Todays Mail the LeoLetter Badlands and Reunion Coda

Today I received interesting mail. In addition to the usual junk mail and a couple of bills I got the LeoLetter, the Leoberger magazine, and I got a box from Amazon containing two brand new books that I am very excited to read.

The LeoLetter

The “LeoLetter : Great Dogs, Great People,” is the official quarterly publication of the Leonberger Club of America. You can read about the history of the Leonberger Club of America here. What makes today’s LeoLetter special to me is because I have an Ad in it for my book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle: Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger”. To visit the Amazon location for my book, click here.

The front cover of the LeoLetter magazine featuring a Leonberger Puppy sitting in from of a computer.
The Leo Letter is the official publication of the Leonberger Club of America.
The Ad features the front cover of the book The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle as well as information and praise for the book.
This is my ad for my book The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle: Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger. Click on the picture to visit the Amazon location for the book.
The gold and beige book cover features the face of our Leonberger Bronco and the text "The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger."
The front cover of the book The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle: Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger. Click on the picture to visit the Amazon location for the book.
The back cover in gold and beige features a photo of a Leonberger in a snowy forest and an introduction to the book.
The back cover of the book The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle: Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger. Click on the picture to visit the Canadian Amazon location for the book.

Badlands

Next, I opened the box in it was two books. One of them was Badlands (Savage Land) by Jacqui Murray. I bought the paperback version. I have only read the beginning, and it is very exciting. It is book two in a trilogy about prehistoric man. I read the previous book Endangered Species, a book I loved, and you can read my book tour post here and my review here. There is an ongoing book tour for Badlands, and you visit the five first book tour posts here:

The front cover features a volcano and a woman surrounded by wolves.
Front cover of Badlands by Jacqui Murray. Click here or on the picture to visit the Amazon location for the paperback version.

Below is Amazon’s Overview of the Badlands

Savage Land is the third trilogy about prehistoric man in the series, Man. Vs. Nature.Written in the spirit of Jean Auel, Savage Land explores how two bands of humans survived one of the worst natural disasters in Earth’s history, when volcanic eruptions darkened the sky, massive tsunamis crossed the ocean in crushing waves, and raging fires burned the land. Each of the tribes considered themselves apex predators. Neither was. That crown belonged to Nature and she was intent on washing the blight of man from her face. Join me in this three-book fictional exploration of Neanderthals. Be ready for a world nothing like what you thought it would be, filled with clever minds, brilliant acts, and innovative solutions to life-ending problems, all based on real events. At the end of this trilogy, you’ll be proud to call Neanderthals family.

In Badlands, Book Two, the tribes must split up, each independently crossing what Nature has turned into a wasteland. They struggle against starvation, thirst, and desperate enemies more feral than human. If they quit or worse, lose, they will never reunite with their groups or escape the most deadly natural disaster ever faced by our kind.

The back cover features the overview of the book.
This is the back cover of the book Badlands by Jacqui Murray.

Reunion Coda

Another nice surprise in the box was Reunion: Coda: Book 2 of the Reunion Duology by Alex Diaz-Granados. I also read parts of this book so far, and I loved it. It also has a lot of nice pictures to support the story. The end of the book features my interview with the author, which you can read here. You can read my review for the first book in the duology (Reunion) here <<Link-10>>.

The front cover features a photo of New York at night taken from above.
Front cover of Reunion: Coda: Book 2 of the Reunion Duology. To visit the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book you can click here or on the picture.

Below is Amazon’s Overview of the Reunion Coda

In Reunion: Coda, Jim Garraty’s journey continues as he navigates the intricate dance between past regrets and present hopes. Now a successful history professor, Jim’s life is a tapestry of unspoken love, haunting memories, and the pursuit of emotional closure.

As Jim reflects on his high school years and the profound impact of his relationships, he grapples with the lessons learned from missed opportunities and the unpredictable nature of life. Through introspective moments and heartfelt letters, Jim uncovers the strength to confront his deepest fears and embrace new beginnings.

