Anti-Theist by Chris Mallard (@VBTCafe Tour & #Giveaway)

Anti-Theist

by Christopher Mallard

Author Bio

The majority of my adult life was spent working in the oilfields of west Texas. In my spare time I taught myself how to work on computers and eventually turned it into a small business which I work from home. What does any of this have to do with religion? Nothing. Where are my degrees in theology, biology, astronomy and philosophy? I don’t have any. I am your common average Joe and that’s exactly the type of reader I’m trying to reach. Does it take a degree in theology to open the bible and see the stories told within as being immoral and violent? Can the common man not see how the religions of the world have done and are still doing immeasurable harm to society?

Author Links

https://www.facebook.com/christopher101/

Genre: Religion, Philosophy

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

Release Date: 5/15/2013

Purchase On Amazon

Synopsis:

This book is the first in a series essentially arguing about the lack of abject morality of religion and its dangers. It’s broken down so each chapter is a topic on its own covering a variety subjects.

Excerpt #1

From Chapter 3 – Disproving God

“It’s God’s lack of action, not his actions that disprove his existence. If prayer really worked there would be groups of theists (nuns, priests, imams, whatever) going from bed to bed in every hospital healing the sick. Of course there are religious people in hospitals going along praying for people but a doctor washing his hand before seeing his patients will do more for their survival rates than the prayers offered by their holy men. The evil God monster of Abraham is an all-powerful God and can do absolutely anything except give any type of viable proof of his existence.

Often times a theist will counter with the old ‘God works in mysterious ways’ or stammer on about how he’s not there for us to boss around and do our bidding in vain attempts to get him to prove himself to us but in reality it’s just a bunch of crap. Studies have shown that when sick people are prayed for by fervent believers they are more likely to be healed. Other, more scientific studies have shown that when you allow religious nutbags to carry out their own studies they tend to be skewed towards their religious beliefs. I’m absolutely confident that a prayer method of healing can never stand up to the simple rigors of repeatability.

It is absolutely amazing the wealth of proof to disprove God you can come up with when turning a keen eye upon the absence of God's presence. The millions of children who starve to death, are beaten to death or who are being raped throughout the world is each and every one a testament to the non-existence of a personal God, especially if those children and/ or their parents believe in one of the Abrahamic death cults. And to counter with the idea that God is calling those children who die such horrible deaths to heaven to be with him because he for whatever reason has suddenly decided heaven needs more children is disgusting and vile. If your God is able to ‘see all’ and watch these children die slow agonizing deaths over months or years due to starvation, malnutrition, rape and outright murder and do nothing or to be able to watch children be repeatedly raped by gangs of men and not smite the men on the spot then your God is either not real or quite malevolent. If you the reader were ever attacked by an adult as a child and an invisible hand didn’t swoop in to protect you then you know exactly what I mean. Many victims have often asked, ‘Where was god when x happened to me?’”

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The Phoenix Blade by Andrew Hess - Book Tour, Guest Post & Giveaway

The Phoenix Blade

by Andrew Hess

Have you ever created an amazing plot, but didn’t know how to work from conception to story? It’s something many believe to be easy to do, but quickly find out it is easier said than done. Writing your novel starts with the plot and theme. The plot is a few sentences describing what the story is about. Theme is the foundational concept in which the core of your story boils down to one or two specific words. But once you have these two down, how do you move forward with your story?

Your first step after you have your plot, theme, and characters would be to outline your story. You’ll find many successful writers plan out their story beforehand. Likewise, there are many that don’t and can be just as successful. I encourage the outline as a way for the writer to see where their story will go. This will help minimalize a relentless flow of writing that will cause your story to go on too long.

Once the outline is complete, it’s time to sit down and write your scenes or chapters. Each one should be designed to keep the readers’ attention, move the general story, and further the character development. With your outline in hand, you should be able to accurately map out your characters as they transition from living their normal average life and become the person that faces the challenges and conflicts of your story.

Each chapter or scene should include a well-developed description of the scene or actions. For example; don’t write it was a hot day. Instead, write how the hot sun feels; have the character stare into the cloudless sky; the sun beams off the water’s edge; the possibilities are endless. If you do this right, your reader can visualize the scene instead of just reading through.

