First Chapter Plus April 2022 Issue by firstchapterplus

FIRST CHAPTER PLUS Avoiding Overkill Do Indies Make The Most of Amazon’s Author Central?

The Barefoot Librarian Corner

April, a month of purification and rebirth

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April, a month of purification and rebirth Page 5 Featured Books and Authors Page 3 2021-2022 Reader Views Awards Winners Page 8 Indie Books! Pages 6-8-1213- 14-16-18 - 20-22-26-3032-36-38-42-44 Interview with 000000 Author of “A Slippery Shadow” Page 24 Avoiding Overkill Page 10 Do Indies Make The Most of Amazon’s Author Central? Page 17 Book Videos Page 28-29 Inside Scoop Live Podcast of the Month Page 35 The Barefoot Librarian Corner Page 40

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Table of Contents - Featured Books and Authors

6 Hello & Goodnight Hello & Goodnight gives you a look at a day in the life of a toddler, through the eyes of a toddler! Engaging you with fun rhymes, beautiful imagery, and adorable humor, Hello & Goodnight is sure to become a bedtime favorite.

34 Conor Mitchel author of “Lockdown” In September of 2018, nearly 11 years after his first visit to the city, he would travel 3000 miles over four days by train to his new home of San Francisco, CA. Although Conor was unsure what he was so drawn to the city for expressly, he knew he had a purpose of serving, and San Francisco was the key to this purpose. With all he had experienced with COVID-19 and the last several months of his time in the city, documenting one of the most historical times in world history could very well have been his calling.

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Editor’s Note Born and raised in Venezuela of Italian immigrants, Susan completed a BA in Political Science and Business Administration before moving to the US . Although she built a career as a Business Analyst/Accountant, she also kept herself active as a freelance writer in the US; publishing articles, poetry, children’s stories, and illustrations since 1996. She published her first book in 2009, and released her revised edition: Innocent War: Behind An Immigrant’s Past – Book 1 in 2011. Her picture book: Tuma: The Tribe’s Little Princess was published in early 2013 under her own label. Currently, Susan Violante is the Managing Editor/CEO/ Partner of I Have Something to Say Press and Book By Book Publicity, Author, Reviewer, Publicist and Publisher. She resides in Austin, TX with her husband Michel and her dogs, Canela, Karina, and Nutela. Susan is mother of two adult daughters, Arianna and Nicolette, and caregiver to her father. She enjoys cooking, reading, knitting, painting, writing, gardening, and any outdoor activity.

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April, a month of purification and rebirth In nature we are all familiar with the “circle of life” when speaking about all living creature’s journey in this world. But the facts are that all things in on earth and beyond go through a journey that starts with birth, continues transformation, and ends with what we believe to be death. But there is more to this journey. In fact, this cycle happens over an over during our lives as well as in all aspects of our lives. Just like our seasons, and our bodies our lives go through a cycle of beginning, cleansing and transformation or end. Because after each end there is a rebirth. This journey manifests in all areas of our lives. School, work, belief, science, health, love, relationships, family…you name it. Everything has a beginning, growth, cleansing and transformation. In Nature, we see it with Spring, Summer, Fall and winter. So, it is not a surprise that in April the big belief systems celebrate Passover, Easter, and Ramadan so that can reflect, cleanse, and transform to a better version of ourselves. I wish all of you a wonderful spring season. May your own rebirth after the winter flourish a strong and beautiful new you!

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Featured Authors Imani Lewis Imani Lewis is a multi-award winning and national best selling author of multiple genres. She enjoys reading to her babies and creating worlds that others can relate to. Check out more titles by her at www.manitheauthor.com

Hello & Goodnight gives you a look at a day in the life of a toddler, through the eyes of a toddler! Engaging you with fun rhymes, beautiful imagery, and adorable humor, Hello & Goodnight is sure to become a bedtime favorite.

View Book Video Here

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Hello & Goodnight Imani Lewis Red Beetle Publishing, LLC (2021) ISBN 9781734517088 Tradeback - 34 pages - $11.99 Fiction - Preaschool/Early Reader

delightful story that will appeal to little ones, their parents, and their grandparents, and I highly recommend it as a must-have in every little home library.

— Sheri Hoyte Reader Views

Read First Chapter Here View on Amazon Here

Reader Views Kids Award for Best Children’s Book of the Year 7

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Featured Authors Marjorie L. Anderson Marjorie Anderson is a native Virgin islander, retired bank executive, co-funder and former executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Minority Business Strategic Alliance. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Morgan State University, a Master of Science in Management from La Salle University, and is a gradute of the Wharton’s School agement Program Manate of the Wharton’s School Management Program of the University of Pennsylvania. Her book “The Key” is a Reader Views Literary Awards Winner. Marjorie currently lives in Liberty Hill, Texas.

View Book Video Here

La Clave shares the author’s financial knowledge and experience to help teens get a head start in life. The book presents readers with basic financial knowledge and life changing know-how tips on how to manage money to make the most of their income to build a successful future. But Anderson does not stop there, she also teaches young people to invest in their communities by buying local products and donating to help others. La Clave is the Spanish translation of Marjorie L. Anderson’s Reader Views Award winner “The Key.”

