Spanglish Humor and Spy Humor Meet in Sergio Tell’s New Series

In ‘Broom, Broom’ and ‘Jurassic Prick’ Sergio Tell keeps readers laughing with his combination of Spanglish humor and spy humor

    

 Spanglish humor and classic spy humor come together in author Sergio Tell’s new series, which tells the story of a Panamanian family living in Australia.  The two types of humor make for a unique combination that is certain to win over readers and provide Tell with a loyal fanbase from a broad range of cultures.

In Broom, Broom, Tito Zapata (taken from zapatito, the Spanish word for “little shoe”), a baker, and his son, Alberto, are thrown out of Panama over a “havoc-causing cake”.  Even cousin Cucumber is ejected with them.  The family lands on their feet in Melbourne, Australia, where they become a prominent family and where Alberto becomes the assistant chief commissioner of police.  His first case involves tracking down the British Royal Jewels after they disappear from a local exhibition.

In Jurassic Prick, readers rejoin the Zapata family in Melbourne.  This time, a new airline with onboard casinos is suspected of foul play: people are having the money sucked from their pockets and the city’s existing casino is “mysteriously” destroyed in an unlikely elephant stampede.  It is up to Alberto Zapata to solve the mystery and save the day.

One GoodReads reader said of the series, that the book reminded him of his own father trying to fit into North America and raising his family more, saying that he “couldn’t have laughed more” at the “incredible” book “extremely interesting and varied” characters.  While anyone who has had to bridge the Spanglish cultural gap will share these sentiments, Tell’s stories will entertain readers of all types.

Tell’s madcap tales are certain to delight anyone who is a fan of such bumbling spy shows and movies of the past as The Pink Panther and Get Smart.  Readers will, undoubtedly, be left anxious for the third installment in the series, China, Please Give me More, which is slated for release in the near future.  Tell is so certain that readers will enjoy his stories that he has made the first book free to readers, knowing that they’ll come back for more of the addictive series.  The books can be found on Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, and at the Apple Store.

For more information, please visit http://www.fungusbooks.net/.

Sergio Tell
Sergio Tell is an author, lecturer, and performer.  He was born in Argentina, and he has appeared in Australian television shows including: State Coroner, The Adventures of Lano & Woodley, and Marshall Law.  He is trying to bridge the cultural gap between the Spanglish and English worlds.

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For media inquiries or to request a review copy, please contact:
Sergio Tell
Serg_tell@yahoo.com

A Collection of Short Stories, Essays, and More for Salinger Fans

Daniel Donatelli’s ‘Oh, Title!’ takes on every style of writing, every mood, and every topic imaginable for an unforgettable collection that will, no doubt, appeal to the world’s aberrant readers

Daniel Donatelli’s Oh, Title! is a unique collection of short stories and essays that draws from a wide range of inspirations.  The collection offers fiction, memoir, poetry, and philosophy that seamlessly interweaves humor, insight, and honesty into the pieces— all aimed at entertaining and provoking thought.

Readers of Salinger are certain to enjoy the collection, as Donatelli’s writing style is largely influenced by Salinger’s aesthetically clean, spiritually deep prose.  Some of the author’s other influences include: Hunter S. Thompson’s wild chemical bent, Walt Whitman’s adoration of the human experience, Kurt Vonnegut’s dark humor, Michael Crichton’s techno-cynical synthesis, and Vladimir Nabokov’s sesquipedalian precision.  He uses his broad array of literary influences to craft a unique voice that appeals to a large audience.

In “My Ideal Man/ Woman: A Case Study,” Donatelli and some of his friends successfully and unsuccessfully try to describe their ideal mates.  Readers can’t help but laugh at “Going Green with Envy,” an absurd comedy about a hoplessly overzealous environmentalist.  Donatelli is equally adept at all styles of writing: in “Twenty-eight,” he tackles epic poetry; in “Objective,” he offers an objectively detailed, journalistic account of a college football game; and he even takes on comedic screenplay writing in “The Pilot.”

While some stories are more serious in nature, highlighting universal truths and providing insight into the human condition, most, like “The Final Inning,” a comedy about an alcoholic little league umpire, will make readers laugh.  One title that is certain to elicit a chuckle is “Four Microfictions For My Old English Teacher, Who Could Appreciate Them, But Who Probably Would Not Like Them Because He Always Thought I Was ‘Capable of More,’ The Prick.”

