Saturday 29 February 2020

PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT & GUEST POST - THE BRITAIN POTENTIAL BY JIM COWAN

Title: The Britain Potential
Author: Jim Cowan
Genre: Non-Fiction, Politics
Publisher: Arena Books
Release Date: 23rd May 2019

BLURB supplied by Publishing Push
Reading this is going to change how you see Britain, especially its politics. The way we are used to hearing about Britain`s politics is through the filter of our media. This book, however, delves below the surface to the underlying realities and from there a very different politics emerges. This is a politics which starts and ends with people realising their potential.
From Britain`s shifting political centre of gravity The Britain Potential pieces together a politics that is neither left nor right, is not of division and polarisation but is about integration, balance, and unity. It offers an entirely fresh, genuinely humanistic vision grounded in actual developments both historical and contemporary. This is a politics viewed as something at work in daily life which is not being reported in the media and that no political party has yet spelt out. 
Told through stories, The Britain Potential helps readers take the pulse of the country and understand for themselves what `remedies` will be effective. It offers ways forward, and hope, for people newly interested in politics, the politically homeless, people dissatisfied with life in Britain, leaders and activists of all kinds, public servants, business people, and people in communities. People around the world, who look to Britain, should find much of interest.
Britain has enormous potential, but is it realising it? For too many the answer is no. This is a book about what it takes to realise that potential, as individuals, families, communities, organisations and as a country. The Britain Potential is in our hands.

Goodreads link

Purchase Links
Amazon UK


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jim Cowan has focused on political and social change in Britain for over 40 years.  Community development, encompassing many different roles, has been at the heart of his work from the early 70s until 2012.  Between 1968 and 2005 he acquired five social science degrees, including a PhD.  He was also an honorary visiting research fellow for 10 years up until 2016.  In his personal life, he has practiced a socially engaged form of Buddhism for over 40 years which has enabled him to develop his consciousness more fully and realise more of his potential.  Since 2012 he has been meticulously researching what has been, and is, happening across Britain. All these aspects, work, personal and social, academic study and research come together in this book; and it is these four voices of doing, thinking, being, and researching that you will hear as you read The Britain Potential.



GUEST POST
The Britain Potential: A politics inspired by a new stage of human consciousness 
by Jim Cowan
This is a book about bringing more heart and true humanity about in Britain today and the part we can each play in doing that. Exploring potential also turns out to be a great way to make sense of what`s happening in Britain today. As one reader said to me, “The best book on social and political stuff I`ve read”. Here`s its starting point:

“Each time humanity has developed a more advanced consciousness we have changed how we do things, the kinds of organisations we have, and how government operates. That shift of consciousness has entered peoples’ lives changing how much potential has been realised. Compare the stifling of potential in the middle ages with the potential realised in the age of reason.
So is there a next generation Britain? Is a shift of consciousness occurring which will enable the country to move on from where it is today and for far more potential to be realised? By the time you finish this book, I think you will say yes there is.”

People kept asking me what I was writing. I found myself replying, “Britain is a country with huge potential, but is not realising that potential by a long way.” NOT ONE PERSON DISAGREED! Now that the book has been published, still no one has disagreed.

This book is helping readers navigate their way between stifling-potential-Britain and realising-potential-Britain.  We all experience the push and pull of these two sides to Britain.
“`Something` is bound up with our real lives, strengthens our sense of self, unites us with others, and treats us as being intelligent, autonomous, and free individuals. `Nothing` is trying to present itself as `something` but everything about it is contrived, mass produced, and essentially the same wherever and whenever. It does nothing for our sense of self, treats us as a consumer and a unit in a market. …`Nothing` is everywhere!”

