The Book of Paul by Richard Long

“Everything you’ve ever believed about yourself…about the description of reality you’ve clung to so stubbornly all your life…all of it…every bit of it…is an illusion.”

In the rubble-strewn wasteland of Alphabet City, a squalid tenement conceals a treasure “beyond all imagining”– an immaculately preserved, fifth century codex. The sole repository of ancient Hermetic lore, it contains the alchemical rituals for transforming thought into substance, transmuting matter at will…and attaining eternal life.

When Rose, a sex and pain addicted East Village tattoo artist has a torrid encounter with Martin, a battle-hardened loner, they discover they are unwitting pawns on opposing sides of a battle that has shaped the course of human history. At the center of the conflict is Paul, the villainous overlord of an underground feudal society, who guards the book’s occult secrets in preparation for the fulfillment of an apocalyptic prophecy.

The action is relentless as Rose and Martin fight to escape Paul’s clutches and Martin’s destiny as the chosen recipient of Paul’s sinister legacy. Science and magic, mythology and technology converge in a monumental battle where the stakes couldn’t be higher: control of the ultimate power in the universe–the Maelstrom.

The Book of Paul is the first of seven volumes in a sweeping mythological narrative tracing the mystical connections between Hermes Trismegistus in ancient Egypt, Sophia, the female counterpart of Christ, and the Celtic druids of Clan Kelly.

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Genre – Paranormal Thriller / Dark Fantasy

Rating – R

Connect with Richard Long on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.thebookofpaul.com/

Frank Nappi - Nobody Has To Know

Nobody Has To Know, Frank Nappi’s dark and daring new thriller, tells the story of Cameron Baldridge, a popular high school teacher whose relationship with one of his students leads him down an unfortunate and self-destructive path. Stalked through text-messages, Baldridge fights for his life against a terrifying extortion plot and the forces that threaten to expose him. Nobody Has To Know is a sobering look into a world of secrets, lies, and shocking revelations, and will leave the reader wondering many things, including whether or not you can ever really know the person you love.

“A haunting, briskly-paced page turner that explores the darkest recesses of the human psyche while propelling the reader through an intricate series of hair-raising twists and turns. Nobody Has to Know is a masterfully written tale that is expertly told. Frank Nappi knows how to entertain the reader from start to finish.”
– #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Nelson DeMille

Teaching on a Tight-Rope by Frank Nappi
Teaching my novel to my own students is an experience I shall never forget – thrilling yes, but only in a manner tantamount to a dream where I am walking a tight-rope stretched precariously across a ravine filled with rapacious creatures, all without the comfort of a safety net. Or perhaps clothing. Or both.

Gasp.

Not too long ago, both the English Director and the Superintendent of the school district where I teach English and Creative Writing recognized the value of my students reading my novel, The Legend of Mickey Tussler, in class. All of us acknowledged the unique nature of such an endeavor and proceeded with alacrity. “Your students will benefit from ‘asking the author’ about the creation of plot, characters, writer’s craft, etc.” my supervisor said. “And be given immediate, first-hand feedback. It is priceless.” The superintendent was equally ebullient. “Frank, this is a wonderful opportunity for both you and your students,” he gushed. “They get the privilege of hearing you speak about the creation of the story they are reading and analyzing it and you will be able to ascertain valuable insights into my own story as seen through the eyes of some hesitant yet inquisitive minds in return.” Hearing their spirited sentiments buoyed my own zeal. Yes, this would be a blast – an extreme alteration of the traditional classroom milieu – the pinnacle of an English teacher’s customary practice. What could possibly be more fulfilling?

Cue the tight-rope.

The first wave of trepidation came by way of a diffident, slight girl who occupied the very first seat in front of me.

“But what if we don’t like the book,” she asked in tremulous tones. “We don’t want to insult you Mr. Nappi with what we say?” I was able to ameliorate her concerns easily enough. I simply explained that we would spend some time analyzing my book in class, similar to the way we had done Huckleberry Finn, Ethan Frome, and The Great Gatsby. In an attempt to further assuage her angst, I shared that I had spoken to students from other school districts who read the book and although much of what we talked about was of the critical variety, I was still emotionally in tact and no students who voiced displeasure of any kind suffered any form of malediction. She was satisfied, but I was unmoored; the report of the shot she had fired resonated in my ears like the clashing of cymbals. What if they really don’t like it? I thought. Then what? My apprehension burgeoned exponentially and I felt the need to flee but alas, it was too late; I was in too far.

The rope was already stretched, and I had taken those first few steps. I could not bear to look down.

So I inched along warily with both arms stretched out and discovered, much to my delight, that the experience was indeed everything that those who had conceived the idea said it would be. There were some dissenters of course, those who invoked the teenage mantra of “why do we have to read anyway?” and a handful of others politely suggested that I failed to capture their interest. Truth be told, it hurt a little. Most of my students, however, were thoroughly engaged and genuinely intrigued by the process by which an idea becomes a novel. They asked provocative questions and offered insightful comments about the characters and the thematic issues explored in the novel. It was beautiful; these young readers were provided with a window into the world of the creative arts and they peered in, learning many of the intricacies germane to creative writing. And if that were not enough, teaching what I had written years before made me fall in love all over again with my characters and the circumstances in which I placed them.

I was halfway across the ravine with nary a wiggle….but then the rope began to sway.

One of my students suggested that they write reviews of the book for me as a culminating activity. These reviews ranged from high praise to tepid interest to outright disdain. Again, the more pejorative ones stung a bit, but I was grateful nevertheless for their candor, insight and observations.

I was struggling a bit now but still had my footing.

