Posts Tagged ‘literature’

Life and afterlife…The Ghost Of Christmas Past by Michael Hebler

Posted: March 31, 2016 in Contemporary Literature, Cover Reveal, Mystery, reviews
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I’m sure many of you will recognize author Michael Hebler from my review posts of his Chupacabra series.

This year he’s written a new novella in a whole other genre and I’m thrilled to share lots of news about it.

Check out The Ghost Of Christmas Past.

Enjoy all of the exciting news about Michael’s new release.

Watch his Q&A.

And learn how you can get an early copy.

Release date currently scheduled for September 27th, 2016.

And read to the end for some more exciting news!

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The Ghost Of Christmas Past

A Novella

by Michael Hebler

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My Review

The title probably has you thinking this a retelling. Wait, though. It may start that way, but very quickly the author steers you in another direction. The focus shifts from the person being visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past to the ghost itself.

In order to save lost souls, the ghost needs its light to guide them. When the light is lost, the ghost must now go on a journey of its own. Go into the past and discover who it once was and regain its light to save Christmas.

In many places written in prose similar to Charles Dickens, it reads like a classic. As the characters are introduced, past and present, their lives deepen the story, and it tempted to skip ahead to see their stories conclusions. I resisted though.

For me to enjoy a story, I require strong, genuine characters who’s welfare means something to me. They need to have flaws, and I don’t have to like all of them or approve of what they do. But, they need to be believable and the author needs to keep them true to their personalities.

Michael’s characters could walk off the pages. I tried to picture them in my head from his descriptions and they came to life. Once that happened, I couldn’t put the book down.

I’ve read Michael’s Chupacabra thrillers and very much enjoyed them so I was curious about reading a story in a different genre.

Strong writing and atmospheric detail made this a fulfilling read and I enjoyed the direction the author chose with his tale.

The Ghost Of Christmas Past gets my highest recommendation for all readers.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Based on Charles Dickens’ character of the same name, the first of three spirits from A Christmas Carol is the center of its own story when taken on a spiritual journey to find meaning for its existence.

The Ghost of Christmas Past has had its fire extinguished.  Lost souls cannot find their way to righteousness without the Spirit’s luminescence to guide them through their shadowed memories.  To rekindle its flame, the Ghost of Christmas Past must journey back to a life long forgotten.  Guided by the Christmas Angel, the Spirit braves witness to how it lived as a boy in life, and learns what will become of Christmas should it fail.

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Intended Audience

The Ghost of Christmas Past is unique.  The novella has appeal to readers of all ages, nationalities, and gender. Thanks to Mr. Charles Dickens, the main character name, Ghost of Christmas Past, is already as recognizable as Mickey Mouse, and the general population has shown remarkable interest in learning the backstories of supporting characters from popular works of fiction.  The most notable example would be the novel Wicked by Gregory Maguire, the backstory of the witches from Oz. The Ghost of Christmas Past will appeal to fans of drama, mystery, fantasy, Literary Fiction, the supernatural, and Christianity.

Like A Christmas Carol, The Ghost of Christmas Past is not heavily religious but a story based around a Christian holiday.  In 2014, more than 52 million religious books sold in the U.S., representing an increase of over 10.5% from the previous year. (Nielsen.com: Focusing On Our Strengths: Insights into the Christian Book Market)

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Check out this exciting news from Michael.

