John Mondragon is the co-author of the new young adult novel, The Clash Inside Me, which he wrote with Kelly Albinger. The novel features a young man who is struggling with a complicated mental health disorder: dissociative identity disorder (DID), also known as multiple personality disorder. When a murder takes place in the area, the young man is forced to take a hard look at all of his personalities and face the jarring reality that he could be responsible.
John Mondragon first came up with the idea for the book over ten years ago, when he was struggling with own his mental health as a 20-something. Societal stigmas around anxiety and depression made it difficult to speak openly about his struggles, so he turned to writing instead.
Now, as a father of two young boys, John feels even more inspired to break down those stigmas and let young people know that it is okay to reach out for help. “Speak Up, Speak Out” is the book’s mantra and is featured in merchandise, such as t-shirts, sweatshirts, and yoga pants.
John is a diverse author who speaks three languages, English, Arabic, and Spanish. This history is important to John and it is what inspired him to release the novel in Spanish as Mi Choque Interior, so that language was not a barrier.
While the novel is fictional, John has created an official workbook to accompany the novel. The workbook is a 12-week journey to better mental health and he hopes that it will provide a creative and introspective outlet for anyone that finds it challenging to talk about their struggles. The workbook, as well as the novel, are available in paperback.
I am so excited to be able to share this amazing news from Harlequin, that a brand new streaming service for romance readers is now live! Below you will see the official press release, as well as a trailer and more. Enjoy all you romance fans out there!
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Romance Fans, the Subscription Service You Have Been Waiting for Is Here!
New York, NY, January 11, 2022
Harlequin, the world’s leading publisher of romance novels, launches Harlequin Plus, a unique subscription-based service designed for fans of romance. A convenient, high-end app and website, Harlequin Plus subscribers will have access to a curated entertainment experience, where each month, romance experts will select and refresh content across the digital platform. A subscription to Harlequin Plus provides users with four entertainment options, including curated bundles of new book releases, an ebook library, romantic movies, and casual games.
“We’re excited to offer a variety of Harlequin content and complimentary entertainment all in one place,” said Brent Lewis, Executive Vice President and Publisher, Harlequin Brand Group. “Fans of romance looking for an uplifting experience are sure to find it within this relaxing and beautifully designed digital platform.”
Harlequin Plus subscribers will have access to:
Book bundles: Each month, subscribers can select either an ebook bundle received instantly or physical copies delivered to their homes. Book bundle themes are curated monthly and they offer titles from bestselling authors, seasonal collections, and TV/movie tie-ins. Book bundles will also include titles from across Harlequin’s nine imprints and eleven category romance lines.
Ebook library: Free access to the ebook library, with 10-15 new books refreshed every month.
Movies: A selection of romantic movies, updated monthly.
Games: Fun games that offer relaxing entertainment, with new additions each month.
“Harlequin is proud to continue our reputation as a digital innovator in publishing,” said Eleanor Elliott, Senior Director of Digital Capabilities. “The release of Harlequin Plus is a major milestone for us, our authors and our entertainment partners, and I’m proud to work with the team to bring joyful entertainment to romance fans.”
Harlequin Plus is available in the U.S. at the cost of $14.99 per month. Subscribe to Harlequin Plus directly on HarlequinPlus.com or through in-app purchase on iOS devices in the Apple App Store and Android devices on Google Play.
For more information about Harlequin Plus and to sign up for a free seven-day trial, please visit HarlequinPlus.com.
Read, watch and play with Harlequin Plus!###
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About Harlequin
Harlequin (Harlequin.com) is a leading publisher of commercial fiction and narrative nonfiction. The company publishes more than 100 titles a month, in both print and digital formats, that are sold around the world. Encompassing highly recognizable imprints that span a broad range of genres, the publisher is home to many award-winning New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling authors. Harlequin is a division of HarperCollins Publishers, the second-largest consumer book publisher globally, with operations in 17 countries and 16 languages. For more information, please visit Harlequin.com. Follow Harlequin on Facebook: @HarlequinBooks, Twitter: @HarlequinBooks, Instagram: @HarlequinBooks and on TikTok: @HarlequinBooks
Los Angeles, CA – May 27, 2021 – Save the Cat!, the world’s leading storytelling method, has teamed up with Netflix, the world’s leading streaming entertainment service, to co-produce a series of edutainment videos designed to provide tools to the next generation anime creators in helping them find and develop their stories.
