The Poseidon Project by E. William Podojil (VNBtM, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

 

It is my pleasure to present some facts about author E. William Podojil, who shares...

Ten things most people don’t know about me

1.      My husband and I adopted three sons, who are now adults. One son is from Vietnam and the other two were born in Guatemala.

2.      I lived in Amsterdam for more than a decade. Originally transferred for an international assignment by my company, I eventually met another American there, and he eventually became my husband.

3.      I read the entire World Book Encyclopedia series from A to Z when I was a teenager.

4.      My first career goal was to be a graphic designer in the advertising industry. I then went into business, earned an MBA and spent thirty-five years as an executive leader in Fortune 500 companies.  

5.      I studied screenwriting at UCLA for two years. As a consequence, I picture my novels as films as I write them, and some of the stories, I cast with actors who could play the characters.

6.      Most people who know me professionally would guess that I am an extrovert, but in reality, I would classify myself as an introverted extrovert. I have had to be an extrovert for most of my career, and I like being around people for a period of time. In my home life, I’m more of an introvert and keep to a very close circle of family and friends, enjoy quiet time and activities like gardening, reading and hiking.

7.      Besides spending time at home with my family, I also love traveling. I’ve been to over sixty countries and visited forty-seven states. I’ve been on every continent except for Antarctica, which is on my bucket list. I’ve flown over three-million miles.

8.      I am fascinated by science and technology and incorporate these themes into my novels.

9.      From my travels, Barcelona is my favorite city. New Zealand is my favorite country, followed by Greece. Russia was my least favorite country. My most exotic trip was to Bora Bora, French Polynesia.    

10.   Favorite genres to read are Mystery/Suspense/Thrillers, Historical Fiction, Science-based Fiction (Physics, Geology, Chemistry, the Cosmos)

 

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The Poseidon Project

by

E. William Podojil

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GENRE:  

 

Suspense, Thriller, Mystery

 

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BLURB:

 

The Poseidon Project is an international suspense thriller and the first book in The Herb Society Mysteries series 

 

Molly Halloran and her friends have a secret past.  Their bucolic retirement is suddenly upended when Molly’s husband is abducted and held for a steep ransom.  Now she, her friends, her tech executive son, Lukas and his Air Force pilot boyfriend must race against the clock and travel halfway around the world to meet the kidnappers’ demands.  But when they learn why her husband has been abducted, they realize how high the stakes truly are.  Molly and her friends now must face their past in order to save the future.  But not only their futures; the world’s.

 

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EXCERPT

The explosion was deafening. A huge fireball engulfed the Iveco box truck with a force that knocked Molly, Donna, Linda, and John off their feet. Having been already seated, Lukas instinctively shielded Taylor from the force of the blast that was over one hundred feet away. The explanation of the Hindenburg explosion his mom had referenced two days ago flashed through his mind. The hydrogen collection tank must have had a leak or breached from being overfilled. But unlike the Hindenburg, there was not a zeppelin-sized supply of hydrogen on the Demeter unit, or what was left of it. The explosion was sudden, strong, and brief. The flames quickly burned through the truck’s cargo area, then slowly burned the embers of what little was left. The truck was destroyed, as was Demeter. Zip-Tie’s blackened remains smoldered on the ground, about ten feet from the blast.

 

Betty and Patrick stood at the top of the terrace waving their arms and appeared to be yelling something. Lukas could not hear much other than the ringing in his ears, and he assumed the rest of the group was partially deaf as they struggled to get to their feet. Lukas had shielded Taylor’s body, and his hearing appeared to be unaffected. Taylor kissed Lukas on the cheek and mouthed Thank you. Or at least Lukas thought he said it silently.

 

Betty held the fourth Glock in her hand and ran toward the group to help them ascend the terrace. “We’ve gotta get out of here!” she yelled, hoping their damaged ears could hear her. She knew it was only a few minutes before the Dubai police came to investigate the source of the explosion in the city center.

 

“Where is Malik?” Betty asked as John, Donna, and Molly rubbed their ears, hoping to regain their hearing.

 

“He ran that way.” Taylor pointed in the direction of the Burj Khalifa. “I saw him for an instant right after the blast.”

 

Patrick raced toward the group. “Police are on their way. I hear the sirens. Let’s go, everybody!” Patrick and Taylor, both injured, were able to shepherd the group up to the Sprinter van, get in, and buckle up for what was going to be a quick getaway.

 

Betty slammed on the accelerator, and the van lurched forward. She could see the flashing police lights about a quarter of a mile to her right. She turned left, hoping to avoid them. “Patrick, I need you to navigate! I don’t know where I am!” Betty yelled with a tinge of panic in her voice. Patrick stood up and sat in the passenger seat to help navigate.

