In this urgent, authoritative book, Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical—and accessible—plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe.
“I wrote this book because I believe that avoiding a climate disaster is one of the biggest challenges we face today. After studying the problem and investing in clean energy-companies for more than a decade, I believe that we can avoid the worst possible scenarios of climate change. The world is keenly aware of the problem and is setting ambitious goals to solve it. What we need is a plan to meet those goals—one that grasps all the complexities of climate change and faces them head-on.
“In this book, I try to cut through the complexity, explaining the science in a clear way. Then I propose a plan for what we need to do over the next decade. And I suggest some steps we can all take to make it happen.
“I hope this book helps advance the conversation and inspires action on climate change. The stakes could not be higher.”—Bill Gates
LoLo Smith is a children’s book author on a mission to positively reshape the way children of color see themselves. As an elementary school teacher, she was dismayed with the lack of children’s books with characters of color on the market.
So she established Do The Write Thing of DC (DTWT), with two other like-minded individuals. This 501(c)(3) tax exempt not-for-profit publishes books by, about and for African Americans to address the lack of diversity in books. “I’m filling diversity gaps in children’s literature and doing my part to normalize the appearance of African American and Hispanic girls and boys in books,” she says.
LoLo has written 10 books for children. Her books feature anime characters, American Girl dolls, superheroes and even dogs! She writes on topics such as kindness, bullying, community workers, and the COIVD-19 pandemic. She has taken her commitment a step further by developing a literacy program, Living Storybook, through which she re-issues her original books with photos of African American and Hispanic children that participate in DTWT’s after-school and summer programs.
“When children see photos of themselves in a book, it becomes a powerful incentive for them to read,” she says. LoLo Smith is pleased to announce the release of the following books which are available for purchase at https://www.amazon.com/LoLo-Smith/e/B01LDWYAEK
This picture book exposes young children to 17 different occupations, some of which they may not have considered for themselves such as being a chef, astronaut, or politician. Many are playing important roles during the COVID-19 pandemic such as the doctor, nurse, teacher, grocer, chef, construction worker, fire fighter, police officer, train engineers and the mayor.
For children age 4-7. Teaches young children the titles, tools and workplaces of community workers and encourages them to set career goals. Four pages of activity sheets are available to delight and excite the children. Watch the Living Storybook Program:
Looking for an engaging book to teach children about the coronavirus and explain what community workers do? This is it! In Community Workers & COVID-19, kids are introduced to a special town called Share-A-Lot where a doctor, nurse, teacher, construction worker, grocer, chef, emergency medical technician (EMT), police officer, and a mayor all work together to save lives during the coronavirus pandemic.
Throughout this engaging story, children will learn about the role each community worker plays in the town while learning the virtue of sharing. From the teacher who reminds students to wash their hands, to the research doctor working on a vaccine for COVID-19, to the grocer and chef providing nutritious fresh food and vegetables to keep the body healthy, each worker plays an essential role in the town and they are all happy to do their jobs to help the community get through a difficult time. But what happens when the mayor decides to offer a special prize to the most essential worker in town?
How will they ever decide who plays the most essential role? You’ll have to read to find out. By the end of the book, children will have a greater understanding of how each community worker helps combat coronavirus pandemic and a newfound appreciation for the community workers keeping them safe in their own community.
Meet Max and Bo, two fun-loving dogs that like to celebrate the holidays including New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, July 4th, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Young children will enjoy seeing the illustrations of the dogs in their different hats, ties and costumes.
This is a delightful book with rhymes on every page to engage young kids. JUST FOR FUN facts help parents determine if their child remembers the information in the book. But it is not all fun and games for Max and Bo.
At the end of the book, they are shown in face masks. This illustration can be used as a springboard for parents to discuss COVID-19 with young children. Max and Bo are in face masks since it’s not too much to ask, to help prevent COVID-19, and avoid being in quarantine!
Welcome Regina, we’re excited to have you on Reader’s Entertainment. First, tell our readers a bit about yourself.
Thanks for having me! I’m the author of more than fifty works of warm, witty historical romance. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me reading, taking a walk in the woods or along the shore, or dreaming of the next remodeling project I can convince my husband of 30 years to try.
Where you’re from, where you live? Is writing your full-time job?
I was born on an Air Force Base near Tacoma, Washington. After college, I moved to the other side of the state for 20 years, but I’m back home now, south of Tacoma on the way to Mount Rainier National Park. I still do some consulting work in my former profession of technical communication specialist, but the biggest chunk of my day is devoted to writing.
Tell us about your latest release? Where the idea came from?
My October release from Revell is Nothing Short of Wondrous, the second book in my American Wonders Collection, set in our nation’s first national park. When I was researching for the first book in the series, A Distance Too Grand, I ran across a mention that the U.S. Cavalry had been called in to save Yellowstone National Park. Of course, I had to learn more! And the more I learned, the more I knew that I had to write that story. It was a lot of fun weaving my fictional characters around the historical ones, the adventures, the daring rescues.
