Book Blast: And Then I met You

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

 

Have you ever wondered whether your beloved watches over you from their heavenly post? Have you often had the feeling that your loved one has remained right by your side, even after the final goodbyes? And Then I Met You is the true story of a love so enduring and eternal, it transcends the barriers of time, space, and life itself.

In these pages, you will meet two people whose love is challenged at every turn. The countless barriers that stand between them and true togetherness seem endless. And then the unthinkable happens--and all the barriers vanish in the most unexpected and miraculous of ways.

This epic love story will linger in your thoughts long after the last page, and remain as a twinkle in the sky and a smile in your heart. Who knows? You may even look at life, love, and death in a whole new light.

Read an Excerpt

In the weeks and months after finding out that he had passed, I could hardly function. I had so many hopes and dreams for us. When they went out the window, so did all my motivation.

I curled up in a ball and cried, day and night. I wailed aloud, overwhelmed by the vastness of the grief and the endless stream of tears. I shook all over, wrapped in a blanket, staring blankly at the T.V. I was adrift in an abyss, completely unmoored. I had a huge hole in my gut.

That was the first time in my life that I had experienced the physical side of grief. The weight of it made it hard to breathe. I was grateful that I didn’t have to go to work at the time. I don’t think I could have pulled it off. It was everything I could do to get out of bed in the mornings.

I let my grief over Mike impact my health for a while. I overate and stopped taking optimal care of myself. Now, I’m trying to bring myself back to life, and get out from under all the damage I did to my body. Little by little, in baby steps, I’m fighting my way back to my best self.

Mike had been my anchor, my rock, my heart, my right hand—my everything. I didn’t know what to hold onto anymore. Whether I was physically near him or not, I had always felt a physical pull in my heart whenever I thought of him. What was going to happen to me now that my rock was gone? How was I going to talk to him?

About the Author: Mackenzie Lee is an aspiring author known for her ability to weave heartwarming tales that touch the soul. Her book, "And Then I Met You," is a poignant and uplifting true story that explores the depths of enduring love and its ability to transcend the boundaries of time and space.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Then-Met-You-Unbelievable- Story/dp/0228887739

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TMST #23: August Tells

 

8/8 = Which book world would you like to visit (real and/or fictional)?

This was probably a common answer, but I have to go with Hogwarts.

At the start of one of the movies, there seemed to be an Olympic-ish Quidditch competition between the nations. This said to me that in this fantasy world, there was an American version of Hogwarts.

8/15 = Do you DNF books? When do you decide to stop?

So far, I do not have a DNF shelf. For the one book that I considered for a DNF shelf, I just ended up finishing it. After I decided not to read any more books from that particular series.

*** Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That's What I'm Talking About

Sunday Post #96: Fluidart 7

Hello all! I hope this post finds you well.

The following photos are of my latest art pieces 

Any Thoughts? feelings?

Post Rewind 

📌 July 18th = TMST #22: TBR Pile

📌 Aug. 7 = VBT: A Voice Out of Poverty

📌 9th = Book Blast: Shoebox Baby 

Goodreads

📚 The Earl’s Betrothal (by: Karen Tuft) = moved to read shelf

📚 The Gentleman's Deception (by: Karen Tuft) = move to "read" shelf

Currently Reading 

📖 To Marry an Earl (by: Karen Thornell) = page 125

Currently Listening

🎧 An Accidental Romance (by: Karen Tuft)

*** If you don't have anything to say about this week's topic, you can comment on any other part of the post or just say "hi".

*** I am always having to edit many of my posts. If I made any grammar mistakes, I will eventually fix them.

*** The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Book Blast: Shoebox Baby

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

 

Shoebox Baby is a creative non-fiction story based on the life of Susan Fenton and her family. Sue was born in Nova Scotia on a blustery winter night in a crude weather-worn shack with dirt floors. Although the doctor told Sue's mother that her baby would be dead before the morning, she made every attempt to keep her infant alive.

Sue and her siblings were born into poverty, survived the Depression and the fall-out of World War II, and contended with tuberculosis, unemployment and polio. This book is filled with family antics, joy, sorrow, laughter, and mystery, covering the trials, triumphs and hilarious exploits of the large and colourful cast of characters that is the Fenton family.

Sue's courageous determination to live a full life, regardless of the limitations others imposed on her and the circumstances that came her way, made her a remarkably resilient woman.

Read an Excerpt

The beginning of autumn was a busy season for the Fenton family. With school starting, gathering extra wood, harvesting the garden, putting down preserves, and keeping up with her chores, Grace had no free time for herself. Usually, when the children were in bed, she tidied up or did more laundry. When she went to bed, she was asleep within seconds of her head hitting the pillow.

One evening, she was too tuckered out to do anything extra. She decided that the laundry would still be there in the morning and there were no pressing matters to deal with, so she made herself a cup of hot tea and sat in the rocking chair. As she sipped on her tea, she wondered how her husband was doing and when he would be home next. Marshall had not been home since May. The cost of the train fare to go home was too expensive and the mill was so busy that they had four shifts running each day, therefore, no time off was allotted.

Grace did not realize it, but she was going to see her husband sooner than she expected.

In the middle of November, Marshall and Alexander showed up unannounced at home. Grace was shocked to see them. As soon as she set eyes on them, she knew why they had returned home. Both appeared to be sick. They had lost weight, were pale, sweaty, and had chronic coughs. These were signs of tuberculosis.

