On a Reading Bender

Magda Revealed by Ursula Werner #audiobook #historical #fiction #bookreview #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

By On a Reading Bender July 31, 2025 audiobook, book review, fiction, historical No comments

Historical fiction

Date Published: 04-08-2025

Publisher: She Writes Press

What would Jesus do? This wry, irreverent, fictionalized account of his life and ministry—told from the perspective of disciple Mary Magdalene—will implode everything you thought you knew.

Jesus Christ—Yeshua, to his friends—is not happy. Two thousand years after his death, he sees Earth heading toward oblivion. Ever eager to save humanity, he asks Mary Magdalene (Magda) for help. It’s time to tell the real story of our time together, he says. Time to correct all the misinformation, misogyny, and lies spread by Peter, Paul, and the Roman Catholic Church. Still pissed that she’s been called a whore for almost two millennia, Magda resists—but ultimately, out of love for Yeshua, reluctantly agrees.

Through Magda’s words, Yeshua—to most today a symbolic, practically mythological Biblical figure—comes back to life as a man of flesh and blood, one wholly devoted to spreading his message of radical equality. Magda tells of her travels with Yeshua and his followers around Galilee, where they are menaced at every turn by Roman rulers. She relates tales of miracles and murder, jealousy and acceptance, misogyny and female empowerment. She describes her relationship with Yeshua, clarifying centuries of speculation about whether or not they were in love. And, painfully, she reveals the truth about who orchestrated his death.

But Magda’s narrative does not end there. Her life with Yeshua has taught her that she has more strength than she ever imagined, and she begins to tap into a spiritual power that is uniquely her own—the power to connect people. Magda’s true role in the history of humanity, it turns out, is just beginning to unfold.

Review

There's nothing like a good story well told and I think Audiobooks heighten that even more with the experience factor. What we get here is a perfectly paced and well balanced tale from a writer I know I will be going back to.

I really enjoyed how we fixated on a character from scripture and delved more into her story and what could have been. It may be fiction, but it's based on that scripture and that shows.

A story with characters who's motivations and actions really move the reader. It's a powerful read.

About the Author

Ursula Werner has been writing for over twenty-five years. She has published one novel, The Good at Heart (2017), and two chapbooks of poetry, The Silence of the Woodruff (2006) and Rapunzel Revisited (2010). She holds graduate degrees in English literature and law, and works part time as an attorney. She and her husband live in Washington, DC, and are always trying to entice their three daughters to live nearby.

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The Lovelace Protocols by Mikala Ash #preorder #comingsoon #excerpt #steampunk #romance #rabtbooktours @ash_mikala @changelingpress @RABTBookTours

By On a Reading Bender July 30, 2025 coming soon, excerpt, preorder, romance, steampunk No comments

Steampunk Romance

Date Published: August 1, 2025

Lust in space!

Automaton engineers Clara Wheeler and Edmund Blake, groundbreaking developers of the first robot program, the Lovelace Protocols, are sent by Queen Victoria to the moon on a mission of vital importance to the Empire. They are to help Mon Ilson, the Lunarian Emperor of Space, conduct experiments on their bedroom automatons: Jack and Jill.

There is a darker aspect to the experiments. Spiritualist Cordelia Warrington, her automaton lover Adam, and Harry Kincaid of the Home Office are there to do the unthinkable: transfer a human soul into an automaton’s body.

Supervised by the beautiful Lunarians Pamela Fyfe and Burton Sobel, the group pass the three days of the journey with card games, dancing, and a wild weightless orgy. To her horror, Clara discovers that her machines have more than sex actuating their cogs and pistons. Death is also on the program.

EXCERPT

Clara Wheeler, Automaton Engineer

1868 -- A Royal Command

Edmund says composing riddles is childish, but I find them to be so much fun. Even while working.

Knowledge, he has, But never ideas.

Skills, he has, But never control.

No children has he, Nor can ever be.

Dependent souls has he, But master he can never be.

What is he?

“Slower,” I commanded.

JN32’s response was sluggish.

“Stop.”

“I saw,” Edmund muttered, and took his trusty turnscrew to JN32’s exposed innards.

I gave my aching thighs a stretch before resting my ankles on JN32’s broad shoulders. The automaton had not yet been given a face, so I was looking at the brass framework from which distinctly inhuman oculi stared down at me with mechanical indifference.

“Hurry up. I’m getting cold.”

“Just a jiffy.”

