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Friday, October 29, 2021

Divorce Bucket List by Jennifer Harris - Book Blast - Book Sale - Giveaway - Enter Daily!



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jennifer Harris will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Divorce Bucket List is a practical and heartfelt guide that effortlessly blends meaningful exercises and reflections with author Jennifer’s personal experiences through the trials and challenges of divorce. Written as a way to empower others to rebuild their lives as they work through the trauma of a divorce, this illuminating guide explores Jennifer’s harrowing journey through divorce, revealing her creation of her Divorce Bucket List – and how it helped her emerge into a happier, healthier, and more emotionally fulfilling chapter of her life.

Perfect for anyone who feels lost, alone, or broken as they struggle through divorce, Divorce Bucket List will help you rediscover yourself and your values, overcome your fear of the future, and learn to love again. With a blend of real-life anecdotes, reflections, and exercises to encourage you to apply a Divorce Bucket List to your unique situation, Jennifer’s story will inspire you to move past your divorce and make the most of this exciting new time in your life.

EXCERPT TWO:

Deciding to be more actively present and grateful in the moment, I ventured back to the beautiful Kensington Gardens the following day. It was there that I made my first gratitude journal entry:

I am sitting here in the beautiful Kensington Gardens in London. It’s another gorgeous, sunny day, and the sun's warmth can be comfortably felt through the shade of the trees around me. The sound of the five surrounding water fountains gently flowing into a beautiful pond provides a sense of tranquility. I’m surrounded by relaxed families, couples, groups of friends, and even some who appear to be fellow solo travelers. I feel at peace in this moment, witnessing the miracles of life all around me. There is so much beauty in the present. I am thankful for this serenity, this beautiful day, and these views.

That trip went on to be the most amazing trip I’ve ever been on, even though I went alone. I made so many memories in London that I could write another book dedicated entirely to that trip. I got to tour many historical places, stand in spots where world-altering events took place, experience a day at boozy brunch with locals, and my birthday the following day at an inflatable adult obstacle course with new friends. I partied the night away with people I’d never see again. I ate the most delicious meals in historical settings. I danced with and kissed a tall, dark, handsome Italian man. I drank pints with my dinner each night and lived out things I’d only previously dreamed of. I met people from all over the world and learned so much. More importantly, I began the steps of exploration I needed to find myself again. It wasn’t until the end of the trip that the most magical thing happened, but, first, we must look at some of the other things I had been doing behind the scenes along the way and leading up to the trip!

AUTHOR BIO:
Jennifer Harris is an author, speaker, divorce coach, and the creator of the Divorce Bucket List. After experiencing her own traumatic marriage and divorce, she went on to become a highly trained and certified Confidence & Transformation Divorce Coach. With over ten years of coaching experience, she’s passionate about sharing her story of the grief and trauma she experienced and how she developed the Divorce Bucket List to help her move forward. Jennifer is dedicated to inspiring others to achieve their desired outcomes through divorce and rebuild their lives to emerge from their separations into happier, healthier chapters of their lives. She currently resides in Pennsylvania with her two wonderful boys.

http://www.DivorceBucketList.com
For More Resources or To Work with Jenn: http://www.Divideguide.com
http://www.Facebook.com/DivideGuideJenn
http://www.instagram.com/DivideGuideJenn
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC5hAyDVsWpT91lMzDPq69w
https://www.tiktok.com/divideguidejenn

The book is on sale for only $0.99.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Divorce-Bucket-List-Powerful-Self-Discovery-ebook/dp/B09HW7H2M1/
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Thursday, October 28, 2021

A Better Forever by Tracey Cramer-Kelly - Book Tour - Book Review - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


A Better Forever

by Tracey Cramer-Kelly

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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BLURB:

Tumbling down…

Connor Lawson has always been a nerd. A rules follower. The valedictorian who worked his way up to Chief Financial Officer at his company on the Iron Range in Minnesota—and married the girl of his dreams. But his perfect life is crashing down around him. He could lose his job in a company acquisition. And the wife he deeply loves has discovered the shameful secret he’s hidden for most of his life.

