To be fair, it's always personal. But this time it's more personal than usual.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Almost There Release Blitz #rabtbooktours
A Collection Inspired by True Stories of the Jewish Immigrant Experience
Historical Fiction
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Almost There offers an intimate, emotionally resonant portrait of the
Jewish immigrant experience in early twentieth-century America. This
collection of linked short stories follows individuals who faced the
uncertainty of a new land, summoned the courage to navigate unfamiliar
cultures, and endured the antisemitism that shaped their world.
While fictionalized, these narratives were inspired by interviews with Americans who shared memories of their immigrant ancestors. Their stories unfold against the backdrop of sweeping historical events, such as the Great Depression, World War II, the Holocaust, and the founding of the State of Israel.
Poignant and powerful, Almost There illuminates a pivotal chapter in American history and speaks to the timeless search for belonging, identity, and home.
About the Author
Award-winning writer Jean Seager graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and received two graduate degrees from San Diego State University. Her writing has appeared in the
literary publications Mikrokosmos and The Long Story. In 2018, her story “The Award” won second place in the San Diego Public Library’s short story contest.
A granddaughter of Jewish immigrants who came to America from eastern Europe in the early twentieth century, Jean was fascinated by her mother’s stories of growing up as a second-generation immigrant in Tennessee’s tobacco country. The Jewish immigrant experience continued to intrigue her and became the catalyst for her writing.
Jean is a native Californian and long-time resident of Coronado, a suburb of San Diego, where she lives with her husband Bill.
Forest Legend Release Blitz #rabtbooktours
The Tale of Ol' Split Toe
YOUNG ADULT FICTION
Science & Nature/Environment Science Fiction/Time Travel Literature & Fiction/Action & Adventure
Date Published: 03-31-2026
Publisher: Mission Point Press
Mother Nature struggles to maintain equilibrium in a changing world
while fire, disease, logging, human displacement, and war repeatedly destroy
forests of centuries-old trees. Split Toe, a deer chosen at birth for a unique
education, travels through time to understand the interconnected workings of a
Michigan forest. He meets humans along the way: Ice Age hunters who trap and
kill a mastodon; Mukwoh, a young Ojibwe hunter who stalks Split Toe through
swamp and forest; loggers clearcutting Michigan’s white pines; Edra, a
woman advocating for the trees; Angus and Grace, pioneers who become a first
generation of family farmers; scientists from the future studying the impact
of nuclear radiation.
Split Toe witnesses two hundred years of conflict building between modern humans -- who fight to control the natural world -- and Mother Nature, who repeatedly reaches for balance. He wonders whether human ways will ultimately overpower Mother Nature, until he meets a boy who changes everything.
About the Author
Dan Ellens is an outdoor enthusiast who is passionate about connecting people with nature. He spends nearly half of each year in an isolated, electricity-free treehouse on Winterfield Pines Nature Sanctuary with woodstove heat, handpump water, and oil lamp lighting.
Dan has written four nonfiction books intended to inspire adventure, promote self-sufficient lifestyles, and connect people with nature.
While not in the wilds, Dan and his wife live in the small community of Salem, Michigan.
Contact Links
LinkedIn: Daniel S. Ellens
Purchase Links
https://mybook.to/ForestLegend
Rhea and Crowley Book Blitz #rabtbooktours
Children's Picture Books
Date Published: March 10, 2026
Meet Rhea! She is a big, fluffy German Shepherd with a wiggly tail. She
is brave and strong, but she has a tiny secret: loud thunder makes her want to
hide.
Meet Crowley! He is a clever crow with shiny feathers. But he has a big worry for a bird: looking down from the sky makes him feel dizzy!
One day, on a camping trip, Rhea follows a yummy smell deep into the woods. But as she wanders further and further away from her tent, she gets lost just as big storm clouds begin to gather above her. But she isn't alone in the dark woods. She stumbles upon Crowley, a bird who would rather hop than fly.
Now, this dog and bird must become a team. Can they help each other be brave enough to find Rhea's way back to the campsite?
