Book Blast: ;IGY6

 

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

;IGY6 is more than just a self-help guide, it is a beacon of hope for those in the military and beyond. Whether you are a soldier, a veteran, or someone who supports them, this book provides invaluable insights and practical advice that can make a real difference. Readers will find solace in the shared experiences and learn how to navigate the complexities of PTSD towards a better, more fulfilling life.

Read an Excerpt

I’ve wanted to write ;IGY6 for some time now. I have complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, and I’m lactose intolerant. It’s a heavy list, and my doctor, a gastrointestinal specialist, calls me his medical miracle because he’s never had a patient with this combination. Lucky me. PTSD can be extremely difficult, but doing nothing about it is a big mistake. If sharing my experience helps you to take a step I waited too long to take, then it’s worth every word. “;IGY6” stands for “I got your six,” military slang for “I’ve got your back.” But there’s much more to it than that. The “6” is your six o’clock position—your back— and “got your six” is a pledge to be there for each other. The semicolon at the front is a symbol from the suicide prevention initiative called Project Semicolon, and it represents a pause instead of an ending, a reminder that your story isn’t over.1 When paired with IGY6, the semicolon sends a powerful message to those living with PTSD: “You’re not alone, and we’ve got your six.” A related movement, the ;IGY6 Foundation, highlights the sobering statistic that an average of twenty-two US veterans die by suicide every day.2 Imagine a world where we all watched out for each other. That’s the promise at the heart of this book. 1 Project Semicolon. “Our Mission.” Project Semicolon, https://projectsemicolon.com

About the Author: Dean Sali is a resolute advocate for personal growth, resilience, and inner healing. With a background in the military and law enforcement, he has faced intense challenges that tested his strength, confidence, and sense of purpose. He served on a UN tour in Rwanda in 1994, an experience that deeply shaped his perspective on trauma, recovery, and the human spirit. His journey with PTSD has given him firsthand insight into the struggles of rebuilding from within, and he has spent years exploring methods of healing, including chi exercises, mindfulness, and reconnecting with nature.

Beyond his professional experiences, Dean is a devoted father of four, with a granddaughter on the way. His writing is deeply personal, offering practical guidance and heartfelt encouragement to those seeking clarity, confidence, and peace. Through his work, Dean hopes to inspire others to embrace their own healing journey and discover the strength they already carry inside.

Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/0228815371
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/67545013.Dean_Sali

Book Blast: House of Cards

GENRE: Memoir

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BLURB:

A raw and unflinching memoir of survival, truth, and transformation. Phillippa Mann takes readers deep into the fractured world of a girl who grew up living with a monster--a world where love and fear shared the same face, and silence became a means of survival.

Through heartbreak, chaos, and betrayal, Phillippa's voice emerges from the shadows as she begins to piece together a life that was never hers to begin with. Her journey is one of courage and reckoning, of facing the unbearable truths that shaped her, and finding strength in vulnerability.

More than a story of pain, House of Cards is a testament to the power of healing and self-forgiveness. It reminds every survivor that bringing hidden truths into the light is not the end - it's the beginning of reclaiming your story and rebuilding the foundation of who you were always meant to be.

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EXCERPT:

My parents were married in England in June 1969. They emigrated to Canada in 1970, had my brother in September 1972 and me in October 1974. Both sets of my grandparents emigrated to Canada shortly after this to be closer to us.

I was born in Northern BC. My mother separated from my dad and moved to the Lower Mainland in 1976, approximately 900 km away, with her boyfriend at the time. While I have no recollection of that period as I was quite young, I’ve come across photos of my younger self with my dad and brother, and I can see the joy on my face. In those times, I truly felt happy. I remember camping with my dad, fishing, pretending to shave with him, and the smell of the Coleman stove. It was returning home to my mother after spending time with my dad that was the toughest part. Even though I was so little, I knew that something at home wasn’t right. I always felt such intense sadness and anxiety when my dad brought us back home after summer camping, winter break, or his weekend visits. I didn’t know how to articulate what I was feeling, and I struggled to express my emotions at such a young age, but I just knew that I hated it when my dad brought me back home. This is the first recollection I have of the abuse.

Naturally, at such a young age, I didn’t see it as abuse, and it took me over two decades to realize it. My dad would drop me off at my mother’s house before returning north, and even though I knew I’d see him again in a few weeks, to a three- or four-year-old without a grasp of time, it seemed like an eternity. I would cry when he left because I loved him so much and didn’t want him to leave. After my dad left, my mother would be so unkind to me, often ignoring me for days. I do not remember a single word being spoken to me. I recognize she must have said something to me; however, I remember the silence more than anything—the absence of good nights, hugs, or any trace of warmth. It continued until I finally begged her to say something, anything. Eventually, once she got what she wanted, she’d pretend nothing had happened, slipping back into normalcy as if the hurt had never occurred.