Shattered dreams…

Melina “Mel” Lawson was the opposite of Connor in college, but she fell hard for the man she could talk to for hours. Now, twelve years and two kids into their marriage, life is a blur of hockey practice, drama rehearsals, part-time work and volunteering. Still, she can’t shake the feeling that something is missing. When she discovers what Connor has been struggling with all these years, his betrayal leaves her devastated.

Picking up the pieces…

They’d once vowed before God to love one another for better or worse—but Mel never imagined anything like this. If Connor is willing to work things out, is Mel ready to salvage this marriage in crisis? Can they recapture true intimacy and find a better forever… together?

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EXCERPT TWO:

Connor hadn’t slept a wink. In twelve years of marriage, Mel had never kicked him out of their bed, and it was a damn cold place to be. All night long, her words had banged around in his head.

She knew. She knew everything.

And she thought he was capable of cheating on her.

Yes, he looked at other women, but that’s all it was.

It’s still wrong, the small voice in his head said.

By morning he’d resolved to do some serious groveling. And explaining. And he’d give her the attention he should have been giving her all along.

Instead of heading to work at first light, he started the coffee when he heard movement on the upper floor.

Mel looked surprised to see him when she came down, already dressed in a floral blouse and tan slacks, Andie right behind her.

Dad!” Andie jumped into his arms. “What are you doing here?”

“Yeah, why aren’t you at work?” Kurt appeared behind her, rubbing his eyes. “Are you sick?”

“I decided to go in a little later than usual.” He ruffled Kurt’s hair. “I wanted to have breakfast with you guys before you go to school.”

“Are you sure you’re not sick?” Andie said as she slid into her chair at the table. “You never eat with us. Not even on weekends most of the time.”

He winced inwardly. “Well, I am today.”

He glanced at Mel, but she wouldn’t look at him. Instead, she busied herself making the kids’ lunches. Nor did she say anything during the short breakfast of toaster waffles and cereal.

He didn’t try to interfere with their usual morning routine—heck, he didn’t even know their morning routine—instead staying seated at the kitchen table until the kids were loaded with their lunch boxes and backpacks.

“Kids, get in the car.” Mel gave them a little push toward the door. “I’ll be right there. I need to talk to your father for a moment.”

“Bye, dad!” Andie skipped out the door, Kurt following at a more sedate pace.

Connor waited for the door to close behind them. “Look, Mel, about last night—”

“I did a lot of thinking last night.” She looked down at her sandalled feet, then back up, although her gaze didn’t meet his. “I’m obviously not meeting your needs, Connor, and frankly, you haven’t met mine for a long time.”

Her words held no anger, only resignation. Still, they felt like a punch to the gut. “I know I didn’t handle our conversation very well,” he said. “Why don’t we talk about it after you drop off the kids?”

Her mouth flattened. “It’s a little late to talk. I think it’s best we take some time apart.”

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MY BOOK REVIEW:

This book exposes the raw, emotional turmoil, difficulties, and pitfalls of a marriage, the struggles of keeping secrets and hiding addictions from a spouse and determining what it takes to rebuild or walk away from the relationship.

This book follows Connor and his deep, dark, secretive sex addiction.  This book deeply shows his shame, anxiety, stress, heartache, and devastation as he struggles to finally come clean and seek help, but is it too late?  Has he hurt his wife, Mel past the point of forgiveness?  Has there been too much betrayal and damage?

This was a somewhat difficult review for me, as I was a bit thrown off by Connor’s secret.  In the book blurb, a secret is mentioned, but undefined.  It’s totally on me, as I assumed, that it was probably alcohol addiction or maybe an affair.  So, it was quite surprising to discover this unexpected turn.

