What a Godly Privilege to Be Born a Man by Tabitha Biel Luak

 Please welcome Tabitha Biel Luak author of What a Godly Privilege to Be Born a Man

Tabitha Biel Luak will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

What a Godly Privilege to Be Born a Man

by Tabitha Biel Luak

 

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GENRE: FICTION / African American / General

 

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INTERVIEW:

BLURB:

 

This book is inspired by true events.

 

Chosen from among the mob of her boyfriend's girlfriends, married in the most secure, respectful, and honourable way known to the people, Nyayang Jock, a girl born without a brother, won the race, defeating her top co-girlfriend, Sarah, by being the youngest over Sarah born with brothers. At the least, unlike ninety-nine percent of the girls of her generation and how they were married, it is safe for Nyayang to say she was married for love to Chuol Malual, a businessman who was born into a big, rich family.

 

Nonetheless, unlike the expectation of her in-laws, the unattended attitude of the nature secretly stabbed Nyayang in the back, leaving her to fail and creating the family Chuol and his family fundamentally paid the forty cows for. After waiting for what seemed like a decade for her to get pregnant, she gave birth to a girl, a thing that only fueled the resultant ager. Taking a long time to get pregnant and only giving birth to a girl when she should have birthed a boy called for a quick search for another wife. For Chuol's parents, this was a search for a working womb, but for Chuol it was just a search for wife number two, which he found hard now that he realized most girls showed many of the characteristics Nyayang had shown; however, eventually all displayed some problem.

 

But that all changed when he accidentally stumbled upon Sarah again, who instantly restored his manhood. Sarah not only filled Chuol's life with the boys he had been looking for, but she had her chance one more time to not only show Nyayang that it is the woman born with brothers who wins, but that the woman who has the ability to birth boys is the ultimate winner. But values-setting, worth-determining, and love are all weaknesses in society. There is only one true winner, and that is the neighbor, the seasonal enemy, the chaff buyer, the Murlen man.

 

 

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EXCERPT:

 

NBTM: What a Godly Privilege to Be Born a Man by Tabitha Biel Luak

 

 

 

WhataGodlyPrivilegetoBeBornaMan

 

FICTION / African American / General

 

There is a famous saying among the Nuer people which goes a little like this: “Every family has its way of talking and eating.” I don’t know what thoughts may pop into your mind upon hearing this saying. Personally? I see it as a universal family description—or perhaps the nature of these two things, “talking and eating,” are indeed that which differentiate us, the human race, universally

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Of course, there are other differences amongst people. And although one of the obvious differences is the colour of skin, there are also things formed with conscious intentions for the purpose of them becoming our ways of life. In most cases, although this can’t really be said about skin colour, there are persuasive goals set prior to forming a way to live. For instance, we teach children how to do well behaviourally so tomorrow is a bit clearer for them. However, within a formation, a tendency is developed. Sometimes, these tendencies come in the form of beliefs, which influence what and how we teach them.

 

Take this belief from the place I call home. Where I come from, in South Sudan, it is overwhelmingly believed that there is a difference between a male child and a female child. Of course, there is a difference. And so this difference is often exhausted and exploited to identify potential inequalities between the two. Unfortunately, the further this persists, the more limits we place on what we consider males and females to be capable of.

 

Nevertheless, humans are known to loathe dwelling in a valley of non-competitive spirit. Therefore, the only way forward is still to lean iii strongly toward one side and confidently unwrap the other side as if someone was there when she was all assembled.

 

It has always been the belief here at home, exhaustedly theorized and relentlessly practised, that one thing must be different from another. Often, to roll out one thing is enough but the other is not. In a remote way, this perception unconsciously brings us to inherently believe one is the product while the other is the producer. In other families, this way of reasoning may look a bit different; nonetheless, the derivation of the tendentious tendency in this family walks its way persistently from a claimed, precise understanding of fullness that can only be explained in four ways.

 

These involve precise understanding of the structural beauty of appearance, the strength of the structural body, the enormity of the group to which one belongs, and the sophistication or smoothness of the tongue. As a result, every response, every act and every performance revolves around these four things. Therefore, how each family teaches the two is different, for each family believes the two exist for different, unbalanced reasons. And that, unlike other families, this family eats and talks differently.

