Release Blitz and Giveaway: Always Yours, Bee by Mia Hayes

 

Memoir

Date Published: 3/2/21

Publisher: FinnStar Publishing

“There’s a guy. He was hit by a truck.”

On a rainy November day, Mia Hayes’ husband left for work on his Vespa. Normally, she would have driven him, but Mia was waiting on a phone call with an editor and didn’t have time.

She never saw that caring, loving version of her husband again.

The fallout from his accident–Mia’s guilt and her husband’s PTSD, memory loss, and depression–consumed their lives over the next five years as her laid-back husband changed into an angry man with few memories of their past. Desperate to hold her fragile family together, Mia ignored her own unraveling and plunged into bipolar depression.

As she searched for answers to unanswerable questions, Mia moved her family from San Francisco to Paris, France before landing in a leafy Washington, D.C. suburb where she tried to find a fresh start only to become embroiled in a scandal of her own making.

Through ups and downs, mental illness and bad decisions, Mia struggled with what it means to be a good wife and mother, whether saving her marriage was worth the pain, and understanding that healing is a personal journey.

Always Yours, Bee is a heartbreaking yet triumphant and brave look at a woman, a marriage, and a family falling apart and coming out stronger. Told with clarity and introspection, it captures the terror of losing the person closest to you—yourself.

Excerpt

Prologue

November 2004

Lemonade light filtered through the fog, casting a warm, golden tone across us as we watched Ryan run down the empty beach, a kite string clenched in his tiny fist.

November usually brought rain to San Francisco, but this particular day was clear, and we wanted to take advantage of the sun—even if it was chilly and damp out. Surfers bobbed off the coast, waiting for their ride, and gulls skittered along the shoreline. Later, after we ate our picnic lunch, we planned on exploring the tide pools.

James snapped a picture of Leo and me snuggled into a fleecy blanket. I waved him over to us, and he settled into the sand, his jean-clad leg touching mine. He tossed his arm over my shoulder and hugged me close.

“This is nice,” he said. Ryan had stopped running to inspect something on the beach, and Leo crawled off my lap into the sand. “But this is more fun.” James turned and tried to tickle me through my layers of bulky clothes.

We laughed and smiled and were so very happy.

That’s how I want to remember us.

Golden.

About the Author

Mia is a notorious eavesdropper who lives in Northern Virginia, outside Washington DC, with her husband, sons, two cats, and Harlow the Cavapoo.

She drinks too much green tea, loves traveling, and has mastered the art of procrastination cleaning.

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Release Blitz and Giveaway: Modern Day Shaman by Sarah Ann Negus

 

Modern Day Shaman® Find a Deeper Connection to Life

Memoir/Personal Development/Spiritual Growth/Shamanism

Date Published: 5th January 2021

This very personal and deeply engaging book details the extraordinary spiritual journey of Sarah Ann Negus, the Modern Day Shaman®. It reveals how she allowed her spiritual gifts to shine through, so she can help other people in the world to find theirs. Her first book helps you to master your energy and to ‘see in the dark’, unshackling past conditioning and believing in the realms of infinite possibilities, so you can be the best version of yourself possible, both personally and professionally.

The key messages of her timely book, revealing to the world the true essence of how we are all shaman, is beautifully depicted in the numerous standalone quotations from the author, which add depth and richness to the reader’s experience, as demonstrated below.

“Lasting change and personal growth are found

when you commit to all of you; mind, body and spirit.”

“This is not the truth.

It is my truth.

Take what touches your heart and leave the rest.”

“Never be afraid of the dark.

Without it there is no light.”

“This book is dedicated to you.

May you find your way.”

The author tells her true story of her personal spiritual and shamanic journey warts and all, through a series of exceptionally refreshing visual and engaging stories, accounts and reflections from her lived experience. It is true life, told as it was. She says that her purpose for writing her first book for other people is to:

• inspire them to look within themselves for answers;
• offer them the understanding that they are not alone;
• show them they are powerful in their own right and can change their lives; and
• offer simple practical tools that will help anyone to explore their own inner world and energy.

Sarah is the Modern Day Shaman®. She works with highly successful entrepreneurs, corporate executives and high-flying start-ups to help them find consistent successful growth in their lives. With 22 years of experience in the field of energy, and a lifetime of entrepreneurial highs and lows, Sarah brings a unique take on business.

She invites her clients to widen their vision, to think differently and shows them how to access their dreams in real-time. What sounds impossible and implausible is not.