Like myself, I think many readers may be surprised and uncomfortable after learning this revelation.  I honestly was considering taking off half a star to a full star from my review score.  However, after weighing the pros and cons of the book and my review, I felt it was unnecessary and perhaps unfair to mark a book’s score down simply for not going in the direction that I had thought it would.  The book blurb didn’t intentionally mislead me – it never revealed what the secret was, and I jumped to my own conclusions about it.  Now, had the book blurb flat out said this book was about an alcohol addiction or the untold biography of Steve Jobs, and then none of that had been part of the book, then I absolutely would have felt tricked and would have subtracted a star.

Even today, sex addiction is still considered to be a bit of a taboo phrase (and diagnosis), and I think this should not be hidden as a plot spoiler, but upfront so readers know what they are signing up for.  I understand the need for the author to try to keep some mystery, intrigue, and suspense to her book, however, this is more of a bombshell than a plot point.

This book significantly focuses on the martial relationship and family dynamic of a couple that is past those happy, wedded bliss, honeymoon days.  After twelve years and two kids, Connor and Mel, no longer have the same happy relationship they did when they first got together.  While this is not untypical of a marriage, especially several years in, as many couples drift apart, people change, and life, family, commitments get in the way; the substantial barrier in this marriage are the secrets and lies that have built up destroying this once happy couple.

This book is full of strong emotions, and the author does an excellent job at conveying those feelings through her characters.

This book focuses on understanding, listening, and communicating with your partner, overcoming complex obstacles, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

This book also has strong Christian, religious, faith themes that are weaved throughout the story.  However, it’s more of a younger version, modern day take on religion, as it offers a more understanding and less judgmental stance.

This book is Book Five in the Lawson Family Book Series.  I had not previously read any of the other books in this series but did not have any trouble keeping up.  Therefore, this book can absolutely be read as a standalone, and read on its own.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it!!  However, like I previously mentioned, I think it’s important for readers to have all the facts and know what they getting to before they start reading this book.  I think all contemporary romance readers and fans of books with strong Christian, faith themes will like this book too!!  In addition, I think this book would be invaluable for someone going through a similar situation and looking for shared understanding, common ground, and insight into sex addition.  So, add it to your TBR List and get to reading - you won't be disappointed!!

**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations**

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AUTHOR BIO:

Many experiences influence Tracey's writing, and she has been known to undertake unusual endeavors (such as firefighter training and learning to fly a helicopter) just for the sake of the experience. Being an Army-trained combat medic (and civilian EMT) and a "biker chick" for over 30 years has had significant influence in her books, but even "ordinary" events have struck a chord or inspired a character or plot idea. To support her writing habit, she also works PT at a substance abuse counseling center and manages the family business (Leader Motorcycle). She’s a soccer fanatic who’s blessed with a very understanding husband and two children who put up with the “embarrassment” of a motorcycle-riding, romance-writing mom!

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CONNECT WITH TRACEY:

Website:

https://www.TKRomance.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/TraceyCramerKelly

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.com/cramerkelly

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/traceycramerkelly

YouTube:

https://youtube.com/twiggletproductions

BookBub Author Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tracey-cramer-kelly

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1242964.Tracey_Cramer_Kelly

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/2ZxaKP9

Apple Books eBook:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1570001715

Barnes and Noble Nook eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-better-forever-tracey-cramer-kelly/1139601603

Kobo eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-better-forever

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Tracey Cramer-Kelly will be awarding autographed copies of the Army Ranger Series (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

Golden Shana: The Chase by A P Von K'ory - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Golden Shana: The Chase

by A P von K'Ory,

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GENRE: Erotic Romantic Suspense

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BLURB:

An evening at the La Scala in Milan twirls the lives of five people into a web of rivalry, intrigues, heartaches, obsession, murder, loss, and revenge.

“… for those who love selective eroticism with substance. An exciting and sophisticated erotic thriller for the astute romance reader, woman or man.”