Becoming more aware of how all that works means we can get ourselves onto more and more of the `realising potential` side of the equation. I show how these two experiences of Britain are running throughout the institutional and social fabric of the country, challenging us daily as individuals, families, communities, organisations, and in our politics. Exploring this notion of potential turns out to be a rich vein.
I associate Britain`s torn social fabric and 40 years of market thinking with a stifling potential side of Britain. My book gives details of 50 initiatives going beyond market thinking that are about the realising potential side of Britain.
But there`s a lot more going on.
Industrial revolution Britain led into welfare state Britain which led into market thinking Britain and which seems to be moving into a civil society Britain. In each of these cases the three major building blocks of the country: the state, civil society and business shifted in their power relationships with each other. Intrigued by this unique analysis of the country?
Chapter 7 spells it out and chapter 9 puts flesh on the bones of just how Britain seems to be moving out of market thinking and into one with civil society at the centre. It`s a vision no political party has been able to come up with. A key freedom today is becoming/being the person you know you can be: existential freedom. And it`s through `the arts`, faith, and all kinds of activism (with or without the internet) that people are growing their lives under their own resources, sometimes building new lives. This too is realising-potential-Britain. Civil society is where the country wants to go, irrespective of government.

But the real freedom we all can tap into is to develop our consciousness. And that is something no government or politician controls. 
“…. we are not problems waiting to be solved, but potential waiting to unfold”

 



Friday 28 February 2020

BLOG TOUR - BLOODBORN - BLOODBORN SERIES BY SYDNEY WINWARD


Title: Bloodborn
Series: Bloodborn
Author: Sydney Winward
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: 6th December 2019

BLURB supplied by Silver Dagger Book Tours
Adam Degore's personal need to find a cure for vampirism drives him to ensnare a vampire, but the creature he captures is Dracula's daughter. Worse yet, he's drawn to her—a monster he's vowed to kill.

Despite her father's wishes, Willow chooses to live among humans instead of the vampire conclave where she would be safe. She wants a life filled with more than shadows. Being captured by a human, not to mention falling in love with one, is not part of her plan.



With vampires and blood hunters closing in on their chosen prey, Adam and Willow need to trust one another. But will that trust come in time for them to survive and find a future together? 



PURCHASE LINKS

Kobo 

BOOK TRAILER
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sydney Winward was born with an artistic brain and a love of discovery for new talents. From drawing to sewing to music, she has loved to explore every opportunity that comes her way. At a young age, Sydney discovered her love of writing and wrote her first book at twelve years old, and since then, she hasn't been able to stop writing. Her active imagination and artistic mind take her away to different worlds and time periods, making every new story a fantastic adventure. When she is not writing (or fawning over animals in the neighborhood) she spends time with her husband and children at home in Utah.

AUTHOR LINKS

TEASERS


EXCERPT
The sounds of a trickling stream turned into a raging waterfall, silver like the moonlight that waited to shine as dusk fell into something darker. The thunderous water was almost too much for her overly sensitive ears, but she would bear it. At least for a time.

The waterfall drew her nearer until she stood on the edge of the cliff, looking down. White spray shot downward into a pool far below. There was something…mystical about these waters. It looked too clear. Untouched. And she couldn’t tell where the water originated from. Higher on the mountaintop, perhaps? It almost appeared from thin air.

She took another step forward and hissed as the spray hit her skin, stinging her like a sharp needle. At first, she assumed a stabbing rock hit her, but learned the truth when the water left glaring red marks on her skin.

Her eyes widened as she realized where they were—the Throat of Druxix. The clearest, purest water in all the kingdom, uncontaminated by human hands. She had heard many stories about priests traveling days, weeks, even years to acquire the smallest vial of the water, assuming they knew the location of the falls. The water was coveted next to coin.

Holy water.

She snapped her head in Adam’s direction, only to find an iron sword pointed right at her breast. He betrayed her. He lied to her. He used her! And he played her for a fool. Somehow, she had allowed herself to hope that given enough time, something beautiful might blossom between them. She now understood it had been a vain hope, and she had been a fool.

She took a step back, away from him, putting as much distance between them as she was able.

“How could you?” she gasped, taking another step backward, but to back up much further would result in falling over the edge of the cliff and into the holy waters below. However, he was blocking her escape, a menacing sword close to penetrating her skin. Any false move would result in an iron sword through her heart. “How could you take me here?”

