Our Global Crisis by Brian D. McLean

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Modern society has reached a critical juncture in its existence. Like past civilizations ours has reached a point where its future is far from certain, with its decline, or even collapse, being distinct possibilities.

The Incas, the Mayans, the Romans, the Rapanui, and many others, had seemingly successful societies, yet collapsed when faced with challenges that threatened their continued existence.

Are we to suffer the same fate? What could possibly cause our downfall?

Climate change and environmental issues? Perhaps. It is now almost a certainty that these events are destined to inflict catastrophic damage to our global society. Our coastal cities and island nations, as well as our global economy and agricultural output, will be irreparably damaged. Many of Earth's species, as well as the lives of many millions of people, will be displaced or lost forever.

Such a fate may still be averted, but that opportunity has largely passed. Even if we are able to correct the climatic and environmental issues threatening our society, we must still recognize and address the ultimate source of our problems. For if we fail, a far worse fate potentially awaits us.

Our Global Crisis is an eye opening look at the common weakness shared by societies and civilizations both past and present. But analysis of the problem alone will not solve the global crisis we now face. Thus, the final chapter is dedicated to the simple, yet critical solutions, necessary for our very survival.

Read an Excerpt

Humanity faces an uncertain future. For although we are the product of a great multitude of evolutionary “improvements,” we are nevertheless imperfect. Through the millennia, our shortcomings have contributed to the setbacks and failures of many peoples, cultures, even past civilizations, and they continue to do so. Even today, the future stability and continuance of our global socioeconomic society is not guaranteed. Climate change, environmental degradation, ongoing political and religious tension and violence, and other damaging and contentious issues not only have the potential to destabilize our global society, but if left uncorrected, may precipitate its eventual collapse. The most troubling aspect of this growing possibility is that each of us would ultimately be responsible for its occurrence.

Despite the advanced level of development attained by our species relative to others on Earth, inherent weaknesses in our nature still persist, and it is those weaknesses that each of us must overcome if we are to survive and evolve beyond our current limitations. If we can come to accept who we are and appreciate our weaknesses as well as our strengths, then we may be able to rise above our imperfections. In doing so, the possibility exists that our species may once again find its rightful place within nature and restore balance to the biosphere.

The purpose of Our Global Crisis is to guide us in this direction, to help us better understand who we are as a species, and to allow each of us to come to terms with our inner wants and desires, our strengths, and our weaknesses.

About the Author: Brian McLean, ART, is a former Medical Laboratory Technologist and Information Systems Specialist. Drawn by his passion for the outdoors, he shifted from a successful career to spend nearly two decades working for a family run orchard business. A passionate conservationist and environmentalist, Brian is also a keen observer of human nature and humanity's interaction with the biosphere. Based on those observations, he has been meticulously compiling and crafting Our Global Crisis over the last 22 years. Currently, he is working to restore riparian and temperate forest ecosystems affected by clearcut forestry practices, and when he needs to decompress, he spends time under the stars delving into his other passion, astrophotography.

Website: https://briandmclean.com
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Superficial by Diane Billas

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Why do you write juvenile fiction? What draws you to it?

I first started off writing adult fiction, but as I was querying my now shelved book, I was reading a ton of YA books, and it got me thinking, what if I tried my hand at writing my own YA book? I personally love reading YA because I never read them in high school, so I think I am making up for lost time. When I was growing up, I couldn’t see myself on the page of any books I read; now there are so many great YA books that I can’t help but want to read them.

I always say that I write the books I wished I could have read in high school, which means I write books with queer characters. I feel like if I had more queer books available to me growing up, I might have understood myself a little bit more and not felt so alone. I hope my books help others feel seen.

Pretend your protagonist is at school and opens his/her locker – what will we see inside?

You’ll see Marvel posters and postcards of places that she wants to travel. She’s from a tiny town in Ohio and wants to see the world. You’ll also see a flyer for UCLA, where she’s going to college to become an archivist.

What books were your favorite as a youth and why?

I was an avid reader but read adult books, mainly murder mysteries. I loved trying to figure out how the books all wrapped up and was really proud of myself when I figured out who was the killer.

What’s your favorite sweet treat?

I love almost all sweet treats but if I have to pick one, I’ll say ice cream. Whenever I received a particularly hard rejection when I was querying, I’d treat myself to some ice cream and when I finished revisions on SUPERFICIAL, I went to this fancy ice cream place and got myself their cookie monster ice cream with lots of extra Oreos added in.

What did you want to be when you grew up? Why?

