Friday, May 31, 2013

FYI Friday: Did You Know?

New Releases

May 7-Silken Prey by John Sandford

May 7- The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

May 14- Inferno by Dan Brown

May 20- Dollar and Sense: For Parents and Children by Vanessa Bright

May 21- And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

May 21- Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson

May 28-Never Keeping Secrets by Niobia Bryant

May 28- Lost Daughters by Mary Monroe

May 28- Get Over It by Nikki Carter

May 28-Bannon Brothers: Triumph by Janet Dailey

May 28-Deeply Odd by Dean Koontz

May 28-Zero Hour by Clive Cussler

May 28-The Bookman's Tale: A Novel of Obsession by Charles C. Lovett

May 28-Full Figured 6 by Electa Rome Parks and Eric Pete


Events


"Saturday Night Verses" @ The Write Side Poets Cafe
June 1, 2013
                 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33313
                   9:00pm-2:00am
 
Come out as we are proud and honored to have none other than Dade Counties prodigy son Spoken Word Artist Bertrand E. Boyd II Live on Stage as our featured performer

Doors open at 9pm Open Mic starts at 9:30. $5 cover all night. Free raffle and some good ass chicken haha
...

Because in THIS HOUSE
WE DO VIBE
WE DO MUSIC
WE DO COMEDY
WE DO HUGS
WE DO DO-OVERS
WE DO REWINDS
WE DO ART
WE DO CULTURE
WE DO LOVE
WE DO SHAKERS
WE DO POETRY
WE DO CHILL OUT
WE DO SPOKEN WORD!!!
WE DO LYFE

Music provided by T Lyfe show hosted by ya boy Knowledge

So pass the word out and come see why for the past five years we are the best kept secret in Broward County.


Inspiration Xpressionz
June 2, 2013

Talkshoe.com or call in (724)444-7444 ID 93155# on Sundays from 7PM-9PM CST


Please come join P.O.E.T Radio with Enigmatic Mahogany and Nancy Happyheart Sharrar for Inspirational XpressionZ. This month, we celebrate Black Music Month. Develop your pieces to pay tribute to the great African American musicians. Be inspired, encouraged, motivated, and uplifted. See u there!


IMPROMPTU presents "THE REACTIVATION SERIES"Hosted by JARGON
featuring: SEAN BATTLE
June 3, 2013
6:30pm-9:00pm
656 Hamilton Street
Somerset, New Jersey 08873

Live music, thought provoking poetry, unifying peaceful vibe

Order of the night
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reactivation Series Band Jams out
Group Poem(s)
Open Mic
Feature

GET REACTIVATED!!!!!!!


Phenomenal Women The Panel
June 5, 2013
7:00pm-9:00pm

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Join The panel Wed June 5th @ 8 pm est with your comments, questions and own experiences .

If you have a question or comment you can also email us at the buttyterflyeffect216@gmail.com


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The Scribe Spot
with
Brian W. Smith
June 6, 2013
7pm-8pm (EST)


Featuring: Kimberla Lawson Roby, Winter Ramos, Electa Rome Parks, and Eric Pete.
Authors who are looking to get your book advertised to hundreds of readers, I have $10 promo slots. Contact me ASAP for details because space is limited.

Book Tour: Age Re-Defined with Robert Henry

About the Author:



Robert Henry, age 57, is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a Certified Personal Trainer, a Certified Specialist in Fitness Nutrition, and a Certified Wellness Coach. His awareness of fitness and nutrition began at the age of 29. When Robert first started to exercise, it was mostly for the purpose of increasing body weight through the addition of lean muscle mass. However, more than 20 years later, at the age of 52, after years of being lean and enjoying good health, Robert's experienced an undesired increase in body fat and his health profile changed in the wrong direction The loss of that body fat and the reversal of new and undesirable trends in his health profile became Robert's new exercise goals. By re-booting his exercise regimen and further "tweaking" his nutrition, he successfully accomplished his new goals and, as he likes to say, discovered his "inner athlete".

