Welcome to Day 7 of  Shirley Harris-Slaughter’s “MOTHER’S DAY AND OTHER FAVORITE THINGS” Blog Tour! @sharrislaughter @4WillsPub @4WP11 @RRBC_Org #RRBC #4WillsPub.

I am so pleased to introduce you to Shirley Harris-Slaughter, the author of Joyce Winifred Harris-Burkes: How I Remember My Mama. Today is Day 7 of her “Mother’s Day and Other Favorite Things” blog tour.

GIVEAWAYS:

(2) $5 Amazon Gift Cards

(5) Tickets into RRBC’s WC&BE Raffle for (7) $100 Amazon Gift Card Gift Baskets 

Please leave the author a comment below for your chance to win one of these awesome prizes!

Welcome, Shirley! Let’s get right into reading your post for today…

I had to produce a sample piece for a writing class and this post is it. I had a problem with keeping the past, present and future tense in its proper place. This sample is supposed to address those problems, but I wonder …

A Writing Sample – Past Tense, Fiction

Mom is sitting on the couch rubbing her stomach constantly, feeling miserable. The doctor said, “You are carrying twins!” 

I am really feeling her pain. “OMG! We’re expecting twins! Mom, is there something I can do to make you feel better?” 

“No darling. There is nothing anybody can do. We must wait until they get here.” Mom said. I am seven years old, and this day will forever be etched in my memory. Even now I can feel her as if the pain is mine. 

Mom couldn’t do housework anymore, so dad brought in a relative (Mama Anita) to stay with us. I was forced to share my bed with this obese woman. Because of her size, I wound up on the floor more than once. She got on her knees to pray every night before going to bed. Boy, did she preach up a storm. At least 15 minutes. I lay still, watching her, and wishing I could be somewhere else. 

She had her hair braided and her drab clothes hung on her because of her size. She wore heavy duty black shoes. Her persona was easygoing. I could not see what she did for us because our hair is not kept up, and our clothes are wrinkled. I remember getting teased at school about it. She didn’t take care of us the way mom did, and it became so evident. Things changed right before my eyes, and the twins were not even here yet.

———

The identical twin boys were born on October 30, 1963. It was the day before Halloween and life was never the same. It forced me to grow up fast. There they were in two baskets with handles for carrying. I still remember the cries because the sound was so unique. The incessant crying. Over time, I grew concerned about it because it didn’t seem normal. They cried all the time. It was like something was frightening them. One night the crying didn’t stop, and mom ran into the bedroom to find smoke billowing out of the room. A rag over the lightbulb hanging from the ceiling got too hot and caught fire. Mom placed it there so the glare wouldn’t disturb the babies. Dad and mom got the babies out quickly. The firefighters came but luckily there was no major damage, just a lot of smoke. I wondered if the smoke did any harm to them.

The twins were the talk of the town. They generated excitement everywhere my parents took them. They rode in a baby buggy built for two. I would describe it as all gray and very wide – enough room for two little ones. They were named Dwight Gregory (the right-handed twin), and Dwayne George (the left-handed twin). The first photo had the two of them lying face up for the shot. They looked like mirrors of each other. They were so perfect.

Mom needed a lot of help to handle and care for the babies. Dad regularly went to work and came home and that’s about it. He was not involved in the day-to-day activities of the newborns. Mama Anita takes her leave after a couple of months and I was glad to get my room back.  

Things kind of fell to me. I don’t remember if my sister would have been capable of helping much. She was only six years old at the time. My duty was to always keep the diaper pail clean and fresh. Mom taught me how to wash baby clothes and diapers in the washing machine. Hanging them out to dry was next, as we didn’t own a dryer. I used to love the smell of the diapers after the sun dried them out. Only wealthy people had driers alone with color TV sets, and cars. 

Cooking is another chore I learned how to do out of necessity, starting with breakfast. This is my life now. Getting up, eating breakfast, running out to play is now a thing of the past. I long for those carefree days again.

My new rule. I’m never going to have kids when I grow up.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the new additions to our family. It was just so much work to do because mom was still trying to recover from the whole ordeal. I know she is glad to be rid of the load because she was huge while pregnant, and in so much pain. 