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La Clave Marjorie L. Anderson I Have something To Say Press (2021, 2022) ISBN 9780985430825 Tradeback - 100 pages - $16.00 Nonfiction - Spanish/YA-Teen

he skills teens develop in this workbook can be applicable to all aspects of their lives, not just finances.

— Nico Neak Social worker/Children and Teen Therapist

. his is an invaluable resource

for the financial preparation of our adolescents to ensure an economical, stable and successful future.

— Juliana Leal-Belloso Preschool teacher and mother of a teenager

Read First Chapter Here View on Amazon Here

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Avoiding Overkill There is a famous quote: “There’s no need to repeat yourself; I ignored you just fine the first time.” Well, when it comes to writing, authors should remember this quote but alter it just a tad. You see, after you’ve said something once in your novel, saying it in every chapter from then on out is NOT necessary. In fact, you’ve gone from having the readers’ attention to putting them to sleep. Recently I’ve been reviewing a few and editing a few books (three in a row for the latter, actually) and found the same editorial issue happening in each and every one. Repetition is something an author can get “stuck” in when they are creating their book. In fact, it’s one of the easiest things to do; when the author is watching scenes play out in their mind and they pick a particular “setting” where all their characters happen to be while the sci-fi, mystery, romance, drama, or adventure is playing out, they end up repeating themselves a lot. There are two directions authors seem to choose in order to offer up descriptions for their readers: (1) They find a location “look” they like, and then proceed to constantly tell readers what that look is; or (2) They use as many synonyms as they possibly can find in order to speak the same words without actually doing so. Hint: Neither of these work. In fact, I can only read that the “trees in the forest were like sentinels, and their mangled roots like the hands of the dead reaching up to the sky” once. When I start reading it on every page (and, yes, when I did a count that one exact line appeared 2,714 times in one manuscript), I start to roll my eyes and wish that I was reading something else. Anything else, actually. The author hit the nail on the proverbial head the first time he told me what was close to his characters; once I witnessed those trees for the next hundred pages, the memorable line turned as humdrum as algebra class. (My apologies if you’re a die-hard mathematician.) The other direction, the synonym mongers, understand repetition to a point. They learned a long time ago that the word “said” becomes overly annoying. As a reader, I know this is dialog the second you put quotes around it, and I’m only going to be confused if the room has many people talking at once and I’m trying to figure out who’s who; only then would I need some direction about who “said” what. But the English language, being the most difficult one to learn, has a ton of words that mean basically the same thing but just draw on a different emotion.

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Therefore, the characters can say something, but they can also exclaim, plead, cry, reply, shoot back, shout, yell…and the list goes on. Although an author doesn’t need to rely on just “said” to get their characters through, they also don’t need to go into overkill when it comes to the presentation of the scene. Why is that? Because, yet again, the reader is going to grow bored. This is yet another reason for that second set of eyes. Editors can be expensive and can even be bad (which means research is most definitely needed when finding one for yourself), but what that second set of eyes gifts the author is absolutely necessary to make your book the best it can be. You want that fan base to grow, so make sure when you write a seriously memorable line that you don’t write it a million times. If you do, I promise you, it will go from perfect to completely ignored. After all, if Rhett had told Scarlett, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” more than once back in 1936, no Pulitzer Prize would’ve been won, and no one would still repeat it in 2022. Which….yes, we most definitely do! by Amy Lignor “Being the daughter of a research librarian, Amy was hooked on books from the moment she could open one. She has been the editor of Suspense Magazine for over a decade; she also reviews and interviews artists and authors for various websites, while continuously helping up-and-coming authors by editing their work. Amy is also the author of the bestselling “Tallent & Lowery” series; the award-winning YA trilogy, “The Angel Chronicles,” and the historical fiction novel, “The Heart of a Legend.” A member of International Thriller Writers (ITW), she is currently at work on her first horror novel, “The Wake.”

Featured Authors L.E. DeLano L.E. DeLano comes equipped with a “useless” Theatre degree that has opened doors for her in numerous ways. Though mostly raised in New Mexico, she now lives in Pennsylvania with two adventurous kids and two ridiculous cats. L.E.’s 2021 novel, BLUE, was named a 2021 SPARK Award winner by The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), a 2021-22 Gold Medal Winner for Young Adult in the Reader Views Reviewer’s Choice Awards, a 2021 NYC Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite in Young Adult Fiction, a 2022 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite – Teen, and was named 2021-22 Teen/YA Book of the Year by Reader Views Kids. Her debut novel, TRAVELER, was a Keystone State Reading Association (KSRA) Secondary Book Awards Finalist for 2018-2019.

Blue’s older brother was involved in a car accident that killed the father of her classmate, Maya, and now Maya has returned to school determined to make Blue’s life a living hell in the aftermath. When Maya’s taunts push Blue to retaliate, they find themselves forced into a project meant to foster cooperation. Blue learns about Maya—and her own sense of privilege— when revealed secrets cast a new perspective on everything in Blue’s world. View Book Video Here

Bronze Winner: Overall Best Fiction

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Blue L.E. DeLano Gaze Publishing (2021) ISBN 9781736473108 Tradeback - 233 pages - $10.99 Fiction - Young Adult (age 16+)

lue by L.E. Delano is an intense and completely engrossing YA novel about perspective . . . a must read for teens and anyone else who enjoys a great fictional story.

— Paige Lovitt Reader Views Kids

. verall: 10.00 out of 10.

