between heaven and earth, on June 4th. We would like to do an announcement tour beginning on June 4th through June 17th. If you would like to help, please send an e-mail to johnhowell(dot)wave(at)gmail.com. All the material will be sent, and for those of you on WordPress or other blogs that accept HTML, all you’ll have to do is copy, paste, and schedule. For others, we will include the text and media in an e-mail.

My JohnKu that talks about help.

Dependence by John W. Howell © 2018

The old saying goes,

No person is an island . . .

We value your help.

*

To help make up your mind, here is the blurb.

The earth is under the threat of a catastrophic political event which could result in international warfare and destroy all life on the planet. In heaven, a divine council decides that extraordinary measures are essential. They call for an intervention that involves two souls returning to earth. The chosen two sign a contract that they will work to avert the disaster.

Brad Channing, a Navy SEAL, and Sarah O’Brien, a teacher, become heaven’s representatives on earth. The story follows them as they individually and then together face overwhelming obstacles and eventually end up on a strategic Air Force base in California. It is there that they discover a conspiracy to assassinate the President of the United States. The terrorists have a plan for global dominance, and they are determined to complete their mission. Although military leadership appears to have the President’s best interests at heart, it is not clear who can be trusted and who should be feared. The action is rough and tumble as Brad and Sarah try to figure out the culprits of the plot that will turn into a worldwide conflagration unless stopped.

If you enjoy thrillers, this is one with enough twists and adventure to keep you riveted and guessing. If you like your thriller along with a good romance, Brad and Sarah’s initial attraction and eventual love will sustain you as they live out their heavenly and earthly desires.

Thank you in advance and have a great weekend.

John and Gwen
 

The Lost Bow Blog Tour with P.H.Solomon #RRBC

~ John W. Howell ~ 42 Comments

 

4Wills Publishing

I am pleased to have P.H. Solomon author of The Bow of Destiny visit Fiction Favorites as part of his “The Lost Bow” blog tour by 4WillsPublishing

 

Haunted by his past. Hunted in the present. Uncertain what is real.

 

Athson has seen things that aren’t there and suffered fits since being tragically orphaned as a child at the hands of trolls and Corgren the wizard. When a strange will mentioning a mysterious bow comes into his possession, he’s not sure it’s real. But the trolls that soon pursue him are all too real and dangerous. And what’s worse, these raiders serve Corgren and his master, the hidden dragon, Magdronu, who are responsible for the destruction of his childhood home. Athson is drawn into a quest for the concealed Bow of Hart by the mystic Withling, Hastra, but Athson isn’t always sure what’s real and who his enemies are. With Corgren and Magdronu involved, Athson must face not only frequent danger but his grasp on reality and the reasons behind his tragic past.

 Bow of Destiny

The Bow of Destiny is, at its heart, an adventure quest to find a special bow. Where is it? Who has it? Why is truly special? Is the main character meant to possess it and, if so, to what end?

 

Few people know anything certain about the bow. The Lost Bow Tour leads you on the path to begin finding out all the secrets that lie in The Bow of Destiny. The world of Denaria is open to everyone to begin discovering answers to the questions and enjoy the adventure of this fantasy quest.

 

Wow, you almost got lost in that river! Good thing you brought those floaties – I think they helped. You almost took a Missoua Boat Ride!

 

[https://youtu.be/t-KEnU9TBmQ]

 

Glad you made it though – I really don’t know where that river goes. Oh yes, here’s a towel, stay down, though, you never know if there’s still a troll shooting arrows this way.

 

I’ll let you grab a breath for a few minutes after all that and share some different details about The Bow of Destiny. First, here’s a recent review that I liked from a reader who posted on Amazon:

 

Destiny can be… inconvenient, but is always unavoidable.

 

Without any spoilers, I can only say that the author was wise in his choices. The characters are multi-dimensional, yet true to the tone of the epic fantasy in progress. You will find yourself spending far too much time reading this one, and neglecting other things. But in the end, you’ll have had a ride in a world of magic, and more. The journey to…. but that’s a spoiler, so all I’ll say is that one can almost see the trail, and fear the Trolls.

