Mailbox Monday - May 7

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Welcome back to Monday. It is going to be a busy one, so I might not leave comments until later on tonight or tomorrow.

Last week was the library book sale. I was thrilled to donate 45 books to the cause, but I also knew I would go and support them with buying a few too. I'm very selective these days in what I bring home because we really are out of space. I've been cleaning for a few days trying to get the house ready for my mother-in-law to come live with us as soon as her room is ready; an exhausting task, but I'll be glad when she's here where I can watch out for her.

I'll share my book sale books next week--they are still sitting in a box in my truck--but here are a few things I borrowed from the library last week.

The mother of a bullied first grader, popular blogger Carrie Goldman's inspiring true story triggered an outpouring of support from online communities around the world. In Bullied, she gives us a guide to the crucial lessons and actionable guidance she's learned about how to stop bullying before it starts. It is a book born from Goldman's post about the ridicule her daughter suffered for bringing a Star Wars thermos to school--a story that went viral on Facebook and Twitter before exploding everywhere, from CNN.com and Yahoo.com to sites all around the world. Written in Goldman's warm, engaging style, Bullied is an important and very necessary read for parents, educators, self-professed "Girl Geeks," or anyone who has ever felt victimized by a bully, online or in person.

In 2014, Chessy Prout was a freshman at St. Paul’s school, a prestigious boarding school in New Hampshire when a senior boy sexually assaulted her as part of a ritualized game of conquest. Chessy bravely reported her assault to the police and testified against her attacker in court. Then, in the face of unfathomable backlash from her once trusted school community, she shed her anonymity to help other survivors find their voice.

This memoir is more than an account of a horrific event; it takes a magnifying glass to the institutions that turn a blind eye to such behavior and a society that blames victims rather than attackers, while offering real, powerful solutions to upending rape culture as we know it today.

Prepare to be inspired by this remarkable young woman and her story of survival, advocacy, and hope in the face of unspeakable trauma.

In this astonishing memoir, Paige tells a story that is both deeply personal and completely universal—one that will resonate deeply with the thousands of children and adults whose lives have been touched by bullying.

Paige Rawl has been HIV positive since birth…but growing up, she never felt like her illness defined her. It never prevented her from entering beauty pageants or playing soccer or making the honor role.

On an unremarkable day in middle school, while attempting to console a friend, Paige disclosed her HIV-positive status—and within hours the bullying began. She was called "PAIDS," first in whispers, then out in the open. Her soccer coach joked that she was an asset because opposing team members would be too afraid to touch her. Her guidance counselor told her to stop all the “drama,” and her principal said she couldn’t protect her. One night, desperate for escape, Paige swallowed fifteen sleeping pills—one for each year of her life to date. That could have been the end of her story. Instead, it was only the beginning.

The gripping first-person account of Paige’s life will pull in even the most reluctant readers of nonfiction, and her call to action to choose compassion over cruelty will stay with them long after they turn the last page.

That's it from me this week. What was in your mailbox?

Mailbox Monday - November 9

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Well, the leaves are off the trees and I am getting the yard ready for its annual sleep. Thankfully, it hasn't been too cold yet. Last week we hit 70 a couple of days.

I've been catching up on reviews lately. In addition to the ones posted on this blog last week, I posted:

Redemption by Becky Johnson
The Christmas Cradle by Charlotte Hubbard
Diego's Dragon: Dragons of the Dark Rift, Book Two

As for new arrivals, this book showed up last week:

Snakes, Alligators, and Broken Hearts recounts the author's adventures and experiences growing up as the son of a biologist during the 1960s and 70s. With humor and compassion, the author describes the innocence of his early childhood, the heartbreak of his parents' divorce, and his rocky journey through adolescenceall against the backdrop of animals, travel, and his poignant relationship with his father. Along the way, readers will discover the experiences that shaped his interests and, eventually, molded him into the author of more than seventy books for young people.

I also picked up this audiobook from the library:

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final book in the epic tale of Harry Potter, Harry and Lord Voldemort each prepare for their ultimate encounter.

Voldemort takes control of the Ministry of Magic, installs Severus Snape as headmaster at Hogwarts, and sends his Death Eaters across the country to wreak havoc and find Harry. Meanwhile, Harry, Ron, and Hermione embark on a desperate quest the length and breadth of Britain, trying to locate and destroy Voldemort’s four remaining Horcruxes, the magical objects in which he has hidden parts of his broken soul. They visit the Burrow, Grimmauld Place, the Ministry, Godric’s Hollow, Malfoy Manor, Diagon Alley...