DeLano has an excellent ear for teens' idiomatic speech . . . This is a fast-paced novel focused more on feelings and the social world of teens . . . An easy read for its intended audience. — BookLife Prize BookLife Prize

Reader Views Kids Award for Best Teen/Young Adult Book of the Year

Read First Chapter Here View on Amazon Here

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Featured Authors Bineta Ngom Bineta Ngom was born in Senegal, West Africa in 1964. She grew up without her father, who died when she was a little over four years old. She was raised by her mother who taught her how to appreciate life and serve people in need even when the family was enduring hardship. She came to America in 1994 to pursuit her dream, to give her children the opportunity she never had as a child, and to empower the global community. She never stops learning and always strive to be best role model to her children. She decided to write her book “Becoming an Angel of Change” to share her stories with the world to inspire parents, immigrants and women to make positive change within themselves, their homes, their work places as well as their communities.

Through a collection of inspirational stories, Bineta Ngom details her journey exploring her life’s purpose, helping others in need. From her beginnings as an eight-year-old philanthropist in Senegal, to her adult life establishing outreach programs in the United States, readers will be inspired to discover their strength, uniqueness, and purpose in her recent memoir “Becoming an Angel of Change.” View Book Video Here

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Becoming an Angel of Change Bineta Ngom I Have Something To Say Press (2021,2022) ISBN 9781647751784 Tradeback - 186 pages - $16.00 Nonfiction - Memoir / Self-Help

ineta shows us all how we, too, can develop the spiritual depth to become angels of change. A fast-paced, inspiring read!” .

— Donna Winters author of the Great Lakes Romances Series®

. resented in three parts,

‘Becoming an Angel of Change’ is a fascinating story and one that encourages hope, positivity, and gratitude…

— Sheri Hoyte Reader Views

Read First Chapter Here View on Amazon Here

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Playful Teaching Practices By Dr. Bill Michaelis and Ezra Holland Outskirts Press (2019) - ISBN 9781977202093 NonFiction-Education - 106 pages - Tradeback - $19.95 During this era of “drill and grill,” accelerated stressful learning, overdrive consumer lifestyles, excessive testing and a great decrease of play in the early childhood and elementary education curriculum, playful teaching practices are sorely needed...and playful teaching practices are essential to relationship building and creating “connections” to the learning process, to joy, to success, to self-esteem and to our group members of any age.

View on Amazon

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Aunt Tina, Church Secretary By Lorrie Hewitt Independently published (2019) - ASIN: 1699693900 YA-16+ - Satire - ebook - 73 pages - $3.94 Welcome to Glenco Institutional Missionary Baptist Church! In this short, delightful play, experience the fun ups and downs of the church secretary as she interacts with members of her church. Watch closely, you may even see someone you recognize in your church. Let’s begin!

View on Amazon

READ First Chapter

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Do Indies Make The Most of Amazon’s Author Central? Susan Violante IIt has been brought to my attention that many Indie authors do not know about Amazon’s Author Central. If you don't know about it, it's time to get informed about the whole world behind the scenes of Amazon and take advantage of it. If you know about it but do not keep it updated, is time to do so. What will it do for you? It's another place to let potential buyers know about you and your books. You can create an author page that includes your bio, bibliography, author photo and feeds from your blog and your Twitter posts. You can also add your book video and advertise events. And, you can even add Editorial Reviews. But, there is more. You can get Sales Figures, Rank History, and interact with the audience right where they go to purchase books. I really like the Sales Info because it is one simple way to track sales if I've done any promotions during a specific time. As with all Sales Info the information isn't entirely accurate but it's close enough to see what movement you've had on your book. This is also a place you can compare the sales records to the records your publisher sends you during royalty reporting. As well, if you have more than one book all the information is in one central place, and you don't have to go from book page to book page. Author Central also allows you to add all books you have published and are listed in Amazon on one page. You do this by logging in, searching for your books and just clicking on the “add book” button. If you are wondering how potential readers will find your Author Page just go to a book listing on Amazon.com and click on author's name (at the top, under the title and next to "author.") This will take you to the Profile Page of the author. The Author central complements the Author website but is not a substitute. However, it's important to have your Profile Page updated and available to those that do shop Amazon, so it is a must for Indies! Check it out!

Featured Authors Marcus A. Nannini MARCUS A. NANNINI Mr. Nannini began his writing career when he published his own newspaper in the sixth grade and charged 25 cents per school quarter for the privilege of reading the only handwritten copy of each edition. The newspaper was a modest success. During his undergraduate years, he was a paid newspaper reporter and worked three semesters as the Research Assistant to journalism professor Richard Stocks Carlson, Ph.D. Nannini’s newspaper reporting paid for his senior year of undergrad. Carlson advised him to always write as if his readers have an 8th-grade education or less, something he took with a grain of salt. This is the story of an American C-47 ‘Dakota’ pilot who earned three Air Medals, seven Battle Stars and flew twenty-seven combat missions during the Second World War. Around midnight, in early April 1945, he was sent on a secret mission to fly to a point near Nuremberg, which was behind enemy lines at the time. It was necessary for him to locate an empty meadow in the dark, land, load a party of US soldiers and their captives, and then take-off again. He pulled it off. Among those prisoners was Franz von Pappen, the man who had persuaded President Hindenburg to make Hitler Chancellor of Germany in 1933. Von Papen had been seized at his own home by First Lieutenant Thomas McKinley and his men from the US 194th Glider Infantry Regiment.