 

Taylor quickly dialed his daughter. She answered on the first ring tone. “Dad, where are you?”

 

“Get the Goose ready. We’ll be there in—” He looked at Patrick, who held up his hands with fingers extended. “—ten to fifteen minutes. Please clear a take- off slot for us in twenty-five minutes from now.”

 

“Got it, Dad. Drive safely.”

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

E. William Podojil has worked as a writer, advisor and  international business executive while living in the Netherlands and the United States. He studied screenwriting at UCLA. His first novel, The Tenth Man, was published in 2004, by Haworth Press.  His latest novel, The Poseidon Project, was published by The Wild Rose Press in August, 2024 as the first book in the Herb Society Mysteries series.

 

Podojil currently resides in Northeast Ohio with his husband and three sons. He travels extensively and writes about his experiences on his website www.ewpodojil.com. 

 

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Stellar Heir by Scott Killian (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

 

Stellar Heir

by

Scott Killian

 

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GENRE:  Science Fiction

 

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BLURB:

 

Jael Ked’Korhva hadn’t anticipated becoming the galaxy’s most wanted.

 

He hadn’t planned on picking up a strange alien artifact, either, but once it was clasped around his wrist, Jael was granted extraordinary abilities. His senses were heightened, his reflexes faster, and he could now regenerate from damage that would spell the end for others, which was a boon, considering he was just a derelict scavenger.

 

That was until forces from every corner of the stars wanted Jael’s artifact for themselves, and they’ll stop at nothing to take it back. What initially appears as a boon swiftly transforms into a weighty charge. Yet, it's a charge Jael accepts without hesitation, understanding the catastrophic potential should the relic fall into the wrong hands.

 

Prodded onward by visions of an ancient ally and a mysterious enemy, Jael becomes a pivotal piece in a vast interstellar play of power and dominion.

 

An action-packed space opera, perfect for science fiction fans of Sun Eater by Christopher Ruocchio or The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey.

 

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EXCERPT

Silence fell over the derelict ship.

 

An ominous drone vibrated through the ship’s hull that Jael could feel beneath his feet and then the cargo hold was violently breached. A searing streak of plasma sliced through the hull, disintegrating the sturdy alloy walls as though they were made of paper. An Archon corpse floated by Jael, their helmet and head nothing more than a smoldering clump of matter vitrified to their pressure suit.

 

The other Archons unleashed a barrage of gunfire. Emerging from the breach, Mortuum biobots slithered into the cargo hold—serpentine constructs of metal and flesh, each limb a deadly weapon, protecting their central brain encased in layers of plasticrete casing.

 

Jael took a deep breath in and steeled himself for combat.

 

“Shoot the fraxxing things!” Garlial yelled over the comms, firing wildly at the biobots. His shots were haphazard, more out of fear than strategy.

 

A biomechanical tendril whipped over Jael. Garlial dove onto the floor to avoid it, dropping his rifle in the process. Their gazes locked and Garlial sneered, scrambling to grab his weapon.

 

Jael kicked away the rifle just before Garlial got his hands on it. He pushed off the floor, turning his body as he snapped out another kick and it connected with Garlial’s helmet. Jael drew his pistol and fired.

 

Garlial rolled and the beam barely missed him. He lurched forward, grasping the pistol before Jael could fire again and eject the lens cartridge.

 

Pulling free, Jael twisted himself around, positioning himself on Garlial’s back. He brought the pistol up and slammed it into Garlial’s helmet. Jael raised it again but leaped off and rolled as a wayward arc of plasma from a biobot raced toward him.

 

“Fraxxing scav!” Garlial scrambled to his feet and tipped a crate towards Jael.

 

Jael swung his body around and hopped up, avoiding the crate entirely. Garlial drew a combat knife from a panel on his thigh and slashed at Jael. With the palm of his hand on Garlial’s wrist, Jael stopped his attack. He grasped the inside of Garlial’s armored cuff and pulled him in close.

 

Jael dropped his weight on Garlial’s arm, and he felt the limb snap.

 

 Amazon link

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Scott Killian grew up in California where he consumed every bit of sci-fi and horror media he could find. Delving deep into the works of Thomas Harris, Stephen King and H. P. Lovecraft to name a few, those dark portals in his mind were opened and his obsession with the macabre began. Story telling, in any form, is his greatest passion.

 

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My review:

3.5 stars

Stellar Heir by Scott Killian centers around the adventures of Jael and his sidekick and best friend, Goni, whose scavenging run results in the acquisition of an artifact that plunges them into a conflict and quest that may signal the end of the universe. Enemies and allies come out of nowhere, and the past and the future are inextricably intertwined.

