We’re
thrilled to announce the release of Celia Bonaduce’s new book, SMOOTH: LIFE HACKS TO GET YOU SMOOTHLY THROUGH CHEMO today!
To help celebrate, we are asking our readers if you can please pretty
please pick up a copy at Amazon and come back and tell us how you liked it? Or, leave a review while you’re there!
Congratulations, Celia, on your new release, Smooth: Life Hacks to Get You Smoothly Through Chemo!
Is Now Available in Paperback!
Title: Smooth: Life Hacks To Get You Smoothly Through Chemo Author: Celia Bonaduce Publisher: BookBaby Pages: 100 Genre: Nonfiction
When cancer got in the
way of Celia traveling for her day job as a field producer on the hit
HGTV show, House Hunters, she did not let it stop her creativity. While
the road to her first nonfiction book was anything but SMOOTH, it was a
path that Celia felt compelled to explore. This collection of life hacks
comes from Celia’s own experiences living through chemo.
One test had led to the next and then the next. I’d had two mammograms, an ultrasound, and a biopsy. So when the call came, I was ready.
“Hi, Celia…” my doctor said, her voice trailing off. “It’s cancer.”
“Yeah,” I said, picturing my life as a novelist and a TV producer grinding to an immediate halt. “My village would have to be missing its idiot for me to not have suspected this.”
So then I did the breast cancer thing—lumpectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation. I learned a lot about breast cancer (for example, that mine was Stage 1-B triple-negative breast cancer). But here’s a secret: while there are lots of books out there about women’s personal stories during their breast cancer journeys, when you’re going through it, you don’t give a rat’s ass about anyone else’s story. You just want to know how to get through it yourself.
This isn’t a personal retrospective, nor is it a medical journal. But I do have some recommendations I’d like to pass along—just some ideas that might make your life easier during this most stressful of times. All the products mentioned are my personal favorites from my own chemo adventure. No company has endorsed, sponsored, or bribed me. The photographs of the products are beautiful and professional looking because my beautiful and professional friend Justine shot them.
As you start your journey, you will wonder where you will get the mental as well as physical strength to voluntarily show up for chemo month after month. But you will find that strength or that strength will find you. I hope these tips will make your trip easier.
Because it’s all about you.
As it should be.
About Celia Bonaduce
Celia Bonaduce is an
award-winning novelist, podcast writer, and television producer. Celia
spent fifteen years as a producer-director in lifestyle programming on
shows that include ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and HGTV’s House
Hunters and Tiny House Hunters. As a novelist with Kensington
Publishing, Celia has written three trilogies: the Venice Beach
Romances, the Fat Chance, Texas series, and the Tiny House Novels. The
Tiny House Novel series won top honors with a Grand Finalist nod from
the New Apple Official Selection, first place in the Book Excellence
Awards and Gold from both the National Federation of Press Women and the
Elite Choice Awards. Celia is also a co-author of A Texas Kind of Christmas, an Amazon #1 Best Seller in Historical Romance that took Gold from the National Federation of Press Women.
After reading Let The Dead Lie by W L Brooks, I had to know ‘the secret’ and here I am. The girls have grown up and have lives of their own, but they are still thick as thieves…except for Casey, who had left town after finding out ‘the secret’. Brooks keeps me hanging for a while, not giving anything away until I have been updated on what has been to the family happening since we have been gone.
The girls hire Ryan Keller, a private detective, to find Casey. She comes back to a dire situation. Fletcher is in trouble and Casey has always been the one closest to her. Can she reach her?
“You’ve never backed down from a fight in your life. Not one! But now–now when you have to fight for your own life–you quit? I say fuck you, Jamie McKay. I want Fletcher back!”
There was a hiccup, when they don’t believe Fletcher…well, about the fire and the locket. I guess it’s feasible, because of the hallucinations, but it bothers me none the less.
Jake’s first meeting with the one of the girls is hilarious. A little arrogance brought down by a litle girl. I wonder if he will get his own book. I think I know which of the girls, women, he will hook up with, if it does happen.
There is something about Fletcher’s spirit that speaks to me and she has always been my favorite of the girls. They are all hellcats, and it would behoove the men that are attracted to them to keep that in mind. And…trouble seems to be a part of their life. They have many enemies who are not shy about making an appearance.
“Almost fifteen years ago, someone else was after the McKays…”
“What the hell is wrong with you people?”
The McKay family is constantly cracking me up. The writing and dialogue is spot on, making it easy to visualize their actions and become so wrapped up in their story that I cannot stop reading until the last page is read. The Secrets That Shape Us by W L Brooks did not hit me as hard as Let The Dead Lie, but it still makes me eager to pick up the next book in the series, Unearthing The Past.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Secrets That Shape Us by W L Brooks.
GOODREADS BLURB
After uncovering a devastating secret, Casey McKay left her beloved home town and pretended not to look back. For years, the truth her sisters hid from her has kept her away. Now, in desperate need of Casey’s help, her sisters have hired a PI to find her.
As a private investigator, Ryan Keller is used to getting into sticky situations, but nothing could have prepared him for the likes of Ms. McKay. Unable to resist her appeal for help, Ryan returns with her to Blue Creek. Little do they know they are walking right into a deadly plot to destroy the McKay sisters.
The closer they get to the truth, the harder it is for them to resist temptation. But succumbing to their desires puts Ryan in the crosshairs of a vengeful foe. To save them, Casey must face her past and the secrets that have shaped her.
Fiction, Romance, Suspense, Thriller
215 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 22, 2018 The Wild Rose Press, Inc
W.L. Brooks was born with an active imagination. When characters come into her mind, she has to give them a life- a chance to tell their stories. With a coffee cup in her hand and a cat by her side, she spends her days letting the ideas flow onto paper. A voracious reader, she draws her inspiration from mystery, romance, suspense and a dash of the paranormal.
