From Novel to Real Life: Unmasking the Characters by Paige Farrington – Guest Post and Giveaway

October 15, 2025 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Paige Farrington will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

From Novel to Real Life: Unmasking the Characters

When we think of “character development,” most people picture fictional heroes and villains. Yet in real life we are each the main character of our own story. Our lives are filled with a supporting cast of parents, siblings, friends, teachers, religious leaders, and partners who all shape us in ways seen and unseen.

Every character, ourselves included, wears masks. These masks aren’t costumes for fun; they are the facades we put on to cover fear, pain, or the quiet ache of not feeling enough. A mask of anger hides vulnerability. A mask of perfection conceals insecurity. A mask of control shields fear. As children, we adopt and adapt masks from the people around us, internalizing the stories they carry and turning them into our own self-beliefs.

My own story was shaped by a family history filled with love, resilience, and hardship. My grandmother’s tenacity, my mother’s pursuit of perfection, and my father’s deep compassion each became masks shaped by experiences passed down through generations. Without realizing it, I absorbed parts of their stories and turned them into beliefs about who I was allowed to be. At the same time, I wore my own masks: a smiling, people-pleasing girl who thought her worth came from making others happy.

Here is where character development becomes more than a literary term. The supporting characters in our lives do not just influence our story. They hold clues to our own transformation. By understanding their masks, we begin to understand our own. This is not about blame. It is about compassion. When I looked at my mother’s perfectionism not as a flaw but as the mask she wore to earn her own mother’s love, I began to see my own perfectionist tendencies differently. When I examined the controlling mask of my grandmother, I could finally see how fear drove her need to hold everything together.

Unmasking our supporting characters is an act of self-discovery. Their stories become mirrors that help us see the subconscious beliefs that have quietly shaped our lives. When we bring those patterns into awareness, we can finally choose which to keep and which to release. We can write new chapters.

By offering compassion to the characters in our story, we soften the judgments we hold against ourselves. We recognize that, like us, they were doing their best with the self-beliefs that had been handed down to them.
This practice has been the heartbeat of my own growth. Through self-awareness, I have learned that I am not bound by the masks I once wore or by the stories I inherited. I can be the ignition in Love Ignites Peace. And so can you.

In the end, character development is not only for novels. It is the very process of becoming more ourselves, shedding masks, reclaiming truth, and choosing love as the guiding narrative.
Choose love. Ignite Peace.

Are you ready to move beyond turbulent times into peace?

Nineteen years ago, Paige Farrington received a message that would alter the course of her life: Love Ignites Peace. That message sparked a profound transformation—one that awakened the power of her self-awareness, taught her the essence of unconditional love, and revealed that peace is not only possible, but accessible.

Now, she invites you to begin your own journey rooted in the message Love Ignites Peace.

Through heartfelt storytelling, practical tools, and deeply human insights, Love Ignites Peace: Our Next Evolution offers a roadmap to help you identify what’s holding you back, shift the self-beliefs that keep you stuck, and see life through an expanded lens. No matter what you’re navigating, this book provides universal tools to help you reconnect with your true essence.

With vulnerability and compassion, Paige guides readers through personal stories and self-discovery—offering clear, actionable ways to bring Love Ignites Peace to life in their own experience.

This is more than a book—it’s an invitation to align with the energy of your unlimited potential and become an agent of love in a world ready to evolve.

You are the ignition. Love is the way. Peace is the outcome.

Enjoy an Excerpt

So why love? Because love is the master builder that architects all things good both for you and our human community. Love encourages you to shine your light as bright as you can make it glow. You are never too much or not enough, you are just right. Love generates happiness. You have the ability to love yourself so much that it feels like you are growing sunshine in your heart and a prolific garden of goodness in your life. Love transforms the opposite of love (not-love) into healthy and empowered relationships. It creates prosperity and harmony. It sets healthy boundaries with unhealthy people. Love says that you matter, that you are important as a person, and that you are safe. Within all of your relationships, love unifies and brings people together. Love is the most powerful energy source on the planet. Love always triumphs over not-love because love, in her purest of forms, supports and nurtures life.