Never heard of Publishizer?  Well, until a month ago, neither had I.
It was then that I was personally contacted by the company’s team mentor.  He had seen that my novel, Night of the Chupacabra, had won an award and asked if I would be releasing another book any time soon.
“As a matter of fact, Yes,” I replied.
The mentor, Lee, then explained what Publishizer was about, how long the site had been live, and how it differed from other crowdfunding sites.  Now before I continue, please note that I have no financial obligation or monetary interest in Publishizer beyond what I hope to achieve with my proposal for The Ghost of Christmas Past.
Essentially, Publishizer is a lot like Kickstarter or Go Fund Me, but for books only.  They do not have to be newly released titles, but unpublished books are preferred.  Publishizer went live about one year ago, and categorizes its proposals from non-fiction to a select number of genres.  The simple formula Publishizer uses should be very familiar to anyone who has visited a top crowdfunding site: you donate money to help propel a project to success, and for your donation, you receive exclusive rewards that vary by the amount you donate (and trust me, I have some offerings that are very exclusive).
Upon learning of Publishizer, there were two distinctions about the service that had me sold.  As any of my fellow authors can attest, when a book is pre-ordered, the feeling is akin to winning the lottery.  Not only is someone interested in your story enough to purchase an advance copy, but they trust you as an author, which is priceless.  Any donation made on Publishizer typically includes the reward of a pre-order (however, this is up to the author, though a popular choice).  The second big perk Publishizer offers it’s authors comes at the end of your campaign if you achieve your set pre-order goal.  Publishizer will blast your achievement to multiple publishers, demonstrating the amount of interest your title has accumulated.  And if you reach at least 500 pre-orders, you’ll be blasted to the Big 5.  I took it upon myself to investigate this aspect before joining and was surprised by how many titles were in a bidding war between at least two publishers.
For those solely interested in staying independent from publishing companies, you may not think the blast to publishing houses isn’t important. But how awesome would it be to have that kind of attention for your work? That’s about where I stand. I will never say “never” to a contract, but my previous works have done impressively well (thanks to honest reviewers and book bloggers like our dear friend, Laura) and I wouldn’t mind continuing on as an indie author/publisher.
So, please, if I stirred your curiosity about Publishizer, put your mind at rest by visiting their site.  And while you’re there, please help participate in making history by supporting The Ghost of Christmas Past between March 29 and April 30, 2016.  At the very least, you’ll receive a copy at the retailer rate of $5 for eBook and have it one month early.
“God Bless Us, Everyone!”

Click on the link below to learn more.

The Ghost Of Christmas Past on Publishizer

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Something more from Michael!

For anyone who subscribes to my newsletter at http://www.michaelhebler.com/ , they will receive a free PDF copy of Night of the Chupacabra (Book I).
Simply visit the page. In about 10 seconds, a pop up to subscribe appears. Then subscribe with your email, which will then take you to the download page. Simple as that.

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And some more news!

Michael has a new story releasing soon!

Let me show you!

What Adam Wants

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Synopsis

Losing a child at birth is difficult, but not as difficult as when that child refuses to leave.

Days after losing her child while giving birth, Rachel, and her estranged husband, David, are haunted by the incessant cries of a baby. It is their baby, Adam, and he wants something from Rachel… something deadly.

Amazon

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Author Michael Hebler

Michael Hebler

Prior to becoming an award-winning author of his dark fiction Chupacabra Series, Michael was a full-time international film publicist who had worked on multiple titles for Walt Disney, Pixar, Lionsgate, Lakeshore Entertainment, Warner Bros., Summit Entertainment, and the 2013 Academy Award-winning Best Foreign Language Film, “La grande bellezza” (The Great Beauty).

Born in the early 1970’s in Los Angeles County to a salesman and homemaker, Michael dreamed of following his passions for entertainment and storytelling by acting. It was while studying theatre arts at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California, did he realize his penchant for stories were better suited on the page rather than the stage. But creating tales with suspense, laughter, and heart is not Michael’s only love. Hebler also enjoys volunteering in his local community, as well as aid in the capture/spay/neuter/release feral program.

To date, Michael’s publications include NIGHT OF THE CHUPACABRA, CURSE OF THE CHUPACABRA, and LEGEND OF THE CHUPACABRA (Books I, II, & III of the six-part Chupacabra Series) as well as his first publication, THE NIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS, a holiday picture book for believers of any age. Michael’s fourth book in the Chupacabra Series, DAWN OF THE CHUPACABRA will be available in print and for ebook on October 13, 2015.
Michael currently resides in Southwest Florida.
Author Links:
Email:

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For a list of my reviews go HERE

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To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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What’s New on My Bookshelf #5

Posted: February 4, 2013 in Meme, What's New on My Bookshelf
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This is my own version of a bookhaul post where  I’ll be telling you about all of the books I got this week, whether print or e-book.

I got a few books this week, some free, some for review, and some I purchased just for my reading pleasure.

I also post reviews on another blog aknifeandaquill . It’s all about horror. If someone doesn’t die, we don’t do it here!

