‘Spanish Bay’ #Book Tour Launch + $50 #Amazon GC Giveaway + #LBGT #Romance @hans_hirschi. Plus review. The Queen of Unconventional Happy Endings Does it Again.

Hi all:

Today I’m taking part in a blog tour for the new novel of an author whose work I’ve shared a few times before (and have always enjoyed), Hans Hirschi. His new novel, Spanish Bay is now available, and I could not resist but share it with all. Ah, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Spanish Bay by Hans Hirschi

Synopsis

Spanish Bay is a feel-good novel about two young men who, despite having the odds stacked against them, never give up, always see the silver lining, work hard, and are committed to their families, come what may.

Chris, a Texan native who recently moved to Carmel, rescues wheelchair-bound Neil from bullies. Neither question the love that develops between them, although their life together is not without challenges. When Chris’s parents die in a car accident, their young love faces the ultimate test. Will they be able to cope with the additional responsibility of raising Chris’s baby brother Frank, who is also confined to a wheelchair?

Spanish Bay is about love, overcoming obstacles, and finding happiness, wherever you are.

AUTHOR SHOP/BEATEN TRACK SHOP/AMAZON

KOBO/INDIGO/iBOOKS/GOODREADS

Oct 12th Happy Geek Media Tour launch & Excerpt

Oct 13th Bike Book Reviews Review & Unique Excerpt

Oct 13th Alina Oswald Unique Excerpt

Oct 13th Spectra Unique Excerpt

Oct 14th Unconventional – Expressions of Reality Review & Music Playlist 

Oct 15th Michaela Writes Unique Excerpt

Oct 16th Muffy Wilson Literotica Guest Post, Playlist, Author Q&A

Oct 19th Art, AIDS, & Others Author Q&A

Oct 20th DP’s Cafe Unique Excerpt

Oct 21st Photography, Poetry and Indie Authors Music Playlist

Oct 22nd De-Blog Review

Oct 23rd Blak Rayne’s Blog Unique Excerpt, guest post, Q&A

Oct 26th For the Love of Men Unique Excerpt

Oct 27th E-Book Builders Excerpt & Playlist

Oct 28th The Story of Being Dark Spotlight Special

Oct 29th Kelly S. Gamble Guest Post & Playlist

Nov 2nd Caddy Rowland: Slice of Life Guest Post

Nov 3rd Wake Up Your Wild Side Guest Post

Nov 4th The Gar Spot Unique Excerpt

Nov 5th Sarah Bell Reviews Review, Playlist

Nov 6th KP’s Cafe Review & Recipe

Nov 9th Kryssie Fortune Spotlight Feature

Nov 10th Nic Starr Guest Post & Music Playlist

Nov 11th Rainbow Gold Reviews Review

Nov 11th Just Olga Review, Unique Excerpt, Guest Post

Nov 11th GayListBookReviews Review

Nov 13th Happy Geek Media Review & Closing Special

 

Video Trailer

Just in case you can’t access the embedded version, here is the You Tube link:

https://youtu.be/uwzgjRMdUSM 

And an excerpt.  I had plenty to choose from and I found it hard, but here it goes… This is a conversation between Neil’s mother (Sarah) and her own mother, his grandmother (the fabulous Sue).

Excerpt From: Hans M Hirschi. “Spanish Bay.” iBooks.

“Sarah scowled at her mother. “That’s not the point, Mother, and you know it.”

“Then what is, dear? You keep fighting this, even though I know you think they are perfect for each other.”

Sarah broke out in tears. “I know, Mom. I’m just scared to lose my baby. Ever since he ended up in that chair, I’ve been so afraid of something bad happening to him, and look at him now. All grown up, responsible, and a father. It’s all happened so quickly.”

Sue got up and walked over to her daughter to hug her. “I know, baby. I know. But look at the two of us. You’re my only child, and you still come over here for dinner once a week. The harder you hold on to them, the more they’ll pull away. After all, I tried to let go, but you stayed. Maybe that’s the ticket?”

Hans M Hirschi (b. 1967) has been writing stories ever since he was a child. Adulthood and the demands of corporate life efficiently put an end to his fictional writing for over twenty years. A global executive in training and channel development, Hans has traveled the world and had previously published non-fictional titles.   The birth of his son and the subsequent parental leave provided him with the opportunity to unleash his creative writing once again. With little influence over his brain’s creative workings, he indulges it, going with the flow.   A deeply rooted passion for, faith in a better world, in love, tolerance and diversity are a red thread throughout both his creative and non-fictional work. His novels might best be described as “literary romance, engaging characters and relevant stories that won’t leave you untouched, but hopeful.”   Hans is a proud member of the Swedish Writers’ Union and the Writers’ Center in Sweden.