With topics that are as varied as the writing media Donatelli tackles, there is something enjoyable for every type of reader in Oh, Title!


Daniel Donatelli

Daniel Donatelli is also the author of the novels Music Made By Bears and Jibba And Jibba. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1981, and graduated from the Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University in 2004. After graduating from OU,, Donatelli moved to Santa Monica, California, where he completed his first two novels. He then moved back home, to Cleveland, where he currently resides and sometimes goes for walks while reading books.

Follow Daniel Donatelli on Twitter @GoneFiction.

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For media inquiries or to request a review copy, please contact:

John Savage
savage@hhbpublishing.com

Treating the Infectious Spread of Contagious Political Opinions

John Cooker’s ‘Cure Your Democracy’ proves to be the one thing that political parties can agree on

 

During the presidential election, it seemed like the spread of contagious opinions dominated social media sites, the news, and conversations.  It was impossible to go online without having someone else’s political opinions forcibly spewed from their Facebook feed or from the ads produced by special interest groups that dominated every form of media.  John Cooker discovered the secret for containing the “disease”: humor.

In his book, Cure Your Democracy: The Infection, Spread, and Treatment of Contagious Opinions, Cooker outlines no-fail cures for these pervasive viruses.  Cooker warns, “No one is safe and many are contaminated.”  The viruses can “make us insanely ill and susceptible to conspiracy theories, and are so easily passed between individual by speeches, handshakes, and karaoke”.  The diseases can also be spread by the viral media, which is so much more than a figurative expression.  His humor will have both sides of the political spectrum laughing, whether Michelle Bachman’s voice makes your blood pressure skyrocket or the sight of Hillary Clinton makes you twitch uncontrollably.

Cooker uses humor to treat a much more serious issue.  While his writing may be aimed primarily at making readers laugh, it also calls to attention the fact that contagious opinions have started getting out-of-hand and, if we do not try to treat them now, they will be passed on to the next generation, only becoming more exacerbated.  It may be too late to undo the damage done by the 2012 election; however, there is still time for Americans to try to control their fanaticism and their obsession with infecting others with their opinions before the next election.
For more information, please visit http://www.cureyourdemocracy.com.


   John Cooker
 

John Cooker is a partner in a real estate development LLC and writes occasionally, when inspired. His earlier novel, The Gelwick Faxes, is a terrorist thriller written the year before and presaging the terrible events of 9/11.

He lives among the rolling Appalachian Mountains outside the DC/Baltimore Metroplex with his wife, Katherine. They own a dog kennel and breed Spinone Italianos.

In dire need, after living through the recent years of constipated political partisanship, he became inspired to react with the most powerful medicine: humor. In an effort to cheer up himself and his friends, he wrote Cure Your Democracy.


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For media inquiries or to request a review copy, please contact:
John Cooker johncooker@cs.com
301.491.1783

A Life Well Lived

Francesca Noumoff’s ‘The Music, Oh, the Music’ tells the story of one woman’s life with extraordinary beauty and detail.

Francesca Noumoff’s The Music…Oh, the Music is a beautiful example of historical fiction done right.  Using prose and poetry to highlight the wonderfully musical world of the main character, Noumoff perfectly captures the past and the present of one woman’s experience.

Once an internationally famous and gifted violinist and now living out her last moments in a cold and solitary old age home, Elonora reflects upon her life with a sense of wonder and accomplishment.  Told through a series of short stories, each dedicated to Elonora’s memories, The Music…Oh, the Music flows from what was to what is effortlessly.  Elonora, a Russian holocaust survivor, has lived an extraordinary life; from her birth in Russia, to her time in the city of Paris – even spending time in a Japanese prison- Elonora possesses a passion for life and living it until she breaks that most people can only dream about.

The harsh, pale reality of the senior citizen’s home is contrasted perfectly with the bold, bright vividness of Elonora’s recollections.  People and places from her life are locked into her memories, allowing the reader to experience them in bright detail along with Elonora.  

