BOOK LAUNCH ON THURSDAY NIGHT – COME OUT WITH ME for the LAUNCH OF “DISFIGURED” by AMANDA LEDUC in Hamilton, Ontario

Exciting News

DISFIGURED

By: AMANDA LEDUC

Book Launch for Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability and Making Space by Amanda Leduc.

Join Amanda Leduc for the launch of Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability and Making Space. Sarah Jama co-founder of the Disability Justice Network of Ontario (DJNO), an organization committed to building the political and community power of people with disabilities, will be moderating.

Disfigured challenges the ableism of fairy tales and offers new ways to celebrate the magic of all bodies. In fairy tales, happy endings are the norm – as long as you’re beautiful and walk on two legs. After all, the ogre never gets the princess. And since fairy tales are the foundational myths of our culture, how can a girl with a disability ever think she’ll have a happy ending?

By examining the ways that fairy tales have shaped our expectations of disability, Disfigured will point the way toward a new world where disability is no longer a punishment or impediment but operates, instead, as a way of centering a protagonist and helping them to cement their own place in a story, and from there, the world. Through the book, Leduc ruminates on the connections we make between fairy tale archetypes – the beautiful princess, the glass slipper, the maiden with long hair lost in the tower – and tries to make sense of them through a twenty-first-century disablist lens. From examinations of disability in tales from the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen through to modern interpretations ranging from Disney to Angela Carter, and the fight for disabled representation in today’s media, Leduc connects the fight for disability justice to the growth of modern, magical stories, argues for increased awareness and acceptance of that which is other – helping us to see and celebrate the magic inherent in different bodies.

Amanda Leduc’s essays and stories have appeared in publications across Canada, the US, and the UK. She is the author of the novels The Miracles of Ordinary Men and the forthcoming The Centaur’s Wife . She has cerebral palsy and lives in Hamilton, Ontario, where she works as the Communications Coordinator for the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD), Canada’s first festival for diverse authors and stories.

Event Details:

Wednesday, February 12 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
First Unitarian Church, 170 Dundurn Street South, Hamilton, ON

Admission is free, all are welcome
The Unitarian Church has wheelchair accessible entry and wheelchair accessible washrooms. Accessible parking is available on either side of the entrance doors. For more accessibility information on the venue, please visit their website.
https://uuhamilton.ca

Please note that the venue is a nut-free and scent-free space.

………………..

PARKING

Ample car parking is available for most people in our own parking lot with additional space available at the Fortino’s plaza nearby at Dundurn and Main.

Parking spots for differently-abled are reserved near both doors.
……………………………

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR FREE TICKETS FOR THE BOOK LAUNCH.

To learn more about Amanda Leduc, visit the following links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

FACEBOOK

ONE NURSE UNIVERSE by Susan Turnage, R.N. is a memoir written as a collection of tales of her 30 years as a nurse. Heart-warming, Heart-Breaking and Absolutely Hilarious – An awesome mix of stories you won’t want to miss

Title:ONE NURSE UNIVERSE

Subtitle: RECOLLECTIONS FROM THE BEDSIDE

Author: SUSAN TURNAGE, R.N.

Genre: NON-FICTION, BIOGRAPHIES AND MEMOIRS, HEALTH CARE

Length: 281 PAGES

Publisher: DOG EAR PUBLISHING

Received From: NETGALLEY

Release Date: JUNE 10, 2019

ISBN: 9781457567421

Rating: 4.5 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

*

DESCRIPTION:

My occupational memoir reveals one nurse’s bedside observations on where nurses come from, how we are educated, treated in the workplace and how we learn to do what can never be taught in a curriculum. When a patient vomits explosively onto your chest how you may unexpectedly vomit right back. How to explain to a deaf patient where a suppository goes while an audience of staff and visitors listen in from the hallway. How to collect your thoughts and make a plan when you arrive for a home care visit to find your elderly confused patient has ingested a full bottle of liquid laxative and left evidence of those results all over the walls, floor and Barco lounger in the home. It is where medical science meets nursing artistry. Where technology meets humanity. Where hearts open and wounds heal. Through selected vignettes, I recognize modern nurses’ courage to lean into discomfort and hard emotions. I acknowledge the power they hold in their healing hands and throw forward a lifeline of hope to renew their faith and joy in their vocation. And to my many non-nurse readers, come experience a nurse’s day; what we see, feel, hear and touch. Have a peek behind the bedside curtain.

