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How it works:

1. The nominee should visit the award site (http://foodstoriesblog.com/illuminating-blogger-award/) and leave a comment indicating that they have been nominated and by whom. (This step is so important because it’s the only way that we can create a blogroll of award winners).
2. The nominee should thank the person that nominated them by posting & including a link to their blog.
3. Share one random thing about yourself in your blog post.
4. Select at least five other bloggers that you enjoy reading their illuminating, informative posts and nominate them for the award.
5. Notify your nominees by leaving a comment on their blog, including a link to the award site (http://foodstoriesblog.com/illuminating-blogger-award/).

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Random thing about me:

I read several books at once, and am rarely without a way to read.

The five blogs I nominate are:

1. Cambria Hebert

2. Indie Book Blog

3. Unwritten

4. Bill Talcott

5. Fighting the Good Fight

Authors:           Kfir Luzzatto & Yonatan Luzzatto

Release Date:  June 1, 2012

Publisher:       PINE TEN, LLC

Formats:          Paperback, Kindle, Smashwords

ISBN:                   978-1-938212-08-6 (Print Edition)

Cover Art:      Laura Givens

Back Cover Blurb:

Max fears that his family will disapprove of his friendship with Darla, a common girl from the village outside his uncle’s fortress walls. That’s why they meet secretly to read together from an old book, which she has found in a dusty room near the fortress laundry where she works.

They read about a lost lake and feel adventurous when they slip out of the fortress to go swimming there; but the trouble begins when they find that, in the meantime, the fortress has been sealed and they can’t get back in. It’s lucky that they have the book with them, to guide them through the many dangers that await them on their way back home…or perhaps it is the book that is the source of their troubles.

In the end, it is the power of the friendship that Darla and Max have forged, and their courage, that see them through a series of breathtaking adventures.

Written by an award-winning author and his teenage son, this book is a light read for kids aged 12 to 96.

About the authors:

Kfir Luzzatto was born and raised in Italy, and moved to Israel as a teenager. He acquired the love for the English language from his father, a former U.S. soldier, a voracious reader and a prolific writer. Kfir has a PhD in chemical engineering and works as a patent attorney. He lives in Omer, Israel, with his full-time partner, Esther, their four children, Michal, Lilach, Tamar and Yonatan, and the dog Elvis.

Kfir has published extensively in the professional and general press over the years. For almost four years he wrote a weekly “Patents” column in Globes (Israel’s financial newspaper). His non-fiction book, THE WORLD OF PATENTS, (a not-so-boring tale of what patents are about, in Hebrew) was published in 2002 by Globes Press. He is the author of several short stories but now mostly writes full-length fiction. His first novel, CROSSING THE MEADOW was published by Echelon Press (October 2003) and was voted “BEST HORROR NOVEL” in the 2003 Preditors & Editors Readers Poll.

Kfir is an HWA (Horror Writers Association) and ITW (International Thriller Writers) member and also serves on the editorial board of The Harrow Press as Anthology Editor. His second novel, THE ODYSSEY GENE, was published by Echelon Press (July 2006) and was a finalist in the Indie Excellence 2007 Book Awards. He got the inspiration for his new thriller, “THE EVELYN PROJECT”, from an in-depth research into the family archives.
You can visit Kfir’s web site and read his blog at www.kfirluzzatto.com. Follow him on Twitter (@KfirLuzzatto).

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At press time Yonatan Luzzatto is in high-school…at least, when he can make time for it. He is a competitive swimmer, plays the piano and is addicted to Chopin.

Yonatan got tricked by his father into reading when he was too young to resist, which severely cut into his Facebook time. His work on creating HAVE BOOK – WILL TRAVEL has helped him understand the magic of reading and he recommends the experience to every teenager.

Yet Arin never quits moving forward, and though he is under the constant threat of the invader, he never allows a morsel of respite to be taken for himself, or for the enemy.

Arin is changing. Due to the demon blood from the tainted katana and then from Shenmaru, his quest for vengeance takes a turn towards survival – not for himself, but from those he once lived with in the town of Sunnfal. Desperate to get away before killing someone, Arin takes his tortured body into the surrounding forest. Still wanting to rid the world of demons, he slaughters any he find, while the mysterious man, Vail, brings word of Arin’s deeds to the Council.