Here are some freebies I picked up to review on both blogs. Double exposure for the authors:)

Freebies for my blog fuonlyknew

Books for review

Not too many this time. Some I’ve read and will be posting my reviews soon.

*****You can click on the covers to purchase any of these*****

So what did you get this week? See something you like? Do you have any of these? Leave a comment and let me know.

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Adrift in the Sound Free Nov. 20th – 22nd

Posted: November 20, 2012 in Adult Fiction, fiction, Freebies!, Literature, Mytery/Thriller, reviews
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Adrift in the Sound

by Kate Campbell

Adrift in the Sound

It’s early 1973. The time of anti-war protesters, free love and dope.

Lizette is homeless and looking for a place to get warm. She winds up at Sandy’s place. Sandy is a snake dancer and srtips for a living. She lets Lizette stay as long as she cleans the house and takes care of her snake.

Next door is the crash pad for Rocket and some of the guys from his softball team, The Franklin Streetdogs. We’ll never know if they could be any good as all the guys do is get high and eat anything and everything.

Lizette spends her time between Sandy’s and Rocket’s. She is crushing on Rocket and he kind of likes her too, feels sorry for her. Her weird chirps and gestures don’t bother him, but the guys want her gone.

So Lizette finds herself out on the street again and this neighborhood is dangerous.

She can’t go home. Because of her mental problems, she’s estranged from her father. He can’t cope with her.

“My dad doesn’t want me,” she whispered. “He told me to get out. No one wants me.”

After she witnesses a murder and is viciously attacked and raped, she decides to head to her friend Marian’s place on Orcas Island. It’s the perfect place to hide and heal.

Marian is happy to see her and helps her get back on her meds and eating properly. She is eating for two now.

Lizette starts painting again and awaits the arrival of her baby.

This is only a small part of the story. There is so much to experience.

I really enjoyed learning about Orcas Island and meeting Poland and Abaya, the Lummi tribal leaders. They encourage Lizette and support her.

I liked Rocket. Not sure why. I have a feeling the author had something to do with that:)

Lizette is a sad character. She can also be sly and manipulative and surprisingly outspoken.

While doing my review research, checking my post-it notes in the book, I went back to the beginning and started reading to refresh my memory. Before I knew it I was at Chapter 12. Well, I had to keep going, and I read the whole book – to the end – again.

I got a lot more out of it the second time, enjoyed it even more, as I wasn’t taking notes for my review. I really got the full effect.

Kate’s writing is superb, her research shows in the details, and her characters, the ones I liked and the ones not so much, kept me captivated.

Adrift in the Sound tells of life in the early 1970′s, a time not often told about. The era of the hippie is ending and the time of the yuppie is coming soon. I was too young to experience it as an adult. I feel I experienced some of it with Lizette and the other characters.

I wasn’t kidding about reading this twice. When I told my sister about it, she laughed. She said I should see my face, I was so animated. That was when I knew my rating was going to be 5 Stars.

       

Adrift in the Sound is free for everyone from Nov. 20th – 22nd! Go here to get your copy.

Before I even finished writing my review this showed up in my inbox.

laura thomas,
Are you looking for something in our Literature & Fiction department? If so, you might be interested in these items.
Adrift in the Sound Adrift in the Sound [Kindle Edition] by Kate Campbell
Price: $3.99

Amazon, are you reading my mind?

About the author and where to find her.

Kate Campbell

A novelist, a journalist, an adventurer, Kate Campbell grew up in San Francisco and has lived and worked throughout California and the West. Like every good Westerner, she can swim, ride and shoot. Her novel “Adrift in the Sound,” was a finalist for New York’s 2011 Mercer Street Books Literary Prize. Her new book for writers: “Between the Sheets: An Intimate Exchange on Writing, Editing, and Publishing,” chronicles the final editing of “Adrift in the Sound” through a spirited exchange with her editor and co-author Thomas T. Thomas. An award-winning journalist and photographer, Campbell’s environmental and political writing appears regularly in newspapers and magazines throughout the U.S. She lives in Sacramento and, in addition to writing fiction and poetry, publishes the Word Garden blog at http://www.kate-campbell.blogspot.com  .

Goodreads

Purchase Kate’s books by clicking on the images.

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