• Gold Winner: Overall Best Non-Fiction

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MIDNIGHT FLIGHT TO NUREMBERG Marcus A. Nannini

Air World, An Imprint Of Pen & Sword Books (2021) ISBN 9781526792730 Hardcover - 224 pages - $32.95 Nonfiction - Biography

riveting and detailed military memoir, "Midnight Flight to Nuremberg: The Capture of the Nazi who put Adolf Hitler into Power" is an extraordinary and recommended addition to community, college, and university library World War II biographies.

— Midwest Book Review

.annini, author of Left for

Dead at Nijmegen, takes flight in this gripping account of courage in the air, the story of pilot Harry E. Watson, who flew 27 combat missions in World War II and was the recipient of seven Battle Stars and three Air Medals. Nannini, who interviewed First Lieutenant Watson extensively, opens this vivid account in the thick of the war, with the tense tale of Watson,

— Book Life

Read First Chapter Here

View on Amazon Here

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READER VIEWS B O OK OF THE MONTH Tronick By Rosie Record Fiction - SciFi/Cyberpunk Indipendent Pubished (2021) ISBN 9798565098464 Reviewed by: Kristina Turner for Reader Views (04/2022)

Like the mechanical hums of neural-dynamic subliminal messaging, or n-sub, called out to a populace desperate for reasons to keep living. N-subs spun melodies about the failings of humanity, amplified all possible insecurities, and then promised the solution came in a package available with a finger tap on a smart screen.” p.6 The California-Annex—is it a haven protected from the disease, war, and pollution destroyed world beyond, or a dystopic, over-populated prison? It is a city surrounded by an impenetrable wall, a warren of green-buildings walled in hanging gardens and governed by The Agency? Most people don’t even ask what’s outside the wall anymore, but perhaps that is the result of the careful N-sub propaganda. Or perhaps it’s all just a matter of faith—faith in what was on the other side. Fiona Tronick—is she a drug dealer or a government agent? A strong, independent woman or a lost, abused girl? The daughter of a drug-addicted whore or the daughter of a wealthy corporate mogul? Maybe even she doesn’t know. Before today, she thought she knew who she was–a master Controller. One of the power-wielders, she could shut down the cops with a word. She thought she knew her world, every back alley, every seedy bar. But then she finds herself drawn to the mysterious cover-up scandal of a murdered influencer. Next she knows a milky-eyed stranger shoves a briefcase at her on public transit, and her boss sends her into the dangerous trenches on an impossible mission to connect with her estranged brother. Meanwhile, religious fanatics are threatening the antiquated bookstore Tronick feels is the one space she is truly accepted. Like a punch in the gut, the certainty of her world and her power is crumbling, sending her deeper into the neon and chemical-soaked underbelly of the walled city, haunted by the milky-eyed man’s question: “Is reality real?” To read complete review click here or visit www.readerviews.com.

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READER VIEWS KIDS B O OK OF THE MONTH Legends of the Donut Shop By Terry Overton Young Reader/Teen Indipendent Pubished (2022) ISBN 9798435290882 Reviewed by Amy Lignor for Reader Views (04/2022)

’m going to begin by thanking author Terry Overton from the bottom of my heart for this book, “Legends of the Donut Shop.” Reason being…I had a grandpa who I absolutely idolized (still do, actually). I still have a black-and-white photo of him and me on my night table. He is wearing his fedora and looking like Indiana Jones with his arm on my shoulder, because I was only about three feet high at the time, and we’re standing by a 1950’s automobile, which is when they made cars actually look awesome. That photo is my favorite because I used to see him and Grandma every Sunday and I would sit outside in a rocking chair, while he fixed the car or polished it up, and told me stories about his life. From meeting Grandma and marrying her because she was supposedly the only one who basically told him to get lost (and he was surprised by that, so he took it as a challenge); to the times when he donned his Air Force duds to fight for his country. Well…in this book there is a grandpa, too. And even though our main character experiences a horrifying moment where he is injured in a head-on collision with another car, it’s that moment in time that brings about a near-death experience allowing the seventeen-year-old main character, Wes Williams, to travel back in time and walk into the Donut Shop once again to spend time with his beloved grandfather. Now, Wes’ grandad sits with other pals of his, with Wes by his side, and these men tell tales about their lives, their time in the service, as well as share jokes with one another while Wes looks on, becomes engaged, and ends up truly caring about all of these men—they include a sheriff who retired from his career at catching bad guys, and veterans who have so much cool stuff to say. In fact, the stories are so well told by this author that readers are automatically sent back to their own “special” times with family where they learned, laughed, cried, and realized how important having a family really is.

To read complete review click here or visit www.readerviewskids.com.

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Featured Authors B.A. Bellec A graduate of Lights Film School and a proud recipient of a grant from The Canada Council for the Arts, B.A. Bellec has shown a knack for utilizing his skills and background to cast a wide net and attract talented partners. He has completed two very different novels and produced an eclectic mix of songs to accompany them. Come find him on YouTube, Twitter, or Instagram to keep up-to-date with his projects.

Someone’s Story is literally Someone’s story, as in a first-person narrative of a teenager that calls himself Someone.

