The Radical Realism of Jesus by Jeyran Main – Spotlight and Giveaway

January 5, 2026 By 1 Comment

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jeyran Main 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.

The Radical Realism of Jesus explores how Christ’s life and teachings confront the assumptions of our modern world. From rationalism and empiricism to pragmatism and nihilism, Jesus’ words intersect with philosophy, science, and contemporary culture—offering a lived, transformative faith that challenges, inspires, and equips readers to live fully in the 21st century.

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From the beginning, Jesus has consistently defied human expectations. He clashed with religious authorities, challenged societal norms, and even surprised his own disciples. Faith, as Kierkegaard emphasized, is a tension-filled encounter with the unpredictable claim of God. Jesus does not allow us to tame Him with neat definitions; He is the living Word who confronts our assumptions and stretches our understanding of God and the world.

In a modern age defined by scientific revolutions, technological advancements, and rationalist philosophies, many of us search for certainty, meaning, and moral guidance. Yet, the Gospel remains disruptive. Jesus is not an abstract ideal; He is historical, embodied, and relational. He experienced hunger, fatigue, betrayal, and hope. He engaged life fully, showing that realism and spiritual depth are not mutually exclusive. Even in a world governed by measurement, reason, and empiricism, Jesus challenges us to consider ethics, purpose, and human flourishing in ways that transcend material explanation.

This book examines Jesus within contemporary frameworks of thought—from Rationalism and Empiricism to Pragmatism and Scientism—showing that His life and teachings remain radically relevant. The Kingdom of God is not abstract; it demands reflection, engagement, and action. Jesus remains aspirational and transformative, inviting each reader to wrestle with faith, reason, and the meaning of life in a modern context.
About the Author: Jeyran Main has spent years immersed in the world of books as an editor. She is the author of God’s Surprising Way: The Path to Lasting Joy, Healing, and Love and serves as Editor-in-Chief of Living in the Light of the Cross magazine. Through her platform, HeavenlyHarmonyHub.com, she shares resources that encourage thoughtful engagement with faith. Guided by a passion for seeking truth, Jeyran now turns to the radical teachings of Jesus, exploring how they confront cultural assumptions and invite us into a transformed way of living that endures beyond cultural trends.

Website | Heaveny Harmony Hub

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The Art of Human Connection by Adir Biniamini – Spotlight and Giveaway

December 16, 2025 By 1 Comment

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Adir Biniamini 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.

In an age of extreme technology and growing separation, we’ve lost our way. We’ve traded authentic human connection for a world of aggressive tactics, self-serving behaviors, and fleeting transactions that leave us feeling isolated and unfulfilled.

The Art of Human Connection offers a powerful and ethical alternative, a return to our shared humanity.

This educational book is your essential guide to mastering the simple yet profound skills that form the bedrock of true success. Through a series of practical insights and transformative principles, you will learn how to:

– Cultivate Self-Awareness: Understand your own emotional landscape and its impact on every interaction.

– Build Authentic Relationships: Master the art of empathy and genuine communication to forge instant rapport and build lasting trust.

– Navigate with Confidence: Learn to move through professional and personal challenges with less friction and more grace.

“The truest version of a person is never who they perform to be, it is who they become when they forget to perform!”

This is a powerful call to action, inviting you to reflect on your own experiences and visualize a clear path to improvement. By embracing this approach, you will discover a liberating truth: your greatest success and most profound connections begin the moment you stop performing and simply start being.

Enjoy an Excerpt

How often have you caught yourself rehearsing a conversation, worried about sounding “too pushy” or “not professional enough”? That internal hesitation, the voice that whispers, “I shouldn’t share that anecdote” or “I can’t ask that question”, is a massive barrier to real connection. It’s called Waiting for Permission, and it keeps you locked into a rigid script, sacrificing genuine curiosity and spontaneity for safety. But here’s the game-changer: you don’t need external approval to create a powerful, human connection. The permission slip is self-written.

Here is your three-step guide to stop waiting for permission and start showing up as your most impactful self.

Write Your Own Permission Slip: Trust Your Gut

The key to unlocking connection is recognizing that your authentic impulse is valuable. Stop seeking external validation and start acting on your intuition.

Practice Proactive Empathy: Show genuine interest right away with a sincere opener like, “I know you’re busy; thanks for making time,” to establish a welcoming tone.