The certification room never seemed to be at the right temperature. One would think being rogered for two hours without pause ought to have raised my body temperature enough to boil water, and that may have been true in the first thirty minutes where I usually achieved several climaxes. But when it came time to make final adjustments, my level of passion had declined markedly. So far JN32 had performed to a standard which, by human standards, was spectacular.

Edmund began to whistle a music hall tune he’d picked up during his last weekend pass. He had been deliberately torturing me with “Champagne Charlie” ever since.

“This does not qualify as a jiffy,” I complained.

“Nearly there.” He finally stepped back and gave me that quirky smile of his. “When you’re ready.”

“Resume,” I commanded, and JN32 began moving his hips. Slowly at first, following the appropriate Lovelace Protocol, one of several thousand which governed all the behaviours the automaton could express. This particular set ensured that the pace and magnitude of his strokes built up gently so as not to injure the customer with a sudden assault. A half minute later when he’d concluded the sequence of graduated steps, I commanded him to go faster. His response was also to specifications, and his thrusts accelerated. Automaton cocks, if not restrained, are like the pistons of a locomotive, and the resulting friction could be discomforting and downright dangerous.

“Lubricate.”

The rim of JN32’s cockhead immediately released a measured amount of specially blended synthetic oils that matched the average viscosity of vaginal fluid, and I felt the improvement almost at once.

“Again.”

“What?” Edmund asked, looking at me over the top of his notebook.

“I was just getting a little dry,” I replied.

He raised a quizzical orange eyebrow. “That’s not like you.”

I returned what he unkindly termed my Medusa glower. “Faster, JN32.”

I was rewarded with an immediate quickening. My body shook with each thrust so that my breasts jiggled and swayed. Now came the test of Edmund’s adjustment.

“Slower.”

This time JN32’s response was immediate, and the protocol smoothly reduced stroke speed by a quarter, then a half.

“Faster.”

JN32 complied.

“Slower.”

“That’s good,” Edmund muttered. “No lag that I could see.”

“Nor I,” I responded between gasps. A pleasant pair of climaxes had surprised me.

“He found the spot, did he?” Edmund quipped.

Another series of small climaxes overtook me. “Never… you… mind…” I replied as waves of pleasure pulsed through my body, radiating from quim to chest in gusts of white-hot flame. “Stop.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I just need a moment.”

Edmund’s gaze travelled from my eyes to my heaving breasts and to my quivering belly to where my body joined with JN32’s. My gaze dropped to the decided bulge in Edmund’s trousers. I pushed away the readily evoked images of his thick ten inches ploughing the artificial sheath of a female automaton. After a few moments I had collected myself enough to resume the test.

I took JN32 through the advanced routine where his cock would vibrate at variable speeds sequentially from the head down to the base of his shaft. Then with the “wiggle” command the top half of his shaft moved up and down and then side to side as his cock moved inside me.

This is my favourite part of the test, one which gave me exquisite pleasure, particularly on the outstroke where the movement stimulated my swollen nub. I must admit it made me squirm every time. I peeked through my eyelashes to note that Edmund had seen my response. The bulge had doubled in size. Served him right for inflicting me with one of Charlie’s song lines: “Come and join me in a spree.”

About the Author

Aussie Mikala Ash used to be a mild-mannered training & development consultant by day, and a wild sci-fi and paranormal adventure writer by night. Now she is a brazen full-time writer and nature photographer who is concentrating on having among other things, “… bags, and bags of fun!” Mikala can be found on Facebook and on Twitter.

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Improbable and Extraordinary by Saul & Erika Horwitz #memoir #bookreview #nonfiction #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

By On a Reading Bender July 30, 2025 book review, memoir, nonfiction No comments

Memoir

Date Published: April 21, 2025

Publisher: MindStir Media

Winner of the 2025 Literary-Titan Book Award (Memoir)!

Winner of the 2025 Firebird book award (Addiction and Recovery)!

Winner of the 2025 Firebird book award (Mental Health)!

Finalist, 2024 Literary Global Book Awards and American Writing Book Awards!

I believe Improbable and Extraordinary will be an extremely influential book - it's rare to see such a personal and raw account of mental illness, and then the continuous (and in this case, unique) process of overcoming it. Overall, an outstanding and moving manuscript...The flow is excellent and engaging and the voice is very strong. A true accomplishment!

Megan Patiry, author of The Alice Effect.

