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The Twisted Saga of Jack and Aria: First Date Leads to Second Chances

Jack Current had a plan. Just not a good one. And ending up in the river with the woman who may or may not be his soulmate certainly wasn’t part of it.

In First Date, the darkly humorous follow-up to Mark E. Scott’s debut novel, Drunk Log, readers witness the immediate aftermath of Jack’s failed attempt at ending his life and follow him as he spends the next 8 hours getting a free ambulance ride to the hospital, being watched by the deputy who tased him, avoiding a psyche exam and maybe falling in love with the bartender responsible for his second chance at life, love and redemption.

It all began on a dark and snowy night, when Jack executed his plan to take his own life without knowing Aria was right behind him. Instead of dying, they find themselves shivering on a riverbank, having survived a fall from a suspension bridge into the currents and debris of the Ohio River. Lucky enough to slam into an anchored barge, they emerge from the water stunned, bruised and still somewhat drunk. Now, they must work their way through the muck of the riverside to solid ground. Fully intent on ending it all just minutes before, Jack finds himself clinging to Aria for dear life — a life he feels just might be worth living after all.

First Date is a story of individuals haunted by suicide, remorse and unanswered questions: questions whose answers are not to be found in the bottom of a bottle. Secrets are revealed and souls are bared, but answers are still elusive. For now, they only have each other, a dollar store notebook and a teddy bear.

First Date is the second installment in Scott’s three-part, Day in the Life series, in which the unexpected, twisted saga of Jack and Aria unfolds over a combined period of 24 hours. Book One, Drunk Log, was released in 2022 and traces the first eight hours of Jack’s unsteady march toward his intended demise.

 

About the Author

Born in the small manufacturing town of Galion, Ohio, author Mark E. Scott lived in various burgs in Ohio and Michigan before joining the Navy and spending four years traveling the world aboard the USS Mount Whitney. Upon returning home to southwest Ohio, he enrolled at Miami University and completed a degree in Education, only to become a banker soon thereafter. Scott now lives happily in a condo in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati. In his free time, he enjoys writing, finding new and creative ways of tricking his children into answering their phones, and anything related to travel and outdoors, of late including tumbling down snow covered mountains while dragging otherwise perfectly good skis behind him.

For more information, please visit www.markescottauthor.com, or connect with him on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/markescottauthor) and Instagram (markescottauthor).

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/First-Date-Life-Mark-Scott/dp/164540840X/

 

First Date

Publisher: Speaking In Volumes, LLC

ISBN: 978-1645408406 (paperback)

ISBN: 978-1645408390 (e-book)

Available from Amazon.com, BN.com and Goodreads###

Reviews, photos, links to previous interviews and Q&As are available upon request.

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CIA Operatives Dodge Danger, Confront Terrorist Attacks in Realistic Race Against Time, The Handler

In the real world, “espionage is not a tuxedo and a martini,” quipped prolific author Jeffrey S. Stephens, who has written extensively about missions involving CIA operatives and national security.

“They work in the shadows. They’re in danger,” he added. “There’s so much that goes on that we don’t know about — so many near misses that we can never hear about for obvious security reasons.”

His latest book, The Handler, pays homage to those who “work in the shadows” to protect the people of the United States with a chillingly realistic plot centered on the revival of Al Qaeda and its efforts to pull off a large act of terrorism.

The book features Nick Reagan, an abundantly confident CIA operative and American hero who will go to any length to protect the country he loves. And in The Handler, Reagan and his team travel to the ends of the earth to locate an anonymous terrorist determined to unleash a series of unholy attacks on America. Can their mission succeed when they don’t even know who they’re looking for?

Readers first meet Reagan as he traces a trail of clues to China in search of the Ghost Chip — a new technology that turns cell phones into detonators and renders them untraceable. In the hands of terrorists, the Ghost Chip would be catastrophic.

When the CIA uncovers details of a violent assault planned in New York City, Reagan and his partner, Carol Gellos, are assigned to prevent it — facing long odds and danger along the way.

As events unfold, it becomes apparent the incident in Manhattan was only the first in a series of intended terrorist strikes within the United States. Even worse, Reagan discovers that the man behind this onslaught is further along in his preparations than anyone in the intelligence community anticipated.