About the Author Thirty-three years ago life transplanted Paige from her rural Iowa roots 5,280 feet closer to the bluest skies she’d ever seen. Now calling Castle Rock and Grand Lake, CO, home, she finds inspiration in nature’s peaceful grandeur, which provides the backdrop for both her work and play. Paige’s life took an unexpected turn in 2008 when, out of thin air, the words Love Ignites Peace landed in her conscious mind. This profound moment became a catalyst, shifting her path from successful business owner to student of love—the root of human potential. Mastering the deep meaning and embodying the wisdom in the statement Love Ignites Peace now guides her daily life. Paige’s insights in Love Ignites Peace: Our Next Evolution invite you to return to the love that you truly are – awakening your highest potential and transforming the way you experience life. Paige is also the author of Love Ignites Peace: Our Next Evolution, The Companion Journal. You can listen to Paige and her daughter Ashlyn on their podcast Love Ignites Peace #Bathtub chats.

Love Ignites Peace: Our Next Evolution has won the International Impact Book Award in the Self-Help, Emotional Resilience category.

Podcast | Website

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Non-Fiction

My Husband Almost Killed Me by Linda Beason – Spotlight and Giveaway

September 24, 2025 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Linda Beason will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

“If you ever leave me, I will kill the kids then I will kill you.”

“I can’t help but think of other women who may be facing similar situations, even now in a time and generation when these events can easily be exposed as much as they could be hidden. I wish I could reach each one of them, look into their eyes and tell them: you don’t have to live like this. Life can be better; you can choose a different path. It’s not easy, trust me, I know that more than most people do, BUT IT’S WORTH IT.”

This book is an autobiography about a woman raised on a large farm who learned to drive a large tractor at the age of seven, then spent many years plowing, planting and harvesting crops and taking care of the farm animals. After three years in the Marine Corps, she married her college sweetheart who became a drunk and abused her for seven horrible years before he almost killed her then disappeared. After she recovered she and her three kids fled to Florida to hide so he wouldn’t find them and finish the job.

Enjoy an Excerpt

The familiar sound of Brooke’s whimpers pulled me back from my reverie.

I had been lost in thought, absorbed by the gentle curves of the crescent moon above me, imagining myself perched on its silvery edge, far removed from my vulnerable and endangered earthly existence. Up there, I thought, the silence must be golden—no echoes of the chaos in the world down below, just the serene sights and sounds of the stars whispering the secrets of the universe amongst themselves. Down here, the silence was fleeting, often shattered by the cries of my youngest, the shouts of her older siblings, the barks of their father, and the relentless dinning of my own tormented thoughts.

Everything I’d done and endured in the past few years had been driven by a need to escape the noise, to find a sanctuary not just for myself but for my three kids: Bailey, Ryan, and Brooke. That was the least I could do for them; after all, I brought them into this tumultuous world. I made them the kids to a father who found joy at the bottom of a bottle and loved to vent his fury with a raised fist and cruel words—a man whose presence filled our home not with love but with dread and anxiety.

This night, like many nights in recent weeks, the cornfield was our little haven. I lay there with my three kids, all wrapped in duvets and blankets and shaded by the towering stalks that swayed gently above us, glancing at my wristwatch and wishing the night would age faster. We were within the hour when Phil typically returned home. His truck’s headlights were usually unmistakable. Had they slipped past while I was lost moon-gazing? If he were back home, I would have seen them piercing through the pitch darkness as he drove along the gravel road leading up to the house. And if I didn’t see them, I would have heard the truck.

Some nights, Phil would leave the truck idling in the driveway before stumbling into the house and carelessly toppling anything in his path until he reached our bedroom upstairs, ready to unleash his drunken fury on me. On some other nights, he would fall asleep at the wheel after parking the truck and leave the headlights blazing until dawn. The latter was usually the best-case scenario for me and the kids, barring the nights when he simply didn’t come home. Each night spent in our household was like a scene out of a suspense thriller; I never knew which version of Phil would come through the door, if at all.

About the Author: Born and raised on an Indiana farm, Linda Beason was steeped in the rhythms of rural life and nurtured by the enduring love of a close-knit family.

From an early age, she embraced responsibility and excelled throughout her school years. As an alumna of Purdue University— where she earned degrees in both agriculture and accounting—Linda distinguished herself academically and professionally, later working for several corporate companies, most notably the Green Giant Company, and serving honorably in the Marine Corps.