 

The stories you are about to read, with the exception of names and certain places, are real people’s stories, which, to this day, are still happening. As you flip through the pages, I urge you to ask yourself the following questions: What, then, is human? Who is human? And what does it mean to be one?

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Tabitha Biel Luak is a South Sudanese-Canadian author. Tabitha was born in South Sudan, Africa. She relocated to Edmonton, Canada in 2011. Tabitha is a mother of two beautiful girls. She is currently taking her bachelor degree in Psychology. She is very passionate about helping her community grow. She is involved with youth in helping them reconnect to their roots by learning about where they come from. Tabitha is a gospel singer who also writes and sings songs  about social issues. 

 

CONNECT WITH TABITHA BIEL LUAK

 

WEBSITE https://tabithabielluak.com/ 

 

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070181181965

 

INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/authortabithabielluak/ 

 

GOODREADS https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21733664.Tabitha_Biel_Luak 

 

TWITTER https://twitter.com/tabithabiel?lang=en 

 

YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLocipq1VzLO7xWepXZKfzQ

 

PURCHASE LINKS for WHAT A GODLY PRIVILEGE TO BE BORN A MAN     

 

AMAZON.COM https://amazon.com/dp/0228851858 

 

AMAZON.CA https://amazon.ca/dp/0228851858 

 

BARNES & NOBLE https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-a-godly-privilege-to-be-born-a-man-tabitha-biel-luak/1139976565

 

SMASHWORDS https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1097942

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

Tabitha Biel Luak will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

RAFFLECOPTER:

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3968/

A Moment In Time by Martin Dukes

 Please welcome Martin Dukes author of A Moment In Time

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

A Moment In Time

by Martin Dukes

 

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GENRE: YA Fantasy

 

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INTERVIEW:

1. What or who inspired you to start writing? 

 

I think it may have been my mother who encouraged me to start writing. She wrote down my childish efforts at poetry in a little notebook when I was very young so she evidently thought they showed promise. When I was at secondary school my English teacher was similarly encouraging. The poor man lived at the bottom of my road so I regularly turned up on his doorstep, wondering if he’d like to see what I’d been writing. He never showed any signs of impatience, bless him, and his approval meant a lot to me at the time. Apart from that, I was always a prolific reader. In primary school I quickly read the set texts for my class and was given the liberty of the classroom book case after that, to choose my own, which made me feel very grown up. I’m sure the desire to write is closely associated with the desire to read. I remember reading under the bedclothes with a torch when I was supposed to be asleep and making notes for my own stories at the same time.

2. How did you come up with your idea for your novel?

 

I’ve always been interested in the notion of ‘time’ and I wanted to come up with an idea that was completely unique. When, I’m reading I’m always excited to come across a plot device or a premise that I’ve never come across before, because it feels like exploring new territory, like venturing into realms unknown. I wanted the readers of my book to have the same experience. In addition, I’m a big fan of ‘what if?’ scenarios. For example, what if everyone could fly? What if everyone could read each other’s thoughts? My book raises the question; what if you could stop time? I’m guessing that quite a few readers out there have fantasised about exactly this scenario. Are you having a hectic day? No problem. All you need to do is step outside of time and chill for a while. You can sit down, read a book and generally do as you please until you’re ready to set things going again. You could get up to all sorts of mischief too, which is exactly what Alex Trueman does.

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

 

My book cover and all my publicity material feature my son Jack. I certainly didn’t have the means to engage a professional model for this purpose but Jack proved to be just what I needed. I’m a photographer and graphic designer so we set up various still and movie photoshoots to create a bank of images that I can draw from as my Alex Trueman Chronicles series develops. He’s far from being famous at present but if Netflix come calling I don’t doubt he’ll put himself forward to continue to be the public face of Alex Trueman!

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

 

Although I have completed writing four episodes from the Alex Trueman Chronicles the series remains incomplete. I’m starting to think about the next one now. My early thoughts are that this book should be quite dark, and face Alex with a series of existential challenges in which new dimensions are explored as well as old haunts re-visited. I’d hope to have this well under way in the next couple of weeks. In addition, I’ve just completed writing a fantasy book set in my imaginary world of Toxandria. Toxandria is depicted in a detailed map I painted back in my twenties. Although, it hangs in my hall and I pass it many times a day when I go up and down stairs, it’s only in the last year that I’ve given thought to actually writing stories set there. If you want to see that map you can visit it at https://www.mdukes-wildestdreams.com/post/toxandria. This continent is divided between four very distinctive realms and I intend to write one book set in each of them.