Mom yells, “Leslie Lee, come here.” I shout back, “Coming!” “I want you to sit next to me while I try to pump the milk from my breast. The babies won’t breastfeed. We’re going to have to make up formulas.” My eyes were popping out of my head as I watched her trying her best to produce the milk, but enough of it was not coming, so she experienced a lot of pain. I remember her telling me once that we (my siblings and I) would not take her milk either. We rejected it too. I always thought that was so strange because babies need that first healthy start in life.

I would really appreciate your feedback on this writing sample. 

Please leave a comment below and thank you so much for visiting my blog stops. 

BOOK BLURB:

Mama could tell a joke. Next thing you know, you are rolling on the floor from one of them. She loved to play the lottery and religiously purchased tickets every chance she got. If you fail to buy her tickets when she asks you, she will tell you that was the winning number … “If you had done what I asked, I would have won.” It was classic!

She was just as passionate about her faith and could quote passages from the bible all day long, which she did. She was a good mother and made huge sacrifices for her children.

She was the woman who wanted to be an actress but never got the chance. She was the woman who worked at a naval air base in Alameda County, California, screwing rivets in wings of airplanes. They were called “Rosie the Riveter” during World War II.

She was the constant in our lives.

This is how I remember my mama!

AUTHOR BIO:

Shirley Harris-Slaughter is the author of Our Lady of Victory, the Saga of an African-American Catholic Community which was written to address a need to preserve Catholic history in her local community. She mentored four freshman girls at the local middle school in the Winning Futures Mentor Program. She is active in her church and Rave Reviews Book Club a virtual book club community where she has added another biography and fiction to her repertoire. She is married to Langston and is a Michigan Native.

And now, Slaughter has written a memoir about her mother, Joyce Winifred Harris-Burkes: How I Remember My Mama. It talks about memories regarding her life, and her works. The theme is about how the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Slaughter is an activist just like her mother.

PLEASE FOLLOW SHIRLEY THROUGH ALL HER SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Twitter:  @sharrislaughter

Facebook:  Shirley Slaughter

Amazon Author Central Page

Websites:

Shirley Harris-Slaughter

Remember Our Lady of Victory

PICK UP HER BOOK(S) TODAY AT HER AMAZON BOOK PURCHASE LINKS: 

Joyce Winifred Harris-Burkes: HOW I REMEMBER MY MAMA

Our Lady of Victory, the Saga of an African-American Catholic Community

Ronald L. Powell: Missing in Action

Crazy! Hot! And Living On The Edge!!

Newspaper Chronicles

A CITIZEN’S GROUP IN ACTION: Saving a Train Station

To follow along with the rest of the tour, please visit the author’s tour page on the 4WillsPublishing site. If you’d like to schedule your own blog tour and have your book promoted in similar grand fashion, please click HEREThanks for supporting this author and her work!

Be sure to leave Shirley a comment below for a chance to win an awesome prize!

Welcome to Day 7 of the REIMAGINING NEON Blog Tour featuring Author, Linda C. Mims! @boom_lyn @ptlperrin @RRBC_Org @RRBC_RWISA @4WillsPub @4WP11 #TheNeonHouses

GIVEAWAYS: 

(3) $10 Amazon gift cards

Please leave Linda a comment below or anywhere along the tour, for your chance to win one of her awesome giveaways!

Welcome to Day 7 of the REIMAGINING NEON Blog Tour! It’s an honor to introduce Author Linda C. Mims and her exciting, newly reimagined book, THE NEON HOUSES. I loved the characters in the original story, and I’ve preordered my copy so I can get reacquainted with them.

It takes a vivid imagination and a good deal of research to create a world that does not yet exist. Details matter, especially when they differentiate between cultures. Take food, for example.

Linda, how does food define the cultures in 2087?.

BUT WHAT ARE THEY EATING? 

The Neon Houses, set in 2087, depicts two worlds. One world shows a food desert where food is genetically modified, dehydrated, plant-based and powdered—if there’s food at all. The other world is a cornucopia of real meat, vegetables, poultry, eggs, fish, and fruit.

The main character, Noel Kennedy, has her feet planted in both worlds and is unapologetically sympathetic to the needs of the citizens in the Southland. When we first meet her, hurrying to the home of a recently murdered student, she’s leaning out of the passenger window yelling bloody murder at a thief who has just snatched a bag of groceries from an old man.

Back home at the annual barbeque she and her husband famously host, we see disks laden with platters of smoked meats, grilled vegetables, desserts, and other delectables. These dishes sail through the air, over the heads of guests who use remote controls to land a disk, or they summon human androids to take their orders. This scene is two-fold, lavishly contrasting the two societies, and setting the stage for the next murder.

