Posts Tagged ‘memoir’

Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Secrets Of A Gay Man Growing Up In The 1950s organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Jonathan Feinn will award a $25 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Secrets Of A Gay Man Growing Up In The 1950s

By Jonathan Feinn

 

 

Genre: Memoir

Synopsis

The Blessing of Self -Acceptance

 

I decided to write my memoir when I reached my mid-eighties. Given the gift of longevity, I felt a strong need to review my life openly and to recall both the joyful moments as well as the days and nights of feeling anguish and hopelessness. Highlighting events and experiences in my life has given me the opportunity to better understand the emotional and physical cost over the years of denying the person I am and the pain of self-rejection.

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

My parents grew up in very different families. My paternal grandparents immigrated to America from the Ukraine when my father was only a year old. Grandma Sonia had been a victim during a pogrom and through the efforts of a cousin living in the United States, the family was able to come to America and settle in Chicago.

 

Neither of my grandparents spoke English but were fluent in Russian and Yiddish. They parented five sons one of whom had a very serious dysfluency and was thought to be retarded.  Given the lack of understanding and resources during his early childhood, he never received any specific help and suffered throughout his life from emotional problems. I don’t remember having much connection to him, but I was aware that Uncle Joe felt rejection from my father who was a lawyer and the youngest brother who was a doctor. I remember feeling, frightened as a young child when my father would yell at him. The oldest son was married and already had a son when I was born.

 

Three of the uncles lived in an apartment with my grandparents above ours in a two flat building. There was much tension between the brothers and throughout my childhood I have memories of yelling and screaming fights between the brothers. I felt somewhat closer to my uncle Jack who I remember sitting me on his lap when I was a young child and singing to me; ’Thai Thai tiddly tum’ I remember feeling safe with him.

 

Looking back, I realize my paternal grandparents were depressed. I never saw them affectionate with one another. Grandma Sonia had been raised in a family in Moscow with some financial means and had opportunities to be educated in the arts and dancing. My grandfather came from a religious but impoverished family in Odessa. Neither grandparent ever shared anything with me about their lives in Europe which saddens me. I realize how difficult and painful it would have been for them and of course, there was the language problem. From time to time when my parents were out for the evening my grandfather would be my ‘babysitter’. I was told when I grew older that one night when Grandpa Zelig was the sitter, my parents returned and found him fast asleep and snoring while I was up playing with my toys.

 

My parents spoke to my grandparents in Yiddish and as a child I wanted to understand what they were saying. Over time I began to develop a beginning understanding of Yiddish and knew a few expressions which I tried to speak to my grandfather.  He would always say ‘You American boy. NO speak Yiddish.’  In my adult years, I regret a missed opportunity to become a competent Yiddish speaker.

 

How difficult it must have been for my grandfather to support the family on a fish peddler’s income though the war years were hard financially for most people including my parents; my father did provide financial help to my grandparents in addition to supporting the four of us. Meanwhile grandmother Sonia Sarah had to adjust mealtimes to each of her son’s different schedules and preferences. She was very protective of her disabled son and on her death-bed begged family members to promise to care for him, Despite my uncle’s disability, he was able to work and live an independent life eventually getting married.

~~~~~

About Author Jonathan

Jonathan holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois and was trained to serve both as a teacher and administrator providing guidance to staff and to children and adolescents with identified emotional disturbance and behavior disorders. He has served as a consultant to differing programs in both public and private school settings and was the director of a high school off-campus learning center serving students who required part-time placement outside the main building.

 

He has held faculty positions at National College in Evanston, Illinois and Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania where he taught students studying for both Master’s degrees and state certification. Prior to his retirement, he taught gifted elementary students in a ‘pull-out’ program. He is currently retired and continues his love of travel. To date he has visited 22 countries where he developed meaningful and lasting friendships with people in differing settings throughout the world.

 

Amazon

~~~~~

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

 

Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Mamacadabra organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Carrie Monroe O’Keefe will award a $25 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Mamacadabra

by Carrie Monroe O’Keefe

 

 

Genre: Memoir

Synopsis

Starting her third year of marriage, Carrie Monroe O’Keefe had already been on the roller coaster of extreme highs and lows of a newly blended family. Thinking she could do a better job of navigating marriage, stepmotherhood, working full time, and all of the things, she embarked on a year of “what if.”

Settling into her role as wife and mom, she tried to find ways to do things better, see things differently, and reframe her thinking to create a better home for her family and to feel more at home herself. With humor, unwavering honesty, vulnerability, and sarcasm, Carrie finds her way through the year and to her true self.

