JQM LITERARY SPOTLIGHT PRESENTS “China Blonde” BY Nicole Webb

JQM Literary Spotlight Presents “China Blonde” by Nicole Webb

 

First, let’s get to know you a bit.  Tell us something unique about yourself:

I used to be a television news reader in Sydney, Australia and in 2010, I gave it all away, when my hotelier husband, and I (plus bump) decided to do that thing called ‘carpe diem’ and move to Hong Kong, the City that Never Sleeps. We lived there for 4 years, at first surviving and then thriving before being called up to live in the middle of China in the second-tier city of Xi’an, home to 9 million people.

 

What is the Genre and Audience for this book?

China Blonde is a memoir of our 2.5-year journey living in China, which will appeal to anyone who’s ever stepped out of their comfort zone or simply loves an adventure. For those whoenjoy memoir, travel narrative and commentary on a contemporary culture with a good dose of humor, China Blonde is for you.

 

 

What was the inspired you to write this book?

As a journalist, I always knew I had a book in me. When we moved to China, I knew I had my book.

Boasting the world’s largest population and 2^nd largest economy yet with a culture so very different to any I’d ever known, I knew I had to show the world what China’s people were really all about. I also wanted to share my journey which had us feeling like aliens on many occasions to finding our tribe and almost belonging in China’s ancient capital.

 

Tell us about your book:

 

“Having found true love late in life, Nicole would rather be anywhere with her hotelier husband, James, than without him, so two weeks after he flew out to Xi’an in North West China, Nicole and their three-year-old blondie, Ava cautiously followed suit.

It’s only a two-and-a-half-hour plane ride from Hong Kong to Xi’an, but the great divide between the Communist-led nation of China and its independent little sister is very real.

Culture shock hits them head on as they’re jostled off the plane into the alien-like airport. They’re the only blondes in a sea of locals and it feels like all eyes are on them, with everyone wondering why these fair-haired foreigners are so far from home.

But now this is their new home and they are about to begin life in a five-star hotel in China, the middle of a bustling tourist strip housing a 1300-year-old Pagoda and so much more. But somehow this pair of blondes become far more photographed than the famed Pagoda itself!”

 

After four years in Hong Kong, we thought we were ready for life in the Motherland, and jumped at the opportunity to move to Xi’an, in the very centre of China. How wrong we were! Nothing could have prepared us for the culture shock, not just of living in a city so different from our own, but not knowing anyone and having to somehow find our tribe where few people spoke our language, and many had never seen a Westerner.

 

CHINA BLONDE isn’t just another expat story about landing on foreign shores knowing not a single soul, it’s also about China, a country that is currently making news headlines around the globe on a daily basis.

 

An extremely timely memoir as we watch many countries questioning their future relationship with this superpower, most people only know China as a burgeoning economic power with a Communist party led government.

Isn’t it time we found out more about this nation set to become one of the world’s most formidable countries? Don’t we want to know more about these people who are currently the world’s major inbound tourists (and only 8 per cent hold a passport)? Just who are they, how do they think and what do they want?

 

China Blonde offers a very rare, personal and educated insight into the Middle Kingdom, a nation of kind and generous people who until recently have only lived to survive in a country of 1.4 billion.

 

‘Entertaining and a little educational, with just the right amount of humor to keep people, as one reader said, ‘Gobbling it up.’’ One reader says.

 

I hope readers walk away feeling emotional yet fulfilled, and while they’ve learned a lot about an amazing country, they will also have also learned a little bit about themselves.

 

 

 

Where can we purchase your book:

China Blonde can be purchased online from September 2020. Please visit my website and subscribe here for purchase details. http:///www.nicolewebbonline.com

Heartbreaker by V Romas Burton

 

Releasing TODAY!

 

 

Book Description:

After finding out she is the Bellata-the prophesized warrior meant to save Decim-Addie, along with James, returns to Barracks to unite the Twelve Magisters. But as she discovers her old home in ruin, Addie stumbles upon Silas and Nana, the only people left in Barracks.

As Silas explains what happened, Addie remembers the special gift Eman entrusted to her. She gives the gift to Silas, only to learn that he’s the young blacksmith who fought through the Seven Choices, making Addie unsure of how to react to her old friend.

Dodging an attack from Schism, and another deadly ally to Ophidian, the group finally makes their way to Ramni, where a familiar face joins them-one Addie never wanted to see again.