Could you share one detail from your current release with readers that they might not find in the book? Perhaps a juicy bit of back-story, or something only you know about a character.
Will Prescott, my Cavalry officer hero, rattles off a list of places he’s served over the years. Many of them are near where I used to live. I’ve visited Fort Walla Walla, camped near where Fort Colville was located, and toured northeast Oregon. For someone who often writes about historical happenings in far-off places, I loved imaging my hero walking the places I’d walked.
All writers are readers. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
When I was a child, I loved the Celtic epic fantasy by Lloyd Alexander. I reread them many times over the years, including to my children. Alexander has a way of making characters unique. Even the humorous sidekicks have their own personalities and goals. You’d know them if they walked up to you on the street. You anticipate how they’re going to react to different situations. I hope I’ve been able to breathe that kind of life into my characters.
Do you have a secret talent readers would be surprised by?
I’m really good at digital mahjong. I can play for hours!
Your favorite go to drink or food when the world goes crazy!
Popcorn! But my all-time favorite food is raspberries. My husband even planted a patch of them for me so I can eat them fresh in the summer and freeze them for treats in the winter. He does all the maintenance on the patch too. Now, that’s a hero!
What is the one question you never get ask at interviews, but wish you did?
What’s the one book I want most to write? Again, there’s an intriguing historical tidbit that Napoleon was almost rescued from his exile on St. Helena, by submarine before submarines even existed! Now, that’s a story I’d like to write some day!
It is 1886, and the government has given the US Cavalry control of Yellowstone. For widowed hotelier Kate Tremaine, the change is a welcome one. She knows every inch of her wilderness home like the back of her hand and wants to see it protected from poachers and vandals.
Refused a guide by Congress, Lieutenant William Prescott must enlist Kate’s aid to help him navigate the sprawling park and track down the troublemakers. But a secret from his past makes him wary of the tender feelings the capable and comely widow raises in him. When her 6-year-old son is kidnapped by a poacher who wants the boy to guide him to the place where the last of the Yellowstone bison congregate, Will and Kate must work together to rescue him, save the bison, and protect the park. In doing so, they may just find that two wounded hearts can share one powerful love when God is in control.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Regina Scott is the author of more than 50 works of warm, witty historical romance, including A Distance Too Grand. Her writing has won praise from Booklist and Library Journal, and she was twice awarded the prestigious RT Book Reviews best
book of the year in her category. A devotee of history, she has learned to fence, driven four-in-hand, and sailed on a tall ship, all in the name of research. She and her husband of 30 years live south of Tacoma, Washington, on the way to Mt. Rainier.
Welcome Joanna, we’re excited to have you on Reader’s Entertainment. First, tell our readers a bit about yourself.
It’s an honor! About me—Really, I’m a mom. I’m the leader of adventures involving mud and books and surprise trips to random places. I coach on tree climbing and teach homeschool between staggering stacks of novels. I thoroughly enjoy my day job, but it’s also such a nice brain-break to sit down and let my imagination run wild in historical fiction when my kids nap. I’ve been a writer in the pharmaceutical world, in publishing, and I even worked at a gourmet chocolate factory (a dream!) for a season.
How long have you been writing?
My first book, Moving Day, came at age five. After that, I wrote class bullies into anonymous short stories in grade school (and they got out!) and I’ve always been working on some story or another throughout my life.
Give readers a look at a typical writing day.
Writing starts early for me—sometimes 5am—when I wake up and start with a conversation with God (and Bible time). I write in the perfect hush of a sleeping house until my family stirs, then I put on the mom hat. I love that wild time, but then comes 2pm, I tuck the kids in for a nap and slip off to my computer for more story writing. I have no idea what will happen when nap time ends!
Tell us about your latest release? Where the idea came from? Perhaps some fun moments, or not so fun moments?
The idea for a lost letter story came from a passing comment someone made, and I sent the idea to my publisher without knowing a thing—who wrote the letter, who they meant to leave it for, why it was never opened. Then I set up a heroine who wasn’t really into romance—she’s turned down three or four proposals—and had her be the one to discover this letter and make it her mission to reunite this unknown couple. Of course, when a letter has been sitting in the crack of an old desk for many years, who knows what has happened in both peoples’ lives in the mean time. That made for great unknowns for me, and I set off writing. A friend suggested watching the show, Signed, Sealed and Delivered on Hallmark, and I loved the way lost letters were so important to them. I carried some of that drive into my book and used that show for a little inspiration.
Could you share one detail from your current release with readers that they might not find in the book? Perhaps a juicy bit of back-story, or something only you know about a character.
Originally, I thought it would be cool to have the letter be intended for the heroine. It made sense that he stuck it in the desk that was being given to her, thinking she’d find it when the desk arrived, but it slipped into a crack. How cool, right? But it just didn’t work. So initially, I wrote with that plot in mind—for about half the book. Then I had about three other people I was SURE wrote the letter, and they never worked out either! The person who wrote it, and who they wrote it for, really surprised me in the end!
Who has been the most difficult character for you to write? Why?
