Guest Blogger Charlene Whitman, Author of Wyoming Tryst

Two ranching tycoons. A decades-old feud. A sheriff bent on ridding the town of lawlessness . . .

In the midst of the trouble brewing in Laramie City in 1878, Julia Carson yearns to be free of her parents’ smothering and wonders whether she’ll ever find a man worthy to love in such a violent town rife with outlaws.

But when Robert Morrison sneaks onto her ranch the night of her sixteenth birthday party, Cupid shoots his arrows straight and true. Aware that their courtship would be anathema to their fathers, who are sworn enemies, Robert and Julia arrange a tryst.

Yet, their clandestine dalliance does not go unnoticed, and forces seek to destroy what little hope their romance has to bloom. The star-crossed lovers face heartache and danger as violence erupts. When all hope is lost, Joseph Tuttle, the new doctor at the penitentiary, is given a letter and a glass vial from Cheyenne medicine woman Sarah Banks.

The way of escape poses deadly dangers, but it is the only way for Robert and Julia to be together. It will take the greatest measure of faith and courage to come through unscathed, but love always conquers fear.

Western Romeo and Juliet

by Charlene Whitman

Wyoming Tryst is a twist on Romeo and Juliet, set in Laramie, Wyoming, in 1878. No, the star-crossed lovers do not die at the end, so no worries! There is a happily ever after.

While the novel follows Shakespeare's play quite faithfully, you'll find many colorful characters, including the bitter and angry warden of the federal penitentiary that has a beef with Lester Carson, Julia's father and Dr. Joseph Tuttle, from Colorado Dream, who has recently relocated to Laramie City to serve as the prison's new doctor for the female inmates.

Laramie's rich history as the first "feminist" town provides a great backdrop to this story of two rich ranching families and their mysterious feud, the secrets of which all come out in the end.

Laramie, in 1870, had women jurors and a woman bailiff, and women had the right to vote. In contrast, the town was as lawless as they came, with 23 brothels and no churches.

When I went there to scout out locations and research the history, I knew this town would be perfect for great conflict and exciting action. But touring the penitentiary gave me a rush of plot ideas, especially upon hearing how 25% of the prisoners escaped (really!).

So, Wyoming Tryst is a sweet romance set against this backdrop, and yes, there are some tense moments in the prison.

I'm excited to share this fun new romantic adventure and hope you will share the news of the release! If you have friends who love Western romance, tell them about The Front Range series and have them join my mailing list. If you use this link to join my mailing list and get Wild Horses, Wild Hearts for FREE. That's the first book (novella) in the series

Title: WYOMING TRYST

Author: Charlene Whitman

Publisher: Ubiquitous Press

Pages: 360

Genre: Sweet Historical Western Romance

ORDER HERE!

The author of “heart-thumping” Western romance, Charlene Whitman spent many years living on Colorado’s Front Range. She grew up riding and raising horses, and loves to read, write, and hike the mountains. She attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins as an English major. She has two daughters and is married to George “Dix” Whitman, her love of thirty years.

The Front Range series of sweet historical Western romance novels (set in the 1870s) includes Wild Horses, Wild Hearts, set in Laporte and Greeley. Colorado Promise, set in Greeley, Colorado; Colorado Hope, set in Fort Collins; Wild Secret, Wild Longing, which takes readers up into the Rockies, Colorado Dream (Greeley), and Wyoming Tryst, set in Laramie, WY.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK

Guest Post: How Tempe Has Changed by Author Marilyn Meredith

Deputy Tempe Crabtree and her husband answer the call for help with unruly guests visiting a closed summer camp during a huge snow storm are trapped there along with the others. One is a murderer—another a ghost.

How Tempe Has Changed

by Marilyn Meredith

When the series began Tempe Crabtree knew little about her Indian heritage. She didn’t grow up on the reservation and all she knew about being a Native American came from stories her grandmother told her. These stories play an important part in a couple of the mysteries.

When she went to high school she was made fun of for being an Indian by some of the other students, and shunned by the Indian kids who lived on the reservation.

Her friend, Nick Two John, is the one who gradually teaches her about what it means to be an Indian and some of the Bear Creek Indian legends. Many of these legends are also a basis for plots. Her feelings about her heritage and all it means change throughout the series.

As time goes on, she has reached out more and more to Indian mysticism and spirituality to help her solve the mysteries that confront her, despite her pastor husband’s objections.

What hasn’t changed is her willingness to risk her life to help others. Her strength has remained consistent throughout.

While writing this, I realize that I probably should have had her appearance change a bit—but hopefully the reader will use his or her own imagination to see Tempe with natural changes as she’s aged. To be honest, I see her in my mind’s eyes as the more mature woman that she is today.

What is your opinion about how much a series character should change?

Marilyn

Anyone who orders any of my books from the publisher‘s website: http://mundania.com

can get 10% off by entering MP20 coupon code in the shopping cart. This is good all the time for all my books, E-books and print books.

On Kindle:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074XNP87Z

Marilyn Meredith’s published book count is nearing 40. She is one of the founding members of the San Joaquin chapter of Sister in Crime. She taught writing for Writers Digest Schools for 10 years, and was an instructor at the prestigious Maui Writers Retreat, and has taught at many writers’ conferences. Marilyn is a member of three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and serves on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She lives in the foothills of the Sierra, a place with many similarities to Tempe Crabtree’s patrol area. Webpage:  http://fictionforyou.com Blog:  http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/ and you can follow her on Facebook.

Contest: Once again I’m going to use the name of the person who comments on the most blogs on my tour for the next Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery—which may be the last in the series.

Tomorrow I’ll be here:

https://amymbennettbooks.com/

My Journey as an Author

Guest Blogger: Jason Reid, Author of Dinner Conversations

“You are going to LAUGH! You are going to then wonder if these conversations actually happened. You are going to wonder what kind of guy would actually say these things to his family.”