5. If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?

 

I would have to be Alex Trueman. Alex Trueman represents a degree of wish fulfilment and there’s definitely an autobiographical element too. Like Alex, when I was at school, I was very prone to daydreaming and a little undersized for my age. For these reasons I was occasionally subject to bullying from larger boys, who tended to associate dreaminess and a passion from reading with weakness and vulnerability. In this book I imagine myself back into those circumstances and equip myself with the power to turn the tables in spectacular fashion. Oh, how I wish I had had those powers then! Later on in the book Alex is faced with challenges that enable him to discover a strength and a resilience within himself that leads to his triumph in adversity and his growth as a character.

6. Can you give us a sneak peek into this book?

 

Without giving too much away, I should say that the special powers that Alex Trueman finds himself in possession of quickly prove to have a downside. At first, he finds that appears to be able to stop time at will, which offers all sorts of exciting possibilities. Soon, however, he finds that he unable to get time moving again, that he is, in effect, trapped in a moment in time. Before long he finds that he is not the only person caught in this instant, that there is a whole society of people unable to return to ordinary time. The leader of this society, Ganymede, is a deeply unpleasant and tyrannical person who supplies his subjects with the food they need but demands total obedience in return. Alex quickly falls foul of Ganymede when it appears that he has extraordinary and dangerous powers. In addition, having previously had little experience with the opposite sex, Alex finds himself hopelessly entranced by one of the girls who shares his imprisonment. Alex’s battle to save her from the grisly fate that awaits her is one of the central themes of the story.

7. When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?

 

I am far from being a precocious success, having been learning my craft, in one way or another, for fifty years or so. During that time, I have submitted many manuscripts to many literary agents, accumulating an impressive quantity of rejection slips (and emails in more recent times). My big chance came when I discovered the wonderful Jane Murray of Provoco Publishing on Twitter, who invited me to submit some work for her to look at. I’m sure you can imagine my delight when she expressed her interest in my work and offered me a publishing contract. Since then, Jane has been most encouraging and accordingly I have submitted a number of manuscripts to her and completed two new ones. I owe her a lot! 

8. Do you outline your books or just start writing?

 

I need to establish a basic framework for the plot and its context in my head before I commit anything to the keyboard. I think of it as putting place the steelwork when constructing a new building, establishing the basic framework that will eventually be filled with walls, floors and internal detail of all kinds. I often make some rough notes at this early stage but very often the course of the book changes dramatically once I start writing. There’s an old saying (paraphrasing Prussian general Helmuth Von Moltke that says ‘no plan for battle survives first contact with the enemy’ and the same is true with writing. If I was to compare the final manuscript with the initial outline, I would find that the outcome was very different. This is because once I start writing the story tends to develop a life of its own and to turn and twist according to the creative impulse. That is the joy of writing; the sense of being a channel through which some deeper part of your psyche communicates with the world at large.

9. How do you maintain your creativity?

 

I think my creativity derives from having a rather tenuous connection with reality. I appreciate the need for it; I recognise its existence, but for the most part I live inside my head, a circumstance that my school teachers were quick to lament. Daydreaming is pretty much hard-wired into me and this internal world lacks many of the tiresome rules of material existence. This is the realm of fantasy, the stronghold of imagination and I am glad to have the opportunity to share what I see there with others. For many years I served as a teacher of art and design, when I strove to nourish and direct the creativity of others. Now I have retired, I have the opportunity to spend more time in directing my own. I have never felt the need to ‘maintain’ creativity, since ideas seem to come to me as naturally as breathing. I leave it to others to determine if they are interesting or engaging!

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

 

Apart from Alex himself, I really enjoyed writing Paulo. Paulo is the kind of aggressively self-confident thug Alex is always doing his best to avoid in school. He has a sparkle in his eye and a way with the girls that Alex very much envies. In addition, he is a rebel, refusing to knuckle down to the regime that Ganymede imposes on his subjects and escaping into the woods and wild places, where he can live a life of freedom. Naturally, he quickly attracts the severe disapproval on Ganymede, who uses his power to limit his offensive speech in a rather amusing way. Unfortunately for Alex, he finds that his own fate is inextricably bound up with Paulo’s and that he will somehow need to make the lad his ally, if he is to make good his escape from this world and save Kelly from death.

