⭐Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Tour Kick Off⭐Crown of Blooms by R.C. Dickens #ComingofAge #LiteraryFiction

 

When a shy disillusioned pastor’s son becomes fast friends with a worldly, freckle-faced, painter, he is forced to grapple with intense new emotions that he can’t pray away…

 

Author: R.C. Dickens

Pages: 143

Format: Paperback, Kindle

Genre: Coming of Age/Literary Fiction

Kayden Moses has worked for 15 years to be a good pastor’s son. He’s volunteered at every Vacation Bible School, never missed a youth group meeting, and tries to follow the example of his spiritually gifted twin sister, Delilah. However, all his diligent efforts are disrupted when he meets the biggest stumbling block of his life: 

Alex. The new boy in youth group. Bubbly. Opinionated. Dizzyingly nice to look at. 

Suddenly, Kayden finds himself caught in a spiral of confusion and asking questions he’s never asked before. 

Who is Kayden Moses? Because he’s certainly not a good pastor’s son anymore.

Crown of Blooms can be purchased at Amazon and B&N.

Book Excerpt

 

The church gym smelled of fresh, hot body odor and even more profusely of cheap cologne. The youth game room had been abandoned by the boys in favor of a pickup basketball game before their parents arrived to take them home. Kayden sat on the bleachers that creaked with every twitch, imagining the girls upstairs having much more fun with the foosball table and the worn UNO deck, and waiting for someone to tire out and pull him into the bracket. He sucked the noxious smell in deep in an attempt to distract himself from how the late afternoon sun was interacting with the sweat on Manny’s skin; Manny was dark and when the light hit that smooth black skin it glowed, reflecting in stark patches on the ripples in his bare stomach and, most prominently, his chest. 

– Excerpted from Crown of Blooms by J.C. Dickens, Juniper Press, 2024. Reprinted with permission.

About the Author

 

R.C. Dickens is the pen name of Juniper Ray, a black, queer writer, choreographer, teacher’s assistant and disaster living in Appalachia with big dreams of escaping out to the West Coast. Along with their debut novel, Crown of Blooms, they have worked as a ghostwriter for several years and have published several short stories. In 2023, Juniper won the Webby Award for Best Single Episode of a Podcast for their appearance on Snap Judgement. When they aren’t writing (which is rarely) Juniper enjoys dancing, singing, anime, cosplay and generally being a menace to the general public. 

Website & Social Media:

Website ➜ https://rcdickens.wixsite.com/website 

Facebook ➜ https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRCDickens  

Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/rcdickens_author 

Sponsored By:

PUYB Author Talks: ⭐A Bookish Conversation with 'Unorganized Crime' Judy Serrano⭐ #interview

 

Judy Serrano graduated from Texas A&M University-Commerce with a master’s degree in English. She is the owner of Make Cents Editing Services and is an English teacher at a local high school. Judy writes romantic suspense, Mafia romance, and paranormal romance. She is the author of The Easter’s Lilly Series, The Linked Series, Ivy Vines, Visions and the Unorganized Crime series. Although originally from New York, Judy resides in Texas with her husband and six cats.

Website & Social Media:

Website ➜ www.judyserrano.com 

X ➜ http://www.x.com/AuthorJSerrano 

Facebook ➜  https://www.facebook.com/JudySerranoAuthor/

Goodreads ➜ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4792103.Judy_Serrano

Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself to write it? 

This is not my first Mafia romance. When I first started writing Easter’s Lilly (My first book) I did quite a bit of research on the Mafia. What really happens to them in prison? How do they operate? What is the leader really like? I did a deep dive. I wanted it to be as realistic as possible, at least from that standpoint. 

Did you pursue publishers, or did you opt to self-pub? 

I have had a publisher once before. I decided to do the last few books on my own. My husband is the actual publisher with 6K Publishing. For my next project, I am going to look for an outside publisher just to give him a break. I have 12 books, and he does have a job of his own. Lol…

If self-published, did you hire someone to format the ebook version for you or did you do it yourself?  Can you tell us what that was like?

My husband does it all.

If self-published, how did you determine the price?

Amazon is pretty good at telling us what to charge. They even lower it for you if it appears that the sales are low. 

Did you purposefully choose a distinct month to release your book?  Why?

I release my books when they are ready. I don’t really have a system.

How did you choose your cover?

My older books had random covers. Some I paid for, and some my husband did. These last two books were done by son Miguel Serrano III. He is a professional videographer/photographer at https://migueldoesmedia.com/ The man on the cover is my youngest son, Enrique Serrano, who does some modeling when he can.

