Rogue's Angels Present: The American Crusade by Mark Spivak #PoliticalThriller

Please welcome Mark Spivak author of The American Crusade

Mark Spivak will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

The American Crusade

by Mark Spivak

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GENRE:   Political Thriller

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BLURB:

A power-hungry vice president, a bad batch of shady intelligence, and a sinister plot to destroy Western civilization.

Just another day in America.
On May 1, 2001, a group of radical Islamic terrorists crash a Boeing 737 jet airliner into the Mall of America—and Vice President Robert Hornsby knows his moment is coming. 
The attack kills three thousand American citizens and throws an entire nation into a panic, but all Hornsby sees is an opportunity, a chance to imprint his fanatical values on the soul of the country he loves and become the most powerful vice president in American history. 
With the aid of his affable but ineffectual president; the reluctant, conscience-stricken secretary of defense; and a preening, foppish faith leader with more than a few skeletons in his closet; Hornsby declares war on terror—and anyone who stands in his way. But as media scrutiny of the administration’s actions overseas intensifies, Hornby’s one-man campaign against evil begins to unravel—with striking parallels to the thirteenth century’s doomed Fourth Crusade—and sends the nation spiraling toward another deadly tragedy. 
The American Crusade paints a grim and often cynical picture of America’s recent past, reflecting the attitudes, politics, and fears that shaped our nation in the new millennium. By sampling the contemporaneous French text on the Fourth Crusade, On the Conquest of Constantinople, author Mark Spivak reminds us of that ever-vital adage: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” 
Fans of The Castle by Jack Pinter, The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson, House of Cards by Michael Dobbs, The Whistler by John Grisham, and the Aaron Sorkin–penned TV drama The West Wing will love this book.

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EXCERPT:

To President George Cane, the assembled group represented “the full force and moral authority of the United States of America.”

To the Reverend Sanford J. Bayer, head of the White House Office of Faith and Reconciliation (known internally as the Woofers), they symbolized “the lawful arm of God’s righteous Kingdom … preparing to strike at the heart of our enemy.”

To Salman Al-Akbar, leader of the worldwide terrorist organization Husam al Din and the reason the dignitaries were gathered at this press conference, they were “the cancerous core of modern civilization, bleeding like an ulcer that must be removed.”

They included the heads of both houses of Congress, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Directors of the FBI and CIA, most of the Cabinet, and the Chief Justice of the United States.

And to the Vice President, who had assembled this improbable group, they were the usual suspects.

                                                                          

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

In the realm of non-fiction, award-winning author Mark Spivak focuses on wine, spirits, food, restaurants and culinary travel. His first book, Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History, was published by Lyons Press in 2012. He followed this with Moonshine Nation (Lyons Press, 2014), hailed as the definitive book on illegal corn whiskey in America. From 1994-1999 he was the wine writer for the Palm Beach Post, and was honored for excellence in wine criticism “in a graceful and approachable style.” Since 2001 he has been the Wine & Spirits Editor for the Palm Beach Media Group, and contributes to a number of national magazines. He is also the holder of the Certificate and Advanced Diplomas from the Court of Master Sommeliers.


Mark’s first novel, Friend of the Devil, was published by Black Opal Books in May 2016. Set in Palm Beach in 1990, it tells the story of America’s most famous chef, who has sold his soul to the Devil for fame and fortune. 


Mark also has an endless fascination with the American political system and is an avid follower of Washington politics. His second novel, The American Crusade (a gripping political thriller set during the invasion of Iraq, which dips into the shadowy world of government conspiracy and political sabotage), will be released by TCK Publishing on April 4. He is currently at work on Impeachment, the sequel to The American Crusade.

Pre-order The American Crusade on Amazon:

https://geni.us/americancrusade



Visit Mark's website at www.markspivakbooks.com, and sign up for his free newsletter and political blog:

www.markspivakbooks.com/free

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/American-Crusade-Political-Thriller/dp/1631610708/

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A favor to ask, if possible. Here are the Amazon keywords developed by the publisher:

1. political thriller books

2. government conspiracy

3. american politics history

4. american political system

5. gripping thrillers

6. washington politics

7. political sabotage

If you could use one or more of these as tags for your posts, it will help raise the visibility of the book.

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

Mark Spivak will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f2991

EditingByAngels

Editing by Angels

Rogue’s Angels would like to help make the publishing process a little bit easier. We offer editing, proofreading, and covers at a reasonable price. 

Rogues Angels have years of editing experience, starting in the 90’s. Please check out resumes at the Rogue’s Angels blog: http://roguesangels.blogspot.com

Editing plus proofreading rates are:

$150 for under 50K words

$250 for 50K to 100K words

$350 for over 100K words.