MY REVIEW:

ONE NURSE UNIVERSE is a collection of anecdotes written by a retired registered nurse. These short stories run the gamut from heart wrenching and heart breaking to hilarious.

For a debut author to so skillfully write stories from her own life, it takes a knack for storytelling as well as an innate knowledge of which details need to be included and which can be left out.

I very much enjoyed the stories Nurse Susan has included in this memoir, and, as was inferred by the author, she no doubt has many more tales to tell. I hope this means that she is already working on her next collection of true stories. If so, I know I will definitely buy a copy.

I admit to being a bit thrown off by the cover, but once I discovered it was a picture drawn many years ago by her son (at age six) it made perfect sense as to why she chose to use that illustration for her book cover. Unfortunately, that might not be apparent to potential readers and I worry it might put them off. If so, they will miss out on a terrific anthology.

I rate ONE NURSE UNIVERSE as 4.5 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

****Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book****

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Susan Turnage is an RN, E-RYT200, RYT500, and a CYN- Certified YogaNurse®. She has clinical nursing experience in pediatric oncology, pediatric head injury, corrections, home health and case management.

She teaches weekly healing mat and chair yoga classes in her local communities of New Kent and Charles City, Virginia, to a multiethnic population of all abilities.

Susan also works as an art conservation technician, is a volunteer for the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences as a game fish tagger, is an instructor in a yoga teacher training program, creates one of a kind, themed jewelry, is a driftwood sculptor and a writer.

Her husband is an artist who creates porcelain pottery and is also a gardening guru and fishing enthusiast.

She has 2 treasured sons and an elderly German Shepherd.

To learn more about this author, visit the following links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE
http://susanturnagebooks.com

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KINGDOM OF SALT & SIRENS Boxed Set Released TODAY – Blitz Post & Giveaway

Kingdom of Salt & Sirens Boxed Set
Publication date: March 5th 2019
Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Young Adult

The Little Mermaid but not as you remember it…

Beneath the turbulent seas, beyond the smokey depths, lies a Kingdom that exists in your wildest imagination. A world where mermaids swim, sirens sing and shipwrecks hide mysterious creatures.

Make waves with our 11 magical retellings of the timeless classic, The Little Mermaid.

Dive into a world filled with adventure, love and magic!

One click now for your happily ever after.

Authors include:

J.A Armitage

R. Castro

Jennifer Ellision

Mira Crest

K.M Pyne

Laura Greenwood

Jacque Stevens

Scarlett Kol

Anne Stryker

Nikki Landis

Tracy Korn

Goodreads / Amazon

—

SNEAK PEEKS:

Balanced Scales by Laura Greenwood:

“What happens at the end of your version of the story?”

I shrugged. “Much the same as in your version, I guess. She falls in love with the Prince, he with her, they get married and live happily ever after.”

Erickson’s face fell. “That’s not the same as our version,” he responded. “Ours is a lot more sinister. She loses her chance to marry the Prince. When her sisters find out, they barter for a dagger. The mermaid could return to the sea if she stabbed the Prince through the heart with it.”

I shuddered. “That’s horrible. Did she do it?” If she had, then maybe it would explain why humans seemed to be so against the mer.

“No. She turned into sea foam and disappeared into the air. Some versions say she’s taken pity on by some sylphs and became one of them.”

“Sylphs?” I’d never heard of them and had no idea what he meant. They certainly weren’t part of the stories I’d been told as a child.

“I don’t know how to explain them. They’re made of air and hang around in the atmosphere.”

“And what do they do to her?”

“I’m not sure. In our version of the story, mermaids don’t have souls. When they die they turn to sea foam and just cease to exist.”

I laughed lightly as we turned down another street. “I can assure you, that’s not what it’s like.”