Escaping the torment of depression, anxiety, mania and addiction: Saúl's memoir is a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit, showing how even when it seems unattainable, transformation is possible. Once tormented by the crushing grip of bipolar disorder, depression, severe anxiety, anger, and addiction, Saúl shares the raw, unflinching truth of his battle with mental illness and trauma.

Through a profound exploration of love, not as a romantic ideal but as a fundamental force, and by adopting practical, yet challenging principles, the author discovers a path to inner peace and freedom. Saúl's candid reflections on overcoming a deep, persistent darkness reveal the possibility of peace, freedom, and personal growth.

This memoir doesn't just chronicle survival; it celebrates the power of transformation. Saúl's path through addiction and mental illness reveals that true peace and freedom are within reach, even for those who have lost everything.

By sharing his experience, Saúl aims to inspire understanding and hope, and communicate that healing is not just possible but transformative. This book is a beacon of hope for anyone wanting to find hope for themselves or someone they love.

From co-author, Dr. Erika Horwitz, Licensed Psychologist:

As Saul's sister, I witnessed his torments and struggles and his amazing transformation! As a psychologist, I understood the enormity of what he achieved-moving from a place of deep mental illness to stability, inner peace and wisdom. His story is inspiring and a testament to the amazing ability of human beings to transform. It's a story that offers hope to anyone facing mental health challenges and their loved ones. I knew it was essential for Saul to share his story, and I believe it will resonate with anyone who believes in the power of transformation."

Review

A deep and intricate look into the world of mental health. This really goes above and beyond and the authors do a wonderful job of opening their selves up and their experiences to share with others and aim to help those in similar situations.

You get a first hand view from someone who is suffering from an illness, the struggles they go through and truth that is often hidden.

Then you also get the caretaker point of view and how his sister navigates the darker moments.

It's a wonderful depiction of love and patience.

About the Authors

Saúl Horwitz

Saúl Horwitz is an addictions expert and counsellor for people in rehabilitation and recovery. From an early age he had to struggle with his personality due to suffering from bipolar disorder. Suicide attempts, suicidal crises, depression, euphoria, and other drastic changes in his personality prevented him from leading a normal life like that of others. After receiving help from a non-traditional AA group, El Despertar, not only did he transform many of these symptoms, but he also became a skilled counsellor to those afflicted by addiction and mental illness.

Erika Horwitz, Ph.D.

Erika is a Licenced Psychologist working in private practice in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. In addition, she is an author, public speaker, university lecturer, and certified Mindfulness Teacher. She was the former Director of Counselling Services at Simon Fraser University. She is currently the President of the Board of Directors at the British Columbia Psychological Association, the Vice-Chair at the Council of Professional Associations of Psychology and a council member at the American Psychological Association. She wrote Through the Maze of Motherhood: Empowered Mothers Speak. In her leisure time she loves meditation, reading, movies, working out, and spending time with her amazing husband, her family, and friends.

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Memphis Heat by Marteeka Karland #preorder #comingsoon #paranormal #Romance #rabtbooktours @changelingpress @RABTBookTours

By On a Reading Bender July 29, 2025 coming soon, excerpt, paranormal, preorder, romance No comments

Paranormal Romance

Date Published: August 1, 2025

Publisher: Changeling Press

Memphis, Tennessee. The Russian mob has declared war on the MPD, leaving a team of dead cops in their wake, and the city of Memphis caught in their crossfire.

Stakeout (Memphis Heat 1)

Jarod took a bullet to the chest. But he didn’t die. While he was bleeding out, he was bitten. By a werewolf. Now he can smell his partner’s attraction, but his bite didn’t exactly come with instructions. Two partners who always have each other’s backs share everything -- but the one thing they need to share the most.

Streetwise (Memphis Heat 2)

When Officer Butch Carson and his rookie trainee, Regan “Sundance” O’Malley, are caught between the MPD and the Russians, they have no one they can turn to but each other. The more they learn about being werewolves, the tighter their own bond becomes. And the more determined they are to stop the assassins who nearly added them to the growing list of victims.

Strikeforce (Memphis Heat 3)

Lt. Jamie Callahan’s convinced there’s a mole in their pack, and he and his new partner must figure out who set them up -- and who’s responsible for the deaths of their former lieutenants.

Takedown (Memphis Heat 4)

Two packs fight for the heart of the city. The Russian mob and the MPD stand at odds, the city of Memphis caught in the middle. The new Alphas plan to leave their enemies in the dust. But it’s their friends they should be watching out for.