What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?

I do it all the time. I just want to get my books out there. Any way that I can help that along, I do.

What are some of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?

Read it, edit, and edit again. A second set of eyes doesn’t hurt either. I used to be a professional editor, and I know how expensive hiring someone can be, so I recommend using the recourses that are available online and edit as much as you possibly can.

What are some of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released?

I think book tours are a good idea. They get your book out in the public eye and will help get your name out there. Also, use your social media to advertise. Probably most authors have a pretty big presence online. Use it to your advantage. 

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

I am so grateful that you are reading my books. Thank you so much for your support. I promise that these books will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Inside the Book

Title: Unorganized Crime (Book 1 in the Unorganized Crime Series)

Author: Judy Serrano

Publisher: 6K Publishing

Publication Date: June 21, 2020

Pages: 283

Genre: Crime Fiction/Mafia Romance

As Jazz finds herself falling from a helicopter, Gage St. Claire comes to her rescue. Organized crime is once again the culprit of her parents’ situation, and as usual, she is caught in the crossfire. Gage pulls her out of the water and helps her escape to safety. The love between them is undiscovered as he tries to leave her behind in an attempt to keep her safe and move forward with his black ops pursuit. Jazz becomes an undercover cop with wiping out organized crime forever as her goal. After Jazz exposes one of the largest crime families in the country, quite by accident, she is hired to expose crime syndicate leader Michael Giambetti Jr., otherwise known as Achilles. Achilles earned his nickname because he has no weaknesses. He has no weaknesses, that is until he meets Jazz. Achilles has been untouchable, and if she were to break this case, she could finally prove herself as a serious undercover officer. Her job is not an easy one, and people around her are not who they appear to be. Will Gage come back for Jazz, or will he be lost to her forever? Will she crack the case on her own? Read as this courageous upstart stumbles through another adventure.

Unorganized Crime is available at Amazon. 

Title: Unorganized Secrets (Book 2 in the Unorganized Crime Series)

Author: Judy Serrano

Publication Date: February 24, 2025

Publisher: 6K Publishing

Pages: 294

Genre: Crime Fiction/Mafia Romance

With Achilles still on the run, Gage and Hawk do what they can to protect their own. Gage and Jazz make their relationship official, while Hawk decides it’s time to do the same. When Hawk shows up at Elizabeth’s doorstep, she is gone, and his son, whom he has never met, is also missing. The mystery surrounding Elizabeth takes Hawk to a dark place. When he opens the door to Elizabeth’s past, who will he find behind it?  

Unorganized Secrets is available at Amazon.

⭐Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Tour Kick Off & $25 Amazon Giveaway⭐Jury Duty is Murder by Kate Damon #Mystery

Four former jurors, once at odds, unexpectedly join forces to track down a serial killer.

 

By Kate Damon

Pages: 275

Format: Paperback, eBook

Genre: Cozy Mystery

The verdict is in; a famed athlete is headed for prison. The jurors have done their job and are free to go back to their lives. But after being sequestered for four months, life as some knew it no longer exists.

HAROLD ASHMAN’s house is almost destroyed by a careless driver. Exotic dancer, CEECEE LAINE, discovers that her boyfriend is two-timing her, and she no longer has a job. Actor ALEX MANNING learns his career is down the tubes, and 72-year-old, HELEN RYDER, discovers her family is plotting to put her in an old folks home.

Then things take a turn for the worse. When former jurors start dropping like flies, CeeCee, Helen, Harold and Alex are convinced there’s a killer on the loose. Now the feuding foursome must find him before he kills them—or before they save him the trouble by killing each other.

Jury Duty is Murder is available at Amazon.

Here’s what readers are saying about Jury Duty is Murder!

I was having a bad day, and this book was enough to lift any cloud. I laughed out loud, I was sad with them, and I was surprised by the plot twists even in the epilogue. Great ending. Perfect for fans of Murder in the Building and Man on the Inside. I hope there will be more with these characters.

— AV_therearenobadbooks

Kate Damon’s Jury Duty Murder is a fun, fast paced, riddled with humor who-dun-it, told through the eyes of four ordinary, yet distinct folks who are so incredibly relatable, you’ll feel like you know them as soon as they are introduced. Thank you, Kate, for giving us this curl up in your favorite chair and read straight through adventure!

–Barbara Newhart

 Book Excerpt

The ringing telephone woke me up. Without opening my eyes, I felt around until I touched the nightstand and finally, my phone. “Hello.”

“Wake up.”

I groaned. “Alex, what do you want?”

“I need you to wake up.”