Noel’s nemesis, Warren ­­­­­­­­­Simpson, is a cunning, ruthless villain who rules the land that borders the southern outskirts of her city. He is a thief and the purveyor of illegal goods. Yet, when his nephew is accused of murder, Warren discards that theory. The kid isn’t like him, and murder is the farthest thing from the kid’s nature. 

Simpson gathers his family around the dining table to plot murder, set-ups, and surveillance. During the meal, readers see dishes of roasted beef, whipped potatoes and gravy, green beans, fresh tomatoes, and warm bread spread out on a snowy tablecloth. Simpson’s wives, their children, and his young adult nephew surround him. When the food isn’t served quickly enough, his nephew makes smacking sounds and bangs his silverware on the table. Simpson cuffs him lightly. The scene is normal, almost endearing, and allows us to see the human side of the villain.

In undeniable New Chicago tradition, soy-dog stands, and taco stands dot the area near downtown. When a call comes over the radio warning Noel and her husband they’ve been spotted while scouting the primary suspect, they’re under the on-ramp of the Kennedy Expressway eating at a taco stand that’s located there. Before they hightail it, Noel takes a moment to wipe taco sauce from her husband’s mouth.

Fifty years into the future, the world has changed, but food, family, and gatherings remain the same—maybe more for my sense of normalcy than the characters’.

~~~~~

EXCERPT FROM THE NEON HOUSES:

Noel and Dickey stood at a little taco stand on Morgan and Lake and ordered the special with cola spritzes.

“I’m too old to eat this junk,” Dickey said.

“I know.” Noel laughed. “But we don’t want to go too far away, in case Harlan calls. I figure we can eat this and get back before Jessica’s date is over. I want to see his face. Hell, I want to touch him.”

“You see that car?” Dickey asked, nodding toward a vehicle that had made a U-turn and was idling on the opposite side of the street. “I’d swear it followed us from the restaurant.”

Noel nodded. “That’s Warren Simpson’s men. They’ve been following me since the day Lord Nelson’s man chased me from shantytown.

“This isn’t us, Noel, and as soon as we get out of this, we’re never doing it again. Promise?”

She smiled as she wiped taco sauce from his mouth with her napkin.

Blurb:

What would you do if you were the daughter of a cult hero who boasted a past full of exciting, colorful exploits?

Suppose the thing that made your mother a cult hero was also inside you.

Now, imagine spending your whole life trying to hide it—until you shared the heart stopping death of someone close to you.

Supposed that death brought you face to face with the gift of the neon houses.

New Chicago and its neighboring town, The Southland, are vastly different worlds in circa 2087, but Dr. Noel Kennedy is an expert at navigating both worlds. As the Deputy Chief of Schools in The Southland, Noel has perfected being a solid, middle-class citizen. Not even her husband, Fredrick Kennedy, truly understands what she is.

When Zarah Fisher, Noel’s young protégé, is murdered on a deserted street in The Southland, Noel knows the exact moment Zarah takes her last breath. Though miles away, Noel feels the girl’s terror, and hears her anguished screams inside her own head because of an inheritance that has left her with extraordinary gifts.

Can Noel find justice for Zarah without risking it all?

Murder, mayhem, and suspense abound in this action packed page-turner. More than a mystery, The Neon Houses thrills the reader with scenes of a futuristic 2087. Autoplanes, body planes, and flying buses are the norm. Robots and androids cook, clean, and serve the affluent, while dystopia lurks just around the corner.

***

You are invited to connect with Linda via her social media outlets below:

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Website

Amazon Author Central

About the Author

LINDA MIMS is a writer, a dreamer, and an educator, who hails from a quiet village just south of Chicago. Her stories are mainly about urban characters who are engaged in mystery and mysticism. Her hope is that while entertaining and informing, she’s also sending the message that humans aren’t that different and all each of us want is a better world. 

~~~~~

To follow along with the rest of the tour, please visit the AUTHOR’S TOUR PAGE on the 4WillsPublishing site.  If you’d like to book your own blog tour and have your book promoted in similar grand fashion, please click HEREThanks for supporting this author and her work!