When the final takedown comes, there will only be one Alpha standing.

Excerpt

Excerpt from Stakeout

"You're a real asshole, you know that, don't you?"

"Yes, dear," Jarod answered with a suppressed chuckle in his tone.

She was going to smack him any moment now. "That. That right there. That's the reason you're paying alimony to two ex-wives. Fuck you and your yes, dear. I've had shorter dry spells between engagements. I. Need. To. Fuck. Now!"

"You're just bored."

Belle squirmed in her chair, practically grinding her pussy against the worn upholstery. "No shit. What gave it away?"

"Told you not to come. ADD and stakeouts don't go well together."

She pointed the butt of her service revolver at him, resisting the urge to throw it. "Somebody has to watch your back. Besides. You used to be better at keeping me distracted."

A sideways grin quirked his face. "We used to have... interesting... ways of keeping ourselves entertained, didn't we? Not exactly professional, but..."

"Used to being the operative phrase here. What the hell is wrong with you, anyway?"

"Wrong with me? I got shot, remember?"

As if she could forget. "Yeah. And by all reports you should have died. But you didn't. And ever since you've been treating me like..."

"I'm trying to act like a professional. I've been treating you like a cop. Like my partner."

He attempted to look offended at that. Nearly pulled it off. Professional, my ass. "We were a hell of a lot more than just partners, Jarod. You can't deny that."

"Yeah, well, maybe if I'd been acting a little more like a cop and a lot less like your lover, we wouldn't have been in a position where you could have gotten killed." The bitterness in his tone surprised her.

She kept her voice low and steady, bottling up the frustrated anger that threatened to overwhelm her. "I wasn't the one who got shot, Jarod."

"Could have. Could have been you first up that alley, just as easy as me. And it would have been my fault."

This argument was getting them nowhere. Damn it, she was horny as hell and he was right there! "Shut up and fuck me --" she reached for her police baton -- "Or I'll do it myself."

Binoculars focused on the dilapidated warehouse across the street, he didn't even glance her way. "Go ahead."

Did he think she wouldn't? Staring at Jarod's lovely backside, Belle unzipped her jeans and shimmied them down her hips enough to give herself access to her pussy lips. It was his own fault. He was tall, handsome, built and reasonably single, if you didn't count the excess baggage, but she still might have resisted -- if he didn't smell like liquid sex poured into a cop suit. She wanted to reach over, undo his belt, and suck his cock right down to the root. Then they'd see how professional he could be. Fuckhead.

With that thought Belle kicked the jeans the rest of the way off and switched the baton around so the handle lined up with her pussy. With one thrust she impaled herself right down to the crossbar.

Fucker. If he didn't get off on that, he was gay.

"Shit, Belle! What the hell are you doing?"

"We're undercover. Normal people do not sit in sleazy, run-down motels next to vacant buildings for hours at a time and stare at locked doors. Only reason to be here is to fuck."

As if he'd suddenly gotten into the spirit of things, Jarod reached out and grabbed her shoulders, throwing her against the window. His mouth found the juncture of her neck and shoulder, and he bit down with more aggression that she was used to from him, but she was so horny, she didn't give a shit.

He yanked her head back, and his mouth found hers in a jaw-breaking kiss before he broke away, pushing her back. "You wanna play? Fine. Your turn to watch the Russians." He pulled her closer and spun her around. She braced her hands on the dirty plate glass window...

About the Author

Marteeka Karland is an international bestselling author who leads a double life as an erotic romance author by evening and a semi-domesticated housewife by day. Known for her down and dirty MC romances, Marteeka takes pleasure in spinning tales of tenacious, protective heroes and spirited, vulnerable heroines. She staunchly advocates that every character deserves a blissful ending, even, sometimes, the villains in her narratives. Her writings are speckled with intense, raw elements resulting in page-turning delight entwined with seductive escapades leading up to gratifying conclusions that elicit a sigh from her readers.

Away from the pen, Marteeka finds joy in baking and supporting her husband with their gardening activities. The late summer season is set aside for preserving the delightful harvest that springs from their combined efforts (which is mostly his efforts, but you can count it). To stay updated with Marteeka's latest adventures and forthcoming books, make sure to visit her website. Don't forget to register for her newsletter which will pepper you with a potpourri of Teeka's beloved recipes, book suggestions, autograph events, and a plethora of interesting tidbits.

