Monday, June 3, 2019

Encounters by Patrick Stull & $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway! #art #photography #nonfiction #encounters


ENCOUNTERS by Patrick Stull


Title: ENCOUNTERS
Author: Patrick Stull
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 250
Genre: Fine Art Photography Book



With photography at its base, Stull offers a nuanced explication of his encounters to allow the viewer an opportunity to form a relationship with his art. While looking within ourselves, exploring our own feelings, he hopes that he will inspire greater humaneness in response to his art.

ENCOUNTERS is the second in a series of six large-format books in which artist, photographer and author, Patrick Stull explores a wide range of experiences. Using light and the physical body, the written word and his artistry he creates imagery that examines aspects of the lives of women.
Compiled over the last 18 years, the images in ENCOUNTERS, Stull says, are meant to “inspire and challenge the observer while always empowering the subject.”

Stull brings a powerful sense of the surreal and the spiritual to his work as he plots a course along the many paths of the human experience. His imagery runs from the ghostly and ephemeral to the flowing and fiery.

As much as he concentrates on the human form, Stull never forgets to focus on the humanity of his subjects. His choice of the coffee-table style book format draws the viewer into an experience both intimate and universal.

Stull’s first book in his series, titled EVOLVE, was published in 2006. A third book, titled HIDDEN DIMENSIONS, is completed and awaiting publication. Future titles in the series include DHARMA, BEING DIFFERENT, and YOGA, A HEALING MOMENT.

Stull hopes that his readers come away from the book with “a love for art and a respect for the female who gives us life and challenges us to be better human beings.

https://patrickstull.com/books-2/encounters

 

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Encounters is a collection of imagery created and compiled over the last 15 years to inspire and challenge the observer while always empowering the subject. The imagery is coupled with text, odes and perspectives about the human experience and existence itself. The imagery is mostly an explication, an intimate view of the lives of women and our relationship to them – on an individual and cultural level. However, there are images of men included in this work. A portion of the portfolio presents something more than a photographic image. Here the imagery is developed into contemplative art pieces of the surreal genre, where the viewer is transported into the depths of their own psyche challenging them to see something new.



















 









American artist Patrick Stull has spent the last eighteen years mostly creating imagery about the lives of women. He searches for what lies beneath the surface of his subjects, empowering each one he encounters. He has recently ventured into the realm of surrealism, creating powerful imagery that reflects on our humanity while dealing with the meaning and power of art.

Stull say's, "My work has allowed me to venture past the camera into the realm of a humanist, an artistic life, delving into the intellectual, a more cerebral life experience, creating what I call 'connectivism.'"  

His ongoing work is based in large-scale digital photography accompanied by sculpture/body casts, composition art, painting, poetry/prose and drawings.  His art is then integrated, collectively, into exhibitions to provide the viewer a once in a lifetime experience. The presentation of the work is delivered to the viewer in a unique and emotionally powerful way. 

Stull, 71, a self-taught artist, works in many artistic disciplines. Educated at San Diego State University with degrees in psychology, economics and philosophy during the 1960’s, amidst the backdrop of the counter-culture revolution and the Viet Nam War, where his social consciousness and political views were shaped. Stull emerged from a Catholic Irish/German family, one of five children where work, discipline and religion took precedence over emotional expressions of the self – a different kind of loving environment. Being a husband of thirty-plus years and father to two has taught him the power of kindness, love and commitment. 

His latest book is the fine art photography book, Encounters.
 
Visit his website at www.patrickstull.com.
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GIVEAWAY!

50 Amazon Gift card

Patrick Stull is giving away a $50 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 one $50 Amazon Gift Card.
  • This giveaway ends midnight August 30.
  • Winner will be contacted via email on September 1.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!






