Tag Archives: #RRBC_Community

Now is the Time to Join the Rave Reviews Book Club

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Hello, friends!

Today is your lucky day! I am a proud member of the RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB and for the next 48 hours (11/15 through 11/17) there is a $25 discount on any membership tier when you join the club!

We aren’t just an organization where you add your name to our roster, and then you disappear.  We are the club that supports our members in numerous ways! Here are just a few…

-We purchase, read, and review our fellow member books that are listed in the catalog.

-We promote our fellow members and their books on social media, just as hard as we promote ourselves.

-We promote our members with interviews via our RAVE WAVES Talk Radio Shows for RRBC members only.  Books are always being purchased during those interviews!

-We keep our fellow members lifted and promoted even when they can’t promote themselves (in the event of personal emergencies, illness, etc.)

-We have a hard-working Tweet Support Team, promoting our members and their books daily.

-At RRBC, we believe that “each one should teach one,” therefore, we don’t compete against each other.  We lift as we climb.

There are so many more awesome ways that being a member of RRBC has benefited me and I would love to share them all with you.  You have questions?  Just ask me! 

RRBC is such a fun place to belong!  We’re not just about books, you know, we’re also about making beneficial connections and lifelong friendships!

Today, Monday, 11/15 through Wednesday, 11/17 are our Recruitment Days and when you join, please list my name on your membership application as the person who referred you, as I’ll get a special prize!  You can join here > RaveReviewsBookClub.wordpress.com/rrbc-join-renew

If you have specific questions regarding membership, please reach out to Paula, our Club Personal Asst!  She’s a whole lot of awesome!

I hope to see you on the other side of membership soon and your books in the catalog!

Please know this is not some gimmick. I’m honored to be a Lifetime Member of RRBC. If you’re an author, or aspiring one, take my word that this is the place to be. Thank you for sharing this page to your social media platforms for me!

It’s time for the 6th Annual RRBC Writers’ Conference and Book Expo

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To all my writer friends and book lovers out there: Every year the Rave Reviews Book Club holds a Writers’ Conference and Book Exposition. Lucky you: it starts tomorrow, August 9th. You can learn new skills, plus if you visit each author’s booth, you might just win a prize! Here’s the official notice:

Hello, followers and friends!
Monday, August 9th, is the start of RRBC’s 6th Annual Writers’  Conference & Book Expo, and we’d like to invite you to drop by!
There will be games, prizes, surprises and other goodies, so be sure to visit each Author Booth, take a look around, then leave a comment for your chance to win each Author Booth’s door prize!  
There is a Scavenger Hunt Game to play, a 2 Truths & a Lie Game to play and more!  In each Author Booth, you will find a clue, and if you find the correct answer to all the clues and are the first to submit your answers, you could be the winner of an awesome prize!  
Of course, we’ll have our READING ROOM open and one of our members is going to blow you away showcasing their talent!  
If you’re into BINGO, purchase your BINGO cards and join us for a game or two!
And what we all wait for every year – our RAFFLE!  Yes, each year we raffle off (7) $100 Amazon gift cards and this is open to the public so go on and snag your tickets today!  Raffle tickets are only $5!  How awesome would that prize be?  Some of them also include additional goodies like other gift certificates, ebooks, and more!  Enter for your chance to win one or more of these $100 Amazon gift card gift baskets.  The more tickets you buy, the greater your chances of winning.  (Please do not purchase more than 7 tickets).
This year for the first time ever, we’ve added our BEST BOOK COVER CONTEST!  This contest is open to the general public so go ahead and enter your book cover(s) now!  Share your comments with us and let us know which one you think is best!
Click for a full ITINERARY OF EVENTS!  
The venue opens at 5 PM CT on Monday, 8/9/21.  We hope to see you there!  In the event of minor time delays, please check the sidebar of the RRBC website for updates.

What did I tell you? Sounds like a hoot and a holler if you ask me. If you stop by my booth, please say hello. Have a great week.

RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB’S MARCH “SPOTLIGHT” Author Blog Tour!!! Robbie Cheadle Day 4

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Welcome to day four of Robbie Cheadle’s RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB’S MARCH “SPOTLIGHT” Author Blog Tour. Take it away, Robbie:

Open a new door, a collection of poems

Youthful Infatuation is a humorous poem about young love; the excitement, the uncertainty, and the thrill.

About Youthful Infatuation

I wrote this poem for a youthful colleague of mine. I have been married for over seventeen years and she is still in the dating phase. Her intense joys, pleasures and disappointments with men and dating reminded me of the highs and lows of my own dating days.

Youthful Infatuation

Did he see me in the crowd?