“I guessed. You can’t have a soul stolen if you didn’t have one to begin with.”

“Which do you think is the true version of the story?” My words came out barely above a whisper. Part of me didn’t want to ask at all. Especially if it would mean he said he thought his version was the right one. If that was true, then how had my people gotten souls to begin with…

“Neither. I think it’s nothing more than a story. Each side will tell it the way that puts their own people in the best light. Just like with every other legend like that.”

“I suppose…” Though I didn’t like to think of the mermaid I’d heard so much about as nothing more than fiction. She’d been an inspiration to so many young mer who wanted adventure. Not so much on land, but out in the open sea.

“You never know, maybe one day they’ll be telling our story like they do hers,” he said jovially.

—

From The Little Monster by Jennifer Ellision:

“Wait!” The little human lurched forward, a single hand outstretched, the other anchored firmly to the ship’s railing. It swallowed as the little monster raised a brow to her. The hand fell lamely back to her side.

“I… don’t even know your name.”

“Name?”

“What are you called?”

“I don’t understand.” What was she called? She was a predator, a hunter, a Mordgris, a…

“I am a monster,” she said simply.

“You’re all monsters,” the human breathed. “But you’re not quite like the rest. How am I to call you and you alone?”

Her. Alone.

A thrill spiked through the little monster. Why hadn’t she thought of this before? She deserved her own name. She was the best of her kind. There was nothing in the sea that could best her except, perhaps, the sea itself. And that made choosing a name simple.

“You may call me Mara,” she said.

“Mara,” the human repeated slowly. “Mara… for the sea?”

Another thrill surged within her as she nodded, knowing the word belonged only to her. The little human had understood the meaning instantly. In a way that prey was not meant to understand its hunter.

“I am Amista,” she said, lifting her full lower scales to cross the bottoms of her fins and bob on deck. “And it has been a pleasure to meet you, Mara.”

Mara dove back into the cool embrace of the sea, feeling Amista’s eyes on her back as she swam away.

The little monster had become Mara.

The little human had become Amista.

GIVEAWAY!

Win a Mermaid Prize Pack – Click below to enter:

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SLASH OF CRIMSON by Carl R. Moore BLOG TOUR

About the author: CARL R. MOORE lives in upstate New York with his wife Sarah and two daughters, Maddy and Izzy. His fiction has appeared in numerous other magazines and anthologies. When he’s not writing or working the night shift, he enjoys playing guitar and walking miles through the woods. News and contact information can be found on his website, www.carlrmoore.com

Book Synopsis for Slash of Crimson and Other Tales:

SLASH OF CRIMSON AND OTHER TALES offers two novellas and six short stories that combine an intoxicating mix of horror, crime noir, and alt-mythology. Its title story spins a dark maritime yarn about Drew Aldrin, a young guitarist and street rough, who takes a harrowing journey with a red-eyed beauty who claims she’s from Atlantis. The half-dozen brutal and sardonic short stories that follow tell of lost souls tortured by demons and far worse. The final novella, Torn from the Devil’s Chest, serves unsuspecting Sociology student Lyla Banes a deliciously disturbing feast of deception and trust-destroying lust. Indulge yourself in a collection that guarantees to thrill the senses while it shocks the nerves
Author Links:

website: www.carlrmoore.com
twitter: @carlrmoore
Tour Schedule and Activities

2/27 MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape http://mylifemybooksmyescape.wordpress.com Author Interview
2/28 Amie’s Book Reviews http://Amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com Review
2/28 Book in the Bag bookinthebag.wordpress.com Interview
2/28 Armand Rosamilia, Author http://armandrosamilia.com Guest Post
3/1 I Smell Sheep http://www.ismellsheep.com/ Guest Post
3/2 Sheila’s Guests and Reviews http://sheiladeeth.blogspot.com Guest Post

MY REVIEW WILL BE POSTED IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS!