As he struggles to ﬁnd a new footing in a new space, we encounter the many ups and downs of modern teenage life, the diﬃculties that adjusting to adult feelings bring, and a few tear-jerking surprises along the way. The endearing debut novel from B.A. Bellec is a coming-of-age story you won’t forget anytime soon.

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Someone’s Story B.A. Bellec B.A. Bellec (2020) ASIN B089M43TS2 eBook - 328 pages - $3.99 Fiction - YA-16

A. Bellec has crafted a masterpiece of emotive and well-rounded young adult fiction.

— K.C. Finn Author

. A. Bellec has truly created

a masterpiece that deserves worldwide recognition, awards and so much more.

— Rebecca Ryan Reedsy

Read First Chapter Here View on Amazon Here

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INTERVIEW WITH 000000 AUTHOR OF “A SLIPPERY SHADOW”

ecently awarded a Gold Medal by Reader Views 2021-22 Literary Awards in the Mystery/Thriller category, writing started for Gary D. McGugan after a 40-year career in the world of business. He’s worked in supermarkets, sold appliances, distributed motorcycles, launched an automobile dealer network, and provided financing to help businesses grow. Every industry was very different from the other. Each company had a distinctive culture and character, but all were units of large corporations with operations around the globe. Travel has always been a large component of his business roles and he’s now visited more than 650 towns and cities in more than fifty countries for either business or leisure. Experts say we should write about things we know best. In Gary’s case, those subjects are business, travel, and people. As an author, his goal is to entertain readers around the world — one at a time.. Hi Gary, Welcome back to Reader Views! What is “A Slippery Shadow” all about? Thanks for having me back, Sheri. And thanks for asking about my latest novel, “A Slippery Shadow.” It’s a suspense thriller, revealing some of the unexpected challenges people who lead enterprises—either legal or criminal types of

organizations—can encounter when a mysterious player pulls some strings behind the scenes.! What inspired the storyline behind this book? When I decide to write a story, my inspiration is always to create a tale to entertain my readers. There’s great competition for the hard-earned dollars people have available for entertainment, so I always want to tell a story that rewards their investment of time and money. But, there are also fundamental changes taking place in our global society. Some countries’ political leaders were formerly entertainers, spies, businesspeople, or military officers. Corporations have become global, generating revenues far greater than most people can conceptualize. Organized crime has become sanitized, controlling supposedly legitimate companies traded on public stock markets. “A Slippery Shadow” suggests what might happen when a player in one of those sectors decides to pull strings to influence what they want to happen, and how easily it all might take form. While I’m entertaining my readers, I’d like them to think about the possible implications and how those actions might eventually touch all of us in unexpected ways.What was it like getting inside the heads of two strong independent women when they

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were at their most vulnerable and how did you bring that vulnerability to the page? “ think two factors influence most how I write from a female Point of View. I’ve had the good fortune to work closely with women for more than fifty years, women who have been colleagues, customers, suppliers, and friends. I also like to “people-watch.” But to me, people-watching delves far deeper than clothes people wear, hairstyles, make-up, or the way they carry themselves. I’ve watched women negotiate fiercely, revealing their inner

thought processes. I’ve seen many reactions to victory or accomplishment, and observed how some coped with adversity. Every interaction is an opportunity to learn, and behaviors of both genders have long fascinated me. When it’s time to write, create dialog, or dig deep for emotion, I try to recall real people in similar circumstances and remember things they said or actions they took. Recalling those memories helps make my characters and their dialog feel more genuine to a reader.y...

By Sheri Hoyte

Read the full interview with Gary D. McGugan

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Featured Authors Amy Pflueger

I am a Best-Selling and AwardWinning author, and is a proud mother of two totally awesome boys who both have autism. I have a bachelor’s degree in business, and I am an autism self advocate who loves learning about autism and supporting autism organizations. I advocate for kids with autism to be heard, valued and understood. My mission through this book is to encourage self belief and resilience, to embrace different abilities, and to empower kids with autism to reach their full potential no matter what challenges they have. This book explains autism though the lens of an autistic child in a special way inviting people to visit their unique world, to help people understand more about autism and the reasons behind their unique behaviors, to embrace differences and to raise acceptance. This story is to empower kids with autism to believe in themselves and reach their full potential no matter what challenges they have; encouraging them to be confident in being who they are - because they are who they’re meant to be !

View Book Video Here

* Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Book Written/Illustrated by an Author/Illustrator Age 18 and Under 26

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This Is Me! I am who I’m meant to be! Amy Pflueger Independently Published (2021) ISBN 9798519247504 Tradeback - 30 pages - $9.99 Nonfiction - Children/ Early Reader-8

his book shows us how to embrace our own uniqueness, talents, and interests, empowering those that read it to feel super! Perfect for kids beginning school, full of new faces, to those well versed in making new friends, this is a read perfect for helping our little ones understand more about themselves and the talents of everyone around them. . — Jill Rey Reader Views

Read First Chapter Here

. his is such a powerful

resource. As a pediatric occupational therapist myself, I find this book to be important for parents, students, teachers and the team that a child has around them. We so often get lost in what a child cannot do, and need to stop and remember all the beautiful powers each unique and individual child has. Love the incorporation of all the calming strategies!

