Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 121
May 16, 2023
Blog Tour: IT TAKES TWO...AND A UTERUS by Sarah Zadek
It Takes Two... and a Uterus
by Sarah Zadek
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GENRE: Wellness
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BLURB:
Anevidence-based guide to optimizing egg, sperm and uterine health for improvingthe odds of a healthy pregnancy (whether naturally or with advanced reproductivetechnologies such as IVF), no matter your gender, sexual orientation, orrelationship status. This witty and easy-to-follow guide addresses key factorsin fertility such as your: genetics, gut and vaginal microbiomes, diet,physical activity, sleep, stress, and exposure to environmental toxins.
Understand the science behind fertility, how to troubleshoot "unexplainedinfertility," PCOS, endometriosis, and the challenges with conceiving inyour 30s and 40s. Learn how to track ovulation, when to have sex (orinseminate), and which supplements may help along the way.
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Excerpt One:
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to your all-in-one fertility guide!
Whether you picked up this book or it was a gift, you’vetaken a positive step towards enhancing your reproductive success and overallhealth— assuming you actually read it. My goal is to get you comfy and cozywith your reproductive system and the art and science of making a baby! The artis the delicious food you can eat and glorious orgasms that help you getpregnant. The science is the hundreds of biological processes that go intomaking a new human being.
No matter what your situation, gender, sexual orientation,or relationship status, this book provides insight into how you, a partner, ora surrogate can improve the odds of becoming pregnant. As the title suggests,conceiving and making a healthy baby requires a healthy and viable egg, ahealthy, motile sperm cell, and a uterus for the resulting embryo to grow in.Since the majority of humans have either testicles or ovaries and not both, ittakes two people (and sometimes three if you need a surrogate uterus) to make ababy. Although I have a “sperm health” section of this book (see Chapter 14),you’ll find that I’ve included information for people with testicles throughoutmany chapters and sections, not just in that single chapter. I highly encourageyou to read this book from start to finish as it tells the story ofreproduction and fertility challenges and how to address each one.
Within these pages I’ll discuss the foundational healthfactors that go into improving sperm and egg quality and uterine health. I alsoaddress which supplements may be helpful for increasing reproductive odds andreview your reproductive options if you’re not taking the oldpenis-ejaculating-into-vagina route.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Dr.Sarah Zadek ND, is a writer and licensed Naturopathic Doctor in Ontario, withan honours degree in biological sciences and a Doctor of Naturopathy degree.Sarah currently practices at Conceive Health at TRIO Fertility in Toronto, anintegrative clinical model that supports collaboration between naturopaths andmedical practitioners. When she's not working or spending time with her husbandand daughter, Sarah loves getting lost in a good book or going for a run withher dog Maple.
Links
https://sarahzadekfertility.com/
Dr. Sarah Zadek (King) ND(@sarahhealthyfox) / Twitter
Sarah Zadek (@dr.sarahzadeknd) • Instagram photosand videos
Dr. Sarah Zadek ND | Toronto ON | Facebook
Amazon
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GIVEAWAY :
Sarah Zadek will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnesand Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
May 15, 2023
Cover Reveal: REFLECTIONS ON THE BOULEVARD by L.J. Ambrosio
This post is part of a virtual book tour to reveal the cover of REFLECTIONS ON THE BOULEVARD, the second book in the Reflections of Michael Trilogy, organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a $10 Amazon/BN GC or an autographed copy of the book. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Michael's story continues from "A Reservoir Man" (2022) where we find him teaching at a university ready to retire. He unexpectedly meets a young man named Ron who becomes his protégé and journeys with him in a haphazard adventure throughout America and Europe. In Michael's final journey in life, each twist and turn of the road brings unexpected adventures. The journey taken is one of joy, friendship, and discovery.