I forced myself to sit up. The clock on the radio said it was after ten. “This better be important.”

“Something is terribly wrong,” Alex said. “It’s the thirtieth and nobody’s dead.”

“Hallelujah.” I hung up and dived back into my pillow. The phone rang again, and I groaned. Only Alex would think that no dead bodies meant something was

wrong.

I rolled over and grabbed the phone. “Now what?”

“No one’s dead.”

– Excerpted from Jury Duty is Murder by Kate Damon, Wild Rose Press, 2025. Reprinted with permission.

 

 

Book Trailer

Giveaway

Kate Damon is giving away one $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card.
• This giveaway starts May 5 and ends July 31.
• Winner will be contacted via email on July 31.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

When Kate Damon is not writing, she and her husband enjoy RVing, spending time with family and friends, raising Monarch butterflies, and playing a wicked game of bridge.

Writing as Margaret Brownley, she has published more than 40 novels and is a New York Times bestselling author. Known for her memorable characters and humor, she is a two-time Romance Writers of America Rita finalist.

Not counting the book she wrote in sixth grade, and the puzzle of the missing socks, this is her first mystery.

Website ➜http://margaret-brownley.com/

Twitter ➜https://www.x.com/katejuryduty

Facebook ➜https://www.facebook.com/MargaretBrownleyAuthor/ and https://www.facebook.com/p/Kate-Damon-61565155275435/

Instagram ➜https://www.instagram.com/katedamonbooks

BookBub➜https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-damon

Goodreads ➜ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4072660.Kate_Damon and https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/163681.Margaret_Brownley

Sponsored By:

⭐Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Tour Kick Off⭐Friends Are Forever by Mike Martin #Mystery

Readers new to the Windflower mysteries and those returning will experience the joys of a close-knit community that thrives on the simpler things in life…

 

Author: Mike Martin

Pages: 318

Format: Paperback, eBook, Free on Kindle Unlimited

Genre: Mystery

As Winston Windflower, his police colleagues and their families gather in Marystown, Newfoundland, to celebrate those being promoted up the RCMP ranks, a sophisticated heist by international mobsters and local biker gangs unfolds in multiple cities and towns throughout the province, robbing banks and businesses of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Mounties soon realize more than money is being lost.

In this, the sixteenth novel in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series, author Mike Martin continues to craft intrigue in the cultural and geographical setting unique to Newfoundland and Labrador. Readers new to the Windflower mysteries and those returning will experience the joys of a close-knit community that thrives on the simpler things in life: por’ cakes, a lighthouse in serious need of a facelift, TV movie nights and the warmth of get-togethers with family and friends. 

Friends are Forever is available at Amazon.

Book Excerpt

Sergeant Winston Windflower couldn’t be happier for his friend and colleague Eddie Tizzard. On Windflower’s recommendation and with the approval of the big boss, Superintendent Ron Quigley, Tizzard was being promoted to sergeant in the Mounties, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. But in terms of being proud, Windflower might have to stand in line because in the crowd that was gathered at RCMP Headquarters in Marystown, Newfoundland, were Tizzard’s partner, Carrie Evanchuk, and his dad, Richard Tizzard. Both were beaming from ear to ear as they juggled Eddie and Carrie’s two children in their arms.

Carrie had the easier task as little Sophie had been fed and was now snoozing in milk heaven. Hughie, on the other hand, would try and make a break for it every now and then, so Richard had to hang on tightly. He finally gave in and handed the little boy over to his Aunt Brenda, who was sitting farther back in the audience with the rest of Tizzard’s extended family.

Eddie looked down over the assembled RCMP officers and his family and smiled when he saw Hughie trying to get up closer towards him. He could also hear Hughie yelling “Daddy, Daddy” whenever the little boy got pulled back into the crowd. He smiled again as his superintendent called him to the podium and asked him to take off his corporal’s uniform jacket. Ron Quigley then handed him his new jacket with three chevrons pointing down and a crown on top on the right sleeve of his dress uniform, the RCMP’s famous red serge.

There were no speeches. That wasn’t the RCMP’s style. So, the two men shook hands, and Tizzard walked back to his place to thunderous applause from his fellow officers and family. Next on the agenda was the promotion of Windflower’s assistant in Grand Bank, Constable Samira Gupta, to corporal. This time Windflower did the honours, and Gupta exchanged her old uniform for one with two chevrons pointing down that indicated her new rank. She didn’t have any family in the crowd but was very popular with the troops, given the nice round of applause that she also received.