It was only after some of my students had posted their reviews on sites like Amazon and Goodreads, that I felt my knees begin to slacken and my feet give way. The less favorable assessments stung more in print and I learned that someone with ill intent suggested that I was “compensating” students for positive reviews, even though those posted represented a fairly mixed lot. I found myself under siege, my character and integrity impugned unjustifiably. I also found myself questioning my decision making abilities; why did I agree to let my students read my book in class? It exposed me in ways that no teacher should ever be.

I made it to the other side of the ravine, but I was hanging by my hands.

Some weeks later, I received several emails from both students and parents, thanking me for being “brave” enough to teach my novel. Suddenly I felt better. Maybe I could do it again, I mused, with another one of my novels. Not a bad idea I suppose, except for the nature of my latest – a mystery/thriller called Nobody Has To Know, the dark and somewhat daring story of Cameron Baldridge, a popular high school teacher whose relationship with one of his students leads him down an unfortunate and self-destructive path.

Hmmm. I may have to pass this time. That’s one tight-rope that could easily become a noose.



Buy now @ Amazon

Genre – Thriller

Rating – PG13

Connect with Frank Nappi on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.franknappi.com/

Review - Ghost Leopard - Lars Guignard

Zoe Guire isn't sure. Having that elephant talk to her was really weird, and, as a rule, Zoe doesn't do weird. Except the thing is, when Zoe goes along on her mom's business trip to India, things get very weird, very quickly. Soon after she arrives, Zoe finds herself tagging alongside a kid named Zak, lost in a crazy city, with no money and no way home.

While not my normal reading pleasure I found the story to be fun and a quick read. I think what I liked most was picking up on some of the culture of India and their beliefs and such although it was hilarious reading about the escapades the children would get themselves into and out of but I am sure this would be a more enjoyable book for the younger folks instead of me.

I would have been scared out of my mind had I been in their shoes and Zoe was to a certain extent but then these kids have probably done far more traveling than I got to do and were more used to amusing themselves due to their parents working arrangements and all. I was more sheltered at that age I suppose so it's hard for me to really relate.

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Genre – Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths

Rating – G

Connect with Lars Guignard on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.larsguignard.com/

Product Review - Ateevia Botanica

Ateevia Botanica is an all natural topical treatment for the
long-term relief of persistent joint aches and muscle
discomfort. The deeply penetrating botanical formula is safe
and fast-acting. Recommended by physicians, physical
therapists, and chiropractors to soothe joints, muscles,
and tissues.

It has weird brownish green color but that's just because it's made using natural ingredients. It has a very mild smell if any at all which is great for me because it doesn't clash with any of my perfumes.

We suffer with a lot of arthritis pain so we mainly used it on our wrists and lower back and in between my shoulders where I seem to ache a good bit and at first all I felt was a faint tingling when it was rubbed on and was worried that maybe it wasn't going to work because most creams have a burn to them and your always told that's when you know it's working. LOL

I did not straight away begin to feel much relief but after applying several times a day for a couple of days my pain has diminished now way more than what I had been dealing with and I am able to get out and enjoy myself more.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Andy Holloman - Shades of Gray

Shades of Gray was an awesome story weaving being a struggling single parent, trying to run your own business, and getting involved with drugs and police procedures all together. It's a sensational thriller debut and I fell in love with little Lucy who thru it all just wanted a mommy and sister and a devoted father who wanted desperately to give them to his daughter.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Thriller / Suspense

Rating – R (for language)

Connect with Andy Holloman on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://andyholloman.com/

September 2012 – Finalist, Reader’s Favorite, Fiction-Suspense

July 2012 – Kindle Book Review, Semi-Finalist, Thriller/Mystery

April 2012 — #1 BestSeller, Amazon, Men’s Adventure
“Debut novelist Andy Holloman speeds us on a journey with punch, twist, and emotional dilemmas straight from our worst fears. Shades of Gray is a colorful, rollicking ride from start to finish.” - Franz Wisner, New York Times bestselling author of “Honeymoon with My Brother” and “How the World Makes Love”

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How far would you go to save your child’s life? Could you break the law?
What if your business was suddenly in danger of going under because of 9/11 ?

A single father decides to partner up with woman from the opposite side of the tracks.

Can their partnership deliver the cash they BOTH desperately need?

Could they fall in love?

And will they survive to see the Summer of 2002?

In the Fall of 2001, John’s life has fallen off a cliff. His six- year-old daughter, Lucy, needs a kidney transplant and his Durham, NC travel agency has been wrecked by the events of 9/11. He must find a way to secure a large amount of money quickly in order to pay for Lucy’s surgery. He’s been in tight places before but he’s currently out of solutions.

Wanda, a client of John’s travel agency, has had her livelihood hit hard by 9/11 also. She can no longer transport cocaine via airline flights due to increase airport security. Like John, she is a single parent and has wanted to get out of her line of work for several years. She needs more money to allow her and daughter Tonya, to move from Durham to California and break free of her boss, Jamel.

John and Wanda form a partnership around a plan to smuggle cocaine via cruise ships. His industry knowledge and connections would remove the transportation risks and she could handle the distribution and selling once they brought the drugs back to Durham.

Despite being nearly killed on their first run, it worked. Wanda coaxes John into another trip while Jamel is becoming suspicious of Wanda. John’s half-brother Travis, a Durham police detective battling his own demons, can’t connect the dots between John and Wanda . He continues to line his pocket with ill-gotten gains. Lucy and John are the most important people in his life and he would gladly provide them with financial help, if only John would ask.

How far should a father go to save his child? Can a man and woman from completely different worlds help each other? Could they fall in love? And which one of these people will live to see the summer of 2002? Find the answers in Shades of Gray, a debut novel by Andy Holloman.

(Combine “Breaking Bad” and “Cops” with a disturbing, dark remake of “The Love Boat” and you have all the flavors of SHADES OF GRAY)