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Where Awesome Book Readers Meet Awesome Writers

1. Code Name Nora: Life in a Retirement Home

   About Code Name Nora: Life in a Retirement Home:

   A few years ago, Nora, an elegant old lady—as she thought of herself—moved, a bit reluctantly, into a retirement home in a large U.S. city. She was 80 years old, literate and healthy, and for most of her adult life, had enjoyed a good social position. Unlike, she felt, the usual persons one might find in a retirement home. Would there be anyone to play Scrabble? was one of her wistful thoughts. But she was also lonely and had not handled her finances well. So she moved into a place she somewhat morbidly dubbed the Twilight Zone, “that peaceful, purplish area between bright, vivid life and the utter darkness of oblivion.” Nora began to blog from the Twilight Zone. She wrote about all the funny things that happened and the funny people they happened to, in a third-person, novelistic style. No one, except maybe a British comedy writer, has ever written about retirement home living quite like Nora. Now Nora’s blogs have been put together in a Kindle book with an introduction added.

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Visit the Author’s Website.
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   Author Bio:
   Mary McPhee lives in Denver, in, what else, a retirement home. From her third-floor balcony she can see snow on Denver’s beautiful front range of mountains. Mary has nine books currently on Amazon Kindle and plans for a few more. She feels her senior years have been the most creative for her, although she has been writing for a long time. She has written thriller stories. memoirs, and two novels that have a touch of fantasy in them.

   Code Name Nora: Life in a Retirement Home is a post from Awesome Gang

2. Call of the Herald by Brian Rathbone

   About Call of the Herald by Brian Rathbone:

   When power suddenly returns to the world of Godsland, no one is prepared; least of all Catrin Volker. In trying to save her friend from a bully, the teenage horse trainer inadvertently fulfills the prophecy of the destroyer. Prophecies say a destroyer of nations will reveal themselves through acts of power. The sudden release of Catrin’s newly found and wholly unexpected powers causes the rest of the world to fear her. With only her friends, Catrin will undertake an epic journey in the name of peace.

   The Godsland series is suitable for young adults and older. There are adults concepts but not an abundance of graphic violence, profanity or otherwise family unfriendly content. There are currently six books in the series. By downloading the free ebook, you can also get the professionally narrated audiobook, read by Chris Snelgrove, for just $1.99!

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Visit the Author’s Website.
   Buy the Book On Amazon.
   Visit the Facebook Fan Page.
   Goodreads Profile Page

   Author Bio:
   As a former professional racehorse trainer, Brian Rathbone pulls from his experiences in the barn and on the racetrack when writing the Godsland series. He lives in the Blue Ridge mountains in NC with his wife, three very spoiled cats, and an occasional bear. When Brian isn’t writing, he’s usually trying to find ways to help people in rural areas get better access to the Internet.

   Brian enjoys helping other writers, artists, voice artists and other creative people. He maintains a very active presence on Twitter @brianrathbone, where he’s been known to tell a few bad dragon jokes. Brian is also on Facebook and Goodreads and loves to connect with readers.

   P.S. If you love something, set it free. If it comes back it’s yours. If it doesn’t, a dragon probably ate it.

   http://twitter.com/brianrathbone

   Call of the Herald by Brian Rathbone is a post from Awesome Gang

3. Finding My Escape by Fran Veal

   About Finding My Escape by Fran Veal:

   My life was shattered when I walked in to find my parents being murdered.

   He almost got me, too. The killer, I mean. The police say it was a home invasion,

   but I don’t believe it. I just wish the nightmares would stop. The same thing

   every night, reliving it. Tripping over something…my dad’s body. Hearing my mother

   scream. I can’t take this anymore!

   So I run. I run to forget. I run to get away.

   And then I meet Josh. He helps me forget, for a while, anyway.

   He’s absolutely perfect.

   Or is he…

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
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   Author Bio:
   Fran Veal fell in love with the book Little Women in the third grade, and that was the spark that ignited her desire to write. If Jo could write then she felt she could, too. Her first attempt at writing stories was in the fifth grade when she began writing and drawing a cartoon for her friends. The drawing, to be honest, was terrible, but the stories must have been pretty decent because a friend recently informed her she’d kept some of them because “she always knew Fran would be a writer someday. Fran graduated to writing romance in ninth grade, which was more interesting and, no, there were no pictures (much to the readers’ relief).

   It wasn’t until Fran had a teen daughter of her own that she actually began writing again. Finding My Escape was her debut novel. The sequel, Finding My Way Back will be released August 23, 2013 with the third and final book in the series coming out in early 2014. She’s also working on a comedy geared more toward adults, Five Strikes, with fellow writer, Bryden Lloyd.

   Fran currently resides in the beautiful city of Murfreesboro, TN with her husband of twenty-seven years, fifteen year old daughter, and one extremely snarky cat.