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Tough Karma: A Race Against Time by Laura Simmons & Win $25 Gift Card! @laurasimmons37 #paranormal #romance


TOUGH KARMA: A RACE AGAINST TIME by Laura Simmons, Paranormal/Romance


Title: TOUGH KARMA: A RACE AGAINST TIME
Author: Laura Simmens
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Pages: 224
Genre: Paranormal Romance


Astral travel and a deadly secret make for a gripping paranormal romance from start to finish.
Amber Macklin’s world is cruelly shattered when she loses her baby girl three months after her husband’s sudden death. Her cousin, Bryce, comes to her rescue, moving her into his home for fear she will kill herself from the grief. He provides solace and a shoulder to cry on, and he has loved her as more than a cousin for a long time. Amber and Bryce soon discover they are not blood relatives, which opens the door for romance as he pulls her through her darkest hours. When Mike, a college friend of Bryce’s, stops by to visit, Amber senses a deadly secret behind his nice guy persona. She has a frightening dream that Mike is trying to kill her and recurring sleepwalking episodes where she draws detailed pictures of him torturing her. Deeply troubled, Bryce uses his ability to astral travel to investigate Mike and uncover his terrifying past. Mike has had his eye on Amber for some time, and when he learns that Bryce and Amber have become lovers, he is furious. Mike abducts Amber and takes her to his rural Georgia hideaway, and Bryce must rely on his astral abilities to track her down. But will he be too late?

 
https://amzn.to/2Z8tGOD

 

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She was too devastated to cry. The shock of losing Belle early that morning upset her beyond tears. Bryce, her sister Jenny, and Amber’s other cousin Luke, rushed to her side for support. Bryce encouraged her to stay at his home that night, and for however long it took to get her through this. He didn’t want her to be alone, fearing she might kill herself from the heartache. He would have preferred that she stay with Jenny during her time of sorrow, but knew it wouldn’t be a good environment for her or Jenny’s family. Jenny had two young children and a husband, and having a terribly distraught relative residing at their house would be stressful for everyone. He had loved Amber as more than a cousin for most of his life, and her staying under the same roof with him was going to be a challenge. Although he was an incredibly self-disciplined and confident man, he doubted his ability to hide his true feelings having her so close for an undetermined length of time. He couldn’t think of any viable alternatives. She could have stayed with Luke; however, she was closer to Bryce, and it made more sense. Luke traveled frequently, and wouldn’t have the time to spend with her.
She agreed to let them help because the thought of staying in her apartment surrounded by Belle’s baby things and an empty crib was more than she could bear. Jenny and Bryce packed her suitcases, while Luke drove her car to Bryce’s house. She let them swarm around her; she was too upset to do anything other than stand outside on the balcony and stare at the vehicles in the parking lot. The evening air was comfortable, so she pulled the screen door closed to let some air in and keep the bugs out. She was replaying the events leading up to Belle’s death over and over in her mind, trying desperately to remember if she saw something which may have prevented it.
“Bryce, check her medicine cabinet. She used to take sleep meds before she got pregnant. She’s going to need them now, or she won’t sleep for days,” Jenny said with concern while packing her sister’s underwear and lingerie. She was three years older and five inches taller. Both of them were pretty, with long blond hair and blue eyes.
“That’s true. She’s always had trouble sleeping. Won’t these drugs make her sleepwalk?” he asked seeing the bottle of prescription sleeping pills in her medicine cabinet, and taking them along with several other items.
“I’m not sure. She used to sleepwalk a lot when we were growing up. I don’t know if she still does. You need to be on the lookout for that. I think severe stress triggers it,” she replied.
“I remember you telling funny stories about her nighttime adventures. I’ve got to hide stuff from her. Car keys, knives, pills, anything she can hang herself with. God forbid she decides to take a joyride on one of her sleepwalking strolls. I better go check on her,” he said, handing the sleeping pills and other items from the cabinet to Jenny and walking into the living room.
Amber was still standing on the balcony staring at the parking lot, trying to process the day’s tragic event. Sliding the screen door to his right and walking up behind her, Bryce wrapped his arms around her asking, “Are you hanging in there, sweetheart?” and kissed her cheek. He was a little over a foot taller than her.
She leaned into him tilting her head back into his chest, placing her arms over his and replied, “I feel numb. I want to cry but I can’t. I’m frozen. I’m sorry I’m not helping.”
“You don’t have to do anything right now. We’re going to take care of you,” he said hugging her closer. “We’ve almost got your things packed.”
“Thank you,” she replied softly, appreciating the comfort his arms provided and knowing she could always count on him.
He walked back into the bedroom and helped Jenny finish packing. Amber snuck into the kitchen and quietly opened up the cutlery drawer. The butcher knife will fit nicely into my huge purse . . . she thought discreetly slipping it into her oversized handbag . . . I know he’s going to be watching me like a hawk. He’s going to lock up all the knives and pills. He’s an angel, but I don’t know if I can get through this. She closed the door to the balcony, locked it and took a seat on the sofa. A few minutes later they were ready to go.
They loaded her suitcases and other items into his black H3. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Jenny said sweetly to her sister.
“Thank you so much,” Amber replied hugging her.
“You know you can call me anytime day or night,” she said. “Don’t worry about waking up Zac. You know my husband sleeps like a log!”
“I know. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Jenny got into her car and drove away. Bryce opened the door for Amber, and she stepped inside. It was dark now, and the sky was cloudy with no moon or stars in sight. He got in and started the engine. Pulling onto the highway for the ride to his house in Vienna, Virginia, he reached for her hand. She took hold of it with a death grip and closed her eyes. They rode to his house in silence except for the radio which was tuned to a classical music station. He hoped that type of music would be soothing to her, and she didn’t complain. She was so shattered and lost in thought that she didn’t even hear it.



