If Addie can’t learn to balance her new power, successfully unite the Twelve Magisters, and figure out what’s going on with a new voice in her head, Ophidian will destroy all the twelve lands …

And she’ll never know who is capable of betrayal amongst her friends.

 

Purchase links:

 

 

 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heartbreaker-v-romas-burton/1137207114?ean=9781948095624

 

https://www.bookdepository.com/Heartbreaker-V-Romas-Burton/9781948095624?redirected=true&utm_medium=Google&utm_campaign=Base5&utm_source=US&utm_content=Heartbreaker&selectCurrency=USD&w=AFCCAU960VT8L7A8VCHV

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Heartmender-Heartbreaker-Paperback/625676990?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0

 

 

 

JQM LITERARY SPOTLIGHT PRESENTS A Bard’s Lament by Poppy Kuroki

 

 

FIRST, LET’S GET TO KNOW YOU A BIT. TELL US SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF:

I’ve been living in Japan for six years, I love video games, and I have a completely hopeless sense of direction. I get lost in places I’ve been even five or six times.

 

WHAT IS THE GENRE AND AUDIENCE FOR THIS BOOK:

People who love sad, tragic tales, music, and fantasy

 

 

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS BOOK:

I’ve always loved bards. It might sound silly but there’s a singer on YouTube I love who’s done a lot of video game themed songs. That and the feeling of powerlessness you have when you see terrible things happening around you but can’t do anything about it. I wanted to combine that feeling of helplessness and hope with beautiful music and romance.

 

 

 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BOOK:

A Bard’s Lament tells the story of Ella, a bard who works in a tavern with her sister, a prostitute, to pay off their late mother’s debt. Ella knows the terrible things that happen in the basement of the nearby abandoned house. Officials pretend it doesn’t exist, but Ella stumbled upon the Rathole when she was a child, a den of drugs and elven prisoners of war where locals pay coin to “spend time” with them. Ella’s music contains codes for spies to decipher, workign hard to undo her town’s terrible crimes. But after a scuffle with a local noble, Ella’s sister is taken captive. Can she save them both, or will their tale end in darkness?

 

For the Book Trailer, Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnAm3d3kij0

 

WHERE CAN WE PURCHASE YOUR BOOK:

A Bard’s Lament will be available on Amazon from August 31st.

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2Eu7oBT
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2X2doIi

 

Blurb

The town of Veilig is burdened with a terrible secret. Ella is a bard, her sister a prostitute, working in a tavern to pay off their late mother’s debt. But Ella has a secret of her own. Her music carries codes for spies to decipher, working to undo Veilig’s horrific crimes.

Then her sister is taken captive.
Can Ella save them both, or will their tale end in darkness?

 

 

NEW RELEASE: Druid’s Secret (The Olkaster Academy Series) by Rosie Wylor-Owen

NEW RELEASE:

Druid’s Secret (The Olkaster Academy Series)

by

Rosie Wylor-Owen USA Today Bestselling Author

 

 

When myths emerge from the shadows, a druid’s dark powers are the key to unravelling a centuries-old secret.

Tabatha Blackwood can’t wield magic to save her life. Her spells backfire and her potions are only good for burning holes in the floor. Olkaster Academy, an elite magical school, is her only hope.

Her unique power to detect magical energy is the only thing that doesn’t get her into trouble, until she stumbles through a bewitched door in the castle dungeons. After witnessing untold horrors, Tabatha becomes embroiled in an ancient war between Olkaster’s two secret societies: the Skyseers and the Nightcasters.

The mysterious and dashing Leo Calhoun is determined to help keep Tabatha out of trouble. Yet, the further they are sucked into the societies’ ever-growing tensions, the more Tabatha realises there is more to his past than he is willing to admit.

When Tabatha discovers that her abilities could tip the balance of power between the two societies, she must decide where her loyalties lie. But if this druid’s secret falls into the wrong hands, her powers, her future and even Olkaster itself might not survive to see next semester.