Welcome to Day 5 of the #HauntedShoresMysteries Series Blog Tour! @OverbeckRandy @4WillsPub 4WP11 @RRBC_Org

Dr. Randy Overbeck’s Haunted Shores Mystery Series, ghost mysteries with a meaningful twist, hooked me from the first words! Enjoy his amazing blog tour stop today, and leave a comment for a chance to win one of the great…

#GIVEAWAYS!

“So-o-o atmospheric. Cape May, with its history and Victorian mansions, has no end of ghostly stories. And the Haunted Bride is a doozy.”—V. Williams, Rosepoint Publishing

In deciding on the locations for the novels in my Haunted Shores Mysteries series, I’ve put as much effort into selecting the perfect setting as I do crafting the puzzling whodunit or creating credible characters. I do a good deal of research to seek out lesser known gems of romantic, resort locations readers will find memorable. No place like Myrtle Beach or Malibu or Ft. Lauderdale will do.  (This research is a tough job, but somebody has to do it.) I want readers, when they read each entry, to say, “I didn’t know about this place. What an intriguing little town. I think I’ll put this on my ‘to visit’ list.” 

            That’s exactly how I felt when I “discovered” Cape May. (I’d never been to this charming town and stumbled upon Cape May when I attended a family wedding up the shore a few years ago.) After some extensive research, I decided it was the exactly the right locale to set the second entry in my series. 

What made Cape May so perfect and memorable for my ghost story/mystery? I’ll share just five reasons and I think you’ll get it.

  • Cape May is the nation’s oldest seaport resort. Vacationers and tourists have been flocking to Cape May since the early 1800’s. Back then, big city dwellers from Philadelphia and New York would head to this shore town in the summer to escape the heat and foul air. Today, visitors come from all over the northeast US and Canada to enjoy the sun and sights of this remarkable little town. 
  • Cape May has one of the premier beaches in the U.S. With thirty miles of beautiful white sand beaches, Cape May is ranked as one of the top ten beaches in the country by the Travel Channel. Since “the shore” part of my series is critical to my narratives, this beach makes for some delightful scenes in the novel.
  • Cape May has a rich history which helps to shape the unique destination it is today. A large fire in 1879 destroyed almost the entire town requiring the rebuilding of most of the homes and businesses. They were rebuilt in the latest style at the time, which we now call Victorian. The rest, as they say, is history.
  •  Cape May has one of the largest collections of Victorian architecture in the country (second only to San Francisco). Over 600 mansions and Bed and Breakfasts, each painted and detailed in the unique Victorian style, made the perfect romantic backdrop for Darrell and Erin’s reconciliation—not to mention the perfect atmosphere for an old time ghost story. Speaking of which— 

 

  • Cape May is famous as the most haunted seaport on the East coast. It’s hard to walk down any street in Cape May and not run into a house, hotel or store where a ghost encounter has been documented, some sightings going back centuries. Craig McManus, famed Cape May ghost hunter, has documented over fifty different spirits in his series, The Ghosts of Cape May. I even decided to include a few of these documented ghosts in my ghost story/mystery about the Haunted Bride, a young woman murdered on her wedding night. 

Check out the newest installment in my series, CRIMSON AT CAPE MAY, for both an exploration of the incredible resort town and a peek at its wonderfully eerie history.

Incredible sale on the entire Haunted Shores Mysteries series!
BLOOD ON THE CHESAPEAKE-$.99, CRIMSON AT CAPE MAY–$1.99, SCARLET AT CRYSTAL RIVER (pre-publication price)—$2.99. 

Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author and speaker. As an educator, he served children for more than three decades in a range of roles captured in his novels, from teacher and coach to principal and superintendent. His thriller, Leave No Child Behind (2012) and his recent mysteries, the Amazon and B & N No. 1 Best Seller, Blood on the Chesapeake and Crimson at Cape May have earned five star reviews and garnered national awards including “Thriller of the Year–ReadersFavorite.com, “Gold Award”—Literary Titan, “Mystery of the Year”—ReadersView.com and “Crowned Heart of Excellence”—InD’Tale Magazine. As a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Dr. Overbeck is an active member of the literary community, contributing to a writers’ critique group, serving as a mentor to emerging writers and participating in writing conferences such as Sleuthfest, Killer Nashville and the Midwest Writers Workshop. When he’s not writing or researching his next exciting novel or sharing his presentation “Things Still Go Bump in the Night,” he’s spending time with his incredible family of wife, three children (and their spouses) and seven wonderful grandchildren.

BLURB—CRIMSON AT CAPE MAY

No matter how far you run, you can never really escape a haunted past. 