 

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Laura Simmons grew up in northern Virginia and spent most of her career working for various Department of Defense contractors in the Washington, DC area. She has a fascination with all things metaphysical. She enjoys writing, jigsaw puzzles, adult coloring books, vacationing at the beach with her husband, and studying tarot cards and other types of divination systems.
Website:  http://www.littlebitsofkarma.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LauraSimmons37
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekarmaseries

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Laura Simmons is giving away a $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 $25 Amazon Gift Card.
  • This giveaway ends midnight June 28.
  • Winner will be contacted via email on June 29.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway






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A Savage Kulter by Monique Roy @monwriter1 #historical #fiction


A SAVAGE KULTER by Monique Roy, Historical Fiction


Title: A SAVAGE KULTER
Author: Monique Roy
Publisher: BookBaby
Genre: Historical Fiction




In Oxford, England, Ava, a Jewish art student at Oxford University, receives a heart-wrenching letter from her grandfather after he dies. From the letter, she learns that her grandfather has given her his London art gallery, which he says will secure her future, as well as provide a place for her to grow her artistic talents and follow her passion for art. The letter also describes his one last wish—that she find a treasured Vincent van Gogh painting, The Lovers: The Poet's Garden IV, that belonged to her grandparents and was deemed degenerate and looted by the Nazis in 1937.

Arriving for the first time at the gallery, she discovers old photographs in a secret room that recount the harrowing past—a Nazi propaganda parade in 1937. She quickly becomes aware that the room and the gallery, with an empty frame for the missing van Gogh, hold such rich memories of her grandparents. As conversations with her family members and those connected to the painting spur memories, the book switches back and forth between the current timeline and the timeline during the war to tell the stories of those affected by the painting and its fate.

On the train to her grandfather’s funeral, she meets Gordon Rose, an FBI agent, disguised as an art restitution lawyer. He helps her track down the missing van Gogh, while at the same time, he goes after an Neo-Nazi albino art forger named Luther.

Ava pays several visits to her grandmother, her only living relative who lived through the war, hoping she remembers something about the past that will be a clue to the missing painting and their lives in Germany during the war. It is in these hours that she sits with her grandmother that she learns about her grandparents finding refuge on an Austrian farm after they flee Munich and of Charlotte, a local farm girl who lives at Lake Toplitz.

Ava’s grandmother who struggles with dementia recalls Charlotte’s last name. With this information, Ava tracks down Charlotte at her home at Lake Toplitz and questions the old woman about what happened at the lake. On her last breath, Charlotte speaks of the secrets hidden in the lake.

When Gordon breaks into Luther’s Austrian hideout, he believes Luther has forged the missing van Gogh painting. Luther claims it is the real deal. To right a wrong and under the duress of Gordon and law enforcement, Luther returns the painting to Ava.

Ava takes the van Gogh painting to her grandmother. Still not sure if it's the real thing or not, Ava wants to bring her grandmother closure during her last days. Gordon wonders if they should call an art expert to examine the painting. She believes it was meant to be there, whether real or fake. In the end, Gordon and Ava reveal their true feelings for one another.



