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THE RADICAL REALISM OF JESUS
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.
Read an Excerpt
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: https://jeyranmain.com/
Heaveny Harmony Hub: http://www.HeavenlyHarmonyHub.com
https://kingsumo.com/js/embed.js
THE SPIRIT OF VANDERLAAN
THE SPIRIT OF VANDERLAAN
Susan Harris Howell
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GENRE: Paranormal cozy mystery
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BLURB:
When beloved professor, Samantha Hayes, learns that her favorite four students live in as many of her old dorm rooms, she wonders how it happened and for what purpose. As she and her student entourage explore the possibilities, they uncover a death years ago and what appears to be the ghost of the dearly departed. All of this stirs up Samantha’s long-held fear that she was responsible for that death, challenging all she thought she knew about herself and the work she holds dear. They must figure out what happened before Samantha gets fired for “dabbling in the paranormal.”
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EXCERPT
As she walked to her first class of the day, Samantha congratulated herself that for the first time this semester she would arrive at her own class on time. A glance at her watch revealed she even had five minutes to spare. With Douglas Hall in sight and her classroom on its main floor, she was sure to make it on time—
“Samantha!”
Grrr! So close. Although showing up late for class frustrated her, she was mostly annoyed by the person who was about to detain her. If I ignore him, maybe he’ll go away.
“Samantha!” This time he was more insistent.
Samantha released a breath of resignation. She should have known better. He wasn’t the kind to be ignored. Samantha turned to face him as she reached the door of the building. She hadn’t been at Vanderlaan long enough to flout someone who carried the weight around here that he did. “What can I do for you, Len?”
Dr. Len Titus stood before her, dressed as always, in a suit with a starched white shirt and tie which he would loosen by afternoon. His graying hair with a precise part on the side had become his hallmark, along with his hands-on-hips pose and gravelly voice. Levi’s imitation of each was spot on, although professional decorum required that Samantha refrain from the encouragement her laughter would ensure. Since Len Titus was of slight frame, someone unfamiliar with this man might assume passivity or weakness. Not Samantha.
“I see we’re both teaching in Douglas Hall this semester,” he said. “Hope I won’t be in your way.” He peered over his wire-rimmed glasses. “Or you in mine.”
Samantha took a breath, gritted her teeth, and walked through the door. She would use the back entrance next time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
I am a psychologist, speaker, and author of The Spirit of Vanderlaan, my debut novel released in December of 2024. This book is a fun, cozy, ghost story featuring a professor, Samantha Hayes, and her lively band of students who get caught up in solving a campus mystery. This book draws on my teaching career of over thirty years to capture the camaraderie and warmth between a professor and the assortment of personalities which inhabit her office.
I have also published extensively on equality between women and men. My first book, Buried Talents, explores the subtle ways women are discouraged from entering male-dominated occupations. Buried Talents was named a winner in InterVarsity Press’s 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards.
My husband and I have two grown children, a daughter-in-law, one adorable grandson, and an incorrigible beagle named Doc. While Doc doesn’t understand a word I say, he fully supports my books and their content.
Website: https://susanharrishowell.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susan_h_howell/
Email List & Monthly Blog: https://susanharrishowell.substack.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanhowellwriter
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Susan-Harris-Howell/author/B09JL6T1RX?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1723819866&sr=8-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22175282.Susan_Harris_Howell
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/susan-harris-howell
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Vanderlaan-Samantha-Hayes-Book-ebook/dp/B0DHV65RM4?ref_=ast_author_dp
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-spirit-of-vanderlaan-susan-howell/1146282868?ean=9781509258888
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
Susan Harris Howell will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
HE – Blurb Blitz
HE.
Gregory Pakis
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GENRE: Erotic Horror
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BLURB:
A sexually open-minded couple, Lester and Val, have recently moved into a stylish yet eerie apartment building.
Val’s curiosity is piqued when she starts to receive unusual messages and requests from an anonymous messenger.
Lester is also cautiously intrigued, as Val starts to fulfill the requests.
A suspected sex club soon becomes media headlines when a former member disappears, and the club is reported to have vacated its last premises.
As the messages persist, Lester and Val start to question whether the anonymous messenger is connected to the clandestine club mentioned in the media, and if there is any link between him or the club and the odd newcomers in the apartment next door.
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EXCERPT
She sat on the couch and stared across the room. Three men sitting opposite watched her closely. Seemingly daring each other to make the first move. None of them summoned the courage. It was understandable. Her beauty was unsettling.
The kind you’d see in a dream. She had a fixed distant stare. She held her space well. Her presence was elusive. Intimidating. You couldn’t quite describe it. Couldn’t be entirely sure about her. She had a nervousness that made her approachable, but then a look in her eye stopped you cold.
Seated nearby, a bespectacled man also watched the woman.
her husband
Couples and singles moved about the party – chatting, flirting, but this man just sat watching her, pretending not to. If you paid attention long enough, you realised the woman was completely aware he was watching.
maybe he is just her boyfriend
they did arrive at the party together, didn’t they
One of the men whispered to the others that he had seen them at a previous party. That they didn’t ‘play’ on that occasion either.
maybe they were just friends
If the man was her partner and approaching her led to some kind of confrontation, he looked easy enough to handle.
there’s three of us..