BLURB:

 

Alex Trueman has just turned fifteen. He's a typical teenager, a bit spotty, a bit nerdy and he's not exactly popular at school, not being one of the 'cool' kids. His tendency to day-dream doesn't exactly help him to be cool. either! But being cool isn't as good as the talent Alex discovers he has - stopping time.

 

Yes that's right. Stopping time!

 

Well, for everyone except Alex, that is, who finds that whilst everyone else is caught in a moment in time, he is able to carry on as normal. Maybe not quite 'normal', after all, he's able to stop time, and whilst that's not exactly as good as a certain 'boy wizard', it's pretty close!

The only trouble is that reality for Alex isn't always what is seems, and being plunged into an alternative can be a bit tricky, not to mention the fact that he makes an enemy almost as soon as he arrives, which tends to cause a problem.

 

Will Alex Trueman, nerdy daydreamer, be able to return to reality or will he be stuck forever in his alternative? Is a moment in time enough for Alex to discover the superhero he needs is probably himself?

 

A Moment in Time is the debut novel of author Martin Dukes, and is the first in a series of Alex Trueman Chronicles, which take the reader, along with Alex, into a bedazzling world of time travel, alternative reality and flying sea creatures. His further adventures include the past, possibly the future and definitely a fight to save reality itself.

 

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EXCERPT:

 

Alex returned home to find a most unwelcome development, which had arrived through the letterbox in the superficially innocent form of a brown envelope. It might as well have been a letter bomb for its explosive impact on Alex’s day. It contained his school report.  His mother’s set jaw and the glint of steel in her eyes when Alex walked into the kitchen signalled danger ahead. Alarm bells were dinning away insistently by the time the brown envelope was brandished in his face.

 

“This,” she said, tapping him on the head with it for emphasis, “Is your report.” She paused to let Alex dwell on this prospect. “It does not make good reading. Let me see,” she pondered as she snatched up her glasses and whipped the report out to read. “Mathematics… 3C... English… 2C… Design Technology, get this… 4D.” She read through the whole list in a voice trembling with outrage. “And here’s the grand finale,” she said, shaking the page. “The considered opinion of your form teacher. Do you want to hear what Mr Burbage has to say about you?”

 

Alex had absolutely no desire to hear this now, or indeed ever, but he recognised there was no point in saying so. A display of submissive behaviour seemed in order. He hung his head. “Alex is undoubtedly an intelligent pupil with a bright future, should he choose to exert himself,” she read. “Get that? Should he choose to exert himself.”

 

Her face came worryingly close to Alex’s as she stressed this last part. He was conscious of a little drop of her saliva on his chin, at first warm, now suddenly cold.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

I’ve always been a writer. It’s not a choice. It’s a compulsion, and I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. Lots of childish scribbles in notebooks, lots of rejection slips from publishers and agents testify to a craft long in the making. In addition, it has proved necessary to earn a living by other means whilst those vital skills mature. For thirty-eight years I taught Art and Graphic Design, thirty-seven of them in a wonderful independent girls’ school in Birmingham, UK. For much of the latter part of this career I was Head of Department, which gave me the opportunity to place my own stamp on Art education there, sharing with the pupils there my own love of Art and the History of Art. Over a decade I was able to lead annual visits to Florence, Venice and Rome (some of my favourite places on the planet) as destinations on my Renaissance Tour. These visits created memories that I shall cherish for the rest of my life.

 

I love history in general, reading history as much as I read fiction. I have a particular interest in the ancient world but I am also fascinated with medieval times and with European history in general. This interest informs my own writing to the extent that human relationships and motivations are a constant throughout the millennia, and there is scarcely a story that could be conceived of that has not already played itself out in some historical context. There is much to learn from observing and understanding such things, much that can be usefully applied to my own work.

 

Teaching tends to be a rather time-consuming activity. Since retiring, I have been able to devote much more of my time to writing, and being taken on by the brilliant Jane Murray of Provoco Publishing has meant that I am finally able to bring my work to the reading public’s attention. I like to think that my ideas are original and that they do not readily fall into existing tropes and categories.