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AUTHOR:

Phillippa Mann is a Canadian author who is passionate about helping others find healing through shared experience.

Her memoir, House of Cards:

Surviving Munchausen by Proxy and a Mother's Web of Lies, explores the emotional journey of growing up in chaos and reclaiming strength through forgiveness and self-discovery.

Family is at the heart of everything Phillippa does. She and her husband share a love of creating together, and their children and grandchildren inspire her every day to live with gratitude, laughter, and purpose. When she's not writing, Phillippa can be found playing with her Corgi, Glenn, crafting handmade gifts, baking cookies and cupcakes for her family business, Sweet Lavender Designs, which she started in memory of a dear friend.

She is currently working on her next creative project, a heartwarming children's book titled Hop Hop and the Great Garden Adventure, inspired by the wonder and imagination of her grandchildren.

Website

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GIVEAWAY 

Phillippa Mann will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

kingsumo

Book Blast: Laughing Through the Storm

GENRE: Memoir

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BLURB:

Diagnosed with epilepsy at 13, Jane's life took a wild turn full of seizures, specialists, and some seriously strange hospital adventures. But instead of letting it break her, she learned to laugh—at the chaos, the cringe, and even the curveballs. Laughing Through the Storm is a hilariously honest memoir about finding resilience, ridiculousness, and unexpected joy in the middle of life's messiest moments.

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EXCERPT:

It was a frosty January morning in 1981 when I decided to make my dramatic debut in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. As the latest addition to the family line-up, I was a calm and easy-going baby, quietly lulling everyone into a false sense of security. Classic me— always setting up for a twist.

My dad worked for the Health of Animals, a branch of the Canadian federal government, as a veterinarian in Prince Edward Island. They were responsible for the control, prevention and eradication of certain animal diseases. As the district veterinarian for the entire province, he had responsibilities for the health and well-being of all livestock, from pigs and cows to chickens. His days were a mix of travelling to farms to test animals for serious diseases like tuberculosis and rabies; visiting auction houses to ensure only healthy animals were sold; attending meat-packing plants to collect samples; and making safety diagnoses to ensure that animals entering the food chain were safe for human consumption.

When I was two, my parents decided to move us to Riverview, New Brunswick, a town that became the stage for my happiest childhood memories. We lived on Hamilton Court, a little slice of suburban heaven with one particularly glorious feature: hills. Our backyard sloped gently, but our neighbours’ yards were even steeper, perfect for sledding. Every winter, kids from all over the neighbourhood would arrive armed with sleds, ready to turn those snowy slopes into the ultimate playground. We would shriek with laughter as we careened down the hill and tumbled into a snowbank. Gravity may have been our accomplice in the winter, but in the summer, it was the architect of our joy. My friends and I would roll down those same hills, giggling uncontrollably, di

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AUTHOR:

Jane Rogers is an accidental expert in epilepsy, diagnosed at 13 and living with it ever since. She's spent over three decades navigating seizures, side effects, and hospital adventures with grit, sarcasm, and a solid sense of humor. Laughing Through the Storm is her first book—a tribute to resilience, ridiculous moments, and finding light in the darkest places.

She lives in Ottawa with her supportive husband, Pascal, and their two mischievous chihuahuas, Junior and Bailey.

Fun Fact: Jane once had a seizure during a comedy show— and still insists the comedian owes her one.

zzy from both the spinning and the laughter.

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GIVEAWAY 

Jane Rogers will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

Kingsumo.com

 

Book Blast: My Husband Almost Killed Me

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

"If you ever leave me, I will kill the kids then I will kill you." "I can't help but think of other women who may be facing similar situations, even now in a time and generation when these events can easily be exposed as much as they could be hidden. I wish I could reach each one of them, look into their eyes and tell them: you don't have to live like this. Life can be better; you can choose a different path. It's not easy, trust me, I know that more than most people do, BUT IT'S WORTH IT."This book is an autobiography about a woman raised on a large farm who learned to drive a large tractor at the age of seven, then spent many years plowing, planting and harvesting crops and taking care of the farm animals. After three years in the Marine Corps, she married her college sweetheart who became a drunk and abused her for seven horrible years before he almost killed her then disappeared. After she recovered she and her three kids fled to Florida to hide so he wouldn't find them and finish the job.

 

Read an Excerpt

The familiar sound of Brooke’s whimpers pulled me back from my reverie.

I had been lost in thought, absorbed by the gentle curves of the crescent moon above me, imagining myself perched on its silvery edge, far removed from my vulnerable and endangered earthly existence. Up there, I thought, the silence must be golden—no echoes of the chaos in the world down below, just the serene sights and sounds of the stars whispering the secrets of the universe amongst themselves. Down here, the silence was fleeting, often shattered by the cries of my youngest, the shouts of her older siblings, the barks of their father, and the relentless dinning of my own tormented thoughts.