Some of those were special cheers from Windflower’s wife, Sheila Hillier, and his daughters, Stella and Amelia Louise, who had come over from Grand Bank for the occasion. All three loved Sam Gupta. They loved Eddie Tizzard, too. But they all had also made a strong connection with Windflower’s new sidekick and now brand new corporal.

There was a small reception afterwards with coffee and a large cake with the RCMP insignia on it. Both girls had a large piece of cake while Windflower and Sheila visited with Richard Tizzard and Carrie. It was a great celebration day for the Force, as the members called it, and there was plenty of good cheer all around.

But while the Mounties and their families were celebrating, something far more sinister was happening a short distance from the hotel where they were eating their cake.

A group of men had ambushed an armoured truck, and two of them had managed to somehow get inside and now had both armed guards hostage. They ordered the guards to undress, took them to another vehicle, a large panel van, and shoved them inside. As someone else drove them off, the first two men stripped and put on the security guards’ uniforms.

As the reception continued at the hotel, the fake security guards resumed the route that the real guards had been on and made stops at a number of local businesses before making one last visit to the bank in the shopping mall. They looked like the real deal as they walked into the branch. But instead of making their usual stop at one of the tellers, they asked to speak to the manager. A few minutes later the manager was left tied and muffled in the safe, and the false security officers walked out through the bank’s main doors with bags of loot from their efforts.

By the time the alarms were sounded and the bank manager released from the safe, the robbers were long gone. Gone from the bank and gone from Marystown. The real security guards were found out on the highway where they had walked to after being dumped in a deserted area. The day after, when the police started looking for suspects, they were not only off the Burin Peninsula, but they were waiting for a flight at the airport in Gander to take them completely out of the province. Of course, none of that would be known for days as the investigation into the boldest crime in Marystown history began.

– Excerpted from Friends Are Forever by Mike Martin, Ottawa Press and Publishing, 2025. Reprinted with permission. 

About the Author

 

Mike Martin was born in St. John’s, NL on the east coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a long-time freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand.

He is the award-winning author of the best-selling Sgt. Windflower Mystery series, set in beautiful Grand Bank. There are now 16 books in this light mystery series with the publication of Friends are Forever. 

A Tangled Web was shortlisted in 2017 for the best light mystery of the year, and Darkest Before the Dawn won the 2019 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award. All That Glitters was shortlisted for the LOLA 2024 Must Read Book of the year award.

Some Sgt. Windflower Mysteries are now available as audiobooks and the latest Darkest Before the Dawn was released as an audiobook in 2024. All audiobooks are available from Audible in Canada and around the world.

Mike is Past Chair of the Board of Crime Writers of Canada, a national organization promoting Canadian crime and mystery writers and a member of the Newfoundland Writers’ Guild and Capital Crime Writers.

Website & Social Media:

Website ➜  https://sgtwindflowermysteries.com/ 

Twitter ➜ https://www.x.com/mike54martin 

Facebook ➜  https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore

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⭐Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Tour Kick Off⭐Tales of the Ocean City by Christopher Kaufman #ClassicEpicFantasy

 

A young civilization is turning the corner into the future, but first they must face a terrible enemy from their deepest past.

 

Title: Tales of the Ocean City Series

Author: Christopher Kaufman

Genre: Classic Epic Fantasy

A young civilization is turning the corner into the future, but first they must face a terrible enemy from their deepest past – THE VORM.

The main characters are a young man named Harl’ut and his lifelong companion Vispushin – who is a perIanth, a kind of telepathic pegasus. Join them on this epic adventure as they lead a group of young warriors into the heart of the Vorm Hive.

Book One: Battle In The Sky is the first of five books which comprise the opening series of this epic tale. Here, Harl’ut and Vispushin and The Princess Bryn’lynn, engage in desperate battle over the southern plain with savage Vorm warriors. You will be uplifted by the passionate and thrilling conclusion of the first installment of this fantasy adventure. 

In Book Two: Descent Into The Abyss, Harl’ut recovers from his harrowing adventure from Book One: Battle In The Sky. He walks through the streets of The Ocean City, visits the Sculpture Garden and his friend, Elá, the bard, and engages in exciting training games with warrior/mentor, Calanctus. Then the story takes you down the throat of the vast volcano, Pla’than’taa, once worshipped as a god, where Harl’ut enacts a deadly initiation ritual, confronts the barbaric past of his people and battles a terrifying monster. 

Pick up your copies at https://kaufmantales.com/. 

Here’s what readers are saying about Tales of the Ocean City series!