 

I am not a particularly physical being. I was always terrible at sport and have rather poor physical coordination (as though my body were organised by a committee rather than a single guiding intelligence!). I tend to treat my body as a conveyance for my head, which is where I really dwell. My writing typically derives from dreams. There is a sweet spot between sleeping and waking which is where my ideas originate. I always develop my stories there. When I am writing it feels as though the content of my dreams becomes real through the agency of my fingers on the keyboard. I love the English language, the rich majesty of its vocabulary and its rhythmic possibilities. My arrival at this stage could hardly be describes as precocious. However, at the age of sixty-two, I feel that I have arrived at a place where I can create work of value that others may appreciate and enjoy. 

 

https://provoco-publishing.com/martin-dukes

 

Twitter - @MartinDukes5

 

www.mdukes-wildestdreams.com

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

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

 

RAFFLECOPTER:

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3951

Spell Sweeper by Lee Edward Födi

 Please welcome  Lee Edward Födi author of Spell Sweeper

Lee Edward Födi will be awarding a Spell Sweeper prize pack: Hand-made miniature broom, hand-made magical creature egg, spell bottle, and bookmarks to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Spell Sweeper

by Lee Edward Födi

 

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GENRE: Children’s Middle Grade Fantasy

 

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BLURB:

 

There's nothing magical about wizard school

. . . at least, not for Cara Moone.

 

Most wizard kids spend their days practicing spells and wielding wands, but Cara? She’s on the fast track to becoming a MOP (a.k.a. Magical Occurrence Purger). You see, when a real wizard casts a spell, it leaves behind a residue called spell dust—which, if not disposed of properly, can cause absolute chaos in the nonmagical world. It’s a MOP’s job to clean up the mess.

 

And no one makes more of a mess than Harlee Wu. Believed to be the Chosen One, destined to save the magical world, Harlee makes magic look easy. Which makes her Cara’s sworn nemesis. Or she would be, if she even knew Cara existed.

 

Then one of Harlee’s spells leaves something downright dangerous behind it: a rift in the fabric of magic itself. And when more rifts start to appear around the school, all in places Harlee has recently used magic, Cara is pretty sure the so-called “Chosen One” isn’t going to save the world. She’s going to destroy it.

 

It will take more than magic to clean up a mess this big. Fortunately, messes are kind of Cara’s thing.

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EXCERPT:

 

* * *

There’s nothing magical about a broom

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It’s one of my earliest memories, vivid as a full moon. I’m only four or five, and Su is walking me to school like any good big sister. We stop at the crosswalk and I see an old woman sweeping the pavement, just a few feet away. She wears a frayed sweater, grimy jeans, and maybe a secondhand pair of sneakers. Her broom is wisps of straw, the handle fashioned from a twisted stick of wood. Everything about her is ordinary. Mundane. But as I watch her, the morning sun catches her just right, and for an instant she ignites with a golden luster, frozen in a perfect moment of magic—a fairy sweeping away the shadows of the night.

 

Then she vanishes. Maybe it’s a trick of the light, maybe my childish frame of mind, but I’m convinced she’s a witch, that she has leapt upon her broomstick and taken to the clouds. When I tell Su this, she doesn’t laugh or chide me for having an overactive imagination. Instead, her eyes dance with wonder.

 

“Well, there is magic in the world, Cara. That’s what Dad always says. Right?”

 

I nod dramatically in agreement.

 

Of course, that was a long time ago. A lot of things have changed since then—with me, with my sister, with everything.

 

I know now that you can’t fly away on a broomstick. It’s not that I grew up and stopped believing in magic—actually, I believe in it more, which is what happens when you’re chosen to attend one of the most prestigious wizard schools in the world. But here’s the thing: when I was given my own broom, it wasn’t so that I could soar across the skies, read prophecies in the stars, or fight dragons in wand-to-fang combat.

 

It was because I’m a failure.

 

Trust me. It doesn’t matter if you’re some old lady on a street corner or a kid with a whisper of magic in her blood—a broom is for one thing and one thing only: sweeping.

 

Yay, me. I’m going to wizard school.