This young-adult science fiction tale is full of nonstop action and imaginative scenarios. The story has a comic-book feel, with plenty of violence and excitement, but I would have liked a bit more depth to the characters. The requisite quest, quirky sidekick, damsel in distress, noble hero, and multiple evil villains are all present, with even an unlikely “pet”, but some of the events strained my incredulity a bit too far. This is the first book in the series, so there are quite a few dangling threads, and the world building is a bit basic, but complexity will undoubtedly ensue as stories are added. Those who like fast-paced adventures with plenty of fight scenes should have fun with this story.

 

A copy of this title was provided for review

Sizzling Sydney Nights by Gabbi Grey (Spotlight and excerpt)

Sizzling Sydney Nights

by

Gabbi Grey

 

Synopsis

Sam

 

I've enjoyed showcasing Sydney’s architecture, food, and culture for tourists for almost ten years. I keep a nice professional distance, but one hot American guy has me breaking all the rules.

 

Levi

 

I researched the hell out of Sydney, Australia, before writing my most recent bestseller, but never saw it in person. Now I'm getting called out for the things I got wrong. I'm here to learn more about the city, but my tour guide's the one I really want to explore. Good thing I know Sam would never fall for a client, or it might be hard to leave.

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Exclusive excerpt :

 

Sam

I ignored Levi and motioned my group in close. “First, though, we need to run through some safety tips. Hats and sun cream are the way to go, because you’re going to get burned to a crisp if you don’t. Make sure you hydrate. Our climate here is hot and dry, and you’ll get dehydrated really easily. Wear shoes at all times. You’ve heard about snakes and spiders. Well, some of the places we will be visiting in the coming days will have them, so chuck your sneakers on your feet and watch where you walk. But most importantly, I have to warn you about the drop bears.”

Everyone’s attention riveted to me.

I was in my element and pulled out my memorized information. “Drop bears are cousins to koala bears. They’re carnivorous and drop from the canopy of trees. You have to be careful when you’re walking in the bush.”

Joe raised his hand. “And where do we find these?” He didn’t look convinced that I was telling the truth.

I had a feeling he’d be googling the ferocious animals as soon as we were on the bus. “They’re located primarily on the east coast of Australia.”

“So…here?”

I grinned. “Well, not in Sydney proper, but yes, here. Mostly out in the heavy scrub area, but we’re known to get a couple closer to Sydney. They live in the trees, so as long as there’s a couple of eucalypts around, take it easy. You need to look for fresh scratch marks on the trunks of the trees before you linger under one.”

He arched an eyebrow.

I continued on. “Right. Everyone ready? We can load on the bus.”

Clara hustled her daughters on board. The French couple went next, then the Moons from South Korea. Joe and Daryl were next.

Levi lingered.

“You okay, mate?” I again met his gaze. I hadn’t been wrong when I’d thought both fathomless and pain-filled.

He cleared his throat. “Of course. I just…” He squinted. “Drop bears?”

I grinned. “You need to know all about Australia, right?” Because that was usually why people took my tour.

No missing the grimace in his expression.

He has a story…and I intend to figure out what it is.

“Keep close to me, and I’ll make certain you learn everything you can about being an Aussie.” I winked.

He actually rolled his eyes.

 

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Bio

 

USA Today Bestselling author Gabbi Grey lives in beautiful British Columbia where her fur baby chin-poo keeps her safe from the nasty neighborhood squirrels. Working for the government by day, she spends her early mornings writing contemporary, gay, sweet, and dark erotic BDSM romances. While she firmly believes in happy endings, she also believes in making her characters suffer before finding their true love. She also writes m/f romances as Gabbi Black and Gabbi Powell.

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The Legendary Mo Seto by A.Y. Chan (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY)

 

The Legendary Mo Seto

A.Y. Chan

 

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GENRE:  Middle Grade, Martial Arts, Action/Adventure

 

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BLURB:

 

Mo Seto, martial arts movie star! Has a nice ring to it doesn’t it? Too bad there's a height restriction to audition. But 12-year-old Modesty (Mo) Seto has never let her height get in the way before, not when she became a black belt, or when she fought the meanest boy in her class, and she’s not going to let it stop her this time! Now if only she can figure out a way to grow five inches and fool everyone at the auditions…and find time to search for her missing father (who just might be harboring a dangerous secret of his own). Join Mo on an adventure (and audition) of a lifetime and find out if powerful things really do come in small packages!