The anonymous ISIS handler behind these assaults is using new technology, as well as information gathered from three American scientists kidnapped in Pakistan, to coordinate his plans. The result will be a gruesome fate for thousands of innocent people … unless Reagan can stop him.

After deciphering the code being used by the Handler to plot his bloody scheme, Reagan races against time, needing help as never before from his group of talented associates, including his lover, top CIA analyst Erin David.

Throughout The Handler, the author toggles between perspectives, giving readers a chilling look inside the minds of Islamic terrorists hellbent on carrying out heinous acts in the name of the Koran, while simultaneously, Reagan risks his life to thwart the awful carnage.

BestThrillers.com calls The Handler, “A taut terrorism thriller that mesmerizes with a dizzying global conspiracy and believable stakes,” and The Real Book Spy calls it, “Jason Bourne for the new millennium.”

 

About the Author

A native of New York City, Jeffrey S. Stephens is a successful attorney in private practice, admitted in both New York and Connecticut. Stephens has lived for more than 30 years in Greenwich, which is where he and his wife, Nancy, raised their two sons, Graham and Trevor. Stephens is the author of the Jordan Sandor thrillers, Targets Of Deception, Targets Of Opportunity, Targets Of Revenge and Rogue Mission, as well as the Anthony Walker murder mystery Crimes And Passion and the Pencraft First Place Award winning novel, Fool’s Errand.

For more information, please visit www.jeffreystephens.com, or follow the author on Facebook (Author Jeffrey Stephens), Instagram (jss50) and Twitter (@j_stephensbooks).

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Handler-Nick-Reagan-Thriller/dp/1637585829/

The Handler

Publisher: Post Hill Press

ISBN-10: ‎ 1637585829

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1637585825

Available from Amazon.com, BN.com and other booksellers

###

Reviews, photos, links to previous interviews and Q&As are available upon request.

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Retired Army Captain Calls Out Those Who Profit From War

Retired Army Captain Calls Out Those Who Profit From War

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet or used by any means of social media sharing.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Severely disabled war veteran and retired Army Captain Allen B. Clark knows all too well the consequences of being a war casualty. An enemy attack on his Green Beret camp in Vietnam in 1967 resulted in the amputation of both of his legs below his knees. After 15 months of rehabilitation, 20 surgeries and eight years of psychotherapy, he went on to live a rewarding and fulfilling life. But questions haunted him. Why and how are wars really initiated? Are there underlying motivations unknown to the general population and especially to the warriors?

“Members of the military fight to take care of each other, not for glory, and little do we know the behind-the-scenes characters who profit from our dedication to our nation,” Clark said.

In his book Soldiers’ Blood and Bloodied Money: Wars and the Ruling Elites, Clark shares the results of his extensive and concentrated research. His findings, drawn from sources published as far back as 150 years ago, point to individuals and institutions throughout history who have fostered and fomented horrendous wars, including arms merchants; religious entities and their leaders; politicians; international bankers; media titans; and lawyers.

With a special focus on the American Revolution, Civil War, Spanish-American War and the “Banana, Banker and Oil” wars in the Americas, Soldiers’ Blood and Bloodied Money aims to reveal the political, financial, business, religious, social and propaganda truths behind the initiation of wars.

“These truths illustrate that we young patriots, who have gone off to fight in wars, are merely pawns in a much larger chess game of life — a game where the captains and kings and knights and bishops are the ones who often profit immeasurably in terms of financial gain or increases in power,” Clark wrote in his book. “Meanwhile, we perish or suffer immense physical and emotional wounds from which many of us never heal.”

About the Author
The Honorable Allen B. Clark is a 1963 West Point graduate and PTSD survivor who lost both legs below the knees in 1967 following an enemy mortar barrage while serving in Vietnam. He is a recipient of a Silver Star, America’s third-highest decoration for Gallantry in Action, a Purple Heart, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.

He has served as a special assistant to the governor of Texas and as the Assistant Secretary for Veterans Liaison and Program Coordination, and Director of the National Cemetery System in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In 1993, he was recognized by the Military Chaplains Association with its National Citizenship Award. He is a frequent motivational speaker. In early 2018, Allen received the Patriot Award from the Greater Dallas Military Foundation, and later that year, he received the Sons of the Flag Legacy Award.