 

That’s quite nice and one of the best-written reviews I’ve had. Next, here’s the trailer for The Bow of Destiny:

 

 

Here are more nice words for The Bow of Destiny which I received in email from a reader:

 

“I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to step into the magical and special world that you have created. It is a solid and well-crafted work that you should be so thrilled with.”

 

Now to some internet radio interviews I’ve had over the last year:

 

Beyond the Cover on Rave Waves

 

The Magic Happens

 

Speculative Fiction Cantina

 

Also here are a few recent blog appearances:

 

The Thursday Interview

 

Bookwraiths: Tuesday Teaser

 

And one of my favorites on C. S. Boyack’s Lisa Burton Radio (which is actually a great blog series).

 

And now a few last reviews:

 

“I’ve been waiting for this since reading the prequels, and it was well worth the wait.

The author kept enough of the story a mystery until the right time while maintaining an engrossing story full of description and heartfelt love and angst. One of the highlights for me was the way the story started off with Athson having some difficulty before gradually moving away from some of the elements. I would say more, but I don’t want to spoil it. Sorry.

The characters were well written and engaging to the point I felt for Athson and wanted him to tell off Hastra through most of the book. Lol. Even Athson’s growing relationship with Limbreth felt right and was a pleasant change from the usual “fall in love at first sight” that’s common in fantasy. Out of all of the characters, Corgren remains one of my favorites, but he was bumped down to second place by the giant Ralda. Ralda’s complexity added an element that was briefly touched on in a couple of scenes, and I’m curious to see if his character branches off in his own book or series.

Overall, this has become one of my favorite fantasy books, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.”  CP on Amazon

 

“This is P. H. Solomon’s first book in the Bow of Hart Saga and in a word I found it incredible! The story is so rich with different elements that I found myself totally engrossed from the very beginning.

 

The opening perspective was very interesting and unexpected. I would say more, but I hate it when people give away too much of the plot in a review.

 

The action sequences were gripping and written in such a way as to make you feel like you are there with the main character at each twist and turn of the story.

 

I loved the maps of the lands, the different dialects, and races in the story, the use of magic in that it wasn’t overused but rather a wonderful seasoning to the story.

 

It is easy to see the time and attention to detail the author has put into this book. Give this story a try; you will not be disappointed!” Jerry Connell on Amazon

 

“The writing style is great, really enjoyed reading this book. Couldn’t put it down. OK…so book 2?” Malikai on Amazon

That’s all for today, get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow. You might wear something comfortable for climbing tomorrow for our last little adventure. And, uh, make sure you’ve signed the old will and remember you’re on your own here…

Book 1 of The Bow of Hart Saga: The Bow of Destiny can be found at these online retailers: Barnes & Noble, Kobo,  iBooks,  Amazon – Kindle & Smashwords. See the book trailer.

About the Author

PH SOLOMON

  1. P. H. Solomon lives in the greater Birmingham, AL area where he strongly dislikes yard work and sanding the deck rail. However, he performs these duties to maintain a nice home for his loved ones as well as the family’s German Shepherds. In his spare time, P. H. rides herd as a Computer Whisperer on large computers called servers (harmonica not required). Additionally, he enjoys reading, running, most sports and fantasy football. Having a degree in Anthropology, he also has a wide array of more “serious” interests in addition to working regularly to hone his writing. The Bow of Destiny is his first novel-length title with more soon to come.

 

Contact

 

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Pinterest | Google +

Wattpad | Amazon Author | Email

 

Sign-up to receive my free ebooks today.

 

 

PH Solomon books

“The tour sponsored by 4WillsPublishing.wordpress.com.”

Thursday – A Little Personal – The Launch of Tribe of the Snow Tiger

~ John W. Howell ~ 12 Comments

I am using my Thursday – A Little Personal space to announce the Pre-Order Status of another in the Legends of Windemere. The reason I call it personal, I have known Charles from the first book and have participated in each of his launches. So I am so proud to be one of his supporters, and it gives me personal pleasure to help in each launch. Here is the information

Now Available on Amazon for Pre-Order!
Coming to your Kindle on June 1st!

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Timoran Wrath has a shameful secret that is about to see the light of day.