“A collage of vibrant images adorns the pages of Tales Of The Ocean City, treating readers to more than a simple fantasy narrative. Well-chosen colors and designs add emotive elements and offer thoughtful reflections of the unfolding battle sequence, creating an intensely immersive experience. Matching the feel of the imagery, the text includes abundant use of descriptive, almost poetic prose, which adds vigor to the exciting storyline. I found the overall experience to be hypnotic, both in the book’s vivid presentation and its innovation. Mixing qualities from graphic novels, abstract art, classic fantasy, and creative fiction, Christopher Kaufman’s book is an imaginative adventure that is sure to engage your senses.” 

— David Korson for Readers’ Favorite

Book Trailer

Book Excerpt

“Vispushin! Aloft! ” cried Harl’ut.

With a thrust of her wings, the white pegasus shot upwards through billowing clouds. Harl’ut stood with his arms held out, balancing on her back. They burst into vast heights, the realm of Kurl’wra, the morning sun, whose powerful beams illumined iridescent mist on his golden skin. Far below, the ocean roared and thundered.

Vispushin reached the pinnacle of her high arc.

“Now…” she thought to him.

The pegasus hovered and Harl’ut dove backward from her haunches. In a swan dive, he clove through tiers of frothing clouds. He used his chest and arms to glide in a spiral through the planet Tir’whol’s thick atmosphere. He reached the cool misty air just below the clouds, jack-knifed and straightened, and sliced right into the churning ocean currents.

Dark purples and greens suffused his eyes as he penetrated cold shadowy depths. He arched his
back, frog-kicked and drifted lazily up towards a ceiling of shimmering blue light.

He felt rough tickles on his skin as he passed through a multitude of bulbous purple sea stars. A powerful current buffeted him as he reached the water just below the surface.

“Here!” Vispushin’s voice shimmered in his mind like watery light. With a vigorous kick, Harl’ut vaulted through crashing waves and snagged the sharp hoof of his bond-mate.

“Aloft!” he cried again.

Blazing glare trails blinded him. He grasped the white-gold mesh which clothed Vispushin’s supple form and clambered onto her heaving plush back as she strove upwards.

Reaching the air above the clouds once again, she settled into a steady rhythm of flight towards Ocean City!

It was time, he thought, time to join fully in the city life, The Ocean City…

Harl’ut pictured clearly in his mind the city carved from great spires of rock at the belly of a massive volcanic mountain once worshipped as the god, Pla’than’taa!

Now a vibrant city teeming with life. A place of hope, dreams and vision, where a young civilization was turning the corner into the future. A future Harl’ut yearned to be a part of.

The piercing cry of a sea-eagle shattered his thoughts, a winged shadow passed across the sun at a great height.

Harl’ut leapt to his feet, cupped his hands to his mouth and issued his characteristic call…

“Keeyaaaa!”

The giant eagle paused in its flight and answered, then turned and flew off.

– Excerpted from Tales of the Ocean City: Book 1: Battle in the Sky by Christopher Kaufman, Three Dashes Publications, 2025. Reprinted with permission.

About the Author

Christopher Kaufman is an author, composer, presenter, illustrative artist and performer. He started imaginative fantasy books with illustrative art at the age of nine. During high school years he found music and attended The New Orleans Center for The Creative Arts and went on to major in music composition in college. He finished his schooling – earning his DMA in music composition at Cornell University where he studied with Pulitzer Prize Winning composers who prize his abilities as a composer.

Christopher is the type of person who needs imaginative fantasy scenarios to get to sleep. Therefore, he emerged from Cornell, not only with his degrees in music, but with the full event structure for his classic epic fantasy series Tales Of The Ocean City in his mind.

He began writing the story down in the early 2000’s, but it did not really come to life until he developed his home music ‘laboratory’ and started creating the music and text at the same time. Thus books one and two of TOC came about simultaneously as both graphically illustrated pages and effulgent audio albums filled with cinematic epic symphonic music.

They exist now as physical books and audio albums (that go together) and the new Video Book version.  He performs live tours with the music pouring through speakers, live narration and the colorful pages streaming on screen – a true immersive multi-media experience.

He also maintains his career as a composer for the concert stage with a full body of work, from solo works thru orchestral. He specializes as well in ‘environmental works’ which feature soundscapes crafted from hundreds of natural sounds, live musicians (from soloists, chamber groups and to full orchestra), videos filled with both natural and artistic images and readings from the works of John Muir and others.

His home page is – soundartus.com. 

His author page is talesoftheoceancity.com.

His you-tube channel is SOUNDARTUS.

Visit him at Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/talesoftheoceancity.

Christopher believes in the transformative power of imagination.

“Live with imagination!”

 

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