For more insights into his book, visit the reviews at
https://www.amazon.com/Soldiers-Blood-Bloodied-Money-Ruling/dp/0692111980 or watch the book trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pblOgANPkQ.

Soldiers’ Blood and Bloodied Money: Wars and the Ruling Elites
ISBN-10: ‎ 0692111980
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0692111987
Available from Amazon.com

Trish Stevens
Craig Warren
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com
281.333.3507 Phone

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Vacation Plans Go Awry in Latest ‘Ladybug’ Adventure

Vacation Plans Go Awry in Latest ‘Ladybug’ Adventure

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet or used by any means of social media sharing.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sometimes, summer vacations don’t go exactly as planned, and in the new children’s adventure, Hillary and Malibug Beach, Hillary the Little Ladybug is eagerly anticipating her family’s trip to Malibug Beach and goes to sleep dreaming of mermaids. Are the mermaids in her dreams a hint as to what awaits her at Malibug Beach?

Co-authored by William Dandurand, Elisabeth Revel and Mary Cohen, The Adventures of Hillary the Little Ladybug series explores climate change and other topics through stories aimed at young readers. All proceeds from sales of the “Ladybug” books benefit Mother Nature Festival Live Inc., which endeavors to stop harmful climate change.

In the latest story, strange things happen that alter everything for the ladybugs. A comet explodes, and the green glow causes mutations among them. Hillary sees mermaids and vampires. The vampires try to bite Hillary and turn her into a vampire.

The King orders all castle workers back to the castle, and the family must leave their vacation early. Hillary ends up back home in her bed but has strange dreams. Oh well, tomorrow will be another day. Hillary says her night prayers with her mom and falls into a restful sleep.

Some familiar figures have appeared in the Hillary the Ladybug series, such as Bigfoot, Tiny Tim and the King. Hillary’s own name sounds a bit like a famous person who has expressed concerns about climate change.

The series features original illustrations, photography and playfully educational storylines to tell adventurous children’s tales from the perspective of a precocious ladybug.

A team of authors and illustrators have collaborated on this 16-book series, including Mary Cohen, Elisabeth Revel, Gary Revel, Naomi Kiber and William Dandurand, whose grandfather, Ray Lowe, worked for Disney.

In previous episodes of the Hillary the Ladybug saga, our heroine has solved the mystery of the secret cave, found herself in a post-nuclear world, joined the crew on a submarine, faced giant sharks, encountered a haunted castle, met the King of England, imagined herself as a queen, learned a valuable life lesson from a praying mantis and, in this new book, deals with challenges during a vacation with her family to Malibug Beach (no, not Malibu Beach, don’t be silly!).

The original illustration of Hillary the Little Ladybug was created by American-born Gary Revel Jr., a 2006 Finnish Star Winner who lived in Finland for 16 years. Revel Jr. has received acclaim for his singing, dancing and acting in Finland and Hollywood, California.

“The Adventures of Hillary the Little Ladybug is in development at Jongleur Pictures LLC for the making of an animated series to be produced by Jeff Olm,” says Gary Revel. “Jeff has been on the film-making team of many top-grossing films over the last 20 years. These include Titanic, The Revenant, Shrek Forever After, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and many more.”

Jongleur Books publishes other William Dandurand-authored books, including ABC Owl: Who Are You, Lochy the Loch Ness Monster, Harry the Fairy, Global Warming A to Z, Halloween A to Z, California Girls A – Z, Treasure Stories Told by My Grandfather and Hillary and the Haunted Castle. The publishing company’s backlist includes over 70 books, novels and chapter books from over 20 authors and illustrators.

For more information about how the Hillary the Little Ladybug series is helping to stop global warming, visit https://mothernaturefestival.live.

Also visit https://garyrevel.com/book/, or follow the publisher on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jongleurbooks. The Adventures of Hillary the Little Ladybug series is available from Amazon.com.