Love, a word Roman can hardly spell, hits him when he sees Shana one evening. She’s the first woman not dropping to her knees at his mere presence. Used to getting whatever he wants, he chases her. Only to discovers that she prefers the girls. Roman can’t let that deter him. But is he for once up against his own comeuppance? At any rate, he needs assistance, which comes in the form of Alyssa, Shana’s BFF. Trouble crops up when Alyssa is all too ready and willing to drop on her knees for him.

Roman can't get anywhere near Shana on his own. Would he start anything with Alyssa as long as this finally leads him to meet Shana in person?

Then there’s Marie, his current companion, who has a life-changing surprise for him.

Roman: I never chased after a woman. Then I caught a glimpse of the woman I would kneel for, but didn’t even know her name. Heck, I determined to find her if it took me the rest of my life.

Shana: He stood in the room with her. The frisson in the currents freaking between them knocked her senseless. The mutual force of predator and prey, blasting into her core ... her soul ... Danger. Keep far away from him

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EXCERPT ONE:

Was it love I felt for Svadishana? A woman I’d spoken three whiny words – Please call me! – to? Was it more than simple lust and desire? Did I want to possess more than just her body? Pondering these questions alone was so unlike me. That woman had turned me into an alien even unto my own self. What I felt, my inner voice said, was more than the thrill of the hunt. More than lust, desire, need, passion, the excitement of possession, and subjugation. Of course all that was part of it. But the basis or the source, the seedbed on which all that sprouted and was growing to full blossom in me, could well be something else.

When I thought of her, saw her image from Milan in my mind, watched how she moved in long smooth strides in YouTube, my brow beaded with sweat. I couldn’t pull my gaze away from the few photos I’d fished out of the Internet. Group photos at a family birthday or the authorized biography of her father. Her movements in a YouTube conference clip were springy and powerful even in their smoothness. She exuded strength all over the place, laughing, talking, gesticulating.

A breath-taking beauty. Such beauty that I dared not believe it at times.

And brains to go with it.

In love or not, I knew what I wanted and Svadishana was the answer. I wanted her and would do anything short of suicide to get her. Who knows – perhaps when it came to that as the only means available, I’d really murder too. I didn’t in the least care about the consequences, as long as they got me to where I wanted to get to.

Svadishana’s arms and knickers and… heart?

What obsession, Roman. Get back to real.

No chance. Real was Svadishana. 

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GUEST POST:

What does GMC Stand for?

Goal, Motivation and Conflict

Whether you have a character- or plot-driven story, you need to take a moment and define your main characters’ goals, motivations and conflicts – GMC. Your characters’ GMCs are the foundation on which to build a solid story and create a satisfying non-pedestrian tale. You character’s GNC propels the story forward, whether fiction or nonfiction.

I read about GMC in Debra Dixon’s GMC: Goal, Motivation and Conflict, a fabulous work in segmenting the definition of these elements for a variety of characters.

Putting the Goals into Perspective

The important focus is the fact that each Protagonist comes with two types of goals: Internal and external. Being the storyteller, however, demands that you seriously muddy the waters with your own Creator’s Goal, as I call it. That is, what are you aiming for in your story? What should happen? This is where you need to put the character’s goals into perspective.

•       Begin from the Inside Out - Characterization should always begin from the inside out. Pin down the whirling cyclone inside of your character’s psyche that finally will become tangible in a physical way. Remember that cyclone winds do rotate counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. Internal goals sprout from emotions. In every scene, the protagonist has a goal. But without losing sight of a main goal that shadows their arc in the story.

•       The Protagonist’s External Goals - These are the tangible goals occurring outside the Protagonist as a result of their internal goals. This intent (goa)l differs from an internal intent because it demands outward action from the protagonist.

The protagonist’s intent must guide each choice they make even if one contradicts the other. For example, the protagonist has the offer of their dream job, but in a different state where they can’t take their school-age children and their sick parent (conflict) that they don’t want to leave on their own. Forcing two strong but opposing internal goals on your protagonist makes your story compelling.