The hero, Gabe Gresham, was difficult to figure out. He’s such a closed-off guy that I couldn’t read him. He’s not a brooding type exactly, just very withdrawn from his (rather difficult) family. But that also meant I didn’t get a good handle on him… until I wrote some scenes with the heroine from their childhood. I understood his reluctance to say much, and had so much respect for his deep, years-long love of the heroine. The way he sees her, and the way he sees people in general, was a huge insight into who he is.
If you could be one of your characters for a day which character would it be? Why?
I loved writing this heroine, because she’s intelligent and knows her mind, speaking what she thinks. I’m terrible at that. She also has a deep concern for people, as a medical professional, and she seeks to heal their hearts as well as their bodies when she can. I can’t help but admire that about her. But then, I also wouldn’t mind being elderly Aunt Maisie, who does what she wants without concern for what others think of her. She’s delightfully eccentric and surprisingly wise.
All writers are readers. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
Daphne Du Maurier is a huge influence with the way she spins suspense—I’d say the same for Wilkie Collins. I’ve studied their subtle invitations to go deeper into their stories without being gimmicky and obvious. I’ve also enjoyed Kristy Cambron, who writes emotion and even trauma with such a deft hand that even the worst circumstances are still digestible.
Do you have a secret talent readers would be surprised by?
I can play the piano with my eyes closed! When I was a kid, I thought (because I got glasses) that my vision would deteriorate until I was blind. I couldn’t imagine life without playing the piano, so I taught myself my favorite songs by feel, and now I can’t play those songs at all unless I close my eyes!
Thank you so much for joining us today, Joanna! Below are the details on Joanna’s latest release, and links where you can learn more about her and her books.
Focused on a career in medicine and not on romance, Willa Duvall is thrown slightly off course during the summer of 1859 when she discovers a never-opened love letter in a crack of her old writing desk. Compelled to find the passionate soul who penned it and the person who never received it, she takes a job as a nurse at the seaside estate of Crestwicke Manor.
Everyone at Crestwicke has feelings–mostly negative ones–about the man who wrote the letter, but he seems to have disappeared. With plenty of enticing clues but few answers, Willa’s search becomes even more complicated when she misplaces the letter and it passes from person to person in the house, each finding a thrilling or disheartening message in its words.
Laced with mysteries large and small, this romantic Victorian-era tale of love lost, love deferred, and love found is sure to delight.
Joanna Davidson Politano is the award-winning author of Lady Jayne Disappears, A Rumored Fortune, and Finding Lady Enderly. When she’s not homeschooling her small children, she spends much of her time spinning tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives. She is always on the hunt for random acts of kindness, people willing to share their deepest secrets with a stranger, and hidden stashes of sweets. She lives with her husband and their two children in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan and shares stories that move her at www.jdpstories.com.
A yearning for love and adventure evolves into a search for the meaning of life.
Tony had a passion for travel. What started out as an innocent pursuit for adventure took many turns: through love, tragedy, and disillusionment; and awakened his sleeping soul, setting him on a path of aspiration.
THE DIARY OF LADY X, a novel in two volumes, is filled with actual accounts. The story has appeal for a wide ranging read-ship who will find its characters to be engaging and its story to be intriguing.
Be sure to stop by Kate’s website and check out her brain health programs TUNE UP YOUR BRAIN as well as checking out this helpful book.
When her mother was diagnosed with dementia, Kate Kunkle set out on a quest to discover why this happened, how she could help her mother, and how she could prevent or decrease the odds of it happening to her.
She learned what inspired her to embark on what she considered the most important mission of her life, to make dementia and Alzheimers rare diseases and to control and to empower people to take control of their health and future.
Her book Don’t Let the Memories Fade, came out September 12th and is available at Amazon.
You can also find her at her website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and her Amazon author page.
Whether it’s novels or comics and whether it’s Netflix or Hulu these are some edgy, scary and unique shows you may want to check out to get you into the Halloween spirit!
In no particular order-
#1 – The Boys is a comic series made into a weekly show on Amazon Prime. It’s a drama/superhero genre.
About the Comic Series –
The Boys – Comic series written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Darick Robertson. Published by Wildstorm/DC Comics then moved to Dynamite Entertainment.
The comic, like the show, pushes the envelope on violence and sexual content. It was dropped by DC Comics because of this, but picked up by Dynamite Entertainment.
About the Show –
The show can be seen on Amazon Prime. A new episode releases each week, but you can binge all of Season 1 and Season 2 now! Never heard of it? Check out the official trailer-
MY THOUGHTS–
I love the show. Then again, I have a high tolerance for excessive violence that is both shocking and gory. The sex isn’t as graphic as many other shows of this genre, but they certainly don’t shy away from it.
The show gets high marks for being unpredictable in a good way. Yes, it’s shocking. No, you just don’t know who may die. It’s clever and creative and the only other show I’ve seen that comes close to it is called Preacher which is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC.
The storyline is simple. Superheroes who are commercialized, many of whom are total assholes. Hughie and Butcher are normal humans who see the seedy and dark underbelly of the “Supes” and what they do and they fight it.