 

And it’s terrible.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Lee Edward Födi is an author, illustrator, and specialized arts educator—or, as he likes to think of himself, a daydreaming expert. He is the author of several books for children, including The Secret of Zoone and the Kendra Kandlestar series. He is a co-founder of the Creative Writing for Children Society (CWC), a not-for-profit program that helps kids write their own books. He has the joy of leading workshops for kids in Canada, the US, Korea, China, Thailand, and other places here and there. Lee lives in Vancouver, where he shares a creative life with his wife Marcie and son Hiro. 

 

Website: www.leefodi.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leefodi

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leefodi/

 

Purchase links: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/spell-sweeper-lee-edward-fodi?variant=39265461633058

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

Lee Edward Födi will be awarding a Spell Sweeper prize pack: Hand-made miniature broom, hand-made magical creature egg, spell bottle, and bookmarks to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3857

Betrayal at the Border by Mark M. Bello

 Please welcome Mark M. Bello author of Betrayal at the Border 

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

Betrayal at the Border

byMark M. Bello

 

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GENRE:   Legal/Political Thriller

 

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INTERVIEW:

1. What or who inspired you to start writing?

 

Betrayal of Faith, my first novel, was based upon an actual case I handled back in the early 1980’s. A priest had sexually molested two young boys and the Church was covering up the crime. I was a young sole practitioner 7 years out of law school. This was a true David v Goliath experience. I took on an international defendant represented by a silk-stocking law firm and beat them into a significant recovery, after traveling to 7 states, interviewing witnesses, forcing the turnover of thousands of documents, and uncovering the cover-up. I promised myself I would one day write a book about the experience and the result is the award-winning novel, Betrayal of Faith. While it is a highly fictionalized and embellished version of the story, it accurately portrays what it felt like

2. What elements are necessary components for this genre?

 

A.   First and foremost, especially for the first novel, you need a flawed but valiant legal “David.” Zachary Blake was the perfect protagonist, talented, but lost his way, looking for the big case that would bail him out of his current situation. The phone rings . . .

B.   A “Goliath” villain. Zachary has taken on an evil church and its clandestine “clean-up crew.”, a grand dragon white supremacist, an evil president of the United States, A racist police department, a greedy black market gun manufacturer, an evil (perhaps the most evil villain I’ve created) judge, a candidate for the United States Supreme Court who will do anythingto secure the nomination, and the United States immigration and foreign policy systems.

C.   A time element. There should be a race against time—it does not need to be specific.

 

D.   A compelling legal/justice issue, which faces a potential court challenge.

 

E.   A solid ending with, perhaps, an unexpected “twist.”

3. How did you come up with your idea for your novel?

 

As I indicated, the fist one came from an actual case. The other seven, including Betrayal at the Border, my newly released novel, about the immigration crisis in America, were inspired by current political/legal headlines and news items.

4. What expertise did you bring to your writing?

 

I write for multiple publications. I have a BA in English Literature and a law degree. I practiced law for 45 years in Detroit where I was also very politically active. Much of my writing comes from my personal experience and observations.

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

 

I have 4 wonderful children, 9 grandchildren, 4 grand-dogs and a grand-lizard.

 

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

 

I will keep on writing and encouraging readers to try my work. Reach out to let me know what you think. I have just written, of all things, a Jewish recipe cookbook, featuring Zachary Blake’s fictional Jewish family. I have written (currently being illustrated for release this winter) 4 children’s safety/social justice picture books, and I am currently working on my 8^thZachary Blake legal thriller. I am enjoying my golden years!

 

7. If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?

 

I would be Zachary Blake, of course. He is a lawyer’s lawyer, a staunch advocate for justice and the rights of his client. He is aggressive, cannot be intimidated, and no corporate defendant can outspend him. He cannot be bought, is charismatic and charitable. He cares about his clients and their causes. He will stop at nothing to see that justice is done. He is married to the love of his life, a good husband, father, and employer. Who could want for more?

 
8. Can you give us a sneak peek into this book?

 

 Betrayal at the Border tells a tale of two immigrant families with twocases that strike at the heart of our nation's contentious immigration debate. One family, undocumented from Venezuela, lives In Lincoln Park, Michigan. They live and work in peace until ICE raids their plant and separates parents from children. The other family lives West Bloomfield, an affluent Michigan suburb, naturalized citizens of the United States who return ‘home’ to Syria for a visit and are captured and held for ransom by ISIS. 

