Posted in blog, Readers Intrigue

We are Light

Written by Roger Leslie

While Randi-Lee Bowslaugh interviewed me for her podcast, I immediately connected with her. She was open and playful and genuinely interested in the ideas I shared about living the life you dream.

Soon after, I was delighted when she invited me to read from my latest memoir, Light Come Out of the Closet for Readers Intrigue. As a former literature teacher, I know some tricks of the trade that help when I’m revising a manuscript. One is to read the work aloud to feel the rhythm of the language and the tone of the content. Even before I recorded my chapter for Readers Intrigue, I had read my book aloud several times.

While studying to be a teacher, I had some great professors. In one children’s literature class, our professor modelled how to animate our voice and expression to enhance the listeners’ experience. Reading aloud “I’m Going to Hell,” Chapter 1 of my memoir, I felt grateful for the humour I infused throughout the work. Recording the read-aloud for Readers Intrigue also helped me appreciate how different reading to a camera is from reading to a responsive audience.

I wrote Light Come Out of the Closet to shed light on how essential our spiritual journey is, no matter what unique qualities we have or experiences we face. At our essence, we are so much more than Christian or Muslim or atheist. We are far beyond just Black or White or Brown. We are not our political views, socioeconomic status, or education.

We are light. Whoever you are and whatever you believe, shine your light. It will feed your soul and inspire the soul of everyone you encounter.

Get the book (affiliate link – thanks for your support)

Roger Leslie, PhD
https://rogerleslie.com/

Posted in blog, Readers Intrigue

The Idea Behind Dying to Tell

Written by: Val Collins

I was thrilled to get the opportunity to record the first chapter of my latest thriller, Dying To Tell, for Readers Intrigue, but the opportunity didn’t come without its challenges. At first, I recorded away happily, but when I listened to the finished recording, I realised no non-Irish person would understand a word. Irish people speak too fast at the best of times, but apparently, we speak even faster when we’re reading. So I recorded it again, and again, and again. And to be on the safe side, I even added subtitles.

Now, about Dying To Tell. It’s the fifth book in the Aoife Walsh Thriller series. But you don’t need to read the others to know what’s going on. Each book is a separate story, and the only characters that are in all five books are Aoife, her family, and her best friend, Orla.

The inspiration behind Dying To Tell? Well, it’s the easiest plot I ever came up with. It came straight from a story my mother told. Many years ago, a woman she knew was lying on the beach with her new husband. The woman fell asleep, and when she woke, her husband had disappeared and was never seen again. Isn’t that some story? All I had to do was give the couple names – Matt and Nicole Gallagher – and the story practically wrote itself.

So, there you have it – Dying To Tell is a journey where reality mixes with fiction, and secrets lurk in every corner. Does that sound like your cup of tea? Well then, grab your cosiest spot and let’s unravel the unknown together.

Get your copy (affiliate link)

Posted in blog, Readers Intrigue

Ancestral Memory to a Book

Written by W.L. Hawkin

Thank you for the opportunity to read from my romantic suspense novel on Readers Intrigue. Reading aloud to my students was one of my favorite things to do when I taught high school English. Here’s a little more about the making of LURE.

I wrote the first draft of Jesse and Hawk’s story thirty years ago when I lived in rural Ontario. I was something of a wild child and quit high school with only grade ten. In my mid-thirties, I felt the need to graduate, so returned to high school by registering for one correspondence course at a time. Along the way, I enrolled in a course called Native Ancestry that changed my life.

One night, I was sitting at my kitchen table reading the chapter on Animism—the belief that all beings, be they rocks, trees, deserts, fish, or winds, are alive with spiritual force—when I realized I knew this. I totally resonate with this. That epiphany set me on a new path. I’d just started my B.A. in Indigenous Studies at Trent University when I wrote the story of Jesse and Hawk. I was reading books by Anishinaabe (Ojibwa) storytellers; learning with traditional teachers and Elders; going to powwows and feasts; attending ceremonies; and soaking up a culture I resonated with. Then one day, my seventy-five-year-old mother casually said, “I’m not surprised you’re into this. My great-grandfather married an Indian. She was Tuscarora, and he was Dutch.” I don’t know if there’s such a thing as ancestral memory, but perhaps my mother was right. While researching my ancestry, I connected with a previously unknown line of the family who confirmed my mother’s story and sent me a tin-type photograph of my Indigenous great-great-grandmother. 

I found the manuscript of the thirty-year-old draft, wrapped in brown paper, a few years ago while packing to move. When I read it, I was surprised and intrigued. It was a romance! I started to rewrite it, then Jesse found the bones of a missing Indigenous girl in her shed. Ruby Little Bear started to speak, and the story took off in another direction.

If you’re curious to know more, go to my website: http://bluehavenpress.com or drop me a line at wendy@bluehavenpress.com.

Get the book (affiliate link).

Posted in blog, Readers Intrigue

Travel Inspires

Written by: Barbara Ann Briggs

I really enjoyed recording the first chapter of Pilgrimage on the Path of Love for the Readers Intrigue podcast. It was a pleasure working with Randi. The inspiration for writing Pilgrimage on the Path of Love arose during my travels in India. The sights, sounds, tastes, smells and interactions I had with people from so many diverse backgrounds inspired me to pen down my observations and reactions as I travelled. Each person I met shared a fragment of their life with me and the multi-colored fragments, like beads on a thread, wove the necklace I wore, an inner adornment, composed of cherished memories of a country to which I feel deeply connected. 

https://amzn.to/3ZhWxyp

Pilgrimage on the Path of Love was awarded a five-star medal from a Readers’ Favorites Reviewer who said: “Pilgrimage on the Path of Love is a portal to an artfully detailed world of beauty, love, and awareness…Barbara Ann Briggs writes for the free spirits, adventure enthusiasts, and wisdom and spiritual depth seekers. The audience is encouraged to love and embrace others regardless of their religious beliefs, and this core message is key to achieving world peace. I recommend it to the world.