In all this excitement, don’t forget your own constant intent as the storyteller. That’s easy – if not for the tough task of streamlining your intent with your topic and with the protagonist’s goal. Here’s where most of us creatives throw in the towel or succumb to Prof Writer’s Block. Well, just cock a snook at the professor and abandon your goal so that you craft a more genuine, compelling and character-led tale. On the other hand, your protagonist’s internal goal and your own intent in opposition just might give you that riveting story. Not to forget the MC and the antagonist, too, must collide in their own tracks somewhere in the story.

Putting Motivation into Perspective

Something crucial that each writer has to understand about their protagonists involves the motivating Why. Why does the protagonist persist in their pursuit regardless of setbacks?

The story must never move the protagonist uphill and downhill; the protagonist should be the one shouldering the story uphill and hauling it downhill fast and furiously. Because they’re in a hurry to finally reach their goal. That’s what’s motivating them. Murdering the person who hurt their loved one is the goal, the intent. When you put motivation and goal into perspective and play them like Beethoven his piano, you create a driven story. Internal and external conflict between opposing goals produce tension and you want that tension in just about every scene but THE END.

Putting Conflict into Perspective

Shannon Curtis writes: Internal conflict stems from your character’s goal. External conflict stems from your story goal.

No story is worth being termed a story without conflict. At best lots of conflicts.  In Golden Shana, Roman’s goal travels the entire landscape from desiring her to the even hardest one of winning Shana’s love, not just sex and submission. Flashing billions and private jets and yachts large enough for helicopters to land on won’t do it – she’s been there and is way up in the atmospheric realms. He has to find better routes than flashing wealth and flexing handsome muscles. He has to come to terms with an Alpha female stronger than his will, for whom the gods kneel. And he hasn’t a blessed clue how to go about that. So he has to bumble and stumble all over the map. When the arrogant billionaire arse Roman struggles against every shade of conflict he never contemplated, he becomes vulnerable and in that he’s humanized and made relatable to the reader. That’s the dynamic of any story – goal and conflict locking horns.

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AUTHOR BIO:

A P von K’Ory writes the kind of books she herself would like to read and is passionate about, whether romance, psychological thriller or nonfiction. She is the winner of six awards from four continents, the last one being the Achievers Award for Writer of the Year 2013 in the Netherlands. The Selmere Integration Prize was awarded her in 2014 for her engagement in helping African Women in the Diaspora cope with a variety of domestic and social problems. The Proposal, a short story, won the Cook Communications first prize in 2010 and is published in an American anthology Africa 2012. In 2012, she won the Karl Ziegler Prize for her commitment to bring African culture to Western society in various papers, theses, and lectures. Again in 2012, her book Bound to Tradition: The Dream was nominated for the 2012 Caine Prize by the Author-me Group, Sanford, and in 2013 she was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers Prize.

Von K'Ory is married to an aristocrat and politician of Franco-German descent, has a large extended  family. She lectures Economics and Sociology in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. She’s migratory and – weather willing – lives in Germany, France, Cyprus, and Greece.

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CONNECT WITH VON K’ORY:

Visit My Website: http://Akinyi-princess.de

Sign up for Newsletter: https://akinyi-princess.de/contact

Sign up for news about me & the family, ARCs & Freebies:

Want to join up and receive ARCs from my next (or current) books? Please join the discerning readers at the link below: https://www.facebook.com/AkinyiReadersReviews/

It would be lovely if you could Like the book page and read the latest interviews and news about Shana and Roman on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/Goshanaliterotic

It would be equally wonderful if you could Like my Author page and read more about Shana and Roman new releases, cover reveals and what I’m up to lately on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAPVonKOry

Follow in Twitter: @Apky11162

Sign-up Page: Exclusive Royal Club Books

https://akinyi-princess.de/exclusive-royal-club-books-page/

English Book Trailer:     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkGuFzsRgsM

Goodreads Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7063572.A_P_Von_K_Ory

BookBub: 

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/a-p-von-k-ory

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/APvonK'Ory

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

One randomly chosen winner via Rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lady and the Tribe: How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles by Brenda Billings Ridgley - Book Blast - Giveaway - Enter Daily!