Two unique immigrant families, two uniquely dangerous consequences of America’s dysfunctional immigration system—super-lawyer Zachary Blake to the rescue. He and his professional team must race against time to reunite the Lincoln Park family and rescue the captured West Bloomfield mother and child. 

The novel pits our nation's broken immigration system against important human and social justice rights issues, spinning a tale that shines a bright light on the everyday fears of immigrants all over these United States. Can Zachary Blake and team prevent a Betrayal at the Border?

 

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

 

I do not belong to a critique group. Let me know if someone is looking for a new member.

10. When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?

 

I decided to do this 35 years ago. Only recently did I have the time to write, and the system made publishing more accessible. I had no “encouragement.” Writing my first novel was a pre-established bucket-list item.

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

 

The worst advice was to use a particular self-publishing company to help me publish a book. After spending thousands of dollars in unnecessary publishing fees, I decided to truly self-publish through my own publishing brand. The best advice I received was to go it alone, without company assistance. Writers can do this without 3^rdparty intervention.

12. Do you outline your books or just start writing?

 

I’ve done both. I’ve gotten to the point where I can outline a book in my head and implement the novel from memory.

13. How do you maintain your creativity?

 

I have not found this difficult. There are thousands and thousands of real situations inside the legal and political system that would make great topic for legal thrillers. I have a knack for taking a real-life situation, adding a Zachary Blake slant to it, and writing a compelling legal thriller.

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

 

Allow me to differentiate. My favorite character to read in Betrayal at the Border, like all my other legal thrillers, is Zachary Blake. I love his fearlessness and zealous representation of his clients. His advocacy skills are in rare form in Betrayal at the Border. The characters I enjoyed writing in Betrayal at the Borderwere Micah Love and the two actors who were cast by Micah to pull off a sting at the southern border. They are funny, charming, and effective in their roles. Micah was too.

15. Are your plotting bunnies, angels or demons?

 

Angels and Demons.

16. Anything else you might want to add?

Thanks for the opportunity to connect with your audience. I sincerely hope they will try my novels and let me know how they liked them. If anyone would like a free sample of my work, my Holocaust era novella, L’Dor V’Dor—From Generation to Generation is available free at my website at www.markmbello.com. You might also enjoy my “Justice Counts” podcast on the Spreaker network or wherever you may listen to podcasts.

BLURB:

 

In Betrayal at the Border, attorney Zachary Blake returns to tackle two cases that strike at the heart of our nation's contentious immigration debate.

In Riverview, Michigan, undocumented immigrants Miguel and Mary Carmen Gonzalez are determined to realize the American dream. They find jobs at a local filler plant, have children, and lead an all-American life, that is until ICE raids their plant . . .

Canan and Karim Izady are naturalized citizens of the United States. They have immigrated legally from Kurdistan and have an American born daughter, Hana. Unable to persuade her mother to follow the young family to America, Canan and Hana travel to an ISIS hotbed so the child may meet her grandmother for the first time. With the war over, what could possibly go wrong?

Two unique immigrant families, two uniquely dangerous consequences of America’s dysfunctional immigration system. Enter Zachary Blake, superstar lawyer.

But, for the first time in a long time, Blake is out of his element—immigration law calls for the expertise of his specialist/partner, Marshall Mann. Together, two extraordinary lawyers take on a terrorist network and a broken immigration system. And master investigator Micah Love returns, racing against the clock to prevent tragic circumstances. In our politically charged, anti-immigrant international climate, will a Hail Mary be their only move?

Award-winning legal thriller author, Mark M. Bello, pits our nation's broken immigration system against important human and social justice rights issues, spinning a tale that shines a bright light on the everyday fears of immigrants all over these United States. Can Blake, Mann, and Love prevent a Betrayal at the Border?

 

 

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EXCERPT:

 

The Gonzalez children were both born in Lincoln Park. The city was a part of the Downriver Community, southwest of Detroit. Their little three-bedroom bungalow was the only home they had ever known. In a city of approximately 37,000, only 20% were of Latino descent, nearly a 50% increase since 2010.