Everything I’d done and endured in the past few years had been driven by a need to escape the noise, to find a sanctuary not just for myself but for my three kids: Bailey, Ryan, and Brooke. That was the least I could do for them; after all, I brought them into this tumultuous world. I made them the kids to a father who found joy at the bottom of a bottle and loved to vent his fury with a raised fist and cruel words—a man whose presence filled our home not with love but with dread and anxiety.

This night, like many nights in recent weeks, the cornfield was our little haven. I lay there with my three kids, all wrapped in duvets and blankets and shaded by the towering stalks that swayed gently above us, glancing at my wristwatch and wishing the night would age faster. We were within the hour when Phil typically returned home. His truck’s headlights were usually unmistakable. Had they slipped past while I was lost moon-gazing? If he were back home, I would have seen them piercing through the pitchdarkness as he drove along the gravel road leading up to the house. And if I didn’t see them, I would have heard the truck.

Some nights, Phil would leave the truck idling in the driveway before stumbling into the house and carelessly toppling anything in his path until he reached our bedroom upstairs, ready to unleash his drunken fury on me. On some other nights, he would fall asleep at the wheel after parking the truck and leave the headlights blazing until dawn. The latter was usually the best-case scenario for me and the kids, barring the nights when he simply didn’t come home. Each night spent in our household was like a scene out of a suspense thriller; I never knew which version of Phil would come through the door, if at all.

About the Author: Born and raised on an Indiana farm, Linda Beason was steeped in the rhythms of rural life and nurtured by the enduring love of a close-knit family.

From an early age, she embraced responsibility and excelled throughout her school years. As an alumna of Purdue University— where she earned degrees in both agriculture and accounting—Linda distinguished herself academically and professionally, later working for several corporate companies, most notably the Green Giant Company, and serving honorably in the Marine Corps.

Yet despite a childhood filled with warmth and promise, Linda's adult life took a harrowing turn when she entered a marriage that would test the very limits of her strength. For nearly a decade, she endured domestic abuse at the hands of a dangerous man whose fury was fueled by alcohol and an insatiable need for control. That turbulent period sent her racing through a whirlwind of experiences that would forever alter her path. Even in the darkest moments, however, Linda clung to her faith in God and the quiet confidence of a Midwesterner.

Linda passed away in 2024 while writing this book. Through these pages, she hoped to inspire women to overcome the challenges of toxic relationships and the hardships of motherhood, reminding them that even the deepest wounds can heal and that the promise of a brighter

 Buy Link: https://amazon.com/dp/1779626460
Goodreads: https://www.g oodreads.com/author/show/56955280.Linda_Beason a Rafflecopter giveaway tomorrow is always within reach.

Book Blast: Smoke & Mirrors

 

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

Searching for an answer to a question you haven't asked yet? You are not alone. One small realization and a whole world unravels.

Woven through these pages are a series of my most significant life events relating to narcissistic victim/survivor syndrome. Inside are keys unlocking mysteries of complex PTSD, compounded through various forms of abuse.

A journey of highs, like the Freedom Convoy, and the lows of a failed longtime marriage. With spiritual forces at work behind the scenes, could a Christian home have so many secrets? The smoke will clear to reveal our true mirrored self.

Read an Excerpt

I was paralyzed, not just by fear but by dread and over exhaustion. It felt as though given the opportunity I could sleep for days, yet struggled to find rest. I relied on prescribed meds, and the morning was showing the outcome of dependence. Irish cream was a favorite to put in my first cups of coffee for added motivation. As nice as this hotel was, there was no minibar to ease the angst.

I was immobilized, unable to move, begging God to take me. How can I do this? How can I manage the full brunt of this day without any of the vices that helped me survive for some time?

I turned on the TV, made some hotel room coffee and laid there motionless, praying for the Lord to take me home. A text came in from my office manager, Sharon, a reserved woman who I had a sincere bond with. She encouraged me daily, and I valued her advice.

“Hey girlie, how are you doing over there?”

My response was as she suspected. She knew how hard the meetings were for me. She was my closest confidant, a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Such a blessing to me, she was gifted with an ear to listen, non-judgmental and caring. She loved me and I loved her right back.

I told her about forgetting my pills and couldn’t get out of bed. I couldn’t do anything. Her response was comforting. She said, “Then don’t, don’t go. Do what you need to do. Take care of yourself and don’t worry about the rest.” Her approval in this seemed to sooth my soul. She made me self-aware that I DID have the power to not go if I didn’t want to. I could just say I wasn’t feeling well, but something inside me won’t give up. I can’t give in to negative, intrusive thoughts just waiting for my demise.

About the Author: Joanie was raised on a farm in Saskatchewan, Canada. Life revolved around chores, school and church. Six older siblings and all the nieces and nephews added up to a large family.