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

The giveaway for Spanish Bay has 11 randomly chosen winners; 1 will receive a $50 Amazon gift card and 10 will receive a $10 gift code to the author’s shop,

http://giveawaytools2.com/share.php?giveaway=88346493105

Here, my review:

Spanish Bay by Hans Hirshi. The Queen of Unconventional Happy Endings Does it Again.

I obtained an ARC copy of his book in exchange for an honest review as part of the launch blog tour of the novel.

This is the fourth book I have read by Hans Hirschi. I also read his blog regularly and I’m aware that another author bestowed upon him the title of ‘Queen of Unconventional Endings’ and he has taken proud ownership of the same. And in this book the author lives up to the title.

Spanish Bay is a young adult love story between two young men, Neil and Chris, who meet in very special circumstances. Neil is disabled due to a rare muscular disease and he has to mobilise using a wheelchair. He is being bullied in front of Sally’s, the café where Chris works, and he comes to his rescue. It is love at first sight. Neil is still in school, due to the time he had to spend in hospital (he is already nineteen) and both he and Chris are outsiders. Chris was thrown out of the ranch where he lived with his family when they discovered he was gay. Neil feels invisible, as people see his chair instead of him, and although he knows he is attracted to men, he’s never had the confidence to explore it any further. He worries that nobody will see past his chair.

Chris and Neil, despite their different origins (Chris’s parents are a bit of a disaster, whilst Neil’s are enlightened and supportive most of the time, if a bit overprotective, understandably), are made for each other, and they are both aware of it from the very beginning. Their love story encounters many complications and hurdles to overcome, but there are no misunderstandings, jealousy, or difficulties within the couple. All the problems come from outside, mostly through life and their families, or rather, Chris’s family. Every time things seem settled, something new comes up. The beauty of the novel (and it is a pretty short one), that made me think of a fairy tale, is that together, they are strong, they complement each other beautifully, and they conquer everything that life throws in their way. Chris has a huge heart, and Neil is mature and determined beyond his years, and they are better for being together.

There are characters that act like fairy godmothers (or godfathers), like Sue (Neil’s fabulous pot-smoking grandma), Sally (the owner of the coffee shop), Junior (Chris’s oldest brother), and Old Mr Murphy (Steve). There are some characters that do bad things, like Alexandra, but they aren’t true villains, more victims of circumstances and misguided. Everybody roots for the young couple, and not only are they happy, but they irradiate happiness around, and help create strengthen both their families.

Spanish Bay is a book that will make you feel at peace with the universe, and you’ll wish you could move and live in Carmel with the characters. If you’re looking for gritty realism and deep psychological studies full of angst-ridden characters, this is not it. But if you want a heart-warming read that will put a smile on your face while touching on matters like family relationships, disability, diversity and choice, you’ve come to the right place.

Thanks so much to Hans Hirschi for sharing his new book with me, thanks to Amberr Meadows for organising the blog tour, and thanks to you all for reading. And  you know… please, like, share, comment and CLICK!

Book Launch. ‘Dog Bone Soup’ by Bette A. Stevens

As you know, on Fridays I bring you guest authors and new books. Today, I have the chance of doing both. Through another friend, blogger and writer, Jo Robinson (yes, she’s visited us before) I became aware of the book launch of writer Bette Stevens, and on reading about her book and realising she hadn’t visited us yet, I could not resist, so this is Dog Bone Soup (of course, the title also helped my decision).

DOG BONE SOUP

is not only the title of Bette A. Stevens’s debut novel; it ranks high among the paltry meals that the book’s protagonist, Shawn Daniels, wants to forget. Plodding through mounting snow and battling howling winds, Shawn is ready to leave it all behind—living in poverty, Dad’s drinking, life in foster care, the divorce, the bullies….

