A Book and a Chat with Leonard Roller

From ancient Greece to the 21st century, poets have gazed at the heavens, trying to unlock the mystery and beauty of the cosmos in verse. In his charming new collection, DARKLIGHT, Leonard H. Roller, one of those poetic seekers, leavens his fascination with the cosmos and love of writing poetry with a gentle humor that will leave readers chuckling while they ponder the great celestial questions and What It All Means.

In the 77 poems in DARKLIGHT, Roller employs a range of poetic styles – from classical sonnets to free verse – to present his unique vision of such astronomical concepts as black holes, dark energy, the “Big Bang” theory, white dwarf stars , multiverses, the possible beginning and end of our universe and the existence of God.

Readers need not be well-versed in such subjects – or in poetry itself – to enjoy Roller’s poems. His writing is user-friendly and will appeal to those who love poetry, are intrigued by cosmology, as well as those looking for something different, a touch of profundity, but refreshingly free of pretense and confusing obscurity. Roller’s ideas and writing style go down easily. Simply put, the poems in DARKLIGHT are fun.

Roller holds advanced degrees in journalism and literature, is well-read in physics and astronomy. His love affair with the heavens began as a “star struck” boy peering into the night sky through a telescope given to him as a birthday gift. Though infatuated with poetry throughout his life, he began to take writing poetry seriously after reading a book by actor Stephen Fry titled “The Ode Less Traveled,” a manual on poetic style and form.

“I discovered that I really wanted to write poems,” Roller says. Astronomy and things celestial became natural subjects for him. In time, he started to send his work to literary magazines, where many of his poems were published.

Roller’s poetry reflects his darkly humorous view of the universe. “It has both a light side and a dark side. I don’t know what God had in mind, but it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that He made the world – and us -- tongue-in-cheek, a cosmic cocktail of tears and laughter.”

The imagery of Roller’s poems is striking and amusing. A black hole is likened to a gobbling troll, a quasar to a wedding feast, the death of stars to the fading of a movie queen:

As time and celestial taste go by,
They are no longer stellar queens.
Whether with a shriek or a sigh,
They leave the screen.

Roller hopes his poems will encourage readers to think a little about where we came from and where we’re going, “...about what we’re doing here and why.”

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Leonard Roller

Barry

Direct link to this show and all my other arched shows.
"A Book and a Chat with Leonard Roller" and all my other archived shows

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Leonard Roller - Darklight"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

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A Book and a Chat with Glenn Ogura

On todays "A Book and a Chat" I have debut author Glenn Ogura.

In his book "Startup" Glenn  displays all the skills of a veteran storyteller. Using much of his own working experience Glenn has created in "Startup"  a roller-coaster ride of a book that finds the sweet spot between the legal suspense tales of John Grisham and the science-fiction thrillers of Michael Crichton.

Kirkus Reviews has hailed STARTUP as “a solid business thriller … reminiscent of John Grisham's THE FIRM.”

About "Startup" :

Set in California's Silicon Valley, "Startup" follows a young idealist/entrepreneur, Zack Penny, as he strives to achieve his dream of creating a new company that will launch an international revolution in technology through the creation of wallpaper-thin displays that will completely surround a viewer. Zack works for a highly successful company called Display Technik, run by CEO Allen Henley, whose vision is based on a success-at-all-costs philosophy. Zack sees Henley as a mentor, but Zack's philosophy favors high morals and values over Henley's ruthless, end-justifies-the-means model of doing business.

Zack's dream takes root one morning when he discovers an important paper has been taken from his office. Someone has exposed Zack's secret plan to break away from Display Technik and start his own company. Henley gives Zack another chance to pledge his loyalty to the firm, but Zack resigns instead, more determined than ever to realize his vision. 

Soon, the optimistic if naive Zack steps into his new facility with high hopes for success. Henley, however, has already launched a plan to destroy Zack, his company, and Zack's relationship with Henley's daughter, Mary Anne.


Asked to describe his book Glenn says... “STARTUP is a story about greed and corruption … it addresses the issue of morals and ethics in business (and in life) which are certainly controversial topics in the headlines

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Glenn Ogura

Barry

Direct link to this show and all my other arched shows.
"A Book and a Chat with Glenn Ogura" and all my other archived shows

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Glenn Ogura - Startup"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

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A Book and a Chat with Ana Koza

Children's author Ana Koza is todays guest on "A Book and a Chat"

Ana has recently released two books for kids aged 6-8, THE MAGIC WORDS and AROUND THE WORLD, both of which will be a great addition to both schools  and libraries, as well as a great book to share with young readers.