The answer is simple—yes, these conversations did actually happen. They occurred over a period of roughly 5 years, mainly at my dinner table. I took them verbatim and posted them on Facebook so that all my friends could get a good laugh.

I must be honest with you, some of you will are going to laugh and say things like “…that sounds like something I would say or want to say” others are going to think that I am a horrible parent. I am ok with either thought process.

What I hope is that after laughing, scratching your head and wondering what is wrong with Jay Reid, you realize that you need to create more of your own Dinner Conversations.

Please join me @ www.Facebook.com/DinnerConversations to read more and post your own.”


GUEST POST

When was the last time you had an actual conversation with your family around the dinner table, without the distraction of the television or any other form of technology?

In today’s technology-driven world finding time to stop and enjoy real, in-person conversations with our loved ones is becoming less of a priority and more of an inconvenient task. Like any family, our individual schedules keep us constantly on the go, passing each other as we run in and out of the front door. I travel a couple of nights out of every week, my wife and 4 kids have busy lives and their own individual obligations—it is easy to find ourselves disconnected from each other. Starting to sound a little familiar?

Dinner Conversations is a book that contains my personal collection of conversations that happened roughly over a five-year period, mainly between my kids, wife, and I around our dinner table. I know what you’re thinking and before you start glancing towards the top corner for the “x”—let’s get personal for a minute, shall we…

My name is Jason, I have four children, a wonderful wife of 24 years, a successful career and have absolutely NO filter. Every family has that one person who says exactly what pops into their head, always without hesitation and in my family that ONE person is yours truly. I use my own personal “trial and error” approach to parenting, cross my fingers and hope for the best.

I’m turning 50 this year and like most guys my age--I figure things out the old fashion way. I don’t read manuals. Typically, I find myself trying unusual ways of putting things together, taking different paths and swearing more frequently no that I have teenagers, which I find clears the head and helps a great deal with the thought process.

Two of the most important pieces of my unique parenting style are:

If I am home, we are all sitting down to a family dinner (except on date nights that is just for my wife and I).
Dinner should be fun, we should all laugh and not be afraid to speak our minds.

In Short, the collection of conversations and hysterical moments a family has and laughs about privately, I have put together for you to laugh, enjoy and possibly even find some of the unique conversations relatable. I invite you to take a break from the serious page turners and chapters that seem to go on for weeks, because you are in the constant process of finding where you left off. Take a break from raising your own kids and just have a good laugh at how I raised mine. The only thing bigger than my college tuition bills will likely be the therapy bills that I will be paying for down the road, so feel free to go ahead and pick up a few copies of the book to share the laughs with your own friends and family : ) profits from this book will be applied to one of the following:
-Family Therapy Jar
-College tuition bills (Did I mention I had FOUR kids?)
-The 18+ years of alcohol consumption my wife and I will surely need to get them all graduated and still maintain some degree of sanity.

If you’re still here and have made it this far, I hope that you enjoy reading Dinner Conversations and the raw glimpse of our family’s most hysterical conversations and moments over the years.

Grab a seat, a drink and as always enjoy the conversations.

All the Best,
Jason Reid

P.S. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook @DinnerConversations for new conversations, family updates and to also share your own dinner conversations with us!

Jason Reid is an entrepreneur by trade and a dad by passion. He currently lives in Murrieta, California with his wonderful wife and amazing four children. Over the years he has written numerous business books, a novel, and children’s The Protector Bug book series.

Guest Post: One of My Favorite Characters by F.M. Meredith, Author of Unresolved

Rocky Bluff P.D. is underpaid and understaffed and when two dead bodies turn up, the department is stretched to the limit. The mayor is the first body discovered, the second an older woman whose death is caused in a bizarre manner. Because no one liked the mayor, including his estranged wife and the members of the city council, the suspects are many, but each one has an alibi.

Copies may be purchased from Book and Table by emailing bookandtablevaldosta@gmail.com with a 10% discount and free shipping.

Books may be ordered from all the usual places as well.

One of My Favorite Characters in the Rocky Bluff P.D. Series

Cheryl asked me to tell about my favorite character in this series, but instead, I wanted to tell you about a fairly new character that I’m growing fond of, the new Chief of Police, Chandra Taylor.

Chandra, the second African American on the RBPD, came to Rocky Bluff from the San Francisco Police Department. She knew her chance of advancing beyond lieutenant were nil. Though the small beach town of Rocky Bluff certainly didn’t compare to San Francisco, it didn’t take long before Chandra began to enjoy her job, the police officers who worked under her and the community itself.

In A Crushing Death, Chandra’s life was threatened by a man she’d arrested in the past and Detective Milligan and his wife, Officer Stacey Milligan, not only protected her but became friends in the process.

When the mayor is murdered and the other members of the city council all become suspects, Chandra finds herself attracted to the man who has become the new mayor, Devon Duvall. Whether or not this attraction will develop, of course, depends upon Devon’s innocence.

It’s always fun for me as an author, when new and interesting characters become a part of the Rocky Bluff series. I hope that readers will enjoy this new twist as well.

F. M. Meredith lived for many years in a small beach community much like Rocky Bluff. She has many relatives and friends who are in law enforcement and share their experiences and expertise with her. She taught writing for Writers Digest Schools for 10 years, and was an instructor at the prestigious Maui Writers Retreat, and has taught at many writers’ conferences. Marilyn is a member of three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and serves on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She lives in the foothills of the Sierra. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and her blog at http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/

Let’s Start Talking About It by Debra Whittam, Author of Am I Going To Be Okay? Weathering the Storms of Mental Illness, Addiction and Grief

Title: Am I Going To Be Okay? Weathering the Storms of Mental Illness, Addiction and Grief

Author: Debra Whittam

Publisher: Turning Point International

Pages: 253

Genre: Memoir/Women’s Psychology/Applied Psychology

Am I Going To Be Okay? is an American story with a universal message. Ms. Whittam traces her history in the form of stories about her all too human, and sometimes unhinged family; she throws a rope to the little girl living there, and in adulthood, is able to pull her out to safety, bit by bit.

