The SHIVA Syndrome - 5 Star Award Winner / Authors Talk About It Book Award Contest

5 Stars

The SHIVA Syndrome

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Alan Joshua

Science Fiction/Paranormal

Science clashes against spirituality in this fascinating science fiction story by Alan Joshua. The SHIVA Syndrome will take readers on a metaphysical journey alongside the main character, Beau Walker. A researcher of parapsychology and a professor, Beau was kicked off of a government project as somewhat of a scapegoat. However, the project he was working on has caused a crater to appear in Russia. This isn’t just any crater. In fact, an entire town and all of it’s people simply vanished into a mile deep hole. Beau’s knowledge and expertise is now of great use to the government, and they basically force him into helping them. What they don’t know is that there’s more to Beau than meets the eye. He has supernatural abilities from being psychic to his uncanny ability to heal others. This is something he’s kept hidden and even rejected after a tragic event involving his sister. Yet, it’s vital that he help discover the cause of the devastation in Russia while protecting humanity.

Alan Joshua does a good job of giving readers a very interesting story while really building strong characters. Yet, there was so much information in regards to religions and spiritual traditions that I believe a lot of readers may feel bombarded. Without some grasp of these various belief systems, readers may feel lost or have to go back and reread some sections. Also, throughout The SHIVA Syndrome the story often jumps to a shamanic-like journey of Beau’s. These sudden jumps were confusing at times. Even so, The SHIVA Syndrome has a wonderful spiritual message around seeing what we believe in or in seeing what we know. Overall, Alan Joshua’s The SHIVA Syndrome allows readers to dive into a metaphysical, yet scientific, read that will have them curious until the very end.

Originally reviewed by Rob Alex for AuthorsTalkAboutIt.com

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Authors Talk about it book Award Contest

Fictional Wedding Tales via The Chapel of Eternal Love

The Chapel of Eternal Love

Fictional Vegas Wedding Tales

 Makes for a great gift for the holidays :)

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Book Description:

Known for its lavish hotels and casinos, beautiful showgirls and sumptuous buffets, Las Vegas is home to an abundance of wedding chapels. Follow Rosemary, the wedding organizer, and Buster, her dachshund with a nose for matrimony, as they guide you through the fictional stories of The Chapel of Eternal Love. Witness a Harley-riding love affair and a May-December romance. Meet a widow and widower who encounter each other at a cemetery and an Iraqi veteran and his anti-war activist bride. Walk down the aisle with two lost souls who find hope and a couple with differing religious backgrounds finding faith. Share the poignant, moving and occasionally humorous tales of the young and old, first-time sweethearts and long-lost loves. Discover the joys, sorrows and journeys that led each of them to The Chapel of Eternal Love.

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Janelle Alex Ph.D.'s Review

Ever wonder why someone gets married in Vegas in a little wedding chapel? Well, Stephen Murray has filled his book, The Chapel of Eternal Love, with fictional wedding tales set in a Las Vegas chapel. The fascinating characters in the story give you some insight into what might be going through the couples' hearts and minds. Murray has a way with words that easily expresses the individual emotions and depth of love of his fictional couples. He kicks off the story sharing a bit of background on the chapel as well as who founded it. Then, he moves forward by sharing the deep love the current owner continues to have, even after two decades, for this charming and beautiful spot to join together those in love. The stories, as well as the ages, religions, and backgrounds of the couples in The Chapel of Eternal Love gracefully move from one end of the spectrum to the other. Yet, what really got me is how quick and easy it was to grow emotionally attached to each and every character in The Chapel of Eternal Love. It is amazing how Murray is able to enrapture readers so swiftly. Readers will long for the sequel as the curiosity to know what becomes of these adorable, powerful, sweet, and delightful characters is quite compelling.

Elegantly written, The Chapel of Eternal Love offers readers the chance to embrace a vast expanse of love and loss from a bird's eye view. Hands down, Stephen Murray has created a series of beautiful love stories that flow gently from one to the other. On top of that, there is an interesting perspective that has, perhaps, a metaphysical feel as Buster, the chapel owner's little dog, always seems to know which couples will have a harmonious love and which ones may not. Buster adds an extra fun little piece to the stories within the story. Stephen Murray's The Chapel of Eternal Love is riveting in a way that will have your heartbeat swaying as gently as flower petals in a warm summer breeze. It is a must have for your romance library!

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Stephen Murray was born in England and raised in different countries throughout Southern Africa. Upon completion of his high school education, he returned to England before moving to California in 1976. He has traveled extensively throughout the world. Stephen owns a computer software company. Apart from traveling and writing, he enjoys theatre, concerts, music, reading and current affairs. Stephen is currently working on a sequel and is also nearing completion on another work of fiction – a murder mystery. He makes his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he has lived since May 2003. Learn more at http://www.thechapelofeternallove.com.