But the man watching had a fastidious, aggressive quality that was strangely unsettling. Had a striking face. Was well-groomed and gym fit.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
BIO
Gregory Pakis is an Australian author, film-maker, actor and wacky vlogger.
He has written the short story, The Lonely Australian of the Asian Night; the soon to be released horror-suspense novellas, The Regressor and He., and Memoir of a Suburban Hoe-Bo, which is partly an account of when he lived out of a van for ten years in Melbourne.
Gregory Pakis is also the writer / director of the feature films, The Garth Method (2005) and The Joe Manifesto (2013), which have won national and international awards and been distributed through Accent Entertainment, Label, Vanguard Cinema.
Gregory’s more informal video projects are the feature documentaries, Garth Goes Hitch-Hiking (2007) and Garth Lives in a Van (2011) which have screened at film festivals in Australia.
More recently, he has created the comedy series, suBURPieS and his Wacky Vlog which can found on his socials.
Gregory has been featured in articles in newspapers, The Age, The Herald Sun, Beat Magazine, Inpress, FILMINK, and the Neos Kosmos. He has been interviewed on radio by the ABC, 3RRR, SYN FM, 3CR.
HE. LINKS
AMAZON SALES LINK
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJYRJK5W
BOOK TRAILER
https://youtu.be/Kmzbq39uREY
AUTHOR CHAT TO CAMERA VIDEO
https://youtu.be/gb76iJdAUak
WEB PAGE (WITH MEDIA KIT)
https://www.gpak.org/books/he
CONTACT
GREGORY PAKIS
info@gpak.org
SITES
BOOKS https://www.gpak.org/
FILMS https://guerillafilmnite.com/
SOCIALS
Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/gregorypakis/
Tik Tok / https://www.tiktok.com/@gregorypakis
Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/gpakis
X / https://x.com/GPakis
YouTube / https://www.youtube.com/@Films_Books._Vlogs
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.
THE SECRET COTTAGE
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.
Isabel Tate yearns for the simple pleasures she took for granted before scandal rocked her family two years ago. On May Day, she’s determined to forget her troubles and enjoy herself at the Claremont family’s annual festival.
Meanwhile, Robert Claremont steels himself to begin courting the haughty heiress next door, but his bashfulness is only one obstacle to winning her hand. Despite a deep sense of family obligation, he dreams of choosing his own bride.
Captivated by each other from the moment they meet, Robert and Isabel are kept apart by a misunderstanding until a chance encounter leads to friendship and more.
With opposition on all sides, they must overcome inconceivable odds to claim happiness.
Read an Excerpt
Isabel turned her horse into the woods, directing him to a gurgling stream under a canopy of trees. The forest was quiet but for the splashing of the water, bird songs and the rustle of branches. They hadn’t been there long when Isabel heard a new sound. Hoofbeats and muffled voices. She urged her horse closer to the road, and easily heard the riders’ conversation.
“What makes you think she came this way?” a man asked.
A deeper voice answered, “Merely a guess. It seemed as good a place as any to look, but I’m thwarted again.”
“Let’s turn back, we can look for her tomorrow.”
“I’m sitting for the portrait tomorrow.”
Isabel’s pulse quickened as she recognized the deeper voice. Robert Claremont. So he’d been looking for her. Why hadn’t he come to the house? She started back toward the stream, but suddenly reason left her and she guided her horse through the trees, emerging just as Robert and his companion rounded the bend going in the opposite direction. They hadn’t seen her.
Isabel paused for a moment, thinking what to do. Go back home and hope he came to the house soon? Or seek him out for herself? Her reckless side won. Spurring her horse to a gallop, she chased after them. Robert turned in his saddle and Isabel was delighted with the look of shock on his face as she sped past him and who she could now see was Mr. Kensington.
About the Author: Kate grew up in a woodsy New England town where summer days at the lake seemed to last forever. She read her first historical romance at age eleven when a teacher challenged her to find a book in the library written by an author she’d never heard of. Thus began a life-long love of love stories.
After graduating from college with an art degree she settled in the Pacific Northwest, where she currently resides with her family.
Kate wrote her first romance when she was sixteen, then set her pen down for years until another story floated into her head out of the clear blue sky. She jotted it down, just for fun, but soon it took on a life of its own.
Website: http://www.kateellington.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kateellingtonauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/29720924.Kate_Ellington
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kateellingtonwrites
SEVEN DAYS AT MANNERLEY
SEVEN DAYS AT MANNERLEY
Audrey Schuyler Lancho
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GENRE: Historical Romance
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BLURB:
The suitcase she found changed everything. The contents? An elegant dress and an invitation in another girl’s name. Twenty-three-year-old Mary would go to the ball, enjoy how the rich lived just for one night, and then quietly slip back into her real life, sorting rubbish as a poor barmaid. No harm done. Of course, there wouldn’t be much of a story to tell had it turned out that way.