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Ophia's Sister-Soul by Seth Mullins #bookreview #giveaway #fantasy #epicfantasy #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

By On a Reading Bender July 29, 2025 book review, fantasy, giveaway No comments

Parting the Veils, Book One

Epic Fantasy / Visionary Fiction / Magical Realism

Date Published: 04-19-2025

Colleen Addison fears that the messages she receives from a place called Ophia prove she’s losing her mind. As she grieves for her lost twin sister, Earth’s civilizations, divorced from magic and wonder, crumble.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Partition, Esperidi Mon-Sequana discovers she’s the last surviving Sophryne, a Wakeful Dreamer cast adrift as Ophia convulses beneath the weight of atrocities done to Her, spilling Her anguish in fire and floods.

With naught but dreams and waking omens to guide her, Esperidi ventures across a ravaged land where marauders are a law unto themselves, and the Shetain priesthood demands that Ophia’s children appease the Rupture with penance and blood.

Lost and bereaved, Colleen and Esperidi reach for hope and salvation beyond the camouflage Veils, unsuspecting of the ties that bind them across lifetimes and worlds…

Review

There are a lot of moving parts to this novel and a good amount of drama and action without being action packed. The characters were probably my favorite part.

Get ready to be immersed in the world and captivated by the characters he has created. The plot was smooth and I liked the way it flowed from chapter to chapter.

And might I add a gorgeous cover?

About the Author

Throughout my life's myriad twists and turns, one desire has always stayed strong in me: to write epic tales that illuminate the inner world of our souls. I write fiction that depicts the journey of self-discovery in a dramatic and emotionally cathartic way. I'm inspired by methods of inner exploration like dream-work and shamanism, wherein one takes an inward plunge and then shares the fruits of that deep descent with the wider community. That, to me, is the essence of what any art form is really about.

I think the artistic impulse takes it for granted that the universe is forever unfinished; we all have unique gifts that bring something to Creation that would not otherwise ever exist.

My inspirations/influences include writers like Jane Roberts, L. Frank Baum, Barbara Marciniak, Stephen R. Donaldson, Frank Herbert, Lewis Carroll, Jack Kerouac, and Robert E. Howard. Though I've enjoyed writing in many genres and styles, speculative fiction remains my biggest passion.

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https://mybook.to/OphiasSisterSoul

Dangerous Times by William Kinsolving #fiction #bookreview #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

By On a Reading Bender July 29, 2025 book review, fiction No comments

Fiction

Date Published: May 1, 2025

Publisher: Manhattan Book Group

This book's background is the prophetic but overlooked decade of American history, 1846 to 1856, from the Mexican War to the presidential election of James Buchanan. The decade was a foreshadowing of our national cataclysm. Underlying every social aspect was the nation's fatal flaw, slavery, that perverted the Constitution on which the Enlightenment ideals of a "United States" were based. And on every day, similarities to the distortions of the present decade are obvious.

I chose a Southern ethos, finding an unexpected woman to suffer and survive the decade; and three brothers, each of whom carves a unique path through it, one as a fugitive unjustly accused of murder and slave-stealing, one as an enigmatic operative across the jagged spectrum of antebellum party politics, and the eldest who inherits his family's storied tobacco plantation as its lands burn out.

The story is told chronologically, the fiction adhering to the history. Should a question arise as to which is which, any event of historical significance - no matter how bizarre or implausible -- did indeed happen.

The novel echoes ethnic truths as they were at the time. I write of intimacies as well as horrors found in historical records. Both public and private relations were often infused with their own destruction -- as were the expanding "United States" in that decade, and I fear in this one.

Review

When dealing with a novel like this, you can have ups and downs and I liked that the author was able to keep the pacing throughout.

There are daunting topics, but also great characters and an overall sense of understanding motivations and actions within the timeline.

Wonderful writing style and even more wonderful storyline. Definitely a great read.

About the Author

After a questionable academic career at Stanford (I mean, how practical is a double major in Drama and Far Eastern Theology?), Kinsolving fled to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to play Richard II. He then attended The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art for polish. Returning to New York, he appeared as an actor under-, off- and on Broadway, as well as a saloon singer in foul Greenwich Village nightclubs. For creative diversion during these years, he acted and/or directed back in Oregon, at the Stratford (CT) Shakespeare Theater, Harvard, Dartmouth, Café La Mama, then went out and won the Best Actor of the Year award from the San Francisco Chronicle for performing at the Berkeley Rep.