 

 
 
 

Enjoy this peek inside:

From Chapter: This House is Not a Home (Currently)

It’s a bright Saturday morning and I’m looking around my kitchen wondering when, exactly, I let it get THIS bad. The dishwasher has been run, but nobody has bothered to unload it, resulting in piles of dirty dishes in and around the sink. There are empty cereal boxes lined up, I assume, so I can cut out the Box Tops for Education labels…because I’m the only one who can what…use scissors? Break down the boxes for recycling? Throw away the empty bag inside the boxes that once held cereal?

Speaking of recycling, there’s a bag of recycling on a stool waiting to be taken out on our “next trip” out of the house. It’s been there for three days and we have, in fact, left the house several times in those three days.

The clincher, though, is the kitchen table. Our puppy has a best friend that lives next door. He comes over to our back deck door and barks for Sullivan to come out to play. They wrestle, run around, investigate, bark at each other, bark at passersby, lay down to rest, and then start over. When they’re out and I’m working or writing, I bring my laptop up to the kitchen table so I can check on the dogs from time to time.

At this very moment, I’m sitting at my kitchen table and surrounding my laptop are:

•One little girl’s black shoe.

•One little girl’s gold shoe.

•One little girl’s pink slipper.

•The Nancy Drew book we’re currently reading.

•Large bag of colored pencils.

•Pair of my husband’s dirty socks.

•Empty napkin holder on its side.

•The art project brought home by my littlest little girl.

•Pad of paper with my work notes scribbled on it.

•Three place mats (one was a casualty of yesterday’s juice fiasco).

•One black marker.

•Work documents of my husband’s.

•A partially completed drawing.

My kitchen table isn’t even big! How, or perhaps a better question is WHY, is there so much sh*t sitting on it?!! And does anybody else find it a teensy bit disconcerting that there are two shoes, a slipper, and dirty socks on the table at which we EAT OUR MEALS? Anyone???

About Author Carrie Monroe O’Keefe:

.

.

Carrie Monroe O’Keefe started blogging about her life by sharing stories of marriage, stepmotherhood, and how to navigate it all on mamacadabra.com in 2012. People said they loved reading the posts, so she kept writing. In addition to blogging, she released her middle-grade fiction book, The Whole Truth, in 2019.

Carrie lives outside of Minneapolis with her husband, two daughters, and dog Finlay.