Travel with Shawn Daniels through the guts and the glories of life. You’ll find them all in DOG BONE SOUP, a Boomer’s coming-of-age saga. Available now at “YOUR AMAZON”

From the Reviewers

“Dog Bone Soup is the poignant tale of a dysfunctional family struggling to survive in America in the 50s and 60s, when most others were on the crest of a wave. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry. But most of all it will make you glad you read it.” ~ Charlie Bray, founder of the Indietribe

“In Dog Bone Soup, Bette Stevens captures the feeling and images of growing up in hardscrabble times perfectly.” ~ John Clark, librarian and author

DOG BONE SOUP

READ the opening Excerpt from Chapter One right here…

The postcard arrived four days before my eighteenth birthday. All I had to do now was sign the final papers and light out for basic training. I could hardly wait to leave this place behind.

There were six of us ready to become soldiers. The other five guys were headed to Fort Dix. Soon as we were inducted, the sergeant who swore us in started calling us a bunch of lily-assed bastards and worse. When the jerk marched the other five guys off, I was happy as hell I wasn’t one of them.

Lieutenant Richards called me into his office. “You’ll be heading out tomorrow, Private Daniels. Here are your tickets.”

We sat in his office and talked about my future with the U.S. Army. Then he handed me a schedule for the next day’s journey and we went over every detail.

“Now let’s get you home so you can get a good night’s sleep before you fly off to serve Uncle Sam, soldier.”

“Good luck Private,” the lieutenant said when he dropped me off at the house. We saluted and I stood there watching until his car disappeared over the hill.

I’d always liked army people. They called me Mr. Daniels and even sir sometimes. Now I was officially a private in the U.S. Army and I was ready to start a new life. I pictured myself in an officer’s uniform one day—a lieutenant, a captain, maybe even a general.

Mum and I didn’t get much more than a few winks of sleep that night. I don’t know how many pots of coffee she perked while we sat at the kitchen table and talked the night away. Of course, it was Mum did most of the talking. Once she opened her picture books, I felt like I was drinking in the life I wanted to leave.

Mum took all of those pictures with her Brownie—that camera was her pride and joy. None of us kids was allowed to touch it unless she supervised a picture taking every now and then. If Dad wasn’t around, it was me peeking through the lens. Mum was fussy about taking pictures just so.

Five books were piled on the table and we went through them one page at a time. Mum had a story for every snap shot. Some made me laugh so hard that I doubled over.

It was two minutes shy of three when she closed the last album.

“Thanks for staying up. I’ve got the alarm set for six and I know that won’t give us much sleep.” Mum pulled out her hanky, sniffled and hugged me before we turned in. My leaving would to be hard on her.

Willie was snoring away, likely dreaming about cars. I slipped in next to him and pulled away some puffs and huddled under them.

The minute I closed my eyes I started dreaming about my new life. No more freezing to death up north. I was headed for southern sunshine and I saw myself soaking it all in.

Bzzzzzzz. I jumped out of bed, threw on my clothes, grabbed the suitcase and headed for the kitchen. Mum already had breakfast on the stove, so I ran outside to do my business and came back in to grab a hot biscuit and down it with a cup of steaming coffee.

I was half frozen and snow was whipping around me in circles when I headed out on the three-mile walk into town to catch that bus.

I shook flakes big as quarters from my jacket when I climbed the steps of the Greyhound. Two hours and I’d be boarding a plane headed to Fort Jackson. South Carolina was sure the place to be, especially in February.

### end of excerpt

• Read all of Chapter One
• OR Grab your own copy of DOG BONE SOUP here at “YOUR AMAZON” and dive right in!

About the author

Inspired by nature and human nature, author Bette A. Stevens is a retired elementary and middle school teacher, a wife, mother of two and grandmother of five. Stevens lives in Central Maine with her husband on their 37-acre farmstead where she enjoys writing, gardening, walking and reveling in the beauty of nature. She advocates for children and families, for childhood literacy and for the conservation of monarch butterflies (milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat).

Bette A. Stevens is the author of award-winning picture book AMAZING MATILDA; home/school resource, The Tangram Zoo and Word Puzzles Too!; and PURE TRASH, the short story prequel to DOG BONE SOUP.

Find out more about the author and her books right here on “YOUR AMAZON”

• Bette’s WEBSITE/BLOG
• Find Bette on FACEBOOK
• Follow Bette on TWITTER
• Author Bette A. Stevens at “YOUR AMAZON”

Thanks to Bette Stevens for visiting our blog and bringing us her new book, thanks to you all for writing and you know what to do, like, comment, share, and CLICK!

New book: ‘Time to Let Go’ by Christoph Fischer.