For More Information

• Am I Going To Be Okay? Weathering the Storms of Mental Illness, Addiction and Grief is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Let's Start Talking About it by Debra Whittam

I am a first time author so, let’s starting talking about the two questions I am asked most often by nearly everyone concerning my having written a memoir/self-help book.  “How long did it take you to write the book?” and “Aren’t you worried about what family members will think?”

Really?  Are these questions that pertain to the author?  I think not.  What I sense is the people asking are only interested in the answer to see if THEY could do it.  So, let’s talk about this. 

How long did it take to write?  I wrote, on and off, for about three years.  The most difficult part was the edit, of course.  What I thought was going to be an easy, fairly simple week or two process to get my “shitty first draft,” as Anne LaMott calls it, to a final proof copy actually took six months.  Good thing my editor knew how to handle my impatience since she told me we would start going from the first draft to revisions.

Well, after the sixth ‘first’ draft I wanted to say ‘I’m done.’  But just in the nick of time she announced we were on to the revisions.  Ah yes, now we were getting somewhere!

After the revisions to the revisions, many times over, we moved on to the changes to the revisions.  We were now in month three.  Too late to turn back, yet, I hated the thought of reading one more word of what was once a beloved manuscript to me.  

Then, of course, we went from the changes to the changes to the changes.  Then finally, my friends, we were at the final manuscript!  Yea!  What joy. What bliss.  At final manuscript twelve I rebelled and said ‘NO!” 

This was just in time for the Final Proof copy.  The galley or advanced reader copy as it’s called.  Great.  After three final proof copies we have now officially gone to print! 

Oh my gosh.  How do people do this for a living?! 

So, do you see how my answering, to the unknowing questioner--it took three years to write the book--leaves me weak in the knees.  It’s not about me or what I went through. For heaven’s sake (!), it’s about them.  Of course it is. 

Question number two is more lengthy to explain, however, equally uninteresting to the one with the query.  Are they still listening as I explain that my first writing workshop was with Carol Henderson in Little Switzerland, NC where she explained to any of us thinking about writing creative non-fiction, memoir, to write as though everyone in the story has already died.  Or don’t do it at all.  That was a heady first bit of information for me as I already was sure I was the only who did not belong at the workshop.  I’m was a pretend ‘wanna be’ writer while everyone else was serious about it, better at it, etc. 

However, through the next three years of writing, I kept that thought firmly in the forefront of my mind as I traveled the road of writing; what I remembered, my perception of the things I saw, heard and how I was treated from littlehood onward.  

Is there any possibility that a family member will agree with my experience being true for them?  If, as they say, accuracy is based on perception, then every sibling in the same car having the same horrifying experience of riding with our drunk father at high rates of speed will invariably not have the same or even similar experiences as I did.  

We all have our own examples of being at the same dining room table with all the siblings and have a different narrative of what happened when someone spilled milk, triggering a major brawl which in turn lead to yelling, crying and sometimes people coming to blows.   

So do I answer to these random people, who I don’t even know, “Well, I can’t go to each person to make sure they are okay with it because blah, blah, blah.”   The person is already not listening.  No sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin would agree with what I had as my experience.  Parents would absolutely not agree.  So who ends up being the crazy one here?  And, how does anyone begin and end writing their memoir/ creative non-fiction narrative if they are, indeed, a Pleaser. 

Was and am I concerned with telling family stories that were always meant to be kept secret?  The point of my book is to see how insane it is to NOT talk about family member’s mental illness, their addictions, and the loss of a beloved through death or a relationship.  The impact on everyone in the family, especially the little ones watching the adults act like little monsters, is what creates the beginnings of chronic ‘IV drip’ of anxieties where little ones are sure of one of two things: either they did something wrong or there’s something wrong with them.  Those are the choices.  Silence and denial run the show and eventually become deadly in one form or another. 

So, my dear person with the questions, yes I considered everyone in the story.  Alive and not alive.  My experience is my truth.  If someone could have been in my shoes, at the same time, with the same experience, there might be a chance for some convergence of truth.  Doubt it, but maybe.  This memoir is a story of my life with my mom, entire family, but mainly her from my birth until her death, interwoven with the untreated mental illness, untreated addiction and unacknowledged grief that flows through everyone’s family tree.  We just don’t talk about it.  Any of it.  Until, of course, on someone’s death bed they sob out some essential bit of information that would’ve made everyone’s life different had they known it was NOT their fault.  Whatever ‘it' is. 

Answering these lame questions will become habit down the road and I will say, “Three years and, yes, I considered everyone.”  Let’s keep talking about it.

Debra Whittam is a licensed, practicing mental health therapist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who specializes in addiction, anxiety and depression, grief and loss. Whittam is passionate about her work in all areas of her specialties, especially addiction. Working in a detox unit for over three years before beginning her own private practice, Whittam realized, while counseling patients in the life and death arena of the detox unit, how much the loss of a beloved through death or a relationship impacted those struggling with addiction.

In this memoir, Whittam skillfully infuses her memories, stories and professional insights to remind us that the most important relationship we will ever have is with ourselves. She splits her time between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York and Paris, France. Am I Going To Be Okay? Weathering the Storms of Mental Illness, Addiction and Grief is her first book. 

• Visit Debra Whittam’s website.
• Connect with Debra on Facebook and Twitter.

The Importance of Family Traditions by by J.M. Hochstetler

When my daughters were tiny, with the holidays fast approaching, I impulsively decided that on the night of Christmas Eve, when they were fast asleep, I would hang candy canes all over our tree as a sign that Santa had come. Well, that idea turned out to be a huge success. When my little girls ran downstairs that Christmas morning, they were so excited to find the treats on the tree that I knew I’d come up with a very special tradition.