THE MAGIC WORDS tells the story of how Tommy learns to say “the magic words” that his mother explains to him, as he enjoys his days riding his bike, spending time at school, eating his favorite foods, playing in the park and doing all the kinds of stuff other boys his age do each day. Tommy comes to find from his loving and caring mom that learning to say PLEASE and THANK YOU opens up a world to him he never knew.
  THE MAGIC WORDS are beautifully illustrated by Gisela Margarito

AROUND THE WORLD is seen through the eyes of 6-year old Ellie who shows other kids about the big, wide and wonderful world we live in. In the pages of AROUND THE WORLD, Ellie visits her friend Madhu in India who helps her mom make dishes like Paneer Tikka Masala (cheese with tangy tomato sauce), her soccer player pal Eric in Australia, Jessica in Mexico who loves Mariachi music to Abassi in Nigeria who reads before he goes to bed each night in Africa. Ellie also visits the animals that live in Antarctica too, like penguins and seals. ATW is a dazzlingly charming book that will certainly thrill many youngsters.

Being a full-time mom is hard work, but I do my best to manage my time to share my stories with you. I steadfastly believe in the importance of good manners, respecting others and empowerment through self-confidence, as I teach these virtues to my kids daily.  It is with great hope that my stories will trigger your child's imagination!


So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Ana Koza

Barry

Direct link to this show and all my other arched shows.
"A Book and a Chat with Ana Koza" and all my other archived shows

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Ana Koza - Children's Author"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

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A Book and a Chat with Liz Czukas

Liz Czukas collects college degrees she doesn’t use, types too loud, and always has a song stuck in her head. She is also one of the YA debut authors in the Class of 2K14 and author of one of the best YA books of this year in the form of “Ask Again Later”.

Having Liz in today’s “A Book and a Chat” was something I had been looking forward to after reading about her and the reviews of this debut book, and the show was no disappointment.

From an early age Liz has always dabbled in writing, not thinking she could make a career of it. Instead she studied Anthropology (Indiana Jones inspired), History (because she loves all kinds of stories), Classics (more stories), then Nursing (because she needed a job), then Midwifery. Along the way she even learned Spanish though only the words that she might use with a woman giving birth.

Liz got serious again when her son was born, using nap times to create her novels. After a couple of false starts she wrote “Ask Again Later” which was snapped up by a publisher and has opened the flood gates for Liz’s creative writing.

About “Ask Again Later” :

Despite what her name might suggest, Heart has zero interest in complicated romance. So when her brilliant plan to go to prom with a group of friends is disrupted by two surprise invites, Heart knows there's only one drama-free solution: flip a coin.

Heads: The jock. He might spend all night staring at his ex or throw up in the limo, but how bad can her brother's best friend really be?

Tails: The theater geek...with a secret. What could be better than a guy who shares all Heart's interests--even if he wants to share all his feelings?

Heart's simple coin flip has somehow given her the chance to live out both dates. But where her prom night ends up might be the most surprising thing of all...

With a second book “Top Ten Clues your Clueless” already on the way the name of Liz Czukas is one that will continue to delight all those lovers of YA literature.

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Liz Czukas

Barry

Direct link to this show and all my other arched shows.
"A Book and a Chat with Liz Czukas" and all my other archived shows

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Liz Czukas - Ask Again Later"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

All about Barry Eva his books and parodies and much more - Across the Pond LLC

A Book and a Chat with Heather McLaren

My guest on today’s program is Heather McLaren is a Cherokee writer living in southern Illinois with her husband and four children. She began her life in an unfortunate situation, much like thousands of children in this country. She was born to a fifteen-year-old mother who could not take care of her.

From such a start heather was lucky to find her new parents both caring and able to help her realize her own potential. They told Heather the sky was the limit when it came to what she could accomplish in life.
Life though continued to have issues and abusive marriage and the loss of her first child before she was 21.

Then came the birth of Kimber Liliana—a child the doctors said could never survive the stroke she had suffered in the womb. Seven long months later Heather brought Kimber home to the amazement of the doctors. Though Kimber is still bedridden from spastic cerebral palsy, she celebrated her eleventh birthday last May—a joyous event Heather never takes for granted.

Life shad not finished with Heather and she was then herself diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but instead of giving in to her disease, she picked herself up, met and married her soul mate and began writing fantasy novels.