Although he had worked out for more than two decades, the journey he experienced in his early fifties ignited something within Robert and he voraciously sought to increase his knowledge and his credentials. It was then that he earned his numerous certifications and set about to share his passion for health and fitness with others.

Robert's background extends beyond fitness. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from Southern Methodist University and worked for many years as an attorney. He also discovered a love of aviation early in his life and, while still a teenager, became a Commercial Pilot and a Certified Flight Instructor. After law school, he went on to become an Airline Transport Pilot and eventually earned three jet ratings. Now in his fifties, he values his health, fitness, and wellness very highly, and seeks to inform and inspire others.

Robert’s latest book is the health/fitness motivational book, Age Re-Defined.
Visit his website at www.RobertHenryFitness.com.

Connect with Robert:

About the Book:


Your state of health, how you feel, and how you look are more within your control than you think – even in your forties and fifties (and beyond). This book addresses exercise, fitness, nutrition, wellness, and the mind-body connection. Its purpose is not to promote a particular exercise program or a particular diet plan – although its coverage of exercise, fitness, and nutrition is extensive – but rather to inform, educate, and motivate the reader on the importance of being proactive in one’s own health, fitness, and wellness.

Even if you are already physically active, this book can assist you in evaluating the effectiveness of your current exercise efforts. A foundational background in exercise and fitness concepts is provided. Not only does this book cite to numerous authoritative sources, but it also conveys the author’s own philosophy of exercise and an informative overview of his own exercise and nutrition regimen. The author, who is 56, shares his own motivating journey and the positive results he achieved through exercise, nutrition, and the mind-body connection, with particular emphasis on the challenges faced by him in his early fifties and the favorable results he achieved at that age by “re-booting” his commitment to health and fitness.

The importance of nutrition is explained and heavily stressed. A Registered Dietician with a Master’s Degree in Nutrition is a contributor to the nutrition content. One comes away with an awareness of quality nutrition and its role in optimal health, fitness, and wellness, and with a good working knowledge of the kinds of foods and eating habits which are most beneficial.

As stated in the book’s Introduction: This book is about believing in yourself, maintaining inner strength, and understanding exercise, fitness, nutrition, and wellness. This book is also about getting younger instead of getting older, discovering your inner athlete, and becoming and remaining healthy and fit in both body and mind. This book is for people who have never exercised but who would like to start; for people who would like to know more about good nutrition; for people who exercise but have not seen results; for people whose fitness level has declined and who want to re-ignite their fitness quest; for people who choose to be proactive about their own health, fitness, and wellness; for people interested in the mind-body connection; and for people who reject negative self-talk and self-limiting stereotypes about life after the age of 50. All ages are welcome.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE


Book Excerpt:

Although I didn’t know it at the time, this book had its start in a doctor’s office in West Los Angeles, in October, 2008.
I had been thin my whole life and was very thin as a child and teenager. I was not a “jock” in school, and I did not like physical education or gym class in the slightest. When I first began to exercise – at the age of 30 – I wanted to add some muscle mass and therefore some weight. I was healthy, 5’11” tall, and weighed about 148 to 150 pounds, with no exercise history, although I had begun to pay more attention to healthy eating habits at age 29, for example by ordering fruit instead of French fries, and by eating more fish and less red meat.
Physically, I seemed to blossom in my 30s and 40s. My thin frame acquired some “tone”, some definition, some “cuts” – particularly my arms. I became stronger. I had also aged very gracefully and looked younger than my chronological age, that is, based on preconceived notions of what a certain age (40, 45, 49 – you name it) is “supposed” to look (or feel) like.
Okay, so a new me emerged in my 30s and 40s and was still there on my 50th birthday (in 2006). I had a lean, toned physique and good general health, and I looked and felt younger than what someone my age was “supposed” to look or feel like. In my 30s, my weight slowly increased (from the addition of muscle mass) from 148 to 153 to 158 and into the 160s. I weighed about 170 when I turned 40 and remained in the 170s throughout my 40s.
Fast forward to 2007 and 2008: A combination of factors led to what was for me an unprecedented gain in body fat (and weight, but from fat, not muscle) at the ages of 51 and 52. (I don’t have any pictures, but, trust me, the extra pounds were there.) I believe this was due to the long-distance commute to my job at the time (which, in L.A. traffic, often took hours a day away from my free time), the staleness of my exercise regimen (which some weeks had gotten down to twice a week of not-so-high-intensity weights and no cardio), and paying less attention than I should have been to my late-night carb intake. In addition to my work as an attorney (which involved the long commute), I was also on call part-time as a co-pilot on jet charter flights. My passion for flying aside, this further disrupted my workout schedule at times.
Eventually, my weight reached about 194. My waist was inches larger than it had been two years before, and in fact bigger than it had ever been.
So, in October 2008 when I visited the doctor for a routine blood workup, I expressed my concern about my unprecedented body fat.
The blood workup showed some adverse changes in my health profile. The doctor said, “You’re not getting any younger.” My reply: “I refuse to accept that.”
The doctor went on to recommend more Omega 3 in my diet (no argument from me there) and said, “Lose five to ten pounds. Your numbers (triglycerides, blood pressure) should go back to normal after that.”
That alarm, that wake-up call, that unprecedented need to lose body fat and the statement “You’re not getting any younger” (to someone who had always looked and felt younger than he was “supposed” to, and who always had a lower body fat than the general population) ignited something within me.
I had engaged the services of a personal trainer during my first year of working out, and again for six months during my eighth year of working out in 1994. Both of these trainers were great, but we lifted weights (free weights or machines) inside the gym and did not cross-train.
In January, 2009, I hired another personal trainer, who I had met months earlier at the gym. I said to her, “Take me outside. Make me climb stairs. Make me run. And show me some new stuff in the gym. The doctor said to lose five to ten pounds; I want to lose at least fifteen and be more fit than ever.”
And so, at age 52, I began this leg of my journey: the discovery of my inner athlete, my renewed and greater-than-ever commitment to my health and fitness. I reminded myself that I had flown a plane as a teenager, that I had always done well in school, that I had drawn upon my inner strength when my parents died less than four months apart when I was 21, and that I had gone on to complete law school and pass the California Bar. This was my health, dammit. This mattered more than anything.
My trainer and I started working together in January 2009. I climbed stairs. I ran track. I sprinted and performed various outdoor drills. We tweaked my diet and added to my gym regimen. By April, the weight was off.