The noble barbarian has always been a constant source of strength and wisdom for his beloved friends. His loyalty has been unwavering, and they know that he would never hesitate to lay down his life for them. Even in their darkest hour, the champions know that Timoran will come through and fight to the bitter end. Now they must return the favor as he reunites with his tribe and willingly faces the executioner’s blade.

Is it possible that the honorable Timoran was nothing more than an illusion?

Don’t forget to add it to your Goodreads ‘To Read’ List too!

Excerpt: The Snow Tiger

Yahoo Image Search
Yahoo Image Search

“The snow is too bright and level for me to see anything clearly,” the barbarian growls. The sound of shuffling and mild cursing draws his attention to Nyx, who has sunk up to her nose in snow. “What are you doing, fire sprite?”

Nyx shivers while squinting into the distance, her eyes coated in bronze energy. “The reason you can’t see anything might be because you’re too tall. I’m trying to see if there’s anything that breaks the level ground. My eyes are enhanced right now, but I don’t . . . wait a second . . . I think there’s something buried out there. A beast of some kind? It’s a very subtle up and down motion that reminds me of something breathing. It just stopped moving, but I don’t know what that means. I’ll lead the way.”

Not waiting for a response, Nyx pushes through the thick snow and uses wind magic to gradually shift the powder out of her path. She does her best to move quietly and avoid disturbing whatever they are approaching, but the crunch of frozen grass beneath her boots makes the half-elf cringe with every step. A violent sneeze threatens to erupt from her nose, stifled quickly by a silence spell around her nostrils. Rubbing at her cold legs, Nyx is thankful when Timoran puts a vest made of black fur over her. The Ifrit hair warms her body and drives away the looming cold that has been brewing in her chest for the last few minutes. With renewed energy, the channeler walks a little faster and adds a simple heat spell to the wind that is steadily clearing the path.

“Wow. Such a beautiful creature,” she whispers when she steps into a circular clearing that surrounds the dead beast.

The enormous snow tiger’s blue and black fur is thick, the hairs sparkling when touched by direct sunlight. It has long incisors of glistening white that jut out of its mouth due to their size and sharpness. A slender tail lies limp in the exposed grass and still twitches as the muscles continue to lose their tension. Powerful legs and massive paws are splayed on the ground, giving the body the appearance of having peacefully died in its sleep. The gaping wound in the gorgeous snow tiger’s side is the only sign of an attack, the surrounding fur matted with aromatic blood.

Timoran’s rage boils when he spots the three cubs that are mewling and pushing against their dead mother. Judging from their size and faint, black stripes, he assumes they are no older than three months. Rusty manacles are attached to their back legs, the chains running to a stake that has been driven into the muddy earth. Restraining his anger, the barbarian moves within reach of the animals and gently breaks the metal bindings that are bruising their ankles. Scared and confused, the cubs cower against the still warm corpse and hiss whenever one of the adventurers comes close. One of the snow tigers bravely charges at Timoran and bites his boot, proudly returning to the others when the towering figure moves away.

Need to catch Legends of Windemere from the beginning? Then click on the covers below!

You can start for FREE . . .

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Or grab the $4.99 ‘3 in 1’ bundles!

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen 3D Conversion by Bestt_graphics
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
3D Conversion by Bestt_graphics
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

 

Also Available:

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Interested in a new adventure? Then grab your Kindle & dive back into the world of Windemere! Don’t forget an apple for Fizzle.

Author PhotoAbout the Author:

Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After his wife decided that she was tired of hearing the same stories repeatedly, she convinced him that it would make more sense to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house under orders to shut up and get to work, Charles brings you Legends of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you, and his wife is happy he finally has someone else to play with.

Blog: www.legendsofwindemere.com
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Facebook: Charles Yallowitz
Website: www.charleseyallowitz.com

 

The “100 THINGS WE ALL WONDER ABOUT NONNIE JULES” Blog Tour Day #4

~ John W. Howell ~ 96 Comments

 

I am very pleased to welcome Nonnie Jules President of Rave Reviews Book Club as part of her The 100 Things We All Wonder About Blog Tour. Nonnie has some special prizes for you.