A story they won't outgrow
A Story That Grows With Your Child! This book features two versions of Rhea and Crowley's adventure:
Read 1 - The Read-Aloud: Short, rhythmic, and full of fun sounds for toddlers (Ages 1-5)
Read 2 -The Early Reader: An expanded story with more details and dialogue for independent readers (Ages 6-9)
About the Author
G.D's storytelling spark was ignited in the hallowed land of Wales, where his childhood was spent exploring the sea until the legendary midnight summer twilight. His journey led him through academia, earning degrees in Computer Science and Operations Management, culminating in a PhD focused on Virtual Reality.
While pursuing his studies in Nottingham, he met his wife. Together, their spirit of adventure took them first to New Zealand, where G.D worked in the video game industry and taught Scuba Diving. A seemingly simple job inquiry brought them to California, a place they planned to "try for one year," and where they still reside almost fourteen years later in Redondo Beach.
The family, which welcomed their son in 2012, is completed by Rhea, their quirky German Shepherd. Rhea became the key inspiration for G.D's first book, ABC's With Rhea, A doggy journey through the alphabet. Having observed that children learn best through stories, G.D wrote this book to craft a specific, relatable world for each letter, encouraging children to connect deeply with the subject.
He has recently published his second book, Olly's Journey, and is already hard at work weaving new tales and adventures for his readers.
G.D's mission is to empower children to pursue their own creative writing journey.
Contact Links
Purchase Link
Monday, March 30, 2026
McTeague Continues
I'm catching up on my excursion into the weird world of McTeague. Here are my thoughts in response to the second week.
The author created some intense and unforgettable characters. These days, he'd no doubt be canceled for even thinking of writing the exploits of this peculiar and unwholesome lot.
https://haleyalarsen.substack.com/p/but-for-all-that-the-brute-was-there/
Feel free to join the adventure anytime.
Here are my sources for getting your copy of the book.
https://ornerybookemporium.blogspot.com/2026/03/lets-read-mcteague.html
Emma the Elephant Book Blitz #rabtbooktours
Children's Book
This is a story for Elephant Lovers!
Emma the Elephant is a tale about a young elephant who lives in the Kalahari Desert with her wonderful herd. Emma the Elephant longs to be a strong, wise, and big-hearted elephant like her mother Norma and her many aunties. After learning to make good choices and experiencing hard-won life lessons, Emma the Elephant eventually becomes the elephant she has always wanted to be.
About the Author
Ms. Alana is a publish school teach and has been spreading a love learning and reading for decades. She two wonderful adult children who love to read!
Ms. Alana has always adored elephants; in fact, they are her favorite land animal.
Ms. Alana and her "was-band" lived on a farm in Hawaii where she owned a successful volcano tour company for seven years. She moved from Maui in 2023 and now continues to teach "on the mainland."
Purchase Link
The Guilt of Others Book Blitz #rabtbooktours
Mystery
Date Published: February 25, 2026
Publisher: Seacoast Press
The Guilt of Others opens with the sound of a gunshot in an overcrowded
office. But who was shot—and who pulled the trigger—remains a
mystery. Told through the intertwined perspectives of multiple characters,
each harboring secrets and scars from past and present, the story slowly
unravels the emotional and psychological web of trauma, secrets, and buried
motives binding them together. With nine suspects, three possible weapons, and
a detective whose instincts are starting to betray her, the search for the
truth unearths secrets no one was prepared to face.
About the Author
Sara Burrell grew up in Mableton, Georgia. She is a graduate of Young Harris College and The University of Georgia. Sara is in her twentieth year of teaching, and is currently a teacher at an elementary school in Georgia where she is the gifted program coordinator for third, fourth, and fifth grade students. Her husband of 18 years, 2 children, 2 hound dogs, and 2 cats provide plenty of adventure and excitement to her already-busy days. Through all that, she also writes books. The Guilt of Others is her second novel. Her first, Newsworthy, released in 2023, was praised for its suspenseful plot and surprising twists.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
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