 

Publishers Weekly calls THE LEGENDARY MO SETO “Adrenaline pumping”, Kirkus Reviews says it “Packs a punch”, and Booklist calls it “Remarkably relatable.” Leap in and join the fun!

 

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EXCERPT

I may be small, but I am fierce. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. Over and over again. Fierce.

“Charyeot,” the taekwondo tournament referee says in Korean. Attention.

I snap my arms to my sides.

“Kyeong-nae,” the ref says. Bow.

I turn to face my opponent, Dax Washington. His dark skin glistens with sweat. We dip our heads.

I look up to see Dax towering over me, his eyes stormy.

It suddenly occurs to me how much “fierce” sounds like “fears.” Not that I’m scared or anything. I’m not.

“Sijak!” The ref throws up his hand. Begin! Immediately Dax’s large fists hammer down like a hailstorm.

Well, maybe I’m a little worried.

Dax lunges. I block his front kick with my forearm. I flinch and reel back. The ref blows his whistle, but Dax doesn’t stop. I barely have time to move before—oof—another kick nails me in the elbow.

Okay, fine. I’m totally panicking.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

A. Y. Chan grew up in Canada’s Greater Toronto Area reading all the middle grade and young adult books she could get her hands on. To this day, those remain her favorite genres. After achieving her black belt in Taekwondo, she explored other martial arts, such as Wing Chun, Hapkido, and Muay Thai. These days, she continues her martial arts training some mornings, writes in the afternoons, takes long walks to muddle out plot points, and falls asleep reading.

 

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My review:

4.5 stars

 

“The Legendary Mo Seto” follows the adventure of young martial arts practitioner Modesty (Mo), whose dreams of being a tae kwon do champion are constantly stymied…by her nemesis Dax, her mom’s opposition, her small stature, and…the mysterious lack of support by her biggest fan…her father. A chance at redemption comes when her movie-star idol holds auditions, but one setback after another threatens to destroy Mo’s dreams unless she finds a way to overcome all of her obstacles.

 

This fun children’s book is both informative and entertaining, and I was instantly transported to Mo’s world and invested in her success. From her quirky sidekick who may want to deepen their relationship to the mysteries surrounding Mo’s ancestors, plus the mother who seems determined to force Mo into a more traditional role, there are plenty of characters who I made a connection with. The plucky determination and out-of-the-box solutions that typify Mo’s character and the increasingly scary events that take place made this a page-turner that was fun to read and a story I highly recommend. I enjoyed the glimpse into another culture, the evolution of multiple relationships, and the depiction of love and affection displayed by multiple characters, and I hope there will be many more adventures featuring Mo and her supporting cast.

 

 

A copy of this title was provided for review

Stilettos & Gunpowder by Gail Koger (VBB, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

STILETTOS & GUNPOWDER

Gail Koger

 

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GENRE:  Action/adventure Romantic Comedy

 

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BLURB:

 

My name is Gemma Stone. I’m a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Deputy and not only must I deal with the sweat-soaked misery of the Arizona desert, I get to respond to a bunch of crazy 9-1-1 calls all day long. Like a parakeet up a tree, or a car accident where a tractor trailer full of fireworks is hit and the 4th of July comes a bit early.

 

But some days crime takes a deadly turn. Police cars are suddenly blowing up. Detective Sergeant Dante Delgado, the love of my life, was assigned to track down and stop the bomber. Am I worried? You betcha. There’s a madman on the loose and he is very, very good at making bombs.

 

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, the Feds think I’m in cahoots with an Iraqi warlord who deals in stolen antiquities, Ichabod, my murderous ex-dance partner, escapes from prison and I’m suddenly in everyone’s crosshairs.

 

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EXCERPT

“Damn!” Frank spat and slammed on the brakes. 

The seatbelt abruptly clamped around my chest. “Holy crap!” The skinny, white male with the feathered headdress and loincloth was doing his war dance in the middle of the road. I keyed my mic, “Charlie-23 show us out at 85th Avenue and Bell Road with a male dancing in the middle of the street.”

“Copy, Charlie-23,” the dispatcher responded.

A truck narrowly missed the demented dancer. Did he notice? Nope. With his loin cloth flapping in the wind, he shook his hips in what looked like a weird belly-dance. Then he switched to the Texas two-step.

“Ugh. I really don’t want to make another arrest today,” I grumbled.

Frank nodded. “Me, either.”

“Stay with our prisoner. I’ll handle the boogie man.” I got out of the car before Frank could protest and approached the moron. “Sir, if you feel the need to dance, could you do it on the sidewalk?”

He took one look at me, shrieked and bolted down the roadway, yelling, “It wasn’t me. It wasn’t me.” Horns honking, cars swerved around him.