In terms of waist size, I had been buying waist size 33 for several years before the weight gain. Fifteen to 20 years before, in my early to mid-30s, I bought size 31 and 32. In late 2008, my waist size was approaching 35. In April 2009, I bought some 33s as I had before the weight gain, only to find that they were too big. I began buying waist size 32, which fit comfortably. So, in terms of waist size, we had turned the clock back fifteen to 20 years in less than four months.
But this wasn’t just about waist size. I was more fit than ever, and more committed to and passionate about fitness (and nutrition) than ever. Mission accomplished. (For my 53rd birthday on April 30, 2009, I did a strong outdoor stair session by myself in the afternoon, adding push-ups as well, and then I lifted weights in the gym that evening. Celebrating fitness was the best way to celebrate my birthday that year. The more standard dinner celebration had already taken place a couple of weeks ahead of time.)
As I write this is September, 2012, I have just received blood test results which indicate a very significant decrease in “bad” cholesterol, a very significant increase in “good” cholesterol, and a very significant decrease in triglycerides when compared to my blood workup of October 2008. The 2012 numbers are as follows: HDL (“good” cholesterol): 52; LDL (“bad” cholesterol): 75; total cholesterol: 138; triglycerides: 57 (the 2008 number was 270). These numbers are reportedly very good for a 56-year-old male, and were achieved through diet and exercise, without any medications. These numbers are not the only measurements of interest. Body weight, waist size, body-fat percentage, blood pressure, and other data are relevant, too. However, these numbers are one group of data to look at, and they have shown dramatic improvement since that doctor’s appointment in October 2008 . (My 2012 results also indicated the lowest possible results for the C-Reactive Protein test, which was not performed in 2008.)
Back to 2009: After a couple of months of training on my own, I resumed workouts with my trainer, although somewhat less frequently than before. (During and after the weight loss, the sessions with my trainer were not my only workouts. Sessions with her were always in addition to training on my own in the gym. At this stage of my fitness evolution, my trainer’s role included the cross-training realm. Beginning exercisers who employ a trainer will typically train only with their trainer at first.) During this post-weight-loss period of training, my fitness level reached greater heights as my trainer introduced new and more challenging elements to my workouts. My passion for fitness was now fully unbridled. When I wasn’t working out, I needed to be learning more about fitness, so I began to pursue my own personal trainer certification.
In August 2009, I became a Certified Personal Trainer. In February 2010, I received certification in fitness nutrition. In 2012, I added the highly respected designation of a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and I also became a certified wellness coach.
In December 2010, I was approached in the gym about being involved in a digital media project that required participants with good physiques. That particular project didn’t materialize, but meeting with the folks involved inspired me to consider my own digital media presence. In 2011, we video recorded some of my outdoor training. In 2012, I decided to take things to the next level with a website and blog (RobertHenryFitness.com), and with this book.
This book is about believing in yourself, maintaining inner strength, and understanding exercise, fitness, nutrition, and wellness. This book is also about getting younger instead of getting older, discovering your inner athlete, and becoming and remaining healthy and fit in both body and mind.
This book is for people who have never exercised but would like to start; for people who would like to know more about good nutrition; for people who exercise but have not seen results; for people whose fitness level has declined and who want to re-ignite their fitness quest; for people who choose to be proactive about their own health, fitness and wellness; for people interested in the mind-body connection; and for people who reject negative self-talk and self-limiting stereotypes about life after the age of 50.
Because I’m well into my 50s, and because of my own recent history, in writing this book we have focused on persons over the age of 40. However, my own fitness awareness began at age 29 and continued to evolve throughout my 30s, 40s and 50s, and is still evolving. Fitness, good nutrition, and wellness benefit people of all ages. So, even if you’re in your 20s or 30s, you’re welcome to come aboard and to keep reading. 

