Showing posts with label Book Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Reviews. 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.

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Friday, September 13, 2013

Beck Valley Book Tour Review

Did I Say That Out Loud? conversations about life - By Kelly McDermont Harman

What I liked about Kelly's writing is that when you read it you feel that you are reading her perceptions within these events. She was able to take those great moments in our lives and share them in a way that we are able to relate to. I have been around children my entire life, the incident with her granddaughter in the changing room, I could relate to. My cat is nearly 19 now, I can relate to her cat adventures. I think most woman would not find any difficulties in relating to the various stories within the book.

Something that that my mother had taught me and Kelly states in her book as well, is that men are simple. Kelly states that they are simple creatures, they are. My mom taught me that they are not mind readers, do not presume they should know what you are thinking, if you want them to take the trash out you have to ask them: simple creatures.

Reading through the authors adventures, you definitely get a sense of her personality, quirks and all. Her spunk adds to the sass and energy within the words, while it is a no-holds-barred expression within these events as well. It adds to the charm of the read. Kelly has captured the moments within our lives and put them before us to read through an charismatic essences. It is like sitting down with a friend and catching-up over dinner. So, grab a cocktail, settle-in to a comfy chair, and enjoy the light and easy read that the author has so openly shared with us. 

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We've all had it - the "uh-oh" of wishing we could take back the comment that somehow escaped the filter between our brains and our mouths. Did I Say That Out Loud? is the tell-all account of the author's misadventures in the daily experience that is life. Told in the tone of a coffee-klatch gathering with your best girlfriends - you know, the ones you can share anything and everything with - the author holds nothing back as she recounts the trials and tribulations of life as Kelly Harman.



Thinking of braving Botox or plastic surgery? Get the real scoop from Kelly, including pre-procedure husband prep. Need help when your cat catches on fire? Ask Kelly how to extinguish the flames without spilling your wine. Survival tips for when a 300 pound man falls on you? Ask Kelly, who lived to tell the tale.



Kelly captures those "you can't make this stuff up" dramas and takes them one step further. She shows us that by reveling in the inevitable mess of the moments we wish we could take back, we may discover that sharing our stories is in fact healing, unifying, and often outrageously funny.



Bad for the laugh lines but good for the abs, some of these stories will hit close to home, others will stray far, far from your average woman on the street. But all are unified by the inimitable candor and hilarity that her friends agree is uniquely Kelly.



Read 'em and weep.



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About the Author

Kelly McDermott Harman was born in Asmara, Ethiopia in 1962 and has walked the road less traveled ever since.  Her childhood was spent overseas, living in eight different countries before she came to the U.S. at the age of 16.  This experience inspired an adventurous streak and disregard for convention which has yielded a rich life, overflowing with great story material.

Her experiences range from celebrating her ninth birthday at India's Taj Mahal to being evacuated with her family in the midst of a civil war in East Pakistan, single motherhood to serial entrepreneur, and Burning Man devotee to self-made marketing maven.  Most recently Kelly came full circle back to the continent of her birthplace, celebrating her 50th birthday at the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro.



Kelly lives in Manassas, Virginia with Bob, her husband and true love of 23 years and has three sons. When she isn't writing about her adventures, Kelly loves spending time with her friends and family, but especially with her three grandchildren, teaching them the value of reckless honesty and unhindered fun.  Kelly is currently working on her next book, a memoir about growing up abroad as the daughter of a (former) CIA agent.




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