In honor of National Suicide Prevention Week: Hope After Suicide by Wendy Parmley

We all have a story—hidden secrets buried in dark and rocky earth. Our task is to unearth—to release the pain and discover the good, discover the healing, discover the love. Uncovering the darkness makes space for the light.

After her mother took her own life, Wendy Parmley learned firsthand the heartache, despair, and loneliness that accompanies losing a loved one to suicide. At one point she even contemplated taking her own life as well. In this uplifting true narrative, you too can discover how to:

• Forgive yourself and others
• Open your heart
• Seek help when you need it
• Draw closer to the divine

Embrace the light and learn how to heal your soul and overcome loss as you read this touching and tender account of a woman opening her heart years after her mother’s suicide.

Purchase Hope After Suicide: One Woman’s Journey from Darkness to Light at:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books & Things

Review on Goodreads

This week is National Suicide Prevention Week.  It's a cause that needs attention and support.  In honor of National Suicide Prevention Week, I am reviewing this book, "Hope After Suicide".  This is Wendy Parmley's story of survival after her mother violently took her life.  She was only 12 years old at the time and the oldest of five children in her family- the youngest being just a baby.  

It takes courage to share a story such as this.  There is so much emotion, sadness and trauma that accompanies those left behind when a loved one commits suicide.  It's heartbreaking.  Wendy's account will take you through her thoughts and feelings as a young girl and as a grown woman as she attempts to seek help and healing.  Books such as this are important.  They help bring awareness, compassion and education to everyone.

It's so important that we listen to each other and talk about suicide.  There are so many people that need our help.  We can save lives by listening and talking.  We can save lives by knowing the warning signs and educating ourselves.  There is help.  There is hope.  Let's take care of each other by providing that hope and help.  If you are feeling hopeless, please talk to someone.  

Suicide Prevention is Everyone's Business

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:  1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Courtesy of Alyse Neibaur of Diamond Eye

Wendy Parmley suffered a disabling bike accident in September 2011.  Unable to return to her 20 year nursing career because of the continued effects of her injuries, Wendy began the slow and painful penning of her angel mother’s story and Wendy’s healing journey following her mom’s suicide death.  Wendy’s mom took her own life when just 31 years old, leaving behind her husband of thirteen years and their five young children.

Wendy has long advocated for suicide prevention and has participated on various professional and community based groups dedicated to that end.  She also recognizes the need to unashamedly support those who must continue to live in the painful aftermath of a loved one’s suicide and passionately lends her voice to that cause.

Prior to her bike accident, Wendy worked in nursing leadership for 14 years, earning her MBA degree from Brigham Young University in 2007.  Despite her continued limitations, Wendy is grateful to spend more time with the love of her life, her husband Mark.  She is ever grateful for his support and the support of their three married sons and their wives, their amazing daughter, and their beautiful two grandchildren who fill their life with sunshine.

www.wendyparmley.com

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Ring Around the Rosie by Julie Coulter Bellon + $30 and book giveaway!

Ring Around the Rosie Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Today is the kickoff for the blog tour for my new novel, Ring Around the Rosie! There are some awesome prizes being given away, so be sure to scroll down and enter to win!  

Ring Around the Rosie

Revenge is a dish best served cold . . .

As the ex-wife of a law enforcement officer, Sarah Reed has known loneliness and loss. In order to cope, she makes a life for herself that's full of routine while building a wall of ice around her heart. Everything about her is as predictable as she can make it until a tiny detour for her ex-husband, Ron, changes her life forever. Caught in a bomb crisis, Sarah is taken hostage by a man who wants Ron and everyone around him to suffer---and his idea of suffering is more terrible than Sarah had ever dreamed.

Captain Ron Reed has seen the worst of humanity in his job with the Hostage Negotiation Team, but he never expected his past to come back with a vengeance---literally. Aaron Starks, a criminal explosives expert, has stolen next-gen bomb technology and uses it to force Ron to bargain for the lives of his team and his ex-wife, Sarah, the woman he still loves. But the situation escalates when Ron discovers that Starks has an even bigger objective in mind---using the bomb to show how vulnerable America and her people truly are.