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Announcing Our June Book of The Month

Authors & Readers Book Corner
May
Book of The Month:



Purchase at Amazon.com

A&RBC stepped into the world of Cheryl Strayed in Wild.

Comment: This was a book of discovery, inspiration, encourage and resilence. Cheryl took a dangerous hike alone on the Pacific Crest Trail to overcome the hurt in her life and to find peace with the death of her mother. Cheryl learned a lot about herself and others along the way. But most important she rebuilt her relationship with God. After reading Wild, readers will also be inspired to speak their truth and to work through their pain. 

 
If you liked Wild by Cheryl Strayed, you might enjoy Anything by Jennie Allen.


June
Book of The Month:

They Almost Always Come Home by Cynthia Ruchti 

Join Us!

Purchase at Amazon.com

About The Book 

When Libby’s husband Greg fails to return from a two-week canoe trip to the Canadian wilderness, the authorities soon write off his disappearance as an unhappy husband’s escape from an oatmeal marriage and unrewarding career. But was it? She can't leave him if she can't find him. With the help of father-in-law and her best friend, Libby plunges into the wilderness to search for her husband and the remnants of her flagging faith. What the trio discovers in the search upends Libby’s presumptions about her husband and rearranges her faith.



Book Tour: The Idiot of Funkyville with Ash Holden

ABOUT THE IDIOT OF FUNKYVILLE


What is travel? Asking this question is like asking, “What is life?” or, “Who are you?” (or, as I’ve frequently been asked, “Who are you?”). The answers to such questions are as numerous as the people asking. The Idiot of Funkyville: Becoming an Everywhere Citizen takes a chronological snapshot of actual personal experiences as a young and less-than-young man living and playing abroad; exploring each of the above questions in the context of a displaced American piecing himself together on foreign turf.

Contained therein: perhaps an excess of sex, more than a healthy dose of drugs, and all the rock ‘n’ roll one can ask for. Balance is achieved as the vignettes build one on top of the next.

Pondering the course of my life from the confines of a Qatari jail cell, reminiscence begins with teenage confusion at a Mexican bar and concludes with grown confusion as an expat in the Middle East. In progression, the narrowing spiral of personal growth leaves finer grained finger prints as the tales evolve through destinations and age. In theory, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. But that’s for the experts to decide.

Having dismounted a train, plane, boat, or rickshaw in nearly forty countries (including Canada), The Idiot of Funkyville documents a life of travel as a point-blank portrayal of my life through travel. And who doesn’t love life and travel both? Whether you’ve already gone or have no intention of ever, ever going near the place, wonder is universal. We all have questions. A good majority of my questions just happened to be pondered abroad.

—————————————————————-


ABOUT ASH HODEN

Ash Hoden is a writer, foreign correspondent for a California-based design studio, and architect currently living, working, and writing about living and working in Qatar. His pursuits have always involved creation. He firmly believes social contribution is a fundamental requirement for a happy existence. He attended Colorado State University where he received the American Society of Landscape Architect’s Honor Award for exceptional academic design work. In addition to ongoing contributions in the business world, he previously founded an independent design firm and organized CambodiaFund, a method of providing basic school supplies to Cambodian children in need.

The Idiot of Funkyville is his first published book. You can visit Ash Hoden’s website at www.ashhoden.com.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Book Spotlight: My World, Through My Eyes by Charmaine Galloway

Purchase at Amazon.com
My World, Through My Eyes is a heartfelt collection of poems, reflections, and prayers that represent the trials and triumphs of the poet’s past.

As a teen, Charmaine found joy in writing in her journal. It was therapeutic as it allowed her to escape the negativity of her world. She wrote all of her thoughts, feelings, and emotions on paper. Having a positive outlet for this emotion and creativity encouraged her to see that there is positive light within the hardships she has endured.

Charmaine believes that her purpose is to share her testimony of Faith. In this book, she shares one of the most valuable and essential lessons she has learned on her journey. Learning to Let Go and Let God intervene in her life and heal her from her sinful past has been the most changing, validating, and peace yielding decision she has made.

Come and witness Charmaine’s poetic reflection of life which has molded her into the strong, devoted mother and Christian she is today.


About The Author

Charmaine was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. Writing has been her passion and a positive emotional outlet since middle school. Charmaine is an independent self-publisher and the founder of Charming Gal Publications. Charmaine has a Bachelor of Arts in Family Life Education and an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education. Becoming a fierce advocate and supporter of troubled young women has been a goal of hers since overcoming struggles of her own as a young woman. With every story I create there is a testimony that my characters will share about life and how they were transformed to become better people. Every story does not have a “happily ever after” ending and neither does real life.”

Charmaine is currently working on new projects so keep a look out for her upcoming releases. Please visit www.charmainegalloway.com to check out her blogs and new blurbs.
 

Book Tour: Collapse with Richard Stephenson

ABOUT RICHARD STEPHENSON

Richard Stephenson was born in 1975 in Denison, TX and spent his childhood in North Texas. In 1992, he graduated high school after only three years. He then pursued his degree at Oklahoma Christian University, once again accomplishing the task in three years. Richard then married his best friend before going off to basic training to be a military policeman with the US Army. With his new wife joining the adventure, they spent the next four years at Fort Polk, LA and had two children.

Just before his son turned five, Richard and his wife were told that their oldest child had Asperger’s Syndrome. Nine years later, Richard’s son would become the inspiration for the character of Howard Beck.

