Book Reviews for my #Diasodz by @VashtiQV

 Recently, a fellow fantasy author, Vashti Quiroz-Vega, shared her book reviews for the first three books in The Chronicles of the Diasodz series. Not only is she the author of a fantastic Fantasy Angels series and a short story, she is also a poet. She has blessed me with a Nonet poem for The One Discovered.

To check out her complete reviews, please visit her amazing blog - The Writer Next Door. While you are there, check out her books and her poetry. :-) 

Celebrating 6 Years with #RRBC

 

Six years ago, I nervously published my first novel as an indie author. I was alone and clueless, and then I met the authors of the Rave Review Book Club, RRBC.  Instantly, I felt accepted and included. They welcomed me with open arms. They guided me in building a web site and a brand for my works. They promoted my stories and encouraged me to keep writing. Their passion for writing and reading and their compassion for others has kept me with this phenomenal group of professional writers for six years.

My writing skills have continued to grow and will continue to flourish with their support and critiques. I love being part of a community that lifts one another higher and shares everyone's successes as if they were his/her own. I value the friendships I have made and the people who have supported me throughout these years. 

Even during this pandemic, RRBC members have come together through Zoom, our chat venues, and our web site to bring one another laughs and virtual hugs. If you are an author/writer and you have not found a writing community (or what I like to refer to as my writing family), then I strongly encourage you to become part of RRBC. 

I've been a member for six years, and I'm looking forward to every year to come. :-)

My Author Booth at the #RRBC #WCBE2020

 

As many of you know, I am a proud member of the Rave Reviews Book Club. This week has been filled with so much fun as we participate in the 5th Annual Writers' Conference & Book Expo. Although it's completely virtual, I have not missed out on anything. The workshops have been informational and helpful. The author booths have been fabulous. The Bingo and Fact-or-Fiction games have been fun. And listening to authors read their own stories has been such a treat!

The author booths are open to the public.

As a reader myself, I always love to learn about new books and new authors. I have my favorites that I always go to, but I enjoy learning about new writers. This conference has 26 author booths that are open to the public. 

Each author booth will help you get to know the author along with several of their books. Some author booths also contain book trailers. And EVERY author booth is giving away a prize just for leaving a comment. You don't have to be a paying member of the conference to participate in winning the author booth prizes. So, I encourage you to spend some time learning about amazing authors and possibly winning a prize or two.

I would love it if you could stop by MY author booth and take a look at it. Once you are there, please do me a favor and tweet it out and share it on all your social media platforms. It would mean so much to me if you help me reach out to readers who haven't met me yet.

Of course, you should definitely leave a comment and win a free copy of one of my books. ;-)

Thank you for always being so supportive of me and my stories. I truly appreciate you. :-)

Join the #RRBC Writers' Conference & Book Expo - #WCBE20! @RRBC_Org

Hello, beautiful readers! I have such a treat for you. Tomorrow begins the 5th Annual RRBC Writers' Conference & Book Expo. This event is a fabulous way for readers and writers to come together to celebrate all things literary. 

If you are an author, you will join workshops focused on helping you to perfect your writing skills. You will also get to interact with other authors and professionally network. 

If you are a reader, you will be exposed to a plethora of well-written books. You will get to hear authors read their own stories, and you will be able to interact with authors through their author booths.

For everyone, there will be games to play, prizes to win, and fun in every part of the web site.

This conference is hosted by the Rave Reviews Book Club, an international book club that is dedicated to focusing on excellent writing, creating a professional community of authors, and reading & reviewing books honestly. I have been a part of the club for six years and have attended each of these conferences. I look forward to this event every year.

Here is a peek at the sessions and workshops being offered this year:

1. Amazon Author Central:  What It Is and How It Can Help You Sell More Books
2. Anatomy of an (Almost) Perfect Book Review
3. Anatomy of a Blog Post / Your Content Is King 
4. Are You Failing As an Author?  The Reasons Why and How To Start Soaring
5. Book Marketing Without A Plan: ‘Know Where’ You’re Going Before You End Up ‘Nowhere’
6. Creating A Writer’s Platform That Will Get You Noticed
7. How To Blog an Entire Book in 30 Days
8. How To Build An Audience and Sell More Books
9. How To Turn Your Blog Into A Hot Spot!  Keep Readers Coming Back For More
10. STOP Marketing Your Books! How To Get Others To Do It For You
11. The Basics of Spelling & Grammar: What You May Have Slept Through In School That’s Now Hurting Your Writing
12. The Easiest Way To Format Your Paperback via Word Doc
13. The Elements of a Short Story
14. Powerful Keywords and How They Can Increase Your Blog’s Traffic
15. The Simplification of “SHOW DON’T TELL”
16. The Skinny on Social Media – Using It The Right Way So You’re Not Just Spinning Your Wheels
17. TRELLO – A Step-by-Step Guide to Using it Effectively to Organize and Write Your Next Book
18. What It Takes To Become A More Productive Writer
19. Writing Dialog That Feels Like Realistic Conversation
20. YOU the Reviewer Are Ruining YOU the Writer. Why Your Book Reviews Are Turning Off Potential Readers and How You Can Turn It Around
21. FREE BONUS SESSION
22. Filter Words and How To Avoid Them In Your Writing
23. What RWISA-Ready Looks Like

This conference is COMPLETELY VIRTUAL, so you can enjoy it at your leisure in the comfort of your own home. So, make sure you are part of this incredible event! You can register for it HERE.

*Please note: The site may be down during the weekend for final updates. It will re-open on Monday at 10am CT, so if it isn't working, come back tomorrow and join us!

While you are at it, I'd love for you to become a part of our family. Join the Rave Reviews Book Club! :-)

 

Author Spotlight and New Book Promo - Harmony Kent's Interludes 2

Hello, beautiful readers! I have a treat today for my adult followers. I am pleased to share with you a very talented UK author, Harmony Kent. She's here today to tell you about Interludes 2, the second anthology of erotic short stories. I've read many of her stories, including the original Interludes, and can attest to her incredible story-writing abilities. So, take it away, Harmony!

Thanks so much for having me over at your place today, Yvi.

Hi everyone. It’s great to be visiting with you all.

While I’m here, I’d like to talk about my latest book, Interludes 2. This is a book of short erotic romance fiction. As with the original Interludes (which you can find HERE), the book contains 10 short stories, with the first tale totalling 1,000 words, the second one totalling 2,000, and so on up to 10,000 words in the final story.

For each story, I used prompt cards from a great creative tool called Storymatic.  Here’s what the set gave me to work with:

a) deaf person b) recluse … c) person in love … conflict = class reunion

A and B relate to the main character. C relates to the secondary character. And the final prompt gives us the conflict.

From the above set of prompts, I came up with REUNION—A contemporary romance in 9000 words.

A school reunion looms. Not wanting to arrive sad and single, Molly talks her long-time friend Paul into going with her. While the music plays, the sparks fly.

Excerpt from The Reunion:

Paul settled a hand on her elbow and waited for her to look up at him. Unbidden, tears sprang to her eyes, and she blinked them away, furious with herself. Her friend eased the cup from her numb fingers and set it on the table, then he pulled her in for a hug. No words needed there.

She took the comfort gladly and snuggled into his embrace. After a moment or two, she heard his deep inhale, and then he kissed the top of her head. Had he just sniffed her hair? Before she could follow any further down that thought-tunnel, Paul released his hold and shifted back to his own sofa cushion. That tiny gap felt immense.

With a sad and worried expression, he told her, ‘Okay. I’ll go.’

Despite her best efforts, the tears broke free and poured down her cheeks. Ever attentive, Paul rose and fetched her a box of Kleenex from the sideboard. Molly pulled a couple from the box and tried to clean her face up before she could make any more of an idiot of herself. She managed a brief, ‘thanks,’ and then carried on mopping up.

Paul nodded and sat and watched her. She tried but failed to read the expression on his face. Why had he changed his mind? Was she so pitiful that he felt that sorry for her? Molly hadn’t missed the significance of what he’d just done. To go out anywhere was a massive deal for Paul, let alone attending some big reunion. For  her reclusive friend, that posed the same amount of effort as ascending Mount Everest or swimming the English Channel without stopping—and he couldn’t swim for toffee.

By unspoken agreement, they each broke eye contact and reached for their plates. The next few minutes passed in gastronomical bliss, and by the time Molly had devoured the last crumb of deliciously moist and sweet cake, the tension that had built up had dissipated again. She sipped her latte and grinned. ‘Nice. What did you do to it?’

Paul smiled and shook his head with his finger tapping his nose.

Molly chuckled. ‘Trade secret, huh?’

He nodded and gulped at his drink, and then he wiped crumbs from his lips and chin. In that moment, he reminded her strongly of the cute, funny boy he’d once been. A ball of sadness squeezed at her chest. What kind of hammering must he have taken to turn him into such an introvert? Three years. And such a massive change.

  

I had so much fun writing this one, and I hope you’ve enjoyed this little teaser. I’d love to hear what you think via the comments at the bottom of the page. Thanks for stopping by.

From author, Harmony Kent, another best-selling collection of short erotic fiction that will tickle more than your taste buds and wet [sic] more than your appetite.

With a range of genres and styles, this book has enough steam for everyone.

WIGGING OUT—contemporary romance in 1000 words. Two strangers. A crowded platform. A collision. And a wig on the floor.

STORM CHASER—ménage à trois in 2000 words. A sabotaged tire. A raging storm. Passion mounts.

MOON-STRUCK—shifter romance in 3000 words. Trapped on a ship orbiting the moon, a horny astronaut falls for a hunky author who has a secret.

THE CLUB—contemporary romance in 4000 words. An invitation and a host, who is so much more than he seems, bring excitement, enticement, and a choice to make.

NUDIST CAMP—contemporary romance in 5000 words. An older woman. A younger man. A gossip discovers their secret tryst. What will happen when it all gets laid bare?

INITIATION—contemporary romance in 6000 words. A pretty daydreamer arrives for her first day at university. A brutal initiation, and a man with an unusual issue, leave her reeling. Strange, the places you find true love.

THE INCOMER—contemporary romance in 7000 words. A divorced beekeeper has spent her whole life in or around her local village. Then a city-slicker architect comes to town. When two worlds collide, a big bang is sure to follow. Can you have a frenemy with benefits?

DOWN AND DIRTY—contemporary romance in 8000 words. On the run from a sadistic ex-husband, Ellie flees to a remote mountain town and takes a job in the mines. Wary of men, she resolves to keep herself aloof, but mother nature has a way of having the last word and will, quite literally, make the earth move if she has to.

REUNION—contemporary romance in 9000 words. A school reunion looms. Not wanting to arrive sad and single, Molly talks her long-time friend Paul into going with her. While the music plays, the sparks fly.

SOUL MATES—supernatural romance in 10,000 words. A bereaved woman seeks solace in remote woodland. All too soon, she discovers that she’s not as alone as she’d expected. And her heart isn’t the only one that needs to mend.

READER ADVISORY: This book contains explicit sex scenes and language hot enough to melt your book. For mature readers only.

Author Bio

After spending around thirteen years as an ordained Buddhist monk, living in a Zen Buddhist temple, and six years after a life-changing injury following a surgical error, Harmony Kent returned to the world at the tender age of forty.

Now, she is famous for her laughter and has made quite the name for herself … she’s also, um, a writer … and fairly well known for that too. She’s even won a few awards. Harmony lives in rural Cornwall with her adorable husband, ever-present sense of humour, and quirky neighbours.

Harmony is passionate about supporting her fellow authors.

Links

Website: https://harmonykent.co.uk/

Story Empire (co-authored): https://storyempirecom.wordpress.com/

Amazon Author Page: author.to/HarmonysBooks

Twitter: @harmony_kent

LinkedIn: Harmony

Goodreads: Author Page

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/harmony-kent

Interludes 2 Pre-order Link: mybook.to/Interludes2

Meet Nonnie Jules, the #RRBC #RWISA #WonderWoman @NonnieJules #authorspotlight

Hello, beautiful readers! Today, I am joining with a few of my fellow #RRBC members to shine the light on our phenomenal founder, Nonnie Jules!

Nonnie (aka Wonder Woman) has been super busy organizing the 5^th Annual #RRBC Writers’ Conference & Book Expo (a super-duper virtual literary event!), so a group of us decided we would shine the spotlight on her today.

Please support an author who gives tirelessly and selflessly (on steroids!) to other authors every day of the year. So, as well as sharing our posts & tweets, please buy her books, and post your honest reviews.

#RRBC and #RWISA - Let’s make some NONNIE NOISE!!!!

 

Nonnie Jules is the President & Founder of RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB {RRBC} and RAVE WRITERS – INT’L SOCIETY OF AUTHORS {RWISA}. 

“As a writer who values the (polished) written word, it is my mission to help my fellow authors understand that their reputation as a writer should be treated as a rare treasure and that the only way to be taken seriously in this business, is to ensure that your writing (no matter the forum) is impeccably written and well-edited.” - Nonnie Jules

 One blog could never explain how wonderful Nonnie is nor can it tell you all she does, so take a moment to visit her author page here.

You can find Nonnie’s books listed under the following categories in the RRBC Catalog:

–Non-Fiction

–Novels

–Parenting & Relationships

–Poetry

–Short Story

 I have read several of her books and short stories and can attest to her wonderful ability to draw you in to a story and leave you thinking afterward. One of her newest short stories is No Pedigree.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083SB1RMN

Growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, Baylee never quite fit in...anywhere. She was taunted and teased because her clothes had no designer labels, and spit upon because her only pair of shoes had holes in the bottom. The butt of many jokes, she was excluded from all social activities, sneered at by the parents of her peers after school as she waited for the bus, watching them drive away in their fancy cars; assaulted in the most unthinkable fashion.

Having been born to a white father and a black native American mother didn't make things any easier. In fact, that circumstance made her life ten times harder - until the day she made them all stand up, take notice, and regret every ugly word and deed they had inflicted upon her.

Check out the No Pedigree Book Trailer here: https://youtu.be/upjh985NclE

Here are some links to my reviews of some of her other stories:

If Only There Was Music: The Poetry of Unforbidden Love - My Review

Sugarcoatin' is for Candy & Pacifyin' is for Kids: "Yes, I Said It!" - My Review

I have a few more of her short stories on my Kindle and will be reading them this month to celebrate her. :-)

You can learn even more about Nonnie - her works, her blogs, and some excerpts of her writing - at her RWISA Author Page:  https://ravewriters.wordpress.com/meet-the-authors/author-nonnie-jules/

Watch out for Wonder-Jules truth lasso!

 

Here are some ways to connect with this fabulous author!

Contact via:

Email:  nonniejules@gmail.com

Twitter:  @nonniejules & @AskTheGoodMommy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BooksByNonnie/

 

Blog/Websites:

Books By Nonnie

Watch Nonnie Write!

Ask The Good Mommy

4WillsPublishing

 

#RRBC and #RWISA thank you for supporting author Nonnie Jules today!

Welcome to Day 4 of the @4WillsPub "THANK YOU, HOSTS!" Blog Tour for #RRBCAuthor @NonnieJules #RRBC #RWISA

GIVEAWAY! One (1) Five-Day Blog Tour!

Leave a comment below to have a chance to win a blog tour of your own.

I am excited to participate in the "Thank you, Hosts!" blog tour for those authors who regularly volunteer to host others on their blogs for 4WillsPublishing clients. I am honored to share with you the founder of Rave Reviews Book Club (RRBC) and the Rave Writers International Society of Authors (RWISA) - Nonnie Jules.

Today, we are focusing on Nonnie's amazing short story, No Pedigree.

 BOOK BLURB:

Growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, Baylee never quite fit in...anywhere. She was taunted and teased because her clothes had no designer labels, and spit upon because her only pair of shoes had holes in the bottom. The butt of many jokes, she was excluded from all social activities, sneered at by the parents of her peers after school as she waited for the bus, watching them drive away in their fancy cars; assaulted in the most unthinkable fashion.

Having been born to a white father and a black native American mother didn't make things any easier. In fact, that circumstance made her life ten times harder - until the day she made them all stand up, take notice, and regret every ugly word and deed they had inflicted upon her.  

CHECK OUT THE BOOK TRAILER FOR NO PEDIGREE:

AUTHOR BIO:

Hi, I’m Nonnie Jules – President & Founder of RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB {RRBC} and RAVE WRITERS – INT’L SOCIETY OF AUTHORS {RWISA}.  As a writer who values the (polished) written word, it is my mission to help my fellow authors understand that their reputation as a writer should be treated as a rare treasure and that the only way to be taken seriously in this business is to ensure that your writing (no matter the forum) is impeccably written and well-edited.  If not, you’re just another “Joe” with a pen who was the first to raise his hand when Amazon asked:  “Hey, any old Joe out there wanna publish a book?  Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be good and there’s absolutely no hard work involved.”

FYI:  If you don’t care what you put out into the world, you’re just a laughing stock in the literary community … and your name is “Joe.”

CHECK OUT NONNIE'S SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Twitter:  @NonnieJulesFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/nonnie.jules

Thank you for dropping in to support this author today along the 4WillsPub "THANK YOU, HOSTS" Blog Tour!  To follow along with the rest of the tour as we show appreciation of these bloggers for all their support in supporting our books, please visit the main tour page for this event! There's another book and author on tour today, so do get by to support them, as well!

Remember, you could win a (5) Day Blog Tour of your own to promote any of your books by simply leaving a comment below!  

My First Short Story

Hello, beautiful readers! I'm so excited to share with you!

Earlier this year, the Rave Reviews Book Club held its #RRBC 90-Day Alpha/Omega (Beginning to End) 'Short Story' Writing Contest. As most of you know, I am a writer of novels, but I have read several short stories in the past year that blew me away, so I wanted to give it a try.

I had a dream many years ago about a fairy tale's kiss gone wrong (lol), and I immediately jotted it down in my bedside journal. At that time, I was in the middle of writing one of the Diasodz books, so I didn't have time to dedicate to that dream. I knew what the story would be, but I was too focused on my Diasodz to give it the attention it needed.

Then, this contest came about. This dream was to be the prologue in a full-length novel, but I realized that it would work as a standalone short story as well. So, here it is! I am proud to announce my very first short story, Breathless!

Book Blurb:

What if the fairy tale kiss that always awakens the damsel in distress takes a sinister turn? What if prince charming’s kiss no longer produces a happily ever after?

Silena’s infatuation with William hits a speed bump when he rejects her. After all, she is just a maid, and he is a young, rich aristocrat in the 1920s. Why would he have any desire to waste his time with the help?

On one particularly lonely day, Silena calls upon her magic to transform into a sexy flapper for the night. Her dream to enjoy one night with William is finally in her grasp, but her magic comes with consequences that neither William nor Silena could ever imagine.

The official release date is July 1st, but it is already available for pre-order. It is only $0.99, and I'm pretty sure you are going to love it! :-) Here is the link for the pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BLVDHQX. Happy reading! :-)

My Interview with Heather Kindt

Hi, beautiful readers! Today, I am being interviewed by a fabulous author, Heather Kindt. Join me on her site as she asks me questions about my writing process and my fantasy series, The Chronicles of the Diasodz.  Here is the link to the interview:

http://heatherkindt.com/2020/06/15/interview-with-yvette-m-calleiro/

Welcome to Day 2 of "THE LOST AND FOUND BILLY BATTLES" Blog Tour! @JHawker69 @4WillsPub #RRBC #RWISA

Hello, beautiful readers! Today I have the honor of hosting Ron Yates, the incredible author the Billy Battles trilogy. He is currently on tour with 4WillsPublishing to promote it. In fact, those of you who leave a comment will have a chance to win his books! More details are at the end.

GIVEAWAY:  (2) Complete sets of the Billy Battles trilogy.  For your chance to win, please leave a comment below!

So, I hope you enjoy this Q & A with Ron Yates!

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? 

Don't let anybody discourage you from pursuing this work if it is genuinely what you want to do. Don't be intimidated by rejection. You must believe in yourself, your ideas, and your stories. If you don't, who will? Certainly not that dense editor or literary agent who couldn't see your potential or grasp your book's storyline.

Is being a writer a curse or a gift?

It is a beautiful gift if you allow the process to come to you and don't force it. However, don't let anybody tell you it is not damned hard work. It is. The joy of writing for me is telling a good story. I don't care about imparting a "message." Nor do I care about creating any hidden "meanings" that some literature professor will hold forth about in a writing class when I am no longer around to rebut him/her. I just want to tell a good story. That, to me, is the ultimate goal of writing.

The curse is that writing can take over your life, isolate you from family and friends, and turn you into a kind of sophistic recluse if you are not careful. Writers need to take breaks from working. If they don't, I believe they run the risk of becoming stale, self-absorbed, and misanthropic.

Where do you write?

I have taken over the upstairs bonus room in our house. It is about 500 square feet. In it, I have my rather extensive library, a good sound system for playing classical music, a large screen TV for watching sports, Discovery, History, and National Geographic channels when I need a break from writing. My window looks out onto a plant and boulder-strewn foothill that rises in front of my house. Another window looks down onto the Temecula valley some 2,000 feet below. It is quiet and soothing. I couldn't have a better place to write.

Do you prefer silence or some noise while you write?

I like to listen to music when I write. Most often, I listen to Mozart, Haydn, Telemann, William Boyce, and Beethoven. Classical music played softly, is inspirational, and helps me think. However, I also like the jazz of Dave Brubeck, Oscar Peterson, The Modern Jazz Quartet, George Shearing, etc. and I will, on occasion, switch from classical to that.

What do you typically drink while writing?

Icy iced tea.

What challenges have you had in regards to your writing life?

When I was a working journalist for the Chicago Tribune and then a Dean and Professor of journalism at the University of Illinois, I could never find large enough blocks of time to write consistently. Writing requires HUGE amounts of time and long periods of seclusion--things most of us don't have. Therefore, the time to write was always my greatest challenge. Now that I am no longer administering a college, teaching, or working full-time as a journalist, I am blessed to have a lot more time to write than I ever thought I would have.

When did you first start and when did you finish your book?

I started the first book in the Finding Billy Battles trilogy in 2010, but I wasn't consistent in working on it. I buckled down in the spring of 2013 and probably wrote 60% of it in about five months. I started Book #2 in the trilogy in December 2014 and finished it in 2016. I began Book #3 in the trilogy in 2016 and finished it in 2018.

What does your protagonist think of you? Would he/she want to hang out with you?

I think Billy Battles and I would be good friends. We are both journalists, and we both like going to new places and experiencing new challenges. Also, we both enjoy a good cold beer after a long hard day.

How do you market your books? What avenues work best?

I am still learning how to use the vast universe of social media for marketing my book. In addition to Amazon and Barnes & Noble, of course, my book is on Goodreads, Smashwords, Google Books, Createspace, NetGalley, Independent Book Publishers Association, as well as the Historical Novel Society, my blog, my author page on Facebook and the book's website, ronaldyatesbooks.com http://www.ronaldyatesbooks.com/

What has been the harshest criticism of your book so far?

Most of the critical comments have been minor. A few people found the 19^th Century Kansas vernacular my characters use in Book #1, an annoyance. Book #2 has very little of that because Billy Battles is now in Asia and Europe. A handful of people said they didn't like the fact that the book is part of a trilogy because they had to wait for Books #2 and #3. I like THAT kind of criticism. There have been some comments about formatting and typos that I and my editors clearly missed, and I try to fix those when I see them.
  
What has been the best compliment?

There have been several, but I will list just four here. You can find these and other reviews on the book's Amazon page:

"This trilogy is easily the best work of fiction I have read in some time."  

"Billy Battles is as dear and fascinating a literary friend as I have ever encountered. I learned much about American and international history, and you will too if you read any or all of the books. Each is an independent work, but if read in relation to the others, the reader experiences that all too rare sense of complete transport to another world, one fully realized in these pages because the storytelling is so skillful and thoroughly captivating. Trust me; you'll want to read all three volumes."

"There is something about this trilogy that is almost impossible to explain, but it takes it from being a *good* story to a GREAT one."

"Move over Elmore Leonard and Pete Dexter--there's a new deputy sheriff in town."

Is anything in your books based on real-life experiences or purely all imagination?

That's tricky. I call my work "Faction" because it is a blend of both fact and fiction. Some of the events in the book--especially those dealing with real people, did happen. Was my character directly involved in them? No. However, members of my family were native Kansans, and some of the experiences I write about did happen. Of course, I have woven some of my own experiences into the storyline also which I hope provides the story with an essence of realism.

How did you come up with the title?

I had been trying to think of a title for years. I didn't like any of them. Then one day, this one just jumped out of my brain and into the computer, and Finding Billy Battles was born. That was the title of the first book. I titled Book #2 The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles because, in this book, Billy's adventures take him to Asia and Europe. I called Book #3 The Lost Years of Billy Battles because, in this book, Billy disappears for several years. Why? You will have to read Book #3 to find out.

Will there be a sequel to the trilogy?

I am thinking about a couple of sequels to the trilogy. One will focus on Billy's semi-outlaw cousin, Charley Higgins. Another will focus on Billy's great-grandson who writes Billy's story and who embarks on a few adventures of his own as a result of what he learns about his great-grandfather.

What project are you working on now?


I am finishing a book about foreign correspondents in Asia. The working title is: "Asia Hands: A Tale of Foreign Correspondents and other Miscreants in the Orient." I am also pulling together reams of notes for when I finally decide to write about own life covering war and mayhem as a foreign correspondent.

Please fill in the blank: Keep Calm and___________:

Laugh--a lot! It's good for the mind and body.

BOOK BLURB:

The Finding Billy Battles trilogy tells the story of a remarkable man who is born in 1860 and who dies in 1960. For decades Billy lives an improbable and staggering life of adventure, peril, transgression and redemption. Then Billy mysteriously disappears. For several decades his family has no idea where he is or what he is doing.

Finally, with his life coming to an end, Billy resurfaces in an old soldiers’ home in Leavenworth, Kansas. It is there, when he is 98 that he meets his 12-year-old great-grandson and bequeaths his journals and his other property to him — though he is not to receive them until he is much older.

Years later, the great-grandson finally reads the journals and fashions a three volume trilogy that tells of his great-grandfather's audacious life in the old west, as well as his journeys to the Far East of the 1890s—including French Indochina and The Philippines—and finally, in the early 20^th century, to Europe and Latin America where his adventures and predicaments continue. One thing readers can be sure of, wherever Billy Battles goes trouble is not far behind.

AUTHOR BIO:

Ronald E. Yates is a multi-award winning author of historical fiction and action/adventure novels, including the popular and highly-acclaimed Finding Billy Battles trilogy. His extraordinarily accurate books have captivated fans around the world who applaud his ability to blend fact and fiction.

Ron is a former foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and Professor Emeritus of Journalism at the University of Illinois where he was also the Dean of the College of Media.

The Lost Years of Billy Battles is the final book in the trilogy and recently won the Independent Press Award’s 2020 Distinguished Favorites Award. In 2019 it also won Best Overall Book of the year and the Grand Prize in the Goethe Historical Fiction Category from Chanticleer International Book Awards as well as a Book Excellence Award and a New Apple Award. The second book in the trilogy, The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles, was published in June 2016. It won the 2017 KCT International Literary Award and the New Apple Award in the Action/Adventure category. The first book in the trilogy, "Finding Billy Battles," was published in 2014 and won a Book Excellence Award and Laramie Award from Chanticleer International Book Awards.

As a professional journalist, Ron lived and worked in Japan, Southeast Asia, and both Central and South America where he covered several history-making events including the fall of South Vietnam and Cambodia; the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing; and wars and revolutions in Afghanistan, the Philippines, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala, among other places. His work as a foreign correspondent earned him several awards including three Pulitzer Prize nominations.

Ron is a frequent speaker about the media, international affairs, and writing. He is a Vietnam era veteran of the U.S. Army Security Agency and lives just north of San Diego in Southern California’s wine country.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

-Twitter   https://twitter.com/jhawker69

-Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ronaldyatesbooks/

-Website   https://ronaldyatesbooks.com/

AMAZON OR OTHER PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KHDVZI/-/e/B00KQAYMA8/

Barnes & Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/finding%20billy%20battles/_/N-8q8


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