Slight Spoiler– The first season opens with a shocking scene to let you know what you’re in for right away. Hughie’s love, his soul mate, a wonderful girl that you like immediately, comes to visit him at work. As he walks her out and they say goodbye on the sidewalk she appears to completely explode, only her hands still intact and held in Hughie’s. It comes out of nowhere. You’re not sure you can process what you just saw. Low and behold, one of the 7 (the main core of superheroes are called The Seven) got wasted on drugs and wasn’t paying attention. He’s the equivalent to The Flash and is a speedster. He ran through her. Yep, ran right through her, smearing her all over the street. And this is the start.
#2- Lovecraft Country is a novel by author Matt Ruff turned into a show series on HBO. The genre would be horror/drama.
About the Book (From the Author’s Website)-
By author Matt Ruff. This novel is a NY Times bestseller that’s won numerous awards.
A novel of Jim Crow America that melds historical fiction, pulp noir, and Lovecraftian horror and fantasy.
Chicago, 1954. When his father goes missing, twenty-two-year-old Army veteran Atticus Turner embarks on a road trip to New England to find him, accompanied by his uncle George—publisher of The Safe Negro Travel Guide—and his childhood friend Letitia. On their journey to the manor of Samuel Braithwhite—heir to the estate that owned one of Atticus’s ancestors—they encounter both the mundane terrors of white America and malevolent spirits that seem straight out of the weird tales George devours.
Atticus discovers his father in chains, held prisoner by a secret cabal, the Order of the Ancient Dawn—led by Braithwhite and his son Caleb—which has gathered to perform a ritual that shockingly centers on Atticus. And his one hope of salvation may be the seed of his—and the whole Turner clan’s—destruction.
A chimerical blend of magic, power, hope, and freedom that stretches across time, touching diverse members of two black families, Lovecraft Country is a devastating kaleidoscopic portrait of racism—the terrifying specter that still haunts us today.
About the Show–
Lovecraft Country is episodic and a new show airs each Sunday night. Or, you can wait and binge it when it completes. https://www.hbo.com/lovecraft-country
Watch the official-
MY THOUGHTS–
Combining the civil rights movements, Jim Crow era and Black America issues of the time with Lovecraft may make you wonder which way the horror will go.
I love paranormal. I love Lovecraft stories. I love history. I love learning things I didn’t know. I think this is one of the most clever, creative and amazing things on television/streaming. It is just the right amount of everything.
The acting is so good in this and the writing is so original. I strongly recommend that you run, not walk, to Lovecraft Country as soon as possible!
Slight Spoiler–
There are some witchcraft and monsters and bigots and assholes and sometimes you just can’t tell them apart. One of my favorite episodes, and I like them all, has to do with the heroine’s sister. She wakes up in the body of a white woman and experiences life as a white woman, but with the sensibilities of someone who understands just how screwed up, it is that she’s treated so much better now. But, it isn’t a simple body jump, oh no, that’s not the Lovecraft Country way. It’s far more complex and a little disgusting.
#3 – Monsterland is based off a short story collection by Nathan Ballingrud called North American Lake Monsters and is a HULU series created by Mary Laws. The genre would be considered horror.
About the Book (from the author’s website)-
Nathan Ballingrud’s Shirley Jackson Award winning debut collection is a shattering and luminous experience not to be missed by those who love to explore the darker parts of the human psyche. Monsters, real and imagined, external and internal, are the subject. They are us and we are them and Ballingrud’s intense focus makes these stories incredibly intense and irresistible.
These are love stories. And also monster stories. Sometimes these are monsters in their traditional guises, sometimes they wear the faces of parents, lovers, or ourselves. The often working-class people in these stories are driven to extremes by love. Sometimes, they are ruined; sometimes redeemed. All are faced with the loneliest corners of themselves and strive to find an escape.
This is an eight-part anthology series. Each episode is a different story. They’re considered horror and there are indeed some creatures in them. Many have violence and some are downright scary. Each episode is named after a place that lets you know that evil is EVERYWHERE.
The show’s tagline is- You can’t escape what lives within.
Watch the trailer-
MY THOUGHTS–
The stories and the execution of the show are a perfect storm. This will challenge you not only to rethink your definition of monsters, but you will, in some of the episodes, take a long, hard look at yourself. This is horror as a mirror, to society, to your own belief system, it’s poetic and dark.
Sometimes humanity is the monster. That is the best way to describe this. It’s not super philosophical in a way that you have to worry about understanding the meaning behind what you just saw. If you don’t, it won’t matter. It’s still a good story. For those deep thinkers, those who pay attention to life around them or to themselves, this will shake you a little.
Slight Spoiler–
These episodes are layered in such a clever way, but it’s the second one, episode title Eugene, Oregon, may seem a little silly at first. A little predictable maybe. A teen with a difficult life plays video games and seems a little weird. When he finds a shadow living in his house he goes online for help. Other teens and young adults help him alright. Just like groups on the internet do.