Sarah experienced her spiritual awakening over 22 years ago while searching for a more meaningful and impactful way to live her life. She then set out on a 12-year shamanic apprenticeship journey, travelling to Peru and studying with the Shamans of the Amazon forest.

Over the years, Sarah mastered her craft and today she brings the power of ancient shamanism to modern visionaries and leaders, helping them to fully embody their highest potential. Sarah is a Modern Day Shaman®️ Extraordinaire.

Sarah works with highly successful entrepreneurs, corporate executives and high-flying start-ups to help them create consistent success and growth in their lives. With over two decades of experience in the field of energy, and a lifetime of entrepreneurial highs and lows, Sarah brings a unique take on business.

About the Author

Sarah Ann Negus is a modern-day shaman. She grew up in South London and has spent her life finding out who she really is. Her journey of discovery, in this her first book, takes you from lost to found in the most alternative of ways. Sarah’s experience was not easy, but she believes that coming home to your true self does not have to be a fight or a struggle.

As a child she learned that not everyone saw what she did, and she hid her gifts. Coming back to them as an adult, she slowly remembered her purpose and promised to share them.

Sarah runs a successful mentoring and public speaking business working with entrepreneurs and executives who understand their energy is a powerful driving force for growth, both personally and professionally. She facilitates an altered state of consciousness for her clients which allows them to observe themselves and the world differently as a result. They take actions from a new belief system, which empowers them to achieve what they previously believed was impossible. Her clients typically say; “This has been life-changing”.

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Book Blitz: In Society’s Web by Edwin Cruz

 

Memoir

Published: January 2020

Publisher: Page Publishing

This is a narrative of an exceptionally inspiring, thought provoking, and true account of one man’s life altering journey into the abyss of captivity in the Illinois penal system. As he encounters the harsh reality of incarceration and the constant confrontations with both guard and inmate, he comes to his realization that the environment of prison and the ghetto are not dissimilar at all. As he is shuffled from one institution to another because his pride refuses to succumb to the status-quo, he surmises both are the same. Through memories of a dismal and brutal upbringing, he exposes the similarities between life behind bars and life in poverty, and this equation becomes the basis for his reasoning that there is an invisible web, society’s web, and escape was impossible because he never knew of its existence. Using this awakening and his sense of logic as instruments, he tries to come to terms with his current predicament, but the mandated choice of submission or defiance intervene and push him further into the vortex until he finds himself in Stateville Penitentiary, at the time, the worst maximum security penitentiary in America.

 

Excerpt

Lightning flashed among the thick dark clouds. The thunder boomed and shook the earth. Dense rain, obscuring sight and soaking all in its path, fell, but not even God’s wrath would stop the guards from chaining his children.

In front of the green bus, we stood in the yard by the asphalt path. The bus with bars at each window, that rode a “silent screaming” man away from home, where there was an atmosphere of tranquility, togetherness, and love, and brought him into an unlit world of suffering, where hatred was epidemic, and apocalypse, a myth. Three officers in raincoats shivered outside the open doors of the bus and called out names and shackled prisoners. Twenty five of us were being shipped to Vandalia.

Through the cold, heavy, pouring rain, I realized I had been caged seven weeks. During my stay in the cell, the seconds oozed like molasses. Time cheated me, by slowing down to a crawl. The minutes, hours, days, and weeks followed one another like the meals in this dungeon: with no change.

I knew how the lion, king of the jungle, felt when he was taken from his kingdom and placed in a cage by strange creatures. The king was no longer a king but simply an exhibition in a zoo. And as the days passed, he wondered when these unfeeling creatures would take him back to his land and set him free. And every day he would awake with hope in his heart. Every time the caretaker would stop by his cage, the lion stared at him with big, sad, unblinking eyes, wondering if today was that day. And when the caretaker walked away, his heart dropped, and the lion would go lie in a corner and wait patiently for tomorrow. The pain he felt during those moments only those limited by bars understand. But the king never begged for freedom, and he was too proud to whine.

“Edwin Cruz, A-83385!” a guard shouted.

I leisurely walked toward the officers. Somehow, the cold rain splashing on my face that fell from the sky reminded me of freedom because it came from heaven. A sacred world where there is no boundary and chains do not exist.

“Come on, man! It’s raining out here! We ain’t got all fuckin’ day!”