View on Amazon Here

— Amazon Review

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B O OK VIDEOS The best way to check out a book!

ometimes we need a little bit more than an endorsement, book review or book cover to get a feeling for the story and decide on whether to purchase or not a title. For me, the little something is a book video. A book video not only brings to life the main story or topic for the reader, it can also portray a feeling on who the Author is and what message he or she wants to share. Below are some things I get from book videos that help make the decision to read the book but also gives me insight on its contents, improving in many cases, my reading experience. • The images – unlike movie trailers which use previews from the movie, the book video images could be off putting when reading the story, as the characters looks and settings will be a combined result of the descriptions, and the readers’ imagination. But images that do not mess with such specifics and instead reflect the message, topic, or plot are perfect as a preview of a book, because it helps us to visualize in a short time the content of the book. • Background music and narrator’s voice – The sound allows the possible reader to feel the mood of the story. Is it thrilling? Mysterious? Romantic? • Finally, but not least is the script of the slides or voice narration. Here is where we learn what the book is all about, and other information like endorsements, Author website, and where to get the book. What is awesome about book videos is that we get all the above information in one minute or less! Check out some book videos we included here by clicking on the cover!

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Featured Authors Ari Loeb Ari Loeb spent much of his life traveling as a circus artist. Now he lives in Los Angeles and works as a stuntman, specializing in creature horror such as Zombieland, Fear The Walking Dead, and the Resident Evil video games. He also writes books.

College student Jimmy Johannsen returns to his small hometown, only to find it’s been overrun with death, chaos and strange rumors. Now with his shocked, hayseed mother under his arm, Jimmy must defend himself against a storm of horrors, as well as the town’s dwindling survivors, who’s history adds up to a deadly sum of guns, conspiracy, and bad blood. Welcome to Thunder, Arizona – a small town with a big nuclear secret.

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Thunder, AZ Ari Loeb Abandoned House (2021) ISBN 9781736993934 Tradeback - 186 pages - $16.00 Fiction - Horror / SciFi

cracked carnival of a book pendulum rides, freak shows, and the best damn shooting gallery. You'll gasp, grin, and line up for more.

— Glen Berger Emmy Award-winning author of "Song of Spider-Man"

. ngrossing... Complete

annihilation... An unforgettable tale that hasn't been told before!

— Paige Lovitt Reader Views

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2021-2022 Reader Views Literary Award Gold Winner in the Horror category and The Jack Eadon Memorial Award.

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Featured Authors Suzanne Simonetti

Suzanne Simonetti grew up in the New York suburbs just outside of the city. After earning a BS in marketing, she spent several years writing press releases, until she left her corporate job to focus on her passion for crafting fiction. She lives on Cape May Harbor with her husband. The Sound of Wings is her first novel.

A gripping, touching, and memorable portrait of three women rising above painful pasts to seize present opportunities and of friendships that grow, despite differences, to sustain and inspire. The novel is set on Cape May Island.

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The Sound of Wings Suzanne Simonetti She Writes Press (2021) ASIN B08F2BJP1N e-Book - 296 pages - $8.69 Fiction - Novel / Women

story world so completely alive with characters so real, I can feel them breathing behind me.

— Caroline Leavitt New York Times best-selling author

. eminiscent of Alice Hoffman

in its elegant unfolding and sheer magic of its storytelling. — Mary Morris award-winning author

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* Silver Winner: Overall Best Fiction

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It is not a counscidence that different Faith’s Holidays are celebrated during the same times of the year...We wish everyone: Peace, and Love during your time of reflection, prayer and celebration

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INSIDE SCO OP LIVE POD CAST OF THE MONTH Jan Phillips’ quest has taken her into and out of a religious convent, across the country on a Honda motorcycle, and around the world on a one-woman peace pilgrimage. She is the founder and Executive Director of the Livingkindness Foundation, which created a Learning Center in Nigeria and supports anti-racist creative projects by black women in the U.S. Jan is the author of eleven award-winning books and a thought leader who bridges spiritual intelligence, evolutionary creativity, and social transformation. She has taught in over 25 countries, and has published work in the New York Times, Ms., Newsday, People, Parade Magazine, Christian Science Monitor, Spirituality and Health, Science of Mind, National Catholic Reporter, Sun Magazine. Still on Fire: Field Notes from a Queer Mystic is her first memoir. For more information about Jan Phillips and her work visit her website at www.janphillips.com.

Click Here To Listen to Podcast Topics of Conversation • About the book and her inspiration for writing it. • Being Gay. And Catholic. And Suicidal • Experiences in the Convent • Religion vs. Spirituality • Marginalization and Homophobia • What is a Queer Mystic? • What's next for Jan Phillips?

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Featured Authors Frederick Reynolds Frederick Douglass Reynolds is a retired LA County Sheriff ’s homicide sergeant. He was born in Rocky Mount, Virginia, and grew up in Detroit, Michigan before joining the US Marine Corps in 1979. After a brief stint in Okinawa, Japan, he finished out his military career in southern California and ultimately became a police officer with the Compton police department. He worked there from 1985 until 2000 and then transferred to the sheriff ’s department where he worked an additional seventeen years, retiring in 2017 with over seventy-five commendations. He lives in Southern California with his wife, Carolyn, and their daughter Lauren and young son, Desmond. They have six other adult children and nine grandchildren.