Ineluctably transitioning to a second career, Kinsolving wrote a play with 84 speaking roles, was awarded a Ford Foundation Playwriting Grant, and had the play produced by the Stratford Ontario Shakespeare Festival. This led to the first of some 54 films on which he worked for every major studio (and several distinctly minor ones) in Los Angeles, London and Rome (ask him about Zeffirelli sometime) as screenwriter and script doctor. Suspecting that such a life was leading to the utter corruption of his soul (not to dare mention his body), he retreated to Carmel to write the first of five novels (a NY Times best-seller, a couple of Literary Guild Main Selections, he adds humbly, but only if asked).

While serving on the Board of Trustees of the California Institute of the Arts, he regressed happily to nightclub and fundraising performances, accompanied by the likes of Peter Duchin and Emmanuel Ax, singing at the Algonquin Hotel’s late lamented Oak Room and for one of the late Brooke Astor’s better birthday parties among many other less name-dropping venues.

Last year, he directed a musical for which he wrote the book and lyrics in the nave of San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral about Johann Sebastian Bach and his family. Bach provided all the music, and proved to be very easy to work with. THAT WEEK WITH THE BACHS had the best voices in the Bay Area, including the ineffable Frederica von Stade.

He began work on the historical novel DANGEROUS TIMES between the diversions above. He knew the history, but even so, was startled by how constant the similarities are in that destructive time to what’s going on in this one.

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Secret Keeper by Victoria Pinder #giveaway #newbooks #releaseday #romance #contemporary #rabtbooktours @victoriapinder @RABTBookTours

By On a Reading Bender July 28, 2025 contemporary, giveaway, new books, release day, romance No comments

House of Morgan

Contemporary Romance

Date Published: 07-29-2025

Publisher: Love in a book

Anthony Morgan is the last man I should ever work for. Too bad I don’t have a choice.

It started with an email from Jennifer Gonzales. It ended with me walking into a boardroom face-to-face with the man who once loved her. The same man who looks at me like I’m a threat to everything he built.

And maybe I am.

He’s cold. Controlled. Italian billionaire in an Armani suit, hiding bruises behind bank accounts. He thinks I’m still loyal to my former best friend—the woman who broke his brother’s heart and stole something she should’ve never touched.

But I’m not here for Belle. I’m here to do a job.

Security. Protection. No distractions.

Except Anthony Morgan is a distraction.

His eyes strip me bare. His voice is a seduction I never saw coming. And every time we fight, it feels like foreplay.

Getting too close to him is a mistake. Falling for him? Dangerous.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from war zones and heartbreak… It’s that the most forbidden fire burns the hottest.

And Anthony Morgan is pure flame.

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling Author, Victoria Pinder grew up in Irish Catholic Boston before moving to the Miami sun though she left that for a while to live in New Orleans, Denver and now Pittsburgh. She started single but the husband and then children joined in on the fun. She’s worked in engineering, then lawyer, then teacher, and finally novelist. She refused to one day turn 50 and realize she had nothing but her career and hours at a desk.

During all this time and travel, she always wrote stories to entertain herself or calm down. Her parents are practical minded people demanding a job, and Victoria spent too many years living other people’s expectations, but when she sat down to see what skill she had that matched what she enjoyed doing, writing became so obvious. The middle school year book when someone wrote in it that one day she’d be a writer made sense when she turned thirty.

She’s always been amazing, adventurous and assured. It’s what gets her through the day.

Her website is www.victoriapinder.com where you can get a free read NOW. Please write as she loves writing back to her fans.

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Twitter: @victoriapinder

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https://mybook.to/ThePlightofPudgy

The Plight of Pudgy by Tammy Waldoch #releaseday #newbooks #giveaway #nutrition #health #nonficton #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

By On a Reading Bender July 28, 2025 giveaway, health, new books, nonfiction, release day No comments

Health & Fitness Diet & Nutrition / Weight Loss Humorous Memoir

Date Published: 07-29-2025

Publisher: BookBaby

Studies have shown that laughter and music are proven ways to facilitate healing. Author Tammy Waldoch uses this potent secret sauce in her book Plight of the Pudgy: Stories, Inspirations, and Preposterous Parodies for the Slim at Heart. From weight loss drugs, chronic diets, and toxic body shame, the book is an open invitation to connect authentically with someone who deeply understands the plight. Her own pilgrimage to finding self-love and a place to "fit in" includes a near-death car accident, a bipolar diagnosis that turned her life upside down, and a lifelong struggle with poor body image.