About the Author
Louis J. Ambrosio ran one of the most nurturing bi-coastal talent agencies in Los Angeles and New York. He started his career as a theatrical producer, running two major regional theaters for eight seasons. Ambrosio taught at seven universities. Ambrosio also distinguished himself as an award-winning film producer and novelist over the course of his impressive career.Tumblr
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Prepurchase Links:
Barnes and Noble
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Vivlio
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour: BABE IN THE WOODS by Jude Hopkins
Babe in the Woods
by Jude Hopkins
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GENRE: Women's Fiction
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BLURB:
It’s September 1995, the first year of therest of Hadley Todd's life. After living in Los Angeles, Hadley returns to herhometown in rural New York to write and be near her father. In addition tolooking after him and teaching high school malcontents, Hadley hopes to channelher recent L.A. heartbreak into a play about the last moment of a woman’sinnocence. But she seeks inspiration.
Enter Trey Harding, a young, handsome reporterwho covers sports at the high school. Trey reminds Hadley of her L.A. ex and isthe perfect spark to fire up her imagination. The fact that Trey is an aspiringrock star and she has L.A. record biz connections makes the alliance perfect.She dangles promises of music biz glory while watching his moves. But thesurprising twist that transpires when the two of them go to Hollywood is notsomething Hadley prepared for.
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Excerpt One:
“Have you ever fallen in love?”
He winked at her. “All the time.”
She’d have the last word, something she realized wasimportant to her. “I think it’s wrong, all these women you lead on. Don’t you?I mean, they may get attached, fall for you. But you seem to use them, to seewhat you can get out of them for your own purposes. I think that’s wrong,They’re human beings, after all. With feelings.”
He turned around, his eyes drained of any light. “They useme, too. It’s not like they’re not getting anything out of it.”
“What am I getting out of this?” she asked him, if notrhetorically.
He stood on one hip, a move that made him appear more rakishthan usual. “I really don’t know, Miss Todd. I wondered that myself. I thoughtperhaps you were bored or intrigued. Or maybe you’re a control freak.” He tooka step toward her so he was within half an inch of her face. “Or maybe you’rejust like the rest and can’t resist me.”
Hadley stood her ground. “How do you know when it’s over?The moment when love, or lust, turns into something else. Something not aspassionate?”
“I don’t think about it,” he said, returning her gaze. “It’ssomething that happens. Maybe it’s not one moment. It just is.”
He turned around and walked out of the room.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
JudeHopkins has published essays in The Los Angeles Times, Medium, thebelladonna—and poetry in various journals including Gyroscope Review,Timber Creek Review and California Quarterly.
Ithas always been her desire to write. She was featured in Dickinson College’sliterary magazine when she was an undergraduate. One poem in particular, “MixedMetaphors,” contrasted two viewpoints in a lakeside scene: one of aromantic young woman who thought the wind was blowing through her hair like anAeolian harp; the other, that of her suitor who believed the water looked ascold as hell. Ah, love’s different sensibilities! What she lost in thatrelationship, she gained from her sojourn at Dickinson, earning her Phi BetaKappa key while there, as well as a desire to continue her education.
Thenit was on to graduate school at Arizona State University where studying for hermaster’s degree in English and grading essays as a teaching assistant took mostof her time (and partying — it was ASU, for Pete’s sake). However, she did havea germ of an idea for a self-help book that she began outlining, fueled by manya Thermos bottle of Dunkin’ coffee.
Itwasn’t until she moved to L.A. that she thought about writing a proposal forthat self-help book. She got some bites from agents. Top agents. But workingthree jobs took precedence. (One of those jobs was at a Hollywood recordcompany where she met a Beatle, among other artists.)
Whenshe finally moved back to Pennsylvania, she began seriously writing again,squeezing in time to pen some poems between endless essay grading at one of theUniversity of Pittsburgh’s branch campuses. As an adjunct English instructor,Jude was uncompromising on what she expected from her students, knowing theywere capable of achieving great things when challenged, but she tried to balancethe hard work with humor. Nevertheless, she knew that discipline and knowledgecould turn even the most reluctant student into a pretty good writer. Toachieve that end, the cellphones had to be put away, and attention had to bepaid. The result? Some model research papers and essays from memorable students(she taught English in Pennsylvania, New York state, California and Arizona).