Strong in doctrine and armed with a passion for truth, she's walked the walk of faith, facing challenges to overcome. She was married at 19, became a mother to a stepdaughter, and later birthed two children. Following years of turmoil in her marriage, she hit the inevitable breaking point.

Starting life over, she attended broadcasting college, going on to anchor morning news for the airwaves. Feeling isolated and rejected, her drive to help others who have gone through similar circumstances inspired this book. Through the Refiners fire, she's ready to share tools required to escape the fake and embrace the truth.

Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/1779624719
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/54144406.Joanie_Olson

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Book Blast: Being Broken

 

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

A young woman dies alone in a hotel room, her fentanyl-poisoned cocaine still on the desk. She had been missing for nearly 2 weeks. Social Services had been trying to find a place for her to live with her 3-year-old son, whom she had left with her parents. Six months later her father fights for his life in intensive care, but succumbs to his illness because of a lifelong use of alcohol and tobacco. A month after his death her mother is assessed by doctors to be unable to care for herself because of her Alzheimer's and mental health issues brought on by benzodiazepine and alcohol addiction.

The son, brother, stepson is the only one left to pick up the pieces. He begins a journey of the self and finds out the truth of his family. After going over letters, notes, emails, videos, and text messages, he uncovers a disturbing picture of the abuse his sister suffered at the hands of their parents. He also begins to better understand his own struggles with mental health and substance addiction because of the trauma and abuse he also suffered from their parents.

Follow the son as he looks through his family history to discover the generational abuse that trickled down through the years. Learn about how parents who suffer from narcissistic personality disorder emotionally abuse and manipulate their children. See how the abuse and trauma becomes mental illness in the abused, and how they fall into vicious traps of addiction, eating disorders, self-harm, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder. Witness the transformational change of the son as he works on the recovery of his inner child and tries to become the man he was meant to be.

Read an Excerpt

Part 1 - In the beginning…
What Came Before... – Part 1 Maternal Family History

My mother had a difficult upbringing. My mother’s mother was continually pregnant for 16 years, producing 4 boys (Robert, Edward, Charles, Shane) and 3 girls (R – my mother, Lorraine, Claire)2. She would later die of cancer while the children were young. My mother’s father led a jazz orchestra, resembling the ones in movies from the early 20th century that didn’t fit neatly into the category of a symphony or a standard band. He had even played for the queen.

However, the Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) of my grandfather became overwhelming, and the authorities of that time deemed him unfit to care for the children. They split the children up and put them into foster care. The foster care system back then did not have the safety systems we have in place to protect the children today, and I would not be surprised if some of the children were further emotionally or physically abused in foster care.

About the Author: Geoffrey is a first-time author. He lives peacefully by a lake, spending his time writing, painting, gardening, and woodworking. His recovery is ongoing, and he enjoys his privacy and seclusion.

Website: https://geoffreyrjonas.ca
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/55118142.Geoffrey_R_Jonas
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/livingwithcptsd.bsky.social
Amazon: https://a.co/d/eJTO4wq

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Book Blast: Life in Rotations

 

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

Farid Yaghini's unforgettable memoir takes you on a journey from escaping persecution in Iran to rebuilding a life in Canada and serving on the frontlines with the Canadian military. Filled with humour, heart, and unflinching honesty, his story of resilience, redemption, and the founding of Camp Aftermath will inspire you to believe in the power of hope and human connection.

Read an Excerpt

Sitting on the floor of my two-bedroom apartment, surrounded by half-assembled IKEA furniture and that damn Allen key, I wondered, What the hell have I done?

Callie, my three-year-old daughter, sat happily among the chaos, blissfully unaware of the weight of the decisions that had led us here. Cindy and I had split, and although it was amicable, I knew that simply clocking in for a nine-to-five job and coasting through life wasn’t going to cut it—not for me, not for her. I needed to be better. I needed to be someone she could look up to. But how?

As I wrestled with my own demons, I kept seeing news about veterans taking their own lives—men and women who had faced the same wars, same losses, same struggles as me. What if I could do something? What if I could take all my lessons, my pain, and turn it into something meaningful?

That idea turned into an obsession. My bedroom became an ops room, plastered with notes, ideas connected by strings like a tactical plan. Then it hit me—Camp Aftermath. A way to help veterans and first responders heal through volunteerism, to find purpose, to rewrite their stories.

I had no funding. No roadmap. Just a promise to my daughter that I would become the kind of man she could be proud of.

And once I made that promise, failure wasn’t an option.