“I couldn’t tell you,” he answered, his voice thick with emotion. “It’s the only way. It’s the last thing I could do. For Zachariah.”

She felt numb. After everything that had happened between them, he still meant to kill her? But he was her mate. Mates were supposed to look after one another.

“Don’t do this,” she whispered, taking yet another step backward but stopping in her tracks when the roaring of the falls crashed into her ears like the loud toll of a bell signaling a vampire getting burned at the stake.

She would meet the same fate, except the only audience she would have was Adam and it was holy water instead of fire. She didn’t know which was worse. “I care for you, Adam. I want you to give me a chance.”

“I don’t have a choice. I need my brother back. He’s the only family I have left.”

Her heart ached badly, and she almost wished he would run her through with the weapon, finishing the deed. It might hurt less.

“I could be something to you,” she whispered in earnest.

His only response was to press the tip of his sword closer to her heart. “You’re a vampire, Willow. I’m a blood hunter. Why can’t you understand? This is the way things have to be.”

“No, it’s not! Past mistakes can be forgiven.”

He shook his head, his expression hard. “It’s time for me to end this.”

A tear escaped her eye and trailed down her cheek. “You want me to die?” If he asked it of her, she would do it. He was her mate. Mates looked after one another. They had the other’s best interests at heart. But he wasn’t a vampire, which was why choosing him had been a gamble.

“Your death will benefit no one at the moment,” he said. “I need to find a cure. Before the crusaders find Zachariah and kill him.”

“That’s what this is about? But Adam—”

Her words were cut off as the ledge crumbled beneath her feet. She screamed as she fell. But when she expected to be consumed by fiery water, he grabbed her hand and she found herself dangling precariously over the edge, silver spray soaking her hair and stinging her skin. The world stopped for a moment. Her legs dangled, and the only thing keeping her from death was the hand of a misled blood hunter.

“Just do it!” she screamed. “End it!”

He hesitated. Why did he hesitate?

She shrieked as the water burned her. Pins and needles.

“Isn’t this what you wanted?” she shouted to him. “Let me go and end it!”

“It was what I wanted! Is.” He emphasized the last word. “If you are cleansed, maybe my brother can be too! Willow, you can be cured.”

She shook her head as she desperately clung to his hand, her feet trying and failing to find a hold in the cliff face. Tears streamed down her face, their reddish tint staining her cheeks. “The only cure is death! Adam, if you do this, I will die.”


Thursday 27 February 2020

BOOK BLITZ - REAPER ACADEMY BY ALLISON WEST


Title: Reaper Academy
Author: Allison West
Genre: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Release Date: 20th February 2020

**Publisher’s Note: This paranormal thriller contains graphic scenes.**

BLURB from Goodreads
The professor should be off-limits. But he’s hot. And I’m a bad girl. Lucky for me, he doesn’t play by the rules. Neither do I.

I used to be a princess; that was before I was murdered.

The reaper who took my soul. He’s my professor. And, well, the experience of taking a soul is quite… pleasurable. He wants me. I crave him. It’s against the rules, but do either of us care?


PURCHASE LINKS

EXCERPT 

"We'll be fine." Leila had seen the invitee list a dozen times growing up. She knew everyone who showed and everyone invited who didn't. Wynter had been right, it would not be difficult to slip into the party. "Are we ready?"

"Almost." Wynter walked up to Leila and slid his hand into his pants pocket. He pulled out a necklace. The pendant was round and made from bronze. The center was a pleasant sea of rich purples and blues, mixed together with sparkles that dazzled in the light. Leila turned the charm in her hands, and the colors changed from each angle, revealing a warm mix of pink and orange hues like a gorgeous sunset. "Even though you're no longer a princess, you will always look royal." He took the pendant from her hands and fastened the antique bronze chain around her neck.

"Thank you." A real smile met her lips. She hadn't felt this content since before she died. He had a way of making her feel special. Had he done that with all his students or just her? She hadn't noticed his attention on anyone else.