Theneed to write something besides comments on student essays gnawed at her. Oneday, she took out her old self-help book manuscript from a cobwebby drawer andbegan the process of turning it into a novel. That novel became “Babe in theWoods” and will be traditionally published by Wild Rose Press sometime in 2023.She blogs about that novel, so, readers, please follow her blogs as she updateseveryone on the book's progress. Please also check out her essays and poems,also featured herein.
Website: https://www.judehopkinswriting.net/
https://www.twitter.com/HeyJudeNotJudy
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1509248439/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/babe-in-the-woods-jude-hopkins/1143104918
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GIVEAWAY :
Jude Hopkins will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnesand Noble GC, to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawayMay 14, 2023
Review: EVERYTHING IS OK by Debbie Tung
Depression. It’s something we allfall into sometimes. Sometimes the thoughts in our heads can just get toooverwhelming. In this book, Debbie chronicles her struggles as a freelanceartist and the overwhelming burden of all her incessant thoughts and emotions.Am I enough? Yes, you are!
I loved the caricature-likesketches. The whole journey was captivating and relatable. As an artist myself,I know all too well about not feeling good enough, feeling pathetic, andfeeling worthless. I just can’t seem to get it right. We all have that little devilon our shoulder telling us we suck all the time.
Debbie captured it all perfectlyin this graphic memoir.
“Even if the world around me issilent, it’s always loud inside my head.”
“Life is pointless. Everything Ido is pointless.”
We’re all hardest on ourourselves, that’s for sure.
“I don’t have it all together, butthat’s ok.” Just take each day as it comes. Good advice! Be thankful for thelittle things in life. Through Debbie’s therapy sessions, we pick up someuseful tips on coping with depression and anxiety.
Honest and thought-provoking. Areal winner!
Rating: 5 stars
Review: SORRY I RUINED YOUR CHILDHOOD by Ben Zaehringer
Funny, short, little skits. Likethe one where Princess Toadstool finds a hunky Super Mario on Nintender andgets a BIG disappointment. There were no monsters under the bed, except themonster was the bed. He, he, he.
The scarecrow and Tin Man goingafter Dorothy for her brain and heart.
Cute, little cartoon graphics. Agood read for a good laugh!
Rating:4 stars
Review: DOLL by Guy Colwell
“Make me a woman” was the requestof this man with the grotesque face. After all, what real woman would want him?In his 47 years, the man with the face has never had sex, which was why he wantedthe artist to make him a doll—for sex. Was that even possible?
The quest to build a perfectwoman. Boy, they get really detailed and technical on the…specs. The B/Wsketches were cool.
Soon, a fight for the doll sendsher in the possession of other sx-starved guys. Evidently, this doll had ahypnotic power over everyone. Everybody just had to have her. Yowza! Was shethat real? Did it feel that real? The images were quite sexually explicit, butsome were kind of hot.
It was funny how ever man wantedher—this plastic doll to mess with. For the ugly guy, this becomes a mission to gethis doll back. Poor guy. All he wanted was a doll to have sex with.
I didn’t really get the secondhalf of the book. She was just passed around to every crazy pervert? By thatpoint, it becomes nothing but sex, sex, sex. What kind of way was that to endthe story? It turns into nothing but p0-rn. It gets kind of disgusting and VERYgraphic. I’m talking about close-ups on EVERY part.
Like I said, the graphics werecool. Quite honestly, the story was sweet up until the second half of the book.Perhaps the author wasn’t going for sweet. In any sense, I didn’t like how itdeveloped with everyone literally fighting over the doll.
An okay read.