GIVEAWAYS:
(2) $10 Amazon Gift Cards
(1) $5 Amazon Gift Card
(2) e-book copies of “THE GOOD MOMMIES’ GUIDE…”

ULTIMATE PRIZE GIVEAWAY #1:
Anyone who purchases a copy of “THE GOOD MOMMIES’ GUIDE…” “DAYDREAM’S DAUGHTER, NIGHTMARE’S FRIEND” or “IF ONLY THERE WAS MUSIC” and send to me a copy of the purchase receipt to nonniejules@gmail.com, and also leave a comment along the tour, will get their name entered into a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card! One entry for each book that is purchased, whether in e-book or paperback format. Purchases must take place between 2/14/16 – 2/29/16. If you’ve already purchased all of my books, then feel free to gift a friend, just for the chance to win!!! Spend a little, and you could win a lot!!!

ULTIMATE PRIZE GIVEAWAY #2:
Anyone who reads and posts a review of “THE GOOD MOMMIES’ GUIDE…” “DAYDREAM’S DAUGHTER, NIGHTMARE’S FRIEND” or “IF ONLY THERE WAS MUSIC” and sends the link to their review to nonniejules@gmail.com, will get their name entered into a drawing for a $20 Amazon gift card! One entry for each book read and reviewed. Reviews must be posted between 2/16/16 – 3/15/16 to be placed into the drawing.

Nonnie has agreed to answer some questions about herself and the club so let’s get started.
Q: You are the well-respected President and Founder of the very successful RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB. Tell us why you founded the club and the vision you have for the club going forward?
A: John, that’s a great question and thank you so much for that compliment. Anytime you are referred to as being “well-respected,” I mean, that’s a tough act to follow, but I try my best. I initially founded RAVE REVIEWS BY NONNIE JULES as a way to offer readers an insight into “truthful” reviews. I had been reading so many reviews that were 4 and 5 star raves, that were pure trash (sorry, Bette Stevens) and I couldn’t believe it. I know that some say that “Just because I didn’t like it, doesn’t mean that it’s trash.” There is a word that I would insert here for those that say that and ARE reading pure trash but won’t say so, but I’m not going to use that word, as kids might be reading this interview. What I will say is this…there are some who are true connoisseurs of the written word, and they know when writing is good or bad, and then, there are the others. YES, I SAID THAT! And I didn’t stutter when I did, for those gasping because I had the nerve to say that. So, back to answering the question, I wanted to give those who were truly interested in honest reviews, a place to find those books, listed on my site.
Then, one day in December, I had a thought that I could take this concept a step further by offering a place where others could also feel safe in sharing “very truthful,” honest reviews. That’s when I went after those awesome supporters that I had connected with online (my initial board members: Bruce A. Borders, Shirley Harris-Slaughter, Lynette Creswellyn, Kathryn C. Treat, Beem Weeks, etc.), who I knew would be just as interested in helping authors get more honest reviews, as well as pushing support for others, as that was unimaginable at that time. Hence, we now have the wonderful RRBC!
The vision that I have for RRBC going forward, is to grow the base of supporters that we have now, the truly uber-supporters that we have, into a pool of support so large, that to be a “real” author, you will HAVE TO BE A MEMBER of RRBC. The other ideas that I have for the club, well, John, this question has already turned into a full-page book. I’d advise you all to stay tuned for more of the awesome things my mind cooks up late at night (when I should be sleeping), for RRBC!

Q: If you had to do it all over again what changes would you make in founding RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB?
A: If I had to do this all over again (and thank goodness I don’t!), I would have the wisdom to select a panel of board members from the beginning who were truly worthy of being called to serve the membership of this great club, and I would still have those same board members today, and some I do have. BUT, if I hadn’t kissed a few frogs along the way, as they say, then I wouldn’t have gotten the great group I’m blessed to work with today, like you, John!