Leading anime and manga connoisseur, Akidearest, talks about the Save the Cat! “Fun and Games” story beat
“Save the Cat! Goes Anime” takes the 15 story beats coined by screenwriting guru and best-selling author of Save the Cat!, Blake Snyder, to break down the most popular anime stories ever told—from The Seven Deadly Sins, A Whisker Away, and Devilman Crybaby to Beastars—all through the lens of the biggest influencer names in anime, including anime and manga connoisseur, Akidearest, side by side with Save the Cat! expert instructor, Cory Milles.
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The premier episode of “Save the Cat! Goes Anime” is now live on the Netflix Anime Youtube channel.
“We couldn’t be happier to work with Netflix! No matter if you’re a fan of anime or want to write a script of your own, everyone creating and evaluating stories can now work from the same language,” says BJ Markel, co-owner of Save the Cat! and copy editor of the Save the Cat! books.
“There is a rich tradition in anime that draws on a thousand years of Japanese storytelling and craft. We’re excited to welcome Akidearest and Cory Milles to our growing Netflix Anime Channel to help put creative tools in the hands of a new generation of storytellers to help them bring their stories to life,” states Rob Pereyda, Head of Anime, Editorial & Publishing at Netflix.
“The Netflix Anime team is at the forefront of driving innovation. We are honored to work with their team to help guide the next generation of writers and producers in creating content,” adds Jason Kolinsky, co-owner of Save the Cat!, and co-writer and producer of “Save the Cat! Goes Anime.”
Save the Cat!® is the world’s bestselling story methodology introduced by screenwriter Blake Snyder in 2005 with his first book, Save the Cat!. Snyder’s acclaimed ideas, methods, and software have provided thousands of writers with the resources they need to develop their screenplays and novels.
Hello there everyone. This is Author Anthony Avina, and today I am thrilled to be able to announce the upcoming release of my novel, Identity. This will be the first book published through the amazing team at Sirens Call Publications. I first and foremost want to thank the amazing team of editors at Sirens Call Publications for taking the time to work with me to get this book to the place it’s at today.
The link will take you to the official eZine for Sirens Call Publications, where I share my book announcement and the first two chapters of the novel on pages 129-140. I talk about what inspired this story, what the story is about and what readers can expect. It was my most challenging yet rewarding writing experience to date, and after all this time I am so thrilled to be able to share this story with you all.
The book is due to be released in early 2020, possibly within the next few months. I will be sharing more with you all as the book finalizes and we begin moving forward with the publication. This is a dream come true, and I want to thank everyone who has supported me over the years on this journey. From the authors who encouraged me and the readers who took a leap of faith on my early works, to my amazing family for always sharing their love and support for me over the years. I hope this is the first step in a long career, and no matter what I want to thank Sirens Call Publications for taking a chance on my story and to you, the readers, who take the time to purchase your own copies and read my novel. I hope you all enjoy it, and I can’t wait to share this journey with you all in the months to come. Enjoy this book announcement and the collection of wonderful stories featured in this month’s eZine!
“Another amazing book by author Sian Claven. Unlikely Hero takes us on a interplanetary space adventure with our tough as nails space hiker Jasy as she’s tasked with secretly transporting a pair of secretive strangers through several planets and into deep space. This exciting, and quick read will have you on the edge of your seat for the next installment. I give this a 5/5 star rating .”
In a world where transport is the main control of the universe, one spacehiker is tasked with the unfortunate job of helping two refugees get across the civilised universe without being detected. The only problem is it sounds easier than it’s done. With no trust between them, Jasy must get Mark and Lizzie the hell out of dodge for a reason they won’t tell her. While Mark and Lizzie must place their safety, their lives, in the hands of someone who breaks the law on a daily basis.