Covers price varies. Once a cover is used it will not be used again. Check out pre-made covers at:

http://www.designsbymsg.com/SpreeSpecials.html and http://www.designsbymsg.com/FastTrackForSale.html

For more information contact Christine Young ~ achristay@aol.com

AVAILABLE  COVERS:

Civility

I'm beginning to wonder if the trait of civility has died. I'm working in a department with an open floorplan. That means none of us has our own office. With this arrangement comes an assortment of working styles.

Where my concern comes into play is with the way people communicate to each other. When did the simple, basic rules of conversation go out the window? I have observed numerous encounters between co-workers, and one trait vividly glares at me... the lack of listening. Throughout an entire conversation, the people involved are speaking without listening to what the other is saying. This continues to be the Modus Operandi of the work place.

Frankly, I find it offensive. If you wish to speak to me, but don't want to hear what I have to say... don't bother. I have cats to give me attitude. Is it any wonder the different populations of the world are still trying to kill each other?

Sable Angel

Writer's block - the myth

Writer's block is a myth.

If you have written your characters into a corner, you'll feel the sensation of being "blocked". We writers are but a conduit for the stories. No matter the genre, there must be a logical reason for the story. Whether a lesson needs to be shared or a cautionary tale given, all the details and people involved must be there for a reason beyond, "I think it sounds good."

When you just can't come up with anything more for the story, you have asked the characters to act or react in a way they wouldn't normally do. You've inserted information extraneous to the main flow of the book. Go back and reread where you seem to be stuck. Would your character really do or say what you have written? Or have you inserted something you saw on television and thought would be cool for your book? 

If you can't seem to pinpoint exactly what is stopping your progress, put the book aside. Let it rest for a day or two or maybe a month. The solution will present itself but you have to LISTEN for the answer and stop constantly asking, "When will it happen?"

You're a writer. You create the world, characters and storyline. You just zigged when you needed to zag.

Sable Angel

#CheckInAndShareDay

It's Check In Day.

Let's Make Fireworks

Time to pay the piper! How did you do? How much did you write? Did words explode on your WIP?

This is the Rogue's Angels weekly check-in. Every Thursday we encourage the Angels and visitors to let us know how their writing is going.

How well are you doing?

Had problems this week? That's ok. Just sit down this coming week and write. Whatever you do, don't let difficulties from the week before get in your way this week.

Every word is one word closer to the finished product.

Switched gears and started a new Historical/Scottish Romance set near Glasgow. I've finished the RD of My Sweet Bliss. I had to put it aside for three days while I finished Galleys for Larena's Fascination a May 8th release. This is the first in a five book series, Bad Boys.

My story in the anthology series is done and now I'm polishing. It will be ready for editing the end of the week.

I've a new gorgeous cover for Ariel's Locket ~ new title too. Thank you Genene.

Rogue's Angels Present: Cake Walk to Murder by MK Scott

Please welcome MK Scott author of Cake Walk to Murder

MK Scott will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Cakewalk to Murder

by MK Scott

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GENRE: Cozy Mystery

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NOTE: The book is on sale for only $0.99.

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BLURB:

Bake-off fever is in full-swing and Donna can’t help but have visions of becoming the next great baking star, but the competition is stiff, and someone is willing to kill to win.

When one of the contestants is found dead, a twist of fate puts Donna at the center of the competition. That’s the perfect position to unravel the mystery, but only if she doesn’t get caught in the crosshairs.

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EXCERPT:

The judges strolled to the next baker standing proudly by a five-layer cake dusted with cocoa and decorated with live violets.

“This is the one,” Donna declared and scooted up in her wing chair to be even closer to the television.

Her college-age helper, Tennyson, stroked his scruffy beard in a fair imitation of her husband, Mark, when he was in his contemplation mode. Ten dropped his hand and shook his head. “I don’t know. What about Alastair? He used all those egg whites to make his cake lighter.”

“Please.” She lengthened the word, then gave a derisive snort. “That’s so old fashioned. My great grandmother did that. Judges wanted something new, cutting edge, while still bringing indescribable joy to their taste buds.”

“You think putting flowers on a cake will do it?”

A door sounded in the distant before Donna could reply. Currently, there were no guests in the inn, and she had locked all the doors guaranteeing she could have peace while watching The British Bake-Off Show. Unfortunately, she couldn’t lock out Tennyson who had taken an interest in the program.

Jasper, her aging puggle, gave a welcome bark. It meant Mark was back from his Chamber of Commerce meeting, which he agreed to attend so Donna could watch the show in real time. If she had recorded it, Janice would ruin it by calling her up, telling who the winner was, and would make all manner of comments as if she had actually seen the show. No, thank you.