Q: Thank you Nonnie. Although you are very busy, what gives you joy when you are not working?
A: I love what I do so much, I love feeling as if I’m being of service to others so much, as that’s not the norm, that question is hard to answer! Now, don’t get me wrong, I love downtime, even more-so now than ever, and I certainly don’t enjoy being overwhelmed, which at this moment I am, but I love my work. I also love my family dearly, because they give me the space to work, but when I’m not working (which is hardly ever), I enjoy writing; I enjoy reading; I enjoy exercising; I enjoy running on my treadmill while I catch up on my episodes of the Young & The Restless, which as of today, I’m on the episode from February 2. I’m not one of those who has to be out. I love my beautiful home. It’s peaceful and serene; most often it’s quiet these days, but honestly, if I didn’t have two of the busiest daughters in the world, I’d stay locked up in my home, writing, reading, and exercising while watching The Real Housewives of anything and Y&R!
Q: What is your personal motto and how did it become so?
A: John, I have so many and you can find most of them on my site at www.BooksByNonnie.wordpress.com (under Quotes by Nonnie). My personal favorite, which is being used all over the world by individuals and sites such as Shiny Quote, Best Quotes Library, Quoting.com, and organizations such as Spotlight Youth Theatre, AnonymousGood.org, and is also noted on a list of famous quotes with The Pope, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Ghandi, is “A tiny spark ignites a flame, just as a helping hand can do the same.” I live by that. I truly believe that for us to be successful, we have to push each other, stand on each other’s shoulders and lift each other up as we climb. Not the opposite.
You know, when I first started in this business, it was so hard trying to get others to help me, or even to answer questions for me. I guess they were all of the mindset that we had to be in competition with one another. But, that was OK, because a lot of what I learned, I taught myself. I remember wanting to go on a blog tour, and almost everyone that I asked turned me down. One even tipped into my DM on Twitter and said basically that I was new here, and it wasn’t appropriate for me to go around asking for help the way that I was. She said “I’ve been here a long time, and you have to pay your dues here before anyone will help you.” Basically, in her mind, I was a nobody, and no one knew my name so no one would help me. I thought “Really?” Well, a while ago, she applied for membership to RRBC, and of course, got her name on our roster, did nothing for anyone else, actually, we never heard from her since the day she joined, and then she left. The irony of that story is, I’m sure lots of folks know the name Nonnie Jules now, and for the life of me, even if I tried, I couldn’t recall her name to share it with you. We must all remember, the same faces you step on climbing to the top, are the same faces you’ll see on your way falling down. “There are only two classes of people, the movers and shakers and the sitters and takers” ~ Nonnie Jules original

Q: If you could grant your followers one gift, what would it be?
A: If I could grant my followers a gift, only one, it would be a lifetime of love, happiness and the feeling of joy that overwhelms you when you take the focus off you for a while and put it on someone else. Those would be my gifts, all wrapped up in one! Thanks so much for having me, John!
To follow Nonnie’s tour to get more of your questions answered, please visit her Blog Tour Page on the 4WillsPub site http://wp.me/P43s9i-FEw. Thanks for stopping by today and good luck on winning some of these great prizes!

CONTACT NONNIE VIA:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/nonniejules
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BooksByNonnie
Blogs: www.nonniewrites.wordpress.com , www.BooksByNonnie.wordpress.com & www.AskTheGoodMommy.wordpress.com

 

Nonnie’s Books

 

TRAILER:
“THE GOOD MOMMIES’ GUIDE TO RAISING (ALMOST) PERFECT DAUGHTERS,” https://youtu.be/zg15rptFN2g

 

 

“DAYDREAM’S DAUGHTER, NIGHTMARE’S FRIEND,”

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/qbUK3XQ5-dA

“SUGARCOATIN’ IS FOR CANDY & PACIFYIN’ IS FOR KIDS,”

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/fQBnt0wix88

“IF ONLY THERE WAS MUSIC,”

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/g2gNns8ZVFI

Volunteer is as Volunteer Does- My GRL Book Launch-Correct e-mail address.

~ John W. Howell ~ 21 Comments
My GRL front cover
My GRL front cover

Due to some problem that I have yet to understand; It seems the auto fill feature on WordPress changed my e-mail to my blog name. I think I have it corrected, but my post last Friday http://wp.me/p2Qoij-Wa had an incorrect e-mail included which I did not pick up before being published. The post has been corrected. If you wanted to volunteer and got your message kicked back, here is the correct e-mail:  johnhowell.wave@gmail.com.

For all of you resourceful people who figured it out, I remain truly grateful for your help.

Please accept my apology for any extra work you had to do.

I will be mailing out the schedule and material on the 16th. If there is anything you would like to feature on my post in addition to your blog please let me know.