Laughter burst from behind me, but I was not intimidated. My feet kept their pace.

They shackled my ankles and then my wrists. I raised my head and let the drops fall directly on my face, but even that did not bring back the soothing feeling of freedom that the manacles had melted like ice.

About the Author

Edwin Cruz was born the seventh child of thirteen on the far south side of the city of Chicago in Illinois. His parents migrated from Puerto Rico to Chicago in search of a brighter tomorrow, and Edwin’s education was earned in the Chicago public school system. He learned of his interest in writing soon after his release from prison. It was during this time that he journeyed into the field of higher education to not only learn the mechanics of writing, but also to practice the art and gain valuable critique from those considered experts in the field. Here is where he met his mentor Dr. Phil Brown, who not only helped him fine-tune his writing skill, but also urged him to continue his studies at the graduate level. After graduate school, he began his career as an instructor of English in higher education and passionately practiced his second love: teaching. He relocated to Hammond, Indiana but that stay did not last long. Edwin moved back to the city of Chicago where he continues to teach today and share his philosophy with students to always pursue an ambition because according to him, a person without a goal is no longer living: only existing.

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Book Tour and Giveaway: Viking Voyager: An Icelandic Memoir by Sverrir Sigurdsson and Veronica Li

Viking Voyager: An Icelandic Memoir

by Sverrir Sigurdsson with Veronica Li

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GENRE: Memoir/Autobiography

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BLURB:

This vivacious personal story captures the heart and soul of modern Iceland. Born in Reykjavik on the eve of the Second World War, Sverrir Sigurdsson watched Allied troops invade his country and turn it into a bulwark against Hitler’s advance toward North America. The country’s post-war transformation from an obscure, dirt-poor nation to a prosperous one became every Icelander’s success. Spurred by this favorable wind, Sverrir answered the call of his Viking forefathers, setting off on a voyage that took him around the world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPTS (Please choose only ONE to use with your post):

Excerpt:

I left Iceland to pursue university studies in Finland in August 1958. I was a nineteen-year-old embarking on my quest to see the world. In my youth I had deeply admired the adventures of the Vikings. Even after the Viking Age was over, young Icelanders often did a stint in Norway, serving a king or nobleman and performing heroic feats in battle. In the modern era, this tradition takes the form of studying overseas and competing in international business and professional arenas. Like my forefathers, I needed to travel to distant lands to prove myself, and then I would return home and use my skills to help make my country one of the greatest in the world.

I was giddy with optimism in those days. Actually, it wasn’t just me. The whole nation was in a state of euphoria. Everything was going right for our newborn republic. With financial aid from the U.S. Marshall Plan, the country reconstructed the ageing fishing fleet that had been decimated by war and neglect. The World Bank, a United Nations affiliate that would employ me many years later, provided loans to Iceland to build the groundwork for an economic boom. Many more bonuses came our way during the Cold War, when the two superpowers contended for our loyalty. Iceland played hard to get, driving the rival suitors to shower her with gifts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Sverrir Sigurdsson grew up in Iceland and graduated as an architect from Finland in 1966. He pursued an international career that took him to the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the U.S. His assignments focused on school construction and improving education in developing countries. He has worked for private companies, as well as UNESCO and the World Bank. He is now retired and lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and coauthor, Veronica.

Veronica Li emigrated to the U.S. from Hong Kong as a teenager. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and her master’s degree in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University. She has worked as a journalist and for the World Bank, and is currently a writer. Her three previously published titles are: Nightfall in Mogadishu, Journey across the Four Seas: A Chinese Woman’s Search for Home, and Confucius Says: A Novel. Her website is www.veronicali.com.

Amazon author page:

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The Book will be $0.99 during the tour.

Amazon.com buy link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08MDMRM66/

Amazon.ca buy link: https://www.amazon.ca/Viking-Voyager-Icelandic-Sverrir-Sigurdsson-ebook/dp/B08MDMRM66/

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

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Excerpt Tour: Life With Ollie by Donna G Bourgeouis

Life with Ollie: The story of an only child of a single narcissistic parent

by Donna Bourgeois

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GENRE: Memoir

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

If you are of dating age or married, I wrote this book for you.

This is not a self-help or a how-to book. This is the story of the metamorphosis of a timid, fear filled child who finally blossomed into a warrior. I have many scars that no one can see, but they are healed now. Through these battles to become a warrior, I have helped the wounded souls that have come to me and seen them overcome their demons to stand tall and proud of who they are. It has brought me great joy.