The result is “Mythos” the first book in “The Mer Chronicles” and what looks to me like being a truly wonderful YA Fantasy “must read” series.

About “Mythos” :

True love was the last thing David Cooley expected to find in the Bahamas, But the moment he laid eyes on Faren Sands, he knew he had found the girl of his dreams. How could he know she was a mermaid from the lost island of Atlantis?

Because of the strict laws regarding human contact, the couple flee the consequences of their forbidden passion, while at the same time they struggle to survive a conflict that has been brewing between the mermaids and sea demons for millennia.

Once the epic battle begins, fate forces David to make a decision that will forever affect his young life. Should he stick by the woman he loves, risking his mortality for a civilization that hates him?

Heather herself states how she wrote the book to inspire people…

She wanted to embrace her husband's kind and and protective nature, thus bringing David Cooley's character to life. (Her son) Bryce's loyalty shines through as David's best friend, and (her daughter) Charlie's innocent and inquisitive nature and (her step daughter) Dakota's playfulness triumph in future books. Heather's youngest child's bravery and determination to live despite her handicap was inspiration enough to immortalize her in black and white. By creating Cindel's character (for Kimber), Heather hopes that readers will see people with special needs as having the same potential as every one else.

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Heather McLaren

Barry

Direct link to this show and all my other arched shows.
"A Book and a Chat with Heather McLaren" and all my other archived shows

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Heather McLaren - Mythos (The Mer Chronicles)"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

All about Barry Eva his books and parodies and much more - Across the Pond LLC

A Book and a Chat with Nicole Cushing

I first came across Nicole Cushing, today's guest on "A Book and a Chat" back in early 2013 when there was an event around the blogosphere called “The Next Big Thing” where author’s blogged about their current master piece being worked on or due to be released.

At that time I did a show jumping from one of these blogs to another sharing with the listeners various “next big things” I found. Since that show I have shared shows with many of those authors whose blogs I stopped at.

Nicole’s “next big thing” is her stunning debut novella “Children of No One”.

When you read reviews that describe the book as… “Sadism, nihilism, poverty, wealth, screams, whimpers, sanity and madness collide in Nowhere, Indiana.” You know it is something different.

While a dark novel with many characters that one would normally just despise and in fact cringe at in many places it is written in such a way that you can’t but keep turning the page. The characters are so well described you can from the words immediately picture them in your mind’s eye.

Now Nicole brings us a brand new book in the form of “I Am the New God”. The book takes the reader on a tour through a couple disturbed minds that tends to warp reality. it is a fairly brutal novella that is shocking not only for its graphic nature at times but also for its unfiltered look at what shapes reality and religion. Nicole is not afraid to shock the reader and she pulls no punches in telling the story.

 As with “Children of No One,” there are times in which the book is shocking and disturbing and there are no apologies for this. The novella is a very dark and frightening look at religion and how it can shape the world even if it is not in the way that is easily recognizable. This story delves to the darkest depths of the human psyche and illustrates the fine line between creation and cruelty.

About  "I Am the New God" : (Taken from examiner.com)

Gregory Bryce has finally achieved a small level of freedom. Due to his mental and emotional problems, he had always been sheltered by his parents as they sought to keep him safe from the world. Now that he is in college, he is on his own for the first time and experiencing a lot of new things. Everything seemed to be going well for Greg. That all changed when he received the first letter.

The letter is from a hierophant who believes the Gregory is destined to become a god or a devil. It is up to the hierophant to guide Greg on his road to godhood. The hierophant, a fallen minister, has received the seven steps to godhood from John the Baptist and feels that it is his destiny to lead Greg to godhood. As the process begins, however, the hierophant becomes convinced that there is little difference between a god and a devil and he is afraid that Greg could go astray. Greg sets out on the path that the letters set forth and begins a slide into his destiny. The outcome of this journey is very uncertain.

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Nicole Cushing

Barry

Direct link to this show and all my other arched shows.
"A Book and a Chat with Nicole Cushing" and all my other archived shows

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Nicole Cushing - "

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

All about Barry Eva his books and parodies and much more - Across the Pond LLC

A Book and a Chat with Miriam Laundry

Miriam Laundry is today’s guest on “A Book and a Chat” she writes books that empower children to make choices that promote confidence, happiness and responsibility. Miriam is the creator of the "I CAN" book series.

The passing of her 17 year-old niece from depression made Miriam reflect on her own children.  She was told to look for signs of depression in them because depression is hereditary.  This information changed everything for Miriam.