Ron is willing to risk everything to save his country and those he loves, but when negotiations break down, will his sacrifice be too little too late?

Excerpt 

Her words were cut off by a blast of hot air and fire, an explosion so large it blew them all backward. Ron hit the floor hard and lay there dazed and groggy. Glass and debris rained down. Confetti-sized menus and napkins floated like snowflakes in slow motion all around him. For a second the entire world was a silent tunnel with him at the end of it. It would be so easy to just close his eyes and let the blackness suck him down into unconsciousness. But he couldn’t. Not yet. Get up. Get everyone out.

“Sarah?” he croaked. He tried again. “Sarah?” His legs felt like lead and the urge to just lie back was stronger than ever. No. Keep moving. “Claire?” He coughed and tried to catch a breath, but couldn’t get the oxygen to his lungs. With a shallow intake of air, he turned over on his stomach and used his arms to raise himself to a sitting position. The inside of the diner looked like a destructive madman had rearranged it. The booths were toppled or stacked on top of each other. The hostess station was next to him now. The only thing that was still standing where it had before the blast was the four walls, the ceiling, and the antique counter. “Sarah,” he called again. “Bart? Colby?” The little girl. Was she still in the back with her mother?

No one answered. Where is everyone? He crawled forward. Sarah had been nearly right beside him. Now there was no sign of her. He rubbed his eyes and coughed. Moving slowly, he prayed she was alive. It didn’t take long to find her sandwiched between an overturned booth bench and the podium for the hostess station. With some effort he managed to maneuver close to her, the adrenaline kicking in as his blood pounded through his system. Don’t let her be dead. Not like this.

Purchase Your Copy

Amazon * Barnes and Noble

iTunes * Kobo

Being a reviewer sort of has its ups and downs.  Sometimes you read books you don't love and it's really hard to get through them.  But most days it's the most awesome job ever.  Some days you feel like a kid on Christmas day.  When you get your hands on the newest, latest book by an author you love, it's Christmas day.  That's how I felt when I finally got to read Julie's latest book.  Yes, I'm a fan.  I've read all her books and I always love them.  I only just recently joined up with her "swat team" and I still feel a little giddy over it.

This book is the latest in the hostage negotiation series.  All the titles from this series have a line from the Ring Around the Rosie rhyme.  It's sort of creepy and awesome all at the same time.  Each book revolves around characters from Captain Reed's Hostage Negotiation Team but I don't think one is dependent on the others.

One of the things I love about Julie's books is the suspense.  I feel that charged air feeling and the desperation to get through a scene because I have to find out if the characters make it and how they are going to make it, but I never feel overwhelmed.  The tension in this book is almost always there.  It starts off with a bang (quite literally) and never really lets up.  

Captain Ron is a giant of a man.  He is a protector.  He cares about people and he has great intuition.  Well, great intuition about his job but not so much about his ex-wife, Sarah.  He made a mistake years ago letting her walk away but he never stopped loving her and wishing for a way back to her.  Ron is willing to give his life to save the lives of everyone on his team, strangers caught up in the hostage mess and especially Sarah but that creepy bad guy, Sparks, has other ideas of retribution and torture in mind.

This was such a great read.  It was easy to get caught up in this book and forget that I had other things to do.  I loved the pacing, the characters and the crackle of tension.  I also love that this book is squeaky clean.  (no swearing or sexual scenes)

About the Author

Julie is married with eight children and eleven published books. She loves to travel and her favorite cities she's visited so far are probably Athens, Paris, Ottawa, and London. She would love to visit Hawaii, Australia, Ireland, and Scotland someday. She loves to read, write, teach, watch Castle, Hawaii Five-O, and eat Canadian chocolate. Not necessarily in that order.        