Another major factor in each chapter is dialogue. This is key to the story feeling like a reality to your readers. Dialogue should help move the story along and used to create tension, conflict, romance, etc. You want readers to visualize your story, so I would not recommend using proper English language for people in New York, Detroit, Chicago areas. Likewise, you wouldn’t want your characters talking like they live in a heavy populated city with a thick accents and their own lingo when you’re writing about a small country side town that is very polite and proper. Tailor your dialogue to the right setting for your story.

By following these basic rules for writing your chapters or scenes, you should have a good foundation for your story. They will help you build on your idea and evolve your plot and theme from conception to full story.

About The Author:

Andrew Hess (1983-present) was born in Lindenhurst, NY where he spent most of his life. After living in the New Paltz/Poughkeepsie, NY area for five years (2003-2008) he returned home to Long Island to pursue his dream of writing. Andrew published his first book, The Chamber of Souls (2011), where he blended free verse poetry and short story into one book.

Blog | The Real Phoenix 13 | Book Page FB | Twitter | Linkedin

Genre: Action/Drama

Publisher: CreateSpace

Release Date: April 24, 2013

Amazon

Book Description:

Follow the journey of Andrew Lancaster and his friends as they are thrown in the middle of the biggest government conspiracy to hit the United States. Andrew is contacted by a man known only as the Benefactor.; claiming to be a government official that has been monitoring Lancaster and his friends. He is told they have enough evidence to arrest them for treason, but would like to hire them instead for a top secret government project. As a bonus the Benefactor says he will reveal something Lancaster has wanted to know for the last six years. Who killed his mother.

Excerpt:

“I keep thinking how so much has changed in the last ten years.” “Here we go again.” “I mean it. When we were kids everything was different. The world was more peaceful. Everyone got along and helped each other. But now everyone’s fueled by greed, corruption, and they get some sick pleasure from hurting others.” “I know what you mean, but there’s not much we can do about it. Too many people think they have to do whatever’s necessary to get ahead in life.” “I still wish we could change it.” “Yeah, it’d be great to get rid of all those people.” Mike reached for the remote to turn the movie back on. “Too bad it’ll never happen.” I knew he was right. Our idea was ludicrous. But at that moment, my cell started ringing. “Talk to me,” I answered. “Yes hi, I’m looking for Mr. Andrew Lancaster,” a stern confident voice said. “Who’s calling?” “Someone who has the power to change your future.” “If this is some telemarketer, you can hang up now. I’m not interested. “I assure you this isn’t a sales pitch and I’m not a telemarketer.” “Then what do you want?” “It’s come to my attention that you and a few friends have been talking about eliminating certain types of people.” “What are you talking about?” “Don’t play dumb Mr. Lancaster. You and your friends have been monitored for some time now. We know everything.” “Who are you?” “I’m someone from the government that would like to give you an ultimatum. We have e-mails and recorded conversations between you and your friends talking about killing people that are as you said evil.” “Look, Mr. we were only joking around.” Mike heard the panic in my voice. My face turned pale white. “What’s going on,” he whispered. I placed the call on speaker and placed a finger to my lips. “Be that as it may. You’ve been under our watchful eye for several months. Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way.” “And that would be?” “The hard way is we send our agents to your house and arrest you for conspiracy and possible treason.” “Are you fucking serious,” Mike shouted. I quickly covered his mouth with my hand. “Who is that? Who’s with you?” I didn’t reply. I could hear him rifling through papers. “Ah yes, that is most likely Mr. Santangelo.” “How does he know my…” “What’s the easy way,” I asked. The man cleared his throat. “Simple, we hire you to go through with it.” I laughed it off immediately. “Yeah right, and next you’re going to tell me that I’m the next in line to be King of England.” “I don’t know about that, but I’m very serious. We have a list of targets and evidence that proves their illegal activities. We would like to give you the chance to make the world a better place.” “If you have evidence against them, why not put them in jail where they belong?” “Because they have ways of getting around our judicial system. We all know it’s fallible.” “But why me?” “Who better to lead a team than someone who has never received justice for his own mother’s death?” “But it was ruled an accident.” “That’s what you were led to believe. I have proof she was murdered and know who’s responsible.”

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"A Cross-Cultural Odyssey" - Promotional Tour & #Giveaway: The Equation by James Tarrantin

The Equation

by James Tarrantin

Genre: Action/Adventure, Spirituality, Personal Growth & Inspiration

Publisher: Tarantin Ent.