I really thought I had the episode figured out. Even when I realized these episodes would try the old switch & bait making me think one thing when they’re doing something else, I still thought I had it figured out. Let me just say that I did not. At the end, when I realized what had just happened, it felt like my heart hiccupped. I processed it a minute. And then I just wanted to cry. Not because the end was meant to be sad. But because I really understood what had happened throughout the episode. Not to the characters. But to me. It’s one of those “Oh shit” moments. I can’t stop thinking about it even now, weeks after I watched it. And I wonder about how other people reacted to it. How they felt. I really need to find a group to talk about this with! But maybe not an online one.
#4 – Locke & Key is a comic series. It’s an episodic show that you can watch on Netflix. The genre is young adult paranormal with a side order of horror.
About the comic series–
The series is written by Joe Hill with art by Gabriel Rodriguez published by IDW. There are several issues out already. The first was published in 2008.
Series copy- Locke & Key tells the story of the Locke siblings, Tyler, Kinsey, and little Bode, who, along with their mother, return to their ancestral home of Keyhouse following their father’s gruesome murder. Keyhouse is a place of both wonder and fear, filled with dark doors and the magic keys that open them, and also home to a malicious presence that will stop at nothing in it’s quest for the Omega Key and the unspeakable prize it unlocks.
It’s episodic but the first season has concluded so you can binge watch it. On Netflix – https://www.netflix.com/title/80241239 There are 11 episodes. There’s hope for a second season after COVID.
Watch the trailer-
MY THOUGHTS–
This is such a clever show with adventure, secrets and paranormal elements. It mostly involves a group of teenagers, but specifically the Locke family. I love the idea that each key does something different. It makes you look forward to them finding the next key. And the keys do things I may not have thought about, so it gets extra points for originality.
It’s fun and not overly scary. No sexual situations. So, I’m thinking even kids as young as 12 could enjoy this. Younger according to how mature your kid is. The point being that you can watch it as a family and everyone could enjoy it.
Slight Spoiler–
This really isn’t much of a spoiler since you can see pictures of it online and see it in the trailer. There’s a key that slips into the back of your neck and that just gave me the heebie-jeebies, but it’s so fun!
There is an overriding arc to the story that has to do with the dad who was murdered.
One of the best scenes that really gives you an idea of how good this show is happens early on. They’ve moved to the new house where their dad was raised. You get that the house is unusual.
There’s a wishing well in an area that’s all bordered up and of course, the youngest of the Locke children feels the need to explore. He wriggles into the area and goes to check out the abandoned well. As any young boy might he is curious about what’s down there in the darkness and is happy when he realizes there’s an echo when he yells down. He keeps asking “Can anybody hear me?” and the echo returns…. “Yes.” And so the adventure begins!
#5 – The Outsider is a novel by Stephen King made into an episodic show on HBO. Not surprisingly, the genre is horror.
An unspeakable crime. A confounding investigation. At a time when the King brand has never been stronger, he has delivered one of his most unsettling and compulsively readable stories.
An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens. He is Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad.
As the investigation expands and horrifying answers begin to emerge, King’s propulsive story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer comes, it will shock you as only Stephen King can.
I’ll be honest, I’ve not read the book yet. I know, I know…the book is always better. I promise I’ll read it!
The show makes me want to read the book. Even though I know the end it doesn’t matter. It’s the journey that was so damn good!
The acting is superb! There are so many intriguing characters throughout the story. The mystery is well paced and edgy, which I love!
Watch the Trailer!
MY THOUGHTS–
I don’t always like Stephen King movies (it’s okay, I don’t think Mr. King is butt-hurt over that). Sometimes his stuff is a little ridiculous. Sometimes it just doesn’t work for me. But as a rule, I do love his storytelling and some of my favorite books and movies are from him.
Not everyone likes to see or read about violence to children. If you don’t, I will just assume that you do not read Stephen King books. There aren’t many in which children don’t play a part. This story is no different. But, it’s not just children, so there’s that.
This story has such a great mystery feel to it and I loved that so much. It’s original in a way that we have come to expect from Stephen King. Is there a creature or is this a serial killer? Oh, what do you think? LOL
This is a good show with a great story!
Slight Spoiler–
I absolutely love that when law enforcement is faced with an impossible set of facts they’re determined even when they can’t believe it. You see so many shows where law enforcement is faced with something unbelievable and they work so hard to explain it. This set of investigators deals with the facts and when they encounter the impossible they bring in a special researcher that does believe and the mix of these different kinds of people all determined to stop a serial killer is storytelling at its best. It feels so believable and true that you get caught up in it like you’re one of the characters. I love that feeling!
We see the killer. We know who did it. We know what he did. And within the first few minutes of the show he is arrested. They got him. No doubt. Until he is able to prove absolutely that he was somewhere else. There are witnesses. He’s seen on camera. He’s hundreds of miles away from where the crime happened. Does he have an evil twin? All that in just the first episode! Definitely check it out!
Those are my top five and I recommend all of them!
Did I miss any? What are you recommending that has a flare of horror this October?