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Originally posted on AuthorsTalkAboutIt.com

Down Set Hut - The Untold Story of College Football

Down Set Hut - The Untold Story of College Football

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Book Description:

“Down, Set, Hut” illuminates the real world of college football. Learn about all the human drama that accompanies the high stakes world of America’s favorite sport. Charlie is trying to lead the Puma college football team to a championship that could change lives forever. Is the building pressure and stress too much for him? Mary tries to be the supportive college sweetheart, but it is not as easy as she thought. Will their relationship make it through the season? Blake chases his dream of becoming a head coach. April has to decide if her husband’s dream is her own. Or is being a coach’s wife too much for her to handle? Can their marriage survive the constant tug of war between football and family life? Follow these characters through all the trials and tribulations of a college football season and find out if the Puma can reach their goals and win that elusive championship.

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Janelle Alex Ph.D.'s Review:

Wow! What a fascinating story. If you love college sports, especially if you love football, you will easily become wrapped up in Matthew William Nighswonger's fictional story, Down Set Hut: The Untold Story of College Football. Nighswonger shares two stories in one within Down Set Hut. Charlie had dreams of being offensive team captain, and when that dream came to fruition he was ecstatic. Blake Jones had big dreams of being head coach, so when he was offered a promotion to be defensive coordinator he jumped at the opportunity. What Charlie and Blake weren't fully prepared for was the intensity of the added pressure, commitment and responsibility that these new roles added to their already full plates. Charlie had school, a casual girlfriend and his future to consider. Blake had a wife, new son and a big mortgage to take care of. These added pressures and responsibilities brought about new challenges for both of them. The big question for both was whether or not they could make the right choices for their personal dreams as well as for their romantic relationships.

Down Set Hut: The Untold Story of College Football offers you more than just a peek behind the curtains of the trials and tribulations of attaining one's dreams. Matthew Nighswonger gives you a chance to immerse yourself into the experiences of both Charlie and Blake, but he also gives you a chance to grasp what Mary and April, their beloved partners, felt, too. With great detail and intense writing, Nighswonger has written an amazing story that is rarely found. Embrace what college football is really like through Matthew Nighswonger's prose, and Down Set Hut will lead you to never view college football quite the same again.

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Matthew is a teacher and coach in Las Vegas, Nevada. Matthew is originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, where he graduated from East High. He has a Master’s Degree and teaches college level, AP classes. He played college football at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah and at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho. He was team captain and team MVP for both schools. He is married to his wonderful wife, Laurie and he has an awesome son named, Lance. Learn more at www.mwnighswonger.com. 

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 Originally posted on AuthorsTalkAboutIt.com.

Shadows of Atlantis is a Must Read!

This is a must read!
Shadows of Atlantis: Awakening

Are you tired of books with characters and stories that are flat-out predictable? If so, then you need to check out Shadows of Atlantis: Awakening. Mara Powers has spun a yarn that is filled with complex characters and an intricate storyline that will keep you guessing as each scene unwinds. The magical and blissful days of Atlantis are in grave danger. The Children of the One, operating in secret, may offer D'Vinid a chance to not only personally awaken through an initiation of blue-dream awakening but re-awaken the Atlanteans. D'Vinid must decide whether or not to join them. He struggles with his fears of the Watchers, and doesn't want to give in to fate. However, his passion and unexpected love for Brigette may be more than his free will can handle. Though stalked by an evil being - a shadow, Brigette is meant to help save Atlantis. Brigette and D'Vinid face more than just the dangerous shadows attacking Atlanteans as they fight their forbidden love. Brigette is already betrothed to D'Vinid's nemisis, King Kyliron. The decisions each of them make will have a powerful impact on the fate of Atlantis. 

Mara Powers shares colorful details admist the intricacies of this Atlantean fiction. Readers will become enraptured with the numerous and diverse characters filled with psychic connections and telepathic communication abilities. To fully engage in Shadows of Atlantis: Awakening, you should prepare to open your mind to the uniqueness of the story, the depth of the plot, and the empathy you will feel for a plethora of characters. Shadows of Atlantis is more than fantasy or mythical fiction. In fact, it offers a fascintating prospect to what might have once been very close to an otherworldly truth.

-Janelle Alex

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Atlantis is an idyllic paradise where citizens are meant to live in alignment with nature and reach their highest potential. They have thrived for thousands of years, powering their cities by feeding mindlight donations to the Crystal Grid, which connects the people psychically. But the Grid has been infiltrated by shadows—terrifying parasite creatures that stimulate and feed off the negative emotions of humans. They have caused an epidemic called the madness. There are those, however, who have been born with a gene, that when awakened, have been able to unlock mystical powers once believed to be the birthright of all humans. D’Vinid, a dejected troubadour, has better things to think about, and yet he is accused of being one of them. When he meets Brigitte, who has come to Atlantis from the dreamclans, a chain of events is set in motion that reveals he has a much larger role to play. He is soon forced to face his own awakening with the shocking realization that Atlantis could be experiencing the end of its days.

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Mara Powers is an American Gen Xer who discovered the mystery of Atlantis at sixteen, and has researched it avidly ever since. Hailing from a literary family, she has always been a free spirit, living a life of adventure in pursuit of her many creative talents. Her travels have enhanced her love of words, and gifted her with experiences, life observations and characters to weave into her stories. She regularly migrates between Los Angeles, San Francisco, Northern Colorado, Washington, DC, New York City, and Austin, Texas.

Learn more at www.shadowsofatlantis.com.

Mara's really cool Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/theshadowofatlantis.