Blog Tour: The Reflections of Light for Daily Living by Dr. Tiffany Brown

ISBN #: 978-1-4512-3143-4

Publisher: PublishAmerica

Page Count: 480

Book Excerpt & My Thoughts:

(Book excerpt was taken from book)

DAY 1
Today is about being unstoppable.

I am a believer in positive thinking. You can manifest anything if you just believe.
We are living in some weird times. There are people who are experiencing the best times in their life and enjoying the fruits of their labor. For them, everything is great. Then there are people like me who are grindin. For us, every day is a different struggle.

Every time you go up one level, the problems become more complex and harder to solve. The hate goes up as well. There are things that we cannot discuss with everyone. The risk is greater for all involved.

I am no longer in the minor leagues; I am in the major leagues with a lot of danger lurking around every decision. This is when your faith is essential. You must transform yourself into being unstoppable.

An unstoppable person is someone who doesn’t falter in the face of adversity, a person who will get knocked down millions of times and continue to fight, a person who can change tactics in order to achieve his or her goals, a person who is willing to make sacrifices in order get to the next level, a person who has an uncompromising spirit and a general hunger to succeed.

The requirements to become unstoppable are faith in yourself and a direct lifeline to God.
The only person you can really depend on to constantly uplift you is God. Everyone else is human and bound to fail you at least once. Know inside that you are larger than the circumstances around you and that God will give you favor to help you reach the next level.

God is such an awesome God that He protects you from enemies you don’t even know about. These enemies, a.k.a. haters, are double agents. They have friend- or family-like characteristics but they don’t have your best interest at heart.
Be careful who you share your goals with; you never know their secret motives.
Some people have just one simple motive: to make sure you never reach your full potential. They can be friends and family. No one is immune.4
So on this day, believe in yourself and become unstoppable. Once you believe and have faith in yourself, you will have the ability to move mountains.

Be the catalyst for change. :)

Wow ... when I read this for the first time, I knew I was reading affirmations from someone who got it.  Dr. Tiffany Brown understands the every day struggle of the every day person.  These affirmations have opened up my eyes, made me think, given me hope and has uplifted my spirits.  What a breath of fresh air!  God is an awesome God and that He has allowed me to read this book at this particular time in my life is amazing.  It shows me that He really does care about us.

By the way, and I hope Dr. Brown doesn't mind, but I am now using the phrase "Be the catalyst for change" on my Facebook profile page. =)

Q&A with Dr. Brown:

(As provided to me by Dr. Brown's publicists)



How did you start out your writing career?

I have always liked to write. But I really begin to write more through my Twitter page from my mayoral campaign. I started with leaving famous quotes and begin to gradually share my thoughts about life for the ambitious.

What did you learn while writing this book?


I also learned that having just me is enough because of God’s love. I now feel comfortable in my own skin; imperfections in all. I may not be perfect but I am attempting to be a best that I can. And that is enough as long as I try to stay aligned with God.

What did you hope to accomplish with this book?

Never give up on your goals in life but allow God to revise or tweak them into being aligned with his Will. Every failure is not a nightmare and every opportunity is not a blessing. Some failures can be blessings; some opportunities can be nightmares.

Allow God completely into your heart and watch your life begin to expand in the most amazing ways. I trust God in completely different way than before because I now have a testimony that I never had before. There is nothing like spectacular fall to truly give you a new relationship with God.

Can you give us one do and one don’t for those aspiring to be a writer?

One do is to be to be strategic about selling your books. Hiring your own publicist may be a good idea to ensure you get your desired response. Don’t assume you’re a major priority just because you have book deal.

One don’t is similar to the do. Do not wait on the publicity department for your publisher . Do not rely on your publisher for everything. You can miss out many additional revenue streams by waiting on your publisher to act.

What one thing about writing do you wish other non-writers would understand?

That it is not as easy as it looks and it is a emotional experience. You are really putting yourself out there; good and bad. You are allow yourself to be complete transparent and it can be scary experience.