Elana Gomel’s The Cryptids is a blend of horror, scifi, adventure and romance in a way that raises the hair on the back of your neck in the best possible way!
Reader’s Entertainment caught up with Elana for chat about her writing, her books and her life.
RE: Welcome, tell us a bit about yourself. Where you’re from, where you live? Do you have one of those day-jobs?
I am an academic and a writer. This answers the question about my day-job. The question about my origin is a bit more complicated. I am one of those people who belong nowhere and everywhere. I was born in Ukraine, lived in Israel, Italy, and Hong Kong, and am now living with my husband in the redwoods of California.
RE: How long have you been writing?
Since I remember myself. I apparently wrote my first (and last) poem when I was 5 years old, prompting my mother, also a writer, to believe she had a future Poet Laureate on her hands. She was disappointed. Afterwards I wrote fairy tales, sci-fi stories, even plays and whatever else I could think of. However, as an academic, I had to obey the “publish or perish” imperative, so most of my books you can find on Goodreads and Amazon are about science fiction, fantasy, and horror. But seven years ago, I published my first novel, and since then I have not been able to stop writing science fiction, fantasy, and horror. More than seventy published stories, two additional published novels, and two more in the works.
RE: Briefly describe your writing day.
I write every day for at least three or four hours, starting as early in the morning as I can. The problem for me is that I am always juggling several different projects, including academic ones. It is hard to balance all of it together. As a result, I am in the permanent state of anxiety because I am late for some deadline or other.
RE: Tell us about your latest release?
My novel The Cryptids was published last year. It is a creature feature of sorts, a blend of sci-fi, horror, and adventure with a dash of romance. The premise of the novel is that a Cryptid Earth where evolution had taken an unexpected and horrific turn is invading our own reality, helped along by (what else?) cellphone technology. It takes place in the Silicon Valley which is my home now. It combines everything I love: monsters, apocalyptic disasters, an odyssey into the unknown, and some evolutionary speculations.
RE: Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
My characters in The Cryptids are based on people I knew. In my other stories and novels, I try to be more creative. But it is impossible to run away from yourself. Every writer will tell you that there is a part of themselves in every character they create. The question is: what part?
RE: Would you share one detail from your current release with readers that they might not find in the book?
The Madagascar chameleon that mutates into a flesh-eating monster is real.
RE: Who has been the most difficult character for you to write? (Any of your books)
The main character Kora in my novel The Hungry Ones (Guardbridge Books, 2018). She is an amnesiac who gradually discovers a truly horrifying secret in her past. It is difficult to create a convincing portrait of somebody who is literally a blank slate. But even more difficult it is to manage moral ambiguity. How do you create a sympathetic portrayal of somebody who is a monster? Some great writers managed it: think of Raskolnikov in Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment. I am nowhere near this level of skill, of course.
RE: If you could be one of your characters for a day which character would it be? Why?
Sharon in The Cryptids because she travels to Cryptid Earth while we can’t even manage a trip up the Sonoma Coast because of the pandemic!
RE: What’s next?
I have tow completed novels which, hopefully, will be coming out next year. One is a dark fairy tale based on the folkloric motif of the Swan-Maiden; the other one is a dark fantasy set in an alternative USSR – with monsters. Now I am embarking on a new project: a space opera! I have never written a space opera before, so this should be exciting.
RE: All writers are readers. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
I’ll name two writers: one dead, one living. My favorite classic is Charles Dickens. I always thought of him as a science fiction writer because he creates those amazing sprawling worlds full of grotesque characters and improbable events. A contemporary writer whose work I admire is China Miéville. His Perdido Street Station is like Dickens crossed with a video game. It strongly influenced The Hungry Ones.
RE: If you could have dinner with any writer living or dead, who would it be and why?
Oscar Wilde. He is the wittiest writer ever. Some of his aphorisms are priceless. I have one of them as my motto: “The truth is rarely pure and never simple”. He was such a brilliant speaker that people claimed his after dinner conversation was better than his writing!
RE: If you could ask your favorite author a question what would it be?
I would ask Wilde why he never wrote another great horror novel like The Picture of Dorian Gray. I suspect, though, the answer is obvious: he never had enough time!
RE: Do you have a secret talent readers would be surprised by?
I am a really good cook (blushing). Well, it’s true. I also make clay dolls.
RE: Your favorite go to drink or food when the world goes crazy!
The simple answer is red wine. But I would add Turkish kazan dibi which is a sort of milk pudding. Pair them together, and I am prepared for any zombie invasion.
RE: What is the one question you never get ask at interviews, but wish you did? Ask and answer it.
The question: If you could live again, what historical period would you live in?
The answer: The future.
We’ve had a fun time chatting and hope to have Elana come back again when her next book comes out!