   Finding My Escape by Fran Veal is a post from Awesome Gang

4. Awaken (Book One) (Fated Saga Fantasy Series)

   About Awaken (Book One) (Fated Saga Fantasy Series):

   Summer fun is coming! And other than turning thirteen, twins, Meghan and Colin Jacoby, are looking forward to a typical summer… well, typical for them. Which means their uncle (and guardian) will pull into the Cobbscott Campground and park his travel trailer for three full months.

   Normally, they’d never spend more than a couple weeks in any one place, their uncle preferring to move around. But only until summer when they’d be Cobbscott bound.

   Why did he do this every summer? Why did he prefer to move around? The twins have never thought to ask.

   Their only concern being that their friend Sebastien would be in Cobbscott as well… the one person who also happens to know their secret- that they can read each other’s minds.

   Arrival at the campground goes as expected and within hours, Meghan and Colin are already making plans to meet up with Sebastien. But before they do, the campground gets some unexpected visitors.

   Visitors with reserved campsites. Sites that have been reserved, but unused, for years.

   The twins always wondered who reserved and never used these campsites and now that they have seen the owners, the twins can’t help but get an ominous feeling.

   These visitors dress strange and act strange, taking hikes into the woods wearing wing tip shoes and overcoats, disappearing into things clearly too small to fit so many people, and they never stop peering into the sky as if expecting to see something terrible.

   And when unexplainable and frightening events follow their arrival, the twins start to realize that this summer, will be their least typical of all…

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Visit the Author’s Website.
   Buy the Book On Amazon.
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   Author Bio:
   Sugar Nut, Noted Naysayer, Thrift Store Junky, Gypsy Jazzer, Flip-Flop Fiend, Flavored Lattes: Decaf Only Please! Doggy Mama: Adopt A Furry Best Friend Today!

   Awaken (Book One) (Fated Saga Fantasy Series) is a post from Awesome Gang

5. Inside/Outside: One Woman’s Recovery from Abuse and a Religious Cult by Jenny Hayworth

   About Inside/Outside: One Woman’s Recovery from Abuse and a Religious Cult by Jenny Hayworth:

   “One step at a time. One minute at a time. One hour at a time. One day at a time. One week at a time. One month at a time, One year at a time – life grows and evolves and takes shape.” This is the voice of an individual who has survived childhood sexual abuse, the healing of her own children’s sexual victimisation, and escaped the clutches of severe religious fundamentalism.

   This is Jenny Hayworth’s voice. Her memoir, Inside/Outside, tells of her journey, beginning inside. She felt trapped inside a closed religion, where she was abused and belittled. She lived inside her imagination – the only place she felt safe.

   Then, she travelled outside – discovering a life in the world outside of that religion and learning how to develop real, flesh and blood relationships based on trust.

   Hayworth’s inspirational story provides hope for a better life to anyone living with tragedy.

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Visit the Author’s Website.
   Buy the Book On Amazon.
   Visit the Facebook Fan Page.
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   Author Bio:
   Jenny Hayworth completed her Bachelor of Science degree, with a major in Psychology, in 2010. She currently works with prisoners in an attempt to help them rehabilitate back into society. She has volunteered as a crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention hotline.

   In her memoir, she combines her professional development and personal experiences with sexual abuse and religious fundamentalism to relate a story of tragedy and sorrow that ends in hope and healing. Her desire is to help others like her realise they are not alone in the world and that they also can recover.

   Hayworth lives in Australia with her family, and finds joy in both her animals and garden.

   email: jenny@jennyhayworth.com

   Inside/Outside: One Woman’s Recovery from Abuse and a Religious Cult by Jenny Hayworth is a post from Awesome Gang

6. The 13th Enumeration by William Struse

   About The 13th Enumeration by William Struse:

   Darius Zaridast, CEO of Aquarius Elemental Solutions, is on a quest to destroy those he believes are responsible for the death of his father and the status of his homeland, Persia, as a third-world dictatorship ruled by religious fanatics. Darius finds evidence that this group, which he calls the Order, is also part of a centuries-old conspiracy to keep the secret of the 13th Enumeration. This secret, he learns, is their greatest fear because it is the key to information that could destroy them.

   His research into this secretive group of people is compiled in a dossier he calls FILE-13. Darius believes some of history’s most influential men are somehow connected to the secret:

   *Sir Isaac Newton, one of the most influential scientists of all time, spent a good portion of his life looking for a hidden biblical code.
   *Charles Thomson, one of only two signers of the original Declaration of Independence, was responsible for the most notorious symbol in American history. This symbol, known by only a few, is a key to the secret.
   *William Frishmuth, a German chemist and secret agent for Abraham Lincoln, was so valued for his services he was paid two hundred dollars from Abraham Lincoln’s private purse.
   *William Colgate of Colgate/Palmolive, one of America’s early entrepreneurs, owned a building which featured an unsolved brick symbol–a symbol which today is known as the “American Da Vinci Code.” This cipher holds the key to the forgotten secret.
   *Sir Robert Anderson, commissioner of Scotland Yard during the Ripper murders, almost discovered the secret.
   *Benjamin Franklin, writer, inventor, philosopher, and statesman, may have been involved in guarding this ancient knowledge.

