The Making of a Memoir Writer – A Short Beginners Guide by N. Daniel – Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. N. Daniel will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Making of a Memoir Writer – A Short Beginners Guide

My name is N. Daniel and I began writing memoirs about my life in 2013. Authors who write memoir have both the blessing and the curse of living through meaningful, sometimes traumatizing events, and coming out the other end with something worth mentioning. Unique experience is awesome in these circumstances but finding the profound in the ordinary is where most memoir writers make their living.

The first thing you need to realize is that memory is a day-dream. Your timeline, your conversations and your frame of reference are probably all false. Your goal is to ride the tide between reality and interest. Be accurate and use your deviance from the truth to reveal the lessons you have learned along the way. Reality is respectful to the reader but they will not pay attention if your story doesn’t flow correctly or meanders on loose ends. Change the timeline to build a climax. Weave narratives throughout to show people what you have learned without them doing the work. This is the real work of the memoir writer. If you need to combine or omit characters to simplify the story, do it! Streamline your thoughts. Streamline the narrative. Let it flow and shine. The most important thing you can do is to show people what you know with as little information as possible, and then show them more! Life is too complicated to explain everything, to have every little sub-plot involved. Make it easy. Make it smart. Write in a way that will make people interested but also be factual whenever possible. This is the memoir way.

The second thing you need to be aware of is this, don’t use memoir as a weapon. Respect your characters. Be sympathetic to them and be realistic about their aspirations and motivations. No one thinks they are evil. No one thinks they are wrong. Point out the inaccuracies in a kind and humbling way. If you google “writing a memoir” online, it will tell you to expect people to be hurt. That is very true. However it is up to you to tell your story fairly, realistically, without judgement. If you don’t like some one tell the reader why! Tell them what they did. Speculate about why they did that and be nice about it. Perhaps they came from a broken home, had improper role models or maybe they were just having a bad day. Be honest with others. More importantly be honest with yourself. Explain what you have done wrong, why you did it and how you could have avoided it. Value your readers enough to set your book in the real world. You don’t need to be the hero. You don’t need to sugar coat yourself. Just be genuine.

Finally, write from the heart. Talk about things that matter to you. Explain why you feel the way you feel. This is your story so you need to give as much detail as possible. The most embarrassing, self conscious and incriminating thoughts are often the ones readers relate most to. Find the bravery to be vulnerable. Find the courage to “take the hit” for your story. Reputation aside, we are talking about your life, your writing! People value a genuine story and the closer you can hit home the better. Put your soul into your writing. Tell people about your deepest desires, your deepest fears! Never shy away from sensitive topics and always, always, always be respectful to everyone you think might be reading your work. The profane, the controversial, the offensive has a place in your writing. This is reality we are talking about. This is real talk! Just remember to put things in perspective.

Everyone has a story in them just waiting to get out. Scratch the surface a little. Find out what you know. I guarantee you will learn more about yourself than your readers will. It is the ultimate journey of self discovery.

Bless you and your endeavors. Write me if you need help at: author@ndaniel.us

Yours,
N. Daniel

As Daniel recovers from a psychotic episode and months long mental health civil commitment, he befriends a youthful quadriplegic named Samantha who is dealing with life-threatening health problems. When cohabitation becomes necessary for Sam, caregiver and client both move to downtown Minneapolis to begin a new life together. Before they can get settled in, Daniel is diagnosed with stage 3 cancer and must undergo multiple surgeries. The two navigate the American healthcare system and work towards Samantha’s eventual independence, however, their relationship becomes toxic when a global pandemic shakes the nation and George Floyd is murdered by Minneapolis police officers.
Based on the author’s life, this endearing platonic love story is the gooey center of a turbulent world set aflame. Through the laughter and the tears, Samantha and Daniel play off each other like a tragic comedy duo that’s hell bent on finding humor within the most savage aspects of their everyday lives.

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

EXCERPTS (Please choose only ONE to use with your post):

Excerpt One:

I pulled into a gas station and had some trouble figuring out which side the tank was on. With some maneuvering I positioned the van next to the pump. Suddenly I realized that I didn’t have any money for gas. I paged through the three-ringed binder holding the mileage log and found what looked like a debit card in a pencil pouch.

“That’s the gas card, dear. You type in the mileage and the user code when you start the pump.”

“Oh, I get it. What’s the code?” I asked. “Look at the back of the card.” There was a tiny piece of paper fastened to the back of the card with clear plastic tape. It read “3742”. Sam put her limp left hand on her forehead as though she was doing a facepalm. I entered the information into the pump and opened the side door so I could talk to her while it filled up.

“So, you have had problems with these sores before?”

“Yes,” she replied, callously.

“They can be pretty serious business, huh?”

“You know the guy that played Superman? Christopher Reeve?”

“Yeah, everybody knows him. He fell off of his horse and broke his neck, right?”

“Exactly,” Sam continued. “He broke his neck at the base of his skull, so he had even less function than I do. Poor Bastard. Do you know how he died?”

“No, how?”

“Just like this. He got a pressure ulcer. Felt fine, just peachy. He went into sepsis and before they could give him antibiotics he dropped dead.”

Sam pointed her hand at me in the thumbs up motion.

“I wish I had the balls to just refuse treatment, but I am too chicken****.”

About the Author N. Daniel works as a medical caregiver in the greater Minneapolis/Saint Paul Metropolitan area in the Winter and as a landscape laborer for his father in Winona, MN in the Summer. His debut writing effort, “Corners Untouched by Madness: A Personal Journey of Overcoming Mental Illness,” has enjoyed modest success in certain writing circles. The Author lives with his wife and two dogs just outside of downtown Minneapolis.

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The Democratization of the Private Market by Carine Schneider – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Carine Schneider will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Facebook, Uber, Robinhood: all were private companies at some point. Historically, there has been no way for investors to easily buy and sell shares in private companies. With the introduction of blockchain technology, digital securities, and decentralized financial solutions, the ability to grow the private market is on the horizon. Regulators around the world are rushing to catch up and understand how to protect investors who want to participate in this market. This book reviews the regulatory, technical, and societal challenges to open this asset class to more investors in the future.







Enjoy an Excerpt

Currently, US residents who want to invest in the private market need to have a certain net worth to participate. Under the cover of this exclusive private club is access to investment opportunities, supporting innovation, and extreme risk. As the private market has grown, the types of investment instruments and the complexity of the investment structure has increased significantly. Unlike investing in the public market, investing in private ventures can be complicated and requires an understanding of securities law, tax strategy, and, in many cases, future technology that can only be envisioned by innovative entrepreneurs. The key characteristics of the private market are: • Less company regulation • Limited public reporting requirements, especially for smaller companies • A lack of information symmetry • Only investment professionals, or the ultra-wealthy, can invest (accredited investors) With the changes in technology solutions, the advent of new financial solutions, and a change in the way some founders approach building their companies, these characteristics may change as the private market grows. Dan Gallagher, General Counsel of Robinhood and a former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner, describes the private market as “a vibrant ecosystem.” Capital is key to growth in a private company, and it can come from various sources — professional individual investors (sometimes called “angel investors”), venture capital firms (VC firms), friends and family, and crowdfunding campaigns. Private equity (PE) is sometimes confused with private company investment. PE firms tend to acquire mature companies and recapitalize and re-organize their targets. PE firms generally aren’t looking to make individual investments alongside other investors. For the purposes of this book, we will mostly focus on non-PE owned companies, although we do discuss liquidity in PE funds. The private market is attractive because investors in privately held companies hope to quickly increase the company’s value, then sell their stakes later through a buyout, trade sale, recapitalization, or listing on a public market via initial public offerings (IPOs).

About the Author:

Carine Schneider, FGE (Fellow of Global Equity) is an experienced and well-connected leader in the private market and global compensation industry with deep experience working in consulting, technology, and financial services. She is the President of AST Private Company Solutions (AST PCS). She was named one of the 100 Influential Women in Silicon Valley by the Silicon Valley Business Journal and one of 17 “Women to Watch” in 2017 by Brown Brothers Harriman Center on Women and Wealth. Carine was formerly the President, Nasdaq Private Market and has been the founder and CEO of Global Shares, CEO of Certent, and Partner at PwC. She has also held senior level positions at Morgan Stanley and Willis Towers Watson. She was the founding Executive Director of the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals (NASPP) and founded the nonprofit Global Equity Organization (GEO) where she is now Chair Emeritus, after serving as Chair for eighteen years. She 103 started her career as Manager of Shareholder Relations at Oracle Corporation where she assisted in the IPO. Ms. Schneider was born in The Netherlands and received her degree in psychology and sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is a frequent speaker at conferences around the world, including at President Obama’s 2016 Global Entrepreneurial Summit, and has authored various articles and chapters in industry publications. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Professional Business Women of California (PBWC). In 2019, she received the UK ProShare Award for Service to Employee Share Ownership.

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The Light in the Darkness by Jo St Leon

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotion. Jo St Leon will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Light in the Darkness is a must-have companion for anyone living with a serious illness, or caring for a loved one with such an illness.

With this collection of reflections and personal essays, Jo St Leon shares her experiences, her darkest moments and her greatest joys. She tells of the journey from fear and denial to acceptance and a determination to live her best life. She shares her deepest thoughts and feelings, always with her characteristic blend of wry humour and wisdom.

The Light in the Darkness is the book Jo wishes she could have found when she first received her cancer diagnosis.

Enjoy an Excerpt

I was diagnosed with Sézary syndrome (a rare blood cancer) in 2016. It is notoriously difficult to diagnose, and at that point I estimated that I had had it for about 11 years. At least, that was when the itch began.

I was living in London and had a touring job: as principal viola with English National Ballet I spent four or five months each year on the road. I imagined little piles of skin and blood on bedlinen all over the country as I manically scratched night after night with no idea what ailed me. Once, the itch gave me two days respite, and I spent hours wondering what could have changed and how I could repeat that blissful itchless experience. I experimented with everything, but, of course, nothing worked. You cannot cure cancer by changing your washing powder.

I left London late in 2006 and returned to Australia to live in Hobart. Eventually, I took my itch to the doctor. She told me to take antihistamines. When I went back to tell her they didn’t work, she advised me to take more. I finally begged her for a referral to a dermatologist. Reluctantly, she agreed. I think her private opinion was that I was making a fuss about nothing, but she couldn’t say so. The dermatologist was not much more helpful, so I just carried on scratching.

Eventually, my feet and ankles became twice their rightful size and were covered in unsightly sores. Unable to wear shoes and desperate for answers, I changed my GP. He ordered blood tests for everything, and eventually Sézary was diagnosed. I didn’t much like the diagnosis, but it was good to know what it was.

It was also good to finally be taken seriously and not treated as an irritating hypochondriac who was taking valuable treatment time away from people who were actually sick. I now had a whole team of doctors who treated my comfort as a priority. They even respected me for managing to carry on working with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (TSO) despite a constant itch that seemed to go right through to the bone. Respect—imagine!

About the Author:Jo St Leon is a musician and writer living in Hobart, Tasmania. Receiving a cancer diagnosis in 2016 prompted her to transition from being a full-time musician who loved to write to being a full-time writer who loves to sometimes play the viola. She shares her house with two very pampered felines. She loves reading, cooking, swimming and yoga.

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Tales of a Mermaid Gone Over the Deep End by Teresa Fischtner – Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Teresa Fischtner will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Advance praise (payback) for Teresa Fischtner:

“Well, this is a little embarrassing. I didn’t actually read the WHOLE book, but it’s probably pretty good. I’m not sure what she said about me, but you should know—SHE shot me in the back on my 19th birthday!”
– Ronny Fischtner (author’s son)

“I love my mom and I love MOST of this book. It should be noted that my bowling has improved, I’ve given up hockey, accounting is for nerds, pancakes is food for super heroes and no one needs to count how many boyfriends I’ve had.”
– Malyn Fischtner (author’s daughter)

“I’m pleased to be the source of so much humour for my wife. I just wish she didn’t feel the need to publish it.”
– Ron Fischtner (author’s husband)

“It was the last class of the evening that I was teaching, and we were doing our stretches, and at the surface of the water I noticed a single floating nipple happily bobbing away on its own. Unsure if its owner was still in the water, I quietly asked the nearest lady, “Excuse me, could you just pass me that nipple over your right shoulder?

“There I held a lovely C-cup breast that went rogue. I made posters for the lost breast (seriously, I made missing boob posters). No one claimed her. I introduced her to all the instructors, but no one recognized her (honestly, they all look the same after a few years at the pool). No one ever claimed Betty (yes, we gave her a name). Betty stayed on the teachers’ table in our special little box for a long time. Eventually, like all good boobs, she wrinkled up, lost her bounce, and sagged lower and lower in the box until we all forgot how much fun she was when we first found her.”

This is a feel-good book of true short stories about me, my family, friends, and my aquafit business, Over the Deep End. We all have stories to share, and the true ones are always the best. I’m sharing some of my most vulnerable moments, some of my greatest moments, and some of my saddest. Hopefully, in one story or another, you find something way better than me—you might find you. We all have a story and a different way to tell it. I hope telling my stories helps you tell some of your own.

Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt

I met Pam at the pool. She had been using a therapy pool in London while she was still in recovery, but now she had to find her own water therapy. We don’t have a chair lift or a ramp for our pool, but that wasn’t going to stop Pam. We don’t have wheelchair parking or automatic doors, but that wasn’t going to stop Pam. I had never worked with anyone confined to a wheelchair, and that didn’t even make her flinch.

Pam was able to get herself into a standing position, and then I would work her feet to get down the steps. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t pretty in the beginning, but now, years later, we move together like professional dancers (dancers with two left feet wearing clown shoes). The first time she got in the water, she was able to walk the length of the pool holding a noodle at the surface. Her moves were jerky and took all the energy she had, and it was freaking amazing! It was another Terry Fox moment for me—I was in awe of her.

We got her in the deep end and tethered her to the wall. If she could walk, then she could run, and run she did. She was coming to the pool three times a week and getting stronger all the time. Of course, she joined Bert’s therapy class; she had two therapy swims a week and one regular aqua fit class. I love it when she arrives at a new class in her chair, and everyone in the water wonders, “How the hell are they going pull this off?” and then we do. She quietly has the respect of everyone in the water, no matter what class she is in. It is no big deal, just Pam taking an aqua fit class. She inspires a lot of people.

Every year at the pool, we host a “Water Running Marathon.” It is a fundraiser, and each year, we pick a new charity. It is a one-day event that people sign up for a forty-five-minute time slot in the pool for which they water run the entire time. We have instructors on deck to help motivate and good tunes to keep them on pace to water run five kilometres in the forty-five minutes. It is a pool party with a purpose. We raise money and awareness for charities that tend to go unnoticed. It is always a pretty magical day. When Pam started coming to our classes, I asked if she wanted a spot in our marathon, and of course she did. Not only did Pam want a spot, but she also put together a team of water runners and got pledges for our charity. I was always proud of our water running marathons but never prouder than when Pam rolled through the doors.

Life can feel like it’s really slapping me around sometimes, and I have two good legs. Every time I think of Terry Fox or dance Pam into the pool, I’m not just thankful for my good health, but I’m thankful for theirs. People with different abilities are people with different opportunities for greatness.

About the Author: Teresa Fischtner is an “aqua entrepreneur.” After 25 years working in accounting, she changed careers and started teaching aquafit at her family pool. Customers come to “Over the Deep End” for full body workouts in deep water and they leave with a sense of community and friendship that Teresa has created, and all her mermaids and mermen continue to nurture.

This is Teresa’s first book; she writes from her heart with honesty and humour. Comments and kindness always welcome at teresa@overthedeepend.ca.

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What Would I Tell a New Author? by Mariëlle S. Smith – Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Mariëlle S. Smith will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What would I tell a new author?
That there’s nothing more important than knowing what you want from your writing.

Writing is such a personal journey and we’re all on it for different reasons. Some of us dream of becoming full-time authors, while others simply use writing to let off steam and deal with their everyday life. Some write to entertain their friends, and yet others dream to be published in this or that magazine.

None of these goals are better than any of the others. We all have different dreams and that’s exactly as it should be. However, as new writers, we tend to be extra impressionable. Having figured out for yourself what you want from your writing both helps you find the right path for you and stick with it. It provides clarity on what opportunities are right for you and which aren’t, who makes sense as a role model for you and who doesn’t, what you need to be focusing your energy towards and what you should leave be.

Perhaps the best way to figure out what you want from your writing is by asking yourself what kind of writing life you want to look back on once your time here on this earth is over. Again, there are no wrong answers, and your answer might be different a few years from now, but knowing what your answer is right now will help you steer clear of anything that doesn’t serve the writing life you’re envisioning and align yourself with all that does.

I’ve answered this question for myself in 2016, after reading Joanna Penn’s The Successful Author Mindset, a book I highly recommend to anyone who’s in it for the long haul. My answer was: to leave a legacy I’m proud of.

Over the years, this short, simple phrase has helped me say ‘No’ to multiple projects and collaborations that I was considering for the wrong reasons, be that to impress someone or not disappoint them, to make a quick buck, what have you. It has also made it easier to prioritise certain projects over others, and it has pushed me towards things that scare me terribly, like starting the Doing Diversity in Writing podcast for fiction authors.

Isn’t it funny how something so simple can be so effective?

Whether you’re a seasoned or new author, are you clear on what you want from your writing? On what you want to look back on when your time comes? If not, I’d suggest you start digging for some answers.

‘A brilliant, supportive, challenging workbook, highly recommend.’ Jamie Sands

You, too, can become the writer you’ve always wanted to be!

The 52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner:

• makes you plan, track, reflect on, and improve your progress and goals for an entire year long;

• invites you to dig deep through thought-provoking prompts and exercises; and

• helps you unravel the truth about why you aren’t where you want to be.

Two years after publishing the first volume of 52 Weeks of Writing, writing coach and writer Mariëlle S. Smith brings you the updated third volume. Similar in style but reflecting the tweaks made to her coaching practice during the pandemic, 52 Weeks of Writing Vol. III is even better equipped to help you get out of your own way and on to the path towards success.

Ready to start living your writing dream? Order your copy now.

Enjoy an Excerpt

About the Author:Mariëlle S. Smith is a writer, writing coach, and editor. She lives in Cyprus, where she organises private writer’s retreats, is inspired 24/7, and feeds more stray cats than she can count.

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Head vs Heart by Toby Negus – Guest Blog and Giveaway

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

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When we were very young, we lived from the heart. There was little separation between our heart and our acts of life. We loved easily and carried the freedom and creativity because of it. But we live in a busy world and its pursuit for ‘more’ of what we do not need, has made the things of life more important than our love. These false prophets have subjugated the heart and left us bereft of its presence. It has made the head the master and the heart its servant. So now, instead of the head using its great abilities of thinking and reasoning for the heart’s purpose, it has become lost in its own struggle for identity.

The heart is the source of our truth. Not the truth of yesterday or tomorrow that the mind struggles to know, but the truth of the moment, the living truth. When we speak from the heart it is always powerful. When we live from the heart it is always an adventure. The head may be good at sorting and planning in the outer world. But is not so good at being with the moments of life. That is the heart’s art. The head is just too slow and clumsy to perceive and know the cause of the manifested world, its energy, and its meaning.

This is a thought-provoking and enlightening exploration of spirituality and perception. The text functions as a guide to self-improvement, with a mixture of autobiographical elements and snippets of universal wisdom. The speaker provides accessible solutions to life’s difficulties, and an outlook of optimism applicable to any circumstance. The illustrations and graphics are thoughtfully chosen, and the interactive textual elements give this work an originality that sets it apart. The speaker’s own experiences and conclusions are at the heart of this fiction, and the first person narrative voice creates a sense of proximity between author and reader. The text describes itself as ‘a journey to the heart’, and this truthful discovery of the self is reflected in the speaker’s revelation of his whole self through the text.

Frequent use of direct address and rhetorical questions promotes an active reading experience, in which the author opens up a dialogue with the reader. The text includes prompts and activities for the reader to engage with and learn from. Encouraging readers to take part in the text is emblematic of their journey to self-fulfillment and love, in which they must take responsibility for actively creating their own happiness.

The speaker depicts his process of enlightenment as a framework for others to emulate, and the format of the text demonstrates the transfer of agency to those who take part in the speaker’s challenges. This work ultimately teaches us that ‘we are the cause of what is’ and thus sheds light on the crucial idea that every individual has the power to create themselves and their world positively.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Real learning is not what we expect.
If we could expect it, it wouldn’t be learning.

I looked in the mirror today and saw more than who I thought I was; within the eyes was a million years of purpose. I saw the depth of the universe and felt its unfaltering love. It was as if I had seen the divine within myself, the truth of who we are. The us that never dies, the custodian of our purpose, the love of our life.

This wasn’t what I expected and was somewhat sobering. There was no blinding light, no sound of trumpets, and no big handshake with an almighty. But it was as profound as if there had been. For it seemed I was touching an eternal part of myself, an authority within that could create my heaven on earth, that was already in heaven on earth! It was a glimpse of something other than the me I thought I was. Its light questioned the lack of self-care and love I held for myself. And its presence would eventually crack and then dissolve my view of what I thought it meant to be human.

Doing a spiritual journey and tackling self-development issues can give many profound perceptions, and I have had my fair share of them. But this was different, this was personal. It was my eyes that were looking at me, something that I could not escape from. It could not be brushed off as a ‘perhaps’ or a nice perception that subsided over time. Its truth seemed to embed itself into my very soul.

About the Author: Toby Negus has studied and taught spiritual and personal development in the UK and around the world for over two decades. He is qualified in advanced counselling, as a life coach and as a Cognitive Behaviour therapist. He is an Amazon best-selling author of a collaborative Conscious Creators book and has illustrated and self published two books on the subject of self-awareness and the spiritual journey. He is also a published author of a children’s book The Boy Who Dreamed in Colour. He has given talks and run workshops in support of his published work within the UK.

In the last few years, he has created many pieces of artwork that are a reflection of his spiritual journey. These have appeared in magazines and have been exhibited in the UK.

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Underestimate me – That’ll Be Fun! by Furiosa – Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Furiosa will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

This book is a collection of rants, opinions, and observations on random subjects that I scribbled while running away from and toward my true self.

I hope my words can show others that there is life after years of breaking rocks on society’s conformity chain gang and that real empowerment is being yourself and not what others tell you that you should be. You cannot sit and read the book of your life as it unfolds. You must write the next page yourself. That is the way to growth and to peace and yes, you can be homesick for places you have never been.

Book description by my Inner voice: This is a chunk of at times incoherent ramblings on life and people one meets as they wander aimlessly on the internet and through the so-called real world… a shambolic, circumlocutious clustershtuck of a sometimes crap-infused, possibly drug-fuelled word salad.

Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt

“Eminence Front”

“Eminence Front” is a great song by The Who, and they are right: “it is a put on.” Your game face or whatever you want to call it is a necessary thing but one you should not use often as it can be exhausting being fake when you really don’t need to. Your own front is much more powerful, trust me. To crack open your eminence front and pack it away for emergencies, you have to be honest with yourself and others, and that leaves you open to attacks. The attacks and how you deal with them make you what you are. That’s the whole point of my method, and for the most part I bucked the of idea pretending to be something or someone other than what I am.

Certainly, I took gobs of wisdom from here and there and tried applying them to my life—think square peg, round hole. I came to reject the whole idea that I need to be what everyone else said I should be. The one thing I knew for sure was that conformity was not an option. I also learned that while I had no control over some things that happen to me, I do have control over how I react to those things.

What I needed to be was me. Since I am better and always get done what I have to do when backed into a corner, I threw myself into the belly of the beast, facing me head on and changing myself for the better. Fear of the unknown usually kept me from doing things that had to be done, and I usually just sat there sweating with a twisted knot in my stomach waiting to be hit with a shit storm of deadlines and demands for action. This time I ran up to meet the shit storm and I killed it. I was Queen of Confrontation. You have to throw yourself into situations that scare you to conquer your fears. What doesn’t kill ya makes ya stronger and all that rot. There’s a saying and a song that go: “If you’re going through Hell, keep going.” Know that when you’re in the middle of Hell there is a better place once you break on through the wall at the end, and you will get there if you don’t give up. You do not fail until you stop trying. Think about that!

Confronting the shit storm as it approaches allows you to do it on your terms. It’s okay to say out loud that you have no idea if what you are about to do is right but you’re gonna do it anyway. I’ll bet if you look back at things you didn’t do because of fear of failure, you’ll realize that many of those times you watched someone else do exactly what you thought should be done instead of doing the thing that scares you. Now, you probably think to yourself, Why the hell didn’t I just do it? Depending on what that job was, no one can kill you for making a mistake, or better yet, you can ask for help. It’s okay to be vulnerable. Wear your vulnerability like a frickin’ diamond encrusted tiara or a Kentucky Derby chapeau.

About the Author:Furiosa has been expressing her thoughts and ideas on paper, walls, and sidewalks since she could hold a crayon. Though she only recently published her first book, Underestimate Me. That’ll be Fun! She identifies as a bestselling author. She wants you to know that being yourself is your superpower. Furiosa loves autobiographies, classic old movies, all genres of music, chasing stars, and visiting far-flung places via roads less travelled.

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The Manual for Letting Go by Dr. Eman Yasin – Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dr. Eman Yasin will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

We all have undesired addictions we want to let go of. We try and try, but end up failing again and again. But what if the only reason we are going in endless circles of failure is the method we use to let go? Imagine you have access to an effective manual full of mental and practical exercises, the manual that’s gonna help you get rid of your bad habits. Who says we don’t have one? Now we do . . .

It’s the book that changes the chemical reactions in your brain by reprogramming it. It will cause you to let go of whatever harms you spontaneously, just like taking a course of medicine to let you eventually quit your bad habits effortlessly, and, most importantly, enjoyably. It works very effectively, as this book contains a real story for a specific method with defined exercises and calculated steps. The method has been applied to several people, and it cured them completely.

Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt

Imagination is a great human skill. It sends you further than you’d ever expect, and that starts by learning to routinize imagination, and it ends by mastering its four rules.

Imagination rules

First Rule: Connect to Your Soul, Disconnect from the Whole World

The session was set to be at 9 a.m. I spent the whole night preparing my files containing evidence that would be submitted to the court. Most of the evidence indicated my client’s innocence. I was sure he was framed for this crime! But now, I’m stuck in my car, there’s a huge traffic jam, and I can’t move a single meter. I’ve been waiting for 30 minutes in the same place. I’m worried. I feel like I might miss the session. Now it is 8:30. I’m looking at my watch passing time, minute by minute…

“…at that moment, a small part of your mind called hypothalamus, orders the secretion of adrenaline and cortisol hormones in preparation for facing the moment, either by attacking or running away. Those hormones raise the heart rate and blood influx for the areas that are most in need in emergencies, such as the heart muscles and the end organs…”

My breath goes louder, and my organs are ready to attack or run away! I look around me, searching for a taxi driver to shout at, or maybe hoping to see a pedestrian and mock his stupid suit. I need to put my anger on someone else, due to my narrow-mindedness at that moment, and finally, the cars are moving.

After a stressful situation has ended, stress hormones are reduced, but the body stays in the stressful state for a while, with provocation vibes that continue to leak into the body until the person loses his or her ability to concentrate on any matter that may distract him or her from his willingness to flee or escape. Generally, the person won’t be able to think, make rational decisions, or connect to the depths of his soul if he stays in such a situation. Then what is the solution? We live in a constant state of tension everywhere and in a fast world in which every step out of a misfortune means a step toward falling into a bigger one!

Relaxing helps people manage stress to a great extent. It helps a person regain his strength and natural state, as it works on restricting the activation of stress hormones in the body and thus leads to slowing the heart rate and breathing, lowering blood pressure, less muscle tension, less agitation and disappointment, and improved general mood.

About the Author: Eman Yasin was born and raised in Amman, Jordan. She is the founder of the “smoker’s friendship” technique, which helps smokers quit smoothly and happily. She is also the writer of the smoker’s friend Arabic book, which was adopted by the Tobacco Control Club in WISE University, which is part of the Jordanian Universities Association, to combat smoking. Her career was built on a solid knowledge of self-development, project management (a valid PMP professional Project Manager since 2004), training, and professor assistance.

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EDucation: Lessons to Manage Erectile Dysfunction by Kelly Dawn & Rockie Dale – Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kelly Dawn & Rockie Dale will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

No man likes to see a doctor at the best of times, but when the diagnosis is erectile dysfunction, it can feel like a life sentence.

There was a time not so long ago when talking about erectile dysfunction was taboo and rarely talked about in public. That began to change in the late ’90s, when advertisements for Viagra began to air on TV. Today, the erectile dysfunction business is a multi-billion-dollar industry with great promises and limited advice.

The authors of EDucation are a real-life couple who had to deal with erectile dysfunction early on in their relationship. They found a few books on erectile dysfunction, but they were very clinical in nature, so they wrote their own book filled with practical advice, like whisky dick is real and having a few before the lights go out is a bad idea.

EDucation is a light-hearted, helpful and fun view of erectile dysfunction for men and their partners!

Remember: it’s all in your head!

Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt

Make the Most of Every Hard-On

The hard-on defines a man from puberty until he dies. While men with ED can’t achieve and/or maintain an erection for intercourse, they can still get hard for shorter periods of time.

Getting a hard-on is a signal that blood is still flowing to the penis and that’s good news! Morning wood is a great sign that ED has left the bedroom. The brain has more issues with ED than the penis (See Chapter 11 – It’s All in the Coconut).

There is nothing more satisfying to an ED sufferer than finding out the plumbing still works, even if it’s not up to old standards.

It’s a big relief to see it still functions, if only for a short time.

If ED has left the room and your partner is sleeping, you might want to wake them up. They will surely appreciate this milestone, so make the best of the moment!

If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it!

For the Partner: Never Waste a Hard-On

Never waste a hard-on. It doesn’t matter if it’s 3 a.m., 6 a.m., or mid-afternoon—make use of it. Your guy will be so proud of that moment of near normalcy that you’d be crushing him by not taking advantage of the situation.

To a man with ED, getting morning wood is like winning the lottery. Partners, be sure to make the most of this opportunity. It’s important to your guy, so don’t waste a minute! Sure, it’s early and you’re tired and the alarm won’t go off for another 20 minutes, but your eagerness will help the little guy.

Your man does what he can for you, so do the same for him. Relationships are a two-way street. Go ahead, seize the opportunity! Like it on top? Go for it—he’s already on his back!

Remember, you are fighting ED as a team! It may only be a couple of quick strokes this morning, but every one leads to a bigger, harder and longer adventure next time.

About the Authors We are Rockie and Kelly, two people in their 50s, who met online after our marriages fell apart. The late 40s and early 50s are a difficult time for many couples, as the kids start to leave home and you wonder what the next chapter holds for you. There may be financial, career, relationship and — in particular — sex issues that suddenly rear their ugly heads.

We spent a long time talking and texting prior to meeting in person, and eventually, as our relationship grew, we were ready for intimacy. He was upfront from the beginning that he suffered from Erectile Dysfunction (ED). His honesty about ED helped us to deal with this and, as our relationship progressed, we found different solutions to improve our sex life. We also discovered that while there is a lot of information available about ED, most of the books on this topic are very clinical and serious. As time went on and we became better acquainted with ED, we decided that we wanted to take what we had learned and write a book that would be both helpful and humorous in order to help other couples.

You will notice that we have included a song at the beginning of each chapter. We felt the song lyrics had hidden meaning for us, from our point of view of ED. If you are not familiar with these songs, take time to listen to them and see if you can find or make the connection with Erectile Dysfunction.

It is important to note that we are not medical professionals, nor sex therapists, and do not offer a cure. We are here to give you fun and practical advice on how to live with ED and have a fulfilling sex life.

This book is meant for both men and women, whether new to the diagnosis of Erectile Dysfunction, or in the midst of dealing with it—married or otherwise. We hope it helps you find a new normalcy in the bedroom, and that you enjoy our straightforward and unconventional approach!

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F*ck Luck, Bitches by Branden LaNette – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Branden LaNette will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Is there such thing as luck?

Of course, there is. I for one want to get as lucky as I can.

I know what you’re thinking: Branden are you admitting your title is just a marketing device? Well, I am trying to sell books here people!

We all want to be lucky or get lucky. And if the hand of luck reaches down to help you climb the tree of success, take it. But if it doesn’t, f— it. Climb the tree anyway.

Hope is not a strategy. Wishing is for singing crickets.

Most people think they need more luck. If this describes you, you’re got it backward: Luck needs you. Luck doesn’t show up—YOU show up

Luck is waiting for you to show the-f-up. Now let me show you how.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Back to That Lucky Penny

A family in New York picked up pennies and other coins dropped on sidewalks and put them in a jar. At the end of the year, they had $1,013.

How much lost money is lying around? No one knows. The U.S. Mint once estimated that as much as $3 billion in change ends up on sidewalks or slipping between sofa cushions. And let’s not even get started on printed bills.

The fact is, we step right over lost change every day without ever noticing. Why? Because we’re not looking for it. Our priorities and our attention are elsewhere.

When you start looking for pennies, you start seeing them everywhere.

If you really believe you will find a penny on the street, then you will. And when you do, hold the penny in your hand and yourself: Is this penny in my hand because of luck, or because I made a conscious decision to look for one?

You know the answer.

How many pennies (or quarters, or dollars) have you stepped over in your life because you didn’t tell your mind to look for them? How many opportunities have you missed for the same reason?

Look for bad luck, and sure as f–k, you’ll find some.

Look for good luck, and…

(…you can finish the sentence for yourself.)

About the Author:

BRANDEN LANETTE doesn’t look like a typical author, but she has long ignored what she “should” do, say and look like. On her own at a very young age, Branden eventually found herself with the wrong guy, the wrong job, and a bleak future. The fairytale promised as a child never materialized.

Branden realized she wanted something different for her life and realized no one was going to do it for her. Prince charming wasn’t coming to save her—she’d have to save herself. Step by step, decision by decision, through major trials and tribulations, Branden learned how to turn heartbreak into happiness and self-judgment into inner joy.

In 2019, Branden had her first book published, “Once Upon a Time, Bitches” followed by two workbooks in 2020, “The Dream Big Bitches Vision Book” and “The Dream Big Bitches Weekly Goal Setting Journal.” In early 2021 she co-authored the book, “Smart Bitches Buy Bitcoin” and is now over the moon for this one, her fifth. Branden LaNette is an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, coach, wife, and stay-at-home Mom.

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