Author Links: Website / Instagram

Purchase Links: B&N / Amazon

~~~~~

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

 

 

Book Details:

Undomesticated Women, Anecdotal Evidence from the Road by Anna Blake
Category:  Adult Non-Fiction (18+),  325 pages
Genre: Travel Memoir
Publisher:  Prairie Moon Press
Release date:  Oct  2023
Content Rating:  PG. oblique mention of dysfunctional family, no sex, drugs, etc

Book Description:

Welcome to our year of living compactly. My dog, Mister, and I took to the road pulling our A-frame trailer, the Rollin’ Rancho. I’m a traveling horse trainer/clinician, who became a non-essential worker during the COVID-19 lockdown. Then, in 2022, we bounced back. We were nomads looking for horse training adventure and liver treats. Work paid for the trip; it was part clinic tour, part travelogue, part squirrel hunt. But mostly an unapologetic celebration of sunsets, horses, RV parks, roadkill, diverse landscapes, and undomesticated women.

It’s a book made of made of adjectives and nouns, blue skies and tornado watches, resorts and reservations, open roads to the horizon, and one-lane dead-ends. We emerge from the truck in a cloud of dog hair and sunflower shells, like disoriented and scruffy rock stars in a GPS haze, not entirely lost or found.

This book isn’t about training, although there are horses in it. It’s a follow-up of Stable Relation, my first book, but my life changed in ways I would never have guessed, so don’t expect the usual sequel. Undomesticated Women is a travel memoir, a peek behind the curtains of what my job is like. I wanted to see this beautiful country, do some time travel, and explore thoughts and memories now that I’ve become a gray mare.

​Mister would tell you it’s his memoir about being tasked with the unreasonable job of guarding me against a wild range of dangers. Like eating dinner late.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon B&N ~ BAM
Bookshop.org
add to goodreads
.

MY REVIEW

I’ve recently read some memoirs and enjoyed them and was curious about Undomesticated Women. The title intrigued me and the idea of a woman of my age traveling the country with only her dog as a companion sure had me curious how it went. And a horse whisperer to boot. I’m sure she probably doesn’t tag herself as one, but that’s what came to mind when I read about some of her experiences with the noble animals.

I was hooked right off the bat. From how the germ of an idea blossomed into a possibility and then to reality, right down to what kind of travel camper to choose, I didn’t want to miss a thing. The details of doing some practice camping on different places on her farm to see how Mister, her canine companion, would deal with the cramped quarters and being separated from the other dogs and The Dude Rancher, her husband, to how she’d cram everything she need for the long trip into the nooks and crannies, all of it was interesting… and entertaining.

I’m a horse lover. Was one of those young girls that had the statues on all my shelves, along with all those great books like The Black Stallion, Black Beauty and Little Black, A Pony, and posters hung in every available place. The author had me laughing and crying as she related her journey of cross country clinics with owners and trainers and their horses. Kind of reminded me of the show Heartland, which I love.

Anna Blake is such a great storyteller. Yes, a storyteller. This may not be a work of fiction, but all great storytellers leave you hanging on each sentence, wanting more and more. And that’s how it was with her book. If she can entertain me this much with her memoir, it makes me wonder where her imagination could take me in a work of fiction. I’d read it!

5 STARS

.
.
Guest Post
.

My Dog, The Author

After the COVID lockdown was over, I was eager to get back on the road and do my job live again. I’m a horse trainer who’d been sitting in an office chair, giving lessons in Zoom meetings. Now I wanted to see the country again. My dog, Mister, and I took to the road pulling our A-frame trailer, the Rollin’ Rancho. We were nomads traveling 14,000 miles, across 30 states, and seeing both oceans.

Driving days were long and to stay awake, I listened to audiobooks, nibbled sunflower seeds, and took my dog’s advice on when to stop for a walk. Mister was my self-care specialist. He walked me to keep my hips loose. He called me to dinner after a long workday. And he was an emotional anchor for me because no matter what other people think about me, Mister always thinks my only job is to be with him. He makes things that simple.

Writing is part of every day for me. I’ve been blogging since 2010, along with publishing books, writing poetry, and even screenplays. It’s my habit to use words to sort out my thoughts. At home, I usually write early in the morning before the chaos begins. When traveling, I’m oddly comfortable writing in an airport bar.

When I was training locally, I always kept a notebook with me to scribble down thoughts as I drove from farm to farm. In preparing for this long-distance road trip, I added some technology to keep us safer, including a cell phone holder on the dash and a voice-to-text app. At first, it was just for notes and ideas that I wanted to remember. One day, I dictated part of an essay and then felt guilty. I had already betrayed my paper tablet. Was I betraying my laptop now?

The app didn’t work that well, not speaking horse like I do. It would have to become bilingual. Once I downloaded the file, the number of corrections was bewildering. If I hadn’t edited it that night, I wouldn’t be able to recognize what I was talking about a day later. But with technology changing so fast, I’m always afraid if I don’t keep up, I’ll have to hire somebody’s kid to do my banking.

The next day, I tried again. It was a quiet afternoon on the back roads in North Carolina. I wanted to write about the last stop, so I thought out my sentences and slowly enunciated every word. Mister was in the passenger seat, strapped into his safety bed. Like most dogs, he sees me at my worst and keeps my secrets.

I paused in my dictation and thought for a long moment. The microphone was waiting. Mister sat up and let out one bark. The screen added the word “what.” Our eyes met, and he didn’t look away. Was Mister going to write a tell-all book of his own?

.
.
 

Meet Author Anna Blake:

 



I’m an animal advocate, award-winning author, solo RV traveler, old-school feminist, dog companion, unabashed lover of sunsets, and professional horse trainer/clinician. I’m sixty-nine years old. I’ve done just about everything and done it well. No longer auditioning.