This book is far more than just “cop stories”; it is a looking glass into life in ways that had not been thought of before. , The author set out on a path of destruction, living on the streets, dealing with drugs and gangs, and even ending up in jail before an unlikely career as a police officer in Compton, California. As a Black man who found himself on both sides of the law, the author offers a truly unique perspective to readers, showing the intricacies of how society works in different ways for different situations. No matter what someone’s gender, race, or political views are, any reader will be able to take these life experiences and learn the reality of racism and policing in America through the author’s lenses.

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Becoming an Angel of Change Frederick Reynolds Mindstirmedia (2021) ISBN 9781638485216 Tradeback - 395 pages - $16.99 Nonfiction - Memoir / Law Enforcement / Black / African

n intimate, sharply written account of one cop's perseverance in a broken system...Get it . — Kirkus Reviews

worthwhile, eye-opening read! — Book Excellence

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* Silver Winner: Overall Best Non-Fiction

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Featured Authors Kevin Kunkel Kevin Kunkel believes people are good. He hopes his books help unlock that goodness. He lives in Minnesota with his wife and two boys, which means he can never see a movie featuring snow without commenting that “Hollywood doesn’t understand real cold.” Kevin is a former stand-up comedian who is fully committed to fixing the screen door by fall or next spring at the latest.

Winner of The Book By Book Award for Best Children’s Picture Book 2020/2021 - focuses on the good things about our planet and encourages—and empowers!—kids to make our future even brighter. Cable news often reports on the bad things that happen every day, but we can choose a positive story and make it a reality. This uplifting children’s book reminds us all that we can choose a better world.

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The World We Choose By Kevin Kunkel Kevin Kunkel (2020) ISBN 9781643438962 Hard Cover - 24 pages - $17.95 Fiction - Early Reader (5-7 years old)

ngaging, relevant, and fun. "The World We Choose" made a timely appearance and shines a much-needed light on the positive in our world.... — Eve Panzer Barefoot Librarian

ncouragement, inspiration, and positive vibes fill these pages and remind that life is full of hope and just as many good things (if not more) than bad. — Tonja Dreckerw Bookworm for Kids

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BAREFO OT LIBRARIA N CORNER Eve Panzer reviews books for Reader Views Kids as well as her own business, Barefoot Librarian. Monthly she publishes the Barefoot Librarian Newsletter. She sells children’s books published by Barefoot Books and Usborne Books & More at book fairs, educational conferences, community events, and online. She earned her Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of Texas in Austin and worked as a school librarian before retiring to start her own business. www.barefootlibrarian.com Eve Panzer

Difficult Topics – Picture Books to the Rescue Lately, it seems that topics challenging to broach with children abound. The pandemic, January 6, LBGTQ+ rights, the rise of racism, and hate crimes are just a few. And now the war in Ukraine, horrifically playing out in front of us on TV every day! It is challenging to discuss these kinds of topics in developmentally appropriate ways. As a school librarian, I found picture books were often the best springboard to start difficult discussions. Picture books, generally written for audiences ages 4 – 8, are a familiar format familiar for these younger children, and the pictures add to the topic without being scary. For older kids, even middle and high schoolers, the subject is laid out in simple terms and not in-depth. The questions and observations made by the older children will determine how much detail to discuss with them. You may think that older children may balk at the use of picture books, thinking of them as babyish. However, that was never an issue. Instead, my older students loved a break from longer chapter books and appreciated the artwork. A few months ago, I wrote about the growing and alarming trend of removing and banning books from school libraries. Not only are books being censored, but in some school districts, teachers cannot discuss topics such as racism and LBGTQ+ with their students. In some cases, history is being whitewashed to prevent some students from feeling uncomfortable. Recently, I heard the story of a gay Kindergarten teacher in Florida. Every year he teaches a unit about families. All the children bring pictures of their families to post on the class bulletin board. In past years, the teacher had posted a photo of himself and his husband. However, because of a recent law passed there, he feels that he – and any other students in his class with a non-traditional family unit – will feel they cannot share their family photos. Just describing their family would be against this new Florida “Don’t Say Gay” legislation. I realize that some of the books that would be useful to introduce tough topics could be the same being targeted by schools for censorship. Children can no longer depend on their schools to provide information and allow discussion on many relevant subjects. This makes it imperative that bookstores and public libraries stock their shelves with these pertinent books. Following are two timely books that are useful to discuss the war in Ukraine with children. Eve - Barefoot Librarian

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THE BAREFO OT LIBRARIAN B O OKS OF THE MONTH Zahra’s Blessing: A Ramadan Story By Author: Shirin Shamsi, Illustrator: Manal Mirza Barefoot Books (2022) - ISBN 9781646864942 ( 4 - 8 years old ) - Tradeback - 32 pages - $9.99

Rich language and beautiful art weave a meaningful and timely story. Zahra’s Blessing takes place during Ramadan (beginning the evening of April 1 ending the evening of April 30, 2022), teaching the reader about the holiday through the storyline and endnotes. But in addition, this book includes a story of a displaced young girl, Haleema. As the story progresses, Zahra, the main character, learns to empathize with Haleema’s significant loss.