Website * Blog * Facebook  * Twitter 

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Giveaway

Prize #1---$30 Amazon Gift Card 

Prize #2---Booklovers Basket

Prize #3---Four Book Set of Hostage Negotiation Team series 

Ends 9/15/14 

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Movie Review: The Identical - Opening Today

THE IDENTICAL tells the compelling story of twin brothers unknowingly separated at birth during the Great Depression. DREXEL HEMSLEY becomes an iconic 50′s rock ‘n’ roll star, while RYAN WADE (Blake Rayne) struggles to balance his love for music and pleasing his father. The Reverend Wade (Ray Liotta) and his wife (Ashley Judd) are sure their adopted son has been gifted and called by God to be a preacher. But Ryan challenges his parent’s vision for his life, and unflinchingly chooses to launch his own music career with his best friend (Seth Green). Encouraged by his wife (Erin Cottrell) and employer (Joe Pantoliano), Ryan embarks on an unpredictable, provocative path – performing the legendary music of Drexel Hemsley in sold out venues all across the country.

As the brothers destinies tragically collide, Ryan discovers that Drexel is his identical twin which leads him to question everything he’s ever believed about God, family and his own identity.

I had the chance to preview this movie over the weekend thanks to Grace Hill Media and City of Peace Films.  I watched the trailer, thought it looked like something I might like and agreed to preview the film.

This movie stars Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd and newcomer Blake Rayne.  I loved all the music in this movie.  It had my toe tapping!  Blake Ryan's character sort of has an Elvis feel to him.  In fact, the whole movie sort of has that feel to it.  No, the music isn't as good as Elvis's music, but it was still catchy.  

This film also reminded me a bit of Footloose but with singing instead of dancing.  The main character, Ryan Wade, just wants to sing.  He is born to sing.  But his preacher daddy dedicated him to the Lord when he was just a baby and is pushing him to "accept his call" and become a preacher himself.  The problem is that Ryan just can't do it.  He just has to sing.

I enjoyed the movie.  It isn't a blockbuster movie by any means and yes, a bit cheesy at times, but it had a good message and left me with a positive feeling.  There was no swearing and sex which means that I would be okay letting my whole family watch it.  That counts for a lot.

The Identical is in theaters today.  Check out the movie trailer and who knows?  This might just be the family movie night film for you this weekend!

Up to Date (Better Date Than Never series, #8) by Susan Hatler

(Better Date than Never series, Book #8)

Ginger donates her decorating services to a charity auction and now must work for the one man with the power to break her heart.

I'm going to start with a paragraph of LOVE.  

I love this series.  I love Susan Hatler.  I love finding a new book in my inbox at random from Susan Hatler.  It means a lovely diversion is on it's way to my brain!

The Better Date Than Never series is so fun.  It is a series of short romance stories, each with a new character but not really "new" as we've met the characters in previous books and keep them as friends in subsequent books.  It's awesome.

Ginger is the lead character in "Up to Date" and she is a lot of fun.  Ginger is wary of love, bored in her job and wishing for something more.  Then her whole worlds takes a turn- for the worst?  For the best?  It's pretty much up to Ginger to decide!

Susan always provides readers with a quick romantic getaway with these Date books.  They are fun and light hearted.  You can polish one off in one evening and the end will leave you with smile on your face.  What more could you ask for?!

You can purchase "Up to Date" at Amazon.

Oh, and if you want to give one of the books in this series a try you can pick up book #4, Save the Date, on Amazon for free.  (at least it was when I wrote this!)  Title is linked.  Enjoy!

Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little

In the unforgiving Mesopotamian desert where Jayden’s tribe lives, betrothal celebrations abound, and tonight it is Jayden’s turn to be honored. But while this union with Horeb, the son of her tribe’s leader, will bring a life of riches and restore her family’s position within the tribe, it will come at the price of Jayden’s heart.

Then a shadowy boy from the Southern Lands appears. Handsome and mysterious, Kadesh fills Jayden’s heart with a passion she never knew possible. But with Horeb’s increasingly violent threats haunting Jayden’s every move, she knows she must find a way to escape—or die trying.

With a forbidden romance blossoming in her heart and her family’s survival on the line, Jayden must embark on a deadly journey to save the ones she loves—and find a true love for herself.

Set against the brilliant backdrop of the sprawling desert, the story of Jayden and Kadesh will leave readers absolutely breathless as they defy the odds and risk it all to be together.