But every time they solve one mystery, three more evolve—and not just about Voldemort, but about Dumbledore, and Harry’s own past, and three mysterious objects called the Deathly Hallows. The Hallows are literally things out of a children’s tale, which, if real, promise to make their possessor the “Master of Death;” and they ensnare Harry with their tantalizing claim of invulnerability.

It is only after a nigh-unbearable loss that he is brought back to his true purpose, and the trio returns to Hogwarts for the final breathtaking battle between the forces of good and evil. They fight the Death Eaters alongside members of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore’s Army, the Weasley clan, and the full array of Hogwarts teachers and students.

Yet everything turns upon the moment the entire series has been building up to, the same meeting with which our story began: the moment when Harry and Voldemort face each other at last.

What appeared in your mailbox this week?

Kindle Freebie: From Dream to Dream Come True by Brittany Ferrell

The story of my long and heartrending road to motherhood has been featured in a national magazine, the local news, and a medical publication. But, this is the whole story, in my own words. I battled cancer, infertility, and the most gut wrenching loss one can imagine. I fought my way back from crippling grief and depression. After years of struggle, my desperate wish to become a mother was finally granted in a most unexpected way. This is a story about having a dream and rediscovering lost hope. It is about beating the odds and realizing that miracles do exist. This is the tale of my dream…to dream come true.

Brittany's first memoir chronicles her long and arduous struggle to become a mother and how she rediscovered lost hope. Her story has been featured in a national women's magazine, newspapers, and medical publications. Her 5 Star rated book is an Amazon best seller in the category of Motherhood.

Brittany writes about her happily ever after on her blog, "A Mama Tale" and writes about the adventures of parenting for Creative Child Magazine (www.creativechild.com). Brittany has a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a Master's Degree in Education. Brittany has spent the last twelve years teaching elementary school in Las Vegas, Nevada. When Brittany is not writing or teaching, she is cooking delicious meals with her husband, Jerome, and of course, relishing every second of living her dream come true with daughter, Madeline.

File Size: 2183 KB
Print Length: 171 pages
Publication Date: September 1, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B014SCK3GQ

Purchase here!

Mailbox Monday: September 7

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Happy Labor Day, everyone! It's a rare mostly full day off for me. Having sold four houses in two weeks and signed up a few new buyers recently, I am happy to have most of today to family time and a bit of blogging.

This weekend, we took the girls to see 5 Seconds of Summer, usually called by our teen and tween, 5SOS. It was a fun time. I had a showing and a house inspection earlier that day, so it was a bit of a rush to get home on time, but once we were on the road all was good.

As far as reading and books go, I am having a hard time getting it all done, but hopefully fall will bring me some additional reading time. A few weeks ago, I won a copy of Dark Wine Waters by Fran Simone, PhD. I haven't had the joy of sharing it with you until now. It sounds like a very moving story.

One woman's heartbreaking story of a marriage destroyed by her husband's addiction to alcohol.

The dynamics of codependency are illuminated in this gripping tale. Author Fran Simone describes her husband's attempts at treatment and subsequent relapse, his suicide, and her own recovery through a twelve-step program for families.

I hope everyone makes some time to relax this holiday weekend. Let me know what arrived in your mailbox.

P.S. I was a bit tired of the old blog design, so I made a background change. Let me know what you think. It's not permanent, but I was feeling a bit bold today.

Teaser Tuesdays - September 11th

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

 

 

"Tracy and I were married on July 16, 1988, and the reviews were terrible. The Globe announced on its front page that the wedding had been "a fiasco."

 

~ Page 124, Lucky Man: A Memoir by Michael J. Fox

Book Spotlight: My Heart Stopped Beating by Chamed

Fourteen year old Italian girl, Chamed, is a living miracle after fighting illness since birth to live a normal life. Now fourteen years old, she feels a thrill of freedom when she convinces her parents to let her stay home alone while they go on holiday. She soon regrets that decision when she receives a call from her aunt Patrizia that the worst has happened: her parents have died in a car accident.

Things only get worse for Chamed as she mourns the deaths of her parents and suffers under the care of her aunt and uncle. Her aunt repeatedly abuses her and convinces others that she is an evil child. When Chamed’s best friend’s father sexually harasses her, the blame is placed on Chamed. Deeply depressed, she attempts suicide, only to find herself waking up in a mental hospital. Her nightmare is only beginning as she is subjected to electroshock therapy against her will – and worse from the nurses and doctors.