Continuing where Session 01 left off and containing much of the same qualities of the previous book, Session 02 expands upon the cast of characters. The mysterious man, Vail, has a larger part to play in this story than first hinted at, and Arin meets another interesting creature that he calls Regret. The world continues to expand, the artwork lending visually to the action portrayed. Still, the ending isn’t really an end, but more like a beginning to the bigger plot arch.

Quick and manga-esque, Carbon follows one man’s quest for vengeance that changes into his quest for saving his people from the monsters of the world – including the one he’s becoming.

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And so, it has been this way for the humans dwelling inside the ancient cities of Terra for well over five hundred years.

Arin has one of the most dangerous jobs in the city: collecting wood, stones, and anything else of use from the banks of the Orchid River. Still, he is happy and he makes enough to support his small family. Until, on his son’s 9th birthday, his life changes in ways he never imagined. Now, he’s on a warpath for revenge, battling demons – both inside his head and in his world.

While the world is vividly detailed and the pictures that are interspersed are masterfully done, the characterization fell a little flat. Arin is very single-minded in his quest for revenge, ignoring what could be helpful advice from a stranger to go after the demons that ransack his town. He also doesn’t question the interesting cloak that magically appears – he simply accepts it and moves forward. Also, there wasn’t a satisfying ending, but since this is made to read as a series, it would seem that Session 02 will pick up where this one left off.

Carbon introduces the reader to a world with plenty of untapped depth and tosses Arin into a fast-paced and bloody battle of revenge. The maps and artwork accurately depict the action of the story, adding a level of intimacy to the writing.

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To celebrate our astounding success with our free days on Amazon with “Forgotten” by Doug Lucas, GMTA has decided to release a sequel called “Buzz Words” by the same author. For those of you that read “Forgotten” and would like to know what happens to C.W. and Manny, pick up “Buzz Words” for free as we do a combination Release with Immediate Free Days on Amazon!

May 30th – 31st

“Buzz Words” will be free on Amazon! See the badge below for more details and get your free copy!

Behind the words

Often when I sit down to write I’ll bring my story up on the screen and at first glance it is just pages of words. Hit Ctrl + End and I’m where I left off yesterday. I go back a couple of paragraphs just to be sure I approve of what I wrote the last time I sat down at it. That’s when the images begin to develop.

Behind the words I see the faces and hear the dialog between my characters. I can feel their joy and happiness when things are going right for them. I can also feel the pain of their losses and tragedies. I know their fears and their realities. Realities? Yes, during these moments, it is all that exists.

During conversations, I am there participating in all sides of it. Does that make me crazy? No, don’t answer that. When you think about it though, you are formulating both sides of any argument between characters and you have feelings one way or another about the current topic of that conversation. Okay, I am crazy, or perhaps there are just those of us who can see both sides of the coin. Yeah, that’s it.

Conflict? Without conflict things would be rather bland. It is an aspect of our everyday lives and what makes a story so juicy. Like squeezing a ripe lemon, it sprays all over the place and gets everything all sticky. Then you have one hell of a mess to clean up. But because of it, you have a story that is convincing and riveting. As the writer of that story you are a part of that conflict. Hell, you have created that conflict and for some of us with just the right egos, that makes us Gods.

As a Writer or even a Reader, what do you see Behind the Words?

Bill Talcott is an everyday guy who has decided to try his hand at writing. He is the Author of The Mission and is currently working on the Shield of Health, the second book in the series, Remnants of the Past. He also has other projects on the back burner and is looking forward to becoming rich and famous soon. He would one day like to be rich enough to own and drive a Bugatti. Bill Talcott also finds it amusing to talk about himself in the third person.

You can find Bill all over the place but here are some links anyways.

