Firstly I have to say that I loved this book. The author’s
style of writing is easy to read and humorous. Written in chapters, this series
of essays is part memoir and
part travelogue. They are taken from Rick Bailey’s observations on his
environment, and the social and technological changes which have occurred
during his lifetime. Whilst I know humour is deeply personal, this book is
steeped in it, and it covers a wide variety of subjects. I challenge anyone not
to have a chuckle at the author’s antics, and observations.
The essays cover a myriad of subjects. For example, in the
Chapter 1 Get Thee to a Bakery, the author is completing a regular task which
requires him to climb a stepladder when his wife says “I wish you wouldn’t do
that.” A harmless comment, but it prompts memories of tales he has heard of the
perils of this a seemingly simple task. The author consoles himself with the
knowledge that, should he survive, he will go and get some pumpkin pie which
itself triggers other reflections.
Chapter 4 Con te partirò, is one of my favourites, because I
suffer terribly from it. ‘Earworms,’ otherwise known as those tunes which
become lodged in your head when someone says, “What was that song which such
and such sang in/at?” Or those insidious ones which arrive on Monday morning,
and you find yourself still humming them on Friday. Rick reflects on being
stuck with the famous Andrea Bocelli song replaying in his ear while taking the
reader on a short tour of San Francisco. I wonder if I should take a leaf from
the author’s book and get the anti-earworm app.
Life has undergone so many changes through the years,
new-fangled gadgets, and culinary inventions like the push- button pancake,
which I read about in Chapter 32 / Rock Me, which Rick encounters on a visit to
Sedona. What is the world coming to? These little frustrations, or problems,
and many more experienced by the author,
will make you giggle, or cringe, depending on if you agree with his viewpoint
on the particular subject, or not…
Being a dual-cultured family, with children and
grandchildren who also travel, readers are treated to wonderful fly-on-the-wall
peeps into other cultures. Rick and his wife, spend a lot of time with her
Italian family, and this really gives us a flavour of European living, which I
can attest to having just returned from having spent 14 years living in
France. Life really is ‘different’
living in Europe, as it is in other places they visit like Shanghai. We, the
lucky reader can sample it all from the comfort of our armchair.
Rick Bailey, the author of this thoroughly entertaining
collection of essays, grew up in Michigan. He has written text books for
McGraw-Hill, taught writing for 38 years, and is a persistent blogger. His blog
became the basis for first book ‘American English, Italian Chocolate,’ which is
a collection of essays, and his second book, ‘The Enjoy Agenda at Home and
Abroad.’ Since his retirement, he and his wife divide their time between
Michigan and the Republic of San Marino.
Whether you love to people watch, enjoy virtual travelling, enjoy a spot or humour, or are simply looking for a great read, this is the book for you! Highly recommended.
About the Author:
Rick Bailey grew up in Freeland, Michigan, on the banks of the Tittabawassee River. He taught writing for 38 years at Henry Ford College in the Detroit area. While writing textbooks for McGraw-Hill, he also wrote with classes he taught, a work habit that eventually led to Tittabawassee Road, a blog of essays on family, food, travel, and currrent events. His blog became the basis for American English, Italian Chocolate. A Midwesterner long married to an Italian immigrant, in retirement he and his wife divide their time between Michigan and the Republic of San Marino. His most recent book is a second collection of essays, The Enjoy Agenda at Home and Abroad.
Get Thee to a Bakery is a collection of short, tart essays that explore both humorous and harrowing aspects of growing older and making sense of social, technological, and environmental change. Topics range from earworms and industrial eggs to peaches and personal data, from bug die-offs to algae blooms and global warming, and from beards and yoga to the irrepressible American smile.
Many of these essays make discursive moves into science and literature, framing issues and conflicts that resonate in contemporary American life. With a conversational style, distinctive voice, and great comic timing, Bailey entertains and surprises.
An incredibly clever blend of mystery and science-fiction.
This extraordinary work of fiction cleverly blends intrigue, mystery, and science fiction, leaving its readers pondering on the future of mankind, the kinds of technology it may produce, and their uses.
The story has three protagonists, and they are brothers. Josh, is a brilliant academic, a hermit geek who is leading a revolutionary secret AI project “CHERL” (Computerised Human Experience as Real Life,) which aims to bring back historical leaders to aid in modern decision making. Louie is all about appearance and trappings. He is an investment banker who lives in a high powered world, the proverbial swan serenely floating above water, whilst paddling like fury underneath. And then there is Donny, who was destined to become a star athlete, however life doesn’t work like that, instead he’s a twice divorced, fifty-two-year old programmer.
When their eighty-seven year old mother Ruth dies, it is Louie and Donny whose job it is to arrange the funeral, and closure of her life. Where is Josh? Well he has missed the whole thing, his important project is nearing completion, his bosses are demanding, and as many people are, he is too preoccupied in his life to even think of others, let alone pick up the phone when it rings.
Like most families there are skeletons in the cupboard, and during the house clearance Donny reflects on his obsession that their fathers death 30 years previously was suspicious, but how do you find the truth when everyone who was involved is now dead?
So many questions, yet even more disaster is set to throw the brothers personal lives and careers into turmoil. With their worlds set to implode, will the appearance of their mother’s secret diaries provide the answers?
This modern day world is steeped in technology. Everyone has become insular, with the pressures of modern day life, keeping up with the Joneses, and “having all the trappings of success” becoming all consuming. This thought-provoking story looks at humans as a race, delving into the frailties of our species, those things which make us human, and asks the question “Is there is a place for technology like CHERL in our future?”
