Book Spotlight: The Genius' Guide to Bad Writing by R. T. Slaywood and R. C. Martinez

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Title: The Genius' Guide to Bad Writing
Authors: R. T. Slaywood and R. C. Martinez

Synopsis:

Are you plagued by success? Need a break from fame? Or perhaps you've grown tired of your gigantic intellect and want to trade in for a smaller, used, or economic one. Well have we got the guide for you! And unlike future you, we wrote it well.

Buy The Genius' Guide to Bad Writing: Amazon UK - Amazon US

Book Spotlight: My Brother is a Werewolf by Ray A. Price, illustrated by Sam Aston and Arin Bray

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Title: My Brother is a Werewolf

Author: Ray A. Price

Illustrators: Sam Aston, Arin Bray

Genre: Children's picture book

Synopsis: 

My Brother is a Werewolf is a children’s picture book about a young girl name Brie who really wants a puppy. She asks her parents for a puppy and instead of making her puppy dreams come true, they gift her with a little brother. Little brothers can be so annoying. However, they can be 10 times worst when you have a werewolf little brother. An accident causes her brother Robbie to get transformed into a werewolf. Her greatest mistake creates friction between her family. Can Brie make things right again or will she learn that some mistakes cannot be fixed…even with magic?

More about the book:
My Brother is a Werewolf is a fully colored picture book. We have been working on this story since early 2020 and look forward to releasing in Fall 2021. The story is geared towards children ages 5 and up. This is the first book in an ongoing series with characters from this universe. My Brother is a Werewolf is the starting point for our series. This and the following books all take place in a connected universe full of magic and monsters. Brie is the perfect protagonist to usher in our new universe. The reader gets to explore her dynamic world and learn along with her.

Buy My Brother is a Werewolf: Amazon UK - Amazon US

(The ebook is available to preorder now and the physical copy will be available to order on October 29th)

About the team:

Ray A. Price

Ray A Price is the author of My Brother is a Werewolf. is an author for children’s books, short stories, and comics. Ray started his interest with children’s stories when he used to read to his daughters elementary classes as a guest parent speaker. After many visits with her classes and dozens of cookies donated to each visit later, his little girl gave him the idea to write his own children’s book. With that in mind, Ray sat down and began writing with his heart to create a story dedicated to her. Build with Bricks was Ray’s first self published children story in 2020.

Ray has many other achievements that he is very proud of. He has a bachelors degree in political science and fraud/forensic science master degree in which now, allows him to be a Fraud investigator for his day time job. During his studies, he did plenty of playwrighting. Ray found his passion for writing when he wrote short stories in middle school.

When Ray is not thinking of new ideas for his next story, he likes to be family oriented. Ray likes to travel to sample new restaurants with his family. He loves playing video games and discovering new television shows. When the weather is nice, he loves taking his English Bulldog on walks. Ray listens to various podcast daily and loves reading comics.

You can find Ray on Twitter @RaymondAPrice

Sam Aston

Sam Aston is the illustrator for My Brother is a Werewolf. Sam is a tattoo artist based in the UK. She has been a licensed tattoo artist for the past 3 years in which her main focus has has been creating full colour pop culture tattoos as well as blackwork and watercolor pieces. When Sam is not tattooing one of her main hobbies is playing video games which, inspires her designs and merchandise. Otherwise you’ll find her watching horror movies!

Her artwork can vary from cute, colorful and cartoony to black and grey realism, so she tries to switch it up sometimes! This has allowed her to be versatile when working with others to create commissioned pieces such as digital artwork, t shirt designs and more recently book illustrations.

You can find Sam’s tattoos and designs over on her Instagram at:

https://instagram.com/pumpkinbloodtattoos and

BigCartel merch page at: https://pumpkinblood.bigcartel.com

Arin Bray

Arin Bray is the colorist for My Brother is a Werewolf. She is a disabled lesbian cartoonist. She enjoys making fantasy stories that touch on queerness, mental illness, and relationships geared towards middle-grade and young adult readers.

Arin currently lives in eastern Pennsylvania with her pets. When she’s not creating, she enjoys caring for her pets, being out in nature, and playing video games.

Please visit Arian’s website at https://www.arinbray.com for her social media links and information abut her current projects.

To preview some of the illustrations in the book, check out the My Brother is a Werewolf website.

Book Spotlight: The Gifting Spirit (Anthologies of Ullord) by Nikki Flynn and Edwin Dantes

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Title: The Gifting Spirit (Anthologies of Ullord)
Authors: Nikki Flynn and Edwin Dantes

Plot of the book:
Rumors of a mysterious entity in the small, unassuming town of Geschenk Springs draw the attentions of the scholar Yurius Anmiar. The entity, seemingly benevolent, makes its way into people's homes and leaves behind gifts, a behavior that earns the scholar's curiosity, as he seeks to learn more about the being and its motivations. With the aid of his traveling companions, Yurius makes his way to Geschenk Springs and begins his research, determined not to rest until he learns the truth.

Buy The Gifting Spirit, book 1 in the series: Amazon UK - Amazon US

Additional Information:
The authors write audio fiction episodes set in the same world as The Gifting Spirit. The episodes are available as podcasts, on their Youtube channel, and their patrons get early access to their content.