TERROR OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER by PERRIN BRIAR is FREE on Amazon right now & well worth reading

Title: TERROR OF THE LONG-DISTANCE RUNNER

Author: PERRIN BRIAR

Genre: FICTION, HORROR

Length: 60 PAGES

Publisher: AMAZON DIGITAL SERVCES

Type of Book: EBOOK

Release Date: JANUARY 4, 2018

Price: CURRENTLY FREE ON AMAZON

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

DESCRIPTION:

Athlete Beth once ran for glory, now she runs for her own survival.

The undead can run, and run fast. They do not tire, do not slow, do not rest. And they never stop. Ever.

Beth is alone on a quiet country road, a zombie on her tail. With an injured knee and safety more than ten miles away, can she make it? Or will she be the zombie’s victory dinner?

Second place is dead last…

MY REVIEW:

Before the EMP pulse that crippled humanity, and the zombie virus that flourished in its aftermath, Beth was a long-distance runner, and a damned good one.

Ha! Ha! “Damned,” how appropriate for this story.

The story begins with Beth running down a country road. Chasing her is a zombie, a very fast zombie.

Beth’s philosophy had always been: “The second you showed weakness to your opponent was the moment you were doomed.” She is determined to outrun the zombie, but is hampered by an injured knee.

This race has dire consequences if she loses.

Even though this is only a short story, I enjoyed it very much. The ending will surprise most readers which I think is awesome.

I rate this story as 4 out of 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Perrin Briar was born in Huntingdon, in the UK. He has worked as a bookie, salesman, factory hand and stock counter. He eventually got into TV and worked on various shows in the production and development departments. He currently teaches English in South Korea.

The Blood Memory books involve a group surviving at sea in a zombie-infested post-apocalyptic world. The first book follows Jordan Grant, who wakes up knowing nothing about the virus or the world as it now is. During the first season Jordan unlocks key memories in his past that have a dramatic effect on the world now.

The Z-Minus Trilogy follows Chris and Maisie, a father and daughter with a bad relationship. Unlike other zombie books, in this series the virus takes eight hours to spread throughout the host’s body. In the first book Chris uses this time to get his daughter somewhere safe. In the second book Maisie is infected and Chris must get her to the cure. The final episode sees Chris taking Maisie to the research vessel where they can harvest the cure from her.

The Swiss Family RobinZOM series is a tongue-in-cheek zombie apocalypse based on the original Johann Wyss stories.

He now lives in South Korea.

To learn more about this author, visit the following links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE
https://www.perrinbriar.com

GOODREADS

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THINGS SHE COULD NEVER HAVE by Tehmina Khan is a story collection featuring characters who are usually ignoredin modern literature. It’s a MUST READ!

Title: THINGS SHE COULD NEVER HAVE

Author: TEHMINA KHAN

Genre: FICTION, SHORT STORY COLLECTION, LGBTQ, MULTICULTURAL FICTION, DIVERSITY, CANADIAN LITERATURE

Length: 121 PAGES

Publisher: MAWENZI HOUSE

Type of Book: SOFTCOVER

Received From: THE PUBLISHER

Release Date: OCTOBER 2017

ISBN: 978-1-988449-14-2

Price: $20.95 CDN

Rating: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

DESCRIPTION:

Accomplished, sensitive, and often disturbing, these stories take us into the lives of modern Pakistanis—privileged and poor, gay, trans, and straight, men and women, in Karachi and Toronto.

“Whisperings of the Devil” takes us into the mind of a mistreated maidservant’s boy who gets seduced into the role of a suicide bomber.

In “To Allah We Pray,” two privileged and educated young men, one of them home from Toronto, gallivant through the streets of Karachi, finally walking into a doomed mosque.

“Things She Could Never Have” is a love story about two young trans women living in Karachi.

“Born on the First of July” opens the door into the home of a Toronto girl who has left to join ISIS and the devastated family she leaves behind.

“The First” will astonish many readers by its depiction of sexual encounters of young college girls in Pakistan.

These and other stories link us into the complexities of a sometimes troubled and often misrepresented Muslim society.

MY REVIEW:

I am aware that the stories contained within this wonderfully written collection are fiction, but it is all too easy to see that they contain at least a degree of truth.