Nour’s Secret Library By Wafa’ Tarnowska, Illustrator: Vali Mintzi Barefoot Books (2022) - ISBN 9781646862917

Age: 6 - 10 years old - Hardcover - 32 pages - $17.99

Nour’s Secret Library is based on a true story. Although this book is about war in Syria, it is the perfect book to help children think about the war in Ukraine. The community takes refuge in basements in this book as their city is bombarded. Children start collecting books they find when it is safe to roam the streets and eventually build a library. These books offered the residents of this beleaguered city a way to escape from the harsh realities of war. Endnotes include the author’s real-life wartime experiences, information about and a map of Syria, a glossary, and more. This book is a timely and beautiful ode to the power of the human spirit and books.

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Featured Authors Conor Mitchell Conor Mitchell was born in October of 1994 and raised in the suburbs just outside of Baltimore, MD. Growing up, he had gained a fascination with photography and videography. In 2007, while visiting his uncle in Palo Alto, CA, Conor experienced the city of San Francisco for the very first time. From the minute he got on the plane back to Baltimore, he never stopped talking about his plan to eventually move back to the city he fell in love with after only one visit. Conor started his own YouTube channel, Dragon Rider Network, in October of 2008, dedicated to discussing technology news and tech product reviews. In September of 2018, nearly 11 years after his first visit to the city, he would travel 3000 miles over four days by train to his new home of San Francisco, CA. Although Conor was unsure what he was so drawn to the city for expressly, he knew he had a purpose of serving, and San Francisco was the key to this purpose. With all he had experienced with COVID-19 and the last several months of his time in the city, documenting one of the most historical times in world history could very well have been his calling. On March 16th, 2020, San Francisco announced that it would be instituting a ShelterIn-Place to help combat the spread of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first major metropolitan area in California and the United States to enact such an action. Yet, throughout those first 100 days, Conor Mitchell, a photographer and videographer living in downtown San Francisco, found himself alone in the city he had called home for just 18 months. Taking as many pictures as he could, Conor curated a collection of photos in this book to best illustrate what a total lockdown in one of the most famous cities in the world looked like. 42

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Lockdown By Conor Mitchell NonFiction -Photography / Photojournalismold) Outskirts Press (2021) ISBN 9781977241160 Tradeback - 84 pages - $29.95 But the street would not stay quiet for long. Aside from the pandemic itself, San Francisco was one of many cities that hosted a string of protests that swept through the country fueled by the death of George Floyd. As a result, the city saw empty city streets become filled with protestors and even scenes of civil unrest. It felt as though the entire country was beginning to pull itself apart.All of these photos present how uncertain things were for San Francisco at the time, but they also paint a picture of how uncertain the city’s future could be as well. Wherever we may be in history relative to the pandemic and protests, Conor hopes these photos will act as a force for change. He hopes that some action will result in a better future for us after dealing with this pandemic, a summer of revolutionary protests, and what feels to be a lifetime of uncertainty. * Overall Best Non-Fiction Bronze Winner

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Featured Authors Sandra Brown Lindstedt Sandra Brown Lindstedt was born and raised on the south-side of Chicago. As a black girl growing up in poverty, with virtually no role models, she struggled. But with the help of her grandmother’s abiding faith in God and in her, she graduated from Lewis & Clark College with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre and English. Today she resides in Gothenburg, Sweden, with her husband Christer, working as the drama director for Smyrna International. Sandy has an invisible secret weapon. It’s activated by her grandmother to ward off the evil she’d face, moving to Chicago to live with her mother. Though it was tiny, it was the most powerful thing in the Universe. When darkness was out of control, it was strong enough to turn a bully like Gorilla Girl into her friend. It was the Firefly. If she could keep it glowing inside her, she could conquer anything. - A multi-award-winning children’s book: * 2021 International Book Awards Winner Children’s Mind/Body/Spirit * 2021 International Book Awards Finalist - Children’s Religious * Reader Views’ Grand Prize for Best Fiction 2020. * Reader Views’ Gold Medal - Young Readers Category 2020 * Reader Views’ Gold Medal - Teen Category 2020 * Reader Views’ Regional Awards - South Winner 2020 * Readers’ Favorite - 5-star Seal * The AME Award - Best Debut Fiction 2020

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Life of a Firefly By Sandra Brown Lindstedt Fiction - Juvenile / Young Reader (8-12 years old) Independently published by Sandra Brown Lindstedt(2020) ISBN 9798679133327 Tradeback - 157 pages - $9.85

andra Brown-Lindstedt says simply and ingenuously that it is “particularly suited for ages 8–12.” I’m afraid that’s like saying To Kill A Mockingbird is at heart a children’s book just because it’s narrated by a child. So is Life of a Firefly. But the child, a young girl named Sandy Forte, is every bit the storyteller and every bit as literate as Scout. This book is every whit as powerful, as emotive, and as profoundly evocative and compelling as its more-famous classic cousin. Sandy Forte is one of the most appealing characters ever to appear in contemporary fiction. — Joel R. Dennstedt Readers’ Favorite I loved this book! When I first picked it up I was afraid it would be too “young” for me but Sandy is a character that captured my attention immediately and I soon found myself taking any chance I could to break away from everything and read. Sandy is hilarious and had me laughing out loud throughout the whole book. Her personality is as big as life – she says what’s on her mind and that often gets her into trouble, but sometimes it’s her inner thoughts that are the funniest. — Amy C. Reader Views Kids

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FIRST CHAPTER PLUS Connecting Readers to Indie Books www.firstchapterplus.com

Published by I Have Something to Say Press e-magazine . April 2022 volume 13 . issue 4

First Chapter Plus April 2022 Issue

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