Darrell Henshaw—teacher, coach, and paranormal sensitive—learned this lesson the hard way. With his job gone and few options, he heads for Cape May to coach a summer football camp. The resort town, with gorgeous beaches, rich history and famous Victorian mansions, might just be the getaway he needs. Only, no one told him Cape May is the most haunted seaport on the East Coast. One resident ghost, the Haunted Bride, stalks Darrell, begging for his help.

He can’t refuse. Joining forces with Cassie, a street-wise teen and another sensitive, he investigates the bride’s death and discovers her murder is connected to a far greater horror. But can Darrell and Cassie expose those behind the crimes before they end up being the killer’s next victims? 

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT CRIMSON AT CAPE MAY

“With both elements of mystery and suspense, readers across genres will find this second book about Darrell Henshaw intriguing…I highly recommend it.” ★★★★★Literary Titan

“It’s a ghost/mystery story filled with suspense and action. The plot is so engrossing it had me hooked from the very first page.” ★★★★★—Nana’s Reviews, Greece

“An exciting paranormal mystery I couldn’t put down… A great read. Highly recommend!” ★★★★★N.N. Light’s BookHeaven

“Rollicking good…Darrell is a wonderful protagonist, an ordinary man put into extraordinary situations and rising to the challenge..” ★★★★★ —Over My Dead Body magazine

“I loved everything about this book. As a ghost story combined with a mystery, a romance, a social injustice and stunning historical details, Crimson at Cape May has something for everyone.” ★★★★★—ReaderViews 

“Masterly spooky adventure…an accomplished work of haunting mystery fiction that fans of the genre won’t want to miss out on. Highly Recommend.” ★★★★★—ReadersFavorite.com

BOOK TRAILER—CRIMSON AT CAPE MAY

Connect with Randy Overbeck

EMail

Author Website

RRBC Author Page

Twitter: @OverbeckRandy

FB: Author Randy Overbeck

PURCHASE LINKS—CRIMSON AT CAPE MAY

Barnes & Noble

BookBub

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Tik Tok

To follow along with the rest of the tour, please visit the authors’ tour page on the 4WillsPublishing site.  If you’d like to book your own blog tour and have your book promoted in similar grand fashion, please click HEREThanks for supporting this author and his work!

Don’t forget to leave a comment below for a chance at a cool #GIVEAWAY!

Welcome to Day 7 of the “SIR CHOC” Book Tour! @bakeandwrite @4WillsPub @4WP11 @RRBC_Org #RRBC @ptlperrin

Thank you for visiting my site today, where you’ll discover my friend Robbie Cheadle and an especially sweet treat!

Robbie is giving away:

(7) Paperback copies / 1 of ea book in the series

(2) 15 Amazon gift cards

Please leave Robbie a comment anywhere along the tour for your chance to win one of these awesome prizes.

Sir Chocolate and the Ice Cream Rainbow Fairies story and cookbook by Robbie and Michael Cheadle

Join Sir Chocolate and Lady Sweet on a fun adventure to discover why the milkshake rain is pale and white. Includes five delicious recipes to make with children.

How to make a fairy out of fondant

Step 1 – Mix a quantity of flesh coloured fondant. Roll a small quantity into a ball for the head. Gently roll the lower half of the head between you fingers to narrow it. Use a small ball tool to make the eye sockets. Dab the sockets with edible sugar glue and insert two green or blue pearl delight cake decorations into the sockets to make the eyes. Use a half a straw to make the smiling mouth. Roll a tiny ball of flesh coloured fondant for the nose and attach with edible sugar glue. Leave the head to dry.

Step 2 – roll a larger oval shape for the fairy’s body. I used purple but you can use any colour you like. Insert a toothpick through the centre of the body and snip the top, leaving approximately 1 centimetre standing up.

Step 3 – Roll a long tube of flesh coloured fondant for the legs. Fold the tube in half to make two legs and slightly flatten the joined area to form a base for the fairy’s body. Slightly narrow the ankles by rolling them between your fingers. Role two triangular shaped pieces of purple fondant for the shoes and attach them to the ankles using edible sugar glue. Roll out some purple fondant using cornflour to prevent sticking and cut out a star shape for the skirt. Attach the skirt to the legs.

Step 4 – Roll out some white fondant and cut out a butterfly shape with a cutter. Gently bend in the middle and leave between a loosely folded piece of cardboard to dry into a wings shape overnight.