First-time author TEHMINA KHAN has crafted tales that are so believable that you will find yourself wondering if some of them are actually non-fiction. This is the mark of a truly talented writer.

In the story, BORN ON THE FIRST OF JULY, parents of a Canadian born young woman are shocked when she leaves to join ISIS. They “…become news junkies… [and] scour the internet for news on ISIS, Syria, Iraq, and Turkey.” “For us, she dies again and again. She is reborn again and again. There is nothing as cruel as hope.” She has taken a topic that is taboo and somehow made it relatable. Great job!

All of the stories in this collection are wonderfully written and will entrance the reader. This book was impossible to put down and I found myself thinking about each of the tales, long after I finished reading them.

Tehmina Khan has given a voice to those people whom modern day literature shuns and ignores. From transgender youth to Muslim women, readers are sure to read about characters they might otherwise never encounter. It is story collections like this one that are necessary now more than ever before.

I rate this book as 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and I highly recommend it. Tehmina Khan may be new to the publishing world, but I am sure we will be hearing more about her in the near future.

*Thank you to Mawenzi House Publishing for providing me with a free copy of this book.*

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tehmina Khan was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and holds degrees from Kinnaird College, Lahore, and Faculté des Sciences Humaines et Sociales de Tunis.

She has her home in Toronto, where she lives with her husband, two children, and a cat. She is currently working on a novel.

To learn more about this author, visit the following links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

BLOG

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PUBLISHER’S WEBSITE

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER:

Mawenzi House is dedicated to bringing to the reading public fresh new writing from Canada and across the world that reflects the diversity of our rapidly globalizing world, particularly in Canada and the United States.

Our focus is on works that can loosely be termed “multicultural” and particularly those that pertain to Asia and Africa. We publish 6-8 titles of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction (literary criticism, history) per year.

Among our achievements: we have played a role in the formulation of the Indo-Caribbean identity through the publication of several ground-breaking titles; we have kept in print books by major Caribbean writers Sam Selvon, Ismith Khan, and John Stewart; we have published provocative and perceptive social and literary critical works by Arnold Itwaru, Arun Prabha Mukherjee, Chelva Kanaganayakam, and others; the introduction of the important Zimbabwean writer Yvonne Vera; the first historical and critical study of Chinese Canadian writing in English; the first anthologies of South Asian Canadian literature, South Asian Canadian women’s poetry, Chinese Canadian stories, and South Asian Canadian and American women’s fiction.

HISTORY

In 1981, a group of young people, who had been in North America for just over a decade, decided to take the plunge and start the magazine they had always dreamed about as students, at a time in which Naipaul had to be ordered from bookstores, let alone Narayan or Ngugi or Soyinka. The result was The Toronto South Asian Review, which later became the much broader-based The Toronto Review of Contemporary Writing Abroad and helped entrench a generation of new writers. As an offshoot of this literary magazine, in 1985 TSAR Publications published its first title, a book of essays on South Asian Canadian literature, followed by a book of poetry by Sri Lankan Canadian Rienzi Crusz. Mawenzi House finally emerged, a uniquely diverse and knowledgeable publishing house based in Canada. (“Mawenzi” is the name of the second peak of Kilimanjaro.)

To learn more about Mawenzi House, visit the following links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

GOODREADS

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

PINTEREST

***This book is part of my #2018AtoZChallenge on Ginger Mom’s Blog***

5 Stars for Melanie Karsak’s Steampunk short story: CHASING CHRISTMAS PAST ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Title: CHASING CHRISTMAS PAST

Subtitle: An Airship Racing Chronicles Short Story

Author: MELANIE KARSAK

Genre: FICTION, SCI-FI, CHRISTMAS, STEAMPUNK

Length: 41 PAGES

Publisher: CLOCKPUNK PRESS

Type of Book: EBOOK

Received From: FREE FROM THE AUTHOR

Release Date: 2014

ASIN: B00RA6ZA1Q

Price: $1.02 on Amazon

Rating: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

MY REVIEW:

The main character is a young woman named Lily. She is the captain of the airship “Stargazer.” Lily has entered the Yuletide Airship Race ever since she was young, and last year she had almost won. This year – 1820 – Lily was determined to win.

