Synopsis

 

For every pet parent who knows there’s no such thing as ‘just a dog,’ this collection of uplifting glimpses into the lives of ordinary-turned-extraordinary dogs and the people who love them is a tail-wagging good read.

Thanks to the rescue dog who saved her life after a traumatic brain injury, Carmen Leal went from saying she’d never have a dog to becoming an advocate for man’s best friend. Carmen volunteered at the local rescue shelter by writing bios and social media posts, applying for grants, and helping to save and re-home over 6,500 dogs from a high-kill shelter. This endearing anthology includes stories that celebrate the bond between canines and humans, including:

• Buddy the beagle who went from living chained under a porch to becoming the town’s only therapy dog
• Heavenly Joy, the frightened Chihuahua who changed the life of a grumpy old man
• Bogey, an abandoned mixed-breed trained by prison inmates and adopted by his forever family

I Chose You is a collection of memorable, beautifully written stories of dogs rescued by people and, ultimately, people rescued by dogs. If you like four-legged friends and happy endings, you’ll love Carmen Leal’s touching collection of heart-warming stories.

Fetch a copy of I Chose You, the feel-good book that resonates with anyone who has ever loved a dog.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Bookshop

 

 

Praise

 

“I’m so thrilled to discover this beautiful collection of stories featuring these imperfectly perfect rescue pups. I Chose You has won my heart!” — Janice Thompson, author of Paws for Reflection: 50 Devotions for Dog Moms

“Great read! Nothing in life is perfect except unconditional love. I Chose You captures that choice!”  — Adrian Palmer Board of Directors Medical Advisor Australian Shepherds Furever Rescue

“The best prescription I can write for trauma survivors, veterans with PTSD, and others with mental health issues, is the healing power of dogs. I Chose You is the perfect gift for yourself or a dog lover and a wonderful reminder of the unbreakable bond between canines and their people.”  —Angela Miller, Licensed Professional Therapist

 

 

Review

 

I love reading books that are about dogs, have dogs in the story, or really anything that involves dogs.

I loved reading all of the different dog stories. They shared what they went through and how lives were transformed. It gave me an overall warm feeling.

We rescued two dogs, and they brought us so much joy. I think when you choose a dog, and they choose you back, a bond is formed that cannot be broken. Love is unconditional.

While I read this book quickly, I still took my time in savoring the different stories and what each owner and dog endured to get where they were in the end.

These stories will touch your heart, and I recommend rushing out and purchasing your own copy. You will be glad you did.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Carmen Leal is a storyteller and the author of multiple books, articles, devotionals, and human-interest stories. Carmen relocated from Hawaii to Oshkosh, yes, there is a story behind the move, and has become an awesome dog mom. Carmen and her husband have become reluctant gardeners and know a crazy amount about Wisconsin weeds. She is the mother of two sons, two incredible grandsons, and Coconut, the best imperfectly perfect rescue dog in the world.

 

Blog * Wag Away Publishing * Interviews

 

 Rescue More Dogs Facebook * Facebook

 

 

 

 

 

 

“SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS”

 

by

 

DINA GACHMAN

 

 

Grief & Bereavement / Love & Loss / Parenting & Relationships

Publisher: Union Square & Co.

Page Count: 240 pages

Publication Date: April 11, 2023

 

Scroll down for a giveaway!

 

 

 

 

A heartfelt exploration about what it means to process grief, by a bestselling author and journalist whose experience with two devastating losses inspired her to bring comfort and understanding to others.

Since losing her mother to cancer in 2018 and her sister to alcoholism less than three years later, author and journalist Dina Gachman has dedicated herself to understanding what it means to grieve, healing after loss, and the ways we stay connected to those we miss. Through a mix of personal storytelling, reporting, and insight from experts and even moments of humor, Gachman gives readers a fresh take on grief and bereavement—whether the loss is a family member, beloved pet, or a romantic relationship. No one wants to join the grief club, since membership comes with zero perks, but So Sorry for Your Loss will make that initiation just a little less painful.

In the spirit of Elizabeth Kubler Ross books like On Grief and Grieving, or C.S. Lewis’s A Grief Observed, So Sorry for Your Loss is the perfect gift for someone who is grieving. With her blend of personal experiences, expert advice, and just a little bit of humor, Gachman has provided a compassionate and compelling resource for anyone looking for grief books.

 

 

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Bookshop

 

 

Praise

 

“Gachman perceptively puts words to the uncomfortable realities of loss…and deconstructs its social myths, helping readers feel less alone. Those facing loss will find solace here.” —Publishers Weekly

“So Sorry for Your Loss is a monument to the work of remembering and a testament to the immutable love of family and the grief that forever changes us.” —Lauren Hough, New York Times bestselling author of Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing

“So Sorry for Your Loss is a meditation on loss that reminds us how to go on living.” —Deirdre Fagan, author of Find a Place for Me and The Grief Eaters

 

 

 

 

Author Dina Gachman’s

 

Top Five Unhelpful Sentiments/Actions

 

When someone is experiencing loss

 

 

They’re in a better place.

 

 God won’t give you more than you can handle.

 

 At least they’re not suffering anymore.

 

 Time heals all wounds.

 

 *Silence*

(Anything is better Than Silence)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dina Gachman is a Pulitzer Center Grantee and a frequent contributor to the New York Times, Vox, Texas Monthly, and more. She’s a New York Times bestselling ghostwriter, and the author of Brokenomics: 50 Ways to Live the Dream on a Dime. She lives near Austin, Texas, with her husband and son.

 

Website ◆ Instagram ◆ Twitter

Goodreads ◆ Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

 

Three winners each receive a signed copy of

 

So Sorry for Your Loss

 

(US only; ends midnight, CST, 5/12/23)

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

 

 

Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

For participating blogs, added as they pop up.

 

 

 

 

blog tour services provided by

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

This memoir explores how Jeremy, a privately educated schoolboy, comes to reject his comfortable rural Surrey background to end up in the squats, drugs and hippy scene of 1970s Hornsey Rise.

The central theme of the book is Jeremy’s need to escape from the intense relationship with his alcoholic, charismatic and mentally unstable mother, her lovers, his ageing, ailing father, and about his romantic relationships.

Of particular interest is the way this memoir explores how a 1968-style vision of the world collapsed in the 1970s, and its implications for Jeremy and many of his generation. Their visionary countercultural world is not going to happen.

A journey about discovering what really matters in life. The Way to Hornsey Rise is a moving and very personal story, laced with intriguing observations about society, which all adds to its universal appeal.

 

 

Holland Park Press (UK) * Bookshop * Amazon

 

 

Praise

 

‘Jeremy Worman’s memoir is a compulsive read. The memoir really grips you from the start with Worman’s description of his horrifying relationship with his abusive alcoholic mother. The memoir rips away the veneer of the British upper-middle classes, showing them to be venal, despairing, corrupt.’ – Francis Gilbert

‘Surprising, even shocking, above all beautifully written. Do read it. You won’t be disappointed.’ – Christopher Sinclair-Stevenson

‘The Way to Hornsey Rise slips down like a glass of real lemonade on a hot afternoon, its sweet and bitter notes beautifully balanced. A sentimental education without illusions.’ – Ferdinand Mount

‘Taking us from the class-bound stockbroker belt suburbs of Surrey in the 1960s, all minor public schools and gin sozzled adultery, to the squats of North London in the 1970s, reeking of dope and the aroma of slowly decaying hippy idealism, this is a book rich in period detail and atmosphere, and its account of a young man’s painful progress from innocence to experience as compellingly universal as it is highly specific of a time and place.’ – Travis Elborough

 

 

Excerpt

 

The leaves were turning soft yellow.  I had arranged to meet Ma outside the Turkish cafe on Beaumont Road, assuming she made it.  She had told me last week: ‘I’m determined to find my way on public transport; I’d be embarrassed to ask a taxi to take me to that part of town.’  But unlike, say, the floor directions of expensive department stores, tube maps and bus timetables were not her natural territory.  There were few people around and certainly not Ma.  I crossed the road.

‘Darling, it’s me.’  An emerald-ringed finger pointed from the opened window of a black cab.

The taxi stopped.

‘I thought this would be the safest way,’ she said.

‘Quite right.  You can’t walk for twenty paces around here without being mugged.’

‘That’s what I feared.’

‘It was a joke, Ma.’

The cabby jumped out and opened the door for her.  An emblem of Home-Counties style stepped into one of the poorer boroughs of London: well-cut black slacks, dark-green silk blouse, short beige jacket and tartan beret.  Red toenails glowed in brown leather sandals.

‘Such an interesting drive, John.’  She gave him a five-pound note.

He touched his dark crew-cut hair, which contrasted with his ocean-blue polo shirt, and shook Ma’s hand.  ‘Enjoy your adventure, Madam.’

A Spurs pendant swayed on the dashboard as he drove off.  Ma and I looked at each other.

‘Well, what do you wear when you’re visiting your son in a down-at-heel area?’

‘You look perfect.’

‘You haven’t kissed me yet.’

I did.

‘Fresh coffee back at the flat, and I’ve planned lunch.’

‘Perhaps you could get together a team to tidy the place?’ she said when we reached the entrance gates to Welby House.

I marshalled her quickly across the yard without bumping into anyone I knew.  Fortunately the stairs had been recently washed with disinfectant and she followed me but said nothing.  She went into the living room and sat on the blue armchair.  ‘Very airy space.  Will you get a few friends to live with you?’

‘I’ve tried.  Welby House seems to frighten them off.  Traitors!’

‘You’ll find someone; I’m sure you will.’

‘I’ll go and make the coffee.’

She got up and looked out of the window.  A few minutes later I carried in the old pewter tray from Egham, and two matching cups and saucers, Staffordshire bone china, unchipped, which I had bought last week from the PDSAs second-hand shop in Islington.  I poured from the cafetiere.

‘Help yourself to the baklavas,’ I said.

She nibbled one.  ‘Lovely.  I’m pleased you haven’t given up all the pleasures of the good life.’

‘Why would I?’

‘I thought you squatter types rejected everything.’

‘Turkish cakes are allowed.’

She put down her plate.  ‘I was thinking of travelling again, Jeremy; I might stay with people I haven’t seen for years.’  She stood in the middle of the room.  ‘I don’t know how you ended up here.’

‘I didn’t want to live a Surrey sort of life any more.’

Her gaze peeled off my squatting dreams and exposed my fears.  How could I have any vision of my own if she did not approve it?  Was my real terror not that I had rejected her but that she had rejected me?  I saw this place through her eyes: the torn section of flock wallpaper around the chipped door; the semi repainted living room, in a special-offer Dulux Sage Green, from the hardware shop on Holloway Road; the loose floorboards; the stained carpet.

Where’s the bathroom, darling?’

‘Up the stairs; first door on the right.’

What could I trust if she was not in my life?

Ma came back from the bathroom. ‘I forgot to give you the champagne; let’s have it now; it’s still quite chilled.’  She took it out of her Liberty-print bag.

I got two glasses from the kitchen, rubbed them with the drying-up towel, and rushed back.  She pushed out the cork, which bounced off the ceiling, and filled our glasses.

‘To your new life,’ she said.

‘Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for lunch.’

The stale smell of the flat followed me to the kitchen.  How had I landed up here?  Why did I want Ma to see this place?  Was I trying to shock her?  Was I saying, ‘Just look how much I have rejected your fucking pretentious Surrey world?’  Five minutes later I carried in two plates.

‘Voila.’

We sat at the table and talked about family things, which seemed to come from a distant world.  The champagne intensified my sense of disjuncture.

‘We’re going to grow organic vegetables and sell them,’ I said.

‘Here?’

‘Yes.’

‘How sweet.’

‘It’s not “sweet”; it’s changing the way we think about the city.  Do you want to see the allotment?’

‘I know what vegetable patches look like, darling.’

After lunch we looked out at the square.

‘Come home for a few months if you want.’

‘I like it here.’

‘Do you mind if I pop off?  I’ll get a cab to Simpson’s; I need a new outfit for the autumn.’

‘If we walk to Archway Road, you’ll find one more easily.’

‘No.  I feel quite safe.  It’s not as rough as I expected; if I need help I’m sure the natives will be charming.’  She picked up her bag.  ‘Thanks for showing me your experiment in living.  Come and see me soon.’

‘I will.’

We kissed and she left.  As the door shut, I felt terribly alone and wanted to hear her voice again.  I recalled that day years’ ago at Miss Fish’s when she was late collecting me.  I had been looking out for her at the small landing window and pictured her face but could no longer hear her voice.  The silence made a void in which I was nothing.  Then I saw her face again, and heard different voices speak from her mouth, but none of them was hers.  It was as if she no longer existed.  Perhaps she had found another voice with which to speak to a boy just like me.

 

Excerpt from The Way to Hornsey Rise © Jeremy Worman 2023

 

 

About the Author

 

Jeremy Worman is a writer and critic who taught English Literature to American BA students for twenty-five years at Birkbeck, University of London, Cambridge University and Hackney Adult Education Institute.

He was awarded a First in English from Birkbeck, and has an MA (Distinction) in Creative and Life Writing from Goldsmiths, University of London, an M. Litt from Cambridge University and a PhD in Creative Writing from Goldsmiths (2021) where Blake Morrison was the supervisor for this memoir; the examiners were Francis Spufford and Sir Jonathan Bate.

Jeremy’s short-story collections, Fragmented (2011) and Swimming with Diana Dors and Other Stories (2014), were published by Cinnamon Press. His short stories and poems have been published widely in, amongst other places, The London Magazine, Ambit, The Frogmore Papers, the Cork Literary Review.

He has reviewed for The Observer, the Times Literary Supplement, the New Statesman and many other publications.

 

Website

 

 

Synopsis

 

Today we see crime, abuse, alcoholism, drugs, anger, and anxiety everywhere. Jails and prisons are crammed on an industrial scale. Recovery centers are packed with patients. Extreme political and religious groups regularly trap more members. Too many schools are simply factories for dropouts. All of this is the result of unresolved trauma. Ultimately, the quality of our lives depends on our ability to successfully process our heartbreaks and catastrophes. By college age, 66% to 85% of all people have been impacted by at least one traumatic experience. COVID has arguably traumatized everyone.

In Post-Traumatic Thriving, we follow the journey from the depths of the initial shock to the pinnacle of ultimate healing and growth. This book interweaves advanced science with the stories of people who have not just survived, but used their trauma as the fuel to thrive:

• A devoted wife and mother, Debbie discovers that her husband―who died of suicide―led a double life
• Leo lost an eye and his hearing in two separate accidents
• When only 17, JC was convicted of murder and sent to San Quentin prison for life
• Ron, a gifted athlete whose dreams of Olympic glory were dashed • Susan, whose luxury home was demolished by a landslide
• John was living an idyllic island life when his daughter was killed by nuclear fallout
• Erica was a young Hungarian girl whose life was brutalized by the Nazis
• Tonya’s sister―her sweet, caring, innocent sister―was horrifically murdered
• Born with cerebral palsy, Geri fought bullies and rampant discrimination
• Joe longed for a relationship with his father, but the Mafia got to his father first
• And finally, a little boy who learned that only open-heart surgery would save him – He is Dr. Randall Bell, the author of this book These people not only faced their trauma but thrived in remarkable ways.

Post-Traumatic Thriving bridges the iconic work of Dr. Kübler-Ross’s five stages of grief and the pioneering work of Dr. Richard G. Tedeschi and Dr. Lawrence G. Calhoun involving trauma and growth. This is the ideal companion book for therapists and patients alike. When trauma hits, your most significant decision will be to dive, survive, or thrive. If you choose to thrive, this book is for you. The principles have the power to change the world. If that doesn’t happen, at least they will change your world.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Target * Bookshop * Google

 

 

Praise

 

Never has there been a more impactful book, at a more needed time than this one. Post-Traumatic Thriving offers the latest information on the science of trauma, how to overcome traumatic events, while offering real life stories of resilience from survivors. While we all experience trauma in one form or another, this book will teach you not only how to survive life, but how to thrive! – Marianne Pestana (Former Producer at PBS & Host of Moments with Marianne – iHeart Radio)  

Written with both frankness and compassion, Dr. Bell’s guide is simultaneously scientific and holistic, lending readers a path not only for getting through trauma, but also achieving their highest potential because of it. – Vicki Pepper (Radio Host & Reporter – KFRG-FM)

This book could not have come at a better time – offering a lifeline of hope to a world facing trauma. It is a must read. In this you’ll discover practical solutions and life-changing insight to not only help yourself, but others. – Eleisha Foon (Reporter – Radio New Zealand) 

 

 

About the Author

 

As a socio-economist, Dr. Randall Bell has consulted on more disasters on earth than anyone in history. Dr. Bell is widely considered the world’s top authority in the field of post-traumatic thriving. His clients include the Federal Government, State Governments, International Tribunals, major corporations and homeowners. Dr. Bell believes that “the problem is not the problem — the problem is how we react to the problem.”

Often called the “Master of Disaster,” he is squarely focused on authentic recovery and resilience. Dr. Bell’s research has been profiled on the Today Show, Good Morning America, every major television station, BBC Radio, Success Magazine, Forbes, Inc. Magazine and the international media.

 

Website * Instagram * Facebook * TikTok * Twitter

 

 

CONNECTED

 

DISCOVERING YOUR INNER GUIDES

 

A Kid’s Guide to Navigating Their Emotions

 

by

 

SEEMA DESAI

 

Illustrated by James Ballance

 

Children’s Book / Self-Help / Mindfulness / Parenting

Publisher: The Jai Jais

Page Count: 56 pages

Publication Date: February 3, 2022

 

 

Scroll down for a giveaway!

 

 

 

 

 

Connected is all about teaching kids and their families how to navigate their emotions. It is a practical guide to understanding powerful concepts that alleviate the stress and challenge in tough situations.   The book also includes tools and tips to help children become advocates for their mental and emotional well-being in productive ways, as well as thought-provoking questions to encourage young readers to think about how these tools would be uniquely relatable to them. Written to inspire children to become empathetic leaders and creative solution-seekers, Connected is a book that helps them not only understand themselves better, but also those around them.

 

 

B&N * Author’s Website

 

Read for free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

 

 

 

 

Growing up in today’s world is much different than when I was a kid. Sure there was bullying and things like that, but I don’t know that it was as intense as it is now with the advent of social media, where now we have cyber-bullying and so much more pressure on people. This beautifully illustrated book is a wonderful start to teaching young children mindfulness and meditation.

The book describes Guides and Guards in terminology that younger children might be able to understand. Guards are negative emotions like anger and fear. Guides are positive ones like curiosity, hope, empathy, and strength. By helping young ones to understand the difference and rely on Guides, they can learn how to be happier people.

While this book is geared toward young ones, I found many tips and tricks I could utilize in my own life. I have seen people tap their chests and never thought about asking them why, but I learned in this book it is a good way to center yourself.

This book is meant to be taken at a slower pace, at least in my opinion. There are exercises sprinkled throughout to do and understand the lessons that were taught. This will also give you time for reflection on the various Guides and Guards and how they impact your life.  There is even an emphasis on starting a gratitude journal. I think in this hustle and bustle world, we don’t take enough time to remember all of the good in our life. Taking a few minutes a day will help us remember these things and start our day on a positive note.

I enjoyed the illustrations in this book. They are simple yet convey the message the author is trying to share with us.

This book would benefit anyone, young or old, and its simple language makes it easy for anyone to understand.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Seema Desai is a proud wife and mom of two young children. She is also Certified Professional Coach, speaker, and author of the newly-released children’s book, Connected: Discovering Your Inner Guides. She currently serves as Co-President of the Austin chapter of Pratham USA, a non-profit organization aimed at creating learning equality for underserved children in India and globally. Though no longer seeing patients, Seema is also a general dentist who dedicated her years in medicine to serving the geriatric population in Austin and surrounding areas.

Along with yoga and traveling, connected parenting is a passion for Seema. She believes that helping a parent and child connect to their inner wisdom is a powerful way to create the next generation of peace-leaders and solution-seekers. She is firmly committed to being a part of a kindness revolution, where we raise children in a way that heals and inspires resilience and greatness.

Things that bring Seema joy are good cups of coffee, jazz music, tropical beaches, meditating, family time…and large slices of chocolate cake.

 

Website * Instagram * Amazon

 

 

 

 

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

 

TWO WINNERS WIN SIGNED COPIES

 

(US only; ends midnight, CST, 11/23/22)

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

 

Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

For direct links to each post on this tour, updated daily,

Or visit the participating blogs directly:

 

11/14/22	Welcome	Hall Ways Blog
11/15/22	Review	Sybrina’s Book Blog
11/15/22	Review	Forgotten Winds
11/16/22	Review	Jennie Reads
11/16/22	BONUS Promo	LSBBT Blog
11/17/22	Review	Julia Picks 1
11/17/22	Guest Post	The Clueless Gent
11/18/22	Sneak Peek	Boys’ Mom Reads
11/19/22	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
11/20/22	Author Interview	Shelf Life Blog
11/21/22	Review	Rox Burkey Blog
11/21/22	Review	All the Ups and Downs
11/22/22	Excerpt	The Plain-Spoken Pen
11/22/22	Review	Chapter Break Book Blog
11/23/22	Excerpt	It’s Not All Gravy
11/23/22	Review	Reading by Moonlight

 

 

 

 

blog tour services provided by

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

America’s healthcare system is the most expensive in the world, but more money hasn’t equated to better patient outcomes, explains surgeon-scientist Firouz Daneshgari. Consider this: Americans spend 300-500% more than those in Europe or Japan on healthcare, but our country consistently ranks between 30th-40th in the World Health Organization’s ratings for patient longevity, access to care and prevalence of chronic conditions. What’s worse, medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Only heart disease and cancer claim more lives. Why are we spending so much, but getting so little?

In his new book, Health Guardianship: The Remedy to the Sick Care System, Dr. Daneshgari draws upon more than 30 years of research to offer an unflinching exploration into the systemic dysfunction caused (primarily) by America’s fee-for-service healthcare model. Procedures and surgeries generate revenue; healthy people don’t. Can our healthcare system be healed?

“We have built a system specialized for sick care, and yet ironically we expect the results of ‘healthcare’ from it,” he said.

Daneshgari details a framework for a new healthcare paradigm that prioritizes mitigation of health risks and elimination of chronic conditions, and rewards guardianship of health, not delivery of sick care services.

“My aim is to generate a national dialogue and movement toward a path forward that will create the next model of healthcare delivery. A model that will have all the medical and technological advances, and yet it is accessible, affordable, high quality and consumer-centric and not provider-centric,” Daneshgari said.

He describes how this new model can be implemented using the existing primary care infrastructure, with the integration of virtual health and wellness services to make proactive, consumer-centric healthcare as convenient and affordable as shopping and banking.

Acting like a whistle blower who calls out the existing dysfunction of the system, Daneshgari offers an imminently available remedy that would create the next generation of healthcare that is accessible to all, affordable by everyone and will provide the quality desired by healthcare consumers.

 

 

Amazon

 

 

Excerpt

 

I was appointed to the strategic committee of the board of directors of a healthcare system comprising 11 hospitals, 100 outpatient facilities, over 200 clinics, nearly 30,000 employees, and an annual revenue of nearly $3 billion. Blessed with this position of influence, I was excited to funnel my efforts toward making meaningful change in American healthcare at large.

However, I quickly realized that my understanding of the operations and dynamics within the American healthcare system differed greatly from that of the other board members. My fellow board members came largely from business and financial management backgrounds. And, while I focused on healthcare goals through improving patient care and physician training, the rest of the board prioritized the financial metrics of initiatives brought to our table. To understand why our priorities differed, I began to research the development of hospital boards and their governance structures. Taking a historical approach, I discovered how the American hospital structure evolved from charity houses in the late 19th century to the current oligopolistic, multibillion-dollar financial institutions present today.

I also discovered that the American healthcare system had become the most expensive system in the world, spending 300%–500% more than similar nations, but trailing those nations in patient outcomes. As a renowned professor and surgeon, I traveled the world and operated in many countries, and I witnessed the differences between our healthcare and that of other nations. I noticed that, despite its disproportionate price tag, the American healthcare system lacked a competitive edge in positive health outcomes. As a result, our country consistently ranked between 30th and 40th in the World Health Organization’s ratings for patient longevity, access to care, and prevalence of chronic conditions. I began to wonder about the causes of our healthcare system’s deficiencies. Why were we spending so much more, but getting so little in return?

Despite my years of experience in basic science and clinical research, I realized that I lacked the tools to even begin investigating these topics. I needed to acquire the fundamentals of business research and surround myself with an environment conducive to this line of questioning. So, I enrolled into the executive MBA program at the university where I was a clinical department chair. There, I shared ideas with some of the most brilliant and informed innovators in business. And, combining my newfound business knowledge with a lifelong clinical background, I began to see the problem more clearly.

In the world of business, everyone knew that our healthcare system was “sick.” They had done the research, and significant volumes of publications on “signs and symptoms” of this sickness were referenced daily in conversations. The prime example of this sickness is that “medical errors” have risen to the third most common cause of death in the United States, trailing only behind heart disease and cancer.

But with this new observation, my focus shifted away from describing these signs and symptoms toward a different line of questioning. How could our healthcare system be fixed? How could we make it more affordable for our nation, while improving patient outcomes such as better access to care, and a lower incidence of chronic conditions? Could we model a solution after existing approaches in other nations, while still meeting the demands of American society with its diverse geographical and cultural differences?

 

 

About the Author

 

Firouz Daneshgari, M.D., is a surgeon-scientist, educator and entrepreneur who has worked at the University of Colorado, Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University. He has published more than 200 scientific articles, led numerous scientific and clinical panels, and trained hundreds of students, residents, fellows and junior faculty.

Following implementation of the Affordable Care Act and approval of its mandates by the Supreme Court during 2010-2012, he founded BowTie Medical to create systematic innovations for bringing efficiency and value into the healthcare delivery system.

In addition to Health Guardianship, Daneshgari shares his views on healthcare and the path forward through his podcast, Why Can’t We Have it All? The Missing Pieces in Our Healthcare (www.wcwha.com).

For more information, visit www.bowtiemedical.com.

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

Do you look forward to wake up each morning ready to face a new day and new challenges? Or does the fear of failure keep you from reaching your true potential? Do you feel you are stuck in life and not progressing? Do you want to leave your comfort zone, but are not sure how to do it? Only when you are clear about what you want to achieve in your life and your goals can you work toward it.

In his book, “ART OF SELF-MAXIMIZATION” the author, Dr. Sanjeevv Khanna, gives you the recipe to live a fulfilling life. This book will help you identify the areas in your life where you need to make a change to realize your true potential.

 

Reading this book will help you…

 

Discover what you are passionate about
Visualize your life goals
Overcome fear of failure
Live a balanced and full life
Get back the joy of living

 

Dr. Sanjeevv Khanna, a renowned Ikigai, Life, Relationship & Leadership Coach, has provided the blueprint to successful living in this book. It is sure to help anyone looking to maximize their life experiences and come out of the daily rut. Read this book to learn the important hacks to manifest your desires and attain success.

 

Amazon.in * Amazon.com

 

Read for Free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

Excerpt

 

We are kept away from our goal not by obstacles, but by a clear path to a lesser goal.”- Robert Brault.

 

The universe controls our actions. Have you ever been told this? Have you not heard people talking about the sheer significance of luck in one’s life?
The answer is categorically affirmative. You often come across people blaming their luck for not getting a job or a good score or for being yelled at by a superior, and the list goes on and on. Why don’t you take a minute and ponder upon the concept of luck? Think about Rajesh, a young man, who is just out of college and is looking for a job. A year passes by, and Rajesh has miserably failed in his attempts to secure a job.

Now, whenever he is asked about being unemployed, he blames his luck. The truth is, Rajesh only applied for the jobs that his connections referred him to. Although this is a good way of job hunting, Rajesh had neither updated his resume nor enhanced his professional skills. He assumed his luck would put things in place somehow. Let me tell you this. The recipe for success is 99 percent hard work and 1 percent luck. Look around you. The world is brimming with opportunities.

The ones who have succeeded grabbed those chances and worked really hard to accomplish their goals. This is the story of all successful people.

 

“Opportunity does not knock; it presents itself when you beat down the door.”- Kyle Chandler

 

We all want to succeed, and we all know that it is easier said than done. One can dream, but turning your dreams into reality is the actual task at hand. We are aware of many rags to riches real-life stories. Consider Narayan Murthy, Indira Nooyi, Karsanbhai Patel, Shah Rukh Khan, Rajnikanth, or even late Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam; none of them were born with a golden spoon. How did they reach their current stature?

Well, simple. All of them were open to opportunities, and they worked hard. They explored the path to board a purpose-driven life. Go ahead and look up a few stories yourself. And then, ask yourself this: What makes them who they are? How are they so ahead of the pack?

You need some crucial elements to fill your life with a purpose. Have you heard of consistent behavior? A consistent behavior motivates you, lets you overcome hurdles, and helps you move closer to your focus.

As you adhere to consistent behavior, you dig an option to change the conditions in the surrounding environment. Anyone who lives a life filled with purpose instills consistent behavior in their outer and inner circles.

The next crucial element is to be psychologically resilient. You need to be flexible and make adjustments wherever necessary to meet your goal, no matter what obstacles and demands you might face.

By avoiding adversities and managing the environment dynamically, both physical and psychological, you can reduce your problems, especially if your life does not have a purpose.

Additionally, having a purpose in life enables you to effectively allocate available resources like energy and time. These resources allow you to pursue the purpose. Other actions with zero worth are kept to the least. Besides, the resources they could have used up are redirected to purpose-driven actions. Such components are deemed important elements to pursue a life filled with purpose. In their absence, it’s almost impossible to find and achieve one’s life purpose.

 

 

About the Author

 

Dr. Sanjeevv Khanna is India’s 1st Licensed IKIGAI coach and also he is ICF & NLP Certified Life Coach. Dr. Sanjeevv Khanna is also Founder & CEO of Academy for Self Maximization, Director – CBO, Startup Lanes Strategic Partner & Executive Director – Noble Manhattan Ltd., U.K. Global Leader – Artemes, Mentor of Change -ATAL, Niti Aayog. He is also the author of Ikigai is Ikigai & Art of Self-Maximisation.

 

Twitter * Facebook * Instagram

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

In 1957, when Amy Turner was four years old, her father had to be talked down from a hotel ledge by a priest. The story of his attempted suicide received nationwide press coverage, and he spent months in a psychiatric facility before returning home. From then on, Amy constantly worried about him for reasons she didn’t yet fully understand, triggering a pattern of hypervigilance that would plague her into adulthood.

In 2010, fifty-five years after her father’s attempted suicide, Amy—now a wife, mother, and lawyer-turned-schoolteacher—is convinced she’s dealt with all the psychological reverberations of her childhood. Then she steps into a crosswalk and is mowed down by a pickup truck—an accident that nearly kills her, and that ultimately propels her on a remarkable emotional journey. With the help of Chinese Medicine, Somatic Experiencing, and serendipities that might be attributed to grace, Amy first unravels the trauma of her own brush with death and then, unexpectedly, heals the childhood trauma buried far deeper.

Poignant and intimate, On the Ledge is Amy’s insightful and surprisingly humorous chronicle of coming to terms with herself and her parents as the distinct, vulnerable individuals they are. Perhaps more meaningfully, it offers proof that no matter how far along you are in life, it’s never too late to find yourself.

 

 

Amazon * Bookshop.org * IndieBound

 

 

Praise

 

“. . . an intriguing memoir . . . that many readers will find relatable. . . . A frank and engaging portrait of one family’s struggles with mental illness.”—Kirkus Reviews

“In lyrical and vivid prose, Amy Turner reckons with her family secrets and how they dug their roots deep into her psyche. With trauma as the inciting force, Turner courageously comes to terms with her past and present, showing us how choosing to lean into the scars can reveal paths forward. On the Ledge is a compelling read, told with grace, vulnerability, and depth.”—Rachel Michelberg, author of Crash: How I Became a Reluctant Caregiver

“This remarkable story of a woman’s journey toward healing after a random, shocking accident takes us back in time into the home of an unusual family and the seminal event that shaped them all. In peeling back layers of trauma and revisiting key moments from her past, Turner comes to a new understanding of what it means to be a daughter, a mother, a woman, and a seeker of truth. This is a riveting story of courage and redemption. And dare I say that parts of it are very, very funny?”—Hope Edelman, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Motherless Daughters and The AfterGrief

“On the Ledge is an extraordinary memoir of the way trauma harms both body and soul. Amy Turner’s near-miss with death at the age of fifty-seven propels her on a journey back through family history, leading to a new understanding of how her father’s attempted suicide and her mother’s determination to ‘move on’ has shaped—and limited—her since the age of four. Inspirational and beautifully told.”—Susan Scarf Merrell, author of Shirley: A Novel, now a major motion picture

“Absorbing, direct, humorous, horrific, On the Ledge explores the edge of madness as an artful memoir that also addresses two growing contemporary concerns: suicide and addiction. Timely, significant, well written, this is a courageous and engaging account, neither didactic nor sentimental, that belongs on school shelves as well as in the home.”
—Joan Baum, host of NPR’s Baum on Books

 

 

Guest Post

 

Thank You Notes

 

By Amy Turner

 

My father was a firm believer in writing thank you notes and always did so promptly in response to even the smallest gestures of kindness. My husband and I used to joke that my father’s note thanking us for his weekend visit to our home would probably arrive in the mail before he left.

I didn’t follow my father’s example as assiduously as I should’ve, but writing a thank you note after a memorial for my brother led me to write my memoir. How I wish my father were still with us so that I could thank him.

My brother died unexpectedly and suddenly in late September 2010. After struggling with alcoholism ever since his mid-twenties, Harold had been sober for the last three years—the longest period of sobriety he’d achieved since he’d started drinking thirty years earlier. I would’ve been sad but not surprised if he’d died at any other time in the previous thirty years. But in late September 2010, I was shocked.

My brother’s death occurred two months after another shockingly random event in my life. I’d been crossing the street at a pedestrian crosswalk when I was mowed down by a pickup truck. Fortunately, I didn’t suffer any broken bones or internal injuries, but my concussion, shoulder injury, and other physical issues required ongoing treatment. Lucky for me, I ended up in the care of an acupuncturist who was also training in Somatic Experiencing and other body-oriented trauma-release therapies.

After the accident, my therapist and acupuncturist urged me to write about the accident, but, petulant as a toddler, I resisted for reasons even I didn’t understand.

Ten months after my brother Harold’s death (and a year after the accident), we held a memorial service for him, where our high school English teacher appeared out of the blue. I hadn’t seen her in over 40 years and had no idea how she’d learned of the service. Her beautiful tribute to my brother as a teenager and recitation of Wordsworth’s “Splendour in the Grass” moved us all.

I began my thank you note to our teacher with my brother’s memorial and my feelings of loss. He had shown promise as a teenager and Harvard College student, but his addiction, our family’s legacy, prevented him from utilizing his many personal gifts. As I wrote about my brother, I also described my accident. It was appropriate to do so because my acupuncturist was also strongly connected to this teacher in a series of serendipities too involved to recount.

As I wrote, a channel within me suddenly cleared and out poured connections, memories, and reflections to which I’d never before had access. Like my father, I’d been a blocked writer and given up my dream of writing in my twenties. But my father had soldiered on.

As my writing was soon beyond the bounds of a thank you note, I sent off my message to her and kept writing. I had no idea that ten years later, this initial breakthrough would result in my memoir, On the Ledge.

I’m sure my initial outpouring was prompted by the work I’d done in trauma-release therapy. It allowed space and distance to grow within me, an area of emotional safety from which I could suddenly express myself. But now that the book is published and out in this world, I think I also understand why over the course of the next ten years I’d felt such an urgency—an imperative– to write what became On the Ledge

I believe that I couldn’t leave these two random events—my brother’s death and the accident—to remain outliers in my experience. I was compelled subconsciously to integrate them into the larger context of my life. As I wrote, my story became that of confronting one’s vulnerability—staring into the windshield of an oncoming truck and facing my brother’s sudden, unexpected loss.

In trying to process these two events, I was brought back to the seminal event in my family’s life: When I was four and a half, my father climbed out onto the ledge of his hotel window and threatened to jump. He was talked down after twenty minutes by a passing priest and then hospitalized for a year. For me, his sudden disappearance and, upon his return, my worries about his mental state created a fear of vulnerability that I’d spend a lifetime trying to suppress…

Until, finally, I began to write and in the process find the freedom I’d so long sought.

 

 

Guest Review by Nora

 

“My test, in the end, was half-hearted. Perhaps even then I sensed the truth: They weren’t capable of saving me. They were too busy trying to save themselves.” – “On the Ledge,’ by Amy Turner.

A look at the way that the cycle of addiction and depression can affect multiple generations, ‘On the Ledge,’ by Amy Turner is a memoir with an emotional kick. Amy was only four years old when her father’s suicide attempt put him into a psychiatric hospital. Forced to come to terms with the fact that her father was acting differently for reasons that she couldn’t yet understand, Amy spent the rest of her childhood trying her best not to upset him.

Between her emotionally fragile father and a mother whose rigorous control of the household was her way of staving off her latent alcoholism, Amy was raised in an environment that provided trauma that she would spend many decades unpacking.

It wasn’t until 55 years later, however, that Amy would get the best chance of understanding how her parents thought. In 2010, Amy was crossing a crosswalk after picking up her dry cleaning when she was hit by a pickup truck. For a while afterward, Amy lay on the pavement, unable to move, worried that she was going to suffocate on the plastic drycleaning bag that had ended up over her face.

After being taken to the hospital and cleared to go home, Amy was surprised to find that the psychological trauma from the accident seemed to be affecting her more so than the physical trauma. This memoir is a thesis on emotional trauma and healing one’s inner child.

Amy Turner writes with both talent and experience that I think a lot of readers could benefit from. For anyone who has been through trauma in their lives, this book is for you. A courageous woman with her gripping true story. I could not put it down!

 

 

About the Author

 

Amy Turner was born in Bronxville, New York, and is a graduate of Boston University, with a degree in political science, and of New York Law School, with a Juris Doctor Degree. After practicing law (rather unhappily) for twenty-two years, she finally found the courage to change careers at forty-eight and become a (very happy) seventh grade social studies teacher.

A long-time meditator and avid reader who loves to swim and bike, Amy lives in East Hampton, New York, with her husband, Ed, to whom she’s been married for forty years. They have two sons. On the Ledge is Amy’s first book.

 

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Twitter

 

 

Giveaway

 

This giveaway is for 2 print copies and is open to the U.S. only.

This giveaway ends on October 5, 2022 midnight, pacific time.

Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Synopsis

 

“I spent the first three years of my life unaware of the disaster that had befallen my family.” Annette Libeskind Berkovits writes: “I was shaped by the aftermath of the Holocaust…I adapted…grew a protective shield for self-preservation, then put on a smile and moved forward to meet the world on my own terms.”

She was born in exile among the red poppy-strewn foothills of the Himalayan Mountains and raised in Soviet Kyrgyzstan. Annette and her parents returned via cattle train to Poland only to discover that the Nazis had murdered almost their entire extended family and reduced their homes to rubble. After her parents obtained exit visas from the Soviet authorities, she became a teenage immigrant to two different countries in the space of two years.

Israel, a country barely ten years old – rough, sweet, vibrant, with its brilliant sky and azure sea – was like stepping into Technicolor after Poland’s dreary grays. Annette fell in love with it. But just two years later Annette’s life was upended again when the family was driven to emigrate to America.

Leaving the blue of Israel behind Annette was greeted by the green patina of the Statue of Liberty as the ship reached New York harbor. Her father and an Auschwitz survivor aunt welcomed the family with excitement, but many obstacles lay ahead.

The American immigrant experience is realized here from a perspective of a young girl. New languages, customs, and cultures, learned at lightning speed while mastering the normal angst of adolescence, make this a vivid and immersive memoir, rich with the detail of everyday life.

Annette graduated from one of the most selective public high schools in America and later became an internationally respected wildlife conservation educator and a writer of memoir, poetry, and historical fiction. Her brother, Daniel Libeskind, the internationally renowned architect, is very much a part of her story.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Bookshop

 

 

Excerpt

 

During the mid-40s and 50s there was no organization more feared or more powerful in Poland than the UB, the Ministry of Public Security—the secret police. More than 30,000 of its employees were installed in every community to serve as a listening post for the faintest signs of political opposition. Everyone was considered a suspect under the UB’s lidless gaze. To maintain its grip, the communist government depended on neighbor denouncing neighbor. Within a decade more than 300,000 people were arrested and 9,000 executed for alleged anti-government activities.

In our home conversations were usually whispered, especially if they related to money, to our friends or neighbors, or things about our plans for the future, to anything of importance. “Sha, sha,” Mama usually cautioned with a finger to her lips and a look of concern on her crinkled forehead. “Even the walls have ears.”

It wasn’t until much later that I understood the reason for the secrecy. In communist Poland any neighbor could have been a spy and even the most innocent remark could have landed my parents in jail, or subjected them to relentless scrutiny and endless questioning by the authorities. As uncomfortable as such a life must have been for my parents, we kids felt a part of our own little secret society, taking comfort in our togetherness and a shared sense of purpose; us against unfriendly neighbors and a hostile city. In Poland we were keenly aware that we were Jewish, like none of our neighbors. That meant that many of our relatives were killed

during the war, that my parents spoke Yiddish, but only at home, and that Israel was where some of my mother’s relatives lived. It also meant that our neighbors thought we had horns and lice on our heads, and piles of money under our mattresses. At least this is what I surmised from the frequent derogatory comments thrown our way.

 

 

About the Author

 

Annette Libeskind Berkovits is the author of two acclaimed memoirs: “In the Unlikeliest of Places: How Nachman Libeskind Survived the Nazis, Gulags and Soviet Communism” a story of her father’s survival, and “Confessions of an Accidental Zoo Curator.” She has also penned a poetry book, “Erythra Thalassa: Brain Disrupted” and a historical fiction novel, “The Corset Maker.” “Aftermath” is her latest release.

 

Website * Twitter * Facebook

 

 

CREATRIX RISING

 

AUDIOBOOK

 

Written & Narrated by

 

STEPHANIE RAFFELOCK

 

 

Nonfiction / Self Help Memoir / Aging & Longevity

Publisher: Narrating Sound

Length: 4 hours, 43 minutes

Publication Date: February 22, 2022

 

 

Scroll down for the Giveaway!

 

 

 

 

Ever since Eve was banned from the garden, women have endured the oftentimes painful and inaccurate definitions foisted upon them by the patriarchy. Maiden, mother, and crone, representing the three stages assigned to a woman’s life cycle, have been the limiting categories of both ancient and modern (neo-pagan) mythology. And one label, in particular, rankles: crone. The word conjures a wizened hag—useless for the most part, marginalized by appearance and ability.

None of us has ever truly fit the old-crone image, and for today’s midlife women, a new archetype is being birthed: the Creatrix.

In Creatrix Rising, Raffelock lays out—through personal stories and essays—the highlights of the past fifty years, in which women have gone from a quiet strength to a resounding voice. She invites us along on her own transformational journey by providing probing questions for reflection so that we can flesh out and bring to life this new archetype within ourselves. If what the Dalai Lama has predicted—that women will save the world—proves true, then the Creatrix will for certain be out front, leading the pack.

 

 

 Amazon | Audible | Kobo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephanie Raffelock is an author, speaker, and voiceover artist. She is the editor of the anthology, Art in the Time of Unbearable Crisis (2022). Stephanie is the author of Creatrix Rising, Unlocking the Power of Midlife Women (2021) and she penned the award-winning book, A Delightful Little Book on Aging (2020). She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and a goofy Labrador Retriever named Mickey.

 

 

 Website | Instagram | Facebook

 

Byline Stephanie Facebook | Goodreads

 

 

 

 

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

 

FOUR WINNERS

 

Each receives an audiobook + a print copy of

 

CREATRIX RISING

 

(US only; ends midnight, CDT, 9/16/22)

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

 

 

 

Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

For direct links to each post on this tour, updated daily, or visit the participating blogs directly:

 

 

9/6/22	It’s Not All Gravy	Review
9/6/22	Hall Ways Blog	BONUS Stop
9/7/22	Carpe Diem Chronicles	Review
9/7/22	LSBBT Blog	BONUS Stop
9/8/22	StoreyBook Reviews	Audio Clip
9/9/22	Chapter Break Book Blog	Review
9/10/22	Forgotten Winds	Review
9/11/22	All the Ups and Downs	Spotlight
9/12/22	Librariel Book Adventures	Review
9/13/22	Boys’ Mom Reads!	Review
9/14/22	Rox Burkey Blog	Review
9/15/22	The Clueless Gent	Review

 

 

 

 

blog tour services provided by