Oh my goodness was I being too loud?

Does this dress make me look slim?

Is my hair in need of a trim?

Did I really catch his eye?

Or is my mind telling me a lie?

Will he ask me for my number?

What if he calls while I slumber?

Or worse, what if he doesn’t call at all?

That will make me feel hurt and small.

If he calls where will we go?

Will I be able to go with the flow?

Will I trip up over my tongue?

Make him wish he’d never rung?

It might also be loads of fun.

Maybe, just maybe, he’ll be the one.

[Insert Youtube Reading]

[Insert fondant girl on beach towel]

BOOK BLURB:

Open a New Door is a poetic peep into the life of poet, Robbie Cheadle, who lives in South Africa.

The book is divided into four categories: God bless Africa, God bless my family and friends, God bless me and God bless corporates and work. Each part is sub-divided into the good, the bad and the ugly of the two poets’ experiences, presented in rhyming verse, free-style, haiku and tanka, in each of these categories and include colourful depictions of the poet’s thoughts and emotions.

The purpose of this book of poetry is encapsulated in the following tanka and haiku poems:

What drives me to write?

To share my innermost thoughts

The answer is clear

It’s my personal attempt

To make some sense of this world.

Inspiration blossoms

Like the unfurling petals

Of the Desert Rose

AUTHOR BIO:

Roberta Eaton Cheadle has published nine children’s books under the name of Robbie Cheadle. She has branched into writing for adults and young adults and, in order to clearly separate her children’s books from her adult books, is writing for older readers under the name Roberta Eaton Cheadle. Roberta Eaton Cheadle has published two novels for YA and adult readers and has contributed to seven anthologies.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Robbie Cheadle

Website

https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/

Blog

Robbie’s inspiration

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584446.Robbie_Cheadle

Welcome to #RRBC’s February “SPOTLIGHT” Author Blog Tour for #RRBCAuthor @kirazian! #RRBC_Org @Tweets4RWISA @RRBC_RWISA #RRBCSA #RWISA

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Special congratulations to #RRBC Spotlight Author, Lisa Kirazian! Enjoy the spotlight, as it’s all about you and your stories. My blog is yours, Lisa

The Journey Concludes — or Does It?

Writing Cadenza

Lisa Kirazian

It’s an honor to write this guest post — and to be RRBC’s Spotlight Author for February!

My novel trilogy, The Music We Made, about three generations of the Driscoll family of musicians, concludes with the book Cadenza, recently released. 

Anyone who has poured their heart and soul into a piece of writing know how much it takes out of you — and how much it gives you. Even more so when you reach the end of a series, where you’ve been with the same group of characters for years. It feels bittersweet, like you are saying farewell to them. Even though, our characters, our works, our own dear children like Jane Austen called them, are never really gone, are they?

Does it seem like I’m referring to my characters as real people? Absolutely. Does that seem strange? Not to an avid writer or reader.

The journey of creating the characters has perhaps finished, but the journey of experiencing them has not. Why? Because of the readers. Their experience of the characters becomes part of our continued journey with them, as we see the impact the characters have on others who come in contact with them. It encourages me to no end, when a reader tells me how much they enjoy my stories or relate to my characters. And in the case of this particular series, one of the best compliments I often get is when people say they don’t particular care for classical opera or music, or the “world” of these books — but they still love the books, because of the characters.

Some readers don’t like that style of music, or they can’t understand why someone would spend 12 hours a day practicing an instrument or rehearsing into the night. But they can relate to how these characters want to find love, make a difference in the world, or go after their dreams. They can relate to them trying to make ends meet or facing rejection or loss. In that regard, classical musicians or singers are just like everyone else. And thus, hopefully, these books are for anyone and everyone. And thankfully, the journey never ends!

Thank you for reading, and for all your support. Onward!

——–

Author Bio

Lisa Kirazian writes fiction, plays, screenplays, and also directs for stage and screen. Her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Performing Arts Magazine, San Diego Union Tribune and many other publications. She is in demand as a speaker and has been a guest on KPBS Public Radio and at various conferences. Lisa is a graduate of Stanford University.

Several of her screenplays have placed in major competitions and festivals. Twelve of her stage plays have been produced across the U.S. and have won numerous awards, including a few publications. She also directed and wrote the adapted screenplay of the short film, “Reflection Day.”

Her novels include BRAVURA, APPASSIONATO, and now CADENZA, the three books of “The Music We Made” series, following three generations in the Driscoll family of musicians and inspired by her experience as a violinist. The series is also being developed for television.

Lisa lives in San Diego with her husband and two daughters and is involved in the Armenian community locally, nationally and abroad.