About the Author

Farid Yaghini was born in Iran and fled to Pakistan with his family to escape religious persecution following the Islamic Revolution of 1979. At the age of nine, he immigrated to Canada as a refugee, navigating the confusion and frustration of adapting to a new way of life. Through it all, he carried a deep sense of resilience, hope, and an irrepressible knack for finding humour, even in the most challenging moments.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/F.Yaghini
Website: http://campaftermath.org
Amazon Buy Link: https://amazon.com/dp/0228884977

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Book Blast: Bad Order

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Mike Elliot will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

This is the incredible true story of railroad worker and union official Mike Elliott, targeted by his railroad employer, BNSF Railway Company, for his safety-related activities. As the union's state legislative board chair, Elliott was the top safety official in the state, and the voice for over 900 rank & file locomotive engineers operating trains around the clock, every day of the year.

When his members reported a plethora of trackside signal malfunctions on the BNSF Seattle subdivision, Elliott went to the railroad first, asking that they fix the problems. When the BNSF failed to act, he contacted the government's regulatory authority, the Federal Railroad Administration. That led to an FRA inspection of over 130 miles of the railroad's track and signal systems turning up hundreds of federal defects – all with potential to put workers and the public at risk.

What followed was a retaliation plot reminiscent of the Nineteenth Century Robber Barons: A management-staged conflict at work, police called in, arrest, jail, criminal charges, and termination from his job – not once but twice.

The wrath, influence and power of North America's largest freight railroad is unleased in full force and in an all-out attack on a whistleblower's life, liberties, and career. An amazing journey of one man's righteous battle against impossible odds and the nearly unlimited resources of a multi-billion-dollar corporation.

Read an Excerpt:

Jim Vucinovich called me to the stand. He addressed background facts concerning my education, current employment, ongoing work for the BLET, and my past work history, including my USMC service and law enforcement experience. He asked most specifically about the “instruction and training in self-defense” I received at the police academy in California and if that training came into play during the Kautzmann parking lot incident.

“It had,” I answered.

We left this subject for the moment and went into more of my work experience, including the history of my railroad career. This gave us an opportunity to explain something about the labor structure in railroading while establishing my experience and expertise as a conductor and an engineer. We eventually zeroed-in on my knowledge of signals and safety, the nature of the signal complaints I received from my Union Pacific BLET members, and, most significantly, processes associated with tri-annual engineer recertification.

I testified to being through it several times previously, describing the “Net-Sim” (network simulator), its role in the process and how Net-Sim scheduling was accomplished through the company payroll computer. Jim also asked questions about the driver’s license abstract, the requirement it be submitted along with other documents to BNSF’s Overland Park, Kansas certification department and how Washington State only allows the licensee to obtain a copy of their own driving abstract. This was important information establishing that Dennis Kautzmann had no legitimate reason for contacting me on March 3rd, 2011, as the Net-Sim scheduling notifications were done through the payroll computer.

The testimony also laid the foundation for countering BNSF’s false assertion I had failed to submit my tri-annual recertification paperwork in a timely manner, or had submitted paperwork from the previous tri-annual recertification in 2005, by identifying the keeper of those records: BNSF certification manager Kathy Conkling.

From here, Jim led me through testimony about my safety work for BLET. I explained that I got into safety because I saw a disconnect between what workers learned in classroom training and what they experienced in the field.

 

About the Author: 

Mike Elliott was born and raised in Washington State. He enjoys the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest, classic rock & roll music, vintage stereo gear, home cooked meals, and Seattle Mariners baseball. He lives in Tacoma, Washington.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/224714537-bad-order
Buy Link: https://amazon.com/dp/1779626037

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VBT: Lesser Known Travel Tips Series

 

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GENRE: Humor/Memoir

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BLURB:

The Lesser Known Travel Tips memoirs are a hilarious series of travel misadventures and dubious personal introspection by Australian author Simon Yeats, who from an early age learned that the best way to approach the misfortunes of this world is to laugh about them.

Simon shares his comedic insights into the unusual and uproarious elements of living life as an Aussie ex-pat and having a sense of Wanderlust as pervasive as the Spanish Flu in 1918 or hordes of Mongols in 12th Century.

From how to keep yourself entertained when unwittingly forced to watch 11 hours of live sumo wrestling in Japan, to surviving heartbreak in India at the hands of a French flight attendant, to 48 hours spent in Nepal that qualify as the funniest most gut wrenching travel experience since Captain Bligh was set adrift in the Pacific, to his unsuccessful attempts at avoiding going to a brothel in Thailand. From what to do when several people converge to rob you after midnight on a deserted Copacabana Beach, to how to save the Sierra Mountain Range from a wildfire outbreak due to a lack of quality toilet paper, to where not to go in Tijuana when trying to locate the origins to stories of the city’s mythical adult entertainment, to how to save yourself from drowning when caught in a storm while sailing off the California coast. From how to outwit the Italian police while trying to find parking in downtown Genoa, to how to negotiate exploring the Roman ruins of Plovdiv, Bulgaria while on crutches, to how to impress the German Mafia with 80s dance moves, to how to leave a lasting impression on a crowded bar in Gothenburg, Sweden after combining alcohol and antibiotics.