Lily would never admit it to anyone, but she is lonely and Christmas being the next day amplified her loneliness.

Will Lily finally be able to beat out all the other airship captains? And what will she do about her loneliness?

Melanie Karsak’s world-building is superb. The Steampunk version of London where the story takes place is highlighted by vivid imagery.

What a gift! Melanie Karsak has the ability to describe a scene so well that you can visualize it easily in your mind. For example:

“The rooftops were covered with a powdering of crystalline snow. The gaslamp light made everything sparkle. The waves on the Thames twinkled with golden light.”

I rate this short story as 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I highly recommend this wonderful Steampunk Christmas tale.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a free copy of this story.

To sign up to Melanie Karsak’s Newsletter, click HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melanie Karsak is the author of The Airship Racing Chronicles, The Harvesting Series, and The Celtic Blood Series.

She is a steampunk connoisseur, zombie whisperer, and heir to the iron throne.

Melanie currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children.

She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.

To learn more about this author visit the following links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

GOODREADS

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

AMAZON

CHAPTERS / INDIGO BOOKS

PINTEREST

PUBLISHER’S WEBSITE

ss.com

LOVE, MURDER & MAYHEM ANTHOLOGY RELEASE DAY BLOG BLITZ

~ Book Blitz ~

Love, Murder & Mayhem

About the Book

Love science fiction stories that all include
elements of Love, Murder & Mayhem 

Then welcome to the latest anthology from Crazy 8 Press! This amazing collection from 15 all-star authors will delight you with superheros and supervillains. AIs, off-worlders, and space cruisers. We’ve also got private eyes, sleep surrogates, time travelers, aliens and monsters—and one
DuckBob!

With tales ranging from wild and wacky to dark and gritty to heartbreaking and fun, take the deadly leap with authors Meriah Crawford, Paige Daniels, Peter David, Mary Fan, Michael Jan Friedman, Robert
Greenberger, Glenn Hauman Paul Kupperberg, Karissa Laurel, Kelly Meding, Aaron Rosenberg, Hildy Silverman, Lois Spangler, Patrick Thomas, and editor Russ
Colchamiro.

You’ll never look at Love,
Murder & Mayhem the
same way again—and that’s just the way we like it.

Goodreads * Amazon

About the Editor

Russ Colchamiro is the author of
the rollicking space adventure, Crossline, the hilarious sci-fi backpacking
comedy series, Finders Keepers, Genius de Milo, and Astropalooza, and is editor
of the new anthology, Love, Murder & Mayhem, all with Crazy 8 Press.

Russ lives in New Jersey with his
wife, two children, and crazy dog, Simon, who may in fact be an alien himself.
Russ has also contributed to several other anthologies, including Tales of the
Crimson Keep, Pangaea, and Altered States of the Union, and TV Gods 2. He is
now at work on a top-secret project, and a Finders Keepers spin-off.

As a matter of full disclosure,
readers should not be surprised if Russ spontaneously teleports in a blast of
white light followed by screaming fluorescent color and the feeling of being
sucked through a tornado. It’s just how he gets around — windier than the bus,
for sure, but much quicker.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

4 Stars for the Speculative fiction short story LEVIATHAN by SAUL TANPEPPER.

Title: LEVIATHAN – A SHORT STORY 

Author: SAUL TANPEPPER  

Genre: SPECULATIVE FICTION

Length: 31 PAGES

Publisher: BRINESTONE PRESS

Type of Book: EBOOK

Received From: THE AUTHOR

Release Date: FEBRUARY 11, 2017

Rating: 4 OUT OF 5 STARS 🌟🌟🌟🌟

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION:

Earth is dying.

On a barren, windless shore of a dead sea, two people, a father and his child, eke out a meager existence. They eat what little they can find. They are tormented by memories and tales of what the world once was.

Then, on a day no different than the thousands of others they have lived, the child hears the ghostly call of a sea creature presumed extinct for decades. Was it real? Or was it the last gasp of planet nearing death?