            
 

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Prologue
London, England
New Year’s Eve, 2013

It was an icy New Year’s Eve in London when Ava Goldman contemplated the bitter side of life. As she strolled home from a cozy bookshop before sunset, she noticed the wind crisscrossed between ancient buildings, thick snow blanketed the streets, and a single piece of newsprint swirled up in the gust. This weather was not everyone’s cup of tea, but Ava liked the invigorating, crisp air and the hoarfrost on the grass. She could stare for hours at the individual snowflakes that sparkled like glitter and diamonds.
The chilly weather scarcely dampened the mood as the city, on the dawn of another year, still hummed with activity and celebration. Ava knew she was not alone in her thoughts. Merry revelers stood on the banks of the Thames River, which lay frigid from below London Bridge. They, too, were on a journey, quietly observing the world before them as they tried to imagine the future and rehash the past. Glowing fireworks burst around Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, illuminating the night sky with explosions of bright and vivacious colors of light.
In these moments when nothing stirred, she remembered the past, understood the present, thought of the future, and she dug deep into her soul. Ava vowed to remain centered no matter what came her way. To her, this meant being more grounded and calm. She hoped the new year brought with it hope and renewal like a radiant flower that springs from a timeworn vine.
That evening, Ava met some friends for a night on the town. Ava sighed, her breath crystallized in front of her face. She quickened her pace, trying to keep warm, walking in silence among some friends as they weaved through crowds of people toward a riverside Victorian pub. For Ava, it was almost too cold to even speak. Her full red lips quivered in the frigid night.
She shivered and groaned at the biting cold air, drawing her thick wool coat closer around herself as she continued to stroll around the mob of people.
Her best friend, Isla Rose, caught up with her fast pace. Ava smiled at how pretty she looked wearing her large, brown Russian fur hat. Some locks of lustrous raven hair fell beneath it, tickling Isla’s slender neck.
“It’s bloody cold out here, darling!” Isla said, walking arm-in-arm with her friend. “You look like you’re deep in thought and freezing.”
“Yes, frigid,” Ava said, sighing. “I’m pondering my life. Isn’t that what everyone does on New Year’s Eve?”
“I suppose,” Isla said. “The future is unknown, my dear friend, but there is always a way. There is always hope. Life can be magical.”
As they turned the corner, Ava stopped walking as her eyes first caught the sight of a strange, thinly-built, small man standing under a street light at the opposite side of the street. The light illuminated his creepy outfit—a black SS uniform, complete with a cap and red armband emblazoned with a swastika.
The sinister man caused a stunned crowd to slowly disperse into the night.
Isla jumped when she saw the man.
“Gawd blimey!” she exclaimed, clutching her hand to her chest.
Ava blinked, thinking her eyes were playing tricks, but the sight was very real. The man was smoking heavily. Cigarette butts lay scattered on the ground around him. His dark glasses covered most of his face, except for his chalk-pale cheeks and chin. It was hard to know who he was looking at or why he was there. His head was tilted back slightly as if he was looking at the stars in the night sky. His mouth formed a strange variation between a grimace and a smile as it loosely held a lit cigarette. It was as if he was taunting the crowd in a strange and eerie silence.
People walked by him, either laughing or gasping in shock, many not knowing how to react to the absurdity. Ava continued to stand several feet away horrified. Her eyes were glued to the man who was now perfectly parallel to them. A cold chill crept up her spine, raising the tiny hairs on the back of her neck. The man did not react; he just stood there, like a statue. He did not say a word to anyone.
An older man walked by and spat on the strange man’s black boots. Still the mysterious man did not react. He continued to watch the crowd who stared back at him in terror and pointed fingers.
“Should we call the police?” Isla asked.
“I have to get out of here,” Ava said in a panic. “This is so disturbing and bizarre.”
When they arrived at the pub, Ava sat wide-eyed in shock.
“Are you alright?” Isla asked.
Ava nodded. “Please order me a stiff drink.”
Her friends sitting around her, a buzz of conversations filled the air. A few friends were chatting about this and that, and their hopes and dreams for the coming year. Then the conversation grew more serious.
“Did you see that odd guy outside?” one friend asked. “Has anyone seen someone dressed in a Nazi uniform before?”
Everyone just shook their heads.
“Speaking of Nazis…we must all know someone who has an untold story in their family’s past,” said another friend.
Upon hearing it, Ava jolted from her ice-cold trance and her mind raced with many questions.
As she continued to listen, she felt great despair and a concern for the future. It was a jarring wake-up call that a treasure trove of information about her family’s past lay within her grandparents—one who struggled to relive the past and the other who no longer remembered it.
“Everyone has secrets,” the one friend said to the other. “Some secrets should be kept in the deep, dark depths of our being and some should be brought wide into the open.”
The other friend said, “I believe some secrets destroy us if not revealed, but not all are destructive; sometimes they are crucial to our lives.”
She believed those words, except she had no idea what that untold story, those secrets, could possibly be. She hoped that if her family had dark secrets, that they would not be lost to the grave one day.
            Since that evening, those words hit a sensitive nerve. They reminded her of what her grandfather used to say when she was younger.
           