Yet despite a childhood filled with warmth and promise, Linda’s adult life took a harrowing turn when she entered a marriage that would test the very limits of her strength. For nearly a decade, she endured domestic abuse at the hands of a dangerous man whose fury was fueled by alcohol and an insatiable need for control. That turbulent period sent her racing through a whirlwind of experiences that would forever alter her path. Even in the darkest moments, however, Linda clung to her faith in God and the quiet confidence of a Midwesterner.

Linda passed away in 2024 while writing this book. Through these pages, she hoped to inspire women to overcome the challenges of toxic relationships and the hardships of motherhood, reminding them that even the deepest wounds can heal and that the promise of a brighter tomorrow is always within reach.

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God’s Coded Language Is All About Transparency by Janette C. Andrejowich – Spotlight and Giveaway

September 17, 2025 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Janette C. Andrejowich will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

For people seeking to understand the spiritual world and the deep things of God, decoding God’s language, expressed in imagery, numbers, colours, parables, parallels, stories, and foreshadows, is the essential elusive key that lights up the path of understanding the spiritual view of God. Nothing is hidden. It is written, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (I Corinthians 2:9). But this scripture only applies to those who want to see a charcoal sketch of their calling. People who receive the free gift of God’s Holy Spirit have embraced the unique Spirit, and the world in the scriptures comes alive in dazzling colour because the elusive key is found and applied.

The Apostle Paul added, “these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God” (I Corinthians 2:10).

Every aspect of God’s creation on earth is a revelation of the great Creator God for those with the Spirit-opened eyes to see, ears to hear, and a willing heart of flesh. The amazing discovery of God’s coded language is all about transparency, unveiling His plan for mankind and His holy, royal, ruling family in the making.

Enjoy an Excerpt

THE GARDEN
 

“The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing” (Isaiah 51:3).

When Adam and Eve were created, they lived in the garden of Eden. “The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed” (Genesis 2:8).

God planted His garden in the same direction as His temple. This garden, where mankind was planted, is God’s penmanship at work, painting a picture of beauty and peace. It is an immediate visual for every man, woman, and child on earth of God’s language describing His God family in the making. They are a reflection of cultivated parks, reserved forests, and natural wonders that triggers an awe-inspiring gasp.

God’s is seeding and growing His family. They will become a holy, royal, ruling family both in heaven and on earth. Located in Eden, God reveals His family home. He is at work, molding many different people who, when He is finished, will exhibit exceptional qualities and skills. They will be people with great strength: resilient, compassionate, patient, creative, resourceful, law-keeping people. From out of darkness into glorious light, the members of God’s family from earth will all be transformed into eternal bodies.

Creation on earth was not the first. Spirit beings were created and given an abode in heaven. These beings were created with essential knowledge when they were created. They can distinguish right from wrong. Unfortunately, not all has gone well in heaven. Many have turned against their Creator, the Great God. His family in heaven has been darkened and His heavenly court corrupted. Mankind, God’s second creation, will fill all of the positions once held by the fallen angels and sons of God. God is going to rebuild His fallen holy, heavenly court with repentant, righteous people. Satan is working hard to keep these plans from mankind. King David caught a glimpse of something very big and asked God, “What is man that you are mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:4)

About the Author:

Jeremiah said, “If I say, ‘I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,’ His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones, and I become weary of holding it in, and I cannot prevail” (Jeremiah 20:9). I have this same experience, which has led me to create a resource centre (https://sharingsharpens.ca) to share all of my studies, and now my books. God’s Coded Language Is All About Transparency is my first published book, which came together from many of my studies. It is like a collection, all fitting perfectly together. It is not my last book. Many are already written, soon to be placed on the shelf to accompany this one.

Buy the book at Amazon, Books-a-Million, or WalMart

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Wedding Planning by Kathy Forbes – Spotlight and Giveaway

September 10, 2025 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kathy Forbes will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

This book has everything you need to know to plan your perfect unique wedding.

This is not your typical wedding planning book. Chapter titles alone will tell you what needs to be done, and the subtitles break it down further. The book includes tips, advice, stories, templates, and notebook to keep track of everything.

All the other books, magazine articles, Instagram and Pinterest timeline posts state on the “day of” to have a good breakfast. They don’t mention the people that take care of all the duties and tasks throughout the day so you can be VIP guests at your own wedding.

The five easy steps and how they relate to each other is the foundation of this book, which will make sure you have an educational, memorable, stressless, wonderful experience throughout the whole process:

1) Timeline
2) Budget
3) “Day of” schedule
4) Duties and tasks
5) Lists and assignments

The secret is having a planned schedule that catches everything, and a specific person in charge on the “day of” that pulls it off while you enjoy with the guests. Let me show you how to perfect your wedding planning experience.

