Posts Tagged ‘memoir’

How To React When Woken At 3AM By Drunk Argentinian Backpackers ~ Cover Reveal And Giveaway

Posted: September 6, 2024 in Excerpt, giveaways, Humor, Memoir
Tags: , ,
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Welcome to the cover reveal of Book Four of the LESSER KNOWN TRAVEL TRIPS series, How to React When Woken at 3am by Drunk Argentinian Backpackers While Staying in a Youth Hostel and Other Lesser Known Travel Tips.

Author Simon Yeats will be awarding a $20 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.

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Genre: Non-Fiction Humorous Memoir

Synopsis

Book 4 of the hilarious book series that those in the know will want to read when arriving at Paris airport so they laugh so freaking hard that it will intimidate any suspicious characters looking to abduct them and sell them into the human trafficking game.

Life was not meant to be easy, Simon Yeats’ father used to tell him. Well, it sure as hell was not meant to be this bizarre and witty. Australian ex-pat Simon Yeats shares his stories of travel misadventures and dubious personal introspection with comedic insights into the unusual and uproarious elements of living his life abroad. All while having a sense of Wanderlust as pervasive as Mongol hordes in the 12th century.

From how to negotiate getting abused in Los Angeles when you will 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..

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Big Wednesday was my first day at work as a liftie on the Burgess Creek lift at the Steamboat ski resort as a wide-eyed 20-year-old. I do not remember the exact date, but I am absolutely certain it was a Wednesday because everyone who was present at the resort that day referred to it as ‘big Wednesday.’

Overnight, between ‘ordinary Tuesday’ and ‘big Wednesday,’ the town and resort received a mammoth amount of snowfall. It absolutely dumped. A biblical amount of snow. Even though I do not recall snow being mentioned once in either the old testament or the new testament. But I could have missed the reference.

And Moses went up the mountain at God’s direction and there was fresh dump of powder snow, and he cried out, “ye verily, gonna cut me some wicked turns.”

To get to work on my first day, I take the shortcut straight down the hill to the main road and bus stop. I am decked out in my official Steamboat resort onesie ski suit. The snow level is over my belly button. It is like wading through waist high surf for a half mile.

I scramble onto the bus, and I am on my knees huffing and puffing while dripping with sweat.

An inauspicious start to the day.

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About Author Simon Yeats:

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 Links: Amazon / TikTok / Instagram

Pre-order link: Amazon

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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.

My Second Life by Simon Yeats ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: June 28, 2024 in Excerpt, giveaways, Memoir
Tags: ,
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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for My Second Life organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Simon Yeats is awarding 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.

My Second Life

by Simon Yeats

 

 

Genre: Memoir

Synopsis

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.

Enjoy this peek inside:

As I cross the hotel lobby floor towards the elevator, a man approaches me and addresses me by name.

Oh god, not again. I know what this is. Another process server who is going to hand me court documents to tell me I am now being sued for refusing to follow my ex-wife’s demands to buy my son another cell phone.

That would have been far more preferable.

The man leads me over to the couches in the hotel lobby, and we sit. He speaks only Portuguese so that I can only understand some of what he says. So, I use Google translate so I can fully understand what is going on.

His name is Michael.

The man is not from the court.

He is on the direct opposite side of the law, as it turns out.

He is a killer for hire.

My ex-wife has hired his services.

What? Right now, I know I am sitting in bizarro world.

About Author Simon Yeats:

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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 Links: Amazon / TikTok / Instagram

Buy Link: Amazon

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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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.

My Gangster Father And Me! by Marcia Rosen ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: June 6, 2024 in Excerpt, giveaways, Memoir
Tags: ,
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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for My Gangster Father And Me! organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Marcia Rosen 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.

My Gangster Father And Me!

by Marcia Rosen

 

 

Genre: Memoir

Synopsis

Happy Fathers Day.
Our history and experiences can define us, inspire our actions and as writers impact our words and stories.  Mine most definitely has. My father was a gangster. Really!

This is my story about my relationship with my father and how his profession affected me and my life, “He called me Sugar Plum. Both a blessing and a burden, I learned interesting lessons from my father: about generosity and determination, taking risks, and certainly finding the willingness to live life as an adventure.”

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Enjoy this peek inside:

There were mixed messages and expectations for my generation. My friends, mostly high school sorority sisters, fell in line. They married, had fancy weddings, and wore beautiful white wedding dresses. For me, they were the symbol of years of living an unwanted life. It was expected of them. They had dreamed of being a bride and about their wedding since playing dolls and dress-up as little girls. They lost themselves and who they could be, shoving aside what they were capable of being, to do what was expected.

 One brilliant girl I knew wanted to be a doctor. Instead, she became an accountant. What a waste. Another wanted to be an actress, another a dancer, another a social worker. They found it best to leave those dreams tucked away so they would be approved of by their families. The sadness of not fulfilling their dreams caused them to feel an emptiness much of their lives.   I had many women tell me this when I toured the country with my first book, “The Woman’s Business Therapist.” One woman had told me her whole life she felt as if she could never fill the emptiness. Now a senior, she realizes why. She had abandoned her education for marriage. Why couldn’t she have had both? Men do.

Throughout my life I felt as if I was being strangled by such demands. I did my best to untangle their grasp. The mixed messages for women amounted to being a good wife and mother. The man is the head of the household and breadwinner, meaning his needs and wants are more important than yours.

 Oh, oh. My mistake? I began making more money than my now ex- husband.

 I was to have his dinner on the table when he came home from work. I often begrudgingly did.

 Oh, oh. I hate to cook.

Never refuse to have sex with him. (Honestly, my father’s mother told me this when I first got married.)

Oh. Oh. I failed again.

Really, I tried to do what was expected. All my friends were already married, what was I to do?

First, I married a hippie and had a baby. Oh, oh, the two-year marriage ended in divorce.

So, why not try again. Another marriage, another child. This time the disaster lasted twenty-one years. He was a cheat and a womanizer. No more oh, oh. Only good riddance!

 A couple years later in therapy, I commented, “He was lucky I didn’t kill him.”

The voice of reason calmly asked, “What good would that have done?”

I not so calmly shouted, “I could have hung his head on the wall, same as when someone shoots a deer and hangs it on their wall.”

“You might need more therapy,” the therapist replied.

Me: “No, I feel great about the idea!”

My parents had wanted me to marry a nice Jewish boy and live in a beautiful house in a beautiful neighborhood. At least my mother surely did. I hadn’t met her expectations. Neither did my father.

How is it possible to meet our parents’ expectations when our ambitions and interests are far different than theirs? My mother’s own disappointments created her dreams for what I might become, how I might live my adult life. I never felt my father had those same expectations. He was, however, disappointed with the two men I married. We both were.

The thing is, we women had mixed messages and expectations in our heads, voices shouting at us, holding us back from stepping outside the box women were told they fit into. I often refused to listen to those voices. I didn’t make my life easy.

I wanted to live a life beyond the ordinary. Have I paid a price for my wanting to live differently than what was expected of a woman of my generation? Probably so. Mostly, it’s been worth it to me. It would have been lovely to be married to the right man for me—one who would have been as supportive and proud of me as I would have been of him.

Constantly pushing myself to succeed. I found myself in situations where I was financially responsible for my sons, their education, and my own needs. But I did it. My dad’s voice was in my head. “Never be a quitter.”

I’ve hardly ever told anyone about the time I was asked to run for Congress in NYC—a “no” I have regretted.

 Wow, my dad would have been thrilled.

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About Author Marcia Rosen:

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Marcia Rosen is an award-winning author of twelve books including nine mysteries, the most recent is An Agatha, Raymond, Sherlock, and Me Mystery: Murder at the Zoo. She is also the author of The Senior Sleuths, the Dying to Be Beautiful Mystery Series, and The Gourmet Gangster: Mysteries and Menus (Menus by her son Jory Rosen). She wrote The Woman’s Business Therapist and My Memoir Workbook and has given Memoir Writing presentations and classes for close to twenty years. Her Memoir Blog can be found on her website. For twenty-five years she was owner of a successful national marketing and public relations agency.

 

Marcia has frequently been a featured speaker at organization meetings, bookstores, libraries, and Zoom Programs presenting talks on Encouraging the Writer Within You, Marketing for Authors, Writing Mysteries…Not A Mystery and A Memoir Detective…Writing Your Life Story. She has also helped numerous writers develop and market their books.

 

She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Southwest Writers, New Mexico Book Association, Public Safety Writer’s Association, International Memoir Writer’s Association, Women’s National book Association and National Association of Independent Writers and Editors—for which she is also a board member.

Website

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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.

Secrets Of A Gay Man Growing Up In The 1950s by Jonathan Feinn ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: February 22, 2024 in giveaways, Memoir
Tags: , ,
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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

Mamacadabra by Carrie Monroe O’Keefe ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: February 12, 2024 in Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: ,
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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:

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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

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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.

Undomesticated Women by Anna Blake ~ Guest Post, Giveaway & Review ~

Posted: January 30, 2024 in giveaways, Guest Post, reviews
Tags: , , ,
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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
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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

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Guest Post
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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?

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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:
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Undomesticated Women, Anecdotal Evidence from the Road Book Tour Giveaway

 

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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 by Beverly Golden Cuevas ~ Review And Giveaway

Posted: January 22, 2024 in giveaways, reviews
Tags: , , ,
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​ 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.

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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

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

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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

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And Then I Met You by MacKezie Lee ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: August 21, 2023 in giveaways, Romance
Tags: , ,
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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

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Mama Dida: My Road To Canada by Leonida Teohari ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: August 11, 2023 in Excerpt, giveaways
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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

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Shoebox Baby by Sharon Bruce ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: August 10, 2023 in Excerpt, giveaways
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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:

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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

 

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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.

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