“Aw, c’mon! It’s too dang hot to be running.” Did he listen? Hell, no. I trotted after him. It wasn’t like he could run very fast in flip-flops. “Stop! Now! You’re gonna get hit!”

The overhead lights flashing on the patrol car, Frank followed behind us.

The fool lost his flip-flops and did a crazy hippity-hoppity dance over to a circle of grass on the highway median.

I picked up his flip-flops. The pavement was about 180 degrees, and he wasn’t going anywhere without his shoes. “Why are you running?”

“I don’t want to go to jail,” he wheezed.

“And I don’t want to arrest you.”

“You don’t?”

“Nope. What’s your name?”

“Tim White.”

“Okay, Tim, what’s up with the dancing?”

He shrugged. “I’m just trying to spread a little joy.”

“Un-huh. Does it look like it’s working?”

 

 Buy Link

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Glendale Police Department and to keep from going totally bonkers – I mean people have no idea what a real emergency is. Take this for example: I answered, “9-1-1 emergency, what’s your emergency?” And this hysterical woman yelled, “My bird is in a tree.” Sometimes I really couldn’t help myself, so I said, “Birds have a tendency to do that, ma’am.” The woman screeched, “No! You don’t understand. My pet parakeet is in the tree. I’ve just got to get him down.” Like I said, not a clue. “I’m sorry ma’am but we don’t get birds out of trees.” The woman then cried, “But… What about my husband? He’s up there, too.” See what I had to deal with? To keep from hitting myself repeatedly in the head with my phone I took up writing.

 

 

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Playing Army by Nancy Stroer (VNBtM, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY)

Playing Army

by

Nancy Stroer

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GENRE:  UpLit / domestic war

 

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BLURB:

 

It’s 1995 and the Army units of Fort Stewart, Georgia are gearing up to deploy to Bosnia, but Lieutenant Minerva Mills has no intention of going to war-torn eastern Europe. Her father disappeared in Vietnam and, desperate for some kind of connection to him, she’s determined to go on a long-promised tour to Asia. But the Colonel will only release her on two conditions—that she reform the rag-tag Headquarters Company so they’re ready for the peacekeeping mission, and that she get her weight within Army regs, whichever comes second. Min only has one summer to kick everyone’s butts into shape but the harder she plays Army, the more the soldiers—and her body—rebel. If she can’t even get the other women on her side, much less lose those eight lousy pounds, she’ll never have another chance to stand where her father once stood in Vietnam, feeling what he felt. The Colonel may sweep her along to Bosnia or throw her out of the Army altogether. Can you fake it until you make it? Min is about to find out.

 

 

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EXCERPT

 

I sucked in my gut and forced the top button of my BDU trousers through the hole. Pounds never melted off me like they did in the diet pill commercials. As I wrestled with my body’s ill-fitting container the latrine door opened and two pairs of boots tromped in. Specialist Pettit’s voice floated over the sound of running water. “Not to be mean or anything, but female commanders are the worst. And Lieutenant Mills is the absolute worst. I worked for her for two years in Personnel and she ragged on me the whole time.”

 

Whoa, shit. Enemy inside the wire. I stopped breathing altogether and leaned so close to the stall door my eyes crossed.

 

“Hey, now.” That was Lieutenant Logan, my replacement at my old job. Female soldiers carved their hierarchies along different lines, never straight down the military ranks, and new alliances were being tested. Would Logan stick up for me, officer to officer? “It’s a short-term thing. She won’t be here long.” Instead of reproach, Logan’s voice was edged with mirth. “The colonel needs a body in that chair until a real commander comes in, and now that I’m here, Lieutenant Mills is over strength. She’s the body.”

 

My face grew hot. Real commander? Body? I clamped my lips shut against the urge to burst out of the stall, roaring. I imagined inhaling the entire room then blowing them away with the release of my torso, all tightly packed plastic explosives and buckshot. These two, Logan especially, had no freaking clue.

 

 Amazon link

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Nancy Stroer grew up in a very big family in a very small house in Athens, Georgia and served in the beer-soaked trenches of post-Cold War Germany. She holds degrees from Cornell and Boston University, and her work has appeared in the Stars and Stripes, Soldiers magazine, Hallaren Lit Mag, Wrath-Bearing Tree, and Things We Carry Still, an anthology of military writing from Middle West Press.

 

She’s a teacher and a trainer, and an adjunct faculty member of the Ellyn Satter Institute, a 503(c) not-for-profit that helps individuals and families develop a more joyful relationship to food and their bodies. Playing Army is her first novel.

 

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