The judges talked amongst themselves as the tension built. Often, she imagined herself on the show and what she would make to tempt the finicky judges. The contestants must be nervous. Strangely enough, Donna was, too. A throw pillow found its way into her hands, and she squeezed the pillow as the judges mentioned the third and second place finishers. They might have called them winners, but almost everyone conceded there was only one winner.

“And the winner is…” The lead judge paused for a moment. “Alastair! With his lighter than air angel food cake. It reminded me of my dear old Granny and her ability to make every moment special.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

M. K. Scott is the husband and wife writing team behind The Painted Lady Inn Mysteries and The Talking Dog Detective Agency. Morgan K Wyatt is the general wordsmith, while her husband, Scott, is the grammar hammer and physics specialist. He uses his engineering skills to explain how fast a body falls when pushed over a cliff and various other felonious activities. The Internet and experts in the field provide forensic information, while the recipes and B and B details require a more hands-on approach.  Morgan’s daughter, who manages a hotel, provides guest horror stories to fuel the plot lines. The couple’s dog, Chance, is the inspiration behind Jasper, Donna’s dog. Overall, both are fun series to create and read. 

Social Media 

Website: http://www.morgankwyatt.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMorganKWyatt

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/morgankwyatt

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5826299.Morgan_K_Wyatt

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/morgankwyatt/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/M-K-Scott/e/B01M4JGK1A/

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

MK Scott will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3003

Rogue's Angels Present: Soul of the Storm by Jean M. Grant

Please welcome Jean M. Grant Soul of the Storm

Jean M. Grant will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Soul of the Storm

by Jean M. Grant

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GENRE:   Contemporary Romance

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INTERVIEW:

What or who inspired you to start writing?

My mother was a poet and artist. As a middle-schooler I wrote sappy poems, usually sad ones. I moved on to a few cool/angsty short stories. I would have to say my mother’s artistic voice and painter’s brush influenced the creative author in me and gave me that first nudge. Then in college I dug into novels after reading the likes of Judy Garwood and Diana Gabaldon. I fell in love with historical Scotland and romance. That sucked me in…drew me straight down the rabbit hole! 

What elements are necessary components for this genre?

For any genre, you need characters with well-developed traits and a goals, motivations, and conflicts. A Happy Ever After is also a must in any romance. Sometimes we can get away with a “happy for now,” too. You want strong, but flawed protagonists, and if you have a villain they need to be equally developed, complex, and sympathetic. A balance of dialogue and narrative is a must, and in my own opinion, I strive for a vivid setting that sweeps the reader away. You want the story to be realistic and believable, too. 

What expertise did you bring to your writing?

I enjoy nature and I’m an avid hiker. I visited the region where this book takes place (the Mad River Glen in Vermont) and hiked part of the Long Trail. I’m also a scientist by training and one of my characters is a high school science teacher. I live in New England, so I was excited to write a story in my own region of the country.

What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

Here’s a few:

Oxford comma, yes or no?  Yes, a thousand times, yes.

Ice cream (favorite flavor)?Vanilla. In summer I love a twist soft serve with sprinkles/jimmies.

Coffee or tea or wine?Coffee, all day and every day.

What does my desk look like?Pink Post-it’s, organized clipboards with charts, a red pen, black pen, and pencil, my bobble-head Snoopy, a pile of books at my feet and kids’ toys around me (did I mention my desk is in the kids’ playroom?).

As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

I have a women’s fiction novel that also just released (April 17^th) and I am writing the third book in my Scottish (paranormal) historical romance trilogy. I also plan to write more contemporary romances and mainstream/women’s fiction novels.

Do you belong to a critique group? If so how does this help or hinder your writing?

Critique partners and groups are must-have for any author. I would not be where I am without my close friend and fellow author Lorraine for the past 20 years. She has read it all. And I mean ALL. Short stories, contest entries, query letters galore, synopses, first (and second) drafts, final versions, magazine articles…all of it. I have a core group of beta readers, too, who have read closer-to-being-ready versions of my manuscripts. I’ve also exchanged manuscripts with critique partners I connected with through social media and writer outlets. I am a member of several writing groups online, and one in-person group. The support and resources from all the above is invaluable and has truly helped me on my career path.

What is the best and worst advice you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)

Best: Kill your darlings! Do it! Just do it! It hurts at first, but it WILL make for a better read.

Worst: Kill all adverbs. Some are okay. Really. Just don’t overuse them. It is a balance.