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.Brenda Billings Ridgley will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Wives, mothers, and career women—we have all fallen victim to the silent epidemic that is, literally . . . letting ourselves go. Not the makeup free, yoga pants, weight gain routine. Little by little, we have allowed our preferences, interests, and individuality to slip away until we no longer recognize ourselves outside of our role as wives, mothers, or professionals. Who we are has become what we do.

In the process, our friendships have become the casualty of a “busy life” and lack consistency and depth. We have a gaping hole inside us that longs to be filled. How do we reclaim who we really are and fill this empty space that seemed to appear from nowhere? The answer lies in our Tribe. Our best friends see us more clearly than we see ourselves and are representations and extensions of our individuality. They are our companions, cheerleaders, and counselors—always in our corner. They are the branches of our tree of life that lift and support us, so we can flourish. Our Tribe is the family with whom we choose to live our life . . . with no strings attached.

Lady and the Tribe is a blueprint for building deep connections. As you read, you’ll be swept away on a journey of friendship as the author shares her own personal stories and those of other women. In the process, you’ll discover how to find, nurture, and deepen friendships and create a Tribe culture that is unique to you.

We can become whole again through the power of connection.

When three or more gather, we are Tribe.

Read an Excerpt

Awakening

Today, a dichotomy exists between our concurrent hyper connectedness—the immediate and ongoing ability to check up on faraway friends via social media—and our elevated sense of emotional alienation. Add to that, we as a culture are so focused on career success, financial accomplishments, and family milestones that we often lack the time and energy to connect with others beyond those arenas. Despite being surrounded by people, places and things, somehow we are left feeling alone. We are not alone because we lack relationships. We are alone because these relationships lack depth, knowledge, and certainty. In his column, “Loneliness is Killing Us,” George Monbiot suggests that, much as we labeled the Stone Age, Iron Age, Space Age, and Information Age, this era will be called “The Age of Loneliness.”

Almost without noticing, we have distanced ourselves from the people who choose to love us without obligation. These closest personal friendships are ever present—yet do not demand our time. They are an advocate in our corner, mirroring back to us who we really are. This neglect is not without a price. We must actively seek, grow, and maintain these relationships. If we fail, we won’t just lose a friend—we’ll lose a piece of ourselves.

The wonderful thing is that no matter where you are right now with your relationships, you can exponentially improve your connections by deciding to give them a little more attention and intention.

About the Author:
BRENDA RIDGLEY is an author, speaker, and girlfriend guru who loves helping women connect, find success, and discover joy through friendship. Her mission is to start a movement: women coming together to build thousands of new Lady Tribes around the globe. Through her workshops, vlogs, blogs, and book clubs, Brenda helps women connect and communicate with respect, love, and trust. She holds an MA in human resources and has spent decades cultivating her own Tribe. A Colorado girl at heart, Brenda lives in the Carbon Valley area with her husband, Parker, two kids, Parker Jr. and Gillian, and pooch, Perry. She enjoys hiking and has conquered Longs Peak and several other 14’ers.

To connect with Brenda, visit her website at http://www.BrendaRidgley.com
Invite Brenda to speak at your next event: mailto:brenda@brendaridgley.com
Order: Lady and the Tribe - https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Tribe-Empowering-Friendship-Circles/dp/1737289709

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Intentional: How to Live, Love, Work and Play Meaningfully by David Amerland - Book Tour - FIVE Guest Posts!!!!! - Giveaway - Enter Daily!!

Hi, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host David Amerland and his new book, “Intentional: How to Live, Love, Work and Play Meaningfully,” here on FAB!!  For other stops on his Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with David and to increase your chances of winning!!

Thanks for stopping by!!  Wishing you all lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!!