Patreon
YouTube

We wrote "The Gifting Spirit" with the intention of it being a feel-good, enjoyable fantasy story that is a quick glimpse into the setting of Ullord.

Book Spotlight: Connor's Gambit by Z Gottlieb

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Title: Connor's Gambit

Author: Z Gottlieb

Genre: Science Fiction

Synopsis: 

Brad Johnson is a lone witness to a UFO sighting and suddenly becomes an alien target. Risking everything to save Earth, he quickly finds himself embroiled in an off-world adventure, relying only on his training and streetwise skills to survive. While adjusting to his new life in space, Brad struggles to understand the bitter conflict between the aliens in an intergalactic war that has been waged for many centuries. Every day is a battle for survival which brings him closer and closer to the truth learning one faction threatens Earth's security, while the other wants something entirely different. All Brad wants is to return home to his family, but not until he embarks on the greatest adventure of his life.

Buy Connor's Gambit: Amazon UK - Amazon US

Book Spotlight: The Holy Grail War: Book One The Hedgehog by Armanis Ar-feinial

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Book Title: The Holy Grail War: Book One The Hedgehog

Author name: Armanis Ar-feinial

Visibly available on B&N and Amazon. Amazon has the Kindle Unlimited Option available. This can be ordered through any small book store.

Synopsis

This novel explores the psychological cost of Warfare on the human mind.

Eight years after the bombing of Area 51, Former soldier Ted Anderson lives in grief, being the sole survivor of Task Force Seven. Everything he lived for up to this point is crumbling before his eyes. Can his new friends save him from himself, or despite their efforts will he snap and undo the oppression that chains him perpetual despair?

After investigating a car crash in Boston, Culain of the Caster’s Administration of Camelot must lead the single most important manhunt in history, looking for the “Ghost”.

Major McCurdy, after finding out some distrusting facts about the Caster’s Administration is then ordered to steal the Holy Grail from Camelot, and send the Caster’s Administration into vast disarray.

Author Bio:

Armanis Ar-feinial, in the gritty pits of despair, he comes from: Bridgeton, Maine, a terribly dreadful place. Currently residing in the Greater Boston Area with his family, he studied Criminal Justice, English, and currently dabbles in a little bit of Finance. His unfaltering passion for writing came from his first exposure from the Lord of the Rings, which he drew inspiration from in his first stories, but alas, as all good things come downward into the grimdark pits, adopting tones from Joe Abercrombie. He loves reading, playing games of all kinds, and he is what you call a practicing writaholic. He is personally known for his witty sarcastic unasked for remarks.

Buy The Holy Grail War: Book One The Hedgehog:

Amazon UK - Amazon US

Promote your book/writing project with Lucy Turns Pages: Book Spotlight Posts

My blog is open for paid promotional posts to showcase your work! These posts can feature items such as a book cover, book description, book genre, author bio and buy links. These posts will stay on my blog and they will also be listed on my book spotlights page for readers to find.

Posts are £5 per book. 

The posts will also be shared on:

• Twitter (7,600+ followers)
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If you would like to work with me, please send all of the information you'd like to be included in the post to lucyisreading@gmail.com or through a message when you pay via my Ko-Fi page. Posts are published within 48 hours once information has been submitted and payment has been made. All genres are accepted as long as the book cover and the book description aren't graphic. 

Please pay via my Ko-Fi page: https://ko-fi.com/lucyturnspages/. 

I also offer promotion via my Ko-Fi membership option:

I promote books, as well as websites, social media accounts etc. through my blog and my social media. If you'd like to receive ongoing promotion through multiple blog posts featuring your books/website/business, be linked at the end of every blog post I publish, as well as regular promotion on my social media and much more, check out my Ko-Fi membership options.

Testimonials from authors I've helped to get more reads and sales.

How To Make More Time When Running Your Own Business

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Image sourced from Pixabay. CC0 License

When you have your own business not all of it can be done by you. There are several areas of the business that you can outsource to other people to get the job done effectively and efficiently. That frees you up to focus on your business, your staff, and your clients. Here are a few things you can outsource to other people and companies to free up your to-do list.

How To Start A Business With The Right Mindset

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Photo: Unsplash

How do you build a company properly? First and foremost, it is important to understand which success factors are decisive in the initial phase of setting up a company and how the economic and psychological mechanisms behind them work. For this reason, in this article we want to deal with the most common mistakes made by startups and how best to avoid them.

Some books on my wishlist

Hi everyone! So due to health I do most of my reading via audio now, as well as reading manga/graphic novels in my sprint videos. Here are some books I'm really excited to check out!

She Who Became the Sun by Shelly Parker-Chan

Amazon summary:

In a famine-stricken village on a dusty plain, a seer shows two children their fates. For a family’s eighth-born son, there’s greatness. For the second daughter, nothing.

In 1345, China lies restless under harsh Mongol rule. And when a bandit raid wipes out their home, the two children must somehow survive. Zhu Chongba despairs and gives in. But the girl resolves to overcome her destiny. So she takes her dead brother’s identity and begins her journey. Can Zhu escape what’s written in the stars, as rebellion sweeps the land? Or can she claim her brother’s greatness – and rise as high as she can dream?