Rating:3 stars
Review: LUNARBABOON: THE DAILY LIFE OF PARENTHOOD by Christopher Grady
This book is a charming andhumorous illustration of parenthood. Parents that didn’t want to fight in frontof the kids would still do it via text. Ha, ha! A dad that would much ratherspend some time alone than be with the wife and kid. Too funny and true! Kidsliterally recording everything you say. It’s a very Bizarro world. Ha, ha!
The B/W sketches were simple witha Ziggy-like quality. I like stuff that you don’t have to think too much on. Ofcourse, I didn’t always get them, but they were still fun to look at.
Some good comics here.
Rating:4 stars
May 12, 2023
Blog Tour: HOW TO BURY YOUR DOG by Eva Silverfine
How to Bury Your Dog
by Eva Silverfine
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GENRE: Literary/Upmarket fiction
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BLURB:
Lizzyhas largely retreated from the world: she tends her adopted strays and goes towork, but she has forsaken lifelong pastimes and declines invitations from oldfriends. On the day she buries Happy, the abandoned basset hound she adoptedyears before, she learns a real estate developer is threatening the heart ofher rural community—a tranquil pond and a relict stand of hemlocks. For Lizzythis is a magical place, hidden from the modern world.
Coaxed by an old friend to join a group fighting the development, Lizzy isreluctant—she wants to avoid both hope and him. But she realizes she can nolonger keep the outside world at bay. As the battle over the developmentunfolds, Lizzy opens herself to two young neighbors who share her love of thenatural environment—an awkward sixteen-year-old and an inquisitiveten-year-old. And as Happy’s elements return to the earth, buried memories findtheir way to the surface in increasingly curious ways.
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Excerpt One:
Lizzy had wandered toward the pond herself that morningafter a restless night. Her mind had been full of the day’s trip, which overallhad been predictable and therefore frustrating. She took her usual routethrough the woods to the bluff. A bird called relentlessly—she recognized itssong, but she couldn’t remember its name, even though Wes had told her so manytimes. She had never tried very hard to remember because its name was notimportant to her. She didn’t need to name the bird to be reassured by its call,to be reassured by knowing it was there and living the life it was supposed tolive, to be reassured there was a world much bigger than herself. It was inknowing there was a world bigger than her own life that she typically foundcomfort, but this morning she was experiencing the other side: that she was toosmall to affect the course of events unfolding in her own backyard.
As Lizzy approached the bluff, she saw the sourwoods were inflower—racemes of dainty white urns were calling in the honeybees. She walkedto the edge of the bluff and looked over the hemlocks standing firm on theirperilous slope.
Even if she hadn’t known the hemlocks were relicts ofanother era, the bluff had always seemed an ancient place, a magical place,hidden from the modern world. An earthy scent emanated from the ground— humusand moss overlain with the sweet aromatic sheath of shed hemlock needles andbranchlets. She loved the hemlocks—their form, their scent, their flat, darkgreen leaves.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Fromliving above her parents’ hardware store in Brooklyn, New York, to living amile down a gravel road in semi-rural Texas with her husband, sons, and thelocal wildlife, Eva Silverfine has explored a variety of urban to rurallandscapes. On that journey, she earned two degrees in the environmentalsciences, worked in an entomological research lab, and eventually retooled as acopyeditor. She freelances for several academic presses and writes personalnarrative and fiction in the in-between spaces. Her short fiction has appearedin a variety of online journals; she has published a collection of essays, ElasticWalls: From Brooklyn to Texas and Points in Between; and her novels, Howto Bury Your Dog and Ephemeral Wings, have been published by BlackRose Writing. Find her at www.evasilverfine.com and on Facebook, Instagram,and Twitter.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100034819616151
https://www.instagram.com/evasilverfine/
https://twitter.com/EvaSilverfine
https://www.amazon.com/How-Bury-Your-Dog-Silverfine/dp/1684338212/
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GIVEAWAY :
Eva Silverfine will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnesand Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawayBlog Tour : SERVANT by Patrick R. Field
Servant
by Patrick R. Field
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GENRE: Paranormal Fantasy
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BLURB:
Not long after their move into Blackstone, married couple Mitchand Buck begin to witness strange sightings of shadowy figures, physicalmanifestations and inexplicable events taking place in the former Sheppardfamily estate nestled in the Northern Poconos of Pennsylvania. Through séances,they learn from the spirit of Jedidiah Sheppard that he has not been able tocross over into the afterlife because the truth behind his sudden disappearancein 1965 has never been solved. During this journey, Mitch and Buck and aneccentric psychic, Gladys Munch aka Madame Fortunesta, encounter interferencefrom the spirit of a Lenape medicine man, Mesingwe Medeu, who protectsJedidiah’s spirit. Mitch and Buck eventually realize that they must findJedidiah’s remains and let the authorities discover through modern detectivework the evidence needed to try and convict the murderer. But is it too latefor Jedidiah’s spirit to find eternal peace?