Trish Stevens
Jaqueline Cooper
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com
281.333.3507 Phone

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Promise of Big Payouts Lure Young Attorney Into Sordid World of Class-Action Lawsuits

Promise of Big Payouts Lure Young Attorney Into Sordid World of Class-Action Lawsuits

(This press release may be reprinted in part or in its entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet or can be used by any means of social media sharing.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

With tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars at stake in the world of class-action lawsuits, the attorneys will do almost anything to reap the rewards in Filthy Rich Lawyers, Book One: The Education of Ryan Coleman.

The satirical legal thriller from Brian Felgoise, who has been practicing class-action law for more than 25 years, and co-author David Tabatsky, is infused with scenarios loosely based on real-world interactions that Felgoise had with lawyers, judges and plaintiffs.

“I laughed out loud at the salty wise cracks on most every page,” said Matt Flynn, author of Milwaukee Jihad. “But underneath the lightning paced humor is a serious message about corruption in class action litigation. Filthy Rich Lawyers is a hilarious satire about a very real problem.”

The story begins in a Texas courtroom, where Ryan Coleman, a young, ambitious lawyer from Philadelphia, is chasing his share of a class-action lawsuit involving a multi-national defense contractor. After getting reprimanded by the judge for speaking out of turn, Coleman meets Robert Smalley, a brilliant attorney and borderline criminal who boasts that, “I have the greatest practice of law in the world because I have no clients.”

And with that, Coleman is drawn into a hedonistic world of wealth and power at the core of Filthy Rich Lawyers.

Included in the cast of colorful characters is Eugenia “Gene” Cauley, a female shark in the male-dominated legal world whose life spirals tragically out of control, and Randy Hollis, an insanely successful lawyer turned multi-billionaire, who is pursuing his ultimate American dream: buying a professional football team. Coleman becomes Hollis’ “errand boy,” but as Hollis is investigated by journalists, law associations and government agents, Coleman must decide if he wants to remain in this sordid circle.

Federal prosecutor Patrick Coyle wants to take Hollis down because of an old grudge. He aligns with Dick Dickey, former Secretary of Defense and CEO of a military contractor, to ruin Hollis and Coleman. When an escort mysteriously dies in Hollis’ penthouse, Coleman becomes an unwitting accomplice and must choose between protecting his boss and saving his marriage, or telling the truth and risk going to prison.

Filthy Rich Lawyers reveals the surprising ways in which our system of class-action law enables (mostly) men to get ridiculously wealthy and behave like sophomoric frat boys.

“How they use their money and power will shock, amuse and entertain readers,” Felgoise said. “As media billionaire Mortimer Zuckerman once said, referring to some lawyer’s self-indulgence and unbridled hubris, ‘Practicing law is the exact opposite of sex. Even when it’s good, it’s bad.’”

About the Authors
Brian M. Felgoise, Esq., is a graduate of Temple University Law School and has been practicing class-action law for more than 25 years, including cases where billions of dollars have been recovered for class members who lost a significant amount of money.

David Tabatsky has authored, co-authored and edited many novels, including The Boy Behind the Door, Friends Like These, The Marijuana Project, The Battle of Zig Zag Pass and Drunk Log. His memoir, American Misfit, was published in 2017. Tabatsky was consulting editor for Marlo Thomas and her New York Times bestseller, The Right Words at the Right Time, Volume 2. To learn more, please visit: www.tabatsky.com.

Filthy Rich Lawyers, Book One: The Education of Ryan Coleman
Publisher: Speaking Volumes Inc.
Release Date: October 2022

Trish Stevens
Catherine Kennedy
Senior Publicist
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
732.737.7334 Direct
281.333.3507 Office
Toll Free: 800.854.1134
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com

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Vengeance Can Be Deadly — Is This the End of Warren Steelgrave?

Vengeance Can Be Deadly — Is This the End of Warren Steelgrave?

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet or used by any means of social media sharing.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

When retired writer Warren Steelgrave finds two officers from the Carabinieri waiting for him outside his home in the tiny village of Muriaglio, Italy, he knows it’s something serious. When he learns that a dear friend and former lover has been murdered — and he was the last one to see her alive — he knows just how serious it is.