Over the years, as holidays came and went, I continued my secret Christmas Eve ritual. As they grew older, however, the children appeared to take less and less notice of the candy canes. They would eat only a few, and then after we took the tree down I ended up throwing most of them away. It seemed a waste. So one Christmas I thoughtlessly came very close to letting that tradition die.

That year I was so busy with holiday preparations and the day-to-day routine that I kept forgetting to pick up a package of candy canes at the store. It seemed like such a simple, unimportant thing. The girls were too old to care about my little tradition anymore, I told myself and I shrugged off the quiet voice that nagged at me to get those candy canes!

One evening just a couple of days before Christmas, I was rushing around the house, as usual, burdened with too many holiday preparations. In spite of my preoccupation, I happened to notice my oldest daughter, Jennifer, who sat on the stairs with my youngest, Katie. Both were snuggled in their nightgowns, slippers, and robes, happily taking in our cozy living room before heading off to bed.

Below them, fire blazed on the hearth and colored lights twinkled on the tree. Holiday decorations were arranged everywhere, and pine garlands and tiny white lights draped the mantel as well as the banister on either side where they sat. The scene was so perfect that I stopped for just a moment to breathe in the heady scents of pine and spices and to bask in the room’s glow. And as I lingered, I overheard what the girls were whispering about.

“Now, you know,” Jennifer told her little sister, “on Christmas morning when Santa comes, he always hangs candy canes all over the tree.”

Katie’s eyes grew round. “Always?” she breathed, in sweet expectancy.

“Oh, yes, always,” Jennifer assured her with the easy confidence of a big sister. “There will be candy canes all over the tree on Christmas morning. You’ll see.”

My heart almost stopped. One look at my daughters’ faces told me that I’d better plan on a special trip to the store the very next day. And suddenly gratitude flooded over me at the realization that the Lord had pulled me up short from my preoccupation with all the things that seemed so urgent to remind me of something I had come way too close to missing—a tradition that was genuinely meaningful to my children.

On that Christmas morning and every Christmas morning since then to this very day, candy canes have adorned my Christmas tree. My grown children expect to see them there when they arrive Christmas morning every bit as much as my grandchildren now do. It’s a tradition I wouldn’t think of ending. Because of that simple, long-ago impulse and the Lord’s reminder to be faithful in its observance, my family is making memories that in one form or another will be passed down to coming generations. It’s a simple thing as many of our traditions are, but oh, how meaningful!

An award-winning author and editor, Joan M. Hochstetler is the daughter of Mennonite farmers. She grew up in central Indiana and graduated from Indiana University cum laude with a degree in Germanic Languages. Her contemporary novel One Holy Night was the Christian Small Publishers 2009 Book of the Year and a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Carol Award. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Colonial America Christian Writers, and Middle Tennessee Christian Writers and contributes to the Colonial Quills and Novel Pastimes blogs.

In her everyday persona as Joan Shoup, she is the publisher and editorial director of Sheaf House Publishers, a specialty small press headquartered in the Elkhart, Indiana, area.

Joan enjoys spending time with her husband, a retired United Methodist pastor, and with her children and grandchildren; gardening; crafts; traveling; researching her latest projects; and, of course, writing.

Visit Joan online at www.jmhochstetler.com

How To Deal With Insecurity and Self Doubt by Amber Khan, Author of Guilt Free Motherhood: A 5-Step Guide to Reclaiming Your Time, Health & Well-Being

“Own your happiness. Reclaim your well-being. Make a guilt-free lifestyle, your choice of living!
· Do you think being a 'super mum' is your only option?
· Do you neglect your own health while caring for others?
· Do you struggle to maintain a happy work/life balance?
· Do you often feel stressed and burnt-out? Then you may be suffering from 'Mummy Guilt'.

Guilt Free Motherhood will guide you to:
· Ignite your passion to bring balance to your life;
· Take practical steps towards self-care;
· De-clutter your space, schedules and relationships;
· Let go of the 'super mum' and the 'control freak' inside of you;
· Practical ways of recharging your batteries.

A mother's journey should not be, and need not be, a GUILT trip. Guilt Free Motherhood gives you the tools you need to start living a more contented, healthy and energised lifestyle today - right in the midst of motherhood.”

How To Deal With Insecurity and Self Doubt

 by Amber Khan

Feeling insecure? Doubting yourself, your abilities, your beliefs, may be even your relationships?

At the end of the day, we all want the sweet taste of security. Well, the feeling of insecurity can crop up, any time of your life. If you are one of those working women finding it difficult to devote time to your personal life, the question of insecurity can shoot up a few notches.

You could be insecure about what you do, about what others feel for you, about what others do behind your back… the list could go on.

And truly, be it performance or productivity, everything will take a turn for the worse if you aren’t self-aware.

Psychological problems can appear out of nowhere and you might just be gaping at a hole far too deep to get out of.

So, what can you do to tackle insecurity?

Self-Awareness can work wonders. It’s simple. Analyze the cause of your insecurity. Is it fear, loss, rejection or inferiority? An action plan to fight your fears is the way forward. It will eliminate self-doubt and help get over the feeling of insecurity.

Exercising regularly does not only help regulate your body but your mind too. Blood rushing through your body can work wonders for your mental health. It’s easy – you can relax a more comfortable way when you are into exercising and in effect, think more clearly.

Everybody needs goals, and you could do with one too. Lack of direction can be a major source for insecurity to crop in. Try to find your focus but do remember – everybody is human. Don’t try to be a super woman. We need not be one to function effectively in any society.

For More Information

• Guilt Free Motherhood: A 5 Step Guide to Reclaiming Your Time, Health & Well-Being is available at Amazon US & Amazon UK.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
• Watch the book trailer at YouTube.
• Read excerpt here.

Amber Khan is a Lifestyle Mentor, Speaker, Author, sports enthusiast and a proud mum of three.

She is the founder of Guilt Free Living which provides tools for the mothers to help them live a fulfilling, healthy & energised lifestyle.