A native of Virginia Beach, she is currently living in Western North Carolina. Check out the latest book in her McKay Series, The Truth Behind the Mask, and stay tuned to see what’s next!
I like the cool cover for Altered by Rob Kaufman, and when I read the blurb, I had to have it. I mean, a guy with four personalities, or alters, who, when threatened will defend themselves…or at least one of them will step up.
Justin Wright, a clinical psychiatrist, has no clue how Frank Devlin, a man with multiple identities, alters, will change his life. Frank had a dad who didn’t care about him and was now dead, a drunken mother who gave him to his uncle…for a few months…who, when he entered his room, Frank would go to his safe place. I figured he had to have an awful childhood if he has multiple identities. He has to have some way to escape the horror. The only good thing was a window, where he could look out on the street and watch the kids and dogs play.
As Justin and Mary share their mystery, her words bring tears to my eyes, a very well written scene. The guilt people carry for the death of a loved one is not always rational, unless they pointed a gun at the person and killed them.
A mystery solved. Love and loss shared. Happiness and anguish shared.
I love psychological thrillers, delving into a damaged mind. Whenever I deal with a mystery, a thriller, I am many times more in love with the villain than the victim. I don’t care so much about how they did what they did, but I want to dig into the whys of their actions. All too often that is never known, so let’s see how Rob Kaufman deals with Frank Devlin’s actions…and the other three identities. I will be sticking around for Book II.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Altered by Rob Kaufman.
About the Book:
Title: Altered (Justin Wright Suspense Series – Book 1)
Author: Rob Kaufman
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 276
Genre: Psychological Suspense Thriller
When Frank Devlin walks into Justin Wright’s office, the renowned New York City clinical psychiatrist decides to take on one of the most challenging cases of his career.
After their first session, it’s obvious Frank has multiple personalities (“alters”) and each one couldn’t be more different than the other. Justin must get to know each individual alter in order to discover the best route to take so that Frank can live a full and happy life. He must also delve into Frank’s past, one filled with mystery, darkness and trauma — the true causes behind his personality split.
As Justin deals with Frank’s issues, he’s also confronted with his own demons: the kidnapping of Michael, his youngest son, seven years earlier… a wife he adores, Mandy, who refuses to accept her son is gone… a constant struggle with his oldest son, Dylan, who was watching over Michael the day the boy was taken. And his problems get worse as, unbeknownst to Justin, Frank and his alters are secretly weaving themselves into his life in ways that will affect the Wright family forever.
A suspense-filled story driven by emotion, angst and the ultimate revenge, “Altered” brings readers down a twisted path of uncertainty and mind games — leaving them shocked, heartbroken and questioning what could possibly come next…
“Crazy-good plot lines and shocking information that had me gasping for breath at every turn!” – Anne F., Amazon Vine Reviewer
“It was an amazing ride with tension building throughout until the final twist ending.” – Patricia G., NetGalley Reviewer
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdLxyAEoQY4
Book Excerpt:
The frigid breeze whipped across his face. He ran up the city blocks, wiping melted snowflakes from his eyelids so he could see where he was going. By the time he reached 49th Street, he was out of breath and had to stop. He leaned against the steel pole that held both the street signs and traffic lights. After a few deep breaths, he wiped the liquified flurries off his cheeks and walked as quickly as he could until he reached 50th.
He made a right off Park and because the office was so close to the corner, he could see a glow of light coming from the window. Breathing a sigh of relief, he went through the building’s glass front door and made a quick left. He didn’t stop long enough to ring the bell to let anyone know he was about to enter. Trying to catch his breath, he opened the office door.
The first thing he saw was a man holding a gun up to his own temple.
He yelled, and before he could say a coherent word, he watched the man turn toward him and heard a loud bang. And then another.
His legs wobbled, then his head banged on the wooden floor. He brought his hand up to his throat and felt warm liquid oozing from a hole in his neck. He was surprised at the lack of pain and how rapidly numbness was spreading throughout his body. His throat felt like it was swelling up, closing his airway. He fought out a gasp and heard a soft gurgle. Did he just make that noise? Was blood filling his throat?
He tried to take another breath and heard the same sloshing liquid. His mind went void of thought, his body, frozen.
Suddenly there was muffled yelling, unintelligible screams. Something that felt like a hand cupped the back of his head and soft skin brushed his cheek. As time passed, seconds… minutes… hours… he couldn’t be sure, everything faded except a weightlessness enshrouding him, a gentle sense of calm. He closed his eyes and listened to the blood pump, with each heartbeat, through the opening in his neck.
From some obscure corner of his mind, reality edged its way back in and he struggled to open his eyes one last time.
Through the haze of his dissolving vision, he saw a familiar face hovering over him. Anguish twisted it, and as if from a long distance away, he heard the cries and moans falling from the man’s mouth.
He wanted to cry, grieve for them both, but once again his heavy eyelids fell down. The weeping and mumbling became a fading hum and then ultimately silence.
His final thought was not about this man who sobbed above him, his killer or the “why” behind what just happened. It was the hope that he’d see the loved one he’d lost — a hope that made him smile inside as a comforting warmth enveloped his body like the most snug of blankets warmed by the sun itself.
About the Author
Rob Kaufman novels are known for having characters with whom people can relate, while at the same time, bringing them on a journey from which most people would crumble.
His degree in Psychology was the first step toward getting beneath the surface of the people in his life. What followed was a lifelong search for what makes people tick – what forces them to become evil when deep down they are yearning for love. Rob’s characters walk this search with him, deep into the human psyche, creating psychological thrillers from everyday events.
Rob’s books are perfect for those who enjoy thrillers but also need strong emotion to keep them deeply involved with the characters.