In Vengeance Can Be Deadly, book five of the Warren Steelgrave series from author Gary E. Smith, Warren has settled into a comfortable life in Muriaglio when he suddenly finds himself a prime suspect in a murder investigation.

Warren cared deeply for the victim, and he swears to avenge her death and clear his name. He slowly untangles a web of deceit, which is at first benign but then grows malignant with greed and evil. Professional criminals get involved, along with international spies and mafia accomplices. Warren’s sworn vengeance and “willingness” to find justice have put him and his loved ones in grave danger.

In Vengeance Can Be Deadly, readers will travel with Warren down the dark alleyways of intrigue through Italy and the United States. Warren is warned: Vengeance can be deadly. Will there be justice and light at the end of this literary journey, or will the last chapter be Warren’s obituary?

About the Author
Gary E. Smith was born in 1948 in Hayward, California, and balances life between travel and a love of the arts. After high school, Smith joined the Naval Air Reserve and entered the electrical construction trade. He started his own electrical construction company in 1978. This became a large company and worked industrial jobs throughout the country until Smith’s retirement in 2011 when he began writing.

To learn more, please visit: www.garysmithauthor.com, or follow the author on Twitter (@g_smithauthor) or Facebook (The Willing by Gary Smith).

Vengeance Can Be Deadly
Publisher: Gatekeepers Press
ISBN-10: ‎ 1662904401
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1662904400
Available from all major booksellers and www.garysmithauthor.com

Trish Stevens
Helen Cook
Senior Publicist
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
281.333.3507 Office
903.654.0938 Direct
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com

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Cliven Bundy Shares His Account of Armed Standoff on Nevada Cattle Ranch

Cliven Bundy Shares His Account of Armed Standoff on Nevada Cattle Ranch

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet, or used by any means of social media sharing.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Whatever happened to Nevada cattle rancher Cliven Bundy?

“It’s not what you think,” said prolific Christian author and Leadership Books co-founder Michael Stickler, who spent more than 60 days documenting Bundy’s side of the conflict while Bundy was incarcerated in federal prison.

Stickler details the events (as told to him by Cliven Bundy) preceding, during and following the 2014 standoff between Bundy’s armed supporters and federal agents. The standoff made national news and resulted in Bundy and 18 others being charged with federal crimes.
“January 6 protesters are facing the full weight of the government, but Cliven Bundy went through it first,” Stickler added.

In Cliven Bundy: American Patriot, Stickler shares Bundy’s side of the standoff, which was the result of a 21-year legal dispute between Bundy and the Bureau of Land Management involving the grazing of Bundy’s cattle on federal land.

With plenty of intrigue, twists and turns, Cliven Bundy: American Patriot also includes Bundy’s personal account of “life lost” and the continued costs that the “Bundy 19” endure in prison.

“From here, Cliven shares his personal inner fears and hopes for the future,” Stickler said. “It’s a burden that weighs heavily upon Cliven’s heart.”

About the Author
Prolific Christian author Michael Stickler (who has written over 19 books) and his publishing mentor, Arthur Ritter, founded Leadership Books to provide turnkey publishing services for those with ideas they want to bring to the world as well as Book and Author Representation services for already published authors in need of more effective marketing strategies. Leadership Books focusses on thought leaders and nonfiction authors in the worlds of business, finance and faith.

Stickler is an ex-felon, philanthropist, horseman and internationally sought-after conference speaker. His all-time bestselling book, A Journey to Generosity, is widely acclaimed throughout the Christian community. He is also the author of Ghost Patriot and Life Without Reservation.

To learn more, please visit: https://LeadershipBooks.com, or connect with the publisher on Facebook (LeadershipBooksOnline); Twitter (@BooksLeadership); Instagram (leadership.books); or LinkedIn (Mike Stickler).

Cliven Bundy: American Patriot
Publisher: Vision Group, Ltd.
ISBN-10: ‎0990744140
ISBN-13: ‎978-0990744146
Available from Amazon.com and https://leadershipbooks.com/products/cliven-bundy-american-patriot?variant=41472051085492

Trish Stevens
Helen Cook
Senior Publicist
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
903.654.0938 Direct
281.333.3507 Office
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com

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