Release Date: November 22, 2012

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | iBookStore

Book Description:

The Legendary Larry King writes “The Equation is a Cross-Cultural Odyssey, an asset that will inspire in people the science of accomplishment.”

The Equation Book tells a true, cross-cultural saga that spans over 58 Years and explores exciting adventures on 4 continents.

The Story of a young lad named Omer, born to a wealthy family and shackled on an island of battling hierarchies.

The youth leaves his home, and meets great dangers and tragedies as he seeks to discover Time’s Silent Secret.

At the turn of the Millennium, the mission was to track historic clues and discover an Equation that was lost through the times … hidden in the margins. An Equation that whoever finds it will be Transformed. And with its 4 Rings of Power … design destiny.

A Revolution is inspired! Time Stops!

Will the lad transform or bite from the forbidden power and be carried to the brink of Death?

Excerpt One:

Over 13 billion years ago ...when the universe sparked to life ... the spiritual Big Bang accelerated fluctuations of light that swept the void of space with galaxies and dark energy.

Within this creation, a promise was made. In its heart lies the greatest light. The watchmaker watched the creation, as the universe was endowed with the freedom to move on its own.

One infinite garden, yet many trees of life. One humanity, yet many stories. This book is a small story from the inner light: a story that shall explore the Physical World and the Spiritual World. The body of the story shall embark upon exotic adventures across the lands of Planet Earth: from the continent of Asia to the continent of Europe, and from the ancient civilizations of the Middle East to the continent of America.

The mind of the story will travel from a little roof to the vastness of the stars, from the fires of the valleys to spiritual summits, from War to Peace, and from the sorrows of a heart to the pursuit of a dream.

There is a treasure. Yes! There is a treasure. A treasure that had been lost for millennia, hidden in the margins of History. A force beyond Time and Space – the source of all innovations. The myth tells that whoever discovers this treasure shall be bestowed 4 Rings of Power: The Fountain of Youth – Water, Designing Destinies – Wind, The Moment – Earth, and Cosmic Energy – Fire. So let us light the torch of the future and sail towards the unseen!

An exchange of energy always occurs among all living things. Within this circle, within this network of energy ... a small family once lived. But in order for the family to be here today, past generations decided to design the sands of time.

With no fuel or oil, every day, 7 days a week, Planet Earth orbits the sun. Every dawn, when the morning star shines high above, a new hope is born. A long time ago, in a far away holy land, on one of these mornings, an old man named Mati decided to transform.

About The Author:

“I believe that success is indivisible; the success of anyone anywhere is the success of all of us everywhere.”

James Tarantin is a Philosopher, Game Architect, Author, the Executive Chairman of Tarantin Ent LLC and the Creator of 4=T²D².

An American Citizen who immigrated to the United States alone with no family, money or any formal education … as a Philosopher, James studied  5 Chief avenues; The Mind, Pragmatism & Enterprises, Morality, Metaphysics and Aesthetics.  These avenues are explored in his written works, such as The Equation.

After several months of deep research and traveling to Rome, James saw the Equation in a dream at age 16. From 9/22/10 – 12/25/10 he handwrote the entire book.

James believes that each person is just around the corner at accomplishing their mountain top. And though he was a poor young man at the time, James was the first immigrant to America, and one of the youngest spiritual thinkers in history, to write a memoir at the age of 25, in a language that isn’t his mother tongue and with no training in writing whatsoever. The first memoir to present a new philosophical theory and explores a rich array of issues: Family Life, History, Mystical Science, Philosophy, Human Evolution, Personal Success, Enterprises, Spirituality, Beauty, The Universe and Cultures on 4 Continents.

At the age of 22, the legendary broadcaster Larry King took James under his wing, and he founded Tarantin Ent LLC … A company to be structured after a 50 page model that includes international business classes, classified strategy science, culture and values, and long-term Life-Cycle vision.

As the company’s Executive Chairman, James has 5 responsibilities: Content Creation, Global Strategy, Legislation, Balancing the Budget, and Transparency.

Before the age of 26, with fierce belief, James created, almost single-handedly: complete screen manuscripts, a library of stories, animated superheroes, a trading card game, the mobile game design script, a technical design document, goods and services, distribution channels, and the platform for a new social network.

“You go anywhere in the world, from The Big Apple to Paris and from Brazil to Berlin … the borderline between success and failure is blurred. In this new century, people want something fundamentally different.”

“The Equation is the answer spoken by the hearts of young and old, rich and poor.”

Website | Book Site | Facebook | Twitter

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VBTC Tours: Dinner With Lisa by Rod L. Prendergast - Book Feature & Excerpt

In the disastrous economic times of the 1930s, Joseph Gaston, a young widower with four children, arrives in the small town of Philibuster seeking security for his family. Instead, he faces barriers everywhere. He does his best despite great adversity, but the strain of feeding and protecting his family whittles away his strength. Finally, destitution forces him to consider giving up his children in order to save them. Enraged by his situation, he attempts one last desperate act—on the night he learns about the mysterious Lisa.

Heart wrenching, humorous and historically authentic, Dinner with Lisa incorporates the crucial issues of the depression: poverty, unemployment, drought and racism. In the midst of love and loyalty, trickery and despair, the ultimate message of the novel is one of hope and the courage to survive even the worst odds.

Excerpt # 1

He looked up when Nolan suddenly exclaimed, “Dad!”

“What?” Joseph felt drained as he pulled the overalls from the suitcase.

“The baby isn’t moving!” Nolan sounded alarmed.

Clare had been crying all day; for the first time she was silent. “She’s sleeping,” Joseph said, his attention still on Sarah.

Nolan’s brown eyes were wide with panic. “But, Dad, she’s not breathing!”

The words brought Joseph instantly back to his feet. Bending over the baby, he studied her closely. Nolan was right. Clare showed no sign of life. Quickly Joseph put his face to Clare’s nose and mouth, and waited—prayed—for her to exhale. Nothing. Were her lips blue or was he imagining it? He wasn’t sure. “Christ!” he muttered, as he grabbed the limp infant from Nolan’s arms and shook her gently.

“Did she swallow something?” he barked at his son, startling nearby passengers.

“No,” Nolan said tensely, as he watched his father part the baby’s lips and investigate her mouth with his fingers.

Joseph balled up Cole’s overalls and placed them under Clare’s shoulders, arching her head back and opening her windpipe. In an effort to force air into her lungs, he drew her arms up and over her head. When that didn’t work he flipped her onto her belly, turned her head to the side, placed her hands beneath her chin, and lifted her elbows to expand her lungs. All this took less than a minute.

Joseph had never been so frightened. He had done everything he’d been taught in the army, but Clare still didn’t respond. Oblivious to the silence in the car and the distress of those around him, he began to strike Clare’s back. Again and again he struck, each time a little harder. By now the baby’s small hands and feet were grey.

“Help! Someone please help!” he screamed, looking around pleadingly. “My baby’s not breathing!”

The other passengers were frozen with shock. No one moved.

www.rlprendergast.com

Follow the Tour

April 21 - Author Spotlight at Wise Words
April 24 - Author Spotlight & Book Feature at Lori's Reading Corner
April 26 - Book Featured at B'Tween Prose
April 30 - Interviewed at Writing Innovations E-zine
May 3 - Guest Blogging at Ami Blackwelder's Blog
May 7 - Reviewed at Ereading on the Cheap
May 9 - Interviewed by Louise James
May 11 - Author Spotlight & Book Feature at This Author's Life
May 15 - Interviewed at BK Media Entertainment
May 17 - Interviewed at From the Mind of Omegia

R. L. (Rod) Prendergast was the entrepreneurial kid you saw on your neighbourhood street selling lemonade on a hot summer's day. Recognizing young Rod's preoccupation with money, his mother bribed him to read with an offer of 25 cents per book—and instilled in him a lifelong love of reading. Although he continued down the path of industry—he started and sold his first business before completing his Bachelor of Commerce—he continued to read voraciously. After a number of years working in sales, marketing and management for several companies he spent a year's sabbatical surfing and reading in New Zealand and, free of business pressures, he began to write. Those first words became the backbone of The Impact of a Single Event—which was long listed for the Independent Publishers Book Award for literary fiction, and which became a national bestseller in Canada. Spurred on by the success of his first novel, he took another sabbatical and wrote Dinner with Lisa. He is currently working on his next book.

Interview with David Fingerman and Review of Silent Kill - Virtual Book Tour

Today I am doing an interview with author David Fingerman,  plus giving a review of Silent Kill,  a much anticipated post.  Sorry it's late David,  we lost our kitten and our pit and youngest son are so upset.  I had to make a flyer and put it around town lol.