“All my books hit home for me,” says Rob. “There are always parts that make me laugh out loud as I write them… and many, too many, that make me cry. And the great thing is, I’m finding that many readers of my books experience the same emotions.”
Rob’s books receive both national and international praise with most reviews noting that his storylines are extremely “unique” and “sobering” and the twists and turns are “masterful”.
As soon as I saw the tagline, ‘The true story of America’s first recorded mass shooting,’ I had to read it.
September 6, 1949.
Non fiction. Historical fiction. Camden, New Jersey. Twelve minutes. Thirteen dead. A missing gate.
Howard Unruh. He had been bullied his entire life. He was a war veteran.
Ellen J Green used all the available tools of research that were available, putting them into an easy to read and follow story. I like the way it was written.
Murder in the Neighborhood shows has far reaching a tragedy like this is and the fallout for those left standing.
Mass shootings seems to me to be a uniquely American phenomenon. There is no blanket solution to the problem, no easy way to predict who will do what when, but judging by current events…
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Murder In The Neighborhood by Ellen J Green.
Murder in the Neighborhood—the story of the first mass shooting in the US
Ellen J. Green
Genre: True Crime
Publisher: Thread Books, Hachette UK
Date of Publication: 4/28/2022
ISBN13: 9781909770706
Number of pages: 324
Word Count: 85k
Cover Artist: Thread books
Book Description:
On 6 September 1949, twenty-eight-year-old Howard Barton Unruh shot thirteen people in less than twelve minutes on his block in East Camden, New Jersey. The shocking true story of the first recorded mass shooting in America has never been told, until now.
The sky was cloudless that morning when twelve-year-old Raymond Havens left his home on River Road. His grandmother had sent him to get a haircut at the barbershop across the street—where he was about to witness his neighbor and friend Howard open fire on the customers inside.
Told through the eyes of young Raymond, who had visited Howard regularly to listen to his war stories, and the mother trying to piece together the disturbing inner workings of her son’s mind, Murder in the Neighborhood uncovers the chilling true story of Howard Unruh, the quiet loner who meticulously plotted his revenge on the neighbors who shunned him and became one of America’s first mass killers.
That September
morning started much like any other. Camden, New Jersey, the sparkling little
sister of Philadelphia, connected by the high arches of the Delaware River
Bridge, was waking up to heat nearing the mid-seventies—by nine o’clock the
humidity was sitting high above the city, waiting to descend.
Cramer Hill, a
small section of Camden, bound by the Delaware River to the west, the Pavonia
Train Yard to the east, State Street to the south and 36th Street to the
north—a grid of streets twenty-four blocks long, and about five or six blocks
wide contained within—was about to draw the focus of the world but nobody knew
it, not that morning at nine o’clock.
River Road cut a
swath through Cramer Hill where open-bay trucks rumbled through all day long,
overloaded with tomatoes headed for the Campbell’s soup factory a few miles
away. The clearly visible cargo was only held in place by wire mesh caging
along the sides. The loud engine sounds called to children to get out of the
street, to stand and watch, waiting for a tomato to break loose and fall into
their small hands. They were often rewarded when a bump in the road threw a few
of the greenish-red fruits into the street.
The smells of
the river wafting in, the sounds of the boats, the hint of tomatoes cooking at
Campbell’s, the smoke from the stacks of Eavenson and Sons soap factory a mile
away—it was all there. But mostly it was the shoemaker’s pungent aroma of
tannery oils, the lingering, savory fragrance from Latela’s Italian
luncheonette on the corner, the endless din of Engel’s bar across the street,
and the music that poured out of its doors after the sun went down that filled
every home.
Five businesses
shared one side of the small block—a cacophonic mix of a pharmacy, a
barbershop, a cobbler, a tailor and a café. The other side only had two: a
grocery and a bar. Most of the owners lived there, nestled in their small
apartments above their establishments. They all knew each other well enough on
that small stretch of River Road. Enough to pull a chair out onto the sidewalk
on summer nights for a chat. Enough to get a drink at Engel’s now and again.
Enough to keep an eye on things and on each other. But not one of them saw it
coming. Not the Pilarchiks, the Hoovers, the Hamiltons, the Zegrinos or the
Cohens. They’d safely shared that space together for years, but not one of them
was spared.
About
the Author:
Ellen J. Green is the Amazon
Charts bestselling author of the Ava Saunders novels (Absolution and Twist of
Faith) and The Book of James. She attended Temple University in Philadelphia,
where she earned her degrees in psychology, and has worked in the psychiatric
ward of a maximum-security correctional facility for fifteen years. She also
holds an MFA degree in creative writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Born and raised in Upstate New York, Ms. Green now lives in southern New Jersey
with her two children.
Title: I BURIED PAUL Author: Bruce Ferber Publisher: The Story Plant Pages: 304 Genre: Adult Literary Fiction
BOOK BLURB:
Jimmy Kozlowski has a regular gig playing Paul McCartney in the Beatles
tribute band, Help!. The band is part of a cottage industry built around
mimicry, where each group strives to be the ultimate Fake Fab Four. And none
strives harder than Help!, thanks to Gene Klein, its John Lennon and leader.
Gene’s just gotten his Medicare card and spends much of his time caring for his
ailing mother. But he hasn’t lost a step on guitar or vocals, and is determined
to take Help! to the top, his goal being to perform in Liverpool one day.
Though the notion of the UK clamoring for a group of Long Islanders with fake
British accents seems far-fetched, Gene has a plan.
Unlike his boss, Jimmy has limited bandwidth for high-quality
Beatle wigs or bespoke Nehru jackets. He works a straight job, entertains at a
nursing home, and yearns to connect with the daughter he’s never met. He also
wants a shot at recording and performing his own original compositions. No
matter the odds, Jimmy is determined to realize his creative dreams, even if it
means “burying Paul” in the process.
I Buried Paul is a love letter to the power of music, a humorous yet
moving exploration of the sacrifices its disciples are willing to make in
service to its magic.
“Funny, heartfelt, and unafraid…
A book for anyone who loves music or has ever tried to keep a dream
alive.” — Ben Loory, author of Tales of Falling and Flying
“First, the good news: Paul isn’t dead, and
this isn’t an autopsy. Rather it’s a funny, moving novel about trying to find
your way home from the Abbey Road of your teenage fantasy life, while simultaneously
escaping the shadows cast by your father, your older brother, many failed
relationships, and a world that doesn’t like to see people doing what they love
– such as making their own music. Reminiscent of Anne Tyler and Richard Russo
(if either could keep a steady bass beat), Bruce Ferber writes humorous fiction
for grown ups.” — Scott Bradfield, author of The History of Luminous
Motion
“In his touching and funny novel, Bruce
Ferber comes not to bury Paul McCartney but to celebrate his true believers,
the dreamers who carry the torch of their youthful rock dreams well into
pension age, and who refuse to sacrifice their passion despite high cholesterol
counts and the possibility of embarrassing themselves. I Buried Paul is a
tender paean to the music that changed us all, its revivifying and enduring
power.” — Marc Weingarten, author of The Gang that Wouldn’t Write
Straight: Wolfe, Thompson, Didion, Capote, and the New Journalism Revolution
“Funny, deep, and compulsive, I Buried Paul is a
tribute to family, lifelong friends, and the Beatles tunes that unite them.
Told with Ferber’s trademark wit, literary verve and big-heartedness, it’s a
veritable magical mystery tour of growing up and finding love and meaning in a
complex world.” — Michaela Carter, author of Leonora in the Morning Light
“Reading Bruce Ferber’s latest novel is like
being told a great tale from your favorite and funniest pal ― the one who
really seems to know stuff―the one you trust―the one who gets you when nobody
else does. Long live Paul.” — Jason Alexander
“Bruce Ferber’s prose is music to my ears. I
Buried Paul is very funny, and very insightful.” — John Densmore
“Bruce Ferber has captured lightning in a
bottle, chronicling a generation’s obsessive attachment to The Beatles. His
love for their music and legacy is evident on every page. And as the poets
said, ‘With a love like that you know it can’t be bad.’ (Yeah-yeah-yeah.)” —
Bob Spitz, New York Times bestselling author of The Beatles
Milestones are seldom what they’re cracked up to be, unless you’re
a charmed preppie who inherits the Hallmark gene. My first time kissing a girl
turned out to be a mercy stunt, engineered by some douchey linebacker on the
junior varsity. The most memorable thing about getting my driver’s license was
that I had no car, and my parents’ station wagon was never available. When I
put on the cap and gown for high school graduation, it felt like I was going to
a Halloween party, dressed as a fraud.
As I went on to achieve my own versions of milestones, none of
them would adhere to society’s definitions or timetable. Instead, they appeared
out of the blue like stealth jack-in-the-boxes. How was I to know that the
fourth kiss from my third girlfriend would be the portal to life-changing sex?
Or that on my first solo plane trip at eighteen, I’d be moved to First Class
and treated like a VIP, despite having accomplished nothing? Or that shortly
after the plane touched down, I would never again look at the world the same
way.
It’s not that I’m against the element of
surprise. I’m just convinced it would be a lot less stressful to be the
Hallmark guy.
About the Author
Bruce
Ferber built a long and successful career as a television comedy writer and
producer. A multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominee, his credits include Bosom Buddies, Growing Pains, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, Coach, and Home Improvement,
where he served as Executive Producer and showrunner. In addition to being
recognized by the Television Academy, Ferber’s work has received the People’s
Choice, Kid’s Choice, and Environmental Media Awards. He is the author of two
previous novels, Elevating Overman and Cascade Falls, along with the nonfiction book, The Way We Work. He lives in Los Angeles, CA with
his wife, large dog, and assorted musical instruments.
We’re thrilled to announce the release of Bruce Ferber’s I Buried Paul (The Story Plant) today! To help celebrate, we are asking our readers if you can please pretty please pick up a copy at Amazon and come back and tell us how you liked it or leave a review?
Congratulations, Bruce, on your adult literary fiction new release, I Buried Paul!
Jimmy Kozlowski has a regular gig playing Paul McCartney in the Beatles tribute band, Help!. The band is part of a cottage industry built around mimicry, where each group strives to be the ultimate Fake Fab Four. And none strives harder than Help!, thanks to Gene Klein, its John Lennon and leader. Gene’s just gotten his Medicare card and spends much of his time caring for his ailing mother. But he hasn’t lost a step on guitar or vocals, and is determined to take Help! to the top, his goal being to perform in Liverpool one day. Though the notion of the UK clamoring for a group of Long Islanders with fake British accents seems far-fetched, Gene has a plan.
Unlike his boss, Jimmy has limited bandwidth for high-quality Beatle wigs or bespoke Nehru jackets. He works a straight job, entertains at a nursing home, and yearns to connect with the daughter he’s never met. He also wants a shot at recording and performing his own original compositions. No matter the odds, Jimmy is determined to realize his creative dreams, even if it means “burying Paul” in the process.
I Buried Paul is a love letter to the power of music, a humorous yet moving exploration of the sacrifices its disciples are willing to make in service to its magic.