Intentional:

How to Live, Love, Work and Play Meaningfully

by David Amerland

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GENRE:  Non-Fiction / Smart Book

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BLURB:

Live your life the way you want to. Manage stress better. Be more resilient and enjoy meaningful relationships and better health. We all want that. Such life leads to better choices, better jobs, loving romantic partners, more rewarding careers and decisions that are fully aligned with our aims.

What stops us from getting all that is the complexity of our brain and the complicated way in which the external world comes together. The misalignment between the internal states we experience and the external circumstances we encounter often leads to confusion, a lack of clarity in our thinking and actions that are not consistent with our professed values.

Intentional is a gameplan. It helps us connect the pieces of our mind to the pieces of our life. It shows us how to map what we feel to what has caused those feelings, understand what affects us and what effects it has on us and determine what we want, why we want it and what we need to do to get it.

When we know what to do, we know how to behave. When we know how to behave we know how to act. When we know how to act, we know how to live. Our actions, each day, become our lives. Drawn from the latest research from the fields of neuroscience, behavioral and social psychology and evolutionary anthropology, Intentional shows you how to add meaning to your actions and lead a meaningful, happier, more fulfilling life on your terms.

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EXCERPT ONE:

Whether we realize it or not, we all feel the need for this kind of guidance that gives us a deep sense of purpose. Because we are born physically helpless we have evolved to latch onto and work hard to understand our immediate environment and the people around us. This makes us, as we grow older, intensely pro-social. At the same time it provides us with a ready-made set of expectations, rules and guidelines to guide our behavior that arise from the collective behavior of those around us.

That behavior is the culture we experience and the traditions we abide by. The problem with this is that rather than defining for ourselves what is important to us we accept that which is given to us. That which is given to us is rarely what we want, but it can very easily become what we settle for.

Settling is an evolutionary-programmed trait. Let me explain: Life is hard. It really is. Even if we happen to have the extraordinary luck to be born into a very rich family whose legacy gives us everything we need to live comfortably for the rest of our life, maintaining that fortune and navigating through life is going to be fraught with risks, traps and constant upheavals.

We need other people. Other people need us. That is a truth. But the reasons for this mutual need are usually contradictory or, at the very least, sufficiently at odds with each other to make trust an issue and turn cooperation into a risk-assessment exercise.

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FIVE GUEST POSTS:

Overcoming Writing Obstacles

This is my second book in the field of neuroscience and human behavior the first one was The Sniper Mind and the two books represent six long years of research, writing, and interviews of scientists and researchers. The main obstacle for me is that because of my scientific background I lose myself in the research and then it’s hard to come back down to the level where I have to write a book using plain English instead of a jargon-filled scientific paper that is written in a very dry, factual style. There were days when after I’d written 2,000 words plus I’d have to wipe them all out and start again because what I’d written made perfect sense only to scientific researchers.

What is your favorite motivational phrase and how do you apply it to your writings, life, etc.?

I think every writer struggles with a sense of their own capability and their own sense of worth in their writing. It is human. Whenever I am faced by doubt I use a psychological trick called “distancing”. I talk to myself in the third person like I am coaching me and I say “You can do this.” That usually is enough for me to feel an easing of the internal pressure I have brought to bear on myself and the fresh perspective this gives me is sufficient for me to be able to get done whatever it is that is challenging me.

My Take on Fake News and Its Impact on the Future of Writing

In truth, in our world, lies and half-truths always find more fertile ground than the truth and reason. The truth and reason are energetically difficult for us. We have to work hard to process them, they often overturn our most cherished notions about the world and then we usually have to do something about it. Lies and half-truths on the other hand are easier to swallow because they reflect our biases and feed into our prejudices. Because they have been crafted to fit our perspective exactly they require no effort to process and internalize. Right now, we are at a time in our history where this has become a problem.

As always, when faced with a problem we come up with a solution. The solution is to devise personal strategies that helps us either get our information from credible sources or fact-check the information we have for accuracy and veracity.