Deciding not to sit around and wait for these signs to appear, she took the proactive approach and filled my children’s minds with positive things.  Not being able to find many books that empowered them and that helped with self-esteem Miriam decided to write one herself.

The message of “I CAN” is very important, she believes that if a child learns to have an “I CAN” attitude early in life they will be able to use this later in their teenage and adult years when more difficult situations arise.

Her book, I CAN, is making a difference in children’s lives. “I CAN Believe in Myself” became a #1 Bestseller on Amazon on its release date in June 2013 and has remained in the Top 10 since then. Her book has received many endorsements by global transformational leaders including bestselling authors, Jack Canfield (co-creator Chicken Soup for the Soul), Dr. Kevin Leman, Carol Kline and many others.

About” I CAN Believe in Myself”

Molly has been chosen to be the next Star-of-the-Day! Most kids would be excited. Molly, however, is terrified! She just can't talk in front of her class. How can Molly get out of this mess? Will her story about a three-headed monster work? How about a note from her mother (whose printing looks strikingly similar to Molly's). She worries all day. She frets all night. "I CAN'T...I CAN'T...I CAN'T" Molly convinces herself. Or CAN she? Other themes in this book include letting go of fear, compassion, confidence and self-esteem

I believe this is a must read for children parents, grandparents and teachers and with two more books in the series already on the way I am sure the “I CAN” series is one that will continue to help many and grow in popularity.So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Miriam Laundry

Barry

Direct link to this show and all my other arched shows.
"A Book and a Chat with Miriam Laundry" and all my other archived shows

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Miriam Laundry - I CAN Believe in Myself"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

All about Barry Eva his books and parodies and much more - Across the Pond LLC

A Book and a Chat with Chris Karlsen

My guest today is Chris Karlsen a native of Chicago, former police detective now romantic suspense author and paranormal romance author. Chris grew up with a love of history and books. Her parents loved traveling, a passion they passed on to their daughter.

Though her desire to write began in her teens, Chris spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies before deciding to pursue her dreams.

Now an internationally published author, Chris has traveled extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and North Africa satisfying her desire to visit the places she’d read about.

Having spent a great deal of time in England and Turkey, she has used her love of both places as settings for her books. "Heroes Live Forever," which is her debut book, is set in England as is the sequel, "Journey in Time." Both are part of her "Knights in Time" series. Chris also has “Golden Chariot” and “Byzantine Gold” in her “Dangerous Waters” series.

Chris’s latest novel is “Knight Blindness” book three in the “Knights in Time"

About “Knight Blindness” :

Given a choice between the pleasant life you knew centuries ago or
the possibility of all you want in an uncertain new world, which would you choose?
Two men torn through time find themselves in the modern but alien world.
Old enemies, one hunting the other,one discovering love, both fighting private battles to survive.

Book 3 of The Knights in Time Series

Ready for battle, Medieval English knight, Stephen Palmer, charges into the French enemy’s cavalry line. Heeding a warning given months before, he hesitates as he comes face-to-face with the knight in the warning. Struck down in the year 1356, he finds himself landing in the year 2013.

Grievously wounded, he’s taken to a nearby hospital. Confused by the new world surrounding him, he attempts to convince the staff he’s from another time, only to find they think him mad.

Rescued by friends, who, to his surprise, have also come through time, he must find a way to function in this odd modern England. He is quickly enchanted by the kind Esme Crippen, the young woman hired to tutor him. She too is enchanted by him. Tempted to deepen the relationship, she hesitates thinking him adorable, but mad.

He must discover the means for getting her to believe the truth, all the while, unknown to him, he didn’t come forward in time alone. The enemy knight has also traveled to 2013.

French noble, Roger Marchand, doesn’t question why the English knight who charged him hesitated. That fraction of a pause gave him the advantage needed and he brought his sword down upon the Englishman’s helmet hard, unhorsing the knight. He moved to finish the Englishman off when the world changed in a rush of sensations as he is ripped through time.

Seeking a reason for the terrible event, he enters a nearby chapel. There, thinking God has chosen him for a quest to turn French defeat that day in 1356 to victory, he sets out to find the English knight. The man he is convinced holds the key to time. If he returns to the day of the battle, he can warn his king of mistakes that snatched victory from them.

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Chris Karlsen

Barry

Direct link to this show and all my other arched shows.
"A Book and a Chat with Chris Karlsen" and all my other archived shows

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Chris Karlsen - Heroes Live forever and Knight Blindness series"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

All about Barry Eva his books and parodies and much more - Across the Pond LLC