♦♦♦

Ava’s grandfather always said to view the world with a wary eye. When Ava asked why, he would respond that she was by nature a kind and halcyon person and that she must be aware of the transient world around her.
“People judge,” he would tell her, “people can be evil.”
Ava never pushed the subject beyond those words because he would never answer. Her grandfather would never tell her about the darkness that lay within his soul. She knew not to ask—not to push him back to that gloomy corner of his very being.
Ava grew up with the knowledge that something terrible must have happened to her grandfather to make him embody such a cautious way of looking at the world. In fact, she was convinced. Yet, he was unable to talk about the past and what happened in his younger days. The war had closed a part of him off. As Ava grew older, she let go any hope that her grandfather would reopen old wounds. Perhaps the truth was more than that—he was afraid to be taken back to a place that he had tried so hard to leave behind.






















 








Monique’s passion for writing began as a young girl while penning stories in a journal. Now she looks forward to deepening her passion by creating many unique stories that do nothing less than intrigue her readers.

Monique holds a degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and is the author of a middle-grade book Once Upon a Time in Venice, historical fiction novel Across Great Divides, and historical fiction novel A Savage Kultur.

Monique was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and her grandparents were European Jews who fled their home as Hitler rose to power. It’s their story that inspired her to write Across Great Divides, her first historical novel.

Historical fiction lets you escape to another time and place; and Monique likes to explore the past so that we can potentially better understand the future.

Monique resides in Dallas, Texas, with her husband and son. She also works as a freelance writer.







http://www.pumpupyourbook.com

Painting the Psalms by Cherie Burbach @cherieburbach #Christian #nonfiction


Painting the Psalms by Cherie Burbach, Christian/Nonfiction


Title: PAINTING THE PSALMS
Author: Cherie Burbach
Publisher: Bonjour Publishing
Pages: 104
Genre: Christian Nonfiction



In Painting the Psalms, artist Cherie Burbach shares original, mixed-media paintings that contain a positive, faith-filled message. Each painting contains inspiration from the Psalms in some way, through the imagery, words, or emotion contained within the verses. Cherie uses a variety of mediums and techniques to create art that is filled with depth and whimsy. It is her hope that this book will inspire you to look at the Psalms in a new way so you can celebrate your faith and believe in the message. Some of the paintings were created during Cherie’s popular “Painting the Psalms” series of ecourses, where she demonstrates step-by-step progress from start to finish, including all the small details that make mixed media paintings come alive with texture and color.

 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1090858671/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

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I started painting early on in life, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I connected my love of art with the appreciation I had for the Psalms. The Psalms tell the story of God’s love in a different way than the other books of the Bible do and speaks directly to the heart. Combining the beauty in the words of the Psalms with art seemed like a long-overdue project for me.

The Psalms have influenced my art in many ways and in this book I share some of my favorite paintings and the emotion behind them. I have included verses that stood out to me and sometimes I’ve painted the image that the words call up for me while other times I’ve highlighted the words in the painting. It is my hope that this collection of art and my reflections bless and inspire you. 


 














Cherie Burbach is a poet, mixed media artist, and freelance writer. She has penned and contributed to articles for Readers Digest, Family Circle, About.com (NY Times), NBC/Universal, Match.com, Christianity Today, and more.

Cherie also likes to express herself with mixed media art, combining Bible verses and her own poetry with special papers, acrylics, oils, ink, and more. She includes book pages, music sheets, and other random things in her art to create something that celebrates a hopeful, faith-filled message.

Cherie has been especially inspired by the Psalms, and has created a series of ecourses called Painting the Psalms, which includes mixed media painting projects all inspired by the Psalms in some way.
Each project is diverse in terms supplies, technique, and composition.

She is also the author of Painting the Psalms, which is part art book, part devotional.
Website:    https://www.cherieburbach.com/
Twitter:     https://twitter.com/CherieBurbach
Facebook:    https://www.facebook.com/CherieBurbach/






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