Love Has No Limits by Armine Papouchian – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Armine Papouchian will be awarding a $20 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.

At sixteen, Armine fell in love for the first time and lost that love for the first time. She was the youngest daughter of three in Armenia and the only one underage when her parents decided to immigrate to the United States. She had to go with and leave her beloved Alex behind. Her parents saw a land of opportunity while Armine saw heartbreak. It wasn’t the end of her story with Alex and certainly not the end of her life,as it had felt at the time, but there was more pain to follow. Sixteen-year-olds are resilient, but even when losses and hurt came calling repeatedly throughout Armine’s life, she had the strength to love and to rise again and again. Even as life moves on for Armine and Alex, their lives intersect again and again over the course of thirty years. Through deaths and divorces, their lives never quite line up from their opposite sides of the globe. Love Has No Limits is Armine’s story of keeping faith in oneself and in love despite heartbreak, betrayal, and loss. It reveals the joy available to those who rise and rise again.

Enjoy an Excerpt

While drinking a glass of red wine, I watched the blazing fire roll down the hill. I got the second emergency alert call to evacuate immediately. I couldn’t believe this was happening again. Last time this happened my son still lived at home, my parents lived with us, and Peaches, our sweet dog was still alive. Back then, I had to get everyone organized, packed, and ready to evacuate. Back then, I’d been more nervous, concerned about my aging parents, my teenage son and our dog, who could sense the tension and had anxiously paced back and forth with her tongue hanging out. This time, it was just me. I thought about what I should take with me. After all, I had already lost so much in life, yet at the same time, I felt I was blessed with all that I still had. After all, my parents had moved me halfway around the world when I was a teenager, leaving my love behind. I had grieved losing two husbands by the time I was 50, another husband in between who betrayed me at my most vulnerable moment, and I’d struggled with my father’s cancer, which ended in suicide. Just as I was catching my breath, I had to put my dog to sleep followed by my mother’s long-term illness and her painful death. At the same time, I was so grateful for all I had. I was so happy that I was not angry and resentful. I was not bitter; I was content. I had love again, and I was stronger than ever before. I was still standing. As I packed a change of clothes, my laptop, few photo albums that my son requested and my small metal safe deposit box with important documents, I reflected on how little all our possessions really matter to us. As I was packing the albums, the memories started to come back, old wounds flared up and I started to feel the pain and the deep sadness. I ached for my son who had lost his father at age ten. I felt lonely; I missed the people I had in my life that I’d loved and lost. I missed all they brought to my life. At times, I could not believe I had survived all that had happened in my life in such a short time. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I realized the effects those pictures had on me and why I did not even want to take those albums with me. I had the memories in my heart and that’s all I could ever have, the rest of my life. I realized that’s why I no longer made photo albums. I realized how simplistic life had become for me. I did not need much. I cherished the moments I was with the people I loved and that is all I ever needed.

About the Author:

Arminé was born in Soviet Armenia and immigrated to United States with her parents when she was 17. She worked in the health care industry for 33 years and held key leadership roles in various health plans. Most recently, she retired from a senior executive position to pursue service and paying forward.

She is currently involved in various volunteer roles. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, gardening, art museums, concerts, dancing, and spending time with family and friends.

Love Has No Limits is her first book.

Goodreads

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Courageous Birth by Dr. Laura Sims – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dr. Laura Sims 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.

In building her family, Dr. Laura Sims has experienced joy and loss. This is a mother who has been through the worst and best of pregnancy, birth and family life and she won’t shy away from telling the truth of it.

Dr. Sims shows that, as the mother, you have the first say in how your pregnancy and the birth goes. You get to decide how you want to bring your baby into the world. Home births are rising and there is more and more understanding of how putting the mother’s comfort first results in better birthing experiences. Within days of knowing she was pregnant for the first time, Dr. Sims knew she wanted a home water birth. She took the reins right from the start, but was disappointed in the lack of literature available to her about the kind of pregnancy and birth she wanted. Courageous Birth is her offering to women like her, women who want to know the truth of the experience and who want someone to show them what is possible for them in pregnancy, birth, and post-natal life. Dr. Laura Sims opens up her family’s joys, losses and hopes for mothers looking to understand. With an intimate and honest window into her life, Dr. Sims empowers expecting mothers and post-birth mothers to find what’s best for them and their babies.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Motherhood. Talk about a 24/7 job, the most rewarding and challenging job of my life.