"One last surprise." Wynter's eyes twinkled. He led the girls to the front door and opened it. Outside, waited a horse-drawn carriage. Jasper sat up front, ready to drive the coach.

"Where'd you get a carriage?" Leila asked.

"It wasn't being used anymore," Jasper said.

Wynter offered his hand to Leila as she climbed into the carriage. He did the same for Violetta before he stepped in last.

"I doubt that. There's nothing wrong with the carriage," Leila mused, staring up at the ceiling. There were no holes, no evidence that it had toppled over and been smashed against the ground.

"It's what was wrong with the owners," Wynter said and sat back in the carriage beside Leila. "They died."

"Oh," Leila said, and the carriage jolted forward. The horses' hooves thumped against grass. "Jasper, did you steal this carriage from a reap?"

"I don't think he can hear you." Wynter grinned. "Yeah, he may have borrowed it. It's not like the guy will be needing it again. Besides, you can't arrive at the ball riding a horse. It would look unsophisticated. Trust me, we'd never get in."

Leila sighed. She hadn't thought about their arrival. "Just tonight. Then we return the carriage." She didn't want to risk the royal council finding out what they were up to. Not only were they crashing a ball, but they were also stealing from the dead. Were there any rules left that Leila hadn't broken?

"Are you nervous?" Wynter nudged her thigh with his leg.

"Why would I be?" Her knee bounced anxiously as her fingers twitched against her lap. She'd been trying to convince herself all afternoon that it was no big deal, Mara wouldn't recognize her.

"No reason at all." Wynter smiled. "We're going out tonight to have fun."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Allison West is a #1 International Best-Selling Author in Erotica, BDSM, Romantic Erotica, Sci-Fi, Victorian, and Historical Erotica. She also writes young adult novels under the name Ruth Silver.

Allison West has been inventing worlds and writing stories for years. Her favorite novels are those that leave a lasting impression, long after the final page is read. 
You can find more about Allison on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog "Spanking Author." http://spankingauthor.com

AUTHOR LINKS

GIVEAWAY


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Wednesday 26 February 2020

BOOK BLITZ - THE RESISTANCE - UNION SERIES BY T.H. HERNANDEZ


Title: The Resistance
Series: Union Series
Author: T.H. Hernandez
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Release Date: 25th February 2020

BLURB supplied by Xpresso Book Tours
After the Union is invaded by the Uprising, life for Evan and her friends becomes even more dire. If they have any hopes of saving the world they know, they’re going to need help. And it looks like there may be someone already out there trying to accomplish the same thing.



Now living in an encampment in the Ruins, life is hard for most Unis in the Resistance. For Cyrus and the other Ruins survivors, it’s just more of the same.

While they train for their ultimate mission, tragedy strikes, upending everything once again. Complicating their plans, someone in their midst is working against them. Evan, Cyrus, and the rest of the Resistance need to locate reinforcements to help them bring down the Uprising while rooting out the traitor. With trust at an all-time low, no one is above suspicion as danger walks among them.


PURCHASE LINKS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

T.H. Hernandez is the author of young adult books. The Union, a futuristic dystopian adventure, was a finalist in the 2015 San Diego book awards in the Young Adult Fiction category.



She loves pumpkin spice lattes, Game of Thrones, Comic-Con, Star Wars, Doctor Who marathons, Bad Lip Reading videos, and all things young adult, especially the three young adults who share her home.

When not visiting the imaginary worlds inside her head, T.H. Hernandez lives in usually sunny San Diego, California with her husband and three children, a couple of cats, and a dog who thinks he's a cat, affectionately referred to as "the puppycat."