 

Emma and Emilio’s parents, Mary Carmen and Miguel Gonzalez, immigrated to Lincoln Park in 2011 when Mary Carmen was pregnant with Emma. Papa found a job, mixing compounds at an adhesive and filler plant in nearby Riverview. Emma was born soon after her parents moved into the house. Two years later, her little brother was born.

 

When they were old enough to be placed in daycare, Mama secured a job at the same filler plant as her father. The two siblings depended on each other. They were attached at the hip until Emma was old enough to go to Kindergarten. It was a very traumatic time for Emilio. He started behaving as if his sister died.

 

Emma promised to play with him after school, but Emilio carried on to the point where Emma pushed back and refused to go to school. Promises of candy and ice cream after Mama got home from work finally persuaded both children to go separate ways. As time went on, they adapted to the new routine.

 

Two years later, Emilio started Kindergarten, and all was forgotten—the siblings were reunited at Raupp Elementary School. Both children spoke fluent Spanish and English and did well in school. The children were now entering fourth and second grade, respectively, and thriving. 

 

The Gonzalez children made friends easily and were well-liked in the school. Emma and Emilio were Americans. Although Mama taught them Venezuelan games and customs and tried to convey a sense of their Latino heritage, the kids had experienced life in no other country but America. They spoke fluent English, celebrated the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving, and proudly recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Emma collected dolls while Emilio collected baseball cards—he worshipped Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers and treasured his 2012 Cabrera Triple Crown card. Emma and Emilio did everything other American children did. 

 

Their parents were determined to raise them in America, with American values and an American education. They dreamt of a better life, with higher education and, perhaps, affluence for their children. But these dreams were clouded by a secret reality—the Gonzalez family, as ‘American’ as they appeared, protected an important family secret, far more important than the Frozen game. This one could derail all of their dreams.

 

Emma and Emilio were taught to be careful and quiet, even though they didn’t understand why this was a big deal. But they knew Mama and Papa feared their secret would one day be discovered. Their parents’ fear was so intense; Emma and Emilio were frightened too. 

 

Emma was conflicted. Mama once taught her that telling and keeping secrets was bad. She shouldn’t tease her little brother by telling him she knew something he didn’t know. She shouldn’t keep things from her friends, and, most of all, she shouldn’t keep any secrets from Mama and Papa. So, why was this secret okay?

 

Mama carefully explained the delicate situation to her children: She and Miguel came into the country legally but stayed longer than they were welcome. As a result, Mama and Papa were not citizens and did not have the protection some of their friends’ parents had. They could be picked up by the police at any time, put in jail, and even sent back to Venezuela, where conditions were terrible, especially for people who ran away and were later returned by government mandate. It didn’t matter if their minor children were citizens. If the family secret were discovered, her mother decried, it could mean hasta la vista, forever.

 

The threat of permanent separation from her parents terrified Emma. A secret preventing her from losing them, perhaps forever, was one worth keeping. Emilio was too young to understand, but Emma made him pinky swear to silence.  

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

As an attorney and civil justice advocate, author Mark M. Bello draws upon over 40 years of courtroom experience in his Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series.

A Michigan native, Mark received his B.A. in English Literature from Oakland University and his law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. After working extremely high-profile legal cases, Mark wanted to give the public a front-row glimpse of what victims face when standing up for justice.

 

Combining his legal experience and passion for justice with a creative writing style, Mark not only brings high-quality legal services to his clients but captivating novels to his readers.

 

When Mark’s not writing legal and political novels, he writes and posts about fairness and justice in the civil justice system on his website, Legal Examiner and NotFakeNews. In his spare time, Mark enjoys traveling and spending time with his family. Mark and his wife, Tobye, have four children and 8 grandchildren.

 

For more information about Mark, please click here(https://medium.com/authority-magazine/lawyer-and-author-mark-m-8e59acf7b054)

 

Mark loves hearing from his readers! Drop him a line on the Contact page or follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, or Bookbub.

 

Contact:https://www.markmbello.com/contact

Website:https://www.markmbello.com

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

Twitter:https://twitter.com/JusticeFellow

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16283795.Mark_M_Bello

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mark-m-bello

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Betrayal-Border-Zachary-Blake-Thriller-ebook/dp/B09FYJ6MWN/

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

 

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3966