Bill Talcott’s Blog

Bill’s OFFICIAL site

The Mission @ Amazon

The Mission @ Smashwords

Bill on Facebook

@BillTalcott on Twitter

Dear Discerning Readers,

Everything you read, see or imagine is not always good for you! You must discern what things you let into your mind and what things you don’t let into your mind. Of course you have free choice so it is up to you but you might want to consider what is good for your mind and what is not good for your mind. “Your mind is more important than you know” ~ Dr. Mike Murdock. Your mind is more important than your body, your friends or your family. If you don’t take care of your mind you can’t take care of anybody! Again, when you start taking care of your mind by knowing what is good for your mind and what is not good for your mind then you can take care of yourself and others.

In my book 10 Powerful Tips for Training Unstoppable Children I talk about discernment.  Chapter 7 of my book is titled “Discernment the Unstoppable Revealer of the Enemy and His Lies.”  In this chapter I talk about the true enemy of your soul! This enemy is not made of flesh and blood but is in the form of a spirit! The Bible, which is the true word of God says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.” (Ephesians 6:12). You must know who these spiritual enemies are and then steer clear of them.

Who is the enemy of your soul?  You can discern who is on your side and who is not on your side by their actions. You do not want to be cooperating with a spirit or spirits who hate you, who want to steal from you, and who want to destroy your very life.  The Bible says this is the actions of the enemy – (he)”…comes only to steel, kill, and destroy…” (John 10:10).  This enemy wants to kill you in the end and will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.  The Bible also says that the enemy “…is a liar” John 8:44.  Have you been trusting a spirit who has been whispering sweet little lies into your ear!  Ask God to show you the truth and He will if you are honest and really want to know who you are dealing with in the spirit realm.  But be careful, you might not like what you hear at first. Try to push through the doubt the fear and dread to learn the truth.  This knowledge is important and may save you a lot of trouble and heartache!

I have personally encountered spirits who wanted to destroy me and have won!  There was one spirit who wanted to steel my marriage, my peace and have me kill myself!! But I resisted him like the Bible states, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). When you resist you must run to a safe place. To a spirit that is on your side.  I trust in Jesus and I am connected to the one spirit who is on my side – the Holy Spirit. This is the spirit of the one and true living God and He has shown me things in the spirit realm that has brought me great peace and joy throughout my life. If you want to be in contact with the spirit I am talking about, just read the Bible.  Believe that Jesus is real and cry out to God.  If you do believe, He will answer you.  The Bible says, “…know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).  You will be free to live, free to love and free for life.

Copyright ©2012 by Patti Gibble – All Rights Reserved.

Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishers, Inc., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506.  All rights reserved

Today on the Making Connections Book Tour, I have an excerpt from Michael Myer’s new book, “Deadly Eyes,” a murder mystery set in the Caribbean.

DEADLY EYES by Michael Meyer

SYNOPISIS:

 A HAUNTING CARIBBEAN MYSTERY

James Cuffy, better known as Cuff, is living in paradise with his girlfriend, on the small Caribbean island of St. Croix, where the sky is as blue as Cuff’s eyes, the ocean as pretty as Rosie’s cheeks, where the gentle lapping of the waves is a lullaby, and the swaying of the palm trees is a dance. The sandy beaches are as white as sugar, and the horizon is a world away. St. Croix indeed is paradise, the perfect place for living, laughing, and loving. 

But the sandy beaches and the turquoise sea can provide no cover from the deadly eyes of the unknown stalker pursuing Cuff. Murder leads to murder as he attempts to untangle the terrible web in which he has suddenly become entangled.

The twists and turns are relentless, the roads of the fast action leading in all directions, but time is running out, and Cuff, his faithful Rosie at his side, knows it.

TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWLBtVDUdC4

EXCERPT of DEADLY EYES:

These were not naked eyes, for the distance between these eyes and the beach bar at Cathy’s Fancy was too great for the naked eye to discern who was who. No, these eyes had planned meticulously. The eyes were glued to a pair of terribly expensive and unbelievably powerful Swarovski Optik binoculars. The balcony on which they now worked, taking in the scene before them, was the perfect place to see but not be seen. The powerful binoculars saw to that.

The distance, the palm trees, and the rays of the sun all helped. The position had been hand picked, after careful consideration. Every angle had been considered, and, one by one, they had all been discarded for one reason or another until this very spot, the perfect place to observe while not being observed, had been selected.