Through the years, I have heard along the way that the ancient Chinese would fix their broken china cups or figurines with gold to make them whole again, and more valuable. I believe that humans can be repaired with love and a sense of self-worth. Each and every one of us are here for a purpose and we are given gifts to help fulfill our purpose.

I would love for you to come on this journey with me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPTS :

It was so dark.  It smelled musty in the dank basement.  I knew I was locked in there for being naughty.  Then it came to me: the little boy who lived in this house put a big hole in the top of my new doll carriage. I ran and told his mother (whose house I boarded at), he denied it and I was put in the basement for lying.  I don’t remember how old I was—I know I was not old enough to go to school yet. 

One morning I became hysterical and begged my mother not to leave me and told her I was always locked in the basement.  Well, we were out of there in quick order.  That is my first memory of childhood.

My mother’s name was Olive, but all her friends called her Ollie.  The party did not really start until Ollie arrived.  She was gregarious, fun, a real extrovert. She was truly beautiful and had a dynamite figure.  She was the perfect five-foot-two-eyes-of-blue bombshell.

My father was a very handsome man in a rugged Clark Gable way.  My dad, like many men his age, joined the army and was sent to Britain and Holland.  He did not return to us. He had found another woman and wanted a divorce. Mom would not let him see me when he came to Canada for his divorce.  She always said if he stayed, it would be only for me and she didn’t want him on those terms.   My mom would not accept child support from him because he would then have some control over me.  She never let me see him, even though she always knew where he was.  So, this is how I became an only child with a single mother. 

I was sent to live with my mother’s first cousin while my mom went to work.  I don’t remember much of those years but I started kindergarten there and had my tonsils out on the enamel kitchen table.  The war was over and the men were coming home and there was no room in the hospital for me.  The doctor told me to count backward from ten.  I was so frightened because I didn’t think I knew how.  Luckily, I fell asleep before I had to embarrass myself.  I don’t remember my mother being on the scene much, but I was happy and content to be there.

In the meantime, my mother and her father found a one-bedroom apartment they could afford. Grandpa slept on a pull-out couch in the living room and Mom had the bedroom. 

When I started grade three, my mother thought that I was old enough to come and live with her and Grandpa.  There was an older boy who lived in the next apartment who would walk me to and from school.  I was alone until my mom or Grandpa got home from work.  I had chores to do, like peeling potatoes and carrots or whatever we were having for dinner.  I was to have everything in their pots, ready to go, even the meat, but was not allowed to turn on the stove. I remember making glue at school with flower and water at one point.  It looked like pie dough and I thought I would make Mom some jam roll-ups when I got home.  I was able to use the oven by then. 

Needless to say, by the time Mom got home, dinner was not prepared and there was flour on the countertop and floor.  As my mother cleaned it up, she looked at me with such vehement hatred, and said, “I could just kill you.”  I was terrified because I thought she was going to kill me.  It was like a knife in my heart.  I stood there, frozen, until she yelled at me to go to our room.  I could hear my grandfather telling her that was no way to speak to a young child.  She never apologized and simply ignored me like I was a nonentity.  That was the first time I saw that side of my mother.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Donna G. Bourgeois enjoys writing and painting, both excellent activities to soothe the soul. She went to university at 65-years-old and earned an associate degree in theology, just to keep the grey matter healthy.  She considers her greatest quality to be the ability to love greatly and be kind to those who life have put on her path.  Life with Ollie is her first book, although she has many more story ideas waiting in the wings. She believes if you listen to your inner voice, you will find your bliss.

Website – http://donnabourgeois.com/

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19311913.Donna_G_Bourgeois

Buy link:

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GIVEAWAY

Donna Bourgeois will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Book Blitz: Meet the Principal by Jane Blomstrand

 

My Journey Beyond the Curriculum

Memoir, Education

Publisher: Alt Publishing

Almost all of us have experience with school, either as a student, a parent or maybe as a teacher. But few have the experience in school as a principal. Meet the Principal: My Journey Beyond the Curriculum is a collection of stories from the life of a principal. All principals have stories like these. Some are funny, some are sad, some may surprise you and some may touch your heart. When you put them together hopefully you will have experienced what happens in a school beyond the curriculum.