Waiting to your wedding day is just too late to realize the importance of this thought process and having a specific/special go-to-person working the “day of” on your behalf.

You will enjoy the days up to the wedding as much as the day itself, as this book helps make it all come true.

Read an Excerpt

Wedding Planning 101

This book has everything you need to know to plan your perfect unique wedding.

This is not your typical wedding planning book. Chapter titles alone will tell you what needs to be done, and the subtitles break it down further. The book includes tips, advice, stories, templates, and a notebook to keep track of everything.

All the other books, magazine articles, Instagram and Pinterest timeline posts state on the “day of” to have a good breakfast. They don’t mention the people that take care of all the duties and tasks throughout the day so you can be VIP guests at your own wedding.

There is more to planning a perfect “day of” than you think – believe me.

So, you can enjoy the days up to as much as the “day of”, this book will help.

The Reality is: 3 things are kept – your spouse, the ring, and your photographs. All the rest is but a fading memory over time. You most likely have read the saying “don’t sweat the small stuff” or as I suggest, we rewrite it for wedding planning to state “plan for the small stuff details and you won’t sweat”.

I have been married since 1973 – the oops, challenges and happenings – they all happened at our wedding and at least one of them happens at every wedding. Some things never change. This book will help you Plan for them, Minimize them and Smile through them.

This wedding planning book will help you to succeed in putting on a memorable, unique, and stress free wedding. Forge onward through these pages to discover the secret to learning how to pull it all together by just following the easy 5 steps.

Included is the industry insider stuff such as what the vendors and suppliers would like you to do, ask them and the reason why it is important. Through this direction you will acquire the knowledge of what questions to ask your vendors and suppliers. All you must do is fill in the blanks on the easy to complete templates supplied for all the steps.

As I said earlier, this is not your typical wedding planning book filled with wedding dress styles, centerpiece designs and how to walk down the aisle at the ceremony. Everyone has access to that in books, internet, and visuals on Pinterest. This book has the real stuff you need to know. It is a gift you give yourself to be happy and successful in the whole exciting process of your wedding planning.

This book shares real stories (to make a point, relate to real people and tips to make it easy) and of course professional advice.

About the Author: I knew that our youngest daughter was going to be engaged soon, so I enrolled at BCIT and got my wedding and event planning credentials in 2005. I changed careers from corporate sales analyst to something that puts meaning and joy into my life every day. In no time I put it to good use: one daughter married in 2006 and the other in 2007. I retired in 2020 but continued to expand my world. I paint and am a miniature hobbyist—both produce a connection with a memory that I want to preserve and share. I wrote this book as a memory for me, and as an educational reference book to educate you all. My goal is to make planning a wedding a wonderful experience.

My life’s motto is: be interested and interesting.

Author Website | Event Planning Website | Goodreads

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Madman by M.F. Gross – Spotlight

August 18, 2025 By Leave a Comment

 

In 1949, a brutal murder shattered the quiet of Crystal Beach, Florida, launching a dramatic manhunt through swamps and orange groves as lawmen and armed locals pursued drifter John “Rastus” Russell. But the crime was just the beginning. As secrets unraveled and a hurricane closed in, the case spiraled into a tale of deception, vengeance, and a shocking ending that stunned the nation. This is the forgotten true crime saga that turned paradise into a legend.

 

 

 

About the Author:

M.F. Gross is a writer and storyteller drawn to the hidden histories that shape our communities. A former financial journalist turned true crime detective, he spent a year uncovering the long-forgotten 1949 Crystal Beach murder at the heart of MADMAN. A longtime Florida Gulf Coast resident, Gross blends deep local insight with vivid, cinematic prose to resurrect real-life terror—and remind us it could happen again. When he’s not digging through dusty archives or retracing the steps of history, he’s exploring Florida’s wild coastlines, chasing his next untold story.
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On Sale for a Limited Time: EDMUND DULAC’S ARABIAN NIGHTS AMERICAN WEEKLY ILLUSTRATIONS: TALES FROM THE ARABIAN NIGHTS

August 2, 2025 By Leave a Comment

For a LIMITED time, EDMUND DULAC’S ARABIAN NIGHTS AMERICAN WEEKLY ILLUSTRATIONS: TALES FROM THE ARABIAN NIGHTS (EDMUND DULAC’S AMERICAN WEEKLY ILLUSTRATIONS) edited by Albert Seligman is on sale for ONLY $0.99!!