I have always been a fan of Halloween, and for most people, the reason is apparent. When I about ten, I dressed up for Halloween as Kolchak: The Night stalker, clad in a cheap straw hat, white slacks with matching coat, and white sneakers. Kolchak was my hero. I watched the show religiously every week. Often a fight might erupt with my older brother. He was into The Six Million Dollar Man. For those of you too young to remember the show, Kolchak: The Night Stalker was about a reporter named Carl Kolchak, who worked for several newspapers, from Chicago to New York, and eventually Las Vegas.Kolchak had an uncanny talent for stumbling onto a supernatural story. Like, the reincarnation of Jack the Ripper, a Skinwalker haunting Las Vegas skyscrapers, a vampire, or a robot.
For its time, it was a fun show.
Every year I would buy something new for Halloween. A ghoul, a creature, a fog machine, skulls, I would dress the place up with body parts in the driveway, Leatherface on the lawn. Everything about my lawn said this guy likes Halloween. There were other rumblings too. Like, I might be disturbed, or I was some kind of vampire that fed on the fear of the children in the neighborhood.
Bunch of gossips if you ask me.
When I independently published my debut novel, The Equinox, in 2012, I decided to do something a little different for Halloween that year. Equinox was a story about an indigenous man from the NWT tracking a murderous Skinwalker across 20th century North America that leaves behind several eviscerated bodies in its wake.
What I wanted to do was to sculpt a beast that would embody the Skinwalker from Equinox. I got down to work. I already had several tools at my disposal, like fake jagged teeth, a battered wig holder made from Styrofoam, and a big container of liquid latex. I started with an old rubber mask, and from there, I built a seven and a half foot version of the skinwalker.
It was sort of funny, because across the street from me was a somewhat religious family whose denomination was unknown. At least to me. What I did know about them is that they had bought the house the previous year from a guy I used to go over and share the odd beer. They were nice enough people, a little strange. They acted a lot like the Brady Bunch. Their discussions seemed almost scripted, and they moved like a small pack of animals. I offered the father a beer once, and I never saw a guy so agitated that his wife might find out.
So, if I can set the scene, I was surrounded by ghouls, zombies, vampires, and now I was working on something even more horrific in my garage. Across the street, the family, like tenants of Stepford, Connecticut, set their sights on me. Even the dog, a cute border collie, looked medicated.
Just as I was applying another coat of latex to the monster’s head, the robot Brady family turned toward me and started to march across the street.
Under my breath, I muttered, “Ah geez.” They crossed the road like a herd of animals, tightly grouped, the father and wife leading the way, a maniacal Brady grin painted upon their faces. I kept my head down into my work until it became inevitable. I looked up when they reached my driveway, setting down the paintbrush I had been using to apply the latex and put on my best smile. “Well, hello there,” I greeted.
Neither said anything at first, waiting instead until they halted in my open garage door. Missus Brady then looked around, disapproving, taking in the vampire, the chainsaw, the body limbs, and the crypt I had built. She had a weird smile holding back her words.I’m sure she wanted to say, “Evil! Blasphemer! You’re poisoning the children!” Instead, she asked, “Well, what do we have here?”
Beside her, her daughters said, “This is creepy, Mommy.”
“It sure is,” Dad said.
Mrs. Brady nodded her head in agreement staring me down.
“Halloween, it’s two weeks away,” I said, almost defensively.”
“Halloween, ah, yes.” She nodded again as if I’d just told her I’d joined the local Satanic Chapter. Then she squinted, that weird medicated smile on her face only interrupted by the contemptuous nod. I reached down and picked up a beer I had been sipping while working.
Then the little boy spoke, “Mom. Why does he do all this stuff?”
Nothing beats being talked about by a nine-year-old boy.
Her smile faltered as if she was thinking of her best way to excuse my actions. “Well, “she said, “Clearly, he likes doing this stuff.”
“Clearly.” I agreed and took another sip.
But I’m thinking, Please take your weird family and go back to your garage!
She turned to me, smile never wavering, but I think I know a nerve,
And suddenly they all were all looking at me.
Uncomfortably, I said to the kids. “You kids come over early, and I’ll double up your candy.”
Nothing. Not a single response. Not from the kids or their parents.
I decided to go nuclear. “Can I offer anyone a beer?”
The confidence of the group shuddered.
“Is he offering us beer, Mommy,” the girl asked?
“No, sweetheart, he was offering Daddy a beer,” she replied.
“Or you,” I interrupted. “If you like. I can get the kids a soda.”
Nothing. Just blank stares.
Finally, mom said, “Well, we’ll leave you to your work.”
Then, with the precision of a drill squad, they withdrew from my property and retreated to their own house. The boy looked back once, inventorying the stuff in my garage, but he didn’t smile. There was something wrong with what I was doing, according to them. Dismissing me and my evil ways, he followed the rest of the family inside. I know this sounds paranoid, but I swear, even the dog looked at me indignantly.
That Halloween, I unleashed Skin and set up the front lawn for Halloween. When the darkness fell, the Brady bunch was nowhere. Not taking me up on my offer of double candy and avoiding the onslaught of ghosts, goblins, zombies, and ballerinas carrying bags to collect treats. It even garnered some media attention. I guess the Brady’s didn’t dig the scene, but I don’t hold it against them. They were uncomfortable with the pagan holiday, and me too. It’s a free world.