This, inevitably, affects writing. The popular perception for fiction writers was that they “get paid to lie”. That was never true. A fiction writer has to create alternative verisimilitudes of the real world that are logically viable so we can suspend our disbelief, buy into the premise of their creation and accept them. Fiction writers will have to work that little bit harder now on their modelling of these alternative worlds, fleshing them out so they can withstand closer scrutiny from their readers.

Non-fiction writers also have to work harder in what we present. It’s no longer enough to say “many studies show” for instance. We need to be able to explain which studies and what they show exactly. Where we make speculative pronouncements they have to be clearly labelled as speculative. Where we use deductive reasoning to reach a conclusion we have to be able to show the process. This creates greater transparency in our thinking which helps the reader trust our writing.

Putting Yourself on a Page: What It’s Like to Share Your Most Personal Words with the World

Writers often hide behind their words in that they want themselves to be away from publicity and let their books speak for themselves. The main reason for this is because, we, as writers are afraid of judgement. The words on the page, irrespective of genre, reveal aspects of ourself that we usually strive to keep hidden. We reveal our beliefs and our values, our ideas and our hopes. We show to the reader how we think the world works.

It is a terrifying thing to consider. It becomes even more terrifying when you think of all the different people who will read your words and interpret them through their own experiences, knowledge and memories. As writers we are accustomed to having control of what we write. The act of writing is one of total control. We choose the framework of our books, we write the words. If we are writing fiction, we choose the plots and create the characters and while characters often assume a degree of autonomy and present their actions to us, it is still our world and our characters who do so.

Non-fiction writing gives us even greater control. We pick the subject, the research, the interviews. We shape the premise we present through the writing. We have the power to make it virtually anything we want it to be.

The moment the book is out there however all that sense of control slips away. You then have to mentally and emotionally deal with the fact that all those inner thoughts, ideas and values that you keep inside you, as a writer, are now out there for the world to see. It takes a lot of thought to manage emotionally manage this.

Writing This Book Has Taught Me…

Every book is, for me, a learning opportunity. This one is no exception. Putting into good use the lessons I’ve already learnt from my previous books I learnt how to be even better at using simple, everyday English to express complex, neuroscientific and neurobiological terms.

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AUTHOR BIO:

David Amerland is a Chemical Engineer with an MSc. in quantum dynamics in laminar flow processes. He converted his knowledge of science and understanding of mathematics into a business writing career that's helped him demystify, for his readers, the complexity of subjects such as search engine optimization (SEO), search marketing, social media, decision-making, communication and personal development. The diversity of the subjects is held together by the underlying fundamental of human behavior and the way this is expressed online and offline. Intentional: How to Live, Love, Work and Play Meaningfully is the latest addition to a thread that explores what to do in order to thrive. A lifelong martial arts practitioner, David Amerland is found punching and kicking sparring dummies and punch bags when he's not behind his keyboard.

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CONNECT WITH DAVID:

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Amazon Author Page:

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

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Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

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Amazon CA Hardcover:

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Amazon CA Hardcover:

https://www.amazon.ca/Intentional-Live-Love-Work-Meaningfully/dp/184481176X

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/intentional-david-amerland/1139173890?ean=9781844811755

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/intentional-david-amerland/1139173890?ean=9781844811694

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The Book Depository Paperback:

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The Book Depository Hardcover:

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BAM! Books-A-Million Paperback:

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BAM! Books-A-Million Hardcover:

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The Bookshop Paperback:

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The Bookshop Hardcover:

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Google Play eBook:

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Kobo US eBook:

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Kobo CA eBook:

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Want to Check Out What Readers Are Saying About “Intentional: How To Live, Love, Work and Play Meaningfully,” on Goodreads Book Reviews??  What to Explore Additional Bookstore Buy Links??

Click Below for More Info:

https://davidamerland.com/seo-blog/1429-where-you-can-buy-a-copy-of-intentional-how-to-live-love-work-and-play-meaningfully.html

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

David will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


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