 

https://storyoriginapp.com/universalbooklinks/ccf1df08-caac-11ea-a458-67816727de1e

 

www.rosiewylor-owen.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Learn More about Rosie and her other works, you can find her online:

 

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rosiewylorowenauthor/

Facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/rosiewylorowenbookcoven/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/rosiewylorowen

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/rosiewylorowenauthor/?hl=en

Website:

https://rosiewylor-owen.com/

Newsletter sign up:

https://mailchi.mp/102b528ef825/subscribe-to-rosie-wylor-owens-newsletter

 

JQM LITERARY SPOTLIGHT PRESENTS “Spiraling Fate of A Strazmei” BY James Quinlan Meservy

 

 

 

First, let’s get to know you a bit.  Tell us something unique about yourself:

Something unique? What have I not already shared?  I really don’t remember.  So, how about I say this.  I come from a yours/mine/ours family and have four brothers, and seven sisters.  I have one biological brother, one step-brother, one half-brother, and one adopted brother.  Then I have three biological sisters, and four step-sisters.

 

 

What is the Genre and Audience for this book:

Spiraling Fate of a Strazmei, A Realm of the Light Short Story, is a companion short story to my Realm of the Light Series, and as such it is a YA title.

 

What was the inspired you to write this book:

Zrete-Vi-Addock is who inspired this story.  You first meet Zrete in Denizens Among Us, The Realm of the Light Book 2, as a member of Raz-No-Yedenie, or in other words, The United.  When Zrete becomes a Creature of Rai, she chooses to follow the beliefs of the Serpent Faction (that all Creatures of Rai are equal in the eyes of the Creator), and eventually becomes the head of that faction, the Strazmei.

Now comes the inspiration.  Spiraling Fate of a Strazmei shows the transition in Zrete’s thinking from follower of the Light to follower of the Serpent Faction.

Tell us about your book:

Spiraling Fate of A Strazmei takes place right after Arctyrus, Amyrith, and Vulktyramous Hunter leave Buz-Perr-Addock for the Rhineland, an event which is chronicled in Denizens Among Us, The Realm of the Light Book 2.

The story is about the rest of Zrete’s life.  I don’t want to drop too many spoilers here, but I will add that Zrete and Wolf do marry, become King and Queen of Myrr, and unite the neighboring kingdoms in peace.  But at what cost?

 

Where can we purchase your book:

 

Spiraling Fate of a Strazmei, A Realm of the Light Short Story is exclusively available in:

Hidden Worlds: The Dwelling (A Scifi & Fantasy Anthology Volume 1)

 

Available on Amazon TODAY:

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B1V4TKQ

 

JQM LITERARY SPOTLIGHT PRESENTS Aggressive Behavior (Freelance Familiars 4) by Daniel Potter

 

 

FIRST, LET’S GET TO KNOW YOU A BIT. TELL US SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF:

I am washed out mad scientist. Sadly I was far too deep in before I realized the funding situation for mutant animals was too dire to build a career. I had to tunnel out of academia with nothing but a bic pen.

 

 

WHAT IS THE GENRE AND AUDIENCE FOR THIS BOOK:

Urban fantasy with a good splashing of humor.

 

 

 

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS BOOK:

The Freelance Familiars series as a whole came about as a total lark. I had gotten myself stuck on the rock goddess scifi I had been working on and nanowrimo was coming up. I tell myself lets try something completely self indulgent. We’ll start with the urban fantasy awakening to the magical world trope but everything is awful. We’ll have our hero not get magical powers of his own but instead be a familiar. Didn’t want to go with a standard black cat so I picked my fav larger kitty, the mountain lion. I started writing, had a ton of fun ruining Thomas’s day and won nanowrimo for the first time. Aggressive Behavior was a reintroduction to the series for me. I had spent a few years working on other projects. It was great to find that all these characters are still a ton of fun to write and puzzle out what makes them tick. Its not what inspired me to write the book but how these characters inspire me to explore them and their world further.

 

 

 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BOOK:

Freelance Familiars follow one Thomas Khatt after he’s been transformed into a mountain lion and awakened to the hidden magical world. Sure if he were bonded to a witch or wizard he’s a powerful weapon but their employment terms are life long and the pay is literally kibble. Instead with a combination of wit, stubborness and the occasional fang, Thomas rips open a place for himself in this crazy world. He’s aided in his quest for independence by Rudy, a pyromanical squirrel and O’Meara, a nuclear powered fire magus. Together they’re facing down an entire magical society, witches, wizards, werewolves and most foul, the talking animal union.

 

 

 

WHERE CAN WE PURCHASE YOUR BOOK:

Amazon has the books in ebook, print and audio formats. Series page: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074C682XX?ref_=series_rw_dp_labf

 

 

JQM LITERARY CHAT WELCOMES Leslie Conzatti

 

 

 

 

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF:

I’m an avid reader and writer from the Pacific Northwest. I work full-time as an elementary school paraeducator (so, not a full-fledged teacher, but I lead small groups, provide support in the classroom, and supervise crosswalks, recess, and cafeteria times), but the hope is to someday be able to make enough from my writing that I can work only as much as I want (like maybe part-time, at least) and spend most of my time writing. (Kind of like I’m doing right now, during Quarantine!)