I had many dream jobs besides being an author, but the one that stuck around the longest was I wanted to be a librarian. I loved books so much that it was enticing to work around them every single day. Even though I didn’t become a librarian, I still love libraries, so much so I became a member of my local library’s board.


What would you write in a letter to your teen self?

It’s okay to not know who you are yet. It will take some time to figure it out and to give yourself the time and space to do so. I’d also explain to my teenage self what bisexual/pansexual means because I never even heard of the term bisexual until college. I feel like if I knew the term sooner, I might have recognized that’s how I identify. Same thing goes with demisexual. I only recently learned of the term and a light bulb moment went off for me. It made sense why many of my dates never worked out.

What superpower would you love to have? Why?

This is something I’ve thought about a lot, especially since I love superheroes so much. I would have to go with flying. I hate driving so it would be great to be able to just fly wherever I go, although I would have to get over my fear of heights first…

What book is on your nightstand currently?

I’m reading the book Love Immortal by Kit Vincent. It has gay vampires, and it’s set at a college in Vermont. It’s the perfect fall read!

Ideal summer vacation.

Going to the beach or lake would be my ideal summer vacation. Somewhere I can swim and lie in the sun and read tons of books! I also get inspired by the water, so I’d be sure to bring a notebook to jot down any ideas and to write some lines if I feel like it. I try to not do too much writing on vacation, since it is vacation, but it’s hard not to when an idea sneaks into my brain.

You’re stranded on a desert island—which character from your book do you want with you? Why?

Jake Johnson, also known as The Amazing Boy. He has many superpowers, including super strength, is fire resistant, and can see through buildings, so they could come in handy, especially the super strength! He could help get materials that we need to build some sort of life raft to escape our island.

Embark on a thrilling adventure with Lea and Jake as they navigate the unexpected twists and turns at the biggest superhero fan convention of the year. When Lea finds herself trapped in an elevator during the event with superstar Jake, also known as The Amazing Boy, they realize something sinister is afoot. With everyone at the convention frozen, including Lea's friends, Lea and Jake must team up to unravel the mystery behind the villainous acts plaguing Philadelphia. As they race against time, Lea grapples with whom to trust, while Jake uncovers startling truths about his own identity. A pulse-pounding journey filled with friendship, betrayal, and the ultimate quest for justice, will Lea and Jake save the day, or will supervillains prevail? Dive into this gripping tale that will leave you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Read an Excerpt

I’ve been trained for situations like this when I’m stuck with a civilian during a mission. I’m supposed to keep playing The Amazing Boy, clear her memory, and continue along like nothing’s happened, but this time everything is different. The Agent is nowhere to be found to give me a mission report and he’s usually the one who takes care of the memories. I need all the help I can get right now, but I don’t know how much this girl can actually support me. She’s already tripped over a clearly marked extension cord.

That’s when we hear it. The kind of boom where your ears continue to ring minutes after it sounds. Even the floor keeps vibrating.

“This must’ve been the diversion. Come on, people might need saving,” I say, grabbing Lea’s hand. And now I really need to go be The Amazing Boy.

She’s in some sort of trance but once I grab her hand, she wakes up from wherever her brain was living.

“What’s happening, Jake? Are we in a movie right now?” If she thinks that, I’m not going to say otherwise, because she’s not wrong, she just doesn’t realize that it’s different from how other movies are made.

“This is going to sound crazy, but we need to go to wherever that boom occurred and see if there is anything we can do. I can’t explain everything to you but please trust me. I know things seem out of sorts right now and I’m being a completely different person, but I ask you this, if your life was in danger, would you trust The Amazing Boy?” I ask, looking Lea square in the face.

Her baby blue eyes stare right back at me, full of terror.

“Like if The Amazing Boy was real? Absolutely.”

“Okay, just keep holding onto that thought and follow me.”

About the Author:

Diane Billas currently lives in Philadelphia with her husband and son. When she’s not writing she can be found reading multiple books at once, performing the French horn or piano, or dreaming of the next country she’s going to visit.

Does Love Always Win? is her debut novel, which released June 2023 from Creative James Media. This book was drawn from Diane’s personal experiences as a queer individual who has struggled throughout life being comfortable identifying and expressing herself. Diane wrote the book she wished was available to her when she was in high school.

Website: https://dianebillas.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/dianebillaswrites
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dianebillas
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dianebillas
TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/dianebillas

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Superficial-Diane-Billas-ebook/dp/B0D92WFJ8Q/ref=sr_1_1

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