Book Summary:

In CADENZA, the final book of “The Music We Made” series, the young tenor Brian Martin finds himself on the cusp of superstardom and marriage, until he is compelled to leave behind his distinguished musical family, and his fiancé, in London, to visit the U.S. to see where his famous late grandmother, Maggie Crawford, the only other opera singer in the family, grew up. His journey takes him to Marshall, Minnesota, and Maggie’s hometown high school, where he meets the music teacher, Laura Jones, who helps him with his family history in more ways than he could have imagined.

Twitter: @kirazian and @TheMusicWeMade

Facebook: @TheMusicWeMade

Website: https://www.lisakirazian.com

Blog: https://lisakirazian.wordpress.com/
Instagram: @lisakirazian

Cadenza on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QDLVSKL/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_0RSS8DZMN3R1SYCXG1TQ

Join in the celebration of #RRBCAuthor @sharrislaughter, #RRBC’s November “SPOTLIGHT” Author! #Author of #OurLadyOfVictory

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This is a second edition with updates on the state of this historic church. In the original publication files were lost then resurfaced with content altered along with missing photos during transition from one publisher to another. Such is the fate of an Independent Author.
This book evolved out of years of frustration at the total disregard and lack of respect for the contributions of Black Catholics in the city of Detroit. The author says, “We are not mentioned in the pages of history along with the other Catholic churches that sprung up during the World War II era, and that needed to be corrected.” The author did fulfill one dream since publication … that this church can now be found on the web even though it has merged with another church. It is now called Presentation-Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church.

Join all of us in the #RRBC_Community in celebrating the second edition of Shirley’s historic tale.

RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB’S JULY “SPOTLIGHT” Author Blog Tour!!!

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Today’s stop on my blog is SPOTLIGHT Author Karen Black! She will be highlighting her new story. Welcome to the Adventure, Karen. Take it away!

If someone asked me for advice about self-publishing, I would say, “slow down.”

It is exciting to have a story finished and ready to present to the literary world, but when you’re finally ready to publish that book, unless you have been able to afford a professional editor, don’t do it. Before you publish, proofread your work one more time and pay particular attention to those ‘sound-alike’ words that spell check doesn’t fix: its, it’s, there, their, where wear, confident, confidant, here, hear, and the list goes on. You’ll almost invariably find a few needed tweaks.

I’ve found it helpful to set a finished piece aside for a week, or more, and then go back to re-read it before final publication. Since I am the worst at proofreading my work, I understand errors in grammar, punctuation, missing words, etc. Even with help, it’s easy for mistakes to slip through, but for some readers, those minor mishaps can ruin your story for them. The distance between the finished product and the final proofing can make a difference in the quality of the published work.

AUTHOR BIO:

Karen Black lives in the eastern United States, with her husband and a variety of critters, wild and domestic. Hobbies include herb gardening, wildlife watching and wine making, though all are put on hold when she’s caught up in a story. With a lifelong affection for animals, a fascination with the supernatural and a background in criminal justice, the author draws on experience, as well as imagination to create stories that are believable, unique and entertaining. Expect the unexpected.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Twitter:  @KarensStories – https://twitter.com/KarensStories

Facebook:  Stories by Karen – https://www.facebook.com/StoriesbyKaren/

Website:  Stories by Karen – https://storiesbykaren.org/

To follow along with the rest of her tour, please visit the “SPOTLIGHT” Author forum on the RRBC site!

If you’re an author and interested in receiving this kind of support for you and your work, please join us at RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB! We look forward to adding your name to our roster and your books to our catalog!

That’s excellent advice, Karen. I must reread each story half a dozen times before my editor gets her hands on it, and another four or more times afterward. Readers may or may not judge you by your grammar, but each of us must do our best to present a quality story so as not to enable the “haters” out there. All the best!

Welcome to JAN SIKES’ SHORT STORY BOOK BLAST! #RRBC #RWISA #RRBCAuthor

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It is my pleasure to welcome #RWISA and #RRBC author Jan Sikes to my page today to discuss her wonderful short stories. Enjoy.

Jan Sikes is an award-winning Texas author who has been called a wordsmith by her peers. She openly admits that she never set out in life to be an author. But she had a story to tell. Not just any story, but a true story that rivals any fiction creation. You simply can’t make this stuff up. It all happened. She chose to create fictitious characters to tell the story through, and they bring the intricately woven tale to life in an entertaining way. She released a series of music CDs to accompany the four biographical fiction books and then published a book of poetry and art to complete the story circle.

