Hi, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host Lorenzo Louden and his new book, “A Soldier’s Redemption: Life of a Gangster (Shorty G),” 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 $10 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Lorenzo and to increase your chances of winning!!
Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!
A Soldier’s Redemption
Life of a Gangster (Shorty G)
by Lorenzo Louden
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GENRE: Memoir
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BOOK BLURB:
A Soldier's Redemption is a true, candid, no-holds-barred story of infamous former gangster disciple Lorenzo Louden, a.k.a. "Shorty G." His story immerses you in the notorious world of gangs, taking you on a bone-chilling ride through the streets of 1970s Chicago. While serving 17 years behind bars, his militant rule of the underworld expanded from the streets to the prisons until a spiritual encounter directed his journey out of the darkness onto a miraculous path of purpose and possibility.
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EXCERPT THREE:
A few days later, we had visitors again. This time, a couple of official looking people showed up at the apartment—a man and a lady. They were around my mom’s age, and they were white. That was an unusual sight in our neighborhood. I didn’t get a good feeling from the way Mom was interacting with these people. I knew that whatever was going down, it wasn’t good, and I was scared.
Mom was holding Jan tightly to her chest, and she had me tucked back behind her. She was saying, “NO!”
There were also two police officers standing by. One stepped in and tried to grab us kids. Mom was crying and yelling and trying to keep us away from them, so the other one grabbed Mom. It was terrible, having those people pull us away from Mom.
They took Jan and me to a big place—some kind of house. There were other kids there, too. Suddenly I didn’t see my infant sister. They had separated us. I wanted to know, “Where’s my sister?”
All they said was, “Go back over there!”
I cried, “But, I want to see her!”
They didn’t pay me any attention.
It
seemed like I was in that place forever, but it was probably only a couple of
months. That’s when an older couple came and got me. This time, the people were
black. I was told that someone else had come and taken Jan away.
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GUEST POST:
What is Your Favorite Motivational Phrase and How Do You Apply it to Your Writings and Life?
George Washington Carver said, “No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind him, distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it.”
To me that speaks to legacy. I have applied this phrase to my life and to my writings. By showing people, the steps that I’ve made as far as elevation in life, and changing my family’s history, and doing positive things in my life through education and becoming a better citizen. I also taught my children about legacy and about leaving a positive mark in this world. I taught them to make the best out of every day that God has blessed them with. Everyone will leave behind a legacy positive or negative. How do you want people to remember you? Do you want to be remembered as a father, a son or a husband. Someone that never did anything good or positive, or do you want to be remembered as that person who when people speak of you, they say wow he overcame all these obstacles, and in his life, he’s done some remarkable things. That’s a positive legacy.
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AUTHOR BIO:
Lorenzo Louden was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, but grew up on the notorious streets of the West Side of Chicago, Illinois, an area known as K-Town. He was raised in the foster care system until he was 14 years old. Lorenzo grew up on the streets and endured a lot of hardship as a young teenager. As an adult, he believed that his past did not have to dictate his future, so he strived to be the best he could be. During a 17-year stay, from 1977 to 1994, courtesy of the Illinois prison system, he gained 4 degrees, including a bachelor's degree in business. In 2005 Lorenzo started a non-profit organization called Tower of Refuge, dedicated to aiding and assisting returning citizens. For the 10 years following, he and his team worked diligently to ensure that these individuals had the services and support they needed to make a smooth transition back to society. The organization had a 96% success rating over that 10-year period. Lorenzo, a noted motivational speaker, who has positively influenced the lives of hundreds of detainees, is also the published author of "A Soldier's Redemption: The Life of Gangster Shorty G," an autobiographical account of his life as a gangster.
CEO of Black Chamber of Commerce of Illinois in Bloomington, IL; granted a contractual employee position for the Illinois Department of Corrections for mentoring and educating individuals incarcerated prior to their release; current owner of Illini Construction & Waterproofing, LLC; a father to three wonderful young adults that are contributing hugely to the societies that they are currently residing; loving brother, uncle, and friend to all who he has encountered.
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CONNECT WITH LORENZO:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/lorenzolouden
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@lorenzolouden3196
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7063373.Lorenzo_Louden
Goodreads Book Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/184301970-a-soldier-s-redemption
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BOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon US Kindle eBook:
Amazon US Paperback:
Amazon US Hardcover:
Amazon CA Kindle eBook:
https://www.amazon.ca/Soldiers-Redemption-Life-Gangster-Shorty-ebook/dp/B0CB6QB6W7
Amazon CA Paperback:
https://www.amazon.ca/Soldiers-Redemption-Life-Gangster-Shorty/dp/0228896320
Amazon CA Hardcover:
https://www.amazon.ca/Soldiers-Redemption-Life-Gangster-Shorty/dp/0228896339
Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-soldiers-redemption-lorenzo-louden/1143717122?ean=2940166074355
Barnes and Noble Paperback:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-soldiers-redemption-lorenzo-louden/1143717122?ean=9780228896326
Barnes and Noble Hardcover:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-soldiers-redemption-lorenzo-louden/1143717122?ean=9780228896333
Kobo US eBook:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-soldier-s-redemption-3
Kobo CA eBook:
https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/a-soldier-s-redemption-3
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Lorenzo will be awarding a $10 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.**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.
This book sounds like a great read.
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