Reunion: Coda delves into the complexities of love, loss, and the enduring power of memory. It also explores the significance of friendship and the unpredictable turns that shape our lives. This poignant novel is a heartfelt exploration of the choices that define us, the connections that sustain us, and the hope that guides us on the journey of self-discovery.

The back cover features the Amazon overview of the book.
Back cover of Reunion: Coda: Book 2 of the Reunion Duology.

What if we get it right?

However, before I finish the two books above I will finish another good book that I am reading for my book club called “What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson”.

The front cover features the title and author and an illustration of the sun in the upper right corner and a blue planet in the lower left corner.
Front cover of What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. You can visit the hardcover version of the book by clicking here or by click on the picture.

Below is Amazon’s Overview of What If We Get It Right?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “With a thoughtfully curated series of essays, poetry, and conversations, the brilliant scientist and climate expert Ayana Elizabeth Johnson has assembled a group of dynamic people who are willing to imagine what seems impossible, and articulate those visions with enthusiastic clarity.”—Roxane Gay

Our climate future is not yet written. What if we act as if we love the future?

A SMITHSONIAN BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

Sometimes the bravest thing we can do while facing an existential crisis is imagine life on the other side. This provocative and joyous book maps an inspiring landscape of possible climate futures.

Through clear-eyed essays and vibrant conversations, infused with data, poetry, and art, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson guides us through solutions and possibilities at the nexus of science, policy, culture, and justice. Visionary farmers and financiers, architects and advocates, help us conjure a flourishing future, one worth the effort it will take—from every one of us, with whatever we have to offer—to create.

If you haven’t yet been able to picture a transformed and replenished world—or to see yourself, your loved ones, and your community in it—this book is for you. If you haven’t yet found your role in shaping this new world or you’re not sure how we can actually get there, this book is for you.

With grace, humor, and humanity, Johnson invites readers to ask and answer this ultimate question together: What if we get it right?

The back cover features a brief introduction to the book, a list of names of people who contributed to the book, and a blue planet in the lower right corner.
Back cover of What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson.

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Author: thomasstigwikman

My name is Thomas Wikman. I am a software/robotics engineer with a background in physics. I am currently retired. I took early retirement. I am a dog lover, and especially a Leonberger lover, a home brewer, craft beer enthusiast, I’m learning French, and I am an avid reader. I live in Dallas, Texas, but I am originally from Sweden. I am married to Claudia, and we have three children. I have two blogs. The first feature the crazy adventures of our Leonberger Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle as well as information on Leonbergers. The second blog, superfactful, feature information and facts I think are very interesting. With this blog I would like to create a list of facts that are accepted as true among the experts of the field and yet disputed amongst the public or highly surprising. These facts are special and in lieu of a better word I call them super-facts.

75 thoughts on “Todays Mail the LeoLetter Badlands and Reunion Coda”

  1. You got very good mail today, Thomas! Your Ad in the LeoLetter with the endorsements is wonderful. I hope your thirteen years of experience with a Leonberger and the tips in your book can help many people. It’s wonderful that you got the paperback of Badland and What If… for your book club. I’m a member and volunteer for Willamette Writers in Oregon. I’m on their website team to post monthly meeting annoucement for 10 Chapters in Oregon plus Vancouver, WA. I joined one of their critique group for a while but I haven’t written too much lately so I dropped the group. As long as I’m helping my daughter to take care of the grandkids, I may not have quality time for writing for a while.

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    1. Yes I certainly did get good mail today. That Jacqui’s book and Alex book was in the same box was interesting since I did not order them at the same time. But I am very much looking forward to reading both (after I finish my book club book). I did get a comment once from Leonberger owners who told me they used my book to care for and train their Leonberger and that is always very encouraging.

      You are a great author and your book the Winding Path is a book I am sure must have helped a lot of people. What a wonderful book that is. That is very important. For now you can focus on your grandkids. They are also important. Maybe continue writing later. I have not written anything other than my Leonberger book.

