Blog Archives
The Legacy Of Her Life
Faces of Evil a Memoir divulges the life of a young girl who is torn between two evils and is forced to choose one. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I wrote the book as a tribute to my Mom’s tragic yet triumphant life. It was important to leave the legacy of her life for the world to understand.
Was there anything that surprised you during your research for this book?
I think what surprised me was although I knew the details of my Mom’s life, when I actually wrote about it how emotional I became reliving it.
What was your favorite part to write about in this book?
My favorite part was an overall feeling of ultimate triumph for my Mom.
What kind of research did you undertake to ensure the book was accurate?
My research was extensive. I have read many books on the era and include a selective bibliography at the end of the book.
Author Links: Facebook | Twitter
Relive the experience through her eyes in a tragic, yet triumphant first hand account.
Plotting to Stop the British Slave Trade
James Bruce’s complex life story has often been overlooked or considered trivial in the grand scheme of history. James’ early life was rough, having experienced an unusual amount of tragedy for someone his age. Nevertheless, he persisted until he rose through the ranks. After a position as a British consul to Algiers, he began to plan the biggest achievement of his lifetime; treks to Ethiopia, to discover the source of the Blue Nile. This in and of itself seems like an impressive feat, however as author Jane Aptekar Reeve describes in her book, Plotting to Stop the British Slave Trade, it is theorized that James Bruce had alternative motives for taking this journey. That trying to find the source of the Blue Nile was really a cover story for becoming an abolitionist for the British slave trade.
Powerful and well researched, Plotting to Stop the British Slave Trade, was a wonderful read. You can clearly tell the author did their research thoroughly. The variety of sources used, and the analysis of that research shows that Reeve spent a lot of time developing this theory and backing it up with facts. There is an in-depth analysis over Bruce’s potential anti-slavery views and work that is not commonly seen in biographical contexts. The path that Bruce took in life is detailed in a clear and concise manner that readers can follow. Reeve really makes you admire the work that James Bruce accomplished as well as the way he conducted himself while on this mission.
Plotting to Stop the British Slave Trade: James Bruce and His Secret Mission to Africa is a thought-provoking historical biography. Reeve’s does include a substantial amount of theory in combination with their research. The theories presented are clearly indicated and followed up with facts to support the theories presented. This well-researched biography will appeal to history buffs and those that researching the slave trade from the view point of Africa, particularly the Blue Nile region.
Pages: 650 | ASIN : B08FHTMJMQ
Dancing With Life
Dancing With Life: A Young Woman’s Quest for Art, Love, and Freedom is a travel memoir by Dhyanis Carniglia. This is a memoir that took a lot of courage to write and even more courage to publish for everyone to read considering the fact that the author shares her entire life with us. From a childhood filled with love, an abusive marriage and escaping it, raising a child, meeting new people, traveling all over the world, and many more topics this is a story about finding one’s self in the world, finding the way to the art within us and accepting one’s self as we are.
This impassioned memoir is written in a way that makes it feel like we are not reading a book, but rather having a cup of coffee with a friend and them telling us stories of their life; so simple yet extraordinary. It deals with themes of everyday life, some of which are warm and happy and others are pills that are hard to swallow; this is exactly what makes this book fascinating.
While reading this stirring book readers will be able to relate to the author on many different levels, some stories are universal while others are distinctly unique. When reading this extraordinary memoir, readers will become invested in the stories being told and the quest that Carniglia is on. Each chapter of this emotional memoir tells a different part of Carniglia’s life and is thought out so well that readers will not be able to put the book down.
Dancing With Life: A Young Woman’s Quest for Art, Love, and Freedom by Dhyanis Carniglia, is a memorable biography of her life, her fascinating travels, and her arresting life experiences. Even though it is the life story of a specific person, we can all find pieces of ourselves in it and that is the best thing a book can do for its reader.