Step 5 – Leave the pieces to dry overnight.

Step 6 – Use edible glue to attach the body to the legs and the head to the body. Make the arms by rolling two narrow tubes of flesh coloured fondant. Flatten the shoulder slightly using your fingers. Roll the wrists between your fingers to indent them. Use your fingers to lengthen and flatten the hands. Attach the arms to the body using edible sugar glue. 

Step 7 – Roll a long purple tube and wind it in a steadily narrowing circular shape to from the fairy cap as per the picture. Attach to the head using edible sugar glue.

Step 8 – Attach the wings using edible sugar glue. Decorate with edible glitter if desired.

Robbie Cheadle is a children’s author and poet.

The Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.

Robbie has also published books for older children which incorporate recipes that are relevant to the storylines.

How to connect with Robbie Cheadle:

WEBSITE

BLOG

TSL BOOKS AUTHOR PAGE

GOODREADS

TWITTER

Where to Find Robbie Cheadle’s Books:

TSL Publications (paper back is available at a discounted price)

Lulu.com (ebook)

Amazon (paper back)

To follow along with the rest of the tour, please visit the author’s tour page on the 4WillsPublishing site. If you’d like to schedule your own blog tour and have your book promoted in similar grand fashion, please click HERE. Thanks for supporting this author and her work!

Don’t forget to leave a comment for you chance to win one of Robbie’s amazing giveaways!

Welcome to Day 2 of THE MEMOIRS Blog Tour! @fredsdiary1981 @4WillsPub @4WP11 @RRBC_Org @Tweets4RWISA

SPECIAL PRICING ON AMAZON US AND AMAZON UK

COMMENT BELOW TO BE ENTERED IN A DRAWING FOR

(1) $10 Amazon gift card

Thanks for stopping by!

Please help me welcome our guest blogger, Robert Fear. I have enjoyed getting to know Robert through #RWISA and through his entertaining memoir SUMMER OF ’77. He has much to share with us!

Welcome, Robert. We’re so glad to have you with us today!

Robert Fear

Welcome to the second day of my 4WillsPub 3-day blog tour. 

During this tour, I am sharing with you some background to the three memoirs that I have self-published. As a special offer to readers of the tour, I have reduced the Kindle price on each book to 99c/99p (RRP $4.99/£3.99) on Amazon US and UK.

Here are the links to the memoirs that are being featured:

Fred’s Diary 1981: Travels in Asia – getbook.at/FredsDiary1981

Exclusive Pedigree: My life in and out of the Brethren – getbook.at/ExclusivePedigree

Summer of ’77: Beaches, bars and boogie nights in Ibiza – getbook.at/Summerof77

Exclusive Pedigree: My life in and out of the Brethren

Background

After publishing Fred’s Diary 1981, I devoted a lot of my spare time over the following year to make my father’s dream come true.

It started for me back in 1992 when my father, John, became frail and was confined to bed most of the time. Visits to the hospital became more frequent, and the doctors were talking about months, not years.

John had been working on his memoirs for several years and had already typed up many of the chapters. He also had plans in place for finishing the remaining chapters of his book. Now he could not continue, and my mother called me to see if I could help. I was more than happy to get involved.

In the evenings and at weekends I sat at my computer and transcribed the chapters that John had finished. I printed these off and sent them back to him. It was a period of reconciliation between father and eldest son as we discussed changes and planned for the missing chapters.

During the months following his death, I continued working on John’s memoirs with the help of my mother and brother. In 1994 we printed a limited-edition under the title Exclusive Pedigree. If it had not been for a chance remark, the life of the book could have ended there.

Towards the end of 2015, I was visiting my mother for a few days and gave her a paperback copy of the second edition of Fred’s Diary 1981, which she wanted to read. Our conversation turned to self-publishing, and we started talking about John’s memoirs. Then came the bombshell from my mother, “Did you know Rob, that John always wanted to have his book professionally published?” I had another challenge ahead.

My father’s memoirs were published in July 2016. I think John would have been proud of the finished result, a fabulous tribute to his life entitled Exclusive Pedigree: My life in and out of the Brethren.

Favourite Review 

To follow along with the rest of the tour, please visit the authors’ tour page on the 4WillsPublishing site.  If you’d like to book your own blog tour and have your book promoted in similar grand fashion, please click HEREThanks for supporting this author and his work!