Finally she finds hope again in Dr. Franco, but will he be enough to save her from this living nightmare?

Read an Excerpt!


“Why am I here? I am in a mental hospital! Dad, would you have thought it? Help me.”

I dragged my body out of that mortal icehouse.

With great effort I started walking, but my energies abandoned me and I ensconced myself on the ground.

Don’t remember where, but I was out, in the garden.

A man approached me, staring at me and crying. In his eyes I could see his soul shining.

He said: “You fell from the sky. And men have cut your wings!”
Weeping, I replied: “I’m afraid! Tell me why I’m here. How do I go?! Can you help me?”

“Angels are not afraid.” And he went away.




Praise for My Heart Stopped Beating!

“A strong, direct, fascinating story: it strikes and leaves its mark.”
 --Edmondo Rho, special correspondent for Panorama

“No person who reads this book could fail to be profoundly moved to reflect first of all on the very serious danger to innocent people of institutions which fail to maintain proper oversight against abuses to patients in mental health institutions. Secondly it shows how justice can fail to be served in modern society, where adequate protection for the interests of minor surviving orphans may be lacking or nonexistent.
[…]
Finally no reader can read this without great inspiration to the courage of the human spirit and the power of human love to defeat evil."

--Ed Carl, Editor

“Full of emotion!”

--Aurora Magnin-Roncada, Translator of the French edition

“A deeply moving story, incredible in its lucidity.”


--Carlo Castelli, writer and editor, author of Nervi d’acciaio

Chamed is not the registry office name of the author, yet it is not a pseudonym. She lives in Tuscany, she works mostly abroad, as a painter on canvas and porcelain. Some of her porcelain works are displayed in exhibitions in Italy, Sweden and Poland, France, Portugal and Brazil. My Heart Stopped Beating: A True Story, Teen Survivor Memories of Horror Mad Houses in Italy is her first novel. A second novel by her is forthcoming.

Jane Rowan at A Book and A Chat Tonight!

Tuesday June 28th – 6:30pm EST

Number you need to call is: 347- 237-5398

People don’t make up things like that for fun.

That’s what Jane’s therapist tells her when Jane reports fragmentary memories from her childhood that hint at sexual abuse. A busy, successful scientist, Jane at first fights the implications, but finally has to admit that something indeed happened. With help from a gifted therapist as well as creative arts, Jane taps into her own aliveness and reconciles with both her parents’ love and their betrayal.

This deeply personal memoir invites the reader behind the closed doors of the therapist’s office and into the author’s journal and her very body. Jane’s tender story shows how we can use the challenges of painful childhood traumas to transform our lives.

Jane Rowan is a New England poet and writer. After teaching science for three decades in a private college, she retired to pursue the creative life. She has published numerous articles and the self-help booklet Caring for the Child Within—A Manual for Grownups, available through her website and through Amazon (Kindle). An excerpt from The River of Forgetting appeared in Women Reinvented: True Stories of Empowerment and Change. Visit Jane at http://www.janerowan.com/ and find out more about her memoir at http://www.riverofforgetting.com/.

Listen to Jane on A Book and A Chat tonight starting at 6:30 PM Eastern at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond

Author Spotlight: Nadia Sahari and Breakaway

Breakaway is the breathtaking and courageous story of one woman's survival of molestation, rape, repeated beatings, domestic violence, and other attempts on her life.

• Nadia reveals hope, courage and inspiration!
• A true story of personal freedom
• Highly revealing memoir - dramatic details of more than 18 years of abuse.

In Breakaway: How I Survived Abuse the author Nadia Sahari tells us the story of her life. Unfortunately, many of the events that she experienced in her early years were heartwrenching because they involved sexual and physical abuse. She bares her soul to us as she describes horrific events that she experienced.

"Nadia's touching story is one of admirable courage in the face of adversity. From a very young age, Nadia has had to endure brutal abuse, but she has emerged as a winner that really inspires. Indeed, success is the best revenge." --Sam, Sam in the Morning, LA Talk Radio.com


"The hope that it filled me with was not only knowing I had the choice to leave the abuser, but that wanting to heal was also my choice." --Christa Jan Ryan, author of Silent Screams from the Hamptons

"Nadia teaches us how to forgive and move forward with your life." --Ebony Black, Producer and Director

"Hearing your story and the fact that you managed to survive and thrive later in life will hopefully be a beacon of hope for others who are living in similar hardships." --Peter Anthony Holder, Host, Holder Tonight, CJAD Canada