Share with Courage: If you feel an authentic impulse to ask a slightly more personal or relevant question, or share a relevant story, do it. That’s where real connection happens.

Not long ago, I was coaching a client who was preparing for a high-stakes networking event. She had rehearsed her “elevator pitch” dozens of times, but when she practiced with me, it felt stiff and distant. I asked her to set aside the script and instead share why she cared so deeply about her work. She hesitated, “That’s too personal, isn’t it?”, but then told a short story about how her project had helped a struggling family regain stability. The moment she spoke from that place of authenticity, her entire presence shifted. Her voice carried warmth, her eyes lit up, and suddenly, she wasn’t performing, she was connecting. At the event, she led with that story. Instead of polite nods, she received genuine engagement, follow-up questions, and even an unexpected partnership opportunity. The difference wasn’t in her words; it was in her willingness to stop waiting for permission and trust her authentic impulse.

About the Author:Adir Biniamini is a visionary coach and the author of The Art of Human Connection. His journey into coaching began after a long and successful entrepreneurial career where he learned firsthand that genuine connection is the cornerstone of success.

From working at a flea market as a teenager to launching multiple businesses, Adir quickly discovered the power of authentic communication. A pivotal piece of advice, “Be exactly who you are . . . real, friendly, inviting,” became his guiding light. Thirty years and successful businesses later, this commitment to genuine human connection remains the cornerstone of his success.

Adir’s unique philosophy, forged from a lifetime of business and personal challenges, is built on the belief that a deep connection to ourselves is the key to creating meaningful relationships with others. Through his work, he helps clients master the essential skills of emotional intelligence and rapport, empowering them to navigate challenges and create lasting success in every facet of their lives.

Website/ | Goodreads

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The Hotel Guru’s Journey by Robert Rauch – Spotlight and Giveaway

December 10, 2025 By 1 Comment

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Robert Rauch 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 over half a century, Robert Rauch, referred to as “The Hotel Guru”, has witnessed and made history within the evolution of modern hospitality. From performing night audits on Sweda cash registers in the 1970s to utilizing AI-enabled revenue strategies today, he has seen it all. The Hotel Guru’s Journey combines his fascinating behind-the-scenes narratives with proven operating insights.

This unique operations guidebook shares both the “war” stories and the systems that matter. Rauch shares lessons learned the hard way in trust, crisis management, technology adoption, and leadership. And aside from the entertaining personal experiences, you’ll gain access to tried-and-true frameworks, in-the-trenches checklists, and practical guidance for all aspects of hotel operations.

Whether you’re breaking ground on your first property, expanding a hospitality portfolio, or seeking to avoid costly mistakes, Rauch’s five decades of experience provide your competitive advantage in building a successful and sustainable hotel.

For up-and-coming hoteliers, veteran general managers, and hospitality investors, The Hotel Guru’s Journey is your map to long-term success.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Wellness

True wellness is about more than just physical health. It encompasses mental and emotional well-being too. Offering a range of amenities designed to help guests relax, recharge, and feel great is the goal. From spa services to tranquil relaxation areas, providing the perfect environment to unwind and find balance will always score points. We’ve built spas into hotels, but they’re tough to make profitable. As hotel operators, we knew we didn’t have the skills necessary to operate a successful spa, but the fix was simple: bring in a spa operator as a partner! We chose a spa operator who had a following in the areas of hair, nails, facials, massage, and more. Professional spa operators are better than most hoteliers at operating a spa and will help make including a spa more profitable in the long run. But that’s not where our wellness desires ended. We continually get involved in each of the wellness modalities.

Nutrition

Eating well is crucial for maintaining energy and vitality, especially when away from home. Menus should be carefully curated to offer a variety of nutritious options, catering to diverse dietary needs and preferences. Prioritizing whole foods and balanced meals, supporting the body’s natural rhythms and promoting sustained well-being throughout a guest stay is a noble deed. Our chefs are in tune with this, and they shop locally so that everything is fresh. At our newest hotel, opened in late 2024, our chef was even featured as the top chef in the region! And our menus always have gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options. Nutrition can include fun activities as well. We’ve often partnered with wineries, chocolatiers, and beer brewmasters. Nutrition isn’t the focus, but in moderation, wine, beer, and dark chocolate can provide a great combination of mindfulness, delight, and healthy imbibing! Cooking classes with our chefs are also in high demand, and wine tastings paired with healthy choices are a close second.