She has ran retreats, given talks and written articles on the importance of wellness and how to re-energise the tired minds and bodies of mothers.

Amber currently resides in London, UK with her husband and their three children.

Her latest book is the nonfiction/parenting/motherhood book, Guilt Free Motherhood: A 5-Step Guide to Reclaiming Your Time, Health & Well-Being.

For More Information

• Visit Amber Khan’s website.
• Connect with Amber on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about Amber at Goodreads.
• Visit Amber’s blog.

Guest Blogger: Russ Colchamiro, Author of Genuis De Milo

Best pals Jason Medley and Theo Barnes barely survived a backpacking trip through Europe and New Zealand that — thanks to a jar of Cosmic Building Material they found — almost wiped out the galaxy. But just as they envision a future without any more cosmic lunacy:

The Earth has started fluxing in and out of existence, Theo's twin girls are teleporting, and Jason can't tell which version of his life is real.

All because of Milo, the Universe's ultimate gremlin.

Joined by the mysterious Jamie — a down-and-out hotel clerk from Eternity — Jason and Theo reunite on a frantic, cross-country chase across America, praying they can retrieve that jar, circumvent Milo, and save the Earth from irrevocable disaster.

In author Russ Colchamiro’s uproarious sequel to Finders Keepers, he finally confirms what we've long suspected — that there’s no galactic Milo quite like a Genius de Milo.

• Genius De Milo is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Crazy 8 Press.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Why Should a Busy Mom Read Genius De Milo?

In my humble if not biased opinion, there are many reasons why a busy mom should read Genius de Milo. Hey … I said my opinion was biased!

Of course, you’ll have to enjoy wild and wacky sci-fi comedy adventures that take you places you’ve never been before. So assuming that sounds good to you … there’s a character in the series, Lilly, who starts off in the first book, Finders Keepers, in her mid-20s, running from herself, allowing others to use and manipulate her, trekking half-way around the globe to serve someone else’s bidding.

But in my latest novel Genius de Milo, Lilly is almost 30, and a single mom, trying to put her life together, worried about being a role model for her three-year-old son, Benny.

In particular there’s a sequence where Benny is at the playground, and he has a friend, who, even at their age, is already a bully. Lilly doesn’t like this kid, and wants to intervene when the two boys mix it up on the jungle gym, but she holds back. She gives Benny the space to negotiate with this bully.

 Here’s an excerpt:

It’s the one thing they never tell you, Lilly thought. That as a parent you live in constant fear, on emergency room alert. That in every nanosecond the worst possible outcome for your child could be just another nanosecond away. I could be inches from Benny and still it might not be close enough to catch him. I can handle his bumps and bruises, but what about when it’s worse? When there’s real danger? When the damage could be permanent?

But if I never let go, if I never let him roam, will he just run away from me, anyway?

No spoilers here, but things go far better for Benny than Lilly feared might unfold. The sequence is telling for Lilly, because it reveals both who she is — as a woman and a mother — and who she is still striving to become.

I’m a dad myself, so I can relate as a parent, at least. I often watch my wife as she relates to my children, and think about what that’s like for her, and how I can implement the best parts of her parenting into my own.

Genius de Milo is not in any way a serious treatise on raising children, but this sequence — in the middle of all the crazy sci-fi shenanigans that take place throughout the novel — is one of my favorite in the series.

To me, the humor and fun of Genius de Milo works best because there’s real life mixed in. And for a busy mom looking for a smile amongst her hectic life, what better distraction can you ask for than an adventure that both touches upon your own life while transporting you to another?

Russ Colchamiro is the author of the rollicking space adventure Crossline, the hilarious scifi backpacking comedy Finders Keepers, and the outrageous sequel, Genius de Milo, all with Crazy 8 Press.

Russ lives in West Orange, NJ, with his wife, two children, and crazy dog, Simon, who may in fact be an alien himself. Russ is now at work on the final book in the Finders Keepers trilogy.

As a matter of full disclosure, readers should not be surprised if Russ spontaneously teleports in a blast of white light followed by screaming fluorescent color and the feeling of being sucked through a tornado. It’s just how he gets around — windier than the bus, for sure, but much quicker.

His latest book is the science fiction novel, Genius De Milo.

For More Information

• Visit Russ Colchamiro’s website.
• Connect with Russ on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about Russ at Goodreads.
• Visit Russ’ blog.
• More books by Russ.
• Contact Russ.

Guest Blogger: Andra Watkins, Author of Not Without My Father

Can an epic adventure succeed without a hero?

Andra Watkins needed a wingman to help her become the first living person to walk the historic 444-mile Natchez Trace as the pioneers did. She planned to walk fifteen miles a day. For thirty-four days.

After striking out with everyone in her life, she was left with her disinterested eighty-year-old father. And his gas. The sleep apnea machine and self-scratching. Sharing a bathroom with a man whose gut obliterated his aim.

As Watkins trudged America’s forgotten highway, she lost herself in despair and pain. Nothing happened according to plan, and her tenuous connection to her father started to unravel. Through arguments and laughter, tears and fried chicken, they fought to rebuild their relationship before it was too late. In Not Without My Father: One Woman’s 444-Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace, Watkins invites readers to join her dysfunctional family adventure in a humorous and heartbreaking memoir that asks if one can really turn I wish I had into I’m glad I did.

For More Information

• Not Without My Father: One Woman’s 444 Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace is available at Amazon.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

How I Almost Killed My Father
 by Andra Watkins

I never really liked my father. He was the classic 1960s dad: worked hard; came home and let everyone wait on him; let Mom handle all things kid-related; never talked to me.

When I turned thirteen, he decided to change his approach. He believed he hadn't taught me anything. His every sentence to thirteen-year-old me started with, "Andra, you need to learn....."

What thirteen-year-old girl would bond with that?