AUTHOR LINKS

EXCERPT
Evan
Draya stands in the middle of the holding tent that’s served as her residence the past couple of weeks. Her long wavy hair is piled high on her head in messy disarray as she directs her unblinking stare in my direction. Not for the first time this morning, I regret agreeing to participate. But since Draya and I are the only people in camp who were present during my interrogations, I let the others talk me into it. After all, I’m the one she tortured, the one who admitted to blowing up their camps—which we did do—along with a number of things we didn’t do. And if we didn’t do them, she either she made it up to throw me, or someone else out there is working against the Uprising, meaning we may have allies.
“So…what’s going on?” Draya asks, tilting her head to the side as if we’re inviting her to a picnic.
Mateo’s dark curly hair brushes the ceiling of the squat tent that’s barely tall enough for him to stand upright. A breeze from behind flutters the hem of my shirt, alerting me that the last member of our leadership council has arrived.
“Bring me up to speed,” Jack says.
“We waited for you,” Rainey says, her normally raspy voice even more so at this early hour.
Jack trains his attention on Draya for a few beats, assessing the situation as only a cop can.
Draya crosses her arms as her mouth twists into an arrogant grin. “Anyone care to enlighten me to the purpose of this party?”
“We need information,” I say. “When I was in your…custody, you asked me about attacks on the Uprising.”
Her bright blue eyes hold a defiance, sharp enough to slice through bone.
“I thought you said she was willing to cooperate,” I say to Cyrus, never taking my attention from the enemy before me.
Her head tilts in the other direction. “You haven’t asked me a question yet.”
Rainey moves her five-foot-nothing self forward until she’s in Draya’s personal space. Even without the scar cutting across her cheek to her jaw, she exudes power and authority.
Draya blinks and takes a step back then rolls her eyes. “I doubt I can tell you anything you don’t already know.”
“Let’s start with details of the attacks on the Uprising,” I say.
Her brows nosedive. “You’d have more information on that than me.”
“Just…” I let out a frustrated sigh. “Just tell us what happened from your perspective.”
She snorts and her gaze sweeps the rest of the leadership. “You don’t know, do you? Well, now, isn’t this interesting?”
“Draya,” Cyrus’s warns.
“I said I’d help, and I will, but I want something in exchange.”
Mateo crosses his arms with a relaxed posture that says he’s bored. The way he can project anything he wants is just one of the things that makes him such an important part of our leadership team. After spending years as a mercenary, we were able to recruit him to our cause. “You’re in no position to negotiate.”
Draya taps her finger against her chin. “Oh, I think I am. I have something you want, and I want out of this tent. I’ve been stuck in here for two weeks.”
My body trembles as if the ground beneath my feet is quaking. “Oh really?” The words fly from my mouth coated in the venom of my rage. “Your conditions are rough? How are you managing to get by without all the torture? That must really suck.” Cyrus puts a hand on my shoulder, but I shake him off. “And sleeping on a cot instead of a concrete floor in your own vomit and shit? Wow, that must be nearly intolerable.”
Some of the storm clouds brewing in Draya’s eyes dissipate before her shoulders slump, almost imperceptibly. “Fine. It was little things at first, like supply trucks missing inventory. We thought the drivers were making money on the side. But after investigating…we determined it wasn’t them.”
Investigating my ass. They probably tortured them to the brink of death only to find out they were innocent. Well, innocent of the crimes they were accused of anyway.
“Then a high-ranking Uprising leader disappeared.” Her gaze drifts to Rainey then Cyrus. “But after we’d lost a couple of commanders, it wasn’t completely unexpected. There was talk about the disappearances being connected.” Pressing her lips together, she glances at me. “That’s why I had to push you so hard about Cy’s location. A few days after the camp attacks, the leader’s body was found, throat slit, a hundred miles from where he was last seen.”
I glance up at Cyrus wondering if he knows about this. He gives me a quick shake of his head. “Go on,” he says to Draya.
“We were only days away from striking the Union when the camps were attacked. It was a huge setback, but they’d already placed so many people in the Union that they quickly came up with a backup plan.” She flicks something off her pant leg. “And you know the rest.”
“That’s a lot of superficial information,” Mateo says. “We need dates, locations, a list of everything that was taken from the supply trucks, where the leader was last seen, where he was found…”
Draya’s chin tilts up as a smirk tugs at the corners of her mouth. “I take it you don’t need details on the camp attacks.”
Mateo’s chest expands with each terse breath.
“Didn’t think so,” she mumbles but spends the next couple of hours answering questions. Unfortunately, she doesn’t provide much in the way of concrete details, something we desperately need. If we have any hope of taking down the Uprising, we’re going to need help.