A beautifully written and powerful story that reminds readers that those people they see in senior citizen’s homes were once as vibrant and full of life as themselves, The Music…Oh, the Music takes a closer look at these individuals who possess living knowledge of history.  Allowing Elonora’s present to blend with her past, Noumoff breathes life into her memories and allows them to exist again, even if only through the brief vignettes that make up the book.  A story that will stay with readers long after they’ve turned the last page, The Music…Oh, the Music is an extraordinary tale of an extraordinary life, and one that will not soon be forgotten.
Francesca Noumoff

Francesca Noumoff is the author of I am Yesterday, published in both India and China (as a bilingual Chinese-English version), as well as an abbreviated version of this volume recently in Beyond Borders, an Indian literary journal.

For information on review copies contact Francesca at:
noumoff@gmail.com

The Book the Peace Corps Doesn’t Want You to Read

J.Grigsby Crawford recounts his experiences in the Peace Corps, in ‘The Gringo: A Memoir’, garnering him praise from Chevy Chase, noteworthy 

individuals, and readers

 

As a young man in the Peace Corps, J. Grigsby Crawford had harrowing experiences and exciting adventures. Within a few weeks of his arrival in South America, he narrowly escaped from a kidnapping plot hatched by the people he was sent there to help.  The Gringo: A Memoir chronicles this and other adventures that are certain to entice readers and keep them at the edge of their seat.

Crawford’s journey is one that is filled with danger, drugs, and sex.  Despite facing many adversities, including serious illness, he perseveres, spending two years in the Amazon.

On the surface, it is a coming-of-age tale about a young man who is faced with gritty realities.  Beneath the surface, Crawford reveals the true nature of the Peace Corps, which he calls “a government agency that is long past its prime—and dangerously so”.  While his story and the underlying message are serious and the danger that he faces was real, Crawford promises that The Gringo is “both hilarious and heartbreaking”.

The Gringo has already garnered praise for noteworthy individuals, including Chevy Chase, who calls the book a “must-read”.  G. Brown, an award-winning author and rock and roll journalist call it “the Moby Dick of Peace Corps stories” and compares the writing style to that of Hunter S. Thompson (“had he lived a life of service”).

Crawford seamlessly interweaves a cast of flawed characters with vivid depictions, exciting locales, honesty, wisdom, and a sardonic outlook for a read that is truly unique.  Just as Crawford got more than he bargained for signing up for the Peace Corps, readers, too, will get more than they bargained for, but in a good way.


J. Grigsby Crawford


J. Grigsby Crawford grew up in the Great American West. He graduated with honors from the George Washington University with a degree in Political Science & English. Upon graduating, he joined the Peace Corps. His nearly two and a half years in Ecuador—first on the coast and later, after a failed abduction attempt, in the Amazonian region—provided the material for his first book, The Gringo. As a journalist, Mr. Crawford has covered everything from presidential primaries and politics to murder and local mosquito populations. His writing has appeared in Congressional Quarterly, the Colorado Daily newspaper, Mile High Sports Magazine, and various blogs, ranging in topics from sports to men's fashion. He lives, somewhat peacefully, in a cozy little neighborhood tucked in Northwest Washington, D.C. 

For more information, please visit http://www.jgrigsby.com/.
Read J. Grigsby Crawford’s blog at http://www.jgrigsby.com/blog.html.

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For media inquiries or to request a review copy, please contact:
Grigsby Crawford
grigscrawford@gmail.com

Phenomenal Tale about the Value of Education

First time author Gideon Yilpiring Dashe delights and inspires with his book, ‘The Weeping Palm Tree’

First time author Gideon Yilpiring Dashe brings readers a story that carries a powerful message in his first book, The Weeping Palm Tree.  Additionally, The Weeping Palm Tree gives background insight into a community that has never before been recorded in any formal journal.

The story of a blind pastor, Adamu Katnyam, and a boy, Borlong, who is said to be a “destiny child” for his village, The Weeping Palm Tree is a tale that reveals the immense power of light triumphing over darkness in a rural African community.  

Members of this small village have been earning their living by tapping and making palm wine, gotten from the ‘tears’ of the area’s palm trees.  Fearing that this community cannot survive without moving forward, Pastor Katnyam (who was trained by European missionaries in the 1950’s) and Borlong (acting upon his role as ‘destiny child’) urge them to look towards the West for inspiration, and to gain educations that will enrich and improve their lives.   