How can readers get in contact with you? (mail, email, website)
Readers can contact me by email at info@tiffanycbrown.com

Review & Giveaway: Stan's Leap by Tom Duerig

ISBN #: 978-0-595-50848-8 (sc)
ISBN #: 978-0-595-50106-9 (dj)
ISBN #: 978-0-595-61675-6 (ebook)
Page Count: 386
Copyright: 2009

About the Author:

(Taken from back cover)

Tom Duerig, a physicist by training, is the president of a medical device company.  While he has a long history of scientific writings, this is his first work of fiction.  His hobbies include sailing and studying the history of the South Pacific, two intricate elements of this novel.

Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

What would you do if you found yourself stranded in Paradise?


Newlyweds Jenny and Stan are eager to travel before they begin building their family.  After seeing an intriguing ad in a travel magazine, Jenny arranges a vacation to a remote Pacific island.  The advertisement promises a completely authentic Polynesian experience.  Despite an arduous journey to reach their paradise, they are excited to immerse themselves in the history, adventure, and culture of the Polynesian islands as they were before contact with the western world.


Led by the zealous Kimo and his beautiful partner Nani, Henderson Island first appears as idyllic as hoped.  The island's natural environment promises to provide for all their needs without modern materials and technology.


Several days after arriving, however, an unusual storm disrupts their routine.  And when the weekly flight back to civilization fails to arrive, tempers flare and deep rifts among the guests are formed.  Day after day passes with no sign of life beyond Henderson Island's shores.


As days extend into weeks and months, Jenny, Stan and the other vacationers are left searching for explanations, rescue, and finally a new reality.

Review:

This book is one of the reasons why I started a book review blog with the hope that publishers and authors would contact me about their books.  It has turned out to be one of those rare precious gems found amongst all of the knock-offs.  I received it from Tom's publicist in exchange for a review.

Even though this book is reminiscent of the infamous Lord of the Flies, Stan's Leap has its own unique voice ... perhaps unique enough to be as memorable as its similar predecessor.

Stan and Jenny are newlyweds who decide to go on an island adventure.  Getting there is somewhat of an annoyance, but once they reach the island and get used to island living ... it appears to be a dream come true.  They meet several other couples on the island ... who aren't all there for fun.

Kimo, the main man/leader/guide, seems nice enough, but some of his actions are questionable.  He'll go off for walks on his own and cannot be found, but is always around when needed.  He keeps everybody's possessions in a locked bunker and will not allow them to get anything out of it that could potentially harm the island.  His wife, Nani, is quiet and pleasant, but has a seductive side that shows itself at a gathering.

 Bob and Claire are the couple that travel to the island with Stan and Jenny.  Bob seems loud, overbearing and somewhat abusive.  His girlfriend, Claire, seems like the typical blond-headed ditz from Los Angeles that cannot think for herself and relies on Bob to tell her what to do and how she should act.  Bob and Claire made me upset ... him for being a neanderthal and her for being Bob's door mat.  Over time though, things changed.  I became proud of Claire and happy that Bob was knocked down a few notches.

I won't go into detail about every couple on the island, but I will say that they all meld together wonderfully.  The interaction between them all is depicted well throughout the book.  There's murder, seduction, love affairs and intrigue.  This book has become one of my all-time favorites and I will read it again and again.

Giveaway Info:

This giveaway ended November 19, 2010

Aesop's Fables: Translated by S. A. Handford

Stats:

Ranking:  #1001 on the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list
ISBN #: 978-0-14-036984-7
Format: Paperback
Page Count:  212

About the Author:

(Taken from first page after front cover)

Aesop was a slave who lived in the early sixth century BC on the island of Samos, which lies off the coast of modern Turkey.  Aesop came originally from Thrace, which was in those days separate country, though it now forms part of Greece and Bulgaria.  After being enslaved, he went to work on Samos for a master called Iadmon.  That is all that is known for certain of his life, although a large number of legends grew up around him - including one which claims that he came back to life!

Summary:

(Taken from first page after front cover)

The particular quality of Aesop's fables is that they use the imaginary adventures of animals to make a moral point about human life.  The reader will be astonished at how familiar most of the stories are.  Some of them have even given phrases to the English language: we use 'sour grapes' as a synonym for 'envy', for example.  But the stories have the ability to seem familiar even if one has never come across them before, because they reflect common-sense and folk wisdom, which everyone in any culture learns from childhood onwards.

Review:

That a slave spoke fables in sixth century BC does not amaze me.  What does amaze and awe me is the fact that Aesop's fables are still being used by a wide range of people.  To this day, Aesop is still teaching and making people think about moral issues.