After leaving the armed forces, Richard continued his law enforcement career in the federal sector and has been with the Department of Justice for eleven years.

Richard enjoys many things. He reads constantly with the thanks of his trusty iPad. When he can find the time, he can be found playing Mass Effect, Fallout: New Vegas, or Modern Warfare 2. When a friend or a friend of friend needs a computer fixed, Richard is on the case.

You can view his website at http://rastephensonauthor.blogspot.com.

His latest book is the dystopian thriller, Collapse.

Connect with Richard:




America is falling, ready to join the Roman Empire as a distant memory in the annals of history. The year is 2027. Tired and desperate, the American people are deep in the middle of The Second Great Depression. The Florida coastline is in ruins from the most powerful hurricane on record; a second just like it is bearing down on the state of Texas. For the first time in history, the Middle East has united as one and amassed the most formidable army the world has seen since the Third Reich. A hidden army of terrorists is on American soil. This is the story of three men: Howard Beck, the world’s richest man, also diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. Richard Dupree, ex-Navy SEAL turned escaped convict. Maxwell Harris, a crippled, burned out Chief of Police of a small Texas town. At first they must fight for their own survival against impossible odds. Finally, the three men must band together to save their beloved country from collapse.

Purchase:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Book Tour: D.R. E. A. M Big with Tori Turner

About The Book:


As an aspiring teen actress, model, entrepreneur and philanthropist, at only 14 years old Tori Turner has learned that getting to the top and reaching stardom is a marathon, not a sprint. Through personal accounts, triumphs, and pitfalls as a young aspiring artist, Tori shares with her reader how to overcome by keeping God first and not only dreaming but dreaming big on purpose!

When I Decided to D.R.E.A.M. Big is organized into a series of steps one should take in order to strategically go after your goals and dreams, while also offering insightful lessons learned, Biblical inspiration and inspirations from other big dreamers such as Martin Luther King Jr., Oprah Winfrey, First Lady Michelle Obama and Walt Disney, to name a few!

In When I Decided to D.R.E.A.M. Big, Tori takes the reader through the beginning stages of her journey and all of the priceless inspirations that she has picked up along the way. Her journey is far from over and in fact it is only the beginning, but this teen has decided to give back along the way and share everything that she is learning in hopes that other teens will have the courage to go after their dreams!

About Tori Turner:

14 year old Victoria Jonquil Turner, affectionately known by most as “Tori Turner” is a native of New Orleans, LA. Tori is an author, entrepreneur, teen queen, motivational speaker, model, and aspiring actress.  As an author with Atlanta based Delphine Publications, Tori released her first inspirational book, “When I Decided to D.R.E.A.M. BIG” along with the “D.R.E.A.M. Journal.” As an entrepreneur, Tori started her company, T Star Entertainment, Inc. at 13 years old and founded the Tori Turner’s D.R.E.A.M. BIG Foundation at 12 years old.  Tori has modeled for several companies and is currently the teen spokesmodel for Diva Couture Cosmetics (California) and Bella Dame Bijoux (New Orleans, LA). Tori reigned as the 2012 Miss Black Louisiana USA Talented Teen. As a motivational speaker with Young Black Minds, LLC (Las Vegas, Nevada) Tori travels the US encouraging other teen’s to pursue their dreams on purpose and with purpose.  Tori’s message to others is to always D.R.E.A.M. BIG, believe in God and yourself and you can do anything you set your heart and mind to.

Get to know Tori:

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Well I’m 14 years old, a current freshman in high school.  I’m an aspiring actress, an author, a pageant girl, entrepreneur and motivational speaker with Young Black Minds.  I have my own foundation, Tori Turner’s D.R.E.A.M. BIG Foundation and I also started my own company last year, T Star Entertainment which is a full service entertainment and promotion company.  I like to promote and host safe, clean, fun events for tweens and teens in New Orleans.  Currently I am promoting my 1st book with Delphine Publications along with getting prepared for my upcoming book tour.  I am also working on my second book, which will be the first installment of my first book series.