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Tuesday 25 February 2020

BLOG TOUR - MY PULSE BY HANNA DALE


Title: My Pulse
Author: Hanna Dale
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: 26th November 2019

BLURB supplied by Xpresso Book Tours
For single mom Tristan Maddox, moving to the small town of Broward, Georgia is the opportunity she needs to provide her daughter with a better life. A bigger house where they can each have their own bedroom, a backyard to play in, a place where they can put down roots and be part of a community, are all part of the reason she chose Broward as their new home. Nowhere on that list was her sexy next door neighbor, Owen, his adorably affable dog, Huck, or his crazy family. 


Owen Gallahanger is perfectly content with his life the way it is. He has a job he loves, a family that he can count on, even if they drive him crazy most of the time, and his loyal sidekick, Huck. He isn’t looking for anything more, but after meeting Tristan and her daughter, he quickly realizes exactly what he is missing.

But not everyone is happy that Tristan is in Broward. As an unknown threat continues to escalate, Owen has to fight to protect the woman he loves, and their future together, or risk losing everything.


PURCHASE LINKS

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Do you use a pen name? And why? 
I do use a pen name. I am probably one of the most socially awkward people you’ll ever meet in your life. Writing gives me a chance to be someone else, and using a pen name adds to that sense of freedom for me.

Are you a self-published / Indie author / Mainstream Published? 
I am a self-published author, and this is my debut novel. I love how self-publishing has become so popular over the last few years. It’s given us so many amazing authors that I don’t otherwise think we would have been introduced to.

Do you listen to music or have something else that you use whilst writing? 
It really depends on my mood. Sometimes I’ll listen to classical, but if I listen to any other type of music, I’ll catch myself singing along. My children will be the first ones to tell me that I shouldn’t be singing out loud! Sometimes I put on reality TV, because it provides me background noise but I don’t really get caught up in what’s going on. I definitely can’t write in silence; I have to have some sort of noise going on around me at all times, even when I’m going to sleep.

What or Who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing? 
I can’t think of any one person or thing that inspired me to start writing. I’ve just always had these stories in my head and decided to put them down on paper one day. I learned, years after I first started writing, that my own mother had written stories when she was growing up. She passed away a few years ago, but I like to think she knows that I took the leap to self-publish, and that she’s proud of me.

Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks? 
Oh, this is a tough one! I love the feel of a good book in my hands. The way it smells, the texture of the paper, the weight of it, but I love the convenience of an e-book and the way it allows me to carry hundreds of books around with me all the time. It especially makes it easier when I’m traveling. My suitcases are much lighter since I invested in an e-reader.
Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so, what was it? I tend to read all of my books I’ve bought multiple times. It’s like sitting down to catch up with an old friend, or coming home to be with family. I think I’ve read every book by Nora Roberts at least five times each, and then there’s Lucy Score, Meghan March, Kristen Proby, Jennifer Armentrout, Aurora Rose Reynolds, the list could literally go on for days. I’ve read, and re-read, and re-read them all.

Do you have just one book you would recommend others to read? 
I’m currently obsessed with any and all things Lucy Score. I just discovered her, and I’m pretty sure I read all of her books in less than two weeks while working a full time job, and slugging my way through Algebra and Spanish assignments with my oldest child.

Do you enjoy reading? 
There is nothing better than a good book. My Kindle App on my phone added this handy tracker that tells me I’ve read for a solid 456 days in a row! I make time to read every day, even if it’s only a chapter. I love getting to live in these amazing worlds created by other people.

What’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing? 
To write for myself above everything else.

Do you have any hobbies that aren’t related to reading & writing? 
I have two incredibly active, nature loving boys, so my hobbies include things like camping, fishing, and hiking. None of which I particularly enjoyed before I had my kids. As cliché as it sounds, seeing it all through their eyes, and sharing the experiences with them, makes putting up with the spiders all worth it.

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