Read an Excerpt

“It was the day before students would arrive for the beginning of school and classroom assignments had already been posted in the windows of the lobby. I slowly drove back to school after purchasing several items for my new office and, after getting out of my car, looked out at the expansive lawn and huge sycamore trees, admiring Baxter’s serene setting. The walkway to the double door entrance was inviting with flowers some of the teachers and I had freshly planted last week. Doing that gardening project together had been a great way to become better acquainted.

What a whirlwind this last month had been getting to this point!

And now school was set to begin tomorrow. I looked forward to the challenge facing me with nervous excitement. Thousands of questions still raced through my mind as I walked toward the entrance. Was I prepared for this job? I had never been a vice principal, so didn’t have much experience preparing me for principalship. I was about to find out in the morning when all 720 students would arrive.

I took a deep breath and as I approached the large glass doors of the lobby I could see several people inside. I recognized Don, Leann, the Assistant Superintendent of Business, Wayne, and Tim. Standing with them were 4 unfamiliar men dressed in suits.

Don greeted me. “Welcome to Robinson, Jane. Your school is contaminated with asbestos and classes can’t begin here tomorrow.”

I stared at him. His serious expression told me he was not kidding. I felt a tightness in my chest. Everyone was staring at me. I took a deep breath to maintain my composure. This was no time for feelings to take over. My head was swimming with questions. Did I hear him correctly? What does this mean? What do we do if we can’t open school tomorrow? How do we notify parents? etc, etc, etc…

What was probably 4 seconds seemed like an eternity. Don put his hand on my shoulder. “Let’s go into your office where we can talk.”

As the nine of us squeezed around my tiny conference table, Don introduced everyone.

“This is Wayne Spencer and Justin Blackman from the Department of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Jared Broadman and Martin Espinosa from Parmen, a local engineering firm. We’ve been walking through the classrooms to see what the situation is and how it can be rectified.”

I was trying to process what this meant. Workers had just finished re-roofing the school. Rusty had alerted me that the force of nailing had caused asbestos particles from the ceilings to filter down into some classrooms. I knew asbestos could be an issue but they had cleaned everything up and I thought the problem had been resolved.

Don continued, “We’ve brought these gentlemen in to look at the ceilings and let us know if the classrooms are safe for students. Apparently they’re not and they need to be fixed, so school can’t begin until the ceilings are repaired.”

I sat quietly and listened as the group discussed what to do with the students and teachers. Don asked if there were empty classrooms at other schools. Could the students arrive at Baxter and then be bused to different schools? Tim listed the various empty classrooms throughout the district, some at elementary schools, some at middle schools and some at the high school. “Yes, that would work,” he said. “We have enough classrooms to house all students and their teachers.”

You have got to be kidding, I thought. My teachers have spent hours preparing for school starting tomorrow, all of their teaching supplies are in their classrooms, and they can’t get into them because of the asbestos. You can’t spread them out all over the city, with no materials and no support. What about the buses, how would they transport our students all over town?

I fought back frustration as I tried to keep calm while expressing these concerns to the group. I felt vulnerable. All these people sitting around the table were experts in their fields with years of experience, and here I was, a brand new principal on the job for less than three weeks. “

About the Author

Jane Blomstrand is a retired educator. She has held many different positions in education including Classroom Teacher, Literacy Specialist, Elementary School Principal and Director of a Teacher Credentialing Program. She currently coaches new administrators. Jane and her husband live in Northern California.

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Release Blitz and Giveaway: Eris Rising by Courtney Ramm

Memoir

Date Published: September 1

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

Warrior’s aren’t born, they are forged from the harsh experiences that shape them as they strive to defend what is sacred and true. And geniuses aren’t born either—or are they? Courtney Ramm would know, as she’s one of 229 offspring born from the controversial “Genius Sperm Bank”, a genetic experiment that existed in the 1980s and ‘90s. With a predisposition for “genius”, Courtney found herself driven toward success. Following her passion for dance, by the age of eight she was studying at the renowned School of American Ballet and soon thereafter, performing on New York’s greatest stages. At twenty-five years old, she acted upon a strong inner calling to start her own dance company—in Hawaii.

Moving across the globe from the concrete jungle of Manhattan to the tropical jungle in Hawaii, Courtney brought along her endless to-do lists and a strong determination to succeed. But one thing was missing from the picture-perfect life she had imagined: a perfect husband.

–

When she first locked eyes with Marcus at a spiritual gathering, she sensed something was off in the uncanny intensity of his stare. But she dove into a relationship anyway, not grasping the graveness and outright danger of the decision.