As you know on Fridays I like to bring you guest authors and new books. Christoph Fischer, one of the authors from ASMSG (one of the groups of authors I’m proud to belong to) has kindly agreed to bring us his books that is just about to be released. Not only that, but he offers us a sample that will, no doubt, wet your appetite. I’m sure you’ll be itching to buy it by the time you finish reading and I promise to update the post with links to the book as soon as it’s out. And just in case, he also shared a number of sites and links so you can hear it directly from him.

Time to Let Go is a contemporary family drama set in Britain.
Following a traumatic incident at work Stewardess Hanna Korhonen decides to take time off work and leaves her home in London to spend quality time with her elderly parents in rural England. There she finds that neither can she run away from her problems, nor does her family provide the easy getaway place that she has hoped for. Her mother suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and, while being confronted with the consequences of her issues at work, she and her entire family are forced to reassess their lives.
The book takes a close look at family dynamics and at human nature in a time of a crisis. Their challenges, individual and shared, take the Korhonens on a journey of self-discovery and redemption.

Review quotes from Goodreads previews:

“I cried when I read the book, but I also smiled at the ability of the author to capture the essence of human nature so beautifully. I can’t recommend this book highly enough!”

“This is a heartbreaking story but at the same time it has some wonderful moments.”

“Christoph Fischer has done an amazing job with a difficult subject. He shows a lot of understanding of human nature and a great deal of insight.”

“This story has me in tears because the author truly understands and makes the story relate to everyone.”

“This is a must read for anyone that has dealt with Alzheimer’s, even if you are lucky enough not to know anyone who suffers from it this is a great read. Have kleenex on hand and know that this emotional story will stay with you, but it is worth the tears.”

Brief Excerpt:

He heard Biddy stir on the sofa and his thoughts returned to the here and now. Biddy was all love and happiness when he went in to the living room to wake her with a cup of tea.

“Oh, you are so nice. Thank you, thank you so much. I love hot tea,” she said and she snuggled up to her husband. These moments of closeness had become rare between the couple and he cherished them. Sometimes he felt he had lost his wife for good with the disappearance of her memory, but then she was suddenly back for brief moments like this. They sat together on the sofa for a while without saying anything. Biddy took sips from her tea and Walter for a moment could live the dream that she was with him, as if she remembered exactly who he was and why he was here. Biddy leaned on him and he could choose to believe that it was a sign of their unbroken connection to each other. Dead brain cells, grey matter, synapses and shortage of chemicals – all the medical explanations did not matter.This moment did: him and his wife, Walter and Biddy Korhonen, and their unity on the sofa.

“You will make someone a good husband.” Biddy broke the silence all of a sudden, shattering the happy illusion, but she smiled at him with the utmost care and affection.

“Yes, I think one day I will!” he said smiling back, accepting that the brief, heavenly visit to the past was over and the new reality had returned.

“Now, let’s get you dressed and go outside for a walk. How about that my sweetheart?” he asked.

The Book on Goodreads:

Short Biography:

Christoph Fischer was born in Germany, near the Austrian border, as the son of a Sudeten-German father and a Bavarian mother. Not a full local in the eyes and ears of his peers he developed an ambiguous sense of belonging and home in Bavaria. He moved to Hamburg in pursuit of his studies and to lead a life of literary indulgence. After a few years he moved on to the UK where he now lives in a small hamlet, not far from Bath. He and his partner have three Labradoodles to complete their family.
Christoph worked for the British Film Institute, in Libraries, Museums and for an airline. ‘The Luck of The Weissensteiners’ was published in November 2012; ‘Sebastian’ in May 2013 and ‘The Black Eagle Inn’ in October 2013. He has written several other novels which are in the later stages of editing and finalisation.

http://www.facebook.com/WriterChristophFischer?ref=hl

http://www.christophfischerbooks.com/

http://writerchristophfischer.wordpress.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6590171.Christoph_Fischer

http://www.amazon.com/Christoph-Fischer/e/B00CLO9VMQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

https://twitter.com/CFFBooks

Thanks for sharing Christoph, thank to all for reading, and if you’ve liked it don’t forget to like, comment, share, and CLICK! (And I’ll share the links when the book is out but all of the above links will also keep you informed on all the books of this fantastic writer).

 Update:

And here is the link to the book in Amazon:

http://bookShow.me/1499130597

Go for it!