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Excerpt One:
“The spirit led us to this area of the cellar by blinkingthe lights, making them dimmer and then brighter. When we asked if he wouldlike to be called a spirit, the intensity of the blinking increased, brighterand faster. We thought it was because he liked it, but then the blinkingstopped and the intensity of the light grew until the bulbs started to burst,and as you can see, there is shattered glass on the floor,” I explain as wewalk across the broken glass, the crinkling sounds underfoot. “Sorry about theglass. I have been a little freaked out to sweep up.”
“Where did you find the album?”
“Over here. It fell off this shelf of the bookcase, whereyou can see the imprint in the dust.”
Gladys places her hand on the spot where the album once layand closes her eyes. Suddenly, she opens them, and a surprised, distressedexpression comes over her face, the first time I haven’t seen a hint of a smileall morning.
“I would like to leave here now,” she states in a fearfultone.
“Sure, is something—”
“Now, Mitch! We need to leave now!”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Aftertwenty-five years in higher education, Patrick Field traded in teaching andtextbooks to pursue his passion of writing spine-chilling fiction. Holding aPh.D. in Anatomical Sciences and Neuroscience, his experience informs hiswriting, a unique blend of scientific knowledge with supernatural storytelling.
Hisnon-scientific writing career began with Prince Patrick, a memoir of his precociouschildhood that he wrote for his mother as she battled pancreatic cancer. Thisprocess was not only healing but helpful in stirring his creativity and markedthe moment he was bitten by the writing bug.
An avid fan ofAnne Rice, Edgar Allen Poe, and Joe Hill, Patrick’s subsequent novels wereinspired by his favorite authors. His first fiction novel, The Malevolent, andhis two latest novels, The Bedfordshire Warlock (release date in early 2024)and Servant were written throughout the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
His latestnovel Servant was inspired by the supernatural events that happened to theauthor, his husband, and friends that have stayed in their home in northeasternPennsylvania. Taking a page from his teaching philosophy that those who teachmust never cease to learn, Patrick found himself hungry to discover all hecould about the area's diverse cultures, including the Anthracite coal miningcommunity and the indigenous tribe of the Lenape.
Patrick’swriting process is a mix between walking meditation and meticulous research.His novels form while he walks alone with his dogs, imagining plot lines andcharacters. Once he’s home, he quickly types notes on his computer beforefleshing them out later. Research is a considerable part of his process- thescientist in him abhors “alternative facts.” When he encounters an idea or ahistorical thread unfamiliar to him, he researches all he can about it. Whilehe writes about a world where the supernatural realm is prominent, the realworld is always based on facts.
When developingcharacters, he usually has an idea of the destination he wants for eachcharacter but the journey to get there is often written by the character andthe environment. Of all the characters he’s written, Gladys Munch in Servant ishis favorite, as she’s an amalgam of delightful, humorous “mature” ladies inhis life and physically inspired by British actresses Margaret Rutherford andAngela Lansbury.