Your new book “When I Decided to D.R.E.A.M. BIG” releases May 7th, how exciting!
Tell us what sparked this book and what it is about.


“I am super excited!”  The book coming out is extremely exciting because I never thought that I would actually write my own book AND have it published, especially at my age.  Now I’m hooked and can’t wait to finish my next one!  I have always read a lot and thought about writing a book, but that was as far as I got, until now! What made me want to write this very inspirational book is during my reign I did motivational speaking all over my state at different places got some great feedback on the information I was sharing.  The young girls really seemed to connect with me and they would email me questions and ask when I was coming back.  One of the mothers said “you should put this in a book!”  I talked to my Mom about it but at the time she didn’t know how to help me.  “Now this gets interesting….”  My next booking was to speak at a youth empowerment event for the Bayou Soul Writers & Readers conference which is held every year the day before Essence Festival begins in New Orleans, LA.  Not only did I get to speak, but I also met lots of authors and publishers and began to ask questions.  I picked up a business card from on of the authors; who is now my publisher, Ms. Tamika Newhouse of Delphine Publications, and the rest is history in the making.    When I Decided to D.R.E.A.M. BIG is about dreaming big of course, thinking positive, speaking positive on you life, and keeping God first while doing it.

You are such an inspiration and quite successful at such a young age, you must have a great support system! Who inspires you daily?

Thank you for the compliment!  I have an awesome support system.  My parents work very hard to help my little sister Lexi and I reach our dreams. I am really blessed.  Of course God is my ultimate daily inspiration, but I am also really inspired by my little sister.  When I look at her, I see all of the little girls that will potentially look up to me and it makes me want to be a good person.  I don’t always make the best choices, but I am trying to be the best role model I can be.

How do your balance highschool along with your road appearances?

It’s not easy I can tell you that, but for the most part I usually do most of my appearances on weekends when I can and during the summer. The summer is when I am the busiest because I have no school. During the school year the main focus is my grades; my Mom doesn’t play when it comes to my grades.  I may have a few appearances here and there but nothing major.

You apply emphasis on DREAM. Tell us what that means and how it developed?

D.R.E.A.M. is an acronym and it stands for Divinely, Revealed, Enterprises, through Anointing, to Manifestation. Let’s break it down:  “Divinely Revealed” – staying in submission to God’s will and in constant prayer, he will reveal things to you; “Enterprises” – business opportunities; “through Anointing” – revealed during prayer time, from dream or vision to….; “to Manifestation” – to…..REALITY!  What that means is that you should always keep God first in everything that you do and whenever you dream, dream bigger than big and he will direct your path. This acronym was revealed to my Mom during a church revival and she wrote it down in her note pad.  God gave her the vision that he would reveal different business enterprises to our family in due season.  The first was the creation of my non-profit foundation, Tori Turner’s D.R.E.A.M BIG Foundation. For me D.R.E.A.M. merges dreaming with spirituality and acts as a reminder that it all comes from God.

What advice do you have for teen girls passionate or even anxious about achieving their dreams?

My first advice is to always keep God first.  I learned this when I was little, but I had to learn it again recently.  It is very easy to get caught up in pursuing what you want and leave God out, but I have learned that doesn’t work!  Also I would tell teen girls to go for whatever it is they want to achieve, but don’t be anxious because most things are a marathon and not a sprint.   (That’s something my Mom tells me when I get anxious)  Always D.R.E.A.M. BIG no matter what!

~The journey of one thousand miles starts with one single step~  Make sure you are doing something toward your goal everyday!