Invaluable: A few writing books that are gems: Goals, Motivation, and Conflict (The building blocks of fiction) by Debra Dixon, the entire Thesaurus series by Ackerman and Puglisi, Eats, Shoots, and Leaves by Strunk & White, to name a few! Not to mention Grammar Girl (she makes grammar easy and cool).

And my own: The 3 P’s. Patience, Perseverance, and Putting in the Time. This type of career takes time, adaptability, and open minds. But you can do it if you put your mind to it!

Do you outline your books or just start writing?

I love charts and outlines. Love!  I spend a few weeks working on them before I write. Sometimes I sit with the idea for a few months. I have detailed charts on characters including their GMC and everything I’d want to know about them. I then make a plot outline. However, sometimes my characters take me down a different road and jump ahead with scenes or steer me on a different path. It all works out in the end.

How do you maintain your creativity?

Nature and travel! The outdoors is my Zen, my escape, my muse. I love the fresh air, the serene beauty, and the time with my thoughts (or I should say “our” as I tend to hike and go on outdoor adventures with my family). I find inspiration in life experiences, in stories (be it the news or some experience told to me by a close friend), and in the everyday. Observation of people and the world around us can trigger the most unusual ideas. Music also helps keep me in check, depending on what I am writing.

Who is your favorite character in the book. Can you tell us why?

I have thing for my heroes. Though I enjoyed digging deep into Charlotte’s emotional backstory, I found myself falling for Matiu, my hero. He is even-keeled, down to earth, a messy slob (I am not!), loves his dog (big thanks to my critique partner for suggesting I add that element), attractive inside and out, genuine, hardworking, and has an interesting cultural upbringing. He also loves the outdoors, as do I. I’d go for a hike or kayak with him any day! 

BLURB:

Charlotte MacGregor lost the thrill of conquering mountains five years ago when her sister disappeared on a hiking adventure without her. Still guilt-ridden, Charlotte heads for a vacation to rustic Vermont with a friend—where she's surrounded by reminders of her devastating loss and plagued with unanswered questions.

Matiu Christiansen is an outdoors buff. He works multiple jobs to save for his dream of owning an outfitter in New Zealand. He's never quite felt at home in the United States and he yearns for his Maori roots, but his attraction to Charlotte puts a kink in his plans to move home later this year.

Thrown together by coincidence, Charlotte and Matiu form a kindred bond through their shared love of the outdoors. Can Charlotte surmount her demons to assist Matiu on a rescue when a late-season snowstorm hits? And can Matiu help Charlotte heal from the pain of the past?

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EXCERPT:

She went to feel her ring on her finger with her thumb…but the ring wasn’t there. That old habit would not die even years later. 

A dog bark intruded. The man crossed to the back door. “Reka, sweet girl, take your nap. Only a few hours here and then home, okay?” He spoke to her like a father to a toddler. The dog barked again. “A swim and walk this morning weren’t enough for you?” 

He approached the dog, petted it, and whispered affections. 

Charlotte made a soundless “Aww” and kept perusing. 

The man returned, nearer. Residual sweat traced his brow. He pointed to a selection of books in the middle. “These are the best. Depends on what you’re looking for. Honest reviews or glorified fantasies?” 

“Honest reviews, always.” 

He stroked a hand through his neck-length black hair, the longer top layer falling over his forehead. He squatted and withdrew a few books from the lower shelf. “You could go with the popular or famous names, sure, but I like these authors.” He handed her one. 

A book on South America sat in her hands. She muttered, “Thanks. Don’t need that one.” 

“Oh, already been there, eh? All good, all good.” He took it and shoved it back on the shelf. “Where do your dreams lie then?” 

She swallowed. No, I wasn’t there in that way. I was supposed to have been there. Five years ago. Instead she said, “Well, Vermont for now.” 

“You’re in luck. I’m from Willow Springs.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Jean’s background is in science and she draws from her interests in history, nature, and her family for inspiration. She writes historical and contemporary romances and women’s fiction. She also writes articles for family-oriented travel magazines. When she’s not writing or chasing children, she enjoys tending to her flower gardens, hiking, and doing just about anything in the outdoors.

Social Media links:

Website   https://www.jeanmgrant.com/

Twitter   https://twitter.com/JeanGrant05

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jeanmgrantauthor/

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16582543.Jean_M_Grant

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jean-m-grant

Amazon Author Page  https://www.amazon.com/Jean-M.-Grant/e/B0728KFXP9/

Buy links:

Amazon

The Wild Rose Press

Orhttps://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/6571-soul-of-the-storm.html

Barnes and Noble

Itunes

Walmart

Kobo

Google Play

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

Jean M. Grant will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f2956