Waldoch authentically pours her heart and soul into sharing raw stories and songs filled with deep faith, side-splitting humor, and a resounding message that we are all perfectly made in God's eyes.

Tammy writes this book not only as a testimony of her faith but also to share her private path of redemption and healing.

Among the pages, readers will also enjoy fiction stories designed to encourage laughter and reflection, along with some preposterous (and creative!) parodies that provide a backdrop of humor to lighten the burdens of The Slim at Heart.

Early Review

Heart Felt And Honest - This book will make you laugh and cry. The lament of women who struggle with body image applies to a good majority of women.

About the Author

Tammy Waldoch is an imaginative author/singer/songwriter/painter with a degree in Liberal Arts from the University of Wisconsin, Lacrosse, emphasizing Aesthetic Education—teaching using the creative arts. She did just that in The Plight of the Pudgy, combining musical parodies with literature to teach others how to overcome obstacles and rise above adversity. She is actively involved with the Writer’s Well at the White Bear Center for the Arts and gathers with other inspiring writers of all ages to explore their creativity. She also consults with the Springboard Center for the Arts in St. Paul, MN for further resources.

She and her husband of 38 years share a dynamic love for better for worse, in sickness and in health, that has endured all things.

She is also a proud parent of two sons and has two beautiful daughters-in-law who share life’s joys and challenges. Her faith is at the heart of everything she does, and this book is a testimony of her Lord and Savior’s incredible loving kindness toward her. Gilda Radner once said, “Life is full of delicious ambiguities.”

Tammy invites everyone to share those ambiguities with her!

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You Make My Heart Giggle by Brent John Larsen #newbooks #memoir #nonfiction #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

By On a Reading Bender July 28, 2025 memoir, new books, nonfiction, release day No comments

Dadisms, The Wisdom and Wit of Dad

Nonfiction, Feel Good, Memoir

Date Published: July 29, 2025

Publisher: Elite Online Publishing

If you liked “Chicken Soup for the Soul” or “Tuesdays with Morrie,” you will love this book.

You Make My Heart Giggle: Dadisms, The Wisdom and Wit of Dad is the perfect book for anyone who cherishes the timeless wisdom of fathers and the lessons they impart, often disguised as quirky sayings. Whether you're seeking inspiration, laughter, or a heartfelt reminder of life's most cherished values, this book is for you.

Inside, you’ll discover:

● Time-tested Dadisms, each packed with wisdom to inspire courage, persistence, and optimism—so you can tackle life's challenges with confidence.
● Historical insights and personal stories, showing how these simple sayings align with some of history’s greatest moments, giving you a new appreciation for their deeper meanings.
● A heartfelt tribute to fatherhood, reminding you of the love, humor, and guidance that shape our lives, so you can cherish and pass these lessons down to generations.

This book is authentic, inspiring, and proven to make you laugh, reflect, and appreciate the impact of a father’s words in ways you never imagined.

Don't wait, grab your copy today and relive the wisdom, laughter, and love that only a dad can provide!

Excerpt

A little about my dad

Little Johnny as my father was known spent his early childhood in cache valley a beautiful mountain setting in northern Utah. The valley was lush and green in summer with horses and cows grazing peacefully in fields framed by homemade log and wire fences. The severe winters were in stark contrast to the mild summers. bitterly cold but beautiful. Each morning the sun would stream through the trees causing the hoar frost (which had settled on the branches during the night) to sparkle like a thousand little gems. Against a cobalt blue sky, the contrast was stunning. cache valley was a wonderful place for an active young boy to grow up in. pine covered mountains to climb, clear running rivers to fish and plenty of places to explore. cache valley got its name from the mountain men and trappers who traveled the Rockies in search of valuable furs, fox, beaver and bear, beaver pelts were in high demand in the east because top hats were all the rage and a beaver top hat signaled wealth and class. Jim Bridger, and Jedediah Smith were a few of those who roamed the high mountains in the 1820’s. Jedediah was born and raised in Boston, Jim hailed from Chicago These young men had left the comforts of eastern cities for the lonely and rugged life in the west. it was a solitary existence always working the trap lines by themselves. Each spring around the first week in May, these intrepid young men would assemble together (to retrieve their hidden furs “caches” that they had created during the winter months,) in what was for them the high social event of the year It was called the rendezvous.