From award winning author Sian B. Claven comes her first fantasy novel debut – Unlikely Hero: A spacehiker adventure.
International bestselling author, J.D. Barker has announced plans to provide exclusive content and help aspiring authors via the website, Patreon.
“I’m constantly creating and Patreon offers the perfect platform for someone like me to share new material with a close-knit group of people. In many ways, it’s like sitting around a virtual campfire and sharing tales. There’s immediate feedback, something I’ve missed recently.”
In addition to short stories and possibly a Patreon exclusive novel, Barker vowed his first post will contain the elusive LOST CHAPTER from his second novel, THE FOURTH MONKEY. The “Lost Chapter,” which has frustrated many fans, can currently only be found on his website after following a set of clues hidden within the book or by purchasing select editions of the paperback worldwide.
Barker’s use of Patreon won’t be limited to exclusive content. He also plans to use the site to help aspiring authors find a path to publication. “I regularly get contacted by authors asking for advice and guidance, I’m hoping I can use Patreon to organize an effort to help as many of them as possible. Whether that help includes crafting a query letter or critiquing a work in progress, I’ll do what I can. I am truly grateful for all the help I’ve received and I want to pay it forward.”
Barker is no stranger to helping fellow authors. Prior to publishing his first novel in 2014, he spent more than two decades working as a ghost writer and book doctor – a period he credits for teaching him what works and what doesn’t in today’s mass-market fiction.
About J.D. Barker
J.D. Barker is the international best-selling author of numerous novels, including FORSAKEN and THE FOURTH MONKEY. His latest novel, DRACUL, co-authored with Dacre Stoker, released October 2018. He is currently collaborating with James Patterson. His novels have been translated into two dozen languages and optioned for both film and television. Barker resides in Pennsylvania with his wife, Dayna, and their daughter, Ember.
Everyone has nightmares but the silent girl from Tatum’s is crossing over to reality and when she does, someone dies.
In a quiet little neighbourhood, murders are about to rock the community’s happy existence but only Tatum can make the connection between seeing the girl from her nightmare and the deaths that are occurring.
The second time it happens another person dies.
By the third time Tatum is left needing answers.
She has to ask, is she next?
“Twisted and dark, Tatum will leave you wanting more. “ – Toni Cox, Author of the Elemental Saga.
Book 1 of The Butcher Book Series.
Tatum -> viewbook.at/tatum
All her life Kalli thought that her sister had lost her mind, seeing a ghost everywhere and associating it with death. Kalli wants her own answers though, and spends her life working towards being granted access to the Butcher files and solving the deaths that rocked their community all those years ago.
Things take a turn for the worst when the haunting figure from her sisters’ twisted mind starts appearing to Kalli and she is left questioning her sanity and whether the Butcher is back.
Kalli must find the answers before its too late.
Before she sees the skeleton girl one more time.
Before she meets her own demise.
“Chilling and terrifying from beginning to end and excellently written.” – Shan Dinnie.
I am proud to share with you guys the official blog tour promotional post for author Anna Levine’s “All Eyes On Alexandra”. Take a look at this amazing book and mark your calendars as this tour visits not only some truly wonderful bloggers and websites, but also returns to my website throughout the tour with an exclusive interview, review and guest blog post in the weeks to come. Enjoy!
Book summary
In All Eyes on Alexandra, young Alexandra Crane is terrible at following her family in their flying Vee. She can’t help it that the world is so full of interesting distracting sights! When it’s time for the Cranes to migrate to Israel’s Hula Valley for the winter, Alexandra is excited but her family is worried. Will Alexandra stay with the group, and what happens if a dangerous situation should arise? Might Alexandra—and the rest of the flock—discover that a bad follower can sometimes make a great leader?
Based on the true story of Israel’s annual crane migration.
Anna Levine is an award-winning children’s book author. Like Alexandra Crane, the character in her latest picture book, she loves to explore new worlds. Born in Canada, Anna has lived in the US and Europe. She now lives in Israel, where she writes and teaches.