About the Author:

With a bachelor’s degree in Hotel Administration from Western International University and a master’s degree in Tourism Administration from Arizona State University, Mr. Rauch has served as president and on the board of numerous tourism organizations. Mr. Rauch is a recently retired faculty member at Arizona State University and taught Tourism Industry Entrepreneurship. He is widely quoted on television and radio and in numerous publications, including the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Los Angeles Times. He speaks at industry conferences regularly and has developed several leading brand hotels, three of which the firm still owns and manages, and has been a finalist for CEO of the year in San Diego, CA, and Phoenix, AZ.

Mr. Rauch currently utilizes his private company, R. A. Rauch & Associates, Inc., to provide management services for his owned hotels, consulting services for various Wall Street firms and selected litigation support clients, and asset management services designed to provide hotel owners with oversight and review of potential and currently operating hotels. He also serves as Chairman and Chief Strategist of Brick Hospitality, a company formed by his management team to operate hotels in California. Mr. Rauch recently sold RAR Hospitality, a leading hospitality management firm with 20 hotels under management or development, retaining management of selected hotels where he serves as an owner in San Diego. As a student, teacher, and mentor in the hospitality industry over a six-decade period, Mr. Rauch continues to be active at industry conferences, in key meetings, and when needed to support the hospitality sector.

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Goodreads/a>

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The Sovereign Self by Stacey Dutton – Spotlight

December 5, 2025 By Leave a Comment

The sixties often bring a renewed focus on what feels authentic, grounded, and internally aligned. The Sovereign Self by Stacey Dutton explores these themes through the lens of emotional mastery and personal sovereignty.The Sovereign Self invites readers into a deeper understanding of the inner shifts that accompany the sixties. Stacey Dutton reflects on how emotional patterns formed in earlier decades begin to surface, revealing opportunities for clarity and self-governance. She examines topics such as identity evolution, emotional curation, shifting relationships, boundaries, joy, the body’s changes, and the practice of stillness. The book offers guidance on transitioning from reaction to response, choosing presence over performance, and cultivating a grounded relationship with oneself. Dutton presents this decade as a period of refinement and self-return, where women can embrace emotional sovereignty with intention and depth.

You are not done. You are still becoming. Let this manifesto be your guide to a luminous, inner-driven life—filled with joy, purpose, self-love, and emotional mastery.

By the time we reach our sixties, we’ve lived a multitude of lives—witnessing history, heartbreak, and countless personal revolutions. We’ve been daughters, lovers, mothers, professionals, creators, and caretakers. Now, standing at the threshold of a new era, we are free from old expectations and ready to claim a life that is truly our own. Yet change can bring uncertainty.

If you’ve wondered what lies ahead or how to thrive in the years to come, Stacey Dutton’s The Sovereign Self is your essential companion. Discover how the mental, emotional, and physical shifts associated with aging can become sources of power, clarity, and freedom. With practical wisdom and heartfelt encouragement, this book will help you.

Enjoy an Excerpt:

THE MIND AS AN EMOTIONAL ATHLETE

Much like physical strength, emotional mastery requires active engagement. A woman does not wake up one morning emotionally agile, just as she does not develop high muscle tone overnight. Emotional engagement is a practice, like going to Pilates class or lifting weights a few times a week. And yet, many women enter their sixties believing that emotional maturity should be automatic, a natural byproduct of their age.

This is a fallacy. A woman who neglects her emotional strength and agility will find herself bound by old wounds, reactive tendencies, and outdated narratives.

But a woman who deliberately trains her mind—who practices stillness, discernment, and inquiry—will discover a different reality. She will no longer be pulled into every emotional undercurrent. She will not be at the mercy of her past. She will move through her days with a kind of cultivated stillness, unshaken by the temporary and attuned to what truly matters.

This is the foundation of everything that follows in her life.

About the Author: Stacey Dutton is an entertainment executive, creative producer, and emotional mastery advocate with more than three decades of experience across the music, television, and film industries. She was the original on-air host of TLC/Discovery’s Clean Sweep and later the casting director for the Emmy Award–winning Clean House on The Style Network. Through her developing platform, LiveSovereignSelf.com, she guides women in their third act toward clarity, boundaries, and emotional sovereignty. Stacey lives in New Preston, Connecticut, with her husband and their rescue dog.

Website | Instagram

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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.

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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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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.

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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.

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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.
Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Mystery/Suspense, Non-Fiction Tagged With:

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.

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