Simon Yeats has gone into the world and experienced all the out of the ordinary moments for you to sit back and enjoy the experience without the need to break a leg, contract Dengue fever, or rupture a pancreas.

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Excerpt:

Excerpt from How to Start a Riot in a Brothel in Thailand by Ordering a Beer and Other Lesser Known Travel Tips

My family’s most cherished vacation when we were all kids was a trip we took to the South Island of New Zealand in the southern hemisphere Autumn of 1980. All our relatives live on the north island where my mum and dad both grew up on dairy farms. So, we had already made a trip or two to Auckland in my young life. My parents had emigrated to live in the tropical heat and brutal humidity of the northeast of Australia before any of us kids were born and given a choice in the matter.

There are four of us in my family. An elder brother, an older sister, me, and a younger sister. Each of us is quite different in our personality and our interests. My older sister is the athlete. My younger sister is the diplomat. My brother is the brainiac. Me? Well, I tend to just sit back and let my siblings be in the limelight.

You can imagine me as being the little kid running around in the playground under a mop of red hair being extra polite with all the other kids and no one teasing me at all for having red hair. Something close to that.

But among me and my siblings, none of us ever stole a car and took off for a joy ride. None of us have ever been arrested by undercover police for trying to sell them synthetic crack cocaine we had cooked up in the basement. None of us ever got in trouble for mislabeling someone by using the wrong pronoun. I mean, sure, I once got in trouble for calling my headmaster the C-word, but, other than that small blemish on my record, I considered myself an exemplary student. Our mum and dad were amazing parents to raise us all so well.

 We were a very content family growing up in the 70’s and 80’s while living in the sweltering pizza oven, otherwise known as North Queensland. What about central air conditioning? Oh, how entitled and twenty-first century of you to ask. Rubbing an ice cube across the forehead and asking my younger sister to blow against it. Does that count? Central air conditioning? No. There was none. Just like there was extraordinarily little to do in my hometown. Watching paint dry as a kid living in Townsville brought out the same level of unbridled fascination that I now see with adults viewing porn.

The reasoning behind there being nothing to do is obvious. It is not safe to do anything where I lived. Australian country towns are just holding pens for human beings surrounded by a natural species menagerie of death.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Simon Yeats has lived nine lives, and by all estimations, is fast running out of the number he has left. His life of globetrotting the globe was not the one he expected to lead. He grew up a quiet, shy boy teased by other kids on the playgrounds for his red hair. But he developed a keen wit and sense of humor to always see the funnier side of life.

With an overwhelming love of travel, a propensity to find trouble where there was none, and being a passionate advocate of mental health, Simon’s stories will leave a reader either rolling on the floor in tears of laughter, or breathing deeply that the adventures he has led were survived.

No author has laughed longer or cried with less restraint at the travails of life.

Amazon Author

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GIVEAWAY 

A randomly drawn winner will be awarded a $25 Amazon/BN gift card.

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Cover Reveal: How to React When Woken at 3am by Drunk Argentinian Backpackers While Staying in a Youth Hostel

GENRE:

Non-Fiction Humorous Memoir 

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 BLURB:

Book 4 of an original and hilarious book series of travel misadventures and dubious personal

introspection by Australian author Simon Yeats, who from an early age learned that the best

way to approach the misfortunes of this world is to laugh about them.

Simon shares his comedic insights into the unusual and uproarious elements of living life as an

Aussie ex-pat and having a sense of Wanderlust as pervasive as COVID hysteria in the early

part of this decade.

From how to negotiate traffic in Los Angeles when your car can only drive at 5 miles/hr, to what

to do when locked out of your hotel room in your underwear, to the emotions of attempting the

world’s second highest bungee when you have a pathological fear of heights, to how to deal

with the trials and tribulations of staying in a youth hostel with travelers who have no respect for

the other guests.

Simon Yeats has gone into the world and experienced all the out of the ordinary moments for

you to sit back and enjoy the experience without the need to empty your bank account, get

squeezed sitting in a middle airline seat, or deal with border security at the Ukraine/Russia

boundary.

EXCERPT:

I stagger out of bed. I am barely able to stand. It is not the effects of the alcohol in my system,

but the ungodly bodily confusion of being abruptly woken from a rapidly achieved deep sleep.

The decline in physical coordination is no different than pounding six whiskey shots with beer

chasers over a two-hour period and then waking up the next morning with a massive hangover

after passing out in a large coil of rope in the parking lot of a casino.

My mind swirls fretfully with questions. Is it Con? But why would he be pounding on the door if

he has a room key? Was the self-serve burrito from 7-11 that far past its due date that he got

Salmonella and lost his mind?

Was it hotel security coming to notify me they found my wallet on the floor of the front lobby?