In 1923, “Edmund Dulac, the Distinguished English Artist,”as he was billed on the front covers, was contracted by the Hearst organization to paint watercolors for The American Weekly. He illustrated thirteen different series with 106 watercolors from 1924’s ‘Bible Scenes and Heroes’ through 1951’s ‘Tales from the Arabian Nights’.

The two series presented here are the 1925 ‘Characters from the Arabian Nights’ and the 1951 ‘Tales from the Arabian Nights’. The 1951 series was narrated by Watson Crewes, the staff writer for The American Weekly. We have included them with the cover illustration. There were no stories in the 1925 series, but the illustrations were all covered in the earlier book versions of The Arabian Nights which brought Dulac his initial recognition and early success.

The frontispiece for the series was Sheherezade, which was also the frontispiece for his first Arabian Nights in 1907. This was his first “Gift Book” for his publisher Hodder & Stoughton with fifty color illustrations mounted on heavy art paper at the rear of the book.

Sheherezade was, of course, the storyteller of all the 1001 stories in the Arabian Nights, which took her over three years to recount to her husband, the Sultan. She is the daughter of the Grand Vizier, and volunteered to marry the Sultan to stop him from carrying out his habit of murdering his new wife after their wedding night. She began each story, and stopped before the ending, so that the Sultan would postpone her execution till the following day to hear the ending. At the end of the three years, he renounced his vile habit, and they lived happily ever after.

The next illustration is the familiar ‘Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp’. There are two more illustrations from this tale in this series, ‘Princess Badroulboudour’ and ‘News Lamps for Old’.

Aladdin was a young boy from China who lived with his mother. His father had died recently when mysteriously his father’s brother appeared to console the family, who had never heard of him. He tricked Aladdin into helping him find a magic lamp with a powerful Genie trapped inside. But Aladdin managed to foil his plan and used the Genie to marry the Princess and build a beautiful palace where, after a few mis-adventures, they lived happily ever after.

The Caliph Haroun Al Raschid was the Commander of the Faithful in Bagdad and was involved with several of the tales of the 1001 Nights. He often would disguise himself and go wandering at night into the city to see and talk to his subjects

The tale of ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’ was included in the 1907 edition, and repeats here with different versions of the earlier drawings of Ali Baba and his slave girl Morgiana pouring hot oil in the jars where the forty thieves are hiding. Here, Ali Baba drives his mules with a contented smile, probably as he returns home with sacks of the thieves’ gold. And Morgiana has a beatific smile as she pours boiling oil on to the thieves who threaten the life of her master and herself.

The next illustration was mistakenly captioned by the editors at Hearst. Here we see the Prince staring at a bird who holds a talisman in his beak. This is not the story of the ‘Talking Bird’, also known as ‘The Three Sisters’, but the bird who led Prince Kemerezzeman astray from Princess Badoura, as you will read in the 1951 series.

‘Sindbad the Sailor and the Roc’ is again a repeat of the illustration from the 1914 edition. Here Sindbad, in his second voyage, ties himself to the leg of the gigantic Roc bird to be carried to where the diamonds are to be found.

The final illustration is ‘The Enchanted Horse’ made of ivory and ebony which will fly through the air to any destination the rider desires. Here the Prince mounts the magic horse and, without yet knowing the secret of how to manipulate the flight, takes off into the unknown to find his Princess and his fortune.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Non-Fiction

The Amazon Author Formula Workbook by Penny Sansevieri – Spotlight

July 31, 2025 By 1 Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Penny Sansevieri who is here to visit with us today.

Writing the book is one thing—turning it into a viable product on Amazon is something else entirely.

That’s where The Amazon Author Formula Workbook steps in. This companion to Penny Sansevieri’s bestselling Amazon Author Formula provides the structure, tools, and strategy authors need to improve visibility and drive meaningful sales on the world’s largest book platform. Inside, authors will find expert-designed worksheets on keyword and category research, pricing analysis, launch timeline planning, book description writing, and Amazon Ads. Also included are trackers to monitor performance and flag what needs adjusting—so you’re not just doing more, but doing what works. Each worksheet can be downloaded and printed, giving authors a flexible, repeatable system to apply with every book. It’s equal parts instruction manual, workbook, and campaign planner—built for authors who are ready to stop guessing and start growing.