Find the author:
Website: www.toriturner.biz
Instagram:  @OfficialToriTurner
Facebook:  toriturner.biz
Twitter:  TORI_TURNER

 Purchase the book:
Delphine Publications:  http://delphinepublications.com/home/images/rokquickcart/dreambigdraft.jpg
Amazon & Kindle:  http://www.amazon.com/Decided-D-R-E-A-M-Delphine-Publications-Presents/dp/0989090604/ref=tmm_pap_title_0





Monday, May 27, 2013

Book Tour: Magic's Daughter and Dancing in the Flame with Ann Gimpel


 


About the Author:

Ann Gimpel is a clinical psychologist, with a Jungian bent.  Avocations include mountaineering, skiing, wilderness photography and, of course, writing.  A lifelong aficionado of the unusual, she began writing speculative fiction a few years ago. Since then her short fiction has appeared in a number of webzines and anthologies. Several paranormal romance novellas are available in e-format. Three novels, Psyche’s Prophecy, Psyche’s Search, and Psyche's Promise are small press publications available in e-format and paperback. Look for two more urban fantasy novels coming this summer and fall: Fortune’s Scion and Earth’s Requiem.

A husband, grown children, grandchildren and three wolf hybrids round out her family.

Her latest books are Magic’s Daughter & Dancing in the Flame.

Visit her website at www.anngimpel.com

Connect with Ann:

About Magic’s Daughter:
 


Destined to be surrounded by magic yet have none of her own, Cassie walks a thin line between love and danger. Her mother is dying and her boyfriend has turned into something which terrifies her. By the time she wakes up to the danger she’s in, it’s nearly too late.

Cassie’s friend Jeremy warns her about her scumbag boyfriend, but she’s not listening. Deeply disturbing events unfold. Her life hangs in the balance. With few choices left, she and Jeremy join forces to battle the darkness threatening them. Meanwhile, Cassie warms to Jeremy in ways she never could have anticipated. Love was there all along if she’d just opened her eyes and looked.


Purchase your copy of Magic’s Daughter at AMAZON

 

About Dancing in the Flame:
 


Life in a were bordello is all Keira has ever known. Because of her mixed blood, none of the magicians’ guilds want her, or protested when the Weres bound her as an indentured hooker. Mired in the hopelessness of her dreams, Keira longs for more.

Barrett, one of the Daoine Sidhe, runs a magician supply shop in what’s left of Seattle. No one is more surprised than he when the Sidhe leader commands him to extricate Keira from the weres.

Magic and intrigue throw Keira and Barrett into one another’s arms. Convinced they have a job to do, they struggle against the heat of the passion between them. Until it gets way too hot to handle.


Magic’s Daughter & Dancing in the Flame Tour Page:




 

Sunday, May 26, 2013

When Morning Glory Blooms Book Tour with Cynthia Ruchti

About the Author:


Cynthia Ruchti is an author and speaker who tells stories of Hope-that-glows-in-the-dark through her novels, nonfiction, women’s events, and outlets related to the Heartbeat of the Home radio broadcast she wrote and produced for thirty-three years. She and her plot-tweaking husband live in the heart of Wisconsin, not far from their three children and five joy-giving grandchildren.

Her latest book is the Christian fiction, When the Morning Glory Blooms.

You can learn more about Cynthia and her writing and speaking at www.cynthiaruchti.com.

Connect with Cynthia:


About the Book:




Becky rocks a baby that rocked her world. Sixty years earlier, with her fiancĂ© Drew in the middle of the Korean Conflict, Ivy throws herself into her work at a nursing home to keep her sanity and provide for the child Drew doesn’t know is coming. Ivy cares for Anna, an elderly patient who taxes Ivy’s listening ear until the day she suspects Anna’s tall tales are not just idle ramblings. They’re Anna’s disjointed memories of a remarkable life.
Finding a faint thread of hope she can’t resist tugging, Ivy records Anna’s memoir, scribbling furiously after hours to keep up with the woman’s emotion-packed, grace-hemmed stories. Is Ivy’s answer buried in Anna’s past? And what connects them to Becky?
Becky, Ivy, Anna—three women fight a tangled vine of deception in search of the blossoming simplicity of truth.
Purchase your copy:


When the Morning Glory Blooms Tour Page: