Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


Giveaway: Once Upon a Gypsy Moon by Michael Hurley

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on April 18, 2013
Posted in My Past Giveaways  | 7 Comments

Thanks to Jocelyn Kelley of Kelley Hall Book Publicity, I am giving away two copies of Once Upon a Gypsy Moon.


Book Description:


This is the story of one man’s yearning for redemption and renewal aboard an aging, 32-foot sloop, the Gypsy Moon. From the acclaimed author of Letters from the Woods, Michael Hurley, a noted trial attorney who once worked as a professional sailor, returns to the sea in what can only be described as a real-life odyssey.

Hurley originally began documenting his experience through letters to family and friends. What resulted is a compelling, raw and true story of one man’s life at sea. Fans of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild will delight in this poignant and honest account of the perils we all face when our life has drifted off course.

Watching his world unravel following the end of his 25-year marriage, Hurley is short of

cash, out of a job and deeply in need of some perspective.  He takes to the open ocean on an improbable sailing voyage that is part pilgrimage, part protest, and part penance. This is the story of the ensuing odyssey that spanned two years and 2,000 miles.

As the story leads to various ports of call, the author uses keen observations as touch points to reconcile events from his own past.  Through these poignant, personal stories, he draws larger lessons for the reader on such diverse topics as faith, love, death and marriage.


Sorry, this giveaway is open to the U.S. and ends on May 2, 2013.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.

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Book Description:


*2012 Finalist International Book Awards for Historical 


Publication Date: September 26, 2011

Raven’s Wing Books

Paperback; 408p
ISBN-10: 1618070150


Rocamora, a novel of 17th century Spain, is based on the life of Vicente de Rocamora, who struggles to make his place in a Spain obsessed with limpieza de sangre, purity of blood untainted by Jew, Moor, or recent convert.

Poet, swordsman, and master of disguise, at the insistence of his family, Vicente enters the Dominican Order and is soon thrust into the scheming political and clerical hierarchies that at Court.

Vicente becomes Confessor and Spiritual Director for King Philip IV’s teenage sister, the beautiful Infanta Doña María, five years younger than he, protégé and possible successor of Inquisitor General Sotomayor, and an invaluable assistant to the King’s chief minister, the Count-Duke de Olivares.

Vicente needs all his skills and cunning to survive assassination by a growing list of ruthless foes in both Church and Court, solve a centuries-old riddle to quell rumors of his own impurity of blood, and above all suppress his love for the seemingly unattainable María.

Rocamora Book Trailer: 

My Thoughts:

This book is a fictional account Vicente de Rocamora.  He was a master of disguises, poet, Dominican Priest, among other things.  The book opens with a bang and never lets go.  Vincente’s parents were both murdered and the starts off right away with him avenging their death, in disguise.  It is 17th century Spain.  At the age of 16 wants to be a solder but at the insistence of the remaining head of family, who vowed a oath of loyalty to, he becomes a Dominican priest.  

Vincente move up the ranks rather quickly and becomes the confessor for the beau­ti­ful Infanta Doña María. The younger sister of King Phillip IV of Spain.  Eventually it looks as if he will become the Inquisitor General.

Donald Michael Platt brings the time of the Spanish Inquisition to life.  It is apparent he did a lot of research for this book.  My only complaint, and it is a small one is I think there could have been tighter editing. Other than that, I loved this book and will certainly read the second book, House of Rocamora.  Highly recommended!

4.5/5

I was given a copy of this book for my honest review.

About Donald Michael Platt:

Born and raised inside San Francisco, I graduated from Lowell High School and received my B.A. in History from the University of California at Berkeley and won a batch of literary cash awards while in graduate school at San Jose State.

When I moved to southern California, I began my professional writing career. I sold to the TV series, MR. NOVAK, ghosted YOUR HAIR AND YOUR DIET for health food guru, Dan Dale Alexander, and wrote for and with diverse producers, among them as Harry Joe Brown, Sig Schlager, Albert J. Cohen, and Al Ruddy as well as Paul Stader Sr., dean of Hollywood stuntman and stunt/2nd unit director. Also, options were taken on my unpublished WWII fighter ace novel and several treatments.