And now that the story is told, this author can’t find a way to put down the pen. She continues to write fiction and has published many short stories with a series of novels waiting in the wings. She is a member of Authors Marketing Guild, The Writer’s League of Texas, the RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB (RRBC), the RAVE WRITER’S INT’L SOCIETY OF AUTHOR (RWISA), and sits on the RWISA Executive Council. 

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Connect through Jan’s website: http://www.jansikes.com

Follow Jan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJanSikesBooks

Follow Jan on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JanSikes3

Follow Jan’s Blog: http://www.jansikesblog.com

BOOK BLURB FOR BRAZOS WIND:

War-torn drifter, Jack McClean is left with nothing but bad memories, scars, and a restless soul. When he stumbles upon a burning homestead, and an unconscious woman, beside the Clear Fork of the Brazos River, he stops to render aid. Grieving widow, Savannah Logan, sees no reason to live, and only wants to join her husband and children in their graves. But, Jack refuses to let her die. In saving her, he might somehow find redemption for himself and hope for a new tomorrow. Is it possible that both Jack and Savannah can find a new destiny in the changeable flow of the Brazos wind?

BOOK BLURB FOR BROTHER’S KEEPER:

Quentin Marks’ mother can only love one son, and from the day Rowdy was born, she makes Quentin, his little brother’s keeper. She demands that Quentin fix every problem for Rowdy and that he also protect him. The truth is, after a deadly snakebite, Quentin owes his very life to his little brother, a debt that will never be paid in full. Only now a man is dead, and once again, their mother calls on Quentin to make the problem go away and save Rowdy from prison. When is enough enough, and how much of his own life will Quentin Marks have to sacrifice?

TOUR GIVEAWAY:

(2) $10 Amazon gift cards. Leave a comment below for a chance to win!

Thank you for supporting this author.  Jan wrote these short stories as entries into the RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB’S 90-Day ALPHA / OMEGA “Beginning to End” Short Story Writing Contest which she has won for the past two years.Jan is giving away (2) $10 Amazon gift cards to (2) lucky winners! For your chance to win, simply leave a comment below.If you’d like to schedule your own blog tour and have your books promoted in similar grand fashion, please click HERE.

I am glad you could stop by, Jan. All the best.

The Riddle of Satan’s Cube

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I am pleased to announce that my latest novel, Carl Prescott and the Riddle of Satan’s Cube will be launched in Kindle and paperback versions on Tuesday, June 30, 2020. Please check out the cover and back cover story below. I am also providing a link to the Amazon page in case you want a sneak peek. I sincerely hope you will find it as action-packed and riveting as I did.

Carl Prescott has been spirited away to Limbo, an emptiness of lost souls where the gods bicker and fight, but will not admit their failure. Even in this terrible place, our hero encounters oddly familiar spirits. When Aida and Sylvia come to help, Satan, the true Lord of Limbo, expels them to seal his ultimate triumph over God.

Carl Prescott and Aida Whitehall arrive in yet another universe with even more similarities to their own. This universe is almost dead, so they better hurry. The Sun will explode in days, and if they cannot stop Satan before then, the Cycle of the Universes will end, and Limbo will be our only future. Fortunately, Lord Zed arrives in time to help.

Satan’s Cube is a nonstop action adventure spanning all of creation from the beginning of time through its end, and beyond. Once again, the future will be determined by Carl Prescott’s actions. He must resolve the Riddle of Satan’s Cube, or existence will end, and we will all be eternally enslaved by the Evil One.

This story offers a unique look into the origins of existence itself. Of course, it is a fantasy, but I hope you read and enjoy it. All the best!

GRAND PRIZE Winner- 2019 KCT INT’L LITERARY AWARDS Contest

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Congratulations and best wishes to #RWISA author Harriet Hodgson, winner of the 2019 KCT International Literary Awards Contest, and author of:

Please check out her amazing writing and spread the word about her talent.

HARRIET HODGSON BIO

Rochester, Minnesota resident Harriet Hodgson has been a freelance writer for 38 years, is the author of thousands of articles, and 36 books. She has a BS from Wheelock College in Boston, an MA from the University of Minnesota, and additional graduate training.

Hodgson is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). She is a contributing writer for the Open to Hope Foundation, The Grief Toolbox, and The Caregiver Space websites. Visit www.thecaregiverspace.org/authors/hhodgson to read her articles.

Hodgson has appeared on more than 185 talk radio shows, including CBS Radio, dozens of television stations, including CNN, and dozens of blog talk radio programs. A popular guest, she has given presentations at public health, Alzheimer’s, bereavement, and caregiving conferences.

Her recent work is based on Hodgson’s 21 years as a family caregiver. She was her mother’s family caregiver for nine years, her twin grandchildren’s guardian and caregiver for seven years, and is in her fifth year as her disabled husband’s caregiver.  Visit Harriet’s RRBC Author Page to find out more about this busy wife, grandmother, caregiver, and author, as well as more information on her many other books listed in the RRBC catalog.

***

BOOK BLURB

If you are a grandparent raising your grandchildren, help has arrived.

According to the US Census Bureau, more than 10% of all grandparents in the nation are raising their grandkids, and the number is going up. You may be one of the millions of these grandparents and it’s a role you never expected. Willing as you are to assume this role, you have some questions. How will I find the energy for this? Is my grandchild normal? What if I “blow it?” Each day, you look for ways to make life easier.

This book will:

•Help ease your worries and guilt;
•Offer tips for creating a grandfamily;
•Give methods for improving grandparent-grandchild communication;
•Suggest ideas for how you can connect with your grandchild’s school;
•Provide child development information;
•Recommend approaches to help your grandchild set goals;
•Stress the importance of having fun together;
•Offer ideas of how to foster your grandchild’s hopes and dreams.

So, You’re Raising Your Grandkids blends Harriet Hodgson’s wise and moving grandparenting story with recent research and findings. It shares her 21 years of caregiving experience, including seven years of raising her twin grandkids. Each chapter ends with What Works, proven tips for grandparents raising grandkids.

At the end, you’ll cheer for all the loving grandparents—including you—who are putting grandchildren first.

New Concepts Originating in Demon Queen

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Just a few thoughts to whet your whistle if you’re looking for a compelling love/hate, angels versus demons kind of novel. Still on sale through the end of May.

Every new tale is a discovery of new possibilities buried in the depths of my psyche. While Demon Queen is a fast-paced action adventure, it is also a journey of growth for our hero, Carl Sandberg Prescott. While the entire series is filled with paranormal action and spirituality, those aspects really dominate this book.

Sleeping One, book one, was primarily about Carl, his friends, the teachers, and the relationships among them. Carl does realize the potential of his talent, and that those abilities are linked to the Divine, but he does not come face to face with God until the last pages of the story.

Demon Queen, book two, begins with the surprising discovery of a medieval castle buried beneath the school. There Carl learns that an ancient demonic cult in Eastern Europe was led by Sylvia, a daughter of Lucifer. Now, she is poised to come back and rebuild her empire on Earth. Stopping her attempt is the challenge that animates the rest of the story. If you know my crazy mind, you understand that I could never make a story that simple, but no spoilers today. Here are my favorite new concepts that make the story more intriguing and hopefully fun:

The Crossroads of Existence

The spirits of the departed are led here by Death via the Ornate Bridge. Here they are judged and then sent down the Plain Bridge to Heaven or Hell, and eventually back to another life. There is another bridge on the Crossroads, which is my personal favorite creation.

Reincarnation

Traveling from one life to the next necessitates reincarnation. It is Carl’s previous lives with the Demon Queen that makes this story more fascinating and complex. Love that!

The Rope Bridge

While the Ornate and Plain bridges lead from and to life, the Rope Bridge leads to “none-of-the-above.” I have studied many religions and have a special fondness for Buddhism. Successfully crossing the Rope Bridge allows a spirit to escape the cycle of life after life, but also so much more. Much of the activity in Demon Queen occurs on the Rope Bridge, but again, no spoilers. It should be no surprise that this bridge appears again in books three and four.

The Rope Bridge Society

All who successfully cross the Rope Bridge become members of the society. Hint, there are very few members.

The Three Aspects of God

Emmanuel, Lucifer, and Death. Carl Prescott’s relationship with each is a key element of the story. They know Sylvia’s plan could destroy the universe, so they are eager to help.

 The Truth of Existence and the Three Aspects of God.

This knowledge can only be gained at the end of the Rope Bridge.

The Cycle of Universes

This one was easy. Science cannot tell us what happened before the Big Bang or what will happen after the Big Freeze. That gives me a free hand! I have studied astronomy and have a keen interest in cosmology and astrophysics. Problem solved. In fact, Carl travels with Emmanuel and Lucifer to the previous universe in Demon Queen. The Cycle of Universes is a very key element in book four, Satan’s Cube.

If you choose to read Demon Queen, by all means let me know what you thought. Of course, as an #INDIE author, reviews are like gold to me. All the best!

Is #RRBC #LifetimeMember @KarlJMorgan only #PASSING as a decent human being? No! That’s who he really is! Ck out his newest release! #SciFi #Fantasy #Faith @RRBC_Org