–

Eris Rising is a story of breaking deep karmic patterns, grappling with the calling of destiny, and changing long-held karma into mission. With the powerful feminine warrior spirit of Eris as inspiration, this memoir shows how it’s possible to move forward after life-altering “mistakes”, and recover the true “genius” within.

About the Author

Born and raised in the heart of New York City, Courtney Ramm has followed her passion for dance since childhood, which led to a career as a professional dancer, choreographer, and teacher. She’s directed dance schools, performed, and taught all over the world, from Singapore to Thailand to Manhattan.

With her Master’s degree in Dance Education, Courtney has led wellness retreats in Hawaii, focusing on empowerment and transformation. Courtney is the founder and artistic director of RammDance, a non-profit dedicated to keeping the legacy of modern dance pioneer Isadora Duncan alive. She blends her love of dance with holistic healing, and is a certified Pilates instructor, Yoga teacher, Ayurvedic consultant, Theta healer, Master Detox Chef, and Reiki practitioner.

Alongside her focused training and career in dance, writing has always been one of Courtney’s passions. She knew she would write a book—although she never imagined her memoir would take such a twisted turn.

Courtney is a full-time single mama to two toddlers. Eris Rising is her first book.

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Book Blitz: The Throbbing Moon and the Three Season Tango by Michele Wheeler

Memoir biography

Date Published: August 11, 2020

Publisher: Bublish

The memoir of a magnificent woman who at the end of a life that has changed so many lives for the better, asks us all to see the beauty in one another. This memoir calls to a deeper belief in ourselves – that whatever disappointments, anguish and uncertainty life brings – we have the strength and ability to summon gratitude, compassion and acceptance to see our way through. An avid writer, her work has also been featured in SurvivorNet, Share Care Cancer Support and on her blog, A Crack in the Wall, which was selected as one of Healthline.com’s 2020 Blog of the Year awards.

About the Author

Michele Wheeler was a caring mother with twin daughters she adored. She was an easy friend that loved to smile and laugh. She was a devoted wife. Michele was a universally respected co-worker that never shied away from hard work and knew how to have fun doing it. She was a scientist. She was also someone who found herself in the devastating position of being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 37. After surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation she lived cancer-free for four years. Cancer resurfaced, and she battled it fiercely for nearly five more years, before dying peacefully at home on June 23, 2020. During her last years, Michele fought to find her way past debilitating fear and rage to stay present, and not let cancer be what defined her. Though difficult, she succeeded. She lived on her own terms and left us with a moving memoir full of stories and wisdom, laughs and tears, hope and love.

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Book Blitz and Giveaway: The Making of a Boss by Chelley Roy

Non Fiction / Memoir

Date Published: June 25, 2020

Publisher: Jackson Publishing

In this riveting book, Chelley Roy tells the story of her mother’s secret identity as the underworld crime boss “Lady D.” Readers will follow Lady D from her early years as a suburban teenager through her death at the hands of an organized crime syndicate. Unlike Lady D, we have the privilege of seeing the outcome as her daughter takes her mother’s murder investigation into her own hands and becomes involved in one of the biggest trials of the century.The author’s life story may be extraordinary, but many will see themselves in her account of her mother’s life as a crime boss, her untimely death, and her family’s troubled relationships. We see the thinness of the line between mundane suburban life and the criminal underworld in the struggles of Lady D’s unwed teenage daughter and the tactics employed by her family to survive in the time when D.C. was known as the nation’s Murder Capitol at the height of the drug epidemic. Today, Chelley Roy – Lady D’s Daughter – is an entrepreneur, the CEO and founder of the lifestyle coaching brand Get Tea Waisted, and a proud wife, mother, and grandmother. She seeks to provide her family with the safety and security she didn’t always have growing up, and to share her story with others who may feel alone in their struggles.

About The Author

Chelley Roy is an author who lives in the United States with her husband, son, and granddaughter. She grew up in the nation’s capital of Washington DC, where she went on to complete her education with a Business Degree in Computer Information Systems from Strayer University. Chelley defied the odds, and proved everyone wrong, by overcoming various different traumas, abuse, and many major setbacks. Through these tragedies, she found her passion by helping to inspire, motivate and uplift women through one on one coaching and guidance. She’s also a successful Multiprenuer of brands such as real estate investor, fitness coach, and wardrobe stylist.