Chiara Pasqualotto was born in Padua, in northern Italy, currently teaches illustration and drawing classes to children and adults, in particular in Padua during the summer at the Scuola Internazionale di Comics and in Rome. Since 2008 she’s been living in Rome and working with illustration professionally: her first picture book, Mine, All Mine! was published in 2009 by Boxer Books (UK), since then she published with Oxford University Press, Giunti, Terranuova and some American publishers (Paraclete Press, Tyndale, LearningAZ, Kar-Ben Publisher).
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Make sure you visit WOW’s blog today and read an interview with the author and enter for a chance to win a copy of the book All Eyes on Alexandra.
Caught in a realm they know next to nothing about, in a time
where they’re hated for not what they are but how they look, these supernatural
teens may find it harder to curve their bloodlust than they thought.
Like most teens, even those with supernatural powers and
abilities, Elvira thinks that her days at Be Prepared High are a colossal waste
of time. Especially Feeding 101, since she’s a cursed vampire that was born
without fangs. She and her friends view most of the classes as useless since
they never plan on venturing to the human realm. Why would they when Underlayes
was made specifically for every factions’ safety, where they could roam free
day or night with not a care in the worlds.
But just like her parents always told her, sometimes you’re
put into situations you can’t control.
Elvira’s life takes an unexpected turn when a wizard hell
bent on misplaced revenge kidnaps her and several of her friends. Not only does
she send them with a one-way ticket to Detroit, Michigan, she sends them to a
time when the tension amongst the races is at its highest. And having to deal
with race issues is the one thing that has never even been so much as a thought
to any of them and is the one course not on the roster.
But will everything they’ve learned in school be enough to
keep them alive? What will they all do when racism stares them in the face?
Most importantly, how will they get back home?
Once
upon a time… Really? I’m not starting my story off with that lame ass cliché. Fat chance. Not when my story is anything but
classic. You can think of this as the life and times of a teenage vampire. A
real one, not one that sparkles as though we were sprinkled with some type of
fairy dust. Oh! And we’re born, not made by just being bitten, consuming blood
from another vampire, or any other legend you may have researched somewhere. The
bitten one is the most ridiculous theory any of us have ever heard of. I mean
really, think about it, if everyone ever bitten by a vampire were to turn into
one how could they ever go back for seconds on the same victim, er donor? Could
you imagine how large the vampire population would be? Anyway, you wanna hear
my story? Just sit back, grab a pint of blood, or milk, and have a listen.
First
off, I don’t live in your dimension, I live in a separate one called
Underlayes. Where the things that go bump in the night – werewolves, vampires,
mermaids, sirens, witches, and so much more – truly are real. Underlayes has
regular neighborhoods just like Earth does, we don’t live in a ton of dug out
caves, or cryptic looking castles; besides the royals anyway. We used to live
amongst you guys, but that was way before my time, and a story way too long and
boring for me to bother with repeating. Just know that we all truly do exist
and a very few of our number walk alongside you still. So, you may want to
think about that before you lay down at night after bullying the school nerd or
your shy co-worker. If they’re the silent and quiet type they’re more than
possibly plotting your untimely demise and deciding what side-dish you’d go
best with. Or what curse to place on you. Something my Mom should have thought
about a long, long time ago.
Me?
The names Elvira, yea, Mom and Pops have a sick and twisted sense of humor.
Which when you come to think of it is actually a very good thing, since Mom was
dumb enough to piss off a witch when she was preggers with me and my brother,
Dracula (yup, again with the humor), Drake for short. During one of her many
mood swings dear old Mom went completely off on an already pissed off witch;
something about the witch crossing in front of her, and Mom thinking that would
make us come out cross eyed (and you thought your mom was superstitious, Ha!).
Miss Witch decided to do her one better and really did curse us both. I was
granted with the gift of being the only vampire known of with NO FANGS! Since
Underlayes doesn’t have hospitals bagged blood isn’t exactly just lying around.