I rarely get print books in the mail to review anymore.  It's just easier to do e-books.  This book came in the mail though and landed on my doorstep.  It has such a gorgeous cover and I've been looking at it for months, waiting to read it.  It's been taunting me from the top of my review stack.  Finally, finally I got to read it.

I was really hoping I would enjoy this book.  From the cover to the blurb (that I actually did read before I started the book-haha) it attracted me and I was hoping, hoping, hoping.  I didn't want to be disappointed.  AND I wasn't.  Yay!

Forbidden takes you to a far off land of long ago.  It a grueling land- hot and unforgiving.  Jayden starts the book young and naive but quickly faces some of the horrors life and death bring.  She is forced to face her fears, do hard things and make impossible choices.  Jayden is strong though.  She draws from a strength within herself and continues on even when she wants to give up.  

I think the best moments for me were when Jayden danced.  With the sand beneath her toes her emotions flowed from her in the form of dance.  It created beautiful images in my mind.

The ending, of course, left things WIDE open.  I didn't love the place this book ended and I will now be anxiously awaiting the next book.  I dislike cliff hangers.  boo.  There is so much story left to be told though.  I hope the next book comes soon!

I read through this book quickly.  Maybe too quickly.  It was romantic and engaging.  My heart experienced all kinds of emotion- from grief and longing to danger and love.  It was a good ride.  This book was also "clean" so no swearing or sexual content.  It's a book I am passing off to my teenage daughter and I know she will like it.  

You can purchase Forbidden at Amazon.  It is pre-order until it's release day on November 4th.  

Kimberley Griffiths Little was born in San Francisco, but now lives in New Mexico with her husband and their three sons in a solar adobe home on the banks of the Rio Grande. Her award-winning writing has been praised as "fast-paced and dramatic," with "characters painted in memorable detail" and "beautifully realized settings."

Kimberley adores anything old and musty with a secret story to tell and makes way too many cookies while writing. Forbidden is the first in a trilogy from Harpercollins; an epic story of ancient belly dance, goddess temples, murder, blackmail, and tribal warfare set in Mesopotamia.

She's stayed in the haunted tower room at Borthwick Castle in Scotland; sailed on the Seine in Paris; ridden a camel in Petra, Jordan; shopped the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul; and spent the night in an old Communist hotel in Bulgaria.

Her amazing, filmed-on-location book trailers can be found on You Tube and her website: http://www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com

Kimberley's Awards include: Southwest Book Award, Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel, Bank Street College Best Books of 2011 & 2014, Crystal Kite Finalist, and New Mexico Book Award Finalist.

Social Media Links: 

Website: http://www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com
Blog http://www.kimberleygriffithslittle.blogspot.com
Twitter @KimberleyGLittl
Facebook: Find me at "Kimberley Griffiths Little"
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/484627.Kimberley_Griffiths_Little

A May Bride by Meg Moseley

She’s prepared for her wedding all her life … but she forgot a few things.
Ellie Martin, a country girl in Atlanta, often de-stresses from city life by tending the flower beds of a church near her apartment. She has dreamed of a traditional wedding all her life, a wedding like the one her younger sister is planning back in their hometown. Their single mom will pay for Alexa’s wedding, but Ellie started her own wedding fund years ago. She only needs to find a groom.

She bumps into a man who’s a guest at a wedding on the church grounds. She’s noticed him around the neighborhood, but today he introduces himself as Gray Whitby. They embark on a whirlwind romance, but her mother doesn’t trust freewheeling men like him. Standing up to Mom leads Ellie to stick up for Alexa too. When Ellie risks her own plans for her sister’s sake, Gray feels betrayed. Will he always play second fiddle?
Will Ellie and Gray reconcile their differences so her dream wedding can come true, or will the romance they’ve begun come crashing down?

Slowly but surely I'm making my way through the Year of Weddings Novellas series.  This series features a new novella by a different author every month for a year.  What I love about this series is that first, they are all clean.  Second, I love that they are light, fluffy and I can read them in one sitting.  They are the perfect escape books.