Leviathan is a short, dark, and haunting post-apocalyptic story (6500 words) written in stream-of-consciousness. Fans of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, which inspired this story, will recognize similarities.

Appropriate for readers of all ages. 

CHECK OUT THE TRAILER: 

 

MY REVIEW:

As the world nears its end, a father and his child are tormented by the ghostly call of a sea creature presumed extinct for decades.

Is it the last gasp of a dying planet? Or a reason to hope?

This is an thought-provoking and extremely interesting story. It may have been short, but it packed a punch. It is worth reading.

I rate LEVIATHAN as 4 out of 5 Stars. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Saul Tanpepper is the speculative fiction pen name for Ken J. Howe, a retired PhD molecular biologist and biotech entrepreneur who writes full time in multiple genres. The pen name honors the memory of his high school buddy, who passed away at age 27. “Salt and Pepper” was a favorite epithet, given the author’s premature graying.

After a childhood in a small town in Upstate New York, he entered the U.S. Army and was trained as a combat medic. He did a tour in West Germany before the wall came down, working as both a medic in an armored infantry unit in Mannheim and a hospital attendant in Frankfurt. After returning Stateside, he did a tour as a trauma specialist in the emergency room at Walter Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, and at Lawrence General Hospital in Massachusetts.

He attended university in Santa Barbara, CA, majoring in biology and creative studies while working as a medical assistant. He studied molecular biology and genetics as a graduate student, then completed his post-doctoral fellowship at Berkeley.
Prior to entering the work force, he and his wife spent six months traveling through the Middle East and Africa, logging over 50,000 miles in a refurbished garbage truck.

He spent 10 years in biotech, working his way from bench scientist to Director of R&D and site manager of a major pharma company. He then formed his own company, Collabria BioSciences, and was VP of R&D of another startup.

He retired from the business in 2011 to write and publish full time. Under his real name, he writes literary young adult, middle grade, and children’s picture books. As Saul Tanpepper, he writes and publishes speculative fiction (scifi, horror, fantasy).
​
​He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, children, and many pets and farm animals.

To learn more about this author visit the following links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE   

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BY EMAIL: Send email to: authorsaultanpepper@gmail.com  

MORE BOOKS BY SAUL TANPEPPER: 

EATING ROBOTS BLOG TOUR – CHECK IT OUT HERE…

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION 

The future is bright…or is it?

Step into a high-tech vision of the future with the author of Quantum Confessions and Fluence, Stephen Oram.

Featuring health-monitoring mirrors, tele-empathic romances and limb-repossessing bailiffs, Eating Robots explores the collision of utopian dreams and twisted realities in a world where humanity and technology are becoming ever more intertwined.

Sometimes funny, often unsettling, and always with a word of warning, these thirty sci-fi shorts will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page.

MY REVIEW 

This book of sci-fi stories will hold you mesmerized from the first story to the last. 

Told with intelligence and imagination, these stories will make you think. Author Stephen Oram raises the question of how much reliance on technology is too much.

Encourage your friends, coworkers  and families to each grab a copy of this short story collection. You will be able to discuss what each person thought of each story. This would be a terrific book to share with a book club. 

I rate this collection as 4 out of 5 Stars. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Here is a universal booklinker link that detects which country you’re in and links to Eating Robots  myBook.to/EatingRobots     

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Stephen Oram writes thought provoking stories that mix science fiction with social comment, mainly in a recognisable near-future. He is the Author in Residence at Virtual Futures’, once described as the ‘Glastonbury of cyberculture’. He has collaborated with scientists and future-tech people to write short stories that create debate about potential futures, most recently with the Human Brain Project and Bristol Robotics Laboratory as part of the Bristol Literature Festival. 

As a teenager he was heavily influenced by the ethos of punk. In his early twenties he embraced the squatter scene and was part of a religious cult, briefly. He did some computer stuff in what became London’s silicon roundabout and is now a civil servant with a gentle attraction to anarchism.

He has two published novels – Quantum Confessions and Fluence – and several shorter pieces.

Find Stephen Oram on:

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Blog Tour created by: 

b00k r3vi3w Tours

Website * Facebook * Twitter