The skinwalker of Chocktee made further appearances in future Halloweens until I moved from Ontario to Alberta. He was snapped up in a Halloween yard sale. I would think he is still making his presence known on the Niagara escarpment. To those who read my sordid tale, I thank you and wish a happy Halloween to all in whatever form it takes in 2020.
A dark curse held captive by an ancient ritual, a creature of insatiable hunger possessing the ability to change shape at will. During the spring and fall equinox it would break through the walls, separating our worlds to feed.
Now it walks among us, unrestrained, and very hungry.
Daniel Blackbird has been chasing the murderous shapeshifter known as The Walker across North America for over a decade. From North of the 60th parallel to the city of Chicago and into the heartland of a small midwestern town in Manitoba. Blackbird follows unrelenting, obsessed with vengeance. In its wake, the Walker leaves a bloody trail of eviscerated victims. Along the path. Blackbird finds himself drawn to the Prairie town of Thomasville where a string of child murders is being investigated.
There, the chief of police, David Logan has uncovered a mass grave in the cornfield of a local farmer named Stephen Hopper. Hopper has confessed, even identified the graves, but claims that he is merely the caretaker of this macabre burial ground and that a creature who he thinks is the devil is responsible.
As Chief Logan grapples with the unthinkable, Blackbird sets out for the prairie town which, as the Equinox approaches, is destined to become a killing ground where cultures and worlds will collide.
Will he get there in time? And who will believe him?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
My name is MJ Preston
I write Horror, Syfy, and Crime Thrillers.
Come and find me!
Eli hoped to do his time and get back to living life outside prison. However, that hope faded when he watched a prisoner rip a guard’s heart out and toss the body over the railing onto a funeral pyre of burning mattresses. The landscape of the prison begins to change as more and more strange characters strive for dominance in the anarchy that follows. Eli and his new friend, Tay, must navigate the chaos as the gods of the Aztec creation story emerge over the next twelve hours on the block.
More From Jerry Harwood:
Meet Phillip. His mom relocates him to a new school in the middle of the school year. Things do not go well. Phillip lands himself a trip to the dean of student’s office when he tries to forge his mother’s signature. Maybe if he spelled her name correctly it would have gone better. Phillip also finds himself having more and more anxiety. And the song some bullies are singing is certainly not helping: Phillip Willip, Puddin and Pie. Got a bad grade and made him cry. There is one class Phillip has that is going well. It is with Mr. Filter, who starts each day with a writing prompt. These “jam sessions” allow students to be creative and enjoy writing. Phillip writes about being a basketball on a soccer field. Another day he writes about receiving two dragon eggs in the mail, one for himself and one for a particularly cute girl. But will Phillip ever be able to make his real life go as well as his Jam Sessions?
About The Author: Jerry Harwood was born in Ooltewah, TN. His mother was an elementary school teacher and he spent his afternoons reading books in her classroom or the nearby library. He currently is a writer, which makes sense based on the fact you are reading this here. He has experimented with other occupations: camp director, program director at a counseling center, college professor and middle school teacher. Jerry has backpacked through Europe, taught in a Ukrainian University, worked in Rwanda after the genocide, is a first responder, sort-of remodeled a VW Thing, and has a love for Cherry Coke Zero that is only surpassed by his love for his wife, six children, and grandson. More info about Jerry can be found at www.jerryharwood.com.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Jerry Harwood, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
Looking for an engaging book to teach children about the coronavirus and explain what community workers do? This is it! In Community Workers & COVID-19, kids are introduced to a special town called Share-A-Lot where a doctor, nurse, teacher, construction worker, grocer, chef, emergency medical technician (EMT), police officer, and a mayor all work together to save lives during the coronavirus pandemic.
Max & Bo: Two Dogs On The Go by LoLo Smith 
Welcome 
Here’s a look at 
BEHIND THE WORDS: Joanna Davidson Politano
Focused on a career in medicine and not on romance, Willa Duvall is thrown slightly off course during the summer of 1859 when she discovers a never-opened love letter in a crack of her old writing desk. Compelled to find the passionate soul who penned it and the person who never received it, she takes a job as a nurse at the seaside estate of Crestwicke Manor.
#1 – The Boys is a comic series made into a weekly show on Amazon Prime. It’s a drama/superhero genre.
#2- Lovecraft Country is a novel by author Matt Ruff turned into a show series on HBO. The genre would be horror/drama.
#3 – Monsterland is based off a short story collection by Nathan Ballingrud called North American Lake Monsters and is a HULU series created by Mary Laws. The genre would be considered horror.
#4 – Locke & Key is a comic series. It’s an episodic show that you can watch on Netflix. The genre is young adult paranormal with a side order of horror.
#5 – The Outsider is a novel by Stephen King made into an episodic show on HBO. Not surprisingly, the genre is horror.
something a little different for Halloween that year. Equinox was a story about an indigenous man from the NWT tracking a murderous Skinwalker across 20
Beside her, her daughters said, “This is creepy, Mommy.”
Check out MJ’s latest release 