The author’s unique viewpoint and rich story telling have earned The Weeping Palm Tree much praise, and the book is currently in the process of being made into a Nollywood film titled ‘Borlong’.
Encouraged and inspired by a Myles Munroe sermon in 2011, Dashe, who had never before been interested in creative writing, began working on The Weeping Palm Tree, his allegorical tale about the importance of education.  A vivid tapestry of folk lore, current situations in African villages, and a mesmerizing story, The Weeping Palm Tree’s message is as lovely as it is crucial.  Readers will be drawn in to this series of short tales, and find themselves inspired to encourage education in all people once they have turned the last page.  


Gideon Yilpiring Dashe



Gideon Dashe was born into the family of Mr. and Mrs. Yilpiring Godfrey Dashe in Kano state of Nigeria.  He left Kano to attend primary school in Pyabor, a neighboring village to his home in Mhinzam, then his secondary education in a missionary school called Boys’ Secondary School Gindiri.  Later, he proceeded to University of Jos, where he received a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree.  He and his wife, Bether, have been blessed with two wonderful children, Green and Bernice.  His book The Weeping Palm Tree is the first to come out of his chiefdom, and is currently being made into a Nollywood film that will hit the cinemas soon.

For more information, please visit http://rubutu.com/
Find Gideon on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gideon-Dashe/308655892528960
Follow Gideon on Twitter https://twitter.com/Gidashgreen

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Gideon Dashe

rxgidash@yahoo.com

Seeking a Book for the End of the World

Author Ron Foster offers timely lessons of how to survive in a post-apocalyptic world in his book ‘Fades the Light’ from ‘The Prepper Reconstruction

 

With the fated date on the Mayan calendar quickly approaching, survivalism has become an important topic. What will people do if the ancient predictions come to pass?  Having an example always makes learning easier. Recognizing this, author Ron Foster uses fiction to teach people survival techniques in his books.

His “Prepper Trilogy” chronicles the story of preppers, or people who prepare for catastrophes in advance. Foster’s most recent book, Fades the Light, ends “The Prepper Road Saga” (comprised of Preppers Road March, BUG OUT!  Preppers on the Move, and The Light in the Lake) and begins a new series, “The Prepper Reconstruction”.

After a solar geomagnetic storm destroys the electrical grid and the population is reduced by 90 percent, the preppers are left to reconstruct society.  Now, they are facing a dilemma: the remaining able-bodied young adults want to leave the community and find their own way.  If they leave, the older members of the community will be left to perform tasks that they are not in any condition to do, like break ground for the next season’s crops and cut firewood.  They must persuade the younger preppers to stay or find a solution, before it is too late.

Interwoven into the story are invaluable tips for survival, and it even includes the author’s recipe for homemade deer attractant.  The story of the preppers is one that is particularly resonant with the uncertain future ahead. Anyone who worries about apocalyptic situations, disaster, or is simply fascinated by survival will, no doubt, enjoy Foster’s stories and find his advice useful.

Ron Foster

Ron Foster is an emergency manager and prepper.  He has been a gemologist, investment banker, Army soldier, Air Force airman, corporate administrator, and entrepreneur.  He is currently a full-time Doctoral student and holds a Master of Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University with seven graduate certificates and a Master’s of Science from Capella University in Human Services. With emergency management certification from the Alabama Emergency Managers Association and the National Association of Safety Professionals and graduate certificates that include emergency management administration, global security and terrorism studies, and law and public safety administration, Foster, himself, is prepared for any catastrophe.

For more information, please visit http://www.displaced-prepper.com/.
Follow Ron Foster on Twitter @SolarPrepper.

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For media inquiries or to request a review copy, please contact:
Ron Foster
minrlwtr@aol.com

Lessons about Awareness and Inner Light for Readers from Ages Four to One Hundred and Four

Bes and Syrk teach readers important lessons and universal truths through a picture book for children of all ages, ‘London, the City of Angels and Olympics: Invitation to London’

Grasping concepts like awareness and inner light can be complicated for anyone, but it is even more complicated for young readers.  In London, the City of Angels and Olympics: Invitation to London, Bes and Syrk, two young brothers, share these lessons through their story and pictures, helping children (young and old) to grasp universal truths.

Granny invites Bes and Syrk to London, asking them to promise to be happy all the time.  Through their story, readers learn tips to sustain a happy mood for good, overcome every challenge or discomfort, and allow the brain to create another, more positive thought.  Although it may seem like a challenge, for Bes and Syrk and their readers, it is a game.