“Funny, heartfelt, and unafraid… A book for anyone who loves music or has ever tried to keep a dream alive.” — Ben Loory, author of Tales of Falling and Flying
“First, the good news: Paul isn’t dead, and this isn’t an autopsy. Rather it’s a funny, moving novel about trying to find your way home from the Abbey Road of your teenage fantasy life, while simultaneously escaping the shadows cast by your father, your older brother, many failed relationships, and a world that doesn’t like to see people doing what they love – such as making their own music. Reminiscent of Anne Tyler and Richard Russo (if either could keep a steady bass beat), Bruce Ferber writes humorous fiction for grown ups.” — Scott Bradfield, author of The History of Luminous Motion
“In his touching and funny novel, Bruce Ferber comes not to bury Paul McCartney but to celebrate his true believers, the dreamers who carry the torch of their youthful rock dreams well into pension age, and who refuse to sacrifice their passion despite high cholesterol counts and the possibility of embarrassing themselves. I Buried Paul is a tender paean to the music that changed us all, its revivifying and enduring power.” — Marc Weingarten, author of The Gang that Wouldn’t Write Straight: Wolfe, Thompson, Didion, Capote, and the New Journalism Revolution
“Funny, deep, and compulsive, I Buried Paul is a tribute to family, lifelong friends, and the Beatles tunes that unite them. Told with Ferber’s trademark wit, literary verve and big-heartedness, it’s a veritable magical mystery tour of growing up and finding love and meaning in a complex world.” — Michaela Carter, author of Leonora in the Morning Light
“Reading Bruce Ferber’s latest novel is like being told a great tale from your favorite and funniest pal ― the one who really seems to know stuff―the one you trust―the one who gets you when nobody else does. Long live Paul.” — Jason Alexander
“Bruce Ferber’s prose is music to my ears. I Buried Paul is very funny, and very insightful.” — John Densmore
“Bruce Ferber has captured lightning in a bottle, chronicling a generation’s obsessive attachment to The Beatles. His love for their music and legacy is evident on every page. And as the poets said, ‘With a love like that you know it can’t be bad.’ (Yeah-yeah-yeah.)” — Bob Spitz, New York Times bestselling author of The Beatles
Bruce Ferber built a long and successful career as a television comedy writer and producer. A multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominee, his credits include Bosom Buddies, Growing Pains, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, Coach, and Home Improvement, where he served as Executive Producer and showrunner. In addition to being recognized by the Television Academy, Ferber’s work has received the People’s Choice, Kid’s Choice, and Environmental Media Awards. He is the author of two previous novels, Elevating Overman and Cascade Falls, along with the nonfiction book, The Way We Work. He lives in Los Angeles, CA with his wife, large dog, and assorted musical instruments.
Create your professional roadmap to find the
job you love or love the job you have…
By John Neral
YOUR MID-CAREER GPS, Nonfiction, LLH Publishing, 281 pp.
Are you considering a career change but doubt yourself or get easily overwhelmed by the entire process?
Are you a mid-career professional ready to level-up, but unsure of what steps to take?
What if there was an easy and supportive way to plan your next career destination?
Your Mid-Career GPS will guide you to create your own professional roadmap so you can find the job you love or love the job have. John Neral, Certified Professional Coach, will help you strategically position yourself in the marketplace while teaching you how to leverage your unique skills from a place of value and service for any organization.
Learn how to prepare, position, and promote yourself as you create a tactical and strategic plan by building Your Mid-Career GPS. Let this book be your guide to answer many of the current questions you have about creating your next advancement opportunity.
PRAISE
“This book is for those of you who feel like you know everything and nothing about what’s next, you can’t fathom writing yet another cover letter, and you wonder “why bother” when it comes to updating your résumé. If you are feeling alone on this journey, bring this book, and all of the insight and tools it contains, along with you. You will have John’s company along the path and you will be one step closer to finding your way!”–Natalie Siston, Best-selling author of Let Her Out: Reclaim Who You Have Always Been and Founder, Small Town Leadership
“John expertly guides readers through the trials, tribulations, and common pitfalls of mid-career professionals and managers. He also provides information on the effective career strategies and mindset needed to be successful. This book is a must read if you are looking for professional support and could use a career GPS! — Porschia Parker Griffin Founder and CEO of Fly-High Coaching Millennial Coaching Institute
“LinkedIn is the most powerful tool to help you network, build professional relationships, learn, search for jobs, and much more. I always say if you are not on LinkedIn you might be left out. Your Mid-Career GPS provides valuable tips and guidance to help you navigate LinkedIn and start growing your network and create your next advancement opportunity.”— Rhonda L. Sher, LinkedIn Specialist, Author, Speaker
“I picked up this latest book after enjoying John Neral’s previous book, SHOW UP – Six Strategies to Lead a More Energetic and Impactful Career. In Your Mid-Career GPS, John Neral provides clear, actionable steps to put his six strategies into play quickly and effectively. I really enjoyed his conversational writing style as well. As a mid-career professional, I love that my cohort is the focus of his attention and expertise. He demonstrates throughout the book that he knows the benefits mid-career professionals bring to an organization and his thoughtful observations and exercises will help anyone define their professional value and market not only their skills but themselves. Reading and employing the strategies in this book can position you to be a more valuable resource to your current employer or challenge you to spread your wings and find your next, great career opportunity. The underlying message is one of empowerment and encouragement and that’s a message everyone can benefit from.”–Victoria A. Bourgeois
In this book, I will ask you to define certain moments of your
career. One of the most defining moments in my career happened in my 11th
year as a middle school mathematics teacher. I loved where I was working, the
people I was working with, and I certainly had a fantastic time with the
students I got to teach every year. One day, as I was beginning to teach a
lesson on multiplying fractions, I looked at 25 students’ faces staring back at
me, and the voice in my head said, “You can’t do this anymore.” It
was as if that voice came out of nowhere, but it was loud, and I needed to
listen to it. I felt happy. I enjoyed what I was doing. But I wasn’t satisfied
knowing that this could be it for the rest of my career. I wasn’t ready to
settle. As I continued to deliver the lesson, I gave myself permission to
question what I was doing with my career and why I wanted more from it. Have
you ever had one of those moments?
What transpired over the next few months was an opportunity
to honestly evaluate where my career was going and what I wanted. I had a
fantastic consulting relationship with a Fortune 500 company along with a
successful tutoring business outside of my teaching duties. I was learning that
I wanted to shift my focus from teaching students to working with teachers.
This would look like some kind of administrative position or an opportunity to
level up, but I was unsure of what that was.
I talked to my closest friends and colleagues and told them
I was considering making a significant career change. I had my résumé professionally
written. I updated my LinkedIn profile. I started networking, looking for jobs,
and sharpening my interviewing skills. And then the rejections came.
I got to several last-round interviews for a handful of
positions that I not only wanted but also believed I would’ve been great at,
only to learn I wasn’t the selected candidate. If someone were kind enough to
give me some honest feedback, I would hear things like, “You made it a
difficult decision for us, but we went with someone who had more experience.”
These are comforting words amid disappointment and perhaps something you also
have experienced recently.
My opportunity to make such a change came three years
later, when I was 40. I accepted a position as a Professional Development
Specialist for the District of Columbia Public Schools. In this role, I would
work with and supervise 21 instructional coaches across 13 middle schools. I
was going to help teachers be better teachers. I got the job I wanted and a
fantastic opportunity to stretch and grow. While the job came with an advanced
title, it also came with a pay cut. I relocated from New Jersey to Washington,
D.C., for a professional and personal opportunity. My husband and I had been
dating long distance for two years, and because he was happy with his job, I
decided I would be the one to make a move since I was looking for a new job.
Yes, you could say I made a move for love, but it was not only for the love of
my husband but also for the love of my career. Relocating wasn’t part of my plan,
but it was a welcomed detour and new destination for my Mid-Career GPS.
That move over 10 years ago accelerated my career. It gave
me opportunities I would have never had if I decided to stay in my previous
position. I had an opportunity to work as an administrator in a larger and
high-profile district. From there, I went to go work at the State
Superintendent’s Office. From that position, I leveled up to take a job at an
educational nonprofit as a Training and Staffing Director. And then, I took an
even bigger leap into entrepreneurship. I have never regretted any of these moves,
and I continue to have an exciting career. I get to go to work every day. I get
to coach amazing clients and help them figure out what’s next for them
professionally by helping them create their mid-career roadmap to find a job they
love or love the job they have. I’ve launched two podcasts. The first is called
#SHOWUP2020 and highlighted everyday people who do extraordinary things because
of how they choose to SHOW UP. My second podcast is “The Mid-Career GPS
Podcast,” and it’s an extension of this book. You can listen to it
wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
BUYING INFORMATION
is available at:
John Neral, MA, CPC reawakens, energizes, galvanizes, and innovates the mind think of employees, corporations, associations, and systems. A celebrated executive/career and professional development coach and in-demand, mindset-shifting public speaker, John’s professional walk included a 25-year career in education and a longstanding corporate consultant for Fortune 500 giant, Casio America, Inc. He now leads John Neral Coaching, LLC, one of the most progressive, mindset-shifting professional and organizational coaching and public speaking firms in the U.S. He is the author of Your Mid-Career GPS – Four Steps to Figuring Out What’s Next and SHOW UP – Six Strategies to Lead a More Energetic and Impactful Career and the host of “The Mid-Career GPS Podcast.”
As a Master Practitioner in the Energy Leadership Index, John’s experience has made him an impactful and valuable coach to his one-on-one and group coaching clients and organizations. With Energy Leadership™, John identifies where people perform at their optimal levels and when they are under stress. Combining the Energy Leadership™ principles, a client’s workplace strengths, and their “unique professional value,” John helps his clients create their career GPS so they can take action toward achieving their professional and personal goals.
A former church organ prodigy, John is an avid traveler–having sojourned to 5 of the 7 continents, a professional bowler and the winner of a Professional Bowlers’ Association Regional Title (2010), and a game-show fan, having appeared on previous episodes of GSN’s Chain Reaction and Make My Day. John is happily married and lives with his spouse and their rescue cat, Amy Farrah Meowler (named after the Big Bang Theory character), in the heart of Washington DC’s Dulles Technology Corridor, Tysons Corner, VA.
BURIED IN MY PAST By Eva Mackenzie Domestic Romantic Suspense
She’s desperate to stop the panic attacks. But the truth won’t set her free…
Jamie Kendal sees life through the bottom of a bottle. After
surviving assault and betrayal, she is forced back to her hometown to
care for her mother. Not long after her return, she’s plagued by
terrifying slivers of memories from the night her twin brother
disappeared forever…
Unearthing new evidence, she’s shocked to learn she’d been found
wandering in the woods that same night—covered in blood. More than one
person from her past hid the haunting truth that’s bubbling to the
surface. The deeper she digs into the horrors from her past, the more
she fears almost anyone could be a killer, including Jamie herself.
Can Jamie expose what happened that night, or will she join her missing brother?
Taylor
“Hello, my name is Taylor, and I’m a sex addict.” He looked around the room at a few familiar faces. He’d never told his story to them, but he always liked to introduce himself to the group. Of course, Taylor wasn’t his real name. And perhaps his burden was not exactly sex addiction, but it was in that vein.
“Hello, Taylor.” The group welcomed him.
He quickly took his seat and cast his eyes to the ground.
There was a big group tonight at Sex Addicts Anonymous. The dusty space occupied the third floor of the public library, rented to them every Tuesday night.
Marcie, or so she claimed to be, stood up and moved to the front of the group.
She always liked to share all the gory details of her sex addiction. Taylor secretly wondered if she was getting off telling the group about her promiscuity. Too willing, if you asked him.
He glanced around at the men and women captivated by Marcie’s passionate relapse. He imagined some were fathers and mothers. Some were possibly divorced or in open relationships. Heterosexuals, homosexuals, and anything in between. All looked like average people.
Marcie was maybe a four on a scale of one to ten, so he barely raised his head as she continued.
This was his fifteenth meeting, and every time he walked through those doors, he wondered what he was doing here. Of course, he had a problem, but he wasn’t interested in fixing it. Maybe problem wasn’t the proper classification.
Was his issue a lack of moral character? If so, who was the judge? Society? That was a joke. No one on this earth was free from lust.
All of these people were suffering. Not him. He lived the dream. But on most Tuesday nights he found the time to drive two and half hours to this meeting. He didn’t ask himself why—he knew why—and the anticipation offered a giddy sensation that nudged his crotch. He was a bastard, for sure;
There was no one in this room he was interested in. Hell, who wanted cheap thrills. He was looking for a ten.
He wasn’t a handsome man, although he wasn’t ugly either. Some might say his nose was a bit too sharp or his hair too thin. His features weren’t coveted, and he wasn’t charming or even funny. But he only had sex with women who were nines, at minimum; it was sort of a rule he had.
The group around him broke into applause as Marcie took her seat. She didn’t give him a come-hither glance. Her eyes were glued to the other man she sat next to. As he stood up to introduce himself, Marcie rested a friendly hand on his arm—encouragement. Right.
He would be Marcie’s next relapse.
It was too easy. Like shooting fish in a barrel.
Not him—he wanted a real lay.
He stood and removed a cigarette from his coat pocket and headed for the door, his movement swift. He had forgotten the time.
Once out on the street, he was greeted by a blast of hot air. The pavement had soaked up the sun and continued to heat the city at night. He lit his smoke and waited while keeping his eyes on the steady stream of people moving down the sidewalk. The working crowd hustled along in and out of Virginia’s metro station in Arlington.
A woman in her early thirties hustled past him. Her Clinique perfume teased his nose as he closed the space quietly. Her feet slid into two-inch heels revealing that sexy muscle on the sides of her calves. She wore a business suit fitting her well in all the right places. Her smooth, pale skin flashed in the intermittent streetlights. She was a ten.
He dropped his smoke, not missing a step as she chose her watering hole.
A pub for working adults and cliques. High-end place. He knew before she even went inside that she would take a seat at the bar.
She graciously held the door for him without a backward glance.
Inside he took a seat at a table with a full view of the restaurant; Virginia didn’t have bars—they had places that serve fried food to patrons consuming large amounts of alcohol. The place was packed, noise assaulting his senses. Just the way he liked it. Much of the same crowd was here last week. He watched Ten take her seat, order her drink, and immediately pull out her cell phone.
“What can I get you?” a waitress asked.
“Gin and tonic and a margarita for my girlfriend.” He patted the table beside him as he nodded to the bathroom. She scurried off without another word.
He watched as a large group of men entered the bar. One of them spotted Ten and boldly joined her.
“Fifteen seventy,” the waitress said as she placed the two drinks in front of him a few minutes later. Opening his wallet, he counted out eighteen dollars and handed the money to her. He imagined the police asking her a list of questions. “What did he look like? How tall was he? Did he have any tattoos?” She would remember none of these things, the tip not large enough or small enough to trigger any memories.
He sipped his drink and watched.
He knew his number ten would be stood up this evening. Her profile picture online, to his delight, was an accurate depiction. In the dim bar light, her skin was as creamy and flawless as he recalled. She scanned her phone once again, her mannerisms jerky. She was looking for a man that didn’t exist. At least he didn’t live in Arlington, Virginia. Best to travel in groups. There are a lot of assholes out there, Julie.
He pulled a small bottle from his pocket. A clear liquid inside promised adventure as he poured it into his second drink. Number ten was still at the bar, an unhappy pout dressing her full lips. The bold admirer continued a conversation with her. Perfect.
He slunk to the bar and pulled up next to her, careful not to gain her attention yet as she faced away from him. Bodies pressed in all directions. Her margarita sat barely touched in front of her.
“Can I get another gin and tonic?” He held up his empty glass. He scanned faces quickly but discreetly.
Placing his margarita next to hers, he gently tapped her on the shoulder as the bartender turned for his refill.
“This is mine, right?” he asked, pointing to her drink. She looked dazed for a second as she glanced at the two glasses. She nodded absently as he took her drink and left his cocktail instead. After paying the bartender, he went back to his table.
He watched as she drank the whole glass. Shadows danced over his face as he looked at his watch; it had been twenty minutes. Almost time.
Her movements were becoming loose as she swayed gently on the stool. Her admirer smiled at her dolefully as she seemed to lose her inhibition. Her current company mouthed, “I’ll be right back,” and took off toward the restroom. Time to make his move.
“There you are!” he said as he approached her. She looked over at him, glassy warm brown eyes accompanying a silky smile. He didn’t have much time.
“I’m sorry I’m late. Traffic was a mess.” He put his arm around her and kissed her softly on the lips. She didn’t object.
“Let’s go, sweetheart.” He was already moving toward the door. No, I don’t have a problem. He looked down at his new girl. None at all.
Eva Mackenzie is an author who enjoys twisty, emotionally engrossing
tales. Her debut novel has been a work in progress for over a decade.
Under the urging of a loved one, it’s finally finished.
She is a
wife and mother living on the east coast. When she isn’t writing, she is
spending time with her family, training for her next marathon or
reading stacks of suspense novels. Some of her favorite authors are
Minka Kent, Dean Koontz, Tami Hoag, and Lisa Jackson.
Her latest book is BURIED IN MY PAST.
We’re happy to be hosting Julianne McLean and Mark Lynch’s new humor book, Cocktails and Mock-Tales!
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About the Book:
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Title:
Cocktales & Mock-Tales
Authors: Julianne McLean & Mark Lynch
Publisher: ASJ Publishing
Pages: 90
Genre: Humor
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MY REVIEW
Cocktails and Mock – Tales by Julianne McLean and Mark Lunch is a hilarious look at beverages that will wet your whistle while tickling your funny bone.
You don’t need to be tipsy to have some laughs while you learn about the origins of some of the most popular alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages.
The accompanying graphics are colorful and comical. I believe they will pull a smile or two from you, so why not mix a tasty beverage to while away the summer hours as Julianne and Mark entertain and educate you.
I received a copy of Cocktails and Mock – Tales from Julianne McLean and Mark Lunch in return for an honest review.
5 Stars
ABOUT THE BOOK
Cocktails and Mock- Tales is not just about alcoholic beverages. The book is about sensations that tickle your tastebuds and humour that tickles your fancy. It includes non-alcoholic beverages that the whole family can enjoy and even herbal recipes for the adventurous.
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Have one extremely tall high ball glass and a giant cocktail shaker at the ready.
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Ingredients:
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Unlimited centilitres of wit and humour
9 cl or 3oz titillating snippets of history and gossip
Add flavours of exotic destinations
A dusting of spice mixed with satire
Several centilitres of high spirits (optional)
Shake with vigour. Garnish with an open mind and your own
sense of humour.
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Now you are ready to truly laugh and savour Cocktails and Mock Tales!
Amaze your friends and family with your knowledge of the origins of international beverages and excite their tastebuds with these exotic sensations.
Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
Book Excerpt:
Daiquiri
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The daiquiri is a family of cocktails of which the primary ingredients are white rum, lime or lemon juice and sugar.
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The drink was supposedly invented by American mining engineer Jennings Cox who was in partying and experimenting in Cuba at the time of the Spanish American War. Daiquiri is also the name of a beach and an iron ore mine near Santiago in Cuba.
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Serves 1:
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6cl white rum
3cl lime juice
2cl sugar syrup
Sugar on the rim of the glass.
Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
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Strawberry Daiquiri Mock-tail
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Serves 1:
2 large strawberries
1⁄4 cup of white sugar
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
¾ cup of chilled lemon lime soda
4 ice cubes
In a blender, mix the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and lime soda. Add the ice and blend until smooth. Pour into a chilled Tom Collins glass. Garnish with a slice of lime or lemon
About the Authors
Julianne has created & organized targeted national launches, press coverage, television appearances, publicity events and community service affiliations for a varied range of entities including: “Masai Barefoot Technology” – therapeutic footwear company; award-winning cartoonist Mark Lynch’s book – “How Green is My Planet” with forewords from Spike Milligan and David Suzuki; best-selling recipe book, “Barbies for Blokes” with recipes from celebrities such as Peter Brock, Jeff Fenech and Guy Leech and the sequel “More Barbies for Blokes” (These later publications were co-authored by Julianne); John Gill, eight times World Martial Arts Champion and Hornsby Council’s sports complexes that won the national award for “Best Swim School Promotion”. Julianne has just produced directed and written a DVD for Holland America Cruise lines based on their exercise programs and is publishing her new book “Cocktails and Mock Tales”.
Mark Lynch our Australian cartoonist, describes himself as being born “sometime in the middle of the last century.”
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After doing a variety of Jobs, Mark became a QANTAS Flight attendant and he quips that “the next nineteen years of his life resembled an exotic beer commercial set in a variety of world- wide locations”.
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Mark was editorial cartoonist for the leading publication, “The Australian” newspaper. His work has been enjoyed in more publications than you could count, ranging from Australian dailies, even ‘Le News Switzerland”. Mark’s cartoons appear in a variety of forms and diversity world-wide including video screens in the Berlin and Munich subway system where they are seen by 1.5 million people a day.
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Mark is the recipient of 48 international and Australian cartoon awards!
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Mark lives in Sydney with his lovely wife, Jenny, and two sons and to learn more about Mark and see further cartoons, visit www.cartoons-a-plenty.com
The cover for Kaitlin’s Tale by christine Amsden is fantastic. I love it and I loved frolicing with Kaitlin through the pages of her life. For those of you who have read her Cassie Scot series, some of these characters will be familiar to you.
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The story is predictable, yet wonderful to read. I was happy I didn’t have to live through a love triangle, but the romance is there and I find a little love adds a lot to the danger that Kaitlin will have to confront. She will not be alone in her effort to save Jay, her child, wanted by vampires and the magical community she is immersed in.
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Kaitlin has all the problems of a young woman struggling to grow up and come to terms with the evil in her life, both the normal kind and the magical kind.
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Matthew has given up a chance to climb the stairs to the presidency of the United States, instead striving for the position as leader of the magical community. He makes his share of mistakes, but deep down is good and trustworthy. The problem is getting that across to the “people” that are necessary for him to accomplish this.
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There is plenty of magic, manipulation and treachery to go around and I was often confused as to who I could trust. Sometimes your enemy is your “friend”.
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I have shared some of Christine Amsden’s work before, but this is the first book I have read and reviewed. Needless to say, it will not be my last!
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I received a copy of Kaitlin’s tale from Christine Amsden in return for an honest review.
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4 Stars
Kaitlin Mayer is on the run from the father of her baby – a vampire who wants her to join him in deadly eternity. Terrified for her young son, she seeks sanctuary with the Hunters Guild. Yet they have their own plans for her son, and her hopes of safety are soon shattered.
When she runs into Matthew Blair, an old nemesis with an agenda of his own, she dares to hope for a new escape. But Matthew is a telepath, and Kaitlin’s past is full of dark secrets she never intended to reveal.
Meet the Author:
Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.
At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, which scars the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams.
Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. In addition to being a writer, she’s a freelance editor, mom, and foster mom.