The summary was correct when it stated that the stories have the ability to seem familiar.  There were quite a few that when I finished reading them I'd stop and think, "I never knew that was where that saying came from."

The fables were easy to read.  Many of them were only a paragraph long.  The moral was written at the beginning or end of most of the fables.  The fables that did not have the moral so blatantly depicted were still easy to understand and comprehend.  You could almost read this book like you would a devotional ... one fable every morning to start your day so you can contemplate its meaning all day long.  Who knows ... perhaps it would slowly change the way a person thinks and sees the world.

Overall, I enjoyed reading these fables and being able to re-familiarize myself with the morals of each.  I can understand why this book made the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list.  I think everyone should get a copy and read a fable or two whenever they have a few minutes to spare each day.

Review & Giveaway: Dark Muse by BrokenSword

ISBN #: 9-780615196312
Page Count: 622
Publisher: GreenDragon Publishing
Copyright: 2008

About the Author:

I really didn't find any bio info on the web or on the back cover of Dark Muse.  So, to learn more about this web-reclusive author, I requested an interview ... which he graciously accepted.  Click here to learn more about the author, BrokenSword.

(Interview has been removed by the blog's owner)

Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

Jason, a miller from 18th Century Carolina, seeks to escape a loveless marriage while on an Atlantic voyage to Italy, aboard a ship whose captain hides a pirate past.  As he watches his wedding ring disappear beneath the waves, he's chosen to alter his path.  Within his yearning to find true love, is a hidden passion for rhyme and verse.  Taking strength from his words, he builds relationships with others onboard who share his passionate nature, including a supernaturual muse who shapes his words and ideas, and ultimately, the truths he finds within himself.

When his poetry becomes more than a connection between himself and his emotions, Jason finds the opportunity for love that he seeks.  But another has already claimed him.  Exotic and erotic, the Dark Muse clings to his senses, forming the kiss on his lips.

Immortal, Leanan Sidhe is a Queen of the Fae, and daughter of the Sea Gods.  As Jason holds a hand out to the love he's been seeking, as lust crashes like Atlantic waves on the rock of his soul, his experiences with both will be defined in terms of betrayal...

Review:

Poetry is something that runs in my family.  It's something that I, myself, have written many times.  Although, I feel that I am simply an artist and not a craftsman (explanation of differences to be found inside Dark Muse).  Even still, I wanted to love this book for the poetic foundation it was built on.  Sadly, I did not.  Now, don't get me wrong ... I did enjoy the book, but I did not fall in love with it as I had hoped.

For one thing, the cover of the book is a little ... lackluster.  I would have liked to see a little interaction between the two characters on the cover... a little sexual tension, a little heat ... a visual preview of what was in store in between the covers ... of the book, that is.  =)

I did feel bad for Jason.  He was locked inside of a loveless marriage.  All he wanted was to love and be loved.  He would've gladly poured out his affection on his wife, but she was the type to find excuse after excuse as to why she would not, or could not, fulfill her 'wifely duties.'  After quite a few months of being told 'no,'  what else would a virile man do but find someone else?

It's then that Jason meets a lady on the ship he falls in love with.  It's also around this time that his Dark Muse comes to him and makes herself known to him.

I'm not going to tell you what happens (I don't want to ruin the story for you), but I will say that there were incidents, reveals and happenings in the story that I didn't expect.  Some were a pleasant surprise, while others were disappointing.  Of course, that makes a good story doesn't it ... Ones that draw you in, make you think, reveal the unexpected and cause you to feel a wide range of emotions?  If this, and the fact that there is a happy ending (slight spoiler, I know), intrigues you then you'll enjoy this book.  =)

Giveaway:

This giveaway has now ended.  Click on the Giveaways link at the top right of this page to view the winners.

Teaser Tuesday #4

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Mizb at Should Be Reading.  To participate, you need to:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser

This week's teaser comes from:

"She tensed at the earnest look in his eyes, the touch of his hand.  A shard of panic shot through her and must have shown."

I've not read this story yet, but now that I've read this teaser, I'm thinking ... "Why is she panicking?  Is she in trouble?  Are they in public?  Alone?  Is he somebody she likes?  Somebody she's trying to avoid?"  I have so many questions already.  Guess I'm going to have to read this book soon.  =)