The newborn stage is incredibly sweet. There was a lot of sleeping. If I were giving myself advice as a new mom, it would be to rest. I know, there’s things to do and meals to make and clean up, etc. The cleaning can wait. The food will be provided. Have simple things as far as food is concerned. There’s no need to cook anything! Paper plates and plastic utensils for a week, or longer, is not going to hurt anything. I would tell myself that resting and allowing others to support you is priority #1! I say this now because I didn’t take adequate time to rest and rejuvenate. Partially due to the fact that I felt so awesome post-birth. Still, allowing my mind and body the time to integrate everything that had just occurred is something I would have liked to give myself more time for.

Immediately following the birth, Annie and Jacob cleaned it all up. I felt weightless and overjoyed, full of energy and empowered beyond belief! I felt like I could do anything! I was invincible! I can remember being with new baby and Madeline, my 7-year-old Lab. Her head was as big as new baby’s entire body. I took a picture. I spent a long time staring at this beautiful child that had been in my belly the past 9+ months. It didn’t feel real. Eventually, I finally fell asleep that night.

About the Author:
Dr. Laura Sims has been helping people reach optimal health since 2006. Along with her husband, they founded 2 of the largest chiropractic practices on the western slope of Colorado.

She believes the body is capable of healing itself when free from nerve interference. In 2019, she completed a 2-year Master’s class in Soul-Centered Living from the University of Santa Monica.

It is her heartfelt mission for everyone to step more fully into their courageousness and trust their inner knowing!

Website | Facebook | Goodreads
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Interview: Reagan J. Pasternak

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Reagan J. Pasternak author of the upcoming book, Griffin’s Heart.

Reagan currently lives in Los Angeles, but she’s originally from Toronto, Canada. She told me that only thing she doesn’t miss about Canada, though, is the cold…she definitely prefers warm weather.

“The longer I live here in the US the more I identify as being a true Canadian through and through,” she said.

Reagan has always been a reader, but she started writing only because she had an idea come to her and wouldn’t leave her alone. After she lost a beloved pet, she felt completely broken and alone, and she couldn’t find a resource to help guide her through this specific kind of grief. Over the years she would write bits and pieces about what it meant to mourn an animal. Eventually it because a book.

She choose print only for Griffin’s Heart , Mourning Your Pet With No Apologies because not only is it a memoir, it’s also an interactive guide where you can journal your own animal stories. Ultimately, it will end up being a keepsake, beacause there are places for photos and memories throughout the pages.

“We spared to no expense using the most beautiful paper and it’s hardcover with an embossed slip case… and lots of other little extras. So… definitely print for this one!,” she assured me.

“How did you come up with the title?” I asked.

“The title of this book came to me so easily. It was titled Griffin’s Heart after my sweet Griffin’s, you guessed it, heart — because it was both pure love and also riddled with the disease that ended up taking his life. He was a complicated little being from the start.”

During the time she was writing the book, she liked to light a candle and kept a photo of him next to her laptop as sort of a little tribute.

“It kept me focused on why I was really writing the book,” she explained.

I wondered, “What is the most surprising thing you discovered while writing your book?”
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“That when you get into the ‘writing zone’ where everything just flows, it’s one of the best feelings in the world.”

Finally, I asked, “What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?”

“I would say come up with a doable schedule. For me, I committed to writing a minimum of two hours a day — whether I felt like it or not. If I got stuck on a specific idea I would bookmark it and come back to it later. I had a bunch of negative self-talk that I had to defeat. I would be convinced the book was terrible and want to quit over and over. So if that ever happens to a new writer, just remember you’re not alone!”

For 85 million households across the US, pets provide joy, companionship, and uncompromising love. When a pet dies it can be devastating and isolating, especially during a pandemic. Griffin’s Heart seeks to become the comprehensive resource for pet owners in grief. The book approaches the idea of grief from many angles, leveraging therapeutic ideas from psychology, philosophy, art, and religion. Throughout the book the reader is engaged to participate by examining their emotions, journaling out their thoughts, documenting memories, placing photos, and more. By the end of the book, the reader will have created a personalized keepsake to commemorate their beloved animal.

About the Author: Reagan J. Pasternak is a Canadian-born actress, singer, and writer. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and five rescue animals.

Website | Griffins Heart Website | Facebook | Instagram | Instagram | Twitter

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Winter Blogfest: Mandy Swiftson

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a signed paperback copy. I will post to wherever the winner is.

The Magic of Christmas

Santa is real! Let me just start by making myself clear on that point, so all of this is hypothetical anyway :-p

Do you think you should ever tell a child that Santa isn’t real, or do you think they should discover it for themselves?

Me personally I still believe so it isn’t a question I can answer, (you have to believe in him, right?)

I clearly remember my brother telling me there was no such thing and that Mum and Dad just brought the gifts and hid them. 

I was devastated. He took great pleasure in my distress, but then he was that kind of brother.

When would it be better to spoil the illusion? I think once a child stops believing it somewhat spoils the magic of Christmas.

So many things change, writing to Santa, getting a letter back, cookies, carrots and milk left out for Santa and the reindeer, laying awake as long as you possibly can to try and catch Santa or hear the sleigh bells, and no matter what you always seam to be asleep when he comes.

I guess it would depend on the child and if there are any younger siblings, if one child knows the truth will they like my brother take pleasure in spoiling it for the younger ones? Or would they play along?

To me I don’t think you should ever come out and tell a child, yes at some point they will question but lets face it, in this day and age there are so many things that happen to steal our children’s innocence, from clothing to TV to bad things happening, so why cant we just allow this small piece of innocence to remain in childhood as long as it’s needed?

I love Christmas, from the pretty twinkling lights to the gifts shared to family fun times, but when you have child believing in the whole magic and wonder of Santa and the north pole and flying reindeers and magical elves it is so much better. So much more fun and so much more special.

Let’s keep Santa alive.

I believe!


All your life you are taught to forgive. It doesn’t matter who or what your beliefs are, even as children we are taught we should forgive.

Is forgiveness ever the wrong thing to do?
What if forgiving someone alters your life in ways you could never imagine?
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Is it still the right thing to do?
Surely there must be exceptions to the forgive and forget rule?

One forgiveness.
One mistake.
One life-altering decision.

Which is right? Which is wrong?
Forgiveness or survival?

I am a married lady, on the higher side of 45, I have lived in Nottingham England (Robin Hood Land) all my life apart from a few years where I moved to the posh Harrogate, I am not posh and it didn’t work.

I am a bit like Henry V111 but instead of “divorced beheaded died” I have Alcoholic, Psycho and died. So I am a bit of a serial name changer, I am married to hubby number 4 but I know this time I have found my soul mate. He is the fish to my chips, the salt to my vinegar, the yin to my yang. My Dude is my life.

I have an older sister and an older brother plus an array of nieces and nephews, some blood some adopted, but I love them all.

I currently work in a betting shop which whilst I love it can sometimes be stressful.

I am Big, I am Inked, My hair colour changes like the weather (which in England can be four seasons in a day) and I am in your face loud. I don’t do egg shells and I don’t do cotton wool.

I am very much the kind of person who is happy in herself and if someone doesn’t like me they can turn right around and find the door they came through.

I have worked hard and shed many tears to be happy in my own skin.

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What would I tell a new author? by Nino Gugunishvili – Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Nino Gugunishvili will be awarding a $10 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?

Inhale! Congratulations! You’ve started writing your book! Quite possibly, it’s going to be one of the most challenging, exhilarating, nerve-wracking, exasperating experiences in your life. Still, if you have enough determination not to quit, it’ll eventually pay off. Write until your fingers refuse to type those words and edit mercilessly. Edit more. Edit and polish and write and rewrite and play with words, and don’t forget to enjoy the process. Find people who’ll eagerly be there for you when you need advice, a second pair of eyes, and a real opinion. Find fellow authors who’re either at the same stage of their writing journey or have just published their books. Share your experience with them; believe me, it’ll help you feel less frustrated and lonely, and when you hit the finish line, you’ll have like-minded people to pop up champagne or any other beverage of your choice and celebrate with.

At times, writing may feel as if you’re standing in front of a massive brick wall with no available tools to break it. Still, you’ll be amazed by the amount of extraordinary, supportive people out there who’ll eventually become your community. There will be many setbacks, rejections, and failures. Don’t let them scare you off. There won’t be unicorns, magic wands, rainbows, butterflies, and fairies involved. It’s just you alone, your effort, your determination, your fearlessness, and nevertheless, somewhere along that crazy ride, you’ll find a tiny bit of your own magic.

Canceled Plans? –Check!
Panic and Fear? – Check!
Self- Isolation? – Check!
Missing Friends? – Check!
Gaining Weight? – Check!
Binge-Watching TV? – Check!
Lengthy Self- diggings? – Check!
Hope? – Check, check, check!
Who would have thought that Global Pandemic, Self-Isolation, Cluster, and a Lockdown were to become the trendiest words in 2020? Who would have imagined the world would freeze and people would stay home shattered with fear, panic, uncertainty towards their future?
How do we adjust to this changing reality, when none of our questions have answers when plans turn upside down, things get totally out of control?
In her new book: “From My Balcony to Yours,” author Nino Gugunishvili shares her personal account during the first several months of the COVID -19 global pandemic in the form of short stories and observations.

Nino Gugunishvili’s writing biography includes a collection of short stories “You Will Have a Black Labrador” and a women’s fiction novel “ Friday Evening, Eight O’Clock.”

Enjoy an Excerpt

Manicure, Hair and Oh, La, La …

I think it was my aunt that gave me an electric manicure kit on my birthday many years ago. So many years ago, in fact, that I had no idea how to use it, stored it into a cupboard, and, after not much of thinking, gifted it away. Oh, what an idiot I was! But how was I supposed to know that in less than twenty-five years from there, we would find ourselves living in reality, where a simple manicure and pedicure routine would become hard to obtain luxury? That whether to invite or not to invite manicure specialists to our home would almost equal an act of heroism?

The same goes for hair. Goodbye highlights, “Chatouche,” asymmetric bobs, and extensions! And have you stocked up your depilatory creams and waxing essentials? Lucky you, if yes, is the answer.

My very recent fear is that in two more weeks of self-isolation, I’ll resemble a Lumberjack. My body will be toned due to excessive exercising, the cellulite will be gone, my legs will get muscular and maybe even longer, but! I’ll have a beard! Well, as the saying goes, nobody’s perfect!

Clearly, instead of worrying about my lack of cooking skills, I should have watched the youtube brow trimming tutorials more. Instead of regretting not learning riding a bicycle, I should have honed applying manicure to my right hand with my left hand.

About the Author:Nino Gugunishvili is the author of the two collections of short stories, “From My Balcony to Yours” and “You Will Have a Black Labrador.” Her women’s fiction novel “ Friday Evening, Eight O’Clock” was published in 2015. Nino lives in Tbilisi, Georgia. Her educational and professional background includes film, television, and journalism.

Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

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Please Don’t Divorce Me by Vickie Hall – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Vickie Hall will be awarding a $20 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.

Whether your decision was made by you, or made for you, it is within your control to make the right decisions for your children.

Vickie’s parents divorced when she was only nine, wedging her in the middle of a dispute many kids face every day. It still remains one of the toughest times of her life. As she shares parts of herself and other people’s experiences with you, she hopes you will be better prepared to make good choices for your children.

“Please Don’t Divorce Me” is candidly written as a parent’s guide from a child’s perspective aiming at fostering a healthy transition and minimizing hurt for what is already a difficult time in a child’s life.

Divorce is not pretty, but it doesn’t have to be ugly either.

Choose children, love, and happiness above all else!

Enjoy an Excerpt

Your children want to feel confident that the love you have for them is going to remain the same. They do not want to hear negative things about their other parent. They will need to meet with a counselor or confide in someone they trust. Changes are inevitable, but explain the changes and help work through them. Children want to see your face and speak to you in between visits. They want to maintain relationships with all family members. Regardless of what they say, they do want a complete family again.

About the Author:

Vickie grew up in a small town in Louisiana. She graduated with a degree in Business Administration and played in the college marching and symphony bands to foster her love for music since fifth grade. Vickie has been married for over twenty two years to the love of her life and best friend. She and her husband have two sons. They have shared in the joys and tears of raising boys and refer to themselves as the “A-Team”. One is going to college in the fall and “half” of the empty nest will begin! Her youngest son is in high school.

By day, Vickie has enjoyed a 24-year career in contracts management and operations and by night has written many poems and cards and scrapbooks to capture fun memories. She loves spending time with family and friends!

She is known for and recognized by many traits, but freckles, red hair, loud sneezes, compassion, love and laughter tops the list. She is also the Co-founder and President of Krewe de Halcyon, a social organization dedicated to positively impacting the community and embracing the Louisiana tradition of Mardi Gras (one of her favorite holidays!)

Facebook | Instagam

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Viking Voyager: An Icelandic Memoir by Sverrir Sigurdsson with Veronica Li – Q&A and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Any weird things you do when you’re alone?

I like to eyeball my surroundings and check to see if everything is plumb and level. Is the sign post straight, are the pictures hanging evenly on the wall, the wheels on the car in front of me aligned? Being an architect and a carpenter, the least crookedness sends me off kilter. When Veronica (my wife and coauthor) catches me cocking my head and staring at something with one eye closed, she’d laugh and say, “There he goes again.”

What is your favorite quote and why?

“God is in the details.”—A quote from the German American architect, Mies van der Rohe

I learned the importance of details in my father’s basement workshop. When I was twelve, I carved the front of a bookshelf with a Viking motif. This design is now used as a decorative border on the front and back covers of my book. I believe the final detail I’d added to this carving made all the difference. Instead of leaving the background as it was, I made a tool with many points to roughen the smooth surface of the wood. This texture gave the pattern a new dimension and made it appear to rise up. Since then I’ve applied this principle of “God is in the details” to all my undertakings, from designing buildings to writing my memoir. The difference between a mediocre product and an outstanding one is in the details.

Who is your favorite author and why?

Halldór Laxness, the Icelandic Nobel Laureate for literature. His writing is concise, sharp witted, sometimes outright funny, and his characters are so vivid they remind me of people I know. Much of it is a searing social critique of current or historical norms in Iceland. His books have been translated into many languages, but nothing beats reading it in Icelandic. If a book can sing, his does, which by the way is the title of one of his novels, The Fish Can Sing.

What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?

The first and foremost element is the theme, and memoir writing is no different. In my memoir, the theme is the backbone that prevents the narrative from collapsing into a mishmash of anecdotes. Unless you’re famous and readers will devour anything you tell about yourself, a memoir needs to focus on a certain aspect of your life, usually one with a compelling revelation worth sharing.

Vividness is another important element. Readers like to be transported to another world, and the only way to do this is to bring out details that enable the reader to see, hear, and smell the scene. This applies to characters as well. When I start talking to a character I’m reading about in a book, this means the author has succeeded.

Where did you get the idea for this book?

My writing started as an incoherent collection of episodes from various stages of my life. I thought it would be a nice document for my descendants. Then Veronica, a former journalist and published author, became fascinated with my stories. She connected the dots and saw the picture that explained who I was. (My quirks had puzzled her for many years.) She could see how my country’s history and Viking heritage had shaped me. So we embarked on a more coherent effort to capture my journey: growing up in Iceland, which cultivated an outward-looking Viking mindset and inspired my subsequent worldwide travels. My memoir became a story about the making of a modern-day Viking and his adventures.

This vivacious personal story captures the heart and soul of modern Iceland. Born in Reykjavik on the eve of the Second World War, Sverrir Sigurdsson watched Allied troops invade his country and turn it into a bulwark against Hitler’s advance toward North America. The country’s post-war transformation from an obscure, dirt-poor nation to a prosperous one became every Icelander’s success. Spurred by this favorable wind, Sverrir answered the call of his Viking forefathers, setting off on a voyage that took him around the world.

Enjoy an Excerpt

My maternal grandfather, Þorkell Magnússon, was the captain of a fishing vessel called Gyða. In early April 1910, he and his seven-man crew, including his eldest son, set sail from Bíldudalur, a small town in northwest Iceland. Their destination was the rich fishing grounds beyond the fjord. April was the beginning of the fishing season, which lasted until September. These were the “mild” months. In reality, the weather was often stormy and below freezing, pushing both the boat and men to the limit of their endurance. Three weeks later, on April 23, Gyða headed for home, her hull laden with cod, the valuable cash fish many fishermen had died for. Nearing their home fjord, the men’s hearts must have lifted. A hot meal, a warm bed, and the family’s embrace were within a day’s reach.

That night, a furious northerly gale pounded the region with snow and sleet, whipping the sea into a deadly cauldron of crashing waves. All hands would have scrambled on deck to wrestle with the wind, jibing and tacking to keep the gusts from capsizing the boat. The battle went on all night. The next morning, Gyða was still upright and staggering closer to home. Einar, my grandfather’s neighbor and a former crew member, attested to seeing her from shore during a visit to his family’s farm on the outer reaches of Arnarfjörður (Eagle Fjord). The wind was still howling, pummeling the boat from left and right. But Einar was confident the boat could hold herself together. After all, Gyða was a sturdy oceangoing vessel, one of the first to be built in Iceland with state-of-the art technology. In just a few more hours, she would reach the safety of the harbor.

About the Authors:Sverrir Sigurdsson grew up in Iceland and graduated as an architect from Finland in 1966. He pursued an international career that took him to the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the U.S. His assignments focused on school construction and improving education in developing countries. He has worked for private companies, as well as UNESCO and the World Bank. He is now retired and lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and coauthor, Veronica.

Veronica Li emigrated to the U.S. from Hong Kong as a teenager. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and her master’s degree in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University. She has worked as a journalist and for the World Bank, and is currently a writer. Her three previously published titles are: Nightfall in Mogadishu, Journey across the Four Seas: A Chinese Woman’s Search for Home, and Confucius Says: A Novel.

Website | Sverrir’s Amazon Author Page | Veronica’s Amazon Author Page | Sverrir’s Facebook | Veronica’s Facebook | Sverrir’s Twitter | Veronica’s Twitter | Goodreads
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How to Handle Negative Criticism by Cory Mortensen – Guest Post and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

How to handle negative criticism

Step 1: Read negative criticism.
Step 2: Pretend to blow it off as nothing.
Step 3: Re-read negative criticism and then criticize them back, only in your mind (never respond to their criticism).
Step 4: Continue to pretend to blow it off as nothing.
Step 5: See how it effects your overall “5-Star” rating.
Step 6: Realize they probably didn’t “get” the story.
Step 7: Re-read 3 other positive reviews you have received.
Step 8: Look up one of your favorite books and realize they too have negative criticisms.
Step 9: Keep writing.
Step 10: Pretend it doesn’t bother you even though it does.

Life-Changing Journey…
…But this is NOT a typical blah-blah-blah memoir

Planning is for sissies. A solo bike ride across the country will be filled with sunshine, lollipops, rainbows, and 80 degree temps every day, right? Not so much. The Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, an alkaline desert, and the Sierra Nevadas lay miles and days ahead. Disappointment with unrealized potential, and the thirst for what’s next drew farther away in the rotating wide-angle shockproof convex rear-view mirror.

“I will ride my bike down a never-ending ribbon of asphalt wearing a backpack.”

Cory Mortensen began his bike ride across the United States from Chaska, Minnesota, to Truckee, California, without a route, a timeline, or proper equipment. Along the way, he gained more than technical skills required for a ride that would test every fiber of his physical being and mental toughness. Ride along as he meets “unusual” characters, dangerous animals, and sweet little old ladies with a serious vendetta for strangers in their town.

Humor ■ Insight ■ Adventure ■ Gratitude ■ Peace

From long stretches of road ending in a vanishing point at the distant horizon, to stunning vistas, terrifying close calls, grueling conditions, failed equipment, and joyous milestones he stayed the course and gained an appreciation for the beauty of the land, the genius of engineering and marvel of nature.

Enjoy an Excerpt

DAY SEVEN
AUGUST 28, 2001

Today’s Ride: Ogallala, Nebraska – Sterling, Colorado Today’s Distance: 90 Miles

Though the Oregon Trail Motel didn’t offer breakfast, it did have coffee and a stack of foam cups in the front office.

I wasn’t that hungry, still pretty bloated from the beer, noodles, and MSG I had for dinner.

Hanging around the motel sipping cups of watered-down coffee, watching as the sun rose over the dusty town, bustling with early morning activity, I waited for the coffee to do its trick before checking out.

When nature called, I preferred a bathroom with an abundant amount of toilet paper over squatting behind a tree. I waited on the curb outside my door.

Perhaps a conversation regarding bowel movements wasn’t classy this early in the morning, but real nonetheless. When you found yourself reading a book about someone biking cross-country, you might otherwise ask yourself: Where did they go to the bathroom whilst out on the open road?

If the sudden need to shit arose on the road, you could only hope there was a bush, tree, or berm to hide behind. The other option was to keep walking as far away from the road as you could until you were out of sight, or at least blurry. Of course, without the proper equipment (toilet paper), things could get messy. You might find yourself sacrificing a sock. Personally, I had a dresser drawer of mismatched cycling socks at home.

Public options, if you were lucky enough to be in a town or city when things started moving, were:

Restaurants: Now, I would stay clear of anything fancier than a Cracker Barrel. The best were fast food joints, as the bathrooms were typically really clean and out of sight of the counter (so you could get in and out without running into an employee).

Truck Stops: If you came across one of those truck stop fortresses like a BP or Bosselman, take it. Nobody would give you two looks, even if you were dressed in Lycra. The bathrooms were surprisingly clean, and there was typically an abundance of stalls.

Gas Stations: You knew you were in trouble when you asked the attendant for a key and he said the bathroom was outside around back. Check to see if there was any toilet paper in the room before starting. You might find rust stains on the sink and toilets surrounded by a lake of urine. The whole process would become an exercise in squatting. By no means did you want to make any sort of physical contact with anything in that room. Lift the seat with your shoe, flush the toilet with a hand wrapped liberally with a paper towel. It was probably best to find a tree.

So, you could see why I opted to wait before I left Ogallala.

About the Author:

https://www.tonytaafe.com/
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Headshot Photography

Cory Mortensen has ridden his collection of bicycles over a million miles of asphalt, dirt, mud, and backroads. In addition to the cross-country journey detailed in this book, he has traveled to over fifty-five countries, cycled from Minneapolis to Colorado solo to raise money for children born with congenital heart defects. He’s completed sixteen marathons on five continents, and survived three days of running with the bulls in Spain.

Cory is a certified Advanced PADI diver, and has enjoyed taking in life under the waves in locations all over the world. In 2003, he took time off from roaming, and accidentally started and built a company which he sold in 2013. That same year he married his best friend and explored the state of Texas for two years. The couple sold everything they owned, jumped on a plane to Ecuador and volunteered, trekked, and explored South America for sixteen months before returning to Phoenix, Arizona, where he works as a consultant and is soon to be a bestselling author.

The Buddha and the Bee is his first memoir in which he shares how a two month leave of absence redefined his life’s trajectory of sitting behind a desk and his decision to break society’s chains so he could live life on his terms.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Buy the book at Amazon or Indiebound.

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Life with Ollie by Donna Bourgeois – Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Donna Bourgeois will be awarding a $20 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.

If you are of dating age or married, I wrote this book for you.

This is not a self-help or a how-to book. This is the story of the metamorphosis of a timid, fear filled child who finally blossomed into a warrior. I have many scars that no one can see, but they are healed now. Through these battles to become a warrior, I have helped the wounded souls that have come to me and seen them overcome their demons to stand tall and proud of who they are. It has brought me great joy.

Through the years, I have heard along the way that the ancient Chinese would fix their broken china cups or figurines with gold to make them whole again, and more valuable. I believe that humans can be repaired with love and a sense of self-worth. Each and every one of us are here for a purpose and we are given gifts to help fulfill our purpose.

I would love for you to come on this journey with me.

Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt

When we met the next week, we all laughed at the response we got from our families. That did a lot to break the ice. I brought a circle-of-friends candle holder with me. It had been broken, the heads snapped off, but I’d glued it back together and I said that it reminded me of our group. We continued our session with Mandy leading us in a meditation. We were to clear our minds of all the internal voices in our heads so we could have a clear mind when we talked with each other. It took us about two months to warm up to each other and trust the group enough to share our deepest, darkest feelings that we carried around with us. There was a sacred trust amongst us that anything we said stayed there and was never to leave the room.

It was several months in when one of the girls said to me something that I will never forget: “Donna, you are being held hostage by your mother. She is a narcissist.”

She then explained to us what a narcissist was.

I was not losing my mind. I was not coming apart. Maybe I could be free from her terror and begin to have my own life, make my own decisions. I knew it was going to be an uphill battle to free myself from her chains. But I now had a name for the demon—narcissism—and, by God, I was going to fight. I can never thank this woman enough for seeing what was strangling me.

Why hadn’t any of the doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists or counsellors I’d had before clued into this?

About the Author: Donna G. Bourgeois enjoys writing and painting, both excellent activities to soothe the soul. She went to university at 65-years-old and earned an associate degree in theology, just to keep the grey matter healthy. She considers her greatest quality to be the ability to love greatly and be kind to those who life have put on her path. Life with Ollie is her first book, although she has many more story ideas waiting in the wings. She believes if you listen to your inner voice, you will find your bliss.

Website | Goodreads

Buy the book at Amazon.

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What Would I Tell a New Author? by Lindsay M. Chervinsky

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Lindsay M. Chervinsky will be awarding a $50 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?

1. Celebrate small victories. Writing is hard and it’s a long, long process. Especially for non-fiction writers who have to submit their work for peer review, it can take years and years. During that time, you rarely get validation or public celebrations. Positive feedback might also be fairly rare. You will need to celebrate every milestone to keep up your moment. Finish a section? Excellent! Have a glass of something special. Finish a chapter? Brilliant! Grab a meal with a friend, get a message, go for an awesome hike, get your nails painted, play a video game. Finish a draft? Huge! Go for a mini trip. Celebrate with a fancy dinner and a special someone. Buy yourself those shoes you’ve been dreaming about. Have a movie marathon.

For what it’s worth, I use this strategy all the time when writing down to the paragraph when I’m struggling. If I get a paragraph done, I get to walk the dog, make lunch, or have another cup of tea. The rewards don’t have to be big, but sometimes you just have set really reasonable goals and find a way to stick with them.

2. Be your own best advocate/promoter. No one can promote your book with as much passion as you can. You will also have more longevity and commitment to the process. Don’t be afraid to pitch podcasts, or ask bookstores, historic sites, or other relevant locations about events. Be respectful, polite, and tailor your pitches to each place and they will be happy to consider it. The worst thing they can say is no. Too many people are afraid to put themselves out there or promote their own work. As long as you promote other people as well, no one will be too upset about it.

3. You never know who will be your biggest fan/supporter. There will be people that you expect to be big supporters and they will disappoint you. Not every one of your friends or colleagues of course, but some. On the other hand, there will be strangers or people that you barely know that will bend over backward to support you. So, be friendly to everyone who expresses interest in your book and never look a gift horse in the mouth! Be sure to ask friends and colleagues for their advice and help. Sometimes people don’t know you need help until you ask!

The US Constitution never established a presidential cabinet―the delegates to the Constitutional Convention explicitly rejected the idea. So how did George Washington create one of the most powerful bodies in the federal government?

On November 26, 1791, George Washington convened his department secretaries―Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Henry Knox, and Edmund Randolph―for the first cabinet meeting. Why did he wait two and a half years into his presidency to call his cabinet? Because the US Constitution did not create or provide for such a body. Washington was on his own.

Faced with diplomatic crises, domestic insurrections, and constitutional challenges―and finding congressional help lacking―Washington decided he needed a group of advisors he could turn to. He modeled his new cabinet on the councils of war he had led as commander of the Continental Army. In the early days, the cabinet served at the president’s pleasure. Washington tinkered with its structure throughout his administration, at times calling regular meetings, at other times preferring written advice and individual discussions.

Lindsay M. Chervinsky reveals the far-reaching consequences of Washington’s choice. The tensions in the cabinet between Hamilton and Jefferson heightened partisanship and contributed to the development of the first party system. And as Washington faced an increasingly recalcitrant Congress, he came to treat the cabinet as a private advisory body to summon as needed, greatly expanding the role of the president and the executive branch.

Enjoy an Excerpt

At eleven thirty in the morning on August 22, 1789, a large cream-colored coach pulled up to the front door of Federal Hall at 26 Wall Street in New York City. Six matching, perfectly groomed horses pulled the elegant carriage with sparkling gold trim. The coachman, outfitted in crisp white- and red-trimmed livery, jumped down from the back of the carriage and opened the door. An elegantly dressed man with powdered hair stepped down with a portfolio of papers under his arm. He towered over his companion, Henry Knox, the acting secretary of war, and his slaves tending to his horses. His ornate coach and his imposing presence drew curious stares from strangers passing by on the street. He walked up to the front door of Federal Hall and was immediately announced to the Senate. George Washington, the first president of the United States, had arrived for his first visit to the United States Senate.

This was no ordinary meeting. Two years earlier, the delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia had agreed that the Senate would “advise and consent” on treaties and other questions of foreign policy. But in practice, how the president and the Senate would interact remained for the first officeholders to work out….

About the Author:Lindsay M. Chervinsky, Ph.D. a historian of Early America, the presidency, and the government – especially the president’s cabinet. She shares her research by writing everything from op-eds to books, speaking on podcasts and other media, and teaching every kind of audience. She is Scholar-in-Residence at the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies and Senior Fellow at the International Center for Jefferson Studies. Previously, she worked as a historian at the White House Historical Association. She received her B.A. in history and political science from the George Washington University and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis. She has been featured in the Law and History Review, the Journal of the Early Republic, TIME, and the Washington Post. Her new book, The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution, was published by the Belknap Imprint of Harvard University Press on April 7, 2020.

The New Criterion recently said of her book, “Fantastic…Unlike many works of popular history, The Cabinet never feels like hagiography. It lacks the reverence of works like Joseph J. Ellis’ Founder Brothers or the revisionist obsequiousness that now greets Alexander Hamilton’s name on stage…Chervinsky exemplifies the public-history ethos in her new book. The writing is clear and concise…She takes what could have been a dry institutional and political history of the Early Republic and transforms it into a compelling story of people and places.”

When she isn’t writing, researching, or talking about history, she can be found hiking with her husband and American Foxhound, John Quincy Dog Adams (Quincy for short).

Readers can request a personalized book plate here.

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Website

Buy the book at Amazon or Harvard.

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