Intimate Interview With Author Elizabeth Upton and Garnishs a 5-Stars From Reader’s Favorite For Her Book, “The Shaman and the Mafia.”


Welcome Readers, Friends, and Literary Visitors!

You are in for a treat today with a new Author Interview with best-selling author Elizabeth Upton and courtesy of our friends at Awesome Gang. As Elizabeth is writing the next book in her novel series, “John Callahan,” she was interviewed with Vinny to share some of why she enjoys writing.

So, without further ado! I hope you enjoy learning more about her, and all her novels can be found while visiting her on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Elizabeth-Upton/e/B001KEA1NG/ as she enjoys writing gripping fiction and nonfiction spiritual books.


Interview With Author Elizabeth Upton

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Los Angeles, CA., along with my twin sister. When I was eight years old, my twin sister and I were disposed of in an orphanage for two years because my mother’s new husband did not want us. At age sixteen, I entered a contemplative social work religious order and was a nun for twenty years. I left because I grew out of it, yearning for a different spiritual life, not one within an organized religion.

I’ve been a social worker, which included doing investigations, and a probation officer.
Today, I have established my business of counseling services. After writing my first book titled “Secrets Of A Nun” is when I began my writing career. I have written five Fiction books and five NonFiction books, all available on Amazon.

What is the name of your latest book, and what inspired it?
My newest book is titled “Lover’s Secrets & Revenge,” which is the last book in my “John Callahan” book series. I’ve had a lot of fun writing these books for this series.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t have any weird or funny writing habits. My writing style is unconventional, and often I just begin writing while constantly changing my outline until it works for me.

What authors or books have influenced you?
Honestly, I have not been inspired by other writers or authors to become a writer, and my writing comes from my creativity, imagination, and inspiration.

What are you working on now?
Presently I am working on another new Fiction book and also a NonFiction book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My taste in promoting my books is not spending a lot of time on social media so that I can focus on my writing. So I have hired a book marketing specialist, Catherine of ‘Lyon Literary Services’ to handle my promotions and book marketing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you enjoy the interest in writing, never give up on it. And go into it with the understanding that the miracle of the book “50 Shades of Grey” most likely will not happen.

So do it for the love of writing! And never-never compare your writing to anyone else, and keep on writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Throughout my life, I have read many fiction and nonfiction books for fun and inspiration. Reading books from new writers is necessary but never copy their style.
Find your style of writing.

What are you reading now?
I’m reading books now-hard to say since I read at least twice a week!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to continue the two book projects I am working on now. One fiction and new nonfiction, and try to stay in a publishing time frame of two new books per year. I hope.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you, what books would you bring?
I would take books sharing hope and inspiration if stranded on an island.


Author Websites and Profiles

Elizabeth Upton Website

Elizabeth Upton Amazon Profile

Elizabeth Upton’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

Twitter Account


The John Callahan Novels



Her Favorite Novel She Has Written?
The title “The Shaman and The Mafia” & garnished a 5-Star Editorial Book Review by Reader’s Favorite.


For immediate release:

The author’s new book receives a warm literary welcome.

Readers’ Favorite announces the review of the Fiction – Intrigue book “The Shaman and the Mafia” by Elizabeth Upton, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09F7LYS7Q.

Readers’ Favorite is one of the most extensive book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins and have received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.

“Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite

The Shaman and the Mafia is a work of fiction in the mystery subgenre. It is suitable for the general reading audience and was penned by author Elizabeth Upton. The book follows former nun Marietta Collins as she is dragged into the aftershock of a tragic murder when her friend Joseph is killed in what looks like a mob hit. As Marietta becomes romantically involved with both Joseph’s brother and the FBI agent investigating the death, the past refuses to stay buried for all involved as the FBI hunts the mafia boss believed to have ordered the hit whilst the police search for the killer directly.

While the mystery of Joseph Gleason’s murder lies at the center of this novel and provides the core narrative around which the characters gather, the outstanding contribution to the story the death makes is to act as a catalyst for an in-depth and intriguing character study of those involved in Joseph’s life. Author Elizabeth Upton has created a cast of colorful characters, each of whom has had life breathed into them by her stunning prose, and it’s a treat to turn each page and find the direction in which the events of the narrative will push them next.

I particularly enjoyed the development of Detective Riley as she is forced to confront the harsh reality of corruption in an institution she has served for years. Beautifully blending the trappings of a love story and a thriller, The Shaman and the Mafia uses the best of both genres to tell a story unlike any other, which will stay with readers long after the final page is turned.

You can learn more about Elizabeth Upton and “The Shaman and the Mafia” at https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/the-shaman-and-the-mafia, where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.

Readers’ Favorite LLC
Media Relations
Louisville, KY 40202

Stellar Book Reviews Including a 5-Star Awarded Readers Favorite Review For Author, Marilyn L. Davis & Her New Book “Finding North: A Journey From Addict to Advocate”. . .


Finding North
Written by Author Marilyn Davis




Finding North:
A Journey from Addict to Advocate
by Marilyn L. Davis
Non-Fiction – Memoir
256 Pages

Reviewed on 04/10/2021 ~ Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers’ Favorite

Finding North: A Journey from Addict to Advocate by Marilyn L Davis takes readers on a journey of the author’s life. Marilyn speaks about addiction and how easy it was to experiment with her mom’s pills at a young age to escape from reality where she was unhappy because of a strained home and miserable school life. Her success story will inspire many readers who lead dangerous lifestyles because of their addictions and encourage them to emerge from addiction. She also speaks about the setbacks and struggles of addiction and the lifelong lessons they taught her. The author’s story and her vision give hope to addicts. It is a good guide for readers who are addicts to escape from their addiction and get started on their healing and recovery.