We shouted down my teens, harangued through my twenties and seethed away my thirties. I rolled my eyes every time I saw Dad's number on my caller ID. I couldn't send him to voicemail fast enough. He drove me MAD.

Then his appendix ruptured. He was seventy-seven. He died on the operating table. I only found out I almost lost him when I went to the hospital three days after they revived him. I was busy, after all. Chasing the mid-life dollar at the peak of my income potential. I didn't have time to drive two hours and sit in a dreary hospital room, couldn't afford to scrap a planned client trip. When I found out he almost died, I panicked.

I didn't know my father. At all.

Still, I couldn't imagine how we could fix our relationship. The pattern of dysfunctional communication was ingrained. Intense. Unalterable. He was almost eighty. Almost gone. I didn't know what to do, but spending time with him didn't change our dynamic.

When I decided to walk the 10,000-year-old Natchez Trace to launch my debut novel To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis, Dad was the last person I wanted as wingman. Things between us were still off. I couldn't imagine living with my father for five weeks. I mean, I was forty-three years old. I lived on my own for more than two decades.

Sharing a hotel room with my eighty-year-old father? For five weeks? HELL ON EARTH.

His gas was legendary. He called it 'the paper mill.' He scratched himself all night while a sleep apnea machine breathed for him, and he wasn't fond of wearing clothes to cover his almost three-hundred-pound frame. Strangers loved his stories, but I plugged my ears through the five billionth telling.

For some reason, he agreed to accompany me on my journey. While I walked fifteen miles a day on the Natchez Trace, he explored tiny southern towns and regaled everyone with The Roy Show. Usually, he picked me up and dragged me to meet someone, forced me to sign books with sausage fingers and stand even longer on feet that looked like they'd been through a meat grinder. When he got so carried away with his own mystique that he forgot to pick me up, I hated him even more.

Spending five weeks with my dad was the stupidest idea I ever had.

Until it wasn't.

I wrote Not Without My Father: One Woman's 444-Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace to encourage everyone, everywhere, to Make a Memory. We all have family members we love to hate, but we'll still miss them when they're gone. They're family. They're part of us.

That's important.

It's never too late to Make a Memory........until it's too late. Think about someone who matters to you. What have you been meaning to do with them? How long have you been putting it off? Won't you regret it when all you can say is "I wish I had?"

Turn "I wish I had" into "I'm glad I did." Read Not Without My Father and be inspired to Make a Memory. Right now. Today. Because the memories you make are the pieces you'll have to cherish when that person is gone.

Andra Watkins lives in Charleston, South Carolina. A non-practicing CPA, she has a degree in accounting from Francis Marion University. She’s still mad at her mother for refusing to let her major in musical theater, because her mom was convinced she’d end up starring in porn films. In addition to her writing talent, Andra is an accomplished public speaker. Her acclaimed debut novel To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis was published by Word Hermit Press in 2014.

For More Information

• Visit Andra Watkins’ website.
• Connect with Andra on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about Andra at Goodreads.
• More books by Andra Watkins.
• Contact Andra.

Why Working Moms Need to Read Stupidparty Math V. Myth: Unmasking the Destructive Forces Eroding American Democracy by Patrick Andendall

Stupidparty Math v. Myth: Unmasking the Destructive Forces Eroding American Democracy relies on publicly available facts, resources and tools to deconstruct and relentlessly drill down on the numerous misconceptions held by too many Republicans.

Why Working Moms Need to Read Stupidparty Math V. Myth

 by Patrick Andendall

I’m excited to write for the The Busy Mom’s Daily about why it is important for working moms to read my book. Recently, the new Republican Congress passed a sweeping anti-abortion ban on the anniversary of Roe V. Wade. And the end of January marked the 6th anniversary of the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Nevertheless, for every one dollar I make, women still make 78 cents.

In President Obama’s State of the Union address, he emphasized a need for a bill to complete the progress of getting equal pay for men and women. Congress has attempted to improve the law but to no avail because of Republican obstruction. Even though legislation has addressed the wage gap, there remains an overall systemic problem: when women negotiate their salary, they use previous salary history.

It is worth mentioning to readers that my book does not tell you who to vote for. In the book’s introduction I point out that I owe much of my early success to conservative economic principles. In fact, there are some components of conservatism that seem naturally feminist: keeping the government out of the choices women should be left to make on their own, business friendly policies that empower women entrepreneurs, etc. In other words, the purpose of my book is not to tell women that Republicans have to be anti-women and they should always vote Democratic. By definition, a Conservative tends to be behind the curve on social issues and new ideas. Rather, working women should read my book to understand the ways that the “Stupidparty” has hijacked today’s Republican Party, and in the process painting the entire Republican Party anti-women on many of these issues.

Conservative does not mean freedom from government overreach in the Stupidparty. In fact the reverse in the case. Conservatism in the Stupidparty reflects reactionary principles from a bygone era that work distinctly against working women. My book equips voters to combat this kind of political rhetoric by pointing them to publicly available facts using more than 1,500 hyperlinks (the eBook is free for anyone that buys a print book).

The Supreme Court is about to clarify the law on pregnancy discrimination. Women are making significant strides for equality in the workplace, and in the military. But this should not be incremental progress, or a gift. It should be a right granted to all women.

Read Stupidparty Math v. Myth and discover the facts for yourself, and then decide.

Patrick Andendall has always had an interest in politics and, being multicultural, he views issues from a more international perspective. In 2004, five days before the election, he flew to Cleveland and pitched in to help with the political process. What he discovered was the dissolution of the American Dream, which he writes about in his book, Stupidparty.

Educated at English boarding schools from the age of seven, Andendall went on to graduate from Lancing College. He started by sometimes working three jobs at once, trainee Underwriter/claim broker at Lloyd’s of London, his own one man cleaning Company (cleaning the very offices of a Reinsurance Company he would transact business at) plus doing seasonal work on various farms.