Yes, the eyes had seen it all. The eyes had seen precisely what they had hoped to see. They were like a master puppeteer.  They planned, controlled, and observed, but from a safe distance. They did not miss a trick.

The eyes. The deadly eyes of St. Croix.

A Little about Me

            I have resided in and have visited many places in the world, all of which have contributed in some way to my own published writing. I have literally traveled throughout the world, on numerous occasions. I have lived in Finland, Germany, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, on the island of St. Croix, where DEADLY EYES is set. I gained the wanderlust to see the world, to experience other cultures, at an early age, and this desire has never left me. If anything, it has only gained in intensity as I have aged. I try to travel internationally at least once a year. In the interim, I spend lots of time traveling around both my home state of California and other nearby states.

I spent my early years in the small town of Lone Pine, California, the home of almost every western movie, in addition to a wide variety of other genres, made in the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s. In fact, Hollywood still films parts of big-time movies there today. My dad, the town’s lifeguard at the time, personally knew John Wayne, Lloyd Bridges, and Lee Marvin, all of whom came to the town’s pool, the Memorial Plunge, at times to cool off after a hectic day of working in the sun. I was even an extra in a movie filmed there in 1957, MONOLITH MONSTERS, a B-cult favorite even today. I was ten years old at the time. Even though I resided in a small town hours from the big city, I was exposed to the excitement of action and heroes at a formative age, and, thus, my interest in writing novels of suspense such as DEADLY EYES was born.

As a recent retiree from a forty-year career as a professor of writing, I now live in Southern California wine country with my wife, Kitty, and our two other cats.

BOOK LINK: http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Eyes-ebook/dp/B007IO3O22/ref=lp_B005E7M8CW_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335801699&sr=1-1

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:

Amazon author’s site: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Meyer/e/B005E7M8CW/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/674626.Mike_Meyer

Facebook writers’s site: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelMeyersWritingLife/app_191387770912394

Don’t mistake me for a lady, old man, or that might be the last mistake you’ll ever make.

Aria has been searching for her brother for several weeks when she finds out he’s been taken prisoner by the Queen. In her desperation to bring back her only family member, Aria places her trust in Bikkar after he aids in her escape of the guards. They head to the seat of the throne, only to find Aria’s brother has been put under the spell of the Black Orb, leaving him a mindless husk intent on serving the Queen. To rid the world of the Queen’s rule, Aria and Bikkar travel to the end of the kingdom in search of the Dragon Claw, a magical item to break the Black Orb – and her only hope at getting her brother back.

While the world was very detailed, the characters were very simple. Aria only wants her brother back, and repeats this often. There were few minor characters that could have been developed further that would have helped flush out the story, yet Aria was a strong character and Bikkar was a nice compliment to her. The writing was very smooth: the places Aria and Bikkar went seemed to come alive. The ending, while nice and tidy, felt abrupt or forced, the climax too-quickly resolved.

With wonderful descriptions of the surrounding world and enough action to keep the plot moving nicely, The Black Orb is a quick fantasy story that readers can get lost within its pages.

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If you start doubting what the book says, we may as well go back now…

Max has been sent to his uncle’s fortress to continue his studies while his mother attends to a dying friend. While exploring the castle, Max finds an old storage room. Intent on avoiding his studies, he begins searching all of the chests in the room, only to one day find a young girl, Darla, reading a book. Soon, they both pass the time reading about the grand adventures in the book and dreaming of going on their own. So, when Max is forbidden to go back into the room, he prepares to do just that, taking Darla with him. But when the castle is besieged, the two friends have to find a way to get back home.

Once the two figure out the secret of the book, the story picks up a bit. In their efforts to go back home, Max and Darla are transported to two different worlds. While the worlds weren’t as fleshed out as they could have been, the fast-paced adventure kept the story moving forward, and the bond between Max and Darla developed as they endeavored to stay together and find the way home.

Fairly well-developed and adventurous, Have Book, Will Travel is a light read great for younger readers, full of mystery, magic, and friendship.

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