The Shadow of the Gods

Amazon summary: 

A century has passed since the gods fought and drove themselves to extinction. Now only their bones remain, promising great power to those brave enough to seek them out.

As whispers of war echo across the land of Vigrið, fate follows in the footsteps of three warriors: a huntress on a dangerous quest, a noblewoman pursuing battle fame, and a thrall seeking vengeance among the mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn.

All three will shape the fate of the world as it once more falls under the shadow of the gods.

Serpent & Dove

Amazon summary:

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

As a huntsman of the Church, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. But when Lou pulls a wicked stunt, the two are forced into an impossible situation—marriage.

Lou, unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, must make a choice. And love makes fools of us all.

Umbrella Academy

Amazon summary:

Once, the Umbrella Academy was unstoppable. Under the tutelage of their guardian and mentor, Dr. Reginald Hargreeves, its members spent their childhoods fighting evil and honing their extraordinary gifts. Until something went terribly wrong .Now, nine years later, the estranged members of the Umbrella Academy are reunited by the death of the only parent they've ever known and the rise of a new and terrible threat. Will they be able to overcome their history for long enough to save the world one more time?

Mexican Gothic

Amazon summary:

When glamorous socialite Noemí Taboada receives a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin begging to be rescued from a mysterious doom, it's clear something is desperately amiss. Catalina has always had a flair for the dramatic, but her claims that her husband is poisoning her and her visions of restless ghosts seem remarkable, even for her.

Noemí's more suited to cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing, but she heads immediately to High Place, a remote mansion in the Mexican countryside, determined to discover what is so affecting her cousin. She's tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: not of her cousin's new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who is fascinated by Noemí; and not of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi's dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family's youngest son. Shy and gentle, he wants to help - but he might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family's past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family's once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

Blade of Secrets

Amazon summary:

Eighteen-year-old Ziva prefers metal to people. She spends her days tucked away in her forge, safe from society and the anxiety it causes her, using her magical gift to craft unique weapons imbued with power.

Then Ziva receives a commission from a powerful warlord, and the result is a sword capable of stealing its victims secrets. A sword that can cut far deeper than the length of its blade. A sword with the strength to topple kingdoms. When Ziva learns of the warlord's intentions to use the weapon to enslave all the world under her rule, she takes her sister and flees.

Joined by a distractingly handsome mercenary and a young scholar with extensive knowledge of the world's known magics, Ziva and her sister set out on a quest to keep the sword safe until they can find a worthy wielder or a way to destroy it entirely.

Wicked Fox

Amazon summary:

An addictive fantasy-romance set in modern-day Seoul. Eighteen-year-old Gu Miyoung has a secret she s a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must eat devour the energy of men in order to survive. Because so few believe in the old tales anymore, and with so many evil men no one will miss, the modern city of Seoul is the perfect place to hide and hunt. But after feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. Against her better judgment, she violates the rules of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bead her gumiho soul in the process. Jihoon knows Miyoung is more than just a beautiful girl he saw her nine tails the night she saved his life. His grandmother used to tell him stories of the gumiho, of their power and the danger they pose to men. He s drawn to her anyway. When he finds her fox bead, he does not realize he holds her life in his hands. With murderous forces lurking in the background, Miyoung and Jihoon develop a tenuous friendship that blossoms into something more. But when a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead, the consequences are disastrous and reignite a generations-old feud...forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoons.

Sequels I would like to pick up:

The Elfstones of Shannara

Summary for book 1:

Long ago, the world of the Four Lands was torn apart by the wars of ancient Evil. But in the Vale, the half-human, half-elfin Shea Ohmsford now lives in peace - until the mysterious, forbidding figure of the druid Allanon appears, to reveal that the supposedly long dead Warlock Lord lives again.

Shea must embark upon the elemental quest to find the only weapon powerful enough to keep the creatures of darkness at bay: the fabled Sword of Shannara.

A Tangle of Spells

Summary for book 1:

The Widdershins sisters, Betty, Fliss and Charlie are trapped, prevented from leaving their home on Crowstone by an ancient family curse. When they inherit three magical objects with the power to change their fate, adventure beckons. But are they being led into even greater danger?

Have you read any of these books? If not, would you like to?

If you enjoyed this post and would like to support my content, you might like to check out my ko-fi page.

How To Create The Most Functional Home Office

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With big businesses around the globe realising the many benefits that can come with remote working, there's never been such a large number of staff completing their shifts from the comfort of their home. However, though this change may have brought about benefits for business owners such as a dramatic cut in office rent, it can also encourage further struggles for the employees themselves who may not have access to the right equipment or environment to work from home productively. Maintaining a functional home office space is a key feature of a successful remote shift, and fortunately this doesn't have to be as difficult as you might expect to achieve. So, if you're interested in finding out more about how you can upgrade your home office for the benefit of your workflow, then simply read on to uncover some of the best tips and tricks that you can make the most of now!

Image Source - Pexels