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    1. Yes I certainly had a great mail day and I am very much looking forward to reading Badlands. I agree with you Jacqui certainly “brings that time in our history into glorious technicolour”. It is a good way to put it.

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  4. Hey, nice! You received two new books from Amazon! Including one by me.

    Thanks, Thomas, for showcasing Jacqui’s and my book on this post. I’m also glad you like what you’ve read in Reunion: Coda so far. And it was also generous of you to grant me permission to use your interview in the “back matter” section of the novel. I appreciate that!

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  5. “LeoLetter”–what a great name. Your ad is gorgeous. If all the Leonberger books you reviewed, yours (IMHO) seemed the most thorough and professional. I hope this ad works well.

    And thanks for the shout out! Endangered Species as more pre-dog critters than any of the others so I think you’ll enjoy the part they play.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words Jacqui. Yes I think LeoLetter is a great name for this magazine too. It is a really nice looking magazine with lots of color photos of Leonbergers and their owners, and information about various events in the US and Canada.

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  8. These dogs are beautiful. It is a breed that I had not heard of before reading your blog, Thomas. I really want to read the first book in Jacquie’s series, it sounds really good. Enjoy all your book mail.

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    1. Yes Leonbergers is a rare breed, less common than St. Bernards in the US. They are related to mostly St. Bernards but also Newfound dogs and Great Pyrenees, and registered in Germany in 1846. In the beginning they looked like Saint Bernards but around the turn of the 19th to 20th century they lost the white in their face and got a black face. They are similar to St. Bernards but they don’t drool and they are very family oriented and love people. They are great dogs. Jacqui’s first book in the series Endangered Species was a great book full of action. I highly recommend it. The second book looks great too. Thank you so much Carla.

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      1. My son has a rescue dog that looks a lot like a St. Bernard, but is skinnier. They aren’t sure exactly what breed he is, but he drools a lot. I’m hoping to start Jacqui’s book next week. Fingers crossed, I can fit it in.

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  15. A lovely advert for your book I hope you enjoy bumper sales, Thomas and a box of books I love getting a book delivery although it doesn’t happen often due to the cost or the fact they don’t deliver here …I’m sure you will enjoy the reads and they sound interesting thanks to your little write up on each book..Badlands is on my kindle waiting to be read …Happy Easter, Thomas 🙂

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  17. Lulu: “Look at Salem, getting things done at the office!”Chaplin: “Dennis told us he spent the day at our Dada’s office once because he had to go the vet, which was nearby at the time. He said it was super boring and he doesn’t know how humans put up with it.”Java Bean: “¡Por el dinero, por supuesto!”

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    2. I can understand how Dennis felt. Offices are very boring unless you are the one doing the work. Poor Dennis. Java Bean, I did not know you could speak Spanish. Thank you for the comments Lulu, Chaplin, and Java Bean.

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  19. What a great variety of reading material, Thomas. I love it when books (and a newsletter in your case) arrive in the mail. Print books are a treat. You have some entertaining, interesting, and informative reads ahead of you. I’m about 20% into Jacqui’s Badlands right now and am enjoying it immensely. Happy Reading!

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  21. You always do such a good job at your reviews and promotions Thomas over the choice and the books you read… I know how much I enjoyed D Wallace Peach’s book you reviewed, which in turn I purchased..
    I love to hand the actual book, rather than Kindle, as my eye sight goes fuzzy too long looking at computer screens or tablet form reading…
    So I may yet delve in to look deeper into Jacqui’s book…. Its just finding time right now… As I have so many projects half finished and Nature and the growing season beckon too..

    Good luck to ALL of you with your publications…. You are all achieving your dreams…
    May they continue in helping others with theirs as they read all of your words to transport them into the realms of stories you each have shared….

    Much love , Have a great weekend Thomas… xx ❤

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words Sue. Like you I like printed copies better than eBooks. But if the printed is not available I buy the eBook. My eye sight is still good (knock on wood) but it is just more comfortable and cozy holding a real book.

      Also have a great weekend you too

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