Jawbreaker

You have created yourself every second since the day you were born. Bit by bit, layer by layer. You are a million moments. You are your gift to the world. You are a jawbreaker.

This exciting new non-fiction book for young adults is a guide to exploring who you are, and deciding who you want to be. Get ready to:
– Find and fuel your fizzing center spark.
– Tune in to personal guidance techniques.
– Unleash your absolute uniqueness.
– Develop a cutting edge brand from scratch.
– And so much more!

Packed with tools and jewels to navigate the new world, Jawbreaker: Unlock the (U)niverse (17,000 words) will let you build on your strengths, and show you your story in a whole new way.

It’s time to uncover the world’s best kept secret: You.

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***Book Blast Special 1 Get your Kindle copy of Jawbreaker: Unlock the (U)niverse for 99c!

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***Book Blast Special 2 Jolene’s YA non-fiction, Total Blueprint for World Domination shows you how to design your dream world and make it happen! And it’s free for a limited time:

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***Blogger Special Fill in the form to get free e-copies of Jolene’s books to review!

Parents, educators, and teen readers have called Jolene’s books inspiring, empowering, powerful, and life-changing. If you’re looking to get motivated, love your life, and explore who you are, Jawbreaker: Unlock the (U)niverse is for you!

Author Jolene Stockman

Jolene Stockman is an award winning writer, speaker, and an expert for Girlfriend Magazine Australia. She is a Master of Neuro Linguistic Programming, and one of the youngest in the world to achieve the Distinguished Toastmaster Award. Jolene lives in New Zealand, and is the author of motivational non-fiction Total Blueprint for World Domination, and contemporary fiction The Jelly Bean Crisis. Jawbreaker: Unlock the (U)niverse is her latest book.

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$100 BookBlast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 11/24/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Synopsis

Mitch had been badly burned by love, but was willing to take a chance . . . with the right woman.

Hannah had lived everyday with the grief love had brought her and followed her everywhere.

Can two hearts find love and heal each other during the most difficult season of the year?

Pub Date: November 19, 2013

About the Author

Lindsey Gray dreamed of being several different things as a child such as a doctor, an actress, and a chef, but none held her attention like putting pen to paper and creating her own world through words. Those words led her to The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House and the rest, as they say, is history. Revisited, her third full-length novel, is the second in The Redemption Series, and she has no plans to slow her creations down any time soon. A mid-west native, Lindsey enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, reading on her new e-reader, and making life interesting at each and every turn.

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Quite a while ago I posted about the first book, Liar, Liar,  by the three sisters that make up author K.J. Larsen.  Ummm, should I saw that was in 2010 and I’m just now getting around to the second book, Sticks and Stones?  No?  Well it is out there now.  I remember LOVING the first book and was quite honored when they quoted me on their website!  And of course they have the third book in the series out now too called Some Like it Hot.  I have that book to read too.  I really need to catch up on some reading don’t I?!

I just saw that the first book is the bargain price of $0.99 on Amazon!  So if you have a Kindle get your copy now and get addicted to this series!

Synopsis

What does a woman do when she discovers her husband is an incurable cheater? If she’s Cat DeLuca she launches the Pants On Fire Detective Agency. Now Cat does what two years of unholy matrimony taught her. She catches cheaters.When a client (Cleo Jones) shoots her cheating husband’s bum full of buckshot, he disappears, taking her money, dog, and sister with him. Private Investigator Cat DeLuca promises to return the dog and money if her client stops shooting at Walter. Cleo agrees. The detective finds the dog and a mysterious bag chuck-full of cash. And then she finds Walter. His very dead body is still warm. The case is a slam dunk for the cops who arrest Cleo for the murder of her husband. She had motive and opportunity and a dozen witnesses heard her scream bloody murder. One made a video. Cat DeLuca is determined to prove her client’s innocence and it’s not an easy sell. Walter was an unsavory character with enemies. To find his killer, Cat will have to sift through the ones who didn’t pull the trigger. Her investigation leads to four players with secrets: a childhood friend, a gambler, a construction tycoon, and a legendary Chicago designer. When forensic evidence suggests the detective knows more about the murder than she’s telling, Cat faces the certain loss of her agency.  Cat DeLuca is smart and charming. She’s an unlikely heroine and her partner, a beagle named Inga, is quite likely to eat the evidence.

About the Author(s)

Two sisters living in the greater Seattle area and one sister from Chicago teamed up to write Liar, Liar. This debut mystery novel introduces Cat DeLuca and her Pants On Fire Detective Agency. Published by Poisoned Pen Press, Liar, Liar has received rave reviews and two inquiries for movie rights.

Writing a novel together was second nature for the three sisters who created their own Nancy Drew mysteries as kids. “We live very different lives,” Kari says. “What brings us together is a voracious love of mystery, a wicked sense of humor, and the thrill of victory.”

Sisters Kari, Julianne, and Kristen write under the pen name, K.J. Larsen.

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Synopsis

Nobody talks about it, but it happens all the time. Twelve percent of medical doctors admit to having had at least one affair with a patient.

Until the night of her first asthma attack, Heather Morrison is a successful New York City executive in the process of adopting a daughter from China. On the first night in her newly-purchased condo on the Upper West Side, she awakens in a panic, fighting for breath.

Moments later, her panic-stricken eyes meet those of Dr. Jeffrey Davis, a pulmonary specialist. Jeff gets Heather’s breathing under control, but their mutual attraction is undeniable. Despite the fact that he is married, Jeff Davis soon steps beyond the bounds of ethically correct behavior to pursue Heather, resulting in a late-night tryst in his office that escalates quickly into a passionate but dangerous affair.

Despite her increasing discomfort with the situation, Heather rationalizes her relationship with Jeff, hoping for a happy ending she knows deep down won’t occur. Six months into it, Jeff’s wife discovers his involvement with Heather, driving him to abruptly break off the affair, but not before Heather begins, with the help of friends, to understand the ethical and legal impropriety and seriousness of what has transpired. Emotionally overwrought and fragile after the breakup, Heather also struggles with an addiction to several medications Jeff prescribed while she was under his care.

With initial misgivings, she begins the process of bringing Jeff to justice, discovering to her horror after initiating legal action that by doing so, she has jeopardized her chances of adopting the daughter she has dreamed of adopting for so long. Heather’s life comes crashing down around her as she sinks into the depths of humiliation and despair, only to find the strength within her, through the help of friends and compassionate professionals, to fight her way back into life, and to bring the doctor to justice.

A MEDICAL AFFAIR is a story that must be told.

Excerpt

After Melissa left, Heather stayed behind in the restaurant. She went through the motions of taking care of the bill. Smile. Pay. Tip. She lifted the two crisp tens Melissa had left on the tray. Adding two of her own, she returned them to the gold-trimmed jade tray that held the bill. Her legs were weak and shaking, her knees grazing the bottom of the table.

She stood and left the restaurant. Instead of heading for the subway, she walked a few blocks until she saw a Rite Aid drugstore. She went inside and bought two gigantic bags of M&M’s—one plain, one peanut.

“Sweet tooth got ya, sister?” the checkout clerk asked.

“I just need chocolate,” Heather said.

“Got to be a man, then,” the clerk said, two gold front teeth centering a friendly smile.

Heather felt a bond with the woman, a bond with every woman who had ever been wronged by a man. “Isn’t it always?” she asked, not needing a reply.

One block turned into another. Barely noticing how different this part of the city was from her own, Heather trudged forward, shoveling the candy into her mouth. Shoveling, chewing, and swallowing. She felt like she was walking beside herself, an unsettling feeling at best, calmed only slightly by the chocolate.

Melissa had said her affair with Jeff had lasted over six months; Suzanne’s had lasted only three. Heather counted back the months since July. Clearly I’ve met my expiration date, too.

Surrounded by the brilliant sights and sounds of Harlem, she saw nothing and heard less. It was just her and her two gigantic bags of M&M’s shoved inside a plastic Rite Aid shopping bag. Red, yellow, green, and blue. When had they started adding blue to the mix?

She walked as if on auto- pilot, navigating the streets and sidewalks, robotically obeying the Walk and Don’t Walk signs, crossing the streets with the crowds. Along the way, she stuffed one candy after another between her lips, filling the cavernous emptiness inside her with anything that tasted remotely like love.

Review

My first thought when I read the synopsis is, wow, does this really happen?  And then I think about society and the people in it and then I realize, of course it does and it probably happens often.  There are some doctors that have a “god” complex and think they can do no wrong.  That would be the main character Dr. Jeffrey (Jeff) Davis.  He is tending to Heather when she is brought into the ER for a severe asthma attack.  He notes that she is rather attractive and his type, but he tries not to act on anything.  That changes when Heather makes a follow up appointment for his office.  I’m sure he thought, why not?  Now don’t think that Heather is totally innocent in this whole matter, most normal people would realize that you don’t meet your doctor for coffee or lunch and you don’t let your doctor try and treat you for things that are not within their specialty!

I had mixed feelings about the characters while I was reading the novel.  I wasn’t wild about Jeff because he is a typical philanderer and I don’t like people that can’t be faithful to their spouse.  Heather was caught up in a moment, but then couldn’t figure out how to get out of the situation and I’m not sure she wanted out until it was a bit too late.  I felt pity for her but then at times I just wanted to throttle her and ask her what she was thinking!  I think her friends wanted to do the same thing!

This type of story can never end well.  There are winners and losers and those that win also lose something and this is no different.  A gripping read and we gave it 4 paws.

About the Author

Anne McCarthy Strauss is a versatile writer, researcher and public relations professional.  She is also an avid supporter of victims’ rights.  She has spent the last decade educating women and men on the seldom revealed but all too frequent occurrence of affairs between doctors and their patients.  Her novel, A Medical Affair, is the story of a doctor who violates a sacred trust by having an affair with one of his patients.

The veteran of dozens of MediaBistro courses and Maui Writers Retreats, she is a staunch advocate of lifelong learning.  She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), and holds a B.A. in Journalism from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Anne’s byline has appeared in Old House Journal, Waterfront Home & Design, Design Trade Magazine, Design New England, Distinction, Log Home Design Ideas and Florida Design Review.  She has been a regular contributor to Martha’s Vineyard Magazine and Vineyard Style.

A lifelong New Yorker, Anne lives on Long Island with her husband and their two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

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Today I’d like to welcome author Anne McCarthy Strauss to StoreyBook Reviews.  Anne has written a book called A Medical Affair which is very realistic because it probably happens more often than we like to admit.  I have read this book and my review will be posted shortly and I have to admit you love and hate the characters!  But I won’t go into that here because this is all about why Anne wrote the book.  Fascinating!

A Writer’s Passion for a Topic Drives the Best Books

or

Why I wrote A Medical Affair

by

Anne McCarthy Strauss

Every once in a while, you hear about something that just gets under your skin.  Maybe it’s child abuse, unemployment among a certain group, or a professional’s abuse of his or her power.  The story stays with you to the point that you cannot sit by passively – you have to do something.

For me, that moment came a few years ago when an acquaintance was sexually abused by her psychologist. In New York State, where I live, there were punitive laws in place to protect women and men from predatory medical doctors – primarily gynecologists and general practitioners – who initiated affairs with their patients.  Such abuses were dealt with and disciplined by the Office of Professional Medical Conduct, the OPMC.  However, there were no such disciplinary systems in place for psychologists, who were overseen by the Office of Professional Discipline.

A psychogists’ patient, Denise Weisbrod of Long Island, and her attorney Audrey Bedolis brought Denise’s story to NBC News and to the Office of Professional Discipline (OPD).  Denise reported that as part of her therapy, her therapist Dr.Scott Burzon suggested the two have sex in his office as a way to help her trust men again.  While it all seemed consensual, Denise’s lawyer, Audrey Bedolis explain that, “The patient is unable to consent and that’s what the criminal statute here in New York recognizes.  Consent isn’t there because emotions have been manipulated by the therapist.”

The law was different for medical doctors whose license to practice is overseen by the state Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC), a division of the Health Department.  Denise’s counselor was not a doctor, but a state-licensed clinical social worker or psychotherapist whose license was overseen by the state Office of Professional Discipline (OPD), a division of the Education Department.

According to state law, OPMC is required to report to law enforcement any cases where a psychiatrist is in a sexual relationship with a patient undergoing therapy. OPD has no such requirement for psychotherapists or licensed clinical social workers.

Because of the efforts of this brave woman and her attorney, New York State law was changed   It became third-degree, or statutory rape for a mental health provider to engage in a sexual relationship with a patient undergoing therapy, regardless of their age.

Why, I wondered, had the laws not previously been the same for medical doctors and for psychologists.  Even more troubling to me was the fact that it seemed apparently consensual sexual activity was extremely common between medical professionals and their patients.  As I researched for A Media Affair for over a year, I learned that such a relationship is never seen as consensual under the law because of its fiduciary nature.  The doctor knows better, and the patient is not in a position to give consent because of the nature of the relationship.

I became passionate about the topic as I learned how common it is – and how difficult to pursue.  And  I believe an author’s having a passion is an element that makes a good book a great book.  Readers say I have accomplished this with A Medial Affair.

I believe the best books are written by authors who are impassioned about a cause.  Victor Hugo’s Les Miserable’s.  Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.  Kathryn Stockett’s The Help.

The author’s passion for the subject comes through in the pages of his or her book.  I hope my passion again injustices in the medical professional calls from every page of A Medical Affair.

Title: My Year As a Clown
Genre: Popular Fiction
Author: Robert Steven Williams
Publisher: Against the Grain Press (December 26, 2012)
Pages: 312
Language: English
ASIN: B00AHS0IUM

Silver Medal Winner for Popular Fiction from the Independent Publisher Book Awards.

With My Year as a Clown, Williams introduces us to Chuck Morgan, a new kind of male hero—imperfect and uncertain—fumbling his way forward in the aftermath of the abrupt collapse his 20-year marriage.

Initially, Chuck worries he’ll never have a relationship again, that he could stand in the lobby of a brothel with a hundred dollar bill plastered to his forehead and still not get lucky. But as his emotionally raw, 365-day odyssey unfolds, Chuck gradually relearns to live on his own, navigating the minefield of issues faced by the suddenly single—new routines, awkward dates, and even more awkward sex.

Edited by Joy Johannessen (Alice Sebold, Michael Cunningham, Amy Bloom), My Year As a Clown will attract fans of the new breed of novelists that includes Nick Hornby, Jonathan Tropper and Tom Perrotta. Like others in that distinguished group, Robert Steven Williams delivers a painfully honest glimpses into the modern male psyche while writing about both sexes with equal ease and grace in a way that’s both hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time.

Excerpt

An Excerpt of the book can be read here

Guest Post

I thought I’d discuss the sports aspect of My Year as a Clown.  Chuck Morgan is a die-hard Philly fan and he particularly loves his Eagles. The team shows promise of late (the book parallels the 2003 season), but so far, it’s never won a Super Bowl.

When I was writing the novel I was conscious of not wanting to turn away people (specifically women) who abhor sports. Recognizing that you can’t please everyone, nor should a writer try, I wanted to create that sense of how sports can affect a relationship when the man is obsessed and the woman is indifferent.

At the same time, I also wanted to use a guy’s commitment to a team, even when they are perennial losers, as a metaphor for loyalty.

Chuck’s wife doesn’t understand why he doesn’t simply change teams – she doesn’t know much about football, but she knows that the Eagles will lose.

Reflecting upon the collapse of his marriage, Chuck at first thinks it’s all her fault, it takes the year for him to start to see that he must assume some responsibility. As the author, I wanted to show that his football obsession caused problems, but I also wanted it to drive home an even more important theme: she’s what Chuck would call a ‘fair weather’ fan, that sort of fan can switch teams effortlessly, and at some point this hits home for Chuck and explains how she so cavalierly left him for another man after 20 years of marriage.

Chuck knew there were problems with the relationship, but it never crossed his mind to dump her for another woman – he was committed, just as he’s committed to supporting the Eagles despite never winning the Super Bowl.

I also use sports to explore the bond between brothers, sons and fathers too – it’s an excellent way to explore the emotional connections between men. When Chuck’s brother moves to Dallas and becomes a Cowboy fan, he might as well have joined the North, if he’d grownup in the South during the Civil War—sports creates that level of angst.

I recently got a note from a woman who had read the book who said that she almost put it down because the opening sequences reminded her of her honeymoon – her husband needed to catch the Final Four/March Madness and she wasn’t pleased. Lucky for both of us, she didn’t put the book down and after reading it she said she understood better where he husband was coming from and she realized that not all of this obsession was a bad thing. She thanked me for writing the book.

I couldn’t have asked for a better note. Literature should make you uncomfortable, not to the point of horror, but to the point of having an opportunity to learn about yourself from someone else’s story.

There are lots of funny bits in the book too – you know how avid sports fans are superstitious, believing that somehow what they do, say or wear can affect their favorite team. I had fun with that in My Year as a Clown because I created two-way Mojo, not only did Chuck believe that what he did could influence the outcome of an Eagle game, the Eagle’s on-field performance could affect his life.

The 2003 Eagle season starts off poorly, but soon turns and the team ends up in the NFC Championship game for the third consecutive year. The stakes could not be higher for the team, and the same can be said for Chuck who’s dealing with lawyers and the terms of a divorce, as well as confronting dating after 20 years of being with one woman–it all makes for an action-packed year for Chuck.

About the Author

Silver Medal Winner for Popular Fiction from the Independent Publisher Book Awards.

With My Year as a Clown, Williams introduces us to Chuck Morgan, a new kind of male hero—imperfect and uncertain—fumbling his way forward in the aftermath of the abrupt collapse his 20-year marriage.

Initially, Chuck worries he’ll never have a relationship again, that he could stand in the lobby of a brothel with a hundred dollar bill plastered to his forehead and still not get lucky. But as his emotionally raw, 365-day odyssey unfolds, Chuck gradually relearns to live on his own, navigating the minefield of issues faced by the suddenly single—new routines, awkward dates, and even more awkward sex.

Edited by Joy Johannessen (Alice Sebold, Michael Cunningham, Amy Bloom), My Year As a Clown will attract fans of the new breed of novelists that includes Nick Hornby, Jonathan Tropper and Tom Perrotta. Like others in that distinguished group, Robert Steven Williams delivers a painfully honest glimpses into the modern male psyche while writing about both sexes with equal ease and grace in a way that’s both hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time.

His latest book is My Year As A Clown.

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