About the Author: Penny Sansevieri is one of publishing’s leading voices in book marketing, known for her ability to translate high-level strategy into practical author action. Through her company, Author Marketing Experts, she’s worked with indie authors, major publishers, and brand-driven thought leaders to develop customized marketing plans that scale. With 24 books to her name, a teaching position at NYU, and a widely followed podcast, Penny remains at the forefront of what it means to be a modern, empowered author—and her work continues to shape the careers of writers across every genre.

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Non-Fiction Tagged With:

The Pyjama Boy by Steven Murphey – Spotlight and Giveaway

July 17, 2025 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.
Steven Murphy will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Steven Murphy spent his formative years in Sydney’s Redfern.

Abandoned by his mother when only weeks old, his father left him in the care of a cruel, alcoholic stepmother while he himself was in jail. Unbelievably, the child they dubbed the “Pyjama Boy” fought his way through life to achieve his ultimate goal. His story is a poignant and haunting one that captivates its reader from the very beginning and remains long after the book has been closed.

AN INSPIRATIONAL TALE OF SUCCESS AGAINST THE ODDS

Enjoy an Excerpt

It had been as if he had walked into the grimmest setting of his chequered childhood and before he had seen the blood. It was as if he could hear from the front room the thuds and shouts as his drunken father was bashing Nina in the bedroom, berating her as a lazy woman and a bad mother. As he ironed his uniform, Steve marveled at the changes in his life. What would Nina think of him wearing one of these? Would she swear and pour ridicule on him for going over to ‘the filth’?

Steve’s parents were heavy drinkers. Drinking shaped their lives and his. There were times when drink took all the money they had, but Vincent Murphy worked in many an honest job,
whereas Nina would rarely stir herself enough to wipe the inside of a saucepan or empty the bucket which served as a chamber pot by her bed.

About the Author:

I’ve never thought of myself as special-just someone who has lived through life’s challenges like everyone else. But over time, I’ve come to see that by sharing my journey, with all its imperfections, I might offer something meaningful to others. Life moves so quickly, and the choices we make shape everything. My hope is that by being honest about my experiences, others might find encouragement or even a little clarity for their own paths.

Speaking at Schools and events across Australia has been an unexpected privilege. These moments aren’t about presenting a perfect image; they’re about connecting with people on a real, human level. I bring photos, videos, and documents to show the truth of my story-not to impress but to connect. When I speak openly, sharing the vulnerabilities and lessons I’ve learned, something powerful happens: the audience feels it, and suddenly, it’s not just my story-its something they can see themselves in, too.

If you would like to have Steve speak to your School, group or organization he can be contacted through email: stevenmurphy_11@bigpond.com

You can connect with Steven Murphy through a number of platforms to learn more about his story and work.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | YouTube
Visit his website to view the one bedroom flats he uses to live in and show his living conditions as described in the book.

Feel free to reach out — Steven is always happy to connect with readers and share more about his journey.

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How I Obtained the Edmund Dulac American Weekly Collection by Albert Seligman – Guest Post and Giveaway

July 1, 2025 By 9 Comments

Long and Short Reviews is very happy to welcome Albert Seligman who is visiting with us to tell us about Edmund Dulac and his American Weekly Collection. Enter the Rafflecopter at the end of the post for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card.

How I Obtained the Edmund Dulac American Weekly Collection
Edmund Dulac is remembered today as one of the founding fathers of the Golden Age of Illustration, roughly from 1875-1925. His luxurious ‘gift books’ of the early 20th century were covered in vellum and issued in signed limited editions with tipped-in color plates. Many were also published in American trade editions. But after the First World War, the gift book market evaporated and Dulac, like many other artists and illustrators, was financially challenged.

In November 1923, Ray Long, one of the editors for the W R Hearst Sunday supplement The American Weekly, offered Dulac a commission to paint an annual series, from eight to twelve illustrations, on a mutually agreed upon theme. The first series, Bible Scenes and Heroes, was to appear next year in Autumn of 1924.

Dulac’s contract lasted for 28 years. He painted thirteen series and 106 covers for the Sunday supplement. In 1951 The American Weekly ceased using paintings for their covers, and started using photography.