Having made some windfall profits by borrowing money in order to be a “Stag” to take advantage of opportunities created by Margaret Thatcher’s de nationalization policies of the mid 1980′s, Andendall evolved into an entrepreneur with a core specialty in Reinsurance in London and New York where he looks for patterns in numbers. Self-employed in a field not normally conducive to self-employment, he is able remain in control, juggle different jobs, travel and pursue his various interests.

Ending up in New York via romance in the African bush, Andendall now lives on Long Island with his wife, two children and two dogs.


For More Information

• Visit Patrick Andendall’s website.
• Connect with Patrick on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about Patrick at Goodreads.
• Contact Patrick.

Surviving Parenting Positively by “Mastering Negative Impulsive Thoughts” from Dr. John McIntosh & Rev. Elizabeth McIntosh

Doctor John McIntosh and Rev. Elizabeth McIntosh, authors of an important new book, MASTERING NEGATIVE IMPULSIVE THOUGHTS, use “nits” as both an acronym for their book’s title and as an analogy for the clearly unhealthy effects of negative thinking.

“Negative thoughts occur impulsively, so that is why they are Negative Impulsive Thoughts, or NITs, for short,” the authors say. “The nice analogy is that nits are also head lice and both (nits and NITs) are irritating, contagious, hard to recognize, hard to eliminate, breed fast, and spread like an epidemic.”

Unlike other, similar books that claim to have a magic route to happiness and health, MASTERING NEGATIVE IMPULSIVE THOUGHTS is based on solid clinical research, say the authors, who together have extensive experience in general medicine, medical research, and holistic health/wellness practices.

For More Information

• Mastering Negative Impulse Thoughts is available at Amazon.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Surviving Parenting Positively

by “Mastering Negative Impulsive Thoughts”

If being a parent is the most wonderful experience in your life, why can also be the hardest and most difficult years that you have to survive? As a mother, you are under the most intense pressure emotionally, physically and practically as you manage your personal life, profession, relationship, the house and are also expected to instill in your children all the great qualities that they need to develop into well balanced, decent human beings! Quite a task, and as a doctor and clinical therapist, we have been helping people through these challenges for many years…

So if you could have the precious gift of taking life’s challenges and managing them positively, without drama, without stress and for great outcomes for all concerned, how much better would your life be?

The secrets are all here in this book! Mastering Negative Impulse Thoughts (NITs) is the first time that negative thoughts have been defined with an easy 3 step process to recognise them.  Negative thoughts occur impulsively so we have labeled them “Negative Impulsive Thoughts” or NITs for short.

NITs, like the head lice or “nits” that their name invokes, are irritating, hard to recognise, hard to treat and spread from person to person like an epidemic! Controlling this negative epidemic and quarantining you and your family is the key to future happiness and success for all of you!

Amazingly NITs occur in every one of us every day and if you do not control them, they can ruin your life, your children’s lives and your relationships!

Here in the book are the keys to not only recognise your own NITs but also recognise negative thoughts (NITs) and behaviour from everyone around you. Uncontrolled NITs knock our confidence, breed fear, shatters our dreams, destroys relationships, and as the research in the book shows, they also attracts cancers, heart disease, strokes, mental illness and shortens our life span by about 9 years!

The book also contains new techniques for turning negative thoughts into Positive Affirmative Thoughts or PATs for short.  This 3 step process is amazingly effective, and can easily be taught to your family and you can begin to deal with difficult situations positively for better outcomes!

The book also contains many real life stories that are examples of NITs and overcoming them and many life skills that will empower you when dealing with self doubt, worry, anxiety, depression, life dramas and challenges.

Specific chapters deal with relationships, managing children and giving perspective to the process of child rearing which is a long term commitment. Qualities of patience and alternative approaches to your attitude that you will learn in the book can result in dramatic improvements for everyone!

If you want to take control over your life, you must start with controlling what goes on in your head. This new NITs concept is sweeping the planet and the book is an easy read with inspirational real life adventures of overcoming (NITs), leaving the reader uplifted, inspired and armed with tools to live a positive NIT-free life.

Begin to make the world a better place, starting from the inside first. Become the shining light of positivity and happiness that your children and everyone around you would love to follow! 

Doctor H. John McIntosh is known as the “Medical Guru” through his columns and media presence.  He was educated as a medical doctor in Scotland. He received a general medical degree from Dundee University Medical School in 1984 and moved to Australia in 1993. He received his Specialist Physician qualification in 1988 from the Royal College of Physicians (UK) and specialist Family Physician qualifications in 1990 from the Royal College of General Practitioners. Other certifications include: Approved Trainer of medical students, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners; James Cook University Medical School, Central Queensland University; Trainer of Cognitive Institute programs, Cognitive Institute of Australia; Approved Trainer of sports medicine first aid courses, Sports Medicine, Australia; and Approved Allergan Cosmetic Injector training and trainer of injectors (doctors and nurses). Dr. McIntosh was the driving force in the building of the Mackay GP Superclinic. In 2013, his medical clinics were awarded the national AGPAL Community Engagement Award for outstanding level of commitment and involvement of the community and won a finalist award in the 2014 Telstra Australian Business

Awards.

Rev. Elizabeth McIntosh is known as the “Positivity Expert” from her life’s work and research in the field. She trained as a life and wellness coach; certified personal fitness trainer under Ken Ware, Mr. Universe of 1994; counselor, hypnotherapist, meditation and yoga teacher; and spa trainer. She is a Reiki master Levels 1, 2 and 3, and a Reiki Master Trainer. She holds a BMSc in Metaphysics from the University of Sedona and the University of Metaphysics, and is an ordained minister through the University of Metaphysics. She runs retreats at her resort in Bali and has produced a series of CDs on health, relaxation, and success, and a TV documentary series, as well as being a magazine columnist and radio talkback presenter.

Visit the authors’ website at www.positivityexpert.com.  