Why not just bite down extra hard you say? Probably because that leaves a big
chunk of meat in my mouth and vampires can’t digest meat; we have a strictly
all liquid diet. Why not just slit someone’s wrist and pour it in a cup you
ask? If you were on an all liquid diet, would one glass a day keep your hunger
pains at bay? NO! And draining someone completely dry doesn’t work either,
unlike how they portray things in your human movies, blood clots up pretty
quickly when it hits air; unless pumped up with nasty anti-coagulants which
leave a horrible aftertaste and makes the blood nearly impossible to digest. So
the blood shortage on your neck of the veil? Feel free to blame that on us, Mom
and Dad had to feed us somehow during the experimental processes of properly
bagging and storing the blood the way humans do. But no worries, they haven’t
had to raid your neck of the realms in a long time now. The alchemist’s studied
the components your scientists used and now have it down pact.
I’m
not really sure if Drake’s curse is worst or pretty much just as bad. Him? He
goes into a full-blown shock at the very sight of blood; fainting spells,
seizures, black outs, the works. Though lucky for him rarely all of those at
once. Lucky for Mom and Dad, he could still at least savor the taste and smell
of it. But talk about being seriously dependent upon someone else, hard to
nourish yourself when you can’t even look at your food. And as a baby? You try
putting a blindfold on an infant, especially one with fangs, and let me know
how well that works out for you. Ah, but it made for some fangtastic pranks
when I was thirteen, which also ended in a lot of punishments. But they were so
worth it!
So
that’s us, Elvie and Drake, two of the only known vampires forced to live on
bagged blood. Though Drake may get lucky one day and be able to savor a neck or
two, as long as he keeps his eyes shut tight and doesn’t dribble.
Can’t
we just break the curse you ask? Ask Aunt Flo that one. Did I fail to mention
the witch in question was, and still is Mom’s best friend? She’s also a witch
with more power than she can handle who needs to watch what she says at ALL
times. The curse was supposedly never intentional and trying to undo it has
proven pretty much impossible.
Mom, Trinity Alkaev, is a beautiful creature
with a body neither skinny nor large, but what one describes as buxom
perfection. Also, one of the most patient females you will ever meet, and a
truly ferocious beast, fangs and all, when pissed. Dad, Borya Alkaev, is the
strong not so silent type, with a chiseled chin and sculpted cheekbones in
which I heard would give Michaelangelo a run for his money. Born after the
creation of Underlayes, he’s only two hundred years old, so I never understood
how he ended up with such a thick accent as if he just left the great
Motherland of Russia. The exact opposite of Mom when it comes to patience, but
the best dad any set of unorthodox twins could ask for. Neither of them were an
only child, but both are the youngest and only surviving children from both of
their respective lines. Many died before the dimension of Underlayes was made,
some during the move. And Aunt Flo, I’m not even getting into that one. And as
far as looks go Drake and I are a perfect combination of the two, with the
exception of the fact that I have no fangs.
THUD. CRASH. SCREAM.
What
in Hel’s name was that?
“Elvira
Esfir Alkaev!” Moms blood-curling screams vibrated through the floorboards,
“How many times do I need to tell you not
to leave your blood bags lying around? Get down here and help me clean up this
mess. And carry your brother to his room!”
Well
there you have it, the usual beginning of a day in the house of Alkaev.
“Now
young lady!”
About the Author:
When you become a Mom, you begin to put yourself last, and your
combat boots begin to collect dust. Going to your child’s PTA meetings in full
Gothic, especially industrial, regalia is pretty much frowned upon. Especially
by your own children, and your teens would die of a heart attack. But, one
should not have to completely stop being themselves, uniqueness is greatness.
So all of that darkness is put into words in her books, and designs in her
jewelry sold in her Gothic Moms Dark Charms shop on Etsy and Rebels Market.
Single mother of five beautiful children, but by
far more than just that. T. A. Moorman is an artist, a former violinist, a
seamstress, a crafter, a writer, a blogger, a reviewer, a dark confidant and a
darkly dangerous, fiercely protective friend. She still hopes to one day find
her Dark Knight in shining armor, since Prince Charming would never be able to
handle her. And currently broke, so go buy something of hers and tell everyone
you know how much you love this book.
Author Anthony Avina's Blog 