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Release Blitz and Giveaway: Uphill and Into The Wind by David W. Reed

Non Fiction / Memoir

Date to be Published: 10/15/20

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

It’s 1973. Our nation is torn apart by the Vietnam War, and the massacre of unarmed students at Kent State. The Vice President has resigned for bribery and tax evasion. The President is being investigated for engaging in criminal activity.

At twenty-three, David Reed has become embittered by political strife and corruption. Disenchanted with his future, he wants out. Along with new friends, Rusty and Susie, David leaves everything he knows to cross the United States with little more than his bicycle and a camera.

The trio gets more than they bargain for, with menacing animals, extreme weather, and astonishing encounters.

Uphill and Into the Wind recounts an odyssey that spans 5420 miles on bicycles. It chronicles the sudden and surprising glories of nature, the raw beauty of the land, and the majesty of the mountains. But that is just the start. Through it all, the three are changed forever, in ways they did not expect, by their long journey into the unknown.

Excerpt

In a few days I’m going to begin riding a bicycle across the continent. Having been a stonemason for the last two years, I’ve finished my last day of work, and drive down the rural, two-lane road in my vintage 1950 Studebaker, windows open to the faint stirrings of early spring greens. Blasting Steely Dan’s “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” from my AM radio, I’m singing along, excited to begin a new chapter of my life.

As I walk into our grand bachelor apartment, known for its legendary parties, my roommates Henry and Kevin ask if I have plans for the evening. When I ask why, they announce that they are throwing our bike trippin’ threesome—Rusty, Susie, and me—a bon voyage party.

Kevin is my best friend; we’ve been together since kindergarten. He’s short and stocky like me, but with dirty-blonde hair, a booming laugh, and parents who are “lace-curtain” Irish.

I grew up next door to Henry, the most upbeat guy I know; his freckled face is set in a permanent grin. Henry takes karate and teaches me the horse stance, great for strengthening a bicyclist’s quad muscles.

Our dearest friends attend the party and shower us with encouragement. These are our blood brothers and soul sisters we’re leaving, to set out into the great unknown, terra incognita, on an asphalt ribbon of highway. We feast on lasagna, and drink Anchor Steam beer.

Henry gathers everyone in the living room, raises a frosted mug and shouts over the hubbub. “A toast to Susie, Rusty, and David. May you have clear skies and easy climbs. And take all the love in this room with you.”

The room erupts. “Here, here!”

Kevin chimes in with an Irish toast. “May the wind be always at your back.”

“It won’t be,” quips Toby from the crowd. “You’re heading west.”

Laughter.

“Then may the road NOT rise up to meet you,” replies Kevin.

More laughter.

Susie looks sidelong at me and whispers, “I hope I’ll do okay.”

“You’ll be fine,” I say.

I turn to Kevin and Henry. “I’ll miss you guys—and the apartment. We’ve had it great here.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of the place ’til you get back,” says Henry, beaming.

“Whenever that is,” snorts Kevin.

The morning of April sixteenth, still just spring, is mostly cloudy and chilly. We circle around in the street, testing the balance of our hauling loads. This is going to take some getting used to, like driving a semi after you’re used to a VW bug. Still, we set off about eleven a.m. after a group photo in front of my apartment, whooping excited cries and waving goodbye to our friends. I feel a great sense of adventure heading west, from East Orange through Orange and West Orange, from the haze and smog of the inner city to suburbia where the air is fresh and clear.

Our first climb, aptly named First Mountain, is steep and just over a mile long. Halfway up, I stop to find Susie, she’s way down at the bottom, walking her bike up the grade, only three miles into the trip.

 About the Author

David Reed has spent a lifetime studying the natural world, from his youth in the woods, his University training, his apprenticeship as a stonemason, and his travels on a bicycle, to his career as an award-winning landscape architect.

A career highlight includes re-designing four major gardens in San Diego’s jewel, Balboa Park.

A visual storyteller, David has guest lectured at the San Diego Museum of Art, Rutgers University, Kansas State University, The New School of Architecture, and other venues. His professional work has been published in Sunset Magazine, Garden Design Magazine, and Building Stone Magazine.

Uphill and Into the Wind is David’s debut memoir. But his work has been published in A Year in Ink, the San Diego Writers, Ink Anthology and awarded at the Southern California Writers Conference.

David believes that life is “out there,” in the forest, and on the land, not inside the box.

He currently resides in San Diego with his wife and family.

 

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