Surely they would be more discreet at 1 am than to take to my room door like they were Seal

Team 6 bursting in on Osama bin Laden.

Was it Jack the Ripper?

Of the three possibilities, the final one seemed to be the most probable as I stumbled across my

hotel room in my underpants.

I pull open the door to reveal a completely naked man standing in the hallway outside.

Sweet mother of God!

That was not one of my three options.

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AUTHOR:

Simon Yeats has lived nine lives, and by all estimations, is fast running out of the number he

has left. His life of globetrotting the globe was not the one he expected to lead. He grew up a

quiet, shy boy teased by other kids on the playgrounds for his red hair. But he developed a keen

wit and sense of humor to always see the funnier side of life.

With an overwhelming love of travel, a propensity to find trouble where there was none, and

being a passionate advocate of mental health, Simon’s stories will leave a reader either rolling

on the floor in tears of laughter, or breathing deeply that the adventures he has led were

survived.

No author has laughed longer or cried with less restraint at the travails of life.

Author Page

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

GIVEAWAY 

The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

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Book Blast: My Second Life

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Simon Yeats is awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

 

We all have two lives. We only get to experience living in the second after we realize we only have just one.

I have my first real scare in life when I get attacked by a kangaroo when I am seven. My first brush with the cliff-face edge of death comes when I am 12. My dad drives the family down the dangerous Skipper’s Canyon dirt road in New Zealand in a rented minivan.

Including the occasion I am almost involved in two different plane flight crashes, in the same night, there have been at least a half dozen more occasions when I have been within a moment’s inattention of being killed.

However, none of those frightening incidents compare to what I experience after my son is abducted.

This memoir is the story of how I used the traumatic experiences of my life to give me strength to forge on during a 13 year fight to be a father to my son.

What did it take for me to get to my second life?
It took me to truly understand what fear is.

Read an Excerpt

How does a second life differ from a first? My story of reaching the second will demonstrate it perfectly for those languishing in the latter. I guarantee the perception of your life will never be the same after reading about it.

What did it take for me to get to a second life?

Was it an occasion of cheating death? Was it multiple occasions of evading the grim reaper? Was it being arrested and thrown in jail for no reason?

Perhaps a better question might be. How much do I love my child? What am I willing to go through to be in my child’s only life?

Until recently, I had never even heard of this saying by Confucius. But, when a person sees something that resonates with a chord in their heart, they feel it.

I felt it like an earthquake.
Before then, I had never given thought to who I might have ever met that I would consider was living a second life.

Yet this would seem to be our very point of being.

While there have been many occasions in my existence when I have felt like the world is against me. The true nature of life often seems a cruel device. Callous. Savagely unforgiving. And the puppeteer of fate in control of all our lives does not seem to care that we do not want it to be this way.

How many people would admit that they are suffering during their first life?

Rhetorical question.

We all are. Some more than others. But we all are.

Not surprisingly then, that humanity thrives on the ever-unfolding tragedies around us. The devastation of the tsunami in Thailand. The OJ Simpson trial. World War Two concentration camps. The collective work of The Cure and The Smiths.

If it bleeds, it leads.

This is what people want to see.

But the hordes in their first life are primarily concerned with the suffering of the mighty.

However, many of us are not mighty.

Most of us are ordinary.

And the suffering in our first life is done in silence.

About the Author:

Simon Yeats has lived nine lives, and by all estimations, is fast running out of the number he has left. His life of globetrotting the globe was not the one he expected to lead. He grew up a quiet, shy boy teased by other kids on the playgrounds for his red hair. But he developed a keen wit and sense of humor to always see the funnier side of life.

With an overwhelming love of travel, a propensity to find trouble where there was none, and being a passionate advocate of mental health, Simon’s stories will leave a reader either rolling on the floor in tears of laughter, or breathing deeply that the adventures he has led were survived.

No author has laughed longer or cried with less restraint at the travails of life.


Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/store s/author/B0CBNQLSPW/about
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authoryeats
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoryeats

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/My-SECOND-Life-Simon-Yeats- ebook/dp/B0CB4LCCPN/ref=sr_1_1

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VBT: I Survived

 

GENRE: Memoir

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

BLURB:

In “I Survived” the author’s journey through a life marked by hardship, pain and resilience. From

the devastating loss of a mother at a young age to abusive relationships and a harrowing

escape, this gripping memoir unveils the story of survival, redemption, and the enduring

strength of the human spirit. With unwavering determination, the author overcomes the shadows

of her past to forge a path toward self-discovery, healing, and hope.

I Survived is an inspiring testament to the power of resilience and the unwavering belief that no

matter the obstacles, one can triumph over adversity and ultimately thrive.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

EXCERPT:

I remember the last time I saw her alive. She had just given birth to my baby brother on

February 24, 1982. My mom had made it through the delivery but came home with a bad

headache that she had been complaining about for a few days. My mother went into the

bathroom and was in there too long. My oldest sister knocked at the door, but she didn’t come

out. My baby brother's dad came over and knocked at the door. Shortly after, she stumbled out

of the bathroom to a nearby seat and just about fell out of the chair. The ambulance was called,

and they rushed my mom to the hospital. I remember being at the hospital with my family and

the doctor telling my grandmother that my mom had a brain aneurysm and her brain was dying.

He said they would have to pull the plug once the brain was dead. It doesn’t seem like a

conversation that you should be having in front of a child, but it happened, and a few weeks

later, she was gone. An intern at the hospital pulled the plug on my mom before it was time.

AUTHOR :

Born in Michigan now living in Atlanta Celisha J. is an Actress and Author all in one, landing a

role in a movie and a lead role on a TV Series.

She currently has a book entitled “I Survived”. It is a chilling story about her life from losing her

mom at an early age and all the things that she has endured in her life, that should have broken

her but she uses her pain as motivation to continue on her journey to following her dreams of

being an actress, author and motivational speaker. She is currently pursuing more roles in

acting.

Website

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

Book Blast: An Eye for the Highest and Best

 

by Dr. Nancy-Angel Doetzel 

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

 GENRE: Memoir/Self-Help

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

BLURB: 

Living in this world of such disruption and uncertainty can result in us facing despair.

How can we attune to the rainbow after a storm, and create hope and happiness? How do we

develop an eye for the Highest and Best, when faced with what appears to be the worst? What

steps should we take to reconnect with our ability to be resilient?

In this book, Dr. Doetzel shares some important insights gained from her own experiences of

teaching university, battling cancer, being a journalist, travelling worldwide, dealing with grief,

and facing the global pandemic. Along the way, she introduces her readers to fresh ways of

viewing their lives, by applying an Appreciative Inquiry lens that inspires the practice of a more

conscious way of living, resulting in discovering serenity.

Readers may start to re-examine their own challenges, while discovering their own gems that

warrant gratitude. The reflective questions and stories suggest ways of removing blocks to

happiness and constructing healthier relationships.

The book is also an ideal tool for educators to apply to teaching Appreciative Inquiry as a

qualitative research methodology.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

EXCERPT:

As she was eating, a young aboriginal child suddenly came running towards her to offer her a

candy. Perhaps the child sensed she had been upset. Angel learned that he and his parents,

who were all travelling together to take this young boy to a hospital for special care, had also

missed the plane.

Angel’s perspective was already starting to shift as she re-visited her own circumstances

through the heart -centered eyes of a child.

What’s your name? she asked him.

“My name is Sunny”, he replied. “I’m going to the hospital to have an operation. I might be going

to live with the Angels soon. I have a hole in my heart, and mommy says I’m very sick, and

says I may need a heart transplant soon, to stay alive.”

 As Angel stared into the dark-skinned child’s piercing brown eyes, she became mesmerized by

the light and joyfulness that they exuded. He was very happy and fearless. Then he lifted his

shirt and showed Angel a jagged scar from a recent heart surgery.

Author Bio:

Dr. Nancy-Angel Doetzel has been teaching in the Sociology Faculty of Mount Royal University

since 2006, and as a seasonal sessional instructor in the Faculty of Education at the University

of Calgary since 2005.

An award-winning scholar, journalist, and musician, she won a Distinguished Dissertation Award

for her doctorate dissertation, leading to the publication of her two books: Cultivating Spirituality

in Education: Synergizing Heart and Mind and Old Heart Child's Eyes: A Diary of Miracles.

In 2017, her students at Mount Royal University honoured her with a Teaching Excellence

Award. In 2018 her students also acknowledged her for promoting wellbeing and good health

within the classroom, and for being a good mentor. She received her MA, HBA, HBSW, and BA

degrees from Lakehead University.

She received her PhD from the University of Calgary in 2004. She studied Intuitive Medicine in

Vancouver and received a professional certification (I.C.A.D.C) from the Canadian Council of

Professional Certification. She also was awarded a Broadcasting Radio and Television diploma

from Confederation College. She encourages her students to examine the world through

different lenses, exercising altruism, promoting social justice, and learning to be a good

sociologist.

Her Mount Royal University blog is titled, Debunking Deceptive Myths. In addition to her recently

published books, she has also authored and published eight scholarly articles in her field.

In February 2020, the Calgary Herald, rated one of her books (a pre-amble to this one) as a

local best seller. She is currently conducting research about complementary medicine and

continuing to teach at Mount Royal University.

Aside from teaching and conducting research, Dr. Doetzel has hosted a radio show "From the

Heart," airing on AM 1140 High River, for the past 10 years. She has recorded four albums of

her own original songs.

Website

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

GIVEAWAY 

Dr. Nancy-Angel Doetzel will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner during the tour.

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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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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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