About the Author:

Writing has been Sharon's passion since childhood. At seven years old she won first prize at a local fall fair for her story about a stuffed pink elephant. Since then, she was hooked. Articles, poems and the book Beyond the Forests of Yesteryears are part of her publishing portfolio. Curiosity mixed with a love of hearing and writing unique stories about others is the subject of her work. Some call it being darn right nosey, others call it vivid creativity. During her career she worked in the social services field with individuals, families, groups and organizations to address social and cultural issues. A significant part of her job included inspirational speaking and sharing stories. Sharon was raised in Northeastern Ontario, Canada, where she resideswith her husband. Together they enjoy retirement and organizing activities for seniors, which includes writing and acting out comical skits for small audiences.

Website: https://sharonbruceauthor.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.co m/author/show/15068763.Sharon_Bruce
Buy Link: https://a.co/d/4jBrAbW

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VBT: A Voice Out of Poverty

A Voice Out of Poverty

by Jillian Haslam

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

GENRE: Memoir

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

BLURB:

A woman’s ascent from devastating poverty and childhood trauma to international standing as a

prominent advocate for the poor and helpless.

As a young girl, Jillian Haslam saved a life. Herself tiny and aching from malnutrition, she stood for hours

at a tea shop, begging for a ladle of milk to try and prevent her newborn sister from dying of starvation.

From the slums of Calcutta to the executive floors of a global bank, A Voice out of Poverty offers an

unflinching look at one woman’s journey from destitution to success.

Throughout, Haslam demonstrates an inexhaustible drive to rise above adversity and find beacons of

positivity in impossible circumstances. But her rise doesn’t stop at the top; she returns to her roots again

and again to extend a hand to those left in the impoverished communities that she so narrowly escaped.

British by ancestry and born in India after its independence, Haslam and her family suffered degradation

and prejudice. They were forced to live on the streets, flee danger in the middle of the night, and face

persistent abuse and starvation.

This treacherous environment is the backdrop of an unlikely story of resilience and an unshakable family

bond. From squalor and powerlessness, Haslam finds countless moments of grace, community,

gratitude, and love.

A Voice out of Poverty is a raw and inspiring memoir that shows how beauty can be found in improbable

places, and how “success” is not just the act of making it through. Rather, it is the act of reaching back to

bring others with you.

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

Excerpt:

“Oh, come on now Jillu, it’s not that bad!” she said. The brusque tone harkened to how she’d counsel us

not to yield to emotion. My mother relentlessly stressed that life could always have been harder. Never

make a fuss. Be grateful for what you have, however paltry. Things can be worse.

I wasn’t appeased, and my mother could tell.

“We can get it cleaned up when we get back,” she added, wiping tears from my cheeks with a single

thumb. Her other hand was trapped inside the hand of my younger sister, four-year-old Vanessa, who

held on as if worried she’d fly away like a released balloon if she let go.

“Anyway, we’re leaving in a few days, and where we’re going is better.” More parental reassurance about

greener pastures.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“To Mrs. Brown’s. She’s letting us sleep on the floor in her room for a while. It will be crowded but all of

us will be together again.”

“You mean Daddy and Donna can go there too?” I asked, my mood brightening. I saw a ghost of a smile

emerging on Vanessa’s face as she took it all in. We often lived apart as a family because of our

circumstances.

“Yes, but we can only stay for a few weeks, and then we must find somewhere else again. But don’t

worry, you know Daddy and I always find us something.”

“Okay,” I said, nodding.

We resumed shuffling down the streets, navigating mass congestion. I turned my head for a long look

back at the old woman and her dogs. I felt a surge of empathy for her, alone in wet and dirty clothes,

facing each day with the promise of nothing. Soon we’d have a roof over our heads in a family home

while she’d continue to fend for herself in the unsympathetic and unforgiving slum streets. She’d

continue to get wet and dirty. She’d continue to try to survive each day with no family to love and care for

her; I felt grateful for what I had and prayed that someday she might have the same. As those thoughts

flooded me, she gingerly placed sheets of old newspaper on the wet ground to sit on.

The rain fell a little harder.

AUTHOR Bio:

Jillian Haslam is a remarkable individual with expertise in speaking on adversity and Resilience

With a distinguished 23-year career in banking, she brings a wealth of industry knowledge to her

engagements. As an acclaimed author, her books A Voice Out of Poverty and 9 Steps to Overcome

Adversity-A Handbook for Life have garnered critical acclaim including the prestigious Kirkus Star

Review! Her extraordinary journey has earned her accolades, including the prestigious Mother Teresa

Memorial International Award for her humanitarian contributions.

Jillian's unique perspective and powerful storytelling have made her a sought-after speaker on the topics

of adversity and resilience. She has inspired audiences around the world with her transformative

message, helping individuals and organizations overcome challenges and achieve remarkable results.

Her insights have been featured in major media outlets, including The Times, The Telegraph, The BBC,

and The Week. Through her speaking engagements, Jillian empowers individuals and teams to harness

the power of resilience, navigate adversity, and unlock their full potential. Her profound impact continues

to resonate with audiences from various backgrounds, fostering a culture of strength, growth, and

success.

Jillian Haslam's expertise as a speaker on adversity and resilience, coupled with her extensive banking

experience, has made her a trusted voice in the field. Her ability to inspire and guide others through their

own journeys of overcoming obstacles sets her apart, making her a valuable asset to any event or

organization seeking to cultivate resilience and achieve exceptional success.

Jillian currently lives in London with her husband.

Website