My own involvement with The American Weekly covers was through a fortunate meeting with Ann C. Hughey, who published the complete Dulac bibliography of his nearly 100 books. At the time, I was an avid collector of Golden Age illustrators, and Dulac was my specialty. Ann wrote the American Weekly checklist for Colin White’s Edmund Dulac biography with all thirteen series and each issue by title and date. I was able to contact her through an East Coast book dealer, and she invited me to spend the weekend and see her collection. When I asked her to show me the American Weekly covers, she replied that they were never republished since they first appeared. We thought it would be a worthwhile project to find and publish all the covers in one volume, for the benefit of fellow Dulac collectors and dealers.

Of course, we didn’t know where to find the original covers, as most of the newspapers from the 1920’s through the 50’s were long gone. I was living in San Francisco and much of my book collection was provided by Bud Plant and Jim Vadeboncoeur (Jim contributed The American Weekly article for Wikipedia). Jim recommended I call Bill Blackbeard, who owned and operated The San Francisco Academy of Comic Art. Bill had the largest collection of comic art in the whole country, although I didn’t realize it at the time. He had all the Dulac American Weekly’s lying flat in his garage. Bill allowed us to remove the covers and have them professionally photographed. After he died in 2011, his entire seven-ton collection was removed to the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum at The Ohio State University.

Watch a video about Bill Blackbeard’s collection.
Ann Hughey self-published her bibliography two years later in 1995 and was starting on her second book, the Dulac magazine illustrations. We planned The American Weekly Covers to be her third book, and she wrote the introduction.
The photographers provided us with transparencies to use in making the printing plates for a full-color publication. We made many submissions to art and comic publishers, but no one wanted to risk the money for such a large color run. This was long before the digital process revolutionized printing, and 10,000 book runs were the minimum for profitability. Reluctantly, we shelved the project, and it never went any further. Ann passed away in 2014.
Only recently I had the transparencies digitalized, and I now have high resolution digital images, suitable for web or print publishing. My first project was an eBook of the 106 The American Weekly Covers, with only a short introduction. The goal was to have something of reference for the collectors and the public to enjoy, and that fit the bill. I discovered with such high-resolution images there were more printing flaws than I first realized. The newspaper covers were all over seventy years old when we photographed them, and were not a high-quality printing job to begin with. So, I have slowly restored the images, one series at a time, and published them individually in a series of short books.

The entire collection Edmund Dulac-His American Weekly Collection, is due on July 4, 2025, after nearly 35 years. This edition includes the Introduction written by Ann Hughey, all thirteen American Weekly series fully restored, with the original newspaper captions. The magazine illustrations from his American contributions, as well as several original watercolors from Ann’s personal collection add context and enhance the collection. These illustrations represent the largest single body of watercolors in Edmund Dulac’s long career.

Watch a video about Edmund Dulac’s art.

In 1923, “Edmund Dulac, the Distinguished English Artist,”as he was billed on the front covers, was contracted by the Hearst organization to paint watercolors for The American Weekly magazine, the Sunday supplement for the newspapers. The contract lasted nearly 30 years. Dulac painted 106 watercolors from 1924-1951 for thirteen different series for The American Weekly. This is Dulac’s largest body of work, and has never before been assembled or published.

This collection includes all full color illustrations used for the front covers and several that were never published. All the images have been restored and printed with high quality inks.

Ann Conolly Hughey was Dulac’s bibliographer, and published her edition of his nearly 100 books in 1995. She wrote his history of publishing in America for inclusion in this volume. She was also a collector of Dulac’s books, paintings, drawings, stamps and correspondence, and has one of the most complete collections in the world.

About the Author: I am a lifelong fan of illustrated books and magazines and passed many pleasant hours collecting books and sharing information and images with fellow collectors and dealers. I was especially interested in the “Golden Age of Illustration” between 1875-1925. I was a strong collector of Edmund Dulac illustrated books, and was able to photograph the complete collection of his American Weekly illustrations from the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art owned by Bill Blackbeard. The collection is now housed at Ohio State University in the Billy Ireland Comic Art Museum.

The publishing business has changed considerably over the last 30 years and by taking advantage of digital technology I hope to publish many of his famous and lesser known illustrations in the coming months.

If you have suggestions for future Dulac titles or own original artwork you would like to have included in future editions please contact me. I am looking forward to working with other Dulac fans and collectors.