It’s 1870 in rural England, and Mary assumes the identity of the suitcase owner, Agnes. When Mary’s one night at Mannerley estate turns into a seven-day, hilarious farce, she quickly makes friends, finds suitors, and keeps fibbing. Not only does Arthur, the heir himself, fall for her, but so, too, does Mr. Singh, his friend visiting from India, making advances in plain sight of the heir. Making matters worse, a former workmate recognizes Mary and extorts her: she must steal a golden watch from the heir for him or have her true identity exposed and risk being thrown in jail, which could mean death–and that would certainly ruin her stolen, er, borrowed ball gown.
The only way Mary can get close enough to Arthur to steal his watch is via sensuality and flirtation. But as Mary scrambles to cover her tracks, her lies and crimes compound, weaving themselves into an impossible tangle. All the while Agnes, the real owner of the fancy ball gown, is making her way ever-closer to Mannerley.
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EXCERPT
She swung the door open, pocketing her key, and grabbed the corner of her dress and held it to walk. Arthur was standing a short way off by the stairs where he had been waiting for her, every golden hair perfectly combed. His pocket watch’s chain glistened on his vest in the lamplight. He heard her and turned to face her.
“Your hair. It’s wild.”
“I’m sorry, I slept too long.”
“I like it,” he said almost too quietly, a bit raspy, and she took his arm. Once again, she was his object, and she didn’t know quite what to make of it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Audrey has always written stories. Her very first picture book which she wrote in early elementary school was about a mean, grumpy tooth fairy. Her first “novel”, bound using a cardboard cereal box, was written in the fourth grade. By high school, she was writing secret novels of her own, usually naming her characters by her own initials. By her twenties, she knew that writing was her calling––and she’s so glad you’re reading her debut romance!
Audrey lives in North Carolina with her Spaniard husband and two young sons, is completely bilingual in Spanish, and enjoys church, crochet, jigsaw puzzles, time with friends, yoga, and funny movies. She’s a freelance fiction editor on Upwork, an editor at a literary agency. She also writes contemporary romance under the name Audrey Lancho. Her debut contemporary is due out in May 2025 from Harpeth Road. You can learn more about Audrey by visiting http://www.audreylancho.com and signing up for her newsletter––she promises not to spam you; she’ll just inform you of big happenings and new releases. Audrey also enjoys connecting with readers and other authors on X/Twitter and Instagram (@audreylancho).
AUTHOR LINKS
Website/Newsletter: www.audreylancho.com/connect
Amazon Author: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Audrey-Schuyler-Lancho/author/B0CSGN9RVG
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/47903487.Audrey_Schuyler_Lancho
Upwork (editorial services): https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~016edfde2663d23587
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550654740294
Twitter: https://twitter.com/audreylancho
Instagram: https://instagram.com/audreylancho
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
The author will award a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.
MAMACADABRA
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Starting her third year of marriage, Carrie Monroe O’Keefe had already been on the roller coaster of extreme highs and lows of a newly blended family. Thinking she could do a better job of navigating marriage, stepmotherhood, working full time, and all of the things, she embarked on a year of “what if.”
Settling into her role as wife and mom, she tried to find ways to do things better, see things differently, and reframe her thinking to create a better home for her family and to feel more at home herself. With humor, unwavering honesty, vulnerability, and sarcasm, Carrie finds her way through the year and to her true self.
From Chapter: A Real Mom After All
No one can fully prepare you for the journey of being a stepmom. In the early days, I doubted myself daily, suffered from depression, considered divorce, and constantly questioned the meaning and viability of our relationship. My relationship with my little girls that is.
I had to look at the kind of mom I wanted to be and the kind of mom I actually was. Because we only have our little girls half the time, I was consumed with worry about what their life was like when they weren’t with us. However, this only led to me being too uptight, too rigid, and too crabby. When they came home, the worry subsided but then I turned into a crazy mom, constantly trying to have everything work perfectly. Which, obviously, isn’t a thing.
It took a while, but eventually everything just kind of fell into place. I stopped worrying what people thought about how I parent. I stopped caring whether others viewed me as one of the little girls’ moms. Most importantly, I stopped trying to compare myself to someone else. Finally, I decided I was one of their parents and I do, in fact, matter. I’m playing an important part in how these little girls will grow up, how they’ll turn out and who they’ll become. I am one of their moms.
About the Author:
Carrie Monroe O’Keefe started blogging about her life by sharing stories of marriage, stepmotherhood, and how to navigate it all on mamacadabra.com in 2012. People said they loved reading the posts, so she kept writing. In addition to blogging, she released her middle-grade fiction book, The Whole Truth, in 2019.
Carrie lives outside of Minneapolis with her husband, two daughters, and dog Finlay.
Website: http://www.mamacadabra.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/monroeokeefe
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book/1144367657
Amazon: www.amazon.com/Mamacadabra-Poof-Youre-mom-now/dp/1733629939/ref=sr_1_1
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C.A. Milson 