My books include:
Stable Relation, A memoir of one woman’s spirited journey home.
Relaxed & Forward: Relationship advice from your horse.
Barn Dance, Nickers, brays, bleats, howls, and quacks: Tales from the herd.
Horse Prayers, Poems from the prairie.
Going Steady, More relationship advice from your horse.
Horse. Woman. Poems from our lives.
Undomesticated Women: Anecdotal Evidence from the Road

I was born in Cavalier County, North Dakota, in 1954, the youngest daughter in a farm family. Now I live at Infinity Farm, on the flat, windy, treeless prairie of Colorado with a herd of reprobates, raconteurs, and our moral compass, Edgar Rice Burro. Previously, I was a self-employed goldsmith, showing one-of-a-kind artwork in galleries from coast to coast. My Denver studio and gallery was shared with generations of good dogs.

Early writing included a few screenplays, one of which was produced independently, and articles for several periodicals. Every Friday since 2010, I have posted an unconventional and popular blog about life on the farm and horse training. My unique perspective combines Calming Signals and Affirmative Training for a special method of understanding, training, and respecting animals.

connect with the author: website facebook facebook instagram ~  goodreads 

Tour Schedule:
.
Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template
.

Undomesticated Women, Anecdotal Evidence from the Road Book Tour Giveaway

 

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

 

.

Behind Her Smile: The Adventures of a Tall Girl from WVA and Her Life as a Stewardess by Beverly Golden Cuevas
Category:  Adult Non-Fiction (18+),  392 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Publisher:  Urlink Print & Media, LLC
Release date:  August  2023
Content Rating:  PG. Suitable for adult audiences.

Book Description:

Being raised in Parkersburg,WVA, Janie didn’t have big aspirations for her life. Tired of her dead-end job at the phone company her best friend suggested she interview to become a Stewardess. Fearful she would be rejected because of her height; she was shocked when she was accepted. A whole new world opened up to her. Seeing places she had only read about, spending time with politicians, movie stars and professional athletes. One special athlete, a professional basketball player named Wendell Ladner stole her heart with his southern charm. An extraordinary ‘connection’ with Elvis Presley allowed her the unique experience to spend ‘one on one’ time with him and remain in touch until his passing. You’ll share with her the challenges of marrying someone so different from her upbringing and coping with attempts to try and fit in. Behind Her Smile reveals a devastating event that deeply affected Beverly and made her reexamine her life and what she truly wanted out of it.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon B&N ~ BAM
Bookshop.org ~ Bookbub
add to goodreads
.

MY REVIEW

I don’t read many memoirs. I prefer watching them on TV. That said, I’m glad I read this book.  A career as a stewardess was something I found fascinating when I was young. It seemed so glamorous. Jetting off to so many places. The beautiful hairstyles and the outfits they wore. I loved the high boots and short dresses. They reminded me of go-go girls. And the pilots looked so handsome in their uniforms.

Beverly tells her life story with honesty and grace. She doesn’t sugar coat events to make herself look better. She faces her decisions head on. And what a life she had. What I found most fascinating was the people who played pivotal roles in the growth of her character. She loved fiercely and grieved deeply. And it was interesting to learn how the industry changed with the years. She mentions how they used to dress meticulously for work back in the day and how much it’s changed now. How flights and boarding are handled. Had me take a trip down memory and examine these things myself. And she sure met some interesting people on her travels. The books is full of photos and I’m glad she shared them.

I mentioned I don’t read a lot of memoirs. That will change now. And I’m waiting for her next book. This is what she calls her BC book. The next one is AC and I’m curious how her life changed.

4 STARS

.
.
.
Author Guest Post
.
Que Sera, Sera… (Whatever Will Be, Will Be!)
.

I guess I should say I owe my desire to become a Stewardess to Doris Day. The title of the movie was “Julie.”  And I do believe Doris was the first non-trained pilot to land an airplane.

I was about sixteen and my mom knew I loved Doris Day. I had a doctor’s appointment this particular day, and afterwards I went to where my mom was working at The Darling Shop in Columbus, Ohio. She told me Doris Day was appearing at the RKO Palace Theater to promote her movie. My eyes lit up. She told me I could have her permission to stay out of school and go see the movie and her. I was so excited! After watching the movie, I thought it sounded like a fascinating profession to do. But being so tall I imagined that an airline might not consider me. And I was correct but didn’t know that until I was nearly 21 years old.

My best friend wanted to interview to be a Stewardess and asked me to go with her. I reluctantly went with her to DELTA. Too tall. Next was a disastrous TWA interview where the interviewer found so many faults in me, I felt like I was crazy to even consider being a Stewardess as a career.  My friend Karen asked me to go to the last airline, AMERICAN AIRLINES with her. I reluctantly agreed. To my complete and utter surprise, the interviewer, Mr. Kiestler, took a shine to me and I got asked to report for Stewardess School in two weeks! Needless to say, I was shocked!

This began the most wonderful career I could have ever imagined having. Indirectly I feel I should thank my mom first for letting me go to see the movie. Secondly, thanks to Doris Day, who made her performance as a Stewardess so captivating and intriguing. That career was a blessing to me for 35 years, as you can read about in my book BEHIND HER SMILE.

.
 

.

Meet the Author:

Beverly Golden Cuevas was born Beverly Jane Golden in Ironton, Ohio in 1945. She spent the first 10 years of her life in Parkersburg, West Virginia with her family. Her father had a job opportunity in Columbus, Ohio in 1955 so away they went. Beverly started working at the age of 14 to contribute to her family finances. She graduated Columbus North High School in 1963. She moved on to work at the Ohio Bell Telephone Company after graduation. In 1965, on the dare of her best friend she went to an interview to be a Stewardess for American Airlines. American hired her and she started her flying career in New York, then commuting from Tulsa, Oklahoma to her Dallas base. She flew both domestic and international. During her career, she never received a bad passenger letter. In 1977, she was 1 of 12 Flight Attendants selected out of 16,000 to participate in a highly coveted special assignment to work at the prestigious American Airlines Golf Classic. Her flying career ended on December 1, 2001 after 35 years. Beverly now lives in Dallas, Texas. She has been married to her wonderful husband Randy for 43 years. She has two sons, Joshua and Kaleb. She is a loving wife and mother, never missing a baseball game or school talent show, in spite of her flying schedule! Mimi is blessed to pass on her knowledge and love of life to her grandchildren Eden, Elijah, Ellie, Logan and Holly.

connect with the author: goodreads


.
Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

BEHIND HER SMILE by Beverly Golden Cuevas Book Tour Giveaway

 

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for And The I Met You organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author MacKenzie Lee will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

And Then I Met You

by MacKenzie Lee

 

 

Genre: Memoir / Romance

Synopsis

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.

 

Enjoy this peek inside:

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 Author MacKenzie Lee:

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

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

.
Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Mama Dida: My Road To Canada organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Leonida Teohari will award a $10 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Mama Dida

by Leonida Teohari

 

 

Genre: Memoir

Synopsis

After experiencing the second world war tragedies and living through the socio political changes in Romania, grand-pa Aurel and grand-ma Dida for the love of their beloved grandchildren Darius and Anna, decided to leave family, friends and everything they built in Romania and start a new life in Canada. Nadia Comaneci incredible gymnastic success at the Olympic games in Montreal was what they knew at the time about Canada. Grand-pa Aurel and grand-ma Dida’s courage and personal sacrifices were the foundation for the education Darius and Anna accessed in Toronto and the life they enjoyed in Canada. The book presents real events and is based on a true story.

Enjoy this peek inside:

When Constanta first got bombed, we had to rush to take cover in a trench made by a neighbour of ours behind our building. After this first bombing experience, Mother Voica packed her savings in a bag, took my sister Helen and me, and fled to Ovidiu, a nearby village. This was not before a heated discussion between my brother Costy and Mother Voica. Costy convinced Mother Voica that he should stay home to watch for the apartment and the furniture. This was all we owned, and my brother would rather risk getting bombed than lose it to the looters.

So, we said goodbye while all crying. Costy was on the balcony waiving at us until our carriage turned the first corner in the direction of Ovidiu village. Mother Voica cried for Costy the entire way, her first child and the only boy.

The war opened my eyes. To be a refugee even in our own country was not easy; imagine having to leave your country.

Mama Voica rented one room with a small cooking stove. From eggs to a litre of milk, everything was double the city prices. We came to the village hoping to save money, however the reality of war proved different.

This was the time to help my mother, so I started learning how to cook.

Helen had a talent for negotiating prices with the villagers and she also had fun doing it. Mother Voica used to refer to her as Jewish.

After few weeks, Mother Voica decided to return home. She told us that she was short of money but we both knew that she was worried about Costy. Helen and I approved immediately; we also missed our brother and the apartment.

Mother Voica hired a carriage and two soldiers, and we started our way back to Constanta.

About Author Leonida Teohari:

Leo Teohari was born in Constanta, Romania. Leo holds both a law degree and a degree in international economics. Leo defected from Communist Romania in 1980, and settled with his family in Toronto, Canada, where he became a businessman. Today he writes about his experiences and runs an international food trade business. In 2004 he published his first book, Hawala, based on a true story about a government cover-up and diversion related to the Romanian revolution in 1989.

Purchase Links: B&N / Kobo / Amazon

$0.99 on Amazon

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

.

Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Shoebox Baby organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Sharon Bruce will award a $10 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Shoebox Baby

by Sharon Bruce

 

 

Genre: Memoir

Synopsis

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.

 

Enjoy this peek inside:

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 Author Sharon Bruce:

.

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 resides with her husband. Together they enjoy retirement and organizing activities for seniors, which includes writing and acting out comical skits for small audiences.

Website / Goodreads

Buy Link

 

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

.

Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for The Cobbler organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Steve Madden will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Cobbler

by Steve Madden

Genre: Memoir

Synopsis

Everyone knows Steve Madden’s name and his shoes, but few are familiar with his story. Over the past thirty years Steve Madden has taken his eponymous shoe company from the fledgling startup he founded with a mere $1,100.00 to a global, multi-billion-dollar brand. But Madden’s mistakes, from his battle with addiction to the financial shortcuts that landed him in prison, are as important to his story as his most iconic shoes. In this raw, intimate, and inspiring book, Madden holds nothing back as he shares what it took to get here and the lessons he’s learned along the way. Readers are treated to the wild ride though his rise, fall, and comeback. But they will also walk away uplifted by a man who has owned up to his mistakes, determined to give back.