If anyone is wondering if I am the same author of The Sport Band System, indeed I am. Unfortunately, the Sport Bands are no longer being produced. After writing this instruction manual I spent my last years in the training profession at UCSF in the Dept. of Neurology. There I had the privilege of working with medical professionals and patients developing physical training rehabilitation programs for MS, stroke, PD, SCI and other neurological related maladies. I retired in 2008 and now I am enjoying my “Golden Years” working with the Dulac eBooks project.

Just so you know I’m not a ‘one trick pony’, I have a nice Arabian Nights non-Dulac survey that was released in December. There are around 50 English language illustrated editions from 1800-1950 of the 1001 tales and their Golden Age illustrators.

Alamy Portfolio Page
Buy Arabian Nights Illustrated and The American Weekly Covers of Edmund Dulac at Amazon. The hardcopy version of the book is now available at Amazon.

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My Bully, My Aunt, and her Final Gift by Harold Phifer – Spotlight and Giveaway

June 24, 2025 By 9 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Harold Phifer will be awarding a $15 Starbucks gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Welcome to Long and Short Reviews. Can you share an excerpt from My Bully, My Aunt, and Her Final Gift?

Next, the secretary advised me to take a seat while she notified the headmaster of my arrival. During those dreadful moments, I did everything I could to remain calm. Nervously, I kept patting my foot on the floor and heard each and every tap. Suddenly, shouts of extreme havoc rang out just like the other times! “Oh God no! Jesus, please help me, Lawd! I got you, Sir, I got you,” were screams filling the airwaves. The door opened, and a battered female raced right past me with her hands covering her face. She kept mumbling phrases that shouldn’t be repeated by innocent lips. I couldn’t believe those disgusting words coming out of her baby-sized mouth.

Then damn, another nightmare was possibly moments away. I needed an out and fast. Fearing for my life, I formulated my plan of action. Right before Principal Shellshock steadies his paddle, I was going to blow out all the gas I reserved in my little butt. I was never a fan of the fart game, but I was scheming like a veteran. That’s all I had, and it was my “A game.” I intended to rip a good, hard one that opens my belt, ruffles my pants, and sends my new shoes flying across the room. Then all options would be left to the principal. He could chance tearing into me and losing a lung or take cover and let me go. Punishing me will become a hazard to his health.

For the moment, I felt really good about that notion. I didn’t have much else to cling to, but I was dangerously packing breakfast from Aunt Kathy. Yes, I was sure my stink bomb defense would win that day. According to past reports, I would be the first and only kid at Mitchell Memorial to get on the scoreboard against the headmaster. Make that, Hal “1” and Principal Shell Shock “0.”

What characters or part of the book was the most fun to write? Which part was the hardest?

“Two Of A Kind” was the most fun! However, the opening was hard to write because I felt a lot of guilt for appearing to celebrate her death. After all, Aunt Kathy was a relative and all the lineage I had left.

Are you a punster, planner, or someone in between?

I’m definitely in between. I love little puns just for the laugh or shock value. Like: “When I get you, you’ll know you have been got!” But, I do plan out a lot of “gotchas or cliches just for the fun of it. Many of my characters are from my past experiences. Some, I do drum up to fit the situation.

Where do you get character inspiration?

Many of my characters are from my past experiences. Some, I do drum up to fit the situation.

Aunt Kathy made his childhood miserable—now her funeral might just set him free.

In this wickedly funny and deeply honest memoir, Harold Phifer revisits the chaos of growing up under the thumb of a domineering aunt who ruled with twisted wisdom and unpredictable wrath. As he plans her awkward memorial, Hal finds healing in the most unexpected place: her absence. My Bully, My Aunt, and Her Final Gift is a heartfelt journey through trauma, truth, and the strange gifts we inherit from those who hurt us most.

About the Author: Harold Phifer was born in the rebellious South of Columbus, Mississippi. As a kid, he worked the streets, hustled the neighbors, and bused tables at bars he didn’t belong in. After graduating from Caldwell High School, he went on to earn degrees from Mississippi State and Jackson State Universities. He became an Air Traffic Controller in Memphis, Tennessee, but after 23 years, he sought purpose elsewhere—working as an international contractor alongside soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. After narrowly escaping the Taliban takeover in 2021, he took refuge at Guantanamo Bay and resumed his writing while continuing his work as a controller. In 2024, he returned to the Middle East, where he continues to write about life, love, and the human spirit.

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