In addition towriting, Patrick appears on the stage of his community theater and sings in thechorus of a local opera company each summer. He enjoys spending time with hishusband, Matthew, and their dogs and exploring new destinations around theworld, especially those that have a supernatural history. Haunted buildings andstructures associated with the occult fascinate Patrick. His idea of a perfectday: drinking pints of Guinness draught with friends and family overscintillating and humorous conversation.
Website: www.patrickfieldauthor.com
Instagram:patrickfieldauthor
Facebook:actoranatomist
Links forpurchasing Servant
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Servant-Patrick-R-Field/dp/1509248765/ref=sr_1_1
Barnes andNoble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/servant-patrick-r-field/1143071600
Walmart:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Servant-Paperback-9781509248766/2686843043
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GIVEAWAY
Patrick R. Field will be awarding a $10Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
May 11, 2023
Blog Tour: HOLD ON TIGHT by Jerry Harwood
HOLD ON TIGHT
by Jerry Harwood
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GENRE: Sweet Romance
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BLURB:
Whenevent planner Megan Rouche's boyfriend lands a job in Atlanta, he proposes. Butshe chooses to stay in her small Tennessee town to care for her grandmother.There she kindles a new relationship. However, all is in jeopardy when Frankreturns on behalf of his Atlanta company with big plans to develop a newfactory in Bakewell and marry Megan.
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Excerpt One:
As Meganslammed the driver-side door, she realized only too late the end of her long,flowing scarf remained inside. She felt her shoulders and neck revolt againstthe rest of her body. The color-coded, highlighted, and well-organized weddingbinder did not have the same attachment to the car door as her scarf. It wentforward, scattering over the parking lot. The wedding schedule, names of familymembers and important friends, the order for the toasts, and the marriagecertificate took flight.
Megan reachedout in an attempt to pull the folder and the last ten seconds of her life backin. As she did, gravity won out. She hit her back against the car door andslumped to the ground. Frantically, she unwrapped the knitted noose from herneck. As she stood, the wind caught the loose papers. At first, they wereaflutter near her feet. Then the wind, perhaps realizing how it might continueto torment her, sent a stronger gust.
Megan eyed theenvelope with the marriage certificate. It was tenuously holding its flightpattern over a puddle. She lurched forward, far from gracefully, toward theenvelope. Her fingers touched the edge before the wind chose to take it a bitfarther down the pea gravel parking lot. The marriage certificate danced overthe neighboring spaces before landing against the sidewalk’s curb. From there,it caught an upward draft straight into the holly bushes with the receptionsong list.
Megan removedthe scarf and moved toward the holly bush. She heard the snap of her leftshoe’s heel. Her reward was a skinned knee and another trip to the gravel lot.Her new circular-frame eyeglasses decided they would abandon ship and bounced afew feet away. Megan sat on her bottom, feeling the ground’s moisture creep upher skirt. She raised her hands before patting the ground around her. A delugeof tears threatened to explode from her eyes as she strained to keep them atbay.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Jerry Harwood was born in Ooltewah, TN. His mother was anelementary school teacher and he spent his afternoons reading books in herclassroom or the nearby public library. He currently is a writer, which makessense based on the fact you are reading this here. He has experimented withother occupations: camp director, program director at a counseling center,college professor and middle school teacher. Jerry has backpacked Europe,taught in a Ukrainian University, worked in Rwanda after the genocide, is afirst responder, sort-of remodeled a VW Thing, and has a love for Cherry CokeZero that is only surpassed by his love for his wife, six children, and grandson.He is chairs the Writer’s Track at ConNooga, and actively participates in theChattanooga Writer's Guild where he previously served as a board member.
Feel free to share your thoughts on the book with Jerry atJerryHarwoodBooks@gmail.com or visit his website at www.jerryharwood.com. Hecan also be found on The Zon at https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0863YPCD7
Buy the book at: https://www.amazon.com/Hold-Tight-Jerry-Harwood-ebook/dp/B0BM7ZMSLF?ref_=ast_author_dp
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GIVEAWAY
The author will be giving away a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter
a Rafflecopter giveaway