In "A May Bride" we meet Ellie and Gray.  I like Gray.  He's a man who sees something he wants and goes for it.  All in, straight up.  He stands up for what he believes in and he doesn't mess around.  He enjoys life and he loves Ellie.  

Ellie has a few more glitches- namely her family.  Her mother is crazed and honestly, not very kind.  She rules the roost and Ellie lets her.  But it's hard to break from something you've always known and dealt with.  Ellie has a kind heart and while she also knows what she wants, she has a harder time getting there.

I enjoyed this book.  It was fun and romantic.  A sweet escape for sure.

You can purchase A May Bride at Amazon.

A SWEET Sale- Sweet Montana Bride Series only $.99 each through Labor Day!

Sweet Montana Bride Series Sale!

Looking to rope yourself some Labor Day reads? Well saddle up, 'cuz the entire Sweet Montana Bride series is on sale at last. We've got Reese's Cowboy Kiss, Jade's Cowboy Crush, and Cassie's Cowboy Crave. Three sweet and steamy clean romance novels complete with cowboys, romance, and happily ever afters. Featuring the witness protection program - rancher style, these ebooks sale for $3.99 a piece, but this week you can snag 'em for just .99 cents each on Amazon.

Here's a bit about each book just to whet your appetite. Happy romance reading!

Reese's Cowboy Kiss:
Texan pageant winner, Reese Taylor, has a former classmate who wants her dead. Now she must leave her friends and family to enter a protection program on Emerson Ranch. A group of good-looking cowboys awaits her, but Reese has her eye on Blake Emerson, the one man too busy with the ranch to give her a chance. Blake Emerson has no time to go lookin’ for love. He’s got a ranch to run, positions to fill, and an ache in his heart from love gone wrong. So when he agrees to harbor a witness to help on the ranch, Blake assumes his first two problems are solved. But he never dreamed his new guest would be a woman. One he was destined to lose his heart to. With sparks burning hot and danger around the bend, one question lingers in his mind: Has he only added to his list of troubles, or has Blake just found the woman of his dreams? * Though this novel is considered clean romance, it does contain passionate kissing and a few minor curse words. *

Jade's Cowboy Crush:
Single mother, Jade Miller, has just witnessed a murder. Now, set to testify against the cold-blooded killer, Jade must be placed under protection. While she is grateful to the kind folks who’ve offered to take in her and her son, Jade is surprised to find the man escorting them from L.A. to Montana is Gavin Emerson. A womanizing, far-too-attractive-for-his-own-good, rebel cowboy. Jade assures Gavin that she has sworn off men until her son is grown, but all too soon she finds herself fighting back feelings for the man who’s agreed to care for them. Gavin wants nothing to do with ranch life. Not since the ugly fallout he had with his father over eight years ago. But when he agrees to come back, harboring Jade and her son for a time, Gavin falls in love with life on the land once again. Above that, he finds his heart has been captured by his lovely house guest, Jade Miller. After reservations on both parts, the two are finally ready to open up and give their new-found love a try. Only they aren’t in the clear just yet, and as a dark and deadly threat falls upon them, Gavin finds that his bad-boy past may have led the danger right to their door. *Though this novel is considered clean romance, it contains passionate kissing & a few mild curse words.*

Cassie's Cowboy Crave:
Twenty-four-year-old Cassie Lovell has a great job, good friends, and an apartment with a killer view. That is, until life is turned upside down. Without the chance to say goodbye, Cassie is forced into a witness protection program on Emerson Ranch. Just when she fears life is doomed, Cassie meets Shane Emerson, the stunningly handsome cowboy who’ll be posing as her newlywed groom. Shane Emerson is determined not to fall for the woman he’s agreed to harbor. Especially since the whole thing was his family’s way of trying to get him hitched. So why is it when he takes Cassie into his home, Shane wants nothing more than to turn their make-believe marriage into more than just a sham? In a moment of weakness, Shane steals a kiss. In return, Cassie steals his heart. Yet before they confess their undying love, a hidden danger threatens to tear them apart. *Though this novel is considered clean romance, it contains passionate kissing & a few mild curse words.*