Pages: 191 | ASIN : B08ZLB6GB3
Creepy Cat’s Macabre Travels
Creepy Cat’s Macabre Travels: Prowling Around Haunted Towers, Crumbling Castles, and Ghoulish Graveyards by Katherine Kerestman is a historical recount of the author’s travels to unique places that one would not think to visit. The book is organized into chapters that are mostly titled by places the author travelled to. This makes it easy to read a chapter about a specific place and gives the reader the option to skip around in the book. This book is your tour guide to strange and unusual destinations.
The author has made interesting language choices. Apart from the introduction the language used through the book is quite informative and has a formal tone. At times the informative language is supplemented by more descriptive language – particularly when describing artifacts and architecture that the author particularly enjoyed. These descriptions are rich and draw the reader in, making it feel like we are standing in front of The Tower of London or in a beautiful opera house. Many natural landscapes are also described in detail, giving the reader a thorough description of the author’s experiences. Although the language is quite formal, the rich descriptions peppered with historical facts work together to hold the reader’s interest.
This book is born out of Kerestman’s interest in what she terms as the macabre. Readers may find some the places described in the book to be ghoulish and creepy. There is a wanderlust approach to the destination the author took. Most of the locations appear to be places that intrigued the author and not someplace of historical value. Following the paths of Kerestman’s journey readers travel to destinations that are not always on the top destinations tourist lists.
Creepy Cat’s Macabre Travels: Prowling Around Haunted Towers, Crumbling Castles, and Ghoulish Graveyards is a entertaining and informative book that will delight readers who wish to experience the strange and unusual in travel.
Pages: 208 | ASIN : B08MQD99HT
Carry on Castle
There are certain kinds of grief no one should ever have to endure, but nonetheless happen every day. Losing the love of your life at an early age is one of these, and one that author Jennifer Stults had to endure. Although she expected to live happily ever after, life had other plans. Chronicling the journey of loss and learning to live with the pieces, Stults details a life she never would have, or even could have, imagined for herself and her daughter. The story she tells is in turn heartbreaking and heartwarming as she illustrates the stages of grief in startling clarity.
In Carry on Castle, Stults relays the good, the bad, and the incredibly ugly that comes with unexpected loss at an extremely unexpected time in life. Her brutally honest narrative, and vivid details of the night her husband Dan died, leaves nothing to the imagination. During the course of the book she details each of the stages of grief and her own reaction to them. It’s a hard fact to accept that while life is shattered it must still go on, but Stults unflinchingly describes doing so, even on days when she has no interest in doing so. Despite the support system in her life, her family, Dan’s family, her friends, and her daughter, among others, the loss of her husband creates a vacuum that Stults feels powerless against, with the feeling resurfacing at the most random times.
Stults’ book is just as much a roadmap for others dealing with the same grief as it is catharsis for her own journey. She is open about the fact that writing was never an aspiration of hers, yet her style and tone flow so easily, it would be reasonable to guess she had done it all her life. Even with the melancholy subject matter, Stults manages to infuse enough humor to keep it from becoming too heavy, as well as showing the value of laughter as a coping mechanism. For those who have suffered this type of loss, the book is a solid reminder that no one is alone in their struggles. For those that haven’t, it is a rollercoaster of a ride that they can never completely understand. Her candor helps to convey such an incredible story.
Carry on Castle is such a well written and riveting story that I’m certain wasn’t easy to put on paper. Whether you have been through a similar experience or not, Stults provides some wisdom for both sides of the coin.
Pages: 254 | ASIN : B07Q2DX7HG
Unusual Endeavors
Hiding in Plain Sight shares your storied like with readers and shows them the obstacles you overcame and the lessons learned along the way. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Throughout my life, I have followed individuals that have followed their own paths, whether it is in sports, business, or unusual endeavors that most would say impossible or people were just lucky. Along my route “less traveled” time and again people told me that I couldn’t do something whether that was in my weightlifting, martial arts world, or the close protection business. I guess I was inspired to prove to these people, these naysayers I could do anything I put my mind to. My underlying message is that nothing is impossible. The setup was the fact I live in a small town and that I have traveled to 45 countries from a business I created out of nothing but the will to succeed.
I appreciated how candid you are in the book. What was the hardest memory for you to share?
My parents, their decline, and the care they needed before their passing. My decision was to do everything in my power to make them comfortable.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Be patient with your dreams, find mentors to help you achieve various steps of your process.
Nothing is impossible. Be true to yourself. Develop your own can-do attitude.
Find resources that may re-frame your mind and get you out of a negative mindset.
Create depth in all that you are and present life with the best version of yourself
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
The one thing I hope readers take away, I hope they are very inspired to create their own path and legacy.
Never give up
Author Links: Instagram | LinkedIn | GoodReads | Facebook
Thomas LeBrun has been active within the Executive Protection industry for over 3 decades. often being the advance agent in the world’s most dangerous of cities, Mexico City, Johannesburg So. Africa and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil being a few of them. His consistency in his studies both in the physical and academic world has resulted in clientele in the entertainment, corporate and HNW arenas of the highest caliber. The academic element includes subject matter in Anti-Terrorist studies through ATAB (Anti-Terrorism Accreditation Board), Maritime Security as it has to do with Anti-piracy issues and Crisis Risk Management as well as various Executive Protection courses. Thomas LeBrun has received Tactical Hall of Fame accolades as the 1999 and 2005 Executive Protection Specialist of the Year.
“Hiding in Plain Sight” is the story of former champion power lifter, Martial arts Hall of Famer, and one of the worlds renowned experts in Executive Close Protection, Tom LeBrun. Learn how he used savvy and dogged persistence to achieve his dream and become a real life Superman.
There Is No Recipe For Grief
Celebration of Sisters shares your personal grief journey and how you moved forward years later. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Many individuals encouraged me to share my story. I am an introverted, private person. The concept was out of my realm. I felt the time had come to be open and reveal thoughts that had been kept quiet for many years. Writing the book was two- fold. First, the message as states in the title “It Is Never Too Late To Grieve,” and second to bring awareness about sibling loss.
I never shared my feelings. Due to the circumstances of our family and the times many secrets were kept. I hoped in telling my story anyone who experienced grief would discover some common chord. Grief will become more of an open conversation. The topic not only for those who suffered a loss, but with for others to support individuals who have experienced the loss of a loved one. It is also about forgiveness something that I still struggle with today.
Sibling deaths are referred to as disenfranchised losses, the forgotten mourners. Siblings who lost siblings are often overlooked and take on the burden, worry and caring of other family members. No matter the complexity of the relationship siblings share a unique and special bond. Who knows you better than your sibling? The dream of sharing your life together changed in an instant. Navigating your life without your sibling(s) is a complex journey.
When asked the question, how many siblings do you have? I cringed and rather than share my story. I answered, “just me.” Today I say, “I am the middle of three girls, sadly I lost both my sisters.” My sisters although they are gone, are my past, present, and future.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
The hardest piece to write concerned the actual deaths of my sisters Margie and Jane. The painful recollections of November 7, 1981, and August 1, 1990, were buried deep in my subconscious. In tandem, writing about the work in the Complicated Grief study. Reliving that agonizing time was another step on the grief journey. Every anniversary of my beloved sisters’ death is sad, and each year varies in the intense feelings. Writing about the actual day sparked raw feelings I had not experience for a long time.
Memories buried so deep bubbled to the surface. When I relived those tragic days, my hands shook on the keyboard and tears streamed down my face. Forced to take breaks, I took walks. The fresh air calmed me down. Although the process incredibly challenging at times, lost memories came alive – some dark but many filled with light.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
I say in the book, there is no recipe for grief. The instant you suffer a loss, your life is changed. It is my hope that anyone who has suffered a loss will not feel alone. They will find someone to communicate with, and know whatever their journey is, it is theirs.
In families, grief looks different to every member. In trying to protect each other, we often shut each other out. Everyone is grieving and it is important to have difficult but open conversations where everyone understands each other’s feelings.
I was fortunate to have ice skating as an outlet to find peace, joy, and a connection to my sisters. Gliding across the ice I could turn everything out and focus on stroking on the slick surface, the cool breeze flowing through my hair, and feel my sisters on my shoulders.
Many lessons learned on the ice transferred to life. When learning a new element, patience and practice are key. The same holds true for grief. It is not something learned, we have to practice and be patient with ourselves and reach out for help. A new skill which I had to learn, practice and be patient. Another lesson learned is that when we fall, we get up.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
Hope and love.
Everyone in life has a story or a cross to bear. There is always hope. When you share your story and are transparent, people open up to you with their stories. A conversation begins finding a new bond, friend, and connection.
For many years I was haunted because I lost so many memories of my beloved sisters Margie and Jane. I learned the love of my sisters and I shared prevails overall.
I know my life has its tragedies and challenges and has shaped who I am today not without scars, however in the end I hope I channeled it forward.
I quote what the Rabbi so eloquently stated in Jane’s eulogy:
“There is no satisfactory answer to understanding why bad things happen to good people. Not all questions have answers. Unanswered “whys” are a part of life. The way to face tragedy is with love. “
Margie and Jane, I will always love you.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Instagram | Website
Judy lost her younger sister Jane at age twenty-two in an automobile accident and nine years later her older sister Margie at age thirty-five to a twenty year battle with anorexia and bulimia. It was not until 2011 that Judy began her journey to mourn for Margie and Jane.
Judy experienced the reality that those who lose siblings are the forgotten mourners and they are left to take care of their parents and children. The impact of their loss takes a back seat.
Through her participation and work prescribed in a complicated grief study, Judy learned to restore her well-being, happy memories of her sisters, and the passion the three of them had for figure skating. By bringing her sisters and their memories together more present in her life, Judy found peace.
To honor the memory of her sisters, Judy created and continues to hold, Celebration of Sisters, an annual ice skating fundraiser which benefits Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
This is the story of how Judy used her memories and their shared love of ice skating to come full circle. When she performs on the ice, Judy feels Margie and Jane on each shoulder guiding her and whispering in her ear, “Judy, you’ve got this.”
This is a story of love, grief, and moving forward, even years after the loss.
Tarnished Crowns a Memoir
![Tarnished Crowns a Memoir: The Power of Purpose and Authenticity by [Pamela Rice]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41nFUPNcrXL.jpg)
Tarnished Crowns is a memoir by Pamela Ann Rice. She is a former Hollywood actress whose experiences with personal and business relationships in showbiz, predisposed her to torment and suffering. Pam’s friend reintroduced her to God as a refuge. She dedicates her life to Christ and as she grows in spirit, she takes up more evangelistic roles. She constantly exhibits bravery and clarity of mind. Her faith is often tested and just as frequently, God redeems her. She also rehabilitated patients using Christian therapy to heal women who suffered different forms of abuse. In prayer she finds a safe haven.
The memoir Tarnished Crowns, by Pamela Ann Rice is a very immersive read. I like how the author involves her audience on a first-hand experience of her journey to salvation. She is honest about her love for glamour and how much she misses the limelight. On the other hand, she was negatively affected by the fame and its accompanying relationships. The way she talks about the entanglements feeling abusive and empty, coupled with her feelings of over-dependence aids readers to understand why she opted for The Cross as her refuge. This memoir is a major help to anyone who seeks to stay grounded in God.
The way she managed to portray the character of Jesus through her mission work is impressive. Citing her work with a transvestite woman; “Victoria” who had a hard time integrating at the women’s shelter, she portrays Jesus as unconditional. Her work at rehabilitation center brings to light the present challenge of mental health issues. Christian therapy as solution to most of these tribulations is an adoptable and encouraging approach.
Tarnished Crowns a Memoir, by Pamela Ann Rice is emotional, compassionate, and ideal for the Christian woman and those that work with women. Readers that enjoy transformational life stories will also find this book to be unforgettable.
Pages: 217 | ASIN: B09BND2C8K
LITERARY TITAN 