   As Darius’s plot for revenge matures, he initiates the most devastating attack in the history of New York’s financial district. With Manhattan Island a ghost town, Darius uses the ensuing events to perpetrate the greatest financial manipulation of all time. Just when he has the world convinced he is its savior, Darius Zarindast destroys his entire corporate empire, causing the largest financial meltdown in history. He has finally realized his revenge. The only bitterness in his cup of retribution is his inability to solve the secret of the 13th Enumeration.

   In this battlefield of revenge, conspiracy, and superstition, an archeological discovery is made in Capernaum, Israel–a discovery which will forever change the way the prophecies of the Bible are understood. Zane Harrison, a dig volunteer, and Rachael Neumann, daughter of the director of Israeli Antiquities, unwittingly stumble upon an incredible treasure of artifacts. Their find leads to the rediscovery of the 13th Enumeration. They soon learn their discovery is the key to a mathematical cipher found in the very first chapter of the New Testament, an ancient code which has profound implications regarding the status of Jesus Christ as the biblical Messiah. The unearthing of this ancient secret places them directly in the crosshairs of the Order. Will they be able to share their discovery with the world before the Order destroys the evidence and once again erases all knowledge of the 13th Enumeration from the pages of history?

   The 13th Enumeration is a thrilling page-turner which weaves little-known historical and biblical facts into a plot that could have been taken from today’s headlines. The explosive conclusions of this story will leave the secular and Christian reader alike wondering if this is really a work of fiction–or the greatest discovery of our generation.Show more
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   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Visit the Author’s Website.
   Buy the Book On Amazon.

   Author Bio:
   William Struse has been a self employed plumber for over twenty years. He resides in the desert of Southern Arizona with his love, Winnie and their five children. The 13th Enumeration is his first book of fiction.

   The 13th Enumeration by William Struse is a post from Awesome Gang

7. HUSH

   About HUSH:

   From the author of political thriller ITSY BITSY SPIDER nominated one of the top two thrillers of 2013 comes this sweeping legal thriller of the far-reaching boundaries of family ties that surpasses time and distance, HUSH will leave readers questioning one of the most controversial subjects that has divided the nation for decades. When Ann and Ben Grable’s perfect life together is torn apart, they are forced to opposite sides of the courtroom. Representing Ann, lawyer Michael J. McConaughey feels this is the case that could have far-reaching, judicial effects – the one he’s been waiting for. On the other side of the world, when the CEO of one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world hears of the silent protest “HUSH” that is sweeping the nation and making international news, he will stop at nothing to derail the trial that could cost his company billions.

   EDITORIAL REVIEW: “Suspenseful and well-researched, this action-packed legal thriller will take readers on a journey through the trials and tribulations of one of the most controversial subjects in society today.” Katie French author of “The Breeders,” “The Believer’s,” and “Eyes Ever To The Sky.”

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Visit the Author’s Website.
   Buy the Book On Amazon.
   Visit the Facebook Fan Page.
   Goodreads Profile Page

   Author Bio:
   Kimberly Shursen lives in the midwest and is the mother of three grown sons.

   Making up stories and writing since grade school, before becoming a full-time writer of novels, two of the musical plays she wrote were produced by a Broadway producer and independent investors. In 2011, she left her position as director of marketing and took a leap of faith, hoping to write quality thrillers that would turn into a career.

   Her debut novel ITSY BITSY SPIDER was v oted one of the top two thrillers of 2013. Legal thriller HUSH is Shursen’s second novel, and thriller LOTTERY is due to be released in the spring of 2014.

   HUSH is a post from Awesome Gang

8. The Mekong Trap by John McDougall

   About The Mekong Trap by John McDougall:

   This is a thinking person’s thriller, set in Glasgow and Thailand

   Thomas Morton isn’t one of life’s success stories. He’s too principled, and too obsessive. He couldn’t stand being a teacher and now he’s about to lose his job as a private investigator in Glasgow. So he’s quick to accept when a Thai restauranteur offers him a fat fee to run an errand to Thailand – with a girl, Dao, who might just be the girl of his dreams.

   But a Thai smile is never what it seems. The errand is not innocent, and Dao has her own agenda. Thomas is drawn into a trap from which he can escape by hiding in a Buddhist monastery for ever, or by running for his life. He runs, but then he faces another, subtler, trap. Dao is ‘very Thai’: she believes that evil people will get their deserts in their next life; so you can co-exist with them now. In short, Thomas can have Dao or his precious Western principles, but not both. Still, it might not matter – if he doesn’t survive.

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Buy the Book On Amazon.

   Author Bio:
   John McDougall graduated in classics from the University of Glasgow and taught in Scottish secondary schools. Thereafter, he had a wander through Southeast Asia like the Buddha reincarnated. Now he lives quietly with his wife in Argyll. His interests are reading and writing, languages and linguistics, philosophy and psychology. A second book, The Towers of Hanoi, will be available shortly.

   The Mekong Trap by John McDougall is a post from Awesome Gang