WHAT INFLUENCED YOU TO WRITE YOUR GENRE(S)?

A large part of the thing that influenced me to start writing fantasy is probably the kind of stories I grew up reading–and how much they really ignited my imagination, how I couldn’t stop thinking about those stories: the fairy tales, the fantasy adventures, the vivid descriptions and magnificent prose. I enjoy writing fantasy above any other genre for the freedom in creativity it allows–any problem can be solved, as long as one can explain it. Everything is possible, as long as the writer can justify how it fits within the world they’ve created.

WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS?

Oh man, so many! Visiting the library more frequently and listening to book-loving friends recommend authors introduced me to mainstream authors whose books were so wonderful that nowadays I would seize their books in a heartbeat, merely because of the name on the spine. Authors like David Baldacci, Anthony Horowitz (especially his more recent books–fantastic work!), Cornelia Funke, Mark Lawrence, Naomi Novik, Brandon Sanderson, and Marissa Meyer. As well, ever since I started posting indie reviews on my blog, I’ve encountered many wonderful indie authors like Kelly Blanchard, Patricia Loofbourrow, R. R. Virdi, Jeffrey Cook, Kimberly Rogers, Nils Visser, and C. L. Coffey. They are all spectacular, creating characters I quickly became obsessed with, and adventures that I couldn’t stop reading till I reached the end of the book–this is by no means a definitive list, but it does highlight many of my favorites!

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE BOOKS?

Oh, I have just about as hard a time answering this question as the last one! A few titles that come to mind immediately when I think about “books that I would not hesitate to recommend to people because I enjoyed them so much”: Specifically, The Red Queen’s War trilogy by Mark Lawrence–a spin-off of his first trilogy, The Broken Empire, but a lot more light-hearted (still very grimdark)–which I definitely enjoyed. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyers stands out in my opinion as the single BEST series of fairy tale re-tellings I have ever read. Anthony Horowitz is writing a series called the Inspector Hawthorne series, which is a Sherlock-style self-insert–but in the best way possible! In regards to indie books, The Chronicles of Lorrek by Kelly Blanchard is a spectacularly epic fantasy series that blends magic and technology in a seamlessly balanced way that draws a reader in and certainly gets my imagination going! And as far as classics go… The Princess Bride by William Goldman holds a special place in my heart, as well as the series of anthologies put out by the Writerpunk Press, a group of spectacular authors who have re-written classics from every genre and Shakespeare plays in various “punk” styles that are amazing and wonderful to read!

 

 

 

WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE LITERARY CHARACTERS?

I have definitely been obsessed with many characters from various books! I don’t get too attached to any specific one, though–I more view books as an overall experiencing of the author’s skill at storytelling, and this includes the portrayal of different characters. I could easily name a handful of authors who possess the capacity to create vivid, realistic, and relatable characters–those are the kinds of characters I like reading the most, the ones who take on a life of their own, the ones that are portrayed with such personality that I can imagine them having their own conversations, or better yet, when they converse with another character, their “voices” are so unique that I know exactly who’s talking, even without dialogue tags!

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH POTENTIAL READERS?

Oh that’s an interesting thought… What WOULD I share with potential readers? How about this piece of advice: read fearlessly. Don’t be afraid to try out new books, explore genres you’ve never read. Maybe you didn’t have a very good experience with one particular book in one particular genre–that doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t find a book in the same genre that appeals more to you. There are many books I might never have read, genres that I would have never experienced and enjoyed, if I just stuck with a certain specific criteria for my reading material. Reading without limits encourages imagining without limits. What you read affects how you think–the more you read, the more food for thought your brain has!

WHERE CAN WE GO TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR LITERARY WORKS?

I’ve got plenty of places to find me! I have an author page on Facebook, where I post regular updates, deals from authors I follow, and different things I’m writing and reading: https://www.facebook.com/LeslieConzattiWriter/

My blog, where I post reviews of indie books, serialized stories, and very many writing updates, is called The Upstream Writer:

https://upstreamwriter.blogspot.com/

My books are also available on Amazon:

Princess of Undersea: https://www.amazon.com/Princess-Undersea-Timeless-Leslie-Conzatti-ebook/dp/B01MSWZRUU

Dreamtime Dragons: https://www.amazon.com/Dreamtime-Dragons-Tale-Fantasy-Authors-ebook/dp/B0771KT46G

Cracks in The Tapestry: https://www.amazon.com/Cracks-Tapestry-Arthur-David-ebook/dp/B07H69PCT3

Dreamtime Damsels and Fatal Femmes: https://www.amazon.com/Dreamtime-Damsels-Fatal-Femmes-Anthology-ebook/dp/B07WFWSQ26

COMING TOMORROW: Myths and Monsters, A Limited Edition Anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Myths-Monsters-Anthology-Pauline-Creeden-ebook/dp/B084PYKJW5

JQM LITERARY SPOTLIGHT PRESENTS MARK JOHNSON’S NEWEST RELEASE, ‘The Renegade Within’

HAPPY RELEASE DAY MARK!!!!

 

 

 

FIRST, LET’S GET TO KNOW YOU A BIT. TELL US SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF:

I’m a New Zealand-based author, fascinated by pre-history and the idea of ancient events still shaping our society. I write about questions that don’t have clear answers. I love fantasy fiction because it’s a great way of telling the truth, without telling the truth.

 

 

WHAT IS THE GENRE AND AUDIENCE FOR THIS BOOK:

Epic Fantasy. Teenagers and older, especially women.

 

 

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS BOOK:

I had something to say about the nature of institutions, and how they can persuade good people to give up on their ideals. And I wanted to show someone who’d had enough of corruption and wanted to fight back and change things.

 

 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BOOK:

‘The Renegade Within’ is about a forbidden experiment that goes wrong. Hundreds die in an unexplained massacre. The organization hunts the only four survivors who somehow escaped, but are now infected. Terese Saarg is charged with hunting the survivors, and is forced to leave her daughter behind. Or her organization’s corruption will be exposed. Then she learns the survivors are more than simply infected, and she must find how to redeem herself and root out the corruption she once willingly assisted. An Epic Fantasy with mystery, action and unexpected twists.

 

 

WHERE CAN WE PURCHASE YOUR BOOK:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086B93255

JQM LITERARY SPOTLIGHT PRESENTS A NEW RELEASE FROM Kelly Blanchard: Chronicles of Lorrek Box Set 1

JQM LITERARY SPOTLIGHT PRESENTS A NEW RELEASE FROM  Kelly Blanchard:

Chronicles of Lorrek Box Set 1

 

 

FIRST, LET’S GET TO KNOW YOU A BIT. TELL US SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF:

Known as the Muse in the writing community, I was born in Texas but lives in Florida with my husband, who is often the one who tries to saves characters lives by convincing me not to kill them. How successful he is–that’s up for debate. Although stories have always been a major part of my life, I only began writing seriously when I was twelve. I focused on honing my skills and finding my writing style. Later, I attended a community college, studying English. As I earned my degree, I worked as a tutor and a teaching assistant, learning teaching techniques along the way. These days, I use those techniques as I mentor aspiring writers and encourage them along their way. I am a huge fantasy fan but I also love science fiction. I have created a massive universe with several series already written and many more planned to write–all in the same universe with familiar characters, and everything is connected. I enjoy the challenge of seeing what exactly happens when you pit medieval magic against high technology, and I seek to fully explore the shades of gray in all her characters–good and bad. It’s quite an adventure for sure.

 

 

WHAT IS THE GENRE AND AUDIENCE FOR THIS BOOK:

Epic fantasy and science fiction

 

 

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS BOOK:

It was initially inspired by Loki from Marvel’s Thor movie. I really liked the character and wondered, “What if he was actually a good guy but just completely misunderstood?” So I based Lorrek off of Loki and changed his story entirely. There’s no norse mythology in my books or anything like that, but that is where the initial inspiration came from.

 

 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BOOK:

The Chronicles of Lorrek follows Sorcerer Prince Lorrek of Cuskelom when he returns after being missing and assumed dead for ten years. He discovers that, in his absence, his reputation has been marred, and he has been accused of some terrible crimes. However, as he seeks to clear his name, he soon discovers it won’t be easy. A war between the kingdoms looms on the horizon. To protect some, he must sacrifice others. He finds himself walking a very thin line between good and evil.

 

 

WHERE CAN WE PURCHASE YOUR BOOK: