Showing posts with label #review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #review. Show all posts

Monday, June 2, 2014

REVIEW: I WILL NEVER FORGET By Elaine C. Pereira

A Human Portrayal of Dementia

Originally I had an interest in reviewing I Will Never Forget because I had remembered family members suggesting that my grandmother had dementia before she passed a few years later.Within my own family, we also take any opportunity to tease my mother about having the beginning stages, because of her frequent memory loss. While I never really experienced dementia with my grandmother, to the degree that the author did with her mother, I have an all new respect for people that are afflicted with the struggles of dementia. 

Reading Elaine's portrayal was heart wrenching at times, but the author did a fabulous job of expressing her emotions, so that as a reader, you feel like you are there with her through the laughs or the tears. What I didn't expect was being able to relate to so much. My son was severely handicapped and I was his primary care giver. I could relate to some of Elaine's struggles. However, this pulled extra hard at my heart strings because of his recent passing. I felt this instant bond with the author and as I read her touching story it only enhanced her testimonies. I also think that it is amazing that she donates a portion of her proceeds to further research. 

So just think, when you purchase this touching tale by Elaine C. Pereira, you are contributing to a great cause! I also think this is a great read for anyone that has had to cope through having family members suffer through diseases like Alzheimer or Dementia, it can help them to relate and gain a better understanding. I know as a full-time care giver, sometimes I felt so alone. But, reading I Will Never Forget helps you to know that you are not alone, there are a lot of people going through similar challenges and experiences.


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I Will Never Forget is the incredible true story of the author’s talented mother’s poignant and humorous journey through Dementia. From superb stories of Elaine's childhood, her controversial name, tales of smoking’ dragons, the feisty teenage years and a near paralyzing accident, her mother Betty Ward’s wonderful character is revealed.

Over time, as their relationship evolves and a new paradigm is formed, Betty begins to exhibit goofy actions, uncharacteristic verbal assaults and bizarre thinking. Although clearly mystified by her mother’s irrational behaviors, Elaine does not initially appreciate the extent of Betty’s mental decline. Her mother’s amazing ability to mask the truth clouds Elaine’s vision and prolongs her denial until one cataclysmic explosion of reality over an innocuous drapery rod launches a waterfall of destructive events.

As her mother’s brilliant mind is steadily destroyed by Dementia’s insatiable appetite for brain cells, Elaine accompanies her mother on her one-way journey through Alzheimer’s mystifying haze. Elaine cherishes her mother’s fascinating visions of her own mother, masterful Houdini-like disappearances and finally a stunning rally to take control of her own destiny.

I Will Never Forget is a heartwarming, humorous, honest and deeply moving story pertinent to everyone touched by the insidious effects of Dementia. Learn from Elaine's unwitting mistakes as she weaves her way through her mother’s unpredictable disease to capture insightful and effective intervention strategies.


The author donates a portion of every book sold to Alzheimer's research "in part so that my daughter's don't have to write a book about me one day."


#1 Best Seller in medical Biographies and Memoirs (Kindle) Amazon March 2014

 #1 Best Seller in Medical Professional Biographies (Books) Amazon March 2014

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About the Author

Elaine C. Pereira is a retired school occupational therapist who worked with special needs children. She earned her bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from Wayne State University and later completed her master’s degree. She also has completed courses as a Certified Dementia Practitioner and Caregiver, CDP. CDC.


Elaine and her husband Joseph live in southeastern Michigan with their cat, Snoopy, and two big dogs, Bailey and Maddee. Together they have five adult children; Joe’s three sons and Elaine’s twin daughters, five young grandchildren and a teenage granddaughter. Life is good again.


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"She was a kind, brilliant and talented person all of her life until Alzheimer's took hold leaving an agitated, bewildered and compromised woman in its wake. I was NOT the easy kid to raise, that would have been my brother. But after a decade of great personal sacrifice and unspeakable losses, Mom started her descent into dementia. I stepped up as she slid down, grateful to give back to the woman who once gave so much!" - author Elaine C Pereira


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I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.



NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY



 


5 Lucky Winners will each win a Signed Book of I Will Never Forget

Open to US or ebook for Worldwide winners

Ending on Sunday 15th June at 11.59pm EST



Enter Below and Good Luck !!



Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Beck Valley Book Tour - The Prodigal by Michael Hurley

An Adventure Awaits

The naturalistic call to the sea is embodied within Michael Hurley's gift of The Prodigal. Much like the sea that Hurley writes about, it is deep and mystical and will carry you easily into the world he has created. You will find yourself immersed, I know I did. I started studying the Bible when I was a young lady, in my early twenties. So, I was naturally drawn toward the scriptures and Hurley's depiction of faith and questioning our beliefs. I've also always had a love of the ocean. Reading the poetry within the author's ability to put his readers in the moment, and utilize our senses so that we can recall how the salt air tastes and how it feels, it's a real escape from our realities.

Overall, I give The Prodigal 5 out of 5 stars. When reading this I kept thinking of Jane Austen, not in comparison, rather a phrase she would use - how characters would "make love to us all" because they have a gift of speaking that draws us toward them. Much like Hurley, his intoxicating writing technique and eloquent style, you quickly realize that you are reading a master at his craft. 

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Other Works by Michael Hurley


Book Synopsis Provided by Beck Valley Books

For 2,000 years, Christendom has believed that fail and penitence are the narrow gates through which all who seek heaven must pass, and that the church on Earth holds the key. What if a forgotten relic, hidden inside an abandoned ship thought to have been lost at sea more than a century ago, suddenly reappeared and cast doubt on that belief? Who would seek to use it? Who would seek to destroy it? And whose lives would it forever change?
This sweeping allegorical tale begins with the escape of a Gypsy princess and her young lover from her father's camp in 1851, recalling the flight of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. The boy steals Prodigal, a sailing ship blessed with unnatural speed, and the lovers escape to sea, leaving the father to grieve for the loss and pine for the return of his child.
More than 150 years later on Ocracoke Island we meet Aidan Sharpe, an aging lawyer, as he rises from the sand of a remote beach after a lost weekend. In a strange foreboding, one woman gives him wine and another gives him water just as his world is about to be consumed by scandal. While struggling to rebuild his life in this lonely outpost of the Outer Banks, Aidan is caught up in a two-thousand-year-old mystery that unfolds with the sudden reappearance of Prodigal off the coast, adrift and unmanned. Its discovery will lead Aidan and those close to him into the deep, in a race between time and eternity.


"Stirring, romantic, and evocative of the sea's magic." - Kirkus Reviews

"An intriguing, well-plotted, and multi-layered novel. The supernatural elements--a religious relic, a gypsy woman out of legend--are thoughtfully handled. Hurley writes beautifully, especially when depicting island and nautical life." - Kirkus Reviews

"Hurley's eloquent, hypnotic style will have readers following, unquestioningly, to the very end. The Prodigal is a masterpiece of artistic imagination and fluid strokes of the pen. Intelligently and eloquently written, this story--where past and present meet, where one man and those near him learn to inhale life, and where wonderful and unexplained things cab be accepted only by faith--is a powerful first novel by Michael Hurley" - ForeWord Clarion Review

Michael Hurley and his wife Susan live in Raleigh, North Carolina. Born in Baltimore in 1958, he holds a degree in English education from the University of Maryland and a law degree from St. Louis University. His first book, Letter from the Woods, was a collection of essays compiled from eight years of wilderness canoeing expeditions with his children. It was a finalist for the Book of the Year Award by ForeWord magazine in 2005. In April 2013 Hachette Book Group published his memoir, Once Upon a Gypsy Moon. The Prodigal is his first novel.

"Pop on over to my Facebook, YouTube, and Goodreads pages"

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Saturday, August 31, 2013

Review of The Sand Bluff Murders by C.M. Albrecht

Classic "Who-done-it" Done Right

Hired as Chief Detective with the Sand Bluff police department, Jonas McCleary is the towns only detective. Just in time too, they just had their first murder in nearly 20 years and is followed by two more cases that Chief Detective McCleary now has to deal with as well. I don't know why, but as I was reading the story, I kept imagining a classic murder mystery in black and white that I might have seen growing up. While I tend to enjoy more fantasy genres, I really liked the humor, and it left me guessing. The plot is strongly written, along with Albrecht's charm, this makes for a good read.

Overall I give The Sand Bluff Murders 4 out of 5 stars. I would not have chosen this book if it was not presented to me. I usually am not interested in this genre and would not have bought it based on the description and book cover, if I was searching. However, I am glad that I did read it and would recommend this book to any murder-mystery reading lovers. Now that I have been exposed to this genre, I may have to go and check out some other titles by this witty and talented author.

About the Author

"People say I've got attitude. Attitude they don't like. I get that a lot. The cops and me? We work toward the same end, but we're like water and electricity. They think I cramp their style. They hat that I don't have to play by their rules."
"I usually end up needing a lawyer. I had one. He fell off the back of an ambulance full of mesothelioma patients and got run over by a speeding Cooper. I'm alone and on my own. It's a mean life. I'm used to it."

This is part of the charm that C. M. Albrecht embodies, a clever wit that is actually mild-mannered who loves his mysteries and detectives. He not only writes mysteries, he's a private eye in real life. "When my casebook's empty - and it's empty a lot - I write books."
He sits at his desk and drinks coffee and daydreams. 
He lives in Sacramento, CA where he proclaims to "wear a dark fedora and trench coat even when it's a hundred and five" outside." Mr. Albrecht is happily married to his beautiful wife Irma since 1967. While his head may be in the clouds, she helps keep his feet firmly on ground. (http://www.cmalbrecht.com/)

About the Book

When Jonas McCleary gets the opportunity to join the force in sleepy Sand Bluff, he jumps at it. A cushy job in a little town where nothing ever happens. He can relax and enjoy life, and since Jonas is getting onto thirty, he's hoping with a little luck, to meet Miss Right.
But on his third day in Sand Bluff, another officer, Ackers, finds a body in an alley. Now the only bright things about Harold Ackers is his badge. Ackers thought the guy was drunk and only after he managed to get him to headquarters did someone inform Ackers that his drunk was dead. Albert Mohr, cocky and mouthy, isn't much better, and probably not much brighter, so Chief Raymond Castillo is depending on Jonas, his only real cop with any previous training, to solve this mystery and bring a killer to justice.
Jonas just wishes he had the confidence his chief places in him. But he's going to give it his best shot. As he goes around town talking to people, he meets some strange residents, especially little person, Lester/Jessica, trailer court operator and dog trainer. Lester/Jessica is also a transvestite with a mammoth bodybuilder boyfriend, and of course, there's Larry Peters, the town insurance agent and his wife, town hussy, Twyla. Twyla's got quite a reputation. Jonas also meets Roxie Jenkins whose father runs the local newspaper. Could she just be Miss Right? 

Links

The Sand Bluff Murders Blog: http://cmalbrecht.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cmalbrecht @cmalbrecht

Acclaim for "The Sand Bluff Murders"

"An old-fashioned page turner." (I. Reitmann, Cleveland Courier)

"I highly recommend this book... The Sand Bluff Murders - with its witty narration, charming protagonist and solid mystery plot - is definitely worth the read." (Cafe' Reads, www.cafereads.blogspot.com)

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Other Titles Available by C. M. Albrecht

(Not in chronological order)

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Beck Valley Book Tour - Scent of Roses by Charlene Rodden

K.E.Nowinsky Review of The Scent of Roses by Charlene Raddon

It has been a long time since I lost any amount of sleep, let alone not slept through the night due to a story I was wrapped up in. Surprisingly, I am o.k. with it too! While it took me awhile to get into the story and to get comfortable with how the book flowed, once I was hooked I was entwined and sent back in-time to a harder more difficult time. How quickly we forget of our luxuries we are fortunate to have in today's society. Unlike the character in this book, who had to deal with washing out cloth diapers, going to outhouses or having to use bed pans, and wearing constricting layers of clothing that could contribute to dizziness or even fainting.

Miner's 1800's
The Scent of Roses finds us in a western town named Whiskey Ridge, where a tragic event just took place. Many people here work hard for their means of life, this includes mining. Due to cost cuts, there has been a devastating mining accident that claimed the lives of three hard workers. This sends business partners and friends Whip and Jasiah into an altercation that will change their fates forever. The story reads as a murder mystery, a puzzle that you are constantly trying to put together, and asking yourself: who killed Jasiah Bullock?

Whiskey Ridge and it's inhabitants are dead-set to lynch Whip Kincade for Jasiah's murder. Especially since his wife Lucinda walked in and saw her husband, Jasiah, dead at his desk and there is Whip, standing over the body with a gun in his hands. But! That's not the only person that encounters Whip that night, apparently Jasiah had many secrets and she is one of them. Enter the main protagonist, Roselyn. Another mystery that seems to fit well with the puzzle that is Rose House, where Whip and Jasiah shared residency. More puzzle pieces are emerging and more motives for the death of Jasiah, the next question you ask yourself: who is the lawful wife of Josiah?

Water & Vinegar =
Roselyn & Lucinda
Finding his partners murderer becomes an insanely complicated matter, not only to clear his own name, but to discover who killed his business partner and friend. This becomes an interesting twist when Whip is hiding out in Rose House, trying to avoid the inevitable lynching. This way he can also keep an eye on his daughter Lenna, who forms a strong relationship with Roselyn. Adding to the warmth of the house comes Molly, a widowed woman and her newborn. While Roselyn and Molly become quick friends, this isn't as easy with the other occupant in the house, Lucinda. At first Lucinda is like oil and water to Roselyn and Molly; they just weren't mixing well. 

Desert in bloom
Roselyn's extreme generosity and kindness shines through after the reading of Josiah's will. My mom always said, if you really want to get to someone, you kill them with kindness. This inevitably wears on Lucinda and her brother Tony, But luckily, Roselyn understand and has empathy for the siblings and helps Lucinda, eventually they can call each other friend. Lucinda's brother, not so much. After an incident with Tony and Roselyn that involved his inebriated state, after which he was asked to leave Rose House to never return again (and rightly so!)

Roselyn & KD's date
The mystery continues as Roselyn meets KD, a mystery man tat she connects with and starts to form a relationship with. Unbeknownst to her, it is one of the very men she fears, whom she presumes to be the murderer of her late husband. Will their relationship last the deceit? I can't say - I will say that it was really fun to read how their relationship developed and blooms. There were many relationships within the book that I enjoyed reading, the characters seemed like familiar people, endearing and personal.

Desert Sunset
Roselyn has secrets of her own too. She's running away from an abusive past that threatens the happiness of her future. What I liked about Roselyn's story was that while she was very much the damsel in distress, she still fought for herself. While she relished in the false sense of security of having a strong man by her side, it can't always save you. Sometimes you have to pull up your britches and handle matters yourself! I really loved Roselyn's stubborn and willing behavior to fight for the new life she built there in Whiskey Ridge. I guess it is also why it was so frustrating reading how she was determined to leave it all as well, letter her past dictate her future.

"If you need light just look up"
KD - The Scent of Roses
Once it all comes together, another secret is revealed about Rose House itself, which takes on an entity all its own. An intriguing old British butler that still resides within the house adds a quirky touch to help support the new relationships and pushes toward the buds to bloom fully. In the end we learn the butlers tale as well and it envelopes the charming story within The Scent of Roses. Which, Rose House itself is named because of the lovely roses that bloom in front of the house, along with the physical roses blooming, Roselyn too blooms within the house - Rose becomes her endearing term to the one she loves. Rose, it seems is the last piece of the proverbial puzzel that completes the story.

That being said, I know some readers might complain of some slight errors within the book. I know this really irritates some readers, but I didn't think it was distracting neither did it take away from the story. Overall I would suggest individuals that enjoy fictional, westerns, mystery, romance reads toward The Scent of Roses. It had the charm of an old Western, with modern twists along the way, putting more humanistic and relatable characteristics with what we know of the proprieties of the time.


Since I lost a nights sleep reading this book - I have to give it a 5 out of 5 stars - of course I might still be a little delirious but I did enjoy reading the book and that's what I love most about reading, getting lost in a story and loosing time of our realities. The Scent of Roses is well worth the investment, both time and monetarily. Thank you +Charlene Raddon for delivering such an endearing story and characters I definitely would love to continue to read about further.



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Beck Valley Books - Book Tour - Scent of Roses by Charlene Raddon

The following was composed by and furnished through Beck Valley Books:






A WOMAN’S SMILE



Rosalyn Delaney’s husband, Josiah, had vanished six years ago. Following a private detective’s lead, Rosalyn leaves Salt Lake City and boards a train heading to the mining town of Whiskey Ridge, Arizona. She arrives at Rose House, an old mansion reputed to be haunted, only to discover her missing husband has been killed, and his business partner, Whip Kincade, is wanted for his murder. Determined to uncover the secrets surrounding Josiah and his death, Rosalyn decides to stay-even when she begins to receive nightly visits from a charming 
“ghost”…



A GHOST’S KISS



Escaping a troubled past, Whip Kincade had hoped he could make a fresh start by coming to Whiskey Ridge and opening a saloon with his friend, Josiah. Now as a murder suspect hiding in his own house, Whip’s future looks bleak indeed…unless he can find the real culprit. But the unexpected intrusion of Rosalyn ruins his plans of sneaking out at night to investigate. Scaring her away is the first step in clearing his name, but Rosalyn doesn’t rattle easily. And Whip isn’t sure he wants the lovely widow to walk out of his life—especially when she would take his heart with her…


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About the Author

Charlene began her writing life at an early age, often penning stories where she cast herself as the heroine. It was after college when she dug out her old college typewriter and started her first novel, which came from a spirited dream she'd had the pervious night.

While that book never sold, her second novel did. Tender Touch became a Golden Heart finalist and earned her an agent who signed the book, and two others, in a three book contract with Kensington Publishing. Kensington went onto publish five of Charlene's western historical romances: Taming Jenna (1994); Tender Touch (1994 Golden Heart Finalist); Forever Mine (1996 Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer's Choice Award Nominee and Affaire de Coeur Reader/Writer Poll finalist); To Have and To Hold (1997); and as Rachel Summers, The Scent of Roses (1999).

Charlene took a break from publishing, but not from writing. A Kiss and A Dare is Charlene's first paranormal romance.

Divine Gamble is Charlene's latest work and won first place in the western historical category of the 2010 Romance Through The Ages
contest.

When Charlene isn't writing, she loves to travel, do genealogy, digital scrapbooking and dyes eggs in the Ukrainian style. And she enjoys camping and fishing with her husband in the Utah wilderness. 

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I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.