The Word CAN’T Does Not Exist by Amber Neben, Author of When Shmack Happens

Have you ever been through a hard time in life? Ever wondered why bad things happen? Amber Neben has you covered. The 2x Olympic cyclist for Team USA knows a thing or two about shmack- her word for describing adversity that comes our way in life. Follow Amber’s journey as she overcomes major obstacles both on and off the bike-and encourages you to join her in developing the perseverance, patience, perspective, and power than only Christ can give us. Very few people may know or understand what road cycling is, but everyone knows what it means to be an Olympian. The champion road cyclist chronicles her disappointments and failures, as well as amazing comebacks and victories-while thrilling audiences along the way with gripping stories of faith and hope. After reading When Shmack Happens, you’ll feel equipped and encouraged to face life’s tough moments, and find yourself cheering for Amber to get back on the bike…one more time. Learn what it means to be a spiritual champion in God’s eyes.

Purchase at:

Amazon USA:   http://www.amazon.com/When-Shmack-Happens-Spiritual-Champion/dp/0991303008/

Book website: www.whenshmackhappens.com

Amazon UK and Amazon EU

The Word CAN’T Does Not Exist

by Amber Neben

When I was in fifth grade, I played on an AYSO soccer league team, a competitive soccer league team, and whatever sport I could at school.  My younger sister played recreational soccer, too.  Think about the number of practices during the week and the number of games on the weekend.  Somebody had to pick my sister and I up from school, take us to and from soccer practice every evening, and then to every game on the weekend.  My mom, who was also working a full time job, always made it happen.

One Saturday as we were scrambling from one game to the next, I was trying to change uniforms in the car.  Out of my mouth came a sentence that started with, “I can’t…”  My mom was quick to point out that the word can’t did not exist.  My fifth grade brain proceeded to argue that it did exist, and it was a contraction for cannot.  I had seen the word in books.  It existed!  But my mom wouldn’t buy my argument.  Instead, she continued to tell me that there was no such thing as can’t or I can’t.  At the time, I thought she had lost it.  Now, I am thankful for the can do attitude she instilled into me.

When we get tested in life, it is normal and often easier to think about what we cannot do.  I don’t make enough money, I’m not smart enough, I’m not good enough, there is no way I can handle this challenge, or there is no way I could ever lose the weight or give up the addictive substance.  The doubts and the excuses come quickly, and the easier road to travel is the one that requires less work.  However, in those same challenging times, there are always things we CAN do.  And if we choose to focus on what we can do instead of what we cannot do, we will be one step closer to overcoming the obstacle in front of us.  It can be a tedious process, and it often takes some guts.  However, huge goals are achieved and huge obstacles are overcome one step at a time. 

Let me give you an example using my rehab from this crash:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z_6qDX_Yh8 .  Afterwards, as I recovered in the trauma center, I was hurt and broken.  My iliac crest was shattered, my nose was busted, and I had two cracked ribs.  Miraculously, that was all.  Obviously, there were a lot of things, including riding a bike, I could not do.   However, instead of thinking about all of those things, I chose to focus on what I could do.  I could trust God had me in His mighty hands, and He would give me the strength I needed in the moment.  Then, I could even smile.  Ten hours later, I could stand up on crutches.  (It was hard, and it took me three attempts spread over six hours, but I eventually did it.)  Over the next few months, I still could not move normally nor do the things I wanted to do, but I didn’t allow my brain to get caught on the “can’ts.”  Instead, I always made an intentional effort to shift my focus to what I could do.  With each new day, I could take one step more than the day before.   Instead of being discouraged by my limitations or how far I still had to go, I was encouraged by the progress I was making from my ‘pavement zero’ moment after hitting the wall. 

Your attitude and your effort are always something you can control.  Regardless of the storm that is pounding you or the obstacle in front of you, try to always see those things you CAN do.  And if you have had a pavement zero moment, keep it in perspective.  Allow it to be your new reference point, and from this new start point, take responsibility for what you can.  Set the goal that seems impossible, but don’t get buried by all the can’ts that stand in between the goal and its achievement.  Then, as you do what you can, one step and day at a time, you will inch your way toward accomplishing what you thought you could not do! 

It takes patience and perseverance in addition to the perspective.  It’s hard.  It’s very hard.  I know.  Crashes, cancer and many other SHMACKs have happened to me.  But every time I was challenged, when I trusted in Christ’s strength and used it instead of my own, I could always step.  He always gave me something I could do.  I just had to be willing to look for it.

Oh… and even though you may not always think so, your kids are actually listening to you.  They may not understand it in the moment, but you ARE making a lasting impact in their lives. 

Amber Neben is a decorated international road cyclist with victories in 11 countries and multiple UCI Category 1 stage race wins. She is a 2x Olympian, 2x World Champion, 2x Pan American Champion and 2x National Champion. She holds a B.S. from The University of Nebraska and an M.S. from UC Irvine. Amber and her husband, Jason, reside in Lake Forest, CA. For information on speaking engagements or coaching visit amberneben.com.

When Shmack Happens Virtual Book Tour Schedule

July 7

Interview at The Book Connection

July 8

Book spotlight at As the Pages Turn

July 9

Book spotlight at Putting Words Down on Paper

July 10

Guest post at Beyond the Books

July 11

Book spotlight at Cheryl’s Book Nook

July 14

Book review at My Devotional Thoughts

July 15

Guest post at Literarily Speaking

July 16

First chapter reveal at Rebecca’s Writing Services

July 17

First chapter review at Cheryl’s Christian Book Connection

July 18

Guest post at The Busy Mom’s Daily

Interview at Blogcritics

July 21

Interview at PUYB Virtual Book Club

July 22

Book spotlight at The Writer’s Life

July 23

Book review at What’s going on in Heidi’s Head

Book review at I Hope You Dance

July 24

Book spotlight at Between the Covers

July 25

Guest post at The Story Behind the Book

July 29

Guest post at Lori’s Reading Corner

July 30

Book review at Rebecca’s Writing Services

July 31

Book review at The Book Connection