Lessons about awareness, ego, denial, self-esteem, and win-lose competition are presented in a simple manner.  These same lessons are present in the other two books in the series, London, the City of Angels and Olympics: Do NOT Gamble and London, the City of Angels and Olympics: Towards Greatness.  Although the books are formatted as picture books that are appropriate for children, the author promises that the stories are “suitable for everyone from the age of four until one hundred and four”.

One Amazon reviewer raved, “I would highly recommend this book to anyone, as it would positively touch everybody’s life who reads this book.  Everything in this book is written from the heart and you can feel the love and care that went into this book.”  Readers of the series will quickly fall in love with Bes and Syrk and their story, too.


For more information, please visit http://london-angels-olympics.co.uk/


About the Author

The author is a light-worker, healer, a cell of oneness, and a teacher on angel – ascension with Diana Cooper School.  The author was born in Poland, and graduated from Economic Academy in Katowice.  After years of success in industry, the author followed the guidance from dreams, and left the country. In London, the author entered the field of complementary medicine and dove into spiritual growth. 


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For media inquiries or to request a review copy, please contact:

Krystyna Napierala
krynap@interia.pl

Can Modern Couples form Healthy Christian Relationship?

Jermaine Hamwright helps readers form healthy Christian relationships in his new book ‘Get the FACTS: 5 Secrets to a Healthy Christian Relationship from a Guy’s-Eye View’

There are many self-help books on the market that aim to help women understand men and improve their relationships, but there are not many books written for men who are seeking meaningful relationships.  Jermaine Hamwright’s Get the FACTS: 5 Secrets to a Healthy Christian Relationship from a Guy’s-Eye View is the ultimate handbook for men who are trying to navigate their way through the dating world, while still maintaining their moral values and staying true to their faith.

Hamwright says he offers “straight-shooting advice for lasting love”, teaching readers how to foster the essential qualities of love and honesty on a daily basis, as well as how to foster five other traits that are essential to a relationship: the traits that form the acronym F.A.C.T.S.  Readers will learn how to “get the FACTS”: Friendship, Affirmation, Communication, Trust, and Support.  Some of the lessons that readers will learn from Get the FACTS include: how to find common ground in worship, using “tree trunk theory” to build trust, and fun date ideas to forge a stronger friendship.

Get the FACTS is perfect for individual study or for a Bible study.  Hamwright will win readers over with his down-to-earth, accessible approach that makes his lessons easy to remember and easy to integrate into their daily lives. Readers of Get the FACTS will, undoubtedly, form meaningful relationships based on mutual trust, healthy communication, friendship, and the ability to provide each other with emotional and spiritual support.  Healthy Christian relationships may sound like something impossible to attain in today’s society, but with the help of Jermaine Hamwright, it has never been easier.

For more information, please visit http://www.getthefactsbook.com/.


Jermaine Hamwright


Jermaine Anthony Hamwright, author of Get the FACTS: 5 Secrets to a Healthy Christian Relationship from a Guy’s-Eye View, is a human resources specialist with the U.S. Army with a background in business administration. He has served on several tours including: Operation Noble Eagle from 2002-2004 and Operation Iraqi Freedom 2005-2006 and again from 2008-2009.

No stranger to adversity, Jermaine overcame a childhood speech impediment and reading challenges and went on to create a successful life. He taught himself to speak clearly by repeatedly listening to cassettes he borrowed from several pastors. "Growing up I was considered to have a learning disability, but I wasn't given a chance to see what was wrong," he explains. "Because I knew I could not read, I had to totally rely on my memory. These early challenges enhanced my memorization skills." Born and raised in New Jersey, he ran track in high school, earning three championship jackets and qualifying for state three times in hurdles.

Jermaine credits his grandmother with teaching him to believe in himself. "My grandmother instilled confidence in me when I didn't think I was smart enough or looked good enough," he says. His father, Charles, works at a funeral home and his mother, Thelma, runs her own hair salon. Jermaine is the proud father of a young daughter, Aniya.

He was diagnosed with adult ADHD in 2008, but he sees this revelation as a gift, not a curse. "I wish I'd known this as a kid so that I could have figured out how to overcome a lot of issues growing up. But I am happy to have finally mastered what was once seen as a disability in me."

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For media inquiries or to request a review copy, please contact:

Jermaine Hamwright
jaysonham@gmail.com