After living in Florianópolis, Brazil, setting of my horror novel A GATHERING OF VULTURES, Dark Hart 2007, Briona Glen 2012, I moved to Florida where I wrote as a with: VITAMIN ENRICHED, pub.1999, for Carl DeSantis, founder of Rexall Sundown Vitamins; and THE COUPLE’S DISEASE, Finding a Cure for Your Lost “Love” Life, pub. 2002, for Lawrence S. Hakim, MD, FACS, Head of Sexual Dysfunction Unit at the Cleveland Clinic.

Currently, I reside in Winter Haven, Florida. My magnum opus historical novel, ROCAMORA, set in 17th century Spain and Amsterdam during their Golden Ages, was released by RAVEN’S WING BOOKS at the end of December 2008. It has been republished by Briona Glen, September 2011. My completed sequel HOUSE OF ROCAMORA was published by Briona Glen November 2012, and I am polishing a completed novel set in the 9th century Carolingian Empire about another unusual historical character, Bodo, the Apostate.

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Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Book Description:


Publisher: Bush Street Press (May, 2012)
Category: Self Help, Non-Fiction, Self Discovery, Happiness
Tour Dates: Mid April, 2013
Available in: Print and ebook 158 pages


#1 on Amazon Hot New Releases!


We arrive on this planet naked and without operating instructions. We live our lives and learn from trial and error (lots of errors) what works, what doesn’t work, what makes us happy and what pisses us off.


Each new person that comes into our lives gets no user’s manual and has to figure us out the hard way.  But what if we changed the rules?  What if we wrote our own user’s manual, The Happiness Handbook, about what makes us tick and gave it to the people we love most?

Imagine how that would change our interactions and our lives. People would begin to do what makes us happy and … we would be happy!  If someone received our Happiness Handbook and chose not to follow it, well then, we could choose not to hang out with them more quickly.


The Happiness Handbook is about empowering the reader to discover their own unique ways of being that lead to unlocking their full potential and becomes their guide for leading the extraordinary life they were born to fulfill.


The Happiness Handbook is written in a warm, friendly and informal tone; as if a girl friend were guiding the reader through their process of self discovery. Peppered with humbling, humorous anecdotes and stories; the reader has a practical, seasoned guide and partner in crime as they work the exercises and use the tools to move from unhappy to happy!


My Thoughts:


You may have noticed that I don’t really read many self help type books, in fact I don’t think I have reviewed any here.  However, when Jenn’s assistant Linda approached me to put together a tour for The Happiness Handbook I took a look at it.  I realized right away that it wasn’t your regular self-help/relationship book.  I tend to not read those for a reason, they aren’t helpful to me.


The Happiness Handbook is so much more and for that reason, I decided to read it myself as well as set up a tour.  First and foremost it is a tool to help you get at what truly makes you happy so you can have a happy relationship with yourself and others.  At a young age, I was taught not to be selfish, strive to make others happy.  Jenn gave me permission to delve deep inside and look at what makes me happy.  She made me realize that I can help others even more by helping me discover myself.


I had never stopped to really think about what makes me happy.  Written with witt and easy reading Jenn helped me discover what makes me truly happy.  This book is packed with easy and fun exercises to complete.  It is aimed at women but men would find it helpful to complete as well. Jenn also encourages you to share what you learn about yourself with your spouse or boyfriend, etc.


Highly Recommended!


5/5


I was sent a copy of this book for my honest review.

About Jennifer Flaa:

Serial entrepreneur with deep roots in technology and a passion for music. Jenn merges creativity and tech with fun and energy.


After starting her career as an engineer at NASA and a stint in Silicon Valley as a Quality Assurance Manager, Jenn started her first of four companies.  Vettanna provides high tech resources and communications training on-camera.


Not content to use one side of her brain, Jenn is also the rock vocalist and song writer for the band Urban Fiction, the author of The Happiness Handbook and the Better Boyfriend blog.


You can find out more about Jenn and The Happiness Handbook in her interview on CBS:

Thanks to Jennifer Flaa, I am giving away one copy of the book.  This giveaway is open worldwide.  If you live in Canada or the U.S. the winner will have the choice of print, pdf or Kindle.  If international the winner will receive pdf or Kindle.  This giveaway ends on May 7, 2013.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.

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Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.