The memoir is raw and honest, and the author minces no words when it comes to sharing her story. Addicts will be able to connect with the author’s words, the commonality of their feelings, thoughts, and poor choices they made in their addiction, and finally the redemption that happens through the recovery phase. The author also shows how different yet distinctly typical an addict’s path is.


The story of how North House came into existence is also quite interesting. Her success story will make addicts come to terms with their loss and find ways to heal and get on with their lives. Finding North: A Journey from Addict to Advocate is a good page-turner and Marilyn L Davis’s story will give courage, hope, and determination to addicts to get free from their addiction and pain, and finally find their way to healing, and leading good lives.

Finding North: A Journey from Addict to Advocate is now available on Amazon in both e-book and paperback formats.


5-Star Awarded Readers Favorite Review!


Cat’s Book Review on Amazon

What will you learn from this beautiful memoir?
What overcoming drug addiction looks like and much more!

Exceptionally written from page one to the last, the author shares just how easy it was for her to begin experimenting with drugs at a young age as she shares her life with readers. Her writing style and layout of her memoirs are impeccable, as it made me keep reading to learn what happens next!

Marilyn writes in a “teachable” and “relatable” way as she shares her early years of managing rock bands and such. We all know “The Candy” was always available back in the days when she managed rock bands. Her life memoirs are about overcoming, loss, perseverance, hope, and inspiration. Then, a chance meeting with a Native American man who spiritually points out her future, she took it to heart in her early recovery.

After saving her life within her recovery’s hard work, she gives us the inside look of how generational addiction can happen, as both her daughters began addicts. Then came the real work of opening North House; she and managed North House, an award-winning residential facility for women. A women’s safe house of healing as I see it.

She began to help both her daughters become clean and drug-free. Marilyn has been on her journey and has celebrated 32-years of recovery while keeping her recovery journey moving forward. The author shows us the hard work it takes in early recovery to learn the roots and the underlying addiction issues, process them, and begin the power of healing within recovery.

I highly suggest everyone read this book if you want to be inspired by an amazing woman’s authentic memoir turned ‘Recovery Warrior’ through caring, empathy, and turned a call to action to bring solutions from addiction, even still today.

Advocate, Catherine Lyon of Lyon Media Services & Literary Consulting




Amazon 5-Star Book Review By

DeeDeeTee 5.0 out of 5 stars “…a chance encounter with Gray Hawk…” leads to new life, new purpose
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2021
Verified Purchase

The book blurb called it “a chance encounter with Gray Hawk,” yet Gray Hawk believed it was an element of his destiny.

There are twists and turns from the parents stylized by the author’s perception extending from childhood escape, into addiction, through collapse of the family and into a personal redemption through shared service to others.

There are several additional stories here. Mother. Father. Family. Community.

This book maintains focus on the author’s relationship to manipulation, addiction, self-assessment, games of delusion and sustaining the illusion, “things are ok.” Still, there are the loose ends of those lives, the question of how the author slid down this road, not another, and the question why and how Gray Hawk came to play the role he did.

The writing style is straightforward and relentless, with the simple force you see at an AA meeting: “Hi, I’m so-and-so and I’m an alcoholic.” It’s fascinating to see simultaneous incongruent thought tracks: the external reality, against the internal mental contortions to have everything seem normal. “You think you’re Machiavelli but you’re really Bozo the clown” she’s told at one point. This author does not imbue events with grandiose significance or deep meaning. Readers may wish to do that.

Each of the 105 short chapters has a point without breaking the flow – it’s autobiographical after all. Extracted into focus by time and perspective, the chapters sometimes include bittersweet zingers.

At the end of the telling, the question remains ‘Was it a chance encounter?’


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WHO IS AUTHOR and ADVOCATE MARILYN L. DAVIS?

Marilyn L. Davis


Marilyn is a Certified Addiction Recovery Empowerment Specialist who opened and ran an award-winning residential facility from 1990-2011, called North House.

She recently celebrated 32 years of abstinence-based recovery.

She is the author of Therapeutic Integrated Educational Recovery System and editor-in-chief at fromaddict2advocate.com and twodropsofink.com.

In 2008, Brenau University created the Marilyn Davis Community Service Learning Award, which honors individuals working in recovery and mental health. In 2010, Marilyn received the Liberty Bell award, given to non-judges and attorneys for contributions to the criminal justice system and communities.

Before reaching these milestones, she was a desperate woman on drugs, managing rock bands at night, pretending to be okay, but ultimately giving up on herself, losing her husband, children, family, and friends due to her addiction.

A chance encounter with a 74-year old Native American named Gray Hawk showed her that healing herself would include meetings, Steps, and providing a house of healing for other women.

May be an image of 5 people, including Marilyn Davis and people smiling


You can connect with the author on social media and visit both here award-winning blogs…

Recovery Blog: https://fromaddict2advocate.com/about-marilyn-l-davis-editor-in-chief/

Literary Blog: https://twodropsofink.com/author/marilynldavis/

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Interview with Author – Marilyn L Davis – Book Goodies – https://bookgoodies.com/interview-with-author-marilyn-l-davis/