This is such a clever story, not only will it keep its readers on the edge of their seats from the very first page, but at the end it will leave them reflective, and wanting to know more… Highly recommended!
About the Author:
Marc Sheinbaum grew up in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. After attending SUNY Albany and NYU, he worked as an executive for over thirty-five years, mostly within large corporations, including American Express, GE Capital and JP Morgan Chase. Now retired, Marc spends his time writing and serving on public and non-profit boards. He and his wife, Hildy, split their time between Westchester County and Westport.
What if you could talk to people from the past? Lincoln. Churchill. Gandhi. Your dead mother.
Josh Brodsky is at the top of his game. At his new Silicon Valley job, he’s on the verge of an invention that uses artificial intelligence to bring back the greatest leaders in history. But his top-secret code becomes encrypted by a devastating ransomware attack—was the malware planted by Josh’s troubled brother Donny? When the brothers uncover their dead mother’s diaries, the family careens toward a rendezvous with A.I. to discover the truth behind their father’s mysterious death thirty years ago, and the stunning secret their mother carried to her grave. Set in the near future, Memories Live Here is a provocative technothriller about artificial intelligence and a moving family drama about three brothers haunted by the past.
The author Michael James Geanoulis Sr.’s, primary mission in
writing this book was to improve understanding about why it was thought there
was a need for Amendment Seventeen, and the repercussions of this amendment on
the economy and society of America. However, he also ponders what the thoughts
of the founding fathers would be if they returned now, and discovered that although
it was their intention for America to be a republic, instead it is now a
democracy.
In the Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, Article
1, Section 3. Stated that “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of
two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years;
and each Senator shall have one Vote. … The Senate shall have sole Power to
try all Impeachments.”
However Article 17 was amended in 1913, when it was decided
to give the people, instead of the state legislature the right to vote for
their Senator, in other words, the Senator is chosen by the people.
The author openly admits at the beginning of the book that
he hopes for a repel, however he realises that, “Only a low level repair is
even remotely likely.” And so, he has laid before you his readers, an incredible
amount research carried out through the years, accompanied by studies,
documents, letters, graphs, and photographs, so as to enable you to form your
own opinion on the subject.
From an early age Michael James Geanoulis Sr.’ has had a
keen interest in economics and social issues, and for many years he served on
agencies involved with these matters. He holds a degree in electronics
technology from DeVry Technical Institute, a business degree from Southern New
Hampshire University and is otherwise a self-appointed, self-taught Jack of all
Liberal Arts, but master of none. He published his biography ‘The Big Gorge’ in
2018, and lives in historic New Castle, New Hampshire with his wife, Norma, two
cats, and three horses.
This is a fascinating and informative book which will appeal to those interested in the political, social, and economic history of America. The question is, what do you think after reading it? Was Amendment 17 a blessing, or a curse?
About the Author:
For most of his life, Mr. Geanoulis worked as an electronics field engineer on nuclear submarines for the U. S. Navy, and automatic sorting machines for the U. S. Postal Service. After retiring in 1998, he pursued an interest in social issues, economics and low-level gardening. During a span of about thirty years he served on such New Hampshire agencies as the Governor’s Commission on Child Support, the Strafford County Domestic Violence Coalition, a legislative Task Force on Family Law, and the world’s first Commission on the Status of Men. He authored a personal biography for his family, The Big Gorge in 2018, which detailed his personal learning experiences and philosophy. He holds a degree in electronics technology from DeVry Technical Institute, a business degree from Southern New Hampshire University and is otherwise a self-appointed, self-taught Jack of all Liberal Arts, but master of none. He resides in historic New Castle, New Hampshire with his wife, Norma, and two amazingly talented black cats, who, after a year of patient tutoring, now roll over on command. Norma owns and cares for three equally talented and beautiful horses.
About the Book:
Our thoroughly educated and distinguished founding fathers spent more time on the careful construction of our Senate than on any other topic. They wanted it to be populated with the highest and best humanity had to offer. So, they concluded, by a vote of 10 to 0, that such a Senate could best be achieved by assigning State legislatures the chore of selecting them; not the public at large who were already given the House of Representatives.
They would no doubt be biased in this regard, but if the founders could be resurrected long enough to survey how we managed the well-considered legacy they gave us in 1787, and how Amendment Seventeen (A17) impacted that legacy, they would be horrified. “What were you thinking?” they would likely ask as they discovered our slowly deteriorating condition, “We intended for you to have a republic, not the popular democratic spectacle of turbulence and contention demonstrated by the ancient record.”
Now that we’ve had more than a hundred years of experience with (A17) and its revised, 1913 formula for popular Senate elections, we should be able to parse the available evidence on the before and after 1913, were we interested enough to do so, in order to determine whether or not A17 was a net good thing for us, or a bad thing; whether or not it was a Blessing for the United States, or a Curse.
ENTER BOOK AWARD CONTESTS AND BECOME AN AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR in 2021!
I followed Scott’s advice. It worked! To my complete surprise,Beautiful Evil Winter earned a bouquet of book awards, including a highly coveted Eric Hoffer Award and a Readers’ Favorite award.
As a book publicist, I can assure you they absolutely do matter! One client won several awards and was contacted by two movie producers about her Young Adult Sci-Fi Fantasy Fiction novel. Another one of my clients won the prestigious Los Angeles Book Festival award. That then led to a flurry of media interest, which subsequently led to a major New York agent deciding to represent the book and pitch it to all the major publishing houses. This author, needless to say, was happy he decided to enter.
Recently a business book client won a major award which caused CNN to reach out to request the book. I could go on and on with examples of how pursuing and winning book awards will give you opportunities to reach out to the media, booksellers, and agents. As a book publicist, I see the media perk up when an author client has received an award. It’s the added credibility that gives them the assurance that the book is worthwhile. It takes the risk out of the equation for the producer or reporter if it’s an ‘award-winning’ book.
Awards also helped take my book Book Title Generator: A Proven System in Naming Your Book to the next level. It’s earned nine awards including the Independent Author Network, Pencraft Book Awards, Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards, and Literary Titan Book Award, just to name a few. My book also landed a spot in the Must-Read category for authors of all experiences and publishers of all sizes. I used a new service called Book Award Pro to take the drudgery out of keeping tabs of all the award entries. Check them out at: https://bit.ly/BookAwardPro
There’s no denying that awards create interest in your book, which can lead to more sales and other opportunities. A book award may cause someone to stop in their tracks and consider picking up your book in a bookstore. A book award can give you an edge and sometimes that’s all the difference you need to propel your book into bestseller territory. If you win you can say you are an “award-winning author.” Doesn’t that sound better? Of course, it does, and you get a little magic that comes from a third-party endorsement because an authority says your work is worthy, and that’s priceless.
Most awards charge a fee to enter. Not all awards have a category for your genre and not all of these will work for every book.
Here’s a list of my top book awards worthy of your consideration. Keep in mind that links change all the time and contests come and go. Some links are for the previous year because that’s all that was available at the time of this writing.
8. The National Indie Excellence Book Awards competition selects award winners and finalists based on overall excellence of presentation in dozens of categories. Created especially for indie and self-published authors. Deadline is March 31, 2021. http://www.indieexcellence.com
9. Have you written a business book? The Axiom Business Book Awards celebrate excellence in business book writing and publishing by presenting gold, silver and bronze medals in 20 business categories. http://www.axiomawards.com/66/how-to-enter
10. USA Best Book Awards has a ten-year plus track record of honoring and promoting books to the national and international community. The contest is sponsored by American Book Fest, which focuses on mainstream, independent, and self-published books. http://www.americanbookfest.com/2021bestbookawards.html
11. Reader Views Annual Literary Awards were established to honor writers who self-publish or who were published by small presses or independent publishers. http://readerviews.com/literaryawards/
12. Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards. Whether you’re a professional writer, a part-time freelancer or a self-starting student, here’s your chance to enter the only self-published competition exclusively for self-published books. One winning entry will receive $8,000 with nine first-place winners who’ll receive $1,000 each. Early Bird deadline is April 1, 2021. https://www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-competitions/self-published-book-awards
13. Readers’ Favorite Awards receives submissions from independent authors, small publishers, and publishing giants like HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, with contestants that range from the first-time, self-published author to New York Times best-selling authors. https://readersfavorite.com/book-reviews.htm
15. Rubery Book Award is the longest established book award based in the UK for independent and self-published books. “The key to our success is having a keen eye for quality from distinguished and reputable judges.” First prize is $1,500 and the winning book will be read by a top literary agent. http://www.ruberybookaward.com/
16. The Eric Hoffer Award for independent books recognizes excellence in publishing with a $2,500 grand prize and various category honors and press type distinctions. To enter, a book must be from an academic press, small press or self-published author. http://www.hofferaward.com/
17. Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Thousands of dollars in prize money. Finalists and Winners receive a list in the Next Generation Indie Book Catalog distributed to thousands of book buyers, media and others. Plus the top 70 books will be reviewed by a top New York Literary agent for possible representation. http://www.indiebookawards.com/awards.php
18. The International Book Awards (IBA) are specifically designed to be a promotional vehicle for authors and publishers to launch their careers, open global markets and compete with talented authors and publishers throughout the world. Winners get an extensive public relations campaign, social media promotion and more. http://www.internationalbookawards.com/
19. The Literary Classics Book Awards and Reviews were created to help authors gain recognition for their work and to help parents find the best in literature for children and young adults. http://www.clcawards.org
20. The Scotiabank Giller Prize. A $100,000 grand prize and $10K (CDN) to each of the finalists. To be eligible, a book must be a first-edition, full-length novel or short story collection, written by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. The publisher must enter. Sorry, no self-published books. http://www.scotiabankgillerprize.ca/
21. The Feathered Quill Book Awards accept submissions from all size publishers and work very hard to honor and publicize the winners (there’s a link to a testimonial page on the awards page – read what past winners have to say). https://featheredquill.com/feathered-quill-book-awards/
22. Shelf Unbound Magazine’s Best Indie/Self-Published Book Competition honors more than 100 indie/self-published books. In addition to $1,500 in cash prizes, they’ll feature the winner, five finalists, and more than 100 “notable” books in the December/January issue of Shelf Unbound. Any independently published book in any genre in any publication year is eligible for entry. Entry fee is $100 per book. The competition also includes the Pete Delohery Award for Best Sports Book, open to fiction and non-fiction sports-related books. http://www.shelfmediagroup.com/pages/competition.html
23. Chanticleer International Book Awards — Grand prize winner receives $1,000 cash plus other awards. More than $30,000 cash and prizes awarded each year. 15 genres including the CYGNUS for SciFiction, M&M for Mystery & Mayhem, Somerset for Literary, etc. http://www.ChanticleerReviews.com Several of their winners have received major publishing deals (6 figures) and two have had their works optioned for film.
24. The Royal Dragonfly (all genres) and Purple Dragonfly (children’s books) Book Awards are prestigious national book contests recognizing exceptional authors for excellence in writing and a Story Monsters Approved! (children’s books) must inspire, inform, teach or entertain, and adhere to rigorous standards of excellence. https://www.dragonflybookawards.com
25. The Independent Author Network IAN Book of the Year Awards, an international contest open to all authors with 35 fiction and non-fiction categories. Winners are eligible to receive a share of cash prizes exceeding $6,000 USD. An Outstanding Book (category winner) will be awarded in each category with recognition of Finalists. Six outstanding titles will be named the Books of the Year. Winning books will be shared at the IAN Facebook page with over 120,000 fans and 575,000 followers at twitter. http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/book-of-the-year.html
26. The Chautauqua Prize for authors is $7,500 plus travel and expense for a short summer residency. Full-length books of fiction and narrative/literary nonfiction are eligible. Self-published books are not eligible. In general, cookbooks, self-help books (including inspirational literature), reference books, picture books, graphic novels, or children’s books are not eligible. http://chq.org/general-information
27. Mom’s Choice Awards® is recognized in over 55 countries around the world for setting the benchmark of excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. If you have a children’s book or family friendly book then this is a terrific award to pursue. https://www.momschoiceawards.com
28. Book Excellence Awards – With over $30,000 in grand prizes in media and marketing services, the Book Excellence Awards has helped honorees increase their book sales, garner attention from film producers, receive distribution in book stores and increase their visibility and media attention. https://www.bookexcellenceawards.com
29. The Page Turner Awards – Their prizes promise the winning authors career-changing opportunities. Fiction authors could win a publishing deal or win an audiobook production, non-fiction authors could win a writing mentorship with a business mentoring expert or get their non-fiction manuscript seen by publishers who are actively looking for work to publish. https://pageturnerawards.com/
If You Don’t Have Time to Do All This... A great option for authors to maximize their success in the world of book awards is an automation service called Book Award Pro https://bit.ly/BookAwardPro Their smart matching technology pinpoints the best award opportunities for your book and delivers actionable results. This service automates it all for you: researching thousands of awards, continuously targeting your perfect matches, and professionally submitting your book for awards. Book Award Pro creates a windfall of fresh promotional opportunities for your book – every single month. Check them out at https://bit.ly/BookAwardPro
Author Kelly K. Lavender read this very article about the value of book awards and said this. “I followed Scott’s advice. It worked! To my complete surprise, Beautiful Evil Winter earned a bouquet of book awards, including a highly coveted Eric Hoffer Award and a Readers’ Favorite award. For those that don’t know, the high-profile Readers’ Favorite competition attracts celebrities and New York Times Best-Selling authors. Thanks, Scott for penning that piece! What a game-changer!”
The Bottom Line: Book awards do matter. Enter a few and become an “award-winning author.” As Hockey great Wayne Gretzky said, “You Can’t Score Unless You Shoot!” Get to it and let me know how it goes. If you know of another book award I should check out, please send me the details.
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at http://www.book-marketing-expert.com or contact Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist
The stories of the Old Testament have been, and will forever,
be a source of inspiration, comfort, and strength to those who read them. They tell of, for the most part, ordinary
men, and sometimes women, who have through their faith, and God’s guidance
achieved incredible things.
This ‘Deborah’ series of books is a fictional telling of the
life of the first female prophet Deborah. A woman who, in a male dominated
world believed her father’s prediction that she was going to become a great
prophet.
In modern times a goal like this would be considered,
although incredibly difficult, possible. However in the Old Testament era,
women had a very different life, being married young, she would bear children, and
look after the household, this was the way it was in those times…
Yet Deborah, with incredible fortitude and bravery became renowned
as a prophet, and judge. She was also a wise military leader who liberated her
people from the Canaanites.
‘Deborah Slaying’ is the third book in this enthralling
series. In the previous two, ‘Deborah Calling,’ and ‘Deborah Rising,’ we have followed
her fortunes, and seen a young girl leave her home, and face incredible dangers,
as she went against her expected future, to pursue her calling.
Believing she would only be able to achieve her destiny as a
male, she took on a male persona, and was known as Borah. In this, the third
book, we see her as Borah, accepting a mission to rescue the kidnapped Princess
Needa from the hands of her Hebrew abductors, and return her back to her
brother the king.
As we travel with her on this dangerous journey, we experience
the harsh realities of life in those times. Also, we watch Deborah/Borah grow
as a person and warrior. Her life experiences, her conversations with Yahweh,
and her faith in his infinite wisdom, give her the strength and fortitude to
make her own judgements wisely, and learn to forsake her own desires for the
good of others.
In writing the ‘Deborah’ series, Avraham Azrieli has used his remarkable talent for storytelling to take his readers back through the centuries, into the ancient lands of Mesopotamia in the northeast, through to the River Nile in the southwest. Once there he not only tells the story of this incredible female prophet, but he also allows his readers to discover what life was really like for the people who lived in those times. I highly recommend this series to lovers of biblical stories and historical fiction.
About the Author:
Avraham Azrieli is the author of books and screenplays. His first novel was The Masada Complex (a political thriller), followed by Israeli spy novels The Jerusalem Inception and The Jerusalem Assassin, as well as Christmas for Joshua (an interfaith family drama), The Mormon Candidate (a political thriller), Thump (a courtroom drama featuring sexual harassment and racism), and The Bootstrap Ultimatum (a mystery involving the commercialization of Memorial Day). Most recently, he has written a series of novels inspired by the true story of the first woman to lead a nation in human history, starting with Deborah Rising (HarperCollins 2016), and continuing with Deborah Calling, Deborah Slaying and Deborah Striking. Beside fiction, he has also authored Your Lawyer on a Short Leash – a guide to dealing with lawyers and One Step Ahead – A Mother of Seven Escaping Hitler’s Claws (an acclaimed WWII true story, which inspired the musical By Wheel and by Wing). To learn more, visit www.AzrieliBooks.com
Ronald Whitchurch, the author of this fascinating book, is
now retired and living in Florida with his wife Lonni. As an already qualified
RN he went on to graduate from the Minneapolis School of Anesthesia, and began
working as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) in 1971.
I have to admit that I have only been anesthetised once,
when I had my daughter, so I hadn’t really thought very much about what an anaesthetist
does. I suppose I thought they just put people to sleep when they had
operations, and then ensured they came around afterwards. I really didn’t
appreciate how varied, hands-on, and difficult their work was. And, I must
admit having that one and only experience of anesthesia, I asked the same
question as the lady in the entertaining chapter titled ‘Worried I Won’t Wake
Up.’
The author really does tells a lovely story. Immediately he
captivated me, and drew me into his world as an anesthetist, and I can tell you,
it was a real eye-opener. There were so many incredible stories to read about,
some were of the ‘you’d have to be there to believe it,’ variety, others were
rather graphic, and some made you laugh. It was very difficult to pick a
favorite, but one of mine had to be the ‘Three Tattoo Stories.’ You’ll have to
read it to understand why, but it will make you smile…
I was also to discover that there were some life lessons
thrown in to the stories, the one which most surprised me was the very sad and
unpleasant chapter named ‘Brushing Teeth.’
The author doesn’t pull his punches. In this revealing book, the readers are treated to graphic descriptions of real events, and their outcomes, good or bad. However, I have to say that if you, like me, enjoy reading ‘true stories,’ and are interested in other people’s lives and careers, then this book is a real treat, and there’s even a glossary of terms at the back. Highly recommended!
About the Author:
Ron is the author of the new wildly entertaining book, 50 Years in the OR: True Stories of Life, Loss, and laughter while giving anesthesia. Learn more about Ron, this book and some of the amazing people he’s worked with that have endorsed it at www.50yearsintheor.com. Ron Whitchurch earned his R.N. from Abbott Hospital. He graduated from the Minneapolis School of Anesthesia and began working as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) in 1971. He enjoyed a long, eventful career in the OR before he retired in 2018 at age 76. Ron and his wife, Lonni, live in Florida.
Sometimes you come across a book which you feel everyone in the world should read, I feel this is one of them. This book is the author’s story, in which she gives a no-holes-barred account of life as a frontline nurse during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Late in 2019, the world was hearing rumours that in Wuhan, which is the sprawling capital of Central China’s Hubei province, there was a highly infectious disease Covid 19, which was spreading alarmingly. No-one took much notice, the world assumed it would soon be under control. How wrong we all were…
In March 2020. One infected person arrived in America, and from that moment no-one was safe. New York once a teeming metropolis became a ghost town. Actions were taken, policies announced, but it was too late. From that just one case, New York had in April more coronavirus cases than China, Iran and the UK, which were at the time the worst affected.
It was then that the brave nurses and other healthcare workers were called upon to help their co-workers. The need was desperate for nurses to care for the infected people, both in hospitals, and also in various makeshift buildings commandeered to hold the incredibly numbers of people desperately ill.
These brave nurses left their homes and loved ones, and travelled wherever their expertise was needed. Selflessly they helped others, knowing that by doing so they would be condemned to isolation, unable to see their friends and families for fear of spreading the infection to them. In this compelling story we discover what it is really like being a frontline nurse helping Covid 19 patients, and the price they have had to, and are still paying…
In this book there are tales of experiences with wonderful people, and examples of the compassionate care given by the nurses, laying testament to the phrase that nursing “is a vocation not a job.” So many times we are given examples of the selflessness of these wonderful individuals. However, some of the contents of this book will shock you. The author exposes acts of racism, unfair working practices, and of sadly, being ostracised by the communities in which they nursed. We discover the incredible mental and physical toll paid by the nurses, the long hours, lack of breaks, loneliness, depression and suicides. All these things are happening to people who are putting their own life on the line every moment of every day for us, and our love ones.
The author makes a plea to her readers, don’t flout the rules which have been made to keep people as safe as possible from this terrible pandemic. Wear a mask, stay at home, and if you can’t social distance, wash your hands frequently. By doing these things, not only are you keeping yourself safe, but also your loved ones. As the author says “Spread The Word: Become A Covid-19 Ambassador And Be Your Brother’s Keeper.”
Patrice Foster was born in Jamaica, and despite being abandoned by her mother, and a hard childhood she graduated and became a RN in 1998. Since then she has been a successful business owner, and is the author of many books. She continues to work as a nurse, and follows her own path to healing and self-discovery.
This is a story which should be read by all. Everyone, in one way or another, has been, or will be affected by this virus. During our lives each of us will at some time turn to nurses and health professionals to care for us. Now is your chance to discover what life is really like for them during this pandemic. Highly recommended!
About the Author:
Patrice M Foster’s life reads like an adventure novel that might have been entitled, “Journey to Respect’. Born in Jamaica West Indies, she and her five siblings were abandoned when her mother fled to America to escape her abusive husband, who then later abandoned his children. Patrice and her siblings were placed in foster homes and subsequently shuffled from one uncaring and abusive family to the next. Entrusted to the care of an uncle, young Patrice became close with an American missionary in the hopes of communicating with her mother in America. When Patrice was twelve, she and her siblings were finally reunited with their mother, but it was not the happy reunion of their dreams. Obligated to find other living arrangements, the situation eventually deteriorated until Patrice ran away to live with their father. After finding herself locked out one day, Patrice became homeless and struggled to survive. Her life on the streets was a dangerous and discouraging time, yet despite her hopeless situation, she managed to finish school and moved to New Jersey where she entered an LPN program 1986. After graduating, she relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she furthered her career by becoming an RN in 1998. She continued her education by pursuing a BSN program at Immaculata University. Through her personal evolution, Patrice continues to battle the demons of her youth and desire to feel worthy and respected by striving to heal a little each day. Aware of the poor treatment encountered by nurses, in 2000, she established her company, Respect Medical Services, through which she committed herself to improved the working conditions and compensation of medical personnel. Her belief was that nurses who were treated and compensated as professionals were better able to perform as compassionate caregivers, thereby creating an environment beneficial to the physical and emotional wellbeing of their patients. Patrice’s greatest sense of accomplishment was achieved by securing employment for others. Though she closed her business in 2004, she continues to work as a nurse, as well as traveling the path to healing and self-discovery.
An entertaining look at love, sex and everything in-between.
What a title, and what an author! As the CEO of Viking
Queens, and radio host on Crushing 40, impact Radio USA, Kimberly Love daily
inspires and coaches listeners to change their lives. That she practices what
she preaches is obvious when you read this entertaining and thought-provoking
book aptly titled ‘Bare: Love, Sex, and Finding Your Soulmate.’
What makes this book so engaging is that the author has no
problem laying bare her own romantic and sex life, on the road to enlightening
her readers. Candidly she admits to loving kissing and, well everything about
being in love, and demonstrating that love to a partner. However, in with the
romance of kissing, and exploring relationships, this no-holds-barred author is
equally open about some not so wise choices she has made, and the lessons she
has learned. This openness gives the reader a chance to reflect on her words,
and really think about their relationships as well. From a ‘having been there
and got the tee-shirt’ standpoint she has no reservations about using her own
experiences to illustrate the character traits she can only see now she is free
of the person, and I feel sure this will be invaluable to some of her readers. I
have to say that I’ve never been attracted to ‘bad’ men but have known others
who have been, and who also suffered in abusive relationships, and the insights
she gave me will definitely make me a more educated listener in future.
I thought that her reinforcement throughout the book that it
is okay no to be in a relationship was something I found personally very
comforting. Being older than the author, not being in a relationship now, after
years of happy marriage is extremely strange. This book came at just the right
time for me, as I have been struggling with being alone and after being with a
partner since I was 21. The author’s words made me realise that now is the time
to discover me, and it’s okay to do so.
I loved her views on soulmates. Don’t despair, if, or when you
find yours, it is wonderful. Despite the belief that love dies down as the year’s
progress, in my relationship it never did. Personally I found it lovely to read
that it’s normal after years of marriage to fancy the pants off your partner!
It appears kids aren’t always right, when they say you are too old!
At the beginning of the book the author gives a great list
of soundtracks for this book, something which I really enjoyed listening to. I
found that reading this book is like having a really good sleepover with your
best friend. You know, when you’re sharing a bottle of wine, or two, and the
topics starts getting steamy. Your inhibitions go and, you find yourselves
giggling about those ex’s, the things they got up to, and what you really
thought of them…
If you’re looking for love, fed up with it, just got out of a relationship, or just fancy a really good read, then this is the book for you! Highly recommended.
About the Author:
Kimberly Love is the author of You Taste Like Whiskey and Sunshine. Her passion is in thrillers and she is working on her next novel which will be part one of eight in a crime thriller series. Before being published, she was a ghostwriter for ten years, writing close to 100 books for clients and thousands of articles. What she loves are dinosaurs and vampires and what she hates most of all is walking down into a dark basement. Let’s face it. Kimberly wouldn’t last five minutes in one of her books.
A raw and inspiring look at what it means to love yourself and how that translates into moving into a healthy relationship. Finding lasting love is an inside job and finding out why things went wrong in previous relationships is how you fill your toolkit to succeeding in future love.
Real conversations about sex, love, and looking for the right person in your life are told in heartfelt and powerful ways. Kimberly Love hosts Crushing 40 on Impact Radio USA where she talks love, dating, empowerment, and shares inspiring stories with experts and coaches where she impacts thousands of daily listeners.
In, Bare: Love, Sex, and Finding Your Soulmate, Kimberly tells her own story of heartache and healing and what it meant for her to love herself first in a world that rushes into relationships. It’s time to win at love instead of complaining about the dating culture.
How do kissing and sex fall into a long-lasting relationship? Can a healthy relationship be established after an abusive one? Is it possible to spot red flags before getting into a relationship? There is a plan to heal, a plan to find healthy love, and to kiss your way to true love.
She candidly talks about how to have long-lasting love that includes bearing your soul, dancing in the kitchen, and having sex like you’re still on your honeymoon. Each chapter comes with a matching playlist so you can join in on the LOVE vibe. BARE will have you seeking out all the desires in your life.
Kimberly Love bio: Kimberly Love is the CEO of Viking Queens and a radio host on Crushing 40, Impact Radio USA. She speaks to coaches, experts, and celebrities daily to inspire listeners to change their lives. When she’s not on the radio, she’s writing books, spending time with her daughter, or dancing in the kitchen.
In ‘The Broken’ series, lovers of deep suspenseful horror have been following a dark entity as it wreaks havoc on unsuspecting families, whilst steadily growing in power.
In ‘The Broken I,’ widower Matthew Honey, a once charismatic, successful businessman, lost his beautiful teenage daughter Eve to an evil entity which wove its way into their lives. Then, in ‘The Broken II,’ the entity moves on and devastates the lives of Alice Parkinson and her children.
Now we are on the third book, and deep in the Irish countryside, the haunted Moycullen Forest lies. This forest, and the Nunnery which it embraces, has been for many years the source of rumour and superstitions. It is said that those who enter the forest never return. Behind the convent walls, the sisters care for unloved children. Now they have a new member, Sister Jesselle, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. For Sister Jesselle is The Dark Empress, and she has only one vocation…
United in their pain, and desperation to get their children back, Matthew, and Alice’s husband Phil, team up with Chief Superintendent John Terry who has come to believe their story. The men will stop at nothing to discover the children’s whereabouts, and end the entity’s reign of terror. They can sense that time is running out, and so they are willing to stop at nothing. But will that be enough?
It is said that the best books are written from the heart, and that the author gives a little bit of themselves in them. I believe this is very much the case with this young author whose prologue for this story is very insightful.
I look forward to the next book in this excellent series, and thoroughly recommend this series to lovers of suspenseful, scary, horror stories.
About the Author:
A.L. Frances is a thirty-two-year-old British author.
The Broken is set to be a four-part series and marks A.L. Frances’ debut in literary fiction.
Born in Wythenshawe, South Manchester, she is the product of a broken home. Her formal education was cut short before she could gain any qualifications and she became a mother to three children by the time she was just twenty years old. At twenty-one A.L. Frances suddenly finds herself cast in the role of a single parent, destined to repeat the cycle of her own difficult upbringing.
Determined to give her children a better start in life, she moved to the countryside village of Hollingworth, and eventually settled into a career in law. It was during this transition that she found herself on a journey of self-discovery. Attending multiple mindset enhancing seminars in England, America and Canada, she was exposed to the tutelage of inspirational speakers such as Bob Proctor, Tony Robbins, and Mel Robbins among others. A.L. Frances was eventually introduced to Peggy McColl, a New York Times Best Selling Author. Standing on the stage, Peggy said the words that would inspire her into action. Peggy said, “Everyone has a book in them.” as she pointed into the crowd. It was at this point that A.L. Frances fell in love with the idea of writing her own book and telling her own story; one that would address one of her biggest fears: the vulnerabilities of broken homes.
At the age of twenty-nine, A.L. Frances decided it was time to start the next chapter of her life.
What follows is the start of her journey…
About the Book:
It’s been just over a year since Matthew Honey’s daughter, Eve, went missing, but he’s determined not to let the trail go cold. Phil Parkinson’s wife is dead, his five children taken. The only thing that’s keeping him alive is the hope of one day having them back in his arms.The pair team up with Detective Chief Superintendent John Terry in a race against time to save their children from the dark entity that would consume their souls in a bid to gain dominion over the world. Their quest takes them to a mysterious shop, a psychiatric ward and a foreboding nunnery in the depths of a reportedly haunted forest in Ireland, where nothing is quite as it seems.Matthew has a secret weapon on his side – but will it be enough to turn back the tide of evil and restore all that has been broken?
“Ever thought about writing fan fiction? Many authors started out writing on fanfic sites.”
Anna Todd started writing fanfiction on her phone, published chapters to Wattpad, then after garnering 1 million+ views she was pursued by numerous literary agents. Fast forward five years, her storyAFTER is a Simon & Schuster NY Times bestseller and Ann Todd is making millions.
Amanda Hocking started out writing fan fiction and she was signed to a multimillion-dollar book deal. Erika Leonard, aka E.L. James discovered Fan Fiction in August 2009. Taking a stab at fan fiction under the pen name Snowqueens Icedragon has certainly served James well. The fan fiction morphed into the Fifty Shades of Grey series and movies which as of December 2018 give her a whopping $150,000,000 net worth.
Convinced yet about the value of writing on FanFiction sites? Before you dive in check out my list of top 27 fan fiction sites and see where your work could fit in and most importantly stand out.
Commaful: For a different flavor of fanfiction, visit Commaful. This site takes a new and exciting spin on fanfiction, offers a unique picture book format and is ideal for shorter works.
Quotetv: While Quotev is a fan fiction site that offers a wide variety of fan fiction categories for readers to choose from, it’s also a platform that gives writers the opportunity to post their original poems, stories, and quizzes.
FictionPad: Established in 2013, FictionPad is a great option for anyone who spends a lot of time on their mobile phone. It makes it easy to read stories without being signed in on a desktop, tablet or smartphone device because it is well optimized for all screen sizes.
TONFA: TONFA is a purely Naruto centric website. It features a comprehensive archive of Naruto fanfiction. Users can read fanfiction on this site or submit their own.
MediaMiner: MediaMiner brings together those who are interested in reading and writing fan fiction. The three major sections of this site include fan fiction, fan art, and anime.
Mrs. Darcy’s Story Site: Do you love Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice? If so, Mrs. Darcy’s Story Site was made for you. It’s a platform for you to write and read stories based on this popular novel.
One Direction Fan Fiction: If you are a huge fan of One Direction, you’ll be pleased to find out there’s a website dedicated to One Direction fan fiction. This site offers categories such as action, romance, drama, mystery, and many others.
Percy Jackson FanFiction: Percy Jackson Fan Fiction was made for fans of the legendary Percy Jackson. It offers a variety of Percy Jackson story remixes to read and can allow you to write your own remix. All Percy Jackson stories on this sites are subject to votes and comments from fans.
Good Reads: With over 18 million users, members of the site can share their work, about 400 of which are fan fiction. The most popular books are inspired by Twilight, Harry Potter, and Naruto.
FanFiction is considered to be world’s largest fanfiction archive on the web. The site launched in October 1998 and currently has well over 2 million users. The most popular sections on FanFiction are Harry Potter (675,000 titles), Twilight (215,000 titles), and Lord of the Rings (51,000 titles).
FictionAlley Founded in 2001, the site boasts over 60,000 registered users. Also, in 2006, FictionAlley launched HarryPotterWiki, which was the first wiki to blend information about the Harry Potter book series’ characters, places, magic and things, with fan theories, stories, art, videos and music.
Wattpad: Based in Toronto, Wattpad’s monthly audience is over 10 million readers. Every minute, the site connects more than 10,000 readers with a new story. Wattpad is more about fanfic driven by celebrities and comics. There are over 100,000 stories about One Direction. You can also find fanfic about Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, or Zac Efron.
Internet Archive: Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library. The Internet Archive allows users to download digital material, but also to upload their own.
Fan Works, Inc.: This site launched in 2003 and while Twilight and Harry Potter are the most popular categories, be sure to check out fan fiction inspired by The Outsiders and Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Archive of Our Own: Archive of Our Own is a project founded and operated by the Organization for Transformative Works. It’s a non-profit, non-commercial archive for fan fiction of all formats, including writings, graphic art, videos, and podcasts. Currently, there are over 170,000 users.
Asianfanfics: Asianfanfics is mostly about Asian characters and topics that often revolve around Asian culture. One-shot fanfiction, which is characterized as stories no longer than one chapter, is very popular on Asianfanfics, with over 35,000 stories listed in the category.
Tumblr: You can stay logged into your favorite network and search for new, fresh fanfiction; it’s just a matter of using the right tag to search the posts, and finally picking up Tumblr posts you want to follow. Try searching #fanfic, #fanfiction, or any book title you’re a fan of and read what Tumblr has to offer.
FicWad: FicWad is an archive of both fanfiction and original work, launched in 2005 and managed by K&D Lynch. The site is currently in beta stage, but you are able to read the stories even if you are not a registered user.
Twilighted: Twilighted calls itself all-inclusive, high-quality Twilight fan fiction. Founded in 2008, the site already has a large following. The most popular, and arguably most interesting category is AU-Human: stories in which all the vampires are humans.
Feed Books: Feed Books features works uploaded by the site’s users into its Original Books section. You can easily upload any of the 800 fanfiction pieces to a book application or an e-reader, as they are available in mobi (Kindle), epub and pdf formats.
Deviant Art: There are 176,092 deviations for fanfiction, grouped in 6 categories: drama, general fiction, horror, humor, romance, and sci-fi. The most popular one, however is Not in Harry Potter, with quotes and words that should be included in Harry Potter books – but aren’t.
Harry Potter Fan Fiction: This site is obviously for the Harry Potter fans of the literary world. Founded in 2001, this site has a large inventory with over 78,000 stories and receives over 50 million hits per month! The site’s filtering options make it easy to target exactly what you’re looking to read.
Lord of the Rings Fanfiction: With 4,936 members, this fan fiction site dedicated to Lord of the Rings offers well over 4,400 stories, which you can sift through by author, title, or category.
Fiction Press: This is the fanfiction site for all things sci-fi and fantasy. One unique attribute of Fiction Press is that there are many dedicated communities of authors on the site who help edit and encourage the work of one another.
Mibba: Mibba is a community that welcomes fan fiction and utilizes forums for help with writing and connecting with people who have similar viewpoints.
Sugar Quill: This Harry Potter fan fiction site favors the Harry and Ginny love match, as well as the Weasley family in general. The site was founded in 2001 and is very well organized and easy to navigate. It also has a page of daily affirmations, lest you forget.
Kindle Worlds. An Amazon publishing platform that lets authors sell fan fiction based on properties like Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars and Vampire Diaries. Amazon Publishing retains the rights to the works and sets prices. There are strict parameters and limited offerings but Kindle Worlds pays fan fiction authors a royalty of 35 percent for works of at least 10,000 words, and a royalty of 20 percent on works between 5,000 and 10,000 words. The authors of the original properties also get royalties.
Bonus: http://www.archiveofourown.com. It’s a growing fanfiction archive that’s almost as big as www.fanfiction.net and www.deviantart.com right now.
The Bottom Line: I encourage you to post on fan fiction sites and take your writing to the next level. Reach out to new readers, get feedback from others and fine-tune your craft. You never know, it might be the start of something big!
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