Get your copy here (affiliate link)

Posted in blog, Readers Intrigue

4 Dimensions

Written by: Tim McCarthy

Thank you for the opportunity to be featured on Readers’ Intrigue.

After many years of experience as an educator and researcher in developmental child psychology, I have come to the conclusion that most parents are not aware that there are 4 Dimensions of human potential: The Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual (or Moral.)

As a result, most parents do not understand how to help their children grow in each of those dimensions in a way that is appropriate to their age and development. That is why I condensed my experience and research into a concise guide that amounts to the Owner’s Manual that you didn’t get with your child. If you don’t understand why your children behave the way they do, I can help.

Why can’t a two-year-old stop when you tell him to?

When are they ready for potty training?

What do you tell your child about where babies come from?

How do you discuss sex with an adolescent?

You see, you have to reach your children on their own level. That means you need to understand how their brains develop, and their capabilities and limitations at each age. Once you understand that, you have the tools to help your child advance. Some children develop physical skills easily, others develop mental skills quickly, while most parents don’t have a clear idea of how to help their child develop emotionally, and some parents don’t even believe in spiritual education. Although I hope they believe in the difference between right and wrong. Regardless of how quickly or easily your child develops in each dimension, I believe parents should help their child develop in each one.

In my book Raising 4 Dimensional Children in a 2 Dimensional World I provide that information, answer those questions and more, and provide over 400 age-appropriate activities to bring them up to the next level. Learn more at https://4d-2d.com.

Get Tim’s book here (affiliate link).

Posted in blog, Readers Intrigue

A Dream Turned Book

Written by: Liz Alterman

Thanks so much to Randi for allowing me to share the first chapter of my suspense novel, The Perfect Neighborhood. Chapter one was probably my favorite to write because it uses dialogue to establish both the tone and the setting.


Readers (or listeners, for those who watch the YouTube video ) know almost instantly that they’ve entered a world where neighbors are keeping a close eye on one another. Through their voices, we learn that one of the main characters, Allison Langley, has left her husband in the middle of the night, sparking a flood of speculation within the Oak Hill community. Neighbors wonder if this “perfect” couple can’t make it, how can anyone?


But, weeks later, when Billy Barnes goes missing on his walk home from kindergarten, residents realize they’ve been focused on the wrong things, especially as they worry about how long a possible predator has been lurking among them.


The idea for this novel came to me in a dream. I woke up with the beginning and ending in mind and then had to painstakingly develop the middle. I wrote and revised most of this story during the pandemic, and having a project to return to throughout that time really kept me sane (when the writing itself wasn’t driving me crazy 🙂 ).


Having the opportunity to read this chapter for Readers Intrigue reminded me what a true skill it is to narrate audiobooks and it made me grateful once again for the wonderful cast who voiced the audiobook production of The Perfect Neighborhood.


If you choose to purchase it or pick it up at the library, thank you so much. I hope you enjoy it!
To learn more about me or my work, please visit lizalterman.com. I’m happy to pop in to book clubs via Zoom to say ‘Hi!” Happy reading!

Get Liz’s book here (affiliate link)

Posted in blog, Readers Intrigue

Inspiration To Write: “God Came To My Garage Sale”

Author: Dr. Marni Hill Foderaro, Award-Winning Author


I didn’t originally set out to write my multi-award-winning and prominently endorsed spiritual fiction
“God Came To My Garage Sale.” It wasn’t until I had a story that I wanted to share and
information I wanted to impart to a larger audience that I put pen to paper.


For most who have experienced numerous STEs-Spiritually Transformative Experiences,
remembering each miracle and every specific detail often leads to a major transformational shift in
our understanding of life and the world. So many experiencers are compelled to share their
message with others in a way that can reach as many souls as possible. Writing a book and
speaking on podcasts are great ways to reach out.


My first book writing endeavor was my 2022 Hollywood Book Fest runner-up, 2020 Best Books
finalist, and 5-Star Readers Favorite spiritual fiction (based on true experiences) entitled, “God
Came To My Garage Sale.” My book has received praise and prominent endorsement support
from James Redfield, the bestselling author of “The Celestine Prophecy” series of books.
I then went on to contribute to seven multi-author anthology books, as well as writing feature
articles that were published in numerous nationally-recognized magazine publications. I
discovered that writing was not only enjoyable, but I found writing to be therapeutic on my own
personal healing journey.


I went on to write my prominently endorsed 5-book series “True Deceit False Love” which
provides a creative response, along with tools and resources for understanding and healing from
Domestic Violence, Narcissistic Abuse, Parental Alienation, and Intergenerational Family Trauma.
Throughout this writing and publishing process, I have been thrilled to meet many amazing people,
such as Randi-Lee Bowslaugh, and be a featured guest on numerous podcasts, including “Write
Or Die” and “Readers Intrigue.”

Get Marnie’s Book Here

https://www.GodCameToMyGarageSale.com

https://www.amazon.com/author/drmarnihillfoderaro