~~~~~

  Enjoy this peek inside:

Jordan called me The Cobbler simply because I was obsessed with shoes. But to me it means so much more than that. A cobbler puts the various pieces of a shoe together: the upper, the lower, the lining, and so on. But a real shoe guy knows that shoes are made of more than just raw materials. The inspiration behind the style is just as important and includes references pulled from music, pop culture, and whatever else is going on in the zeitgeist. The result is a shoe that’s not just comfortable and well made, but that says something about the person who is wearing it.

 

I got a thrill out of pulling these various pieces together to create my most iconic styles, from the Marilyn to the Mary Lou, the Slinky, and, more recently, the Troopa. But I’ve used the same techniques to piece together a team of mostly outsiders, hires that make no sense individually but that are amazingly effective together. And though it’s hard to separate the company from my life, that’s been pieced together, too, and thanks to my kids and friends and the people I love, it’s now mostly whole.

 

So, which one am I: the egomaniac, the trend spotter, the entrepreneur, or the visionary? What about the family man? Honestly, they’re all true. I’m the same flawed person I’ve always been. In fact, the more successful I’ve become, the less sure of anything I have grown. When I was young and just starting out, I thought I had all the answers. Hard work and money were all that mattered. Success at all costs would be worth it. Now, I’m not so sure. I have money. I have success. And I’ve paid for it by losing years of my life and people I loved. Was it worth it?

~~~~~

About Author Steve Madden

Steve Madden – American fashion designer and businessman. Founder and former CEO of Steven Madden, Ltd. Photographed in New York City October 10, 2019

A man who wears many hats-and shoes-Steve Madden cannot be described in one word. He is an entrepreneur, an award-winning designer, and a business titan whose eponymous company is currently worth 3 billion dollars. On the flip side, he is an ex-con, a recovering addict, and a devoted family man. Over the past thirty years, the provocative shoe designer built a booming brand and nearly lost it all to The Wolf of Wall Street, only to rebound by giving back and creating a global empire. Through it all, he hasn’t forgotten his humble beginnings or his core consumer, resulting in millions of adoring fans worldwide. Considered the fashion footwear mogul of the twenty-first century, Madden has an innate sense of what’s hot, what’s next, what’s exciting, and more importantly, how this will translate to the customer. He is also an active philanthropist and mentor who supports a number of organizations that help those in need of a second chance.

Links – WebsiteAmazon

~~~~~

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Avalon organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Vanessa Morgan will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Avalon

by Vanessa Morgan

Genre:  Non-fiction, Memoir

MY REVIEW

The day Avalon crossed paths with Vanessa, her life as she new it ended. Was it fate?

I think it was. Avalon was a handsome cat, a Turkish Van, the breed Vanessa had been looking for. She new they were a possessive breed, but nothing prepared her for this cat.

He tortured the other cats in her household, threw up on her guinea pig, and flew into tantrums, tearing her house apart if she looked at another creature, especially another cat.

But there was another side to Avalon. Adoration. He adored Vanessa. He was hers. And as Vanessa’s life changed, she was his.

This story is about Vanessa as much as it’s about Avalon. She tells much about herself, her past, her thoughts, as the years pass.

Sharing her vulnerabilities, sacrificing opportunities, through good times and bad, Vanessa gave her all to Avalon.

Most pet owners soon learn they aren’t owners. Their pet is not a pet, it’s a member of the family. And sometimes they rule the roost.

The extremes Avalon went to astounded me. Puking on the guinea pig, terrorizing the other cats, letting his displeasure be known with  escalating howls, even kicking her boyfriend out, he was to be commended for his unswerving spirit.

The things Vanessa gives up for Avalon may seem like a bit much, but haven’t we all done things for our furry friends that may seem ridiculous to others? I know I have.

Vanessa feels like their paths crossed for a reason. Her and Avalon were meant to be together. And I believe her. Never have I heard of such a bond as they shared.

This story made me cry. But I smiled through the tears and when I finished it, I hugged my dog and my cat, gave them some special treats, and when we snuggled together at bedtime, I felt whole.

5 Stars

Synopsis

Avalon is now also available in French!

Some cats need nine lives to make a difference. Avalon only needed one.

From Amazon bestselling author Vanessa Morgan, Avalon is the heartwarming and once-in-a-lifetime love story of a girl and her neurotic Turkish Van cat.

With humor, the author details how Avalon made other creatures cringe in distress whenever he was around, how he threw her dates out by means of special techniques, and how he rendered it almost impossible for her to leave the house. Avalon was so incorrigible that even the landlord ordered to get rid of him. But beneath Avalon’s demonic boisterousness, Vanessa recognized her own flaws and insecurities, and she understood that abandoning Avalon would be the worst she could do to him. Thanks to her unswerving loyalty, Avalon transformed into a tender feline and even landed a major role in a horror movie. In turn, Avalon made it his mission to be there for his human companion.

Avalon is a memoir for anyone who has ever been obsessively in love with a pet.

Enjoy this peek inside:

Ignoring the neighbors’ cats had diminished Avalon’s jealousy, but with four more beings in the apartment demanding my devotion, Avalon’s reality was still a far cry from his personal utopia, and new pet peeves were routinely added to his usual problem-seeking behavior.

Small changes often caused major disturbances. When we removed a DVD from the cupboard, or put a pen on the living room table that he wasn’t used to seeing there, Avalon pitched himself near the problem area and vocalized his complaints as if he was a muezzin calling to prayer. He only stopped if the space returned back to normal.

Intelligent and calculating as he was, Avalon had also developed a technique to prevent Ballon and Tigris from using his litter boxes. Each time he heard the scratch scratch scratch in the litter, he settled into attack mode behind the bathroom wall, wiggled his behind, and leapt onto the other cat as soon as it emerged, making it jump. It worked every…single… time. Proud, Avalon walked away from the crime scene with his nose pointing airwards.

Borat, our guinea pig, was initially the best one off, but ended up the most miserable. What kept him safe at first was Avalon’s fear of rodents. Cats may be considered deadly predators, killing a median of 2.4 billion birds and 12.3 billion mammals a year in the United States alone, but whenever Borat had free range inside the apartment, Avalon went in a large circle around him, avoiding him at all cost.

Eventually, Avalon ferreted out a way to make Borat twinge in distress whenever he approached. It started when I taught Avalon not to throw up on the bed and carpets. Those lessons must have been meaningful, because Avalon didn’t vomit in those places anymore. Instead he aimed for the guinea pig’s head. As soon as he felt a hairball mounting, Avalon ran as fast as he could toward Borat’s cage, leaned in, and puked his heart out.

About Author Vanessa Morgan:

Vanessa Morgan is the editor of the movie reference guides When Animals Attack: The 70 Best Horror Movies with Killer Animals, Strange Blood: 71 Essays on Offbeat and Underrated Vampire Movies, and Evil Seeds: The Ultimate Movie Guide to Villainous Children. She also has had one cat book (Avalon) and four supernatural thrillers (Drowned Sorrow, The Strangers Outside, A Good Man, and Clowders) published. Three of her stories have been turned into movies. She has written for myriad Belgian magazines and newspapers and introduces movie screenings at several European film festivals. She is also a programmer for the Offscreen Film Festival in Belgium. When she’s not working on her latest book, you can find her reading, watching movies, eating out, or photographing felines for her blog Traveling Cats.

Blog
Amazon
Twitter
Pinterest
Facebook

The French version of the book can be purchased at Amazon for only $0.99.

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Marines Don’t Cry organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

The authors will be awarding a $50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Marines Don’t Cry

by Danny Garcia & Jackie C. Garcia

Genre: Memoir, Non-fiction

Synopsis

Have you ever been lost — really lost?

Danny and Jackie answer this question in Marines Don’t Cry with stories of death to life, deep sorrow to joy, darkness to light, and freedom in Christ.

Danny recounts his early life in Spanish Harlem and describes conversion from a life of drugs and “the fast lane” to one consumed with knowing and serving God. This makes his journey of walking more than 52 million steps on six continents for children and world peace such an incredible story.

Marines Don’t Cry is about the transformational power of God’s love: how Danny found his calling and is delivering the message of Christ at all costs.

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

Chapter 7: “You Must Choose Now”

One night in my living room, under the influence of several drugs and alcohol, I experienced something bizarre and frightening. Something happened to me, and I knew that something was terribly wrong. In a moment, I felt my spirit leaving my body; a wrenching separation and tearing from deep within. Life literally came out of my body. My feet lifted from the floor. I levitated upwards and felt myself being pulled out of this world. It was an out-of-body experience. I did not feel physical pain, but I knew I was dying. All my life, I had been in control and never let fear consume me. Now, I was terrified.

I panicked.

My thoughts raced. I knew that if I died, I would go to hell because of all the bad things I had done in my life. I learned in Catholic school that if I died in the state of mortal sin, I was destined for hell, a place of eternal fire and torment. Eternity flashed before me, and I heard an audible voice through time, space, and spirit say:

“Which way do you choose? Life or death? You must choose now.”

The voice enveloped my thoughts. In a flash, the Lord gave me a choice of life or death, and it was a choice of both physical and spiritual proportions. Although I had not been in church for over twenty-five years, I knew I was lost, had no hope, and was going to hell. I was completely petrified, and for the first time in my entire life, I was truly afraid and frightened beyond my understanding.

With a desperate cry, I screamed, “Jesus, save me!”

As soon as I said the name “Jesus,” my spirit immediately jumped back into my body. I experienced the terrible fear of God. To this point in my life, I paid no attention to the teachings that the Catholic church instilled in me. I had turned away from Him and disobeyed His laws.

By calling on the name of Jesus Christ, I chose life. I was saved spiritually; the moment of my salvation from death and beginning the transformation to a new life. This was a miracle. I was thirty-three years old—the same age as Jesus when he started his public ministry.

~~~~~

About the Authors:

Daniel Garcia

Danny Garcia, The Walking Man, was born and raised in New York’s Spanish Harlem.  He served as a United States Marine, law enforcement officer, and ordained minister.  Since 1996, he has prayed and walked over 52,000, 000 steps on six continents for children and world peace.  During his journeys, Garcia met with dignitaries all over the world, ministering to the famous and to the poorest of the poor.  Danny made presentations to Kings/royals, Presidents, and other world leaders, to include four Presidents of the USA, several Prime Ministers of other countries, the Pope, Mother Teresa, Ambassadors and various eminent personalities and multilateral organizations.  Garcia began his journey as a personal commitment to peace and children and continued walking and raising funds for multiple charitable organizations.

Danny is married to the former Jacqueline Charsagua of El Paso, TX, and they work side by side to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.  For more information, visit Danny’s website,  www.globalwalk.cc.

 

Jackie Charsagua Garcia

Jackie Charsagua Garcia is married to Daniel Garcia.  She graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, in 1985 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force.  Jackie holds a Bachelor of Science in Management and a Master of Science in Human Resources Management.  While in the US Air Force, Jackie specialized in communications, acquisition, systems engineering, and information technology.

After a rewarding and fulfilling Air Force career, she retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the summer of 2006, having spent more than 21 years on active duty.  Since 2006, she has supported and advised on all aspects of her husband’s walks and charitable initiatives within the United States and abroad.  She joined Danny during his Africa Walk in 2007 and ministered in South Africa, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Southern Sudan.  During this time, her faith and reliance on God grew tremendously under the mentorship of Danny Garcia. The Global Walk experience gave Jackie an opportunity to serve God abroad, and her vision is to spread the hope, love, and the grace of Jesus Christ through her writing.  She is a native of El Paso, TX, mother of one amazing daughter, and a breast cancer survivor.

 

Website

Front Page

Facebook: Danny / Group / Jackie

Instagram: Danny / Jackie

YouTube

YouTube link of an interview with Danny and Jackie for the Veterans History Project: HERE

Linked In: Jackie / Danny

 

Buy links: Bookfunnel / Amazon / B&N / Books-a-Million / BookShop / Indiebound 

~~~~~

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.