"It restores the soul." --Connie Curry, author of Give Me Back My Glory

Breakaway is an inspiration for any woman who dared to dream. Nadia bears her soul in this book, her raw emotions of overcoming domestic violence, family violence and incest I found very touching. Nadia gives of herself to her community, her sincerity radiates forgiveness. Breakaway is a must have for all people as this book transcends, gender and race. We have adopted this as one of or classroom's Text at Women Are Dreamers Too and the First class commencing August 8th will have a chance to read this so they may learn that in order to be free one must learn to forgive. The Story also has to be told in order to overcome and release one's soul from the bondage of domestic violence. All the above Nadia has done with this awesome classic. Proud to know this awesome, classy generous lady, a hard working woman with the heart of gold. Break Away is an awesome read with life lessons enshrined within the pages of this awesome book! Grab a copy folks you'll be glad you did. --Cindy Williams, Ph.D. Women Are dreamers Too



Nadia Sahari was born in Beirut, Lebanon. She came to America at the age of two. She speaks fluent Lebanese. Now, for the first time in years, she is living her dream of acting which she has had since the age of ten.

Nadia Sahari performed as a headliner belly dancer and choreographer. She was a featured guest on various television shows in Detroit, Michigan. The newspapers frequently featured her story and pictures in their publications. Nadia Sahari drew crowds from many states and received standing ovations wherever she headlined. Her dancing was professional, exotic, and true to her culture. She also taught more than two thousand women the art of belly dancing. She alone produced and directed live dance shows for the public as well as families and friends of her students.

In her late twenties, she ventured out to Las Vegas where she attended the Las Vegas School of Acting. Later she registered and trained at various universities and private schools to refine her craft. She was an entrepreneur for many years and was very creative in business in order to support herself and her family.

Nadia now resides in Austin, Texas. She has enrolled in filmmaking classes at the Austin Film School and is a member of SAG. She plans to film documentaries and short films in the future. She continues to train in acting, improv, film, and comedy classes.

Ms. Sahari has also been a guest panelist on the Oprah show. Oprah has requested a copy of Ms. Sahari's memoir. Currently, she is auditioning for commercials and film. Recently she has been cast as an Aunt for the movie Bandslam, and as a Reporter for the movie Conflict of Interest, both of which showed in the theaters in 2009.

In 2008, she was the cover girl in the FEB/MAR issue of The County Woman Magazine.

In addition to her busy schedule, she is an activist for women's rights, animal rights and the rights of children. She is active in trying to change the laws to give tougher sentencing to convicted criminals who abuse animals and children. In her words, she says: "I love all people and all animals. I believe that anything or anyone who has breath deserves life and freedom from abuse or control and should not be killed by anyone. God created us and only God can take us. No one has the right to end someone else's life."

Most of all, Nadia is thankful for the support and love of her husband of twenty-four years and her two sons.

This is the year for all things beautiful. Nadia loves this quote from Longfellow, "Ah, nothing is too late, till the tired heart shall cease to palpitate."

You can visit Nadia online at www.nadiasahari.com and www.nadiasaharibook.com.

Confessions of a Rebel Debutante by Anna Fields Giveaway at The Girl from the Ghetto

I'm in such a generous mood lately I figured I would tell you about another blog giveaway. Well, I'm also trying to win a copy of the book, so I'm being a tiny bit selfish about it.

The Girl from the Ghetto is running a giveaway where you can win 1 of 3 copies of Confessions of a Rebel Debutante by Anna Fields.

A strict regimen of Southern-belle grooming should have prepared Anna Fields for a lifetime of ladylike behavior.

But it didn't.

As it turned out, Anna—a smart, outspoken, bookish girl—was a dud at debbing. After being kicked out of cotillion classes, the “Rebel Deb” left North Carolina to seek her fortune. Her first stop was Brown University —right in the heart of Yankee-land—and then the crazy world of Hollywood talent agencies and celebrity-packed restaurants. After a disastrous stint as Diana Ross’s personal assistant, Anna headed off to the Big Apple, where she worked for one of Bravo’s Real Housewives. It’s a rollicking, unlikely success story from a natural-born storyteller.

Sharp, sweet, and sassy, Confessions of a Rebel Debutante proves you can take the girl out of the South, but you can’t take the South out of the girl!

Stop by The Girl from the Ghetto for details on how to enter and the many ways you can increase your chances of winning. This contest is open to U.S. residents only and ends at midnight on April 30th.