Dads father Rube was slight of build. He had come from humble circumstances. raised on a small farm that managed to put food on the table but little else. Rube would spend his entire life raising livestock and living off the land the same as his father and his grandfather before him had done. Dads mother Charlotte was the daughter of John Anderson. A tall man, and rather quiet and soft spoken. He was impeccable in appearance. altogether a rather handsome man. He had amassed a small fortune in real estate, as president of the Logan First National Bank and the proprietor of the ZCMI Mercantile Store on main street. in 1864 as a young boy He had walked from St Louis to the Rocky Mountains to homestead with his family in the northern Utah Territory. it was said of charlotte that she could have any man in the valley but settled on a quiet country boy. As a cattleman Rube was hardly ever home. He was demanding of his children but in a kind sort of way.

My father (little Johnny) was a very active and outgoing young boy with little fear of anything, always towering over his fellow schoolmates. Despite his size, he was a kind and gentle child. As an adult, he was larger than life not only physically, but he was also large intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. At 6’ 6” 320 pounds, size 16 shoes, coat size 56, everyone quit calling him little Johnny and he simply became known as Big John.

He had an unwavering love for his country. He was part of what Tom Brokaw called “the Greatest Generation“ serving in world war II in the south pacific. He was involved in the battles at Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima, Leyte, Philippines, and Okinawa. along with being part of one of the first contingencies to enter Hiroshima after the Atomic Bomb was dropped.

He loved golf, he loved to travel, he never held public office but was deeply involved in local caucuses, state conventions, and campaigning for candidates he believed in. As far as singing, he could not carry a tune, but he loved music and the arts and saw to it that we often attended the Utah Symphony, plays at the Promised Valley Play House, and excursions to the local galleries so we could appreciate fine art. We could decide for ourselves as to whether or not we wanted to play sports, but we had no such freedom when it came to learning how to play a musical instrument. To dad it was non-negotiable, He said simply. “You will”

I knew he loved me not only by what he said but by what he actually did. One night in late August of1968, my father came home from work and asked me if I could visit with him for a few minutes. My first though was “Oh no what have I done now. I soon realized that his tone was very different from past visits. He said, “Son I have been offered the job to be the principle of your high school, and I need to know if that would bother you in any way”? I then asked him “what he would do if the answer was yes”, His response surprised me, he said “Son, you are far more important than any job could ever be, and if it would cause you even the slightest worry or concern, I will turn the job down” I knew that he really wanted that job but I also knew he really meant what he said. My answer to him was that it would be fine and for the next 3 years we had what many would call a rather unique experience together.

I hope the stories I tell here will be of some interest, but more importantly I hope it will awaken in each reader the realization of the lessons that each has learned from those who have been their source of inspiration and learning. Those who have truly made a difference in their lives.

About the Author

Brent was a product of the fascinating and turbulent decades of the 60’s and 70’s. He came from a very average middle-class family. Growing up, he would be labeled by society’s standards as almost invisible. He was surrounded by incredible role models that greatly influenced his life, including teachers, friends, and most importantly, family. Brent was an Eagle Scout and served a two-year mission for his church in Northern England.

He met his future bride in a geology class at the University of Utah and graduated with a BS degree in History. Putting himself through school, he worked for First Security State Bank. Brent taught students with reading disabilities at Union Jr High School and History at Alta High School before leaving education to work for Pfizer Pharmaceutical. Eventually, he started his own highly successful construction company, which now includes three of his sons as part of the family business. He also owns 3 companies involved in real estate development and acquisition.

Brent's greatest joy comes from his family. He is a proud father to 2 daughters and 5 sons, and a contented grandpa to 30 grandchildren, with one great-grandchild on the way. He loves sports, photography, travel, especially in France, England, Holland, and the inside passage of Alaska and being in the outdoors; he cherishes time at their cabin in the Manti Lasal mountains or their condo in the red rock country of southern Utah. He enjoys hiking and rappelling slot canyons in the southwest and river running, especially the mighty Colorado River. Brent also started the Metra Learning Center and On-line productions. He played the clarinet in the University of Utah marching and pep bands and remarkably built his first home with no prior construction experience, which still stands 45 years later.

Throughout his life, Brent has been driven by the undeniable influence one person can have on generations untold and the profound lessons taught by a father to his sons and daughters. His life reflects the deep and enduring relationship between a father and his children.

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