Anyways,  welcome to Walker's Muse David.   I loved Silent Kill!  David is also giving away a signed copy of Silent Kill at the end of his tour,  so leave David a comment to gain an entry and visit his website for his schedule,  or view the Calendar Of Events page for authors on tour.

BK:  Please tell us a little about yourself.

DF:  I've lived in Minnesota my entire life. I love this time of year and am not a fan of summer. Me and heat don't get along. I got severely sunburned years ago when I went to Miami during spring break. My ideal weather is cloudy, 60 degrees, and a good wind. My ideal day is writing in a dimly lit room while listening to my old LPs (vinyl is the way to go, man). Despite rumors to the contrary, I'm really quite sane (clinically speaking). 

BK:  What inspired you to pen your first title? 

DF:  Inspiration for my first published short story, "Autumnal Equinox" came from a Loreena McKennett song, All Souls Night. Inspiration for "Silent Kill" came from so many years of sitting in the courtroom. One gets to see the best and worst of human behavior and emotion. It's something I strive to capture in my writing. 

BK:  How long have you been writing? 

DF:  Pretty much since I learned how. But serious writing, since the early 90s, at least that's when I sent out my first short story in hopes of getting it published. (On a side note ~ it never happened. It's now collecting dust in my file drawer. I think there's a moral in there somewhere about perseverance.) 

BK:  What was the hardest part about writing this particular novel? 

DF:  I had written a lot of short stories and had the mindset that a novel is just a really long short story. It's a totally different thought process. Honestly, I didn't know what I was doing at the beginning (some would say that I still don't). Then there's the research. I'm somewhat lazy when it comes to research, but the deeper I got into the "Silent Kill" the more research I had to do. 

BK:  Have any dreams been realized as a result of your writing? 

DF:  Just having a book published is a thrill. I certainly don't mean this as a slap to self publishing ~ there are so many advantages to going that route, and I have the utmost respect for authors that do (I've gone that route too), but for me there was a certain validation that someone in the publishing business thought my work was good enough to put into print. 

BK:  Is there a message in your novel you want readers to grasp? 

DF:  Stay in school and don't take drugs. KIDDING! Messages? Absolutely not! I just want to tell an entertaining story that will stay with the reader long after they put the book down. But seriously ~ stay in school and don't take drugs. 

BK:  Where do you hope to take your writing in the future? 

DF:  The New York Times bestseller list and movie rights would be just ducky.

What advice do you have for writer's just starting out? 

Write every day and write because it's a passion. Join a writers' group. Develop a thick skin. If you can't take criticism (and unfortunately, not all of it will be constructive) you're probably in the wrong line of work. 

BK:  Anything else you would like to share with us today? 

DF:  Follow my virtual book tour and leave comments. At the end of the tour I'll be drawing a name and sending the winner an autographed copy of "Silent Kill." 

Oh yeah ~ stay in school and don't take drugs. 

LOL.  Great advice David.  Awesome that you are doing a giveaway too.  So please be sure to leave David a comment for your chance to win.  

Now for the Review :). 

http://bkwalkerbooks.weebly.com

Silent Kill by David Fingerman was an excellent mix of mystery and suspense.  From the first page Fingerman holds nothing back.

Louise Miller is a female cop that gets a lot of hassle from her fellow officers.  Her brother Andrew is a new cop in a different precinct.

When Mark Lone Bear,  her friend and fellow officer turns up missing,  Louise puts in all effort to find out what happened to him.

Throughout the investigation,  her brother who is getting broken in as a rookie,  stumbles upon a development in Louise's case,  Mark Lone Bear and his car.

When two more people end up missing,  Andrew and Louise work to find answers to Mark Lone Bear's murder and the kidnappings.  The closer they get to finding the murderer,  the more danger that befalls upon those they love and care for.

Was Mark Lone Bear mixed up in something he shouldn't have been that led to his death?  When one more kidnapping hits Louise a little too close to home,  will she save all three before they end up dead too?  Find out in Silent Kill.

Fingerman did an excellent job in his first full length murder/mystery.  Full of suspense and with an imagination that will leave you wanting more,  this is one title you will want to get your hands on.

The perfect mix of crime,  mystery and suspense,  I couldn't put it down until I knew what happened in the end.  I give Silent Kill ***** (5) Stars,  BK Walker.  http://bkwalkerbooks.weebly.com


Learn more about David Fingerman by clicking the book cover. 

Purchase at Amazon,  Barnes and Noble and Fictionwise.

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