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How Can You Benefit From a Life, Relationtion, and Spiritual Coach? Award-Winning Author, Maureen Scanlon Shares How and Through Her Book Too!

Catherine Lyon Author/Writer A Writer's Thoughts, Author News, Featured Guest, News Around The Web, Posts, Updates and More , , , , , ,

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LIFE COACHING

What is a Lifecoach and Why Do I Need One?


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POSTED  MAUREEN SCANLON
Lifecoach

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The most common question I am asked is, “What is a Life coach?”

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As a fairly new career “title”, there is much speculation about the effectiveness of Life Coaching. To add to the confusion, there are so many different niches in this category: Health, Business, Spiritual.

In our everyday lives, we encounter much of the same things as everyone around us. We are all trying to “do something” or “overcome” something.

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Here are the most common phrases I hear when clients contact me:  
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“I haven’t accomplished what I want”
“I’m just not happy with my life and need to find joy”
“Something happened and it’s affecting everything in my life”
“I feel stuck”
“I’m overwhelmed and can’t focus”
“Everyone tells me I should…”
“I want to make a change but I don’t know where to start”

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Do any of these sound familiar? 

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What I have discovered is that no matter what a client brings as an issue, there are so many more behind it. They think it’s just one thing and then discover through their coaching sessions, that it is deeper.

Many of my clients have been to Counselors and Therapists for years but just can’t seem to get to the goals and feelings they want. Finding the inner reasons are good, but I take it to the future rather than staying in the past.

A Life Coach brings more than psychological know-how, they bring empathy and their own life experiences to assist. To sit in front of someone who says, “I know how you feel, I’ve been there too” makes a much larger impact on the person trying to learn and change.

A good Life Coach will assist you in finding out the “why’s” and then give you the “hows”. Almost every person who has come to me says, “I know what I need to do, I just don’t know how”.

We are surrounded by friends and family who know us. When they give us advice or suggestions, we sort of tune them out. It’s old news, they don’t understand, I’ve changed, etc.

By going to a Life Coach, you get an objective, outside, emotionally detached person looking at what you are experiencing and feeling. The tools and methods that are used are “outside the box”.  At least my coaching is… I am currently remote coaching a client via video,  and after our session (which she does in her car between tasks), I asked her to roll down her window and yell “I am amazing”!  She was SOOOOO uncomfortable but she did it and I could see the joy she got from doing that.

“Just a simple affirmation in an unconventional way.
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I have found that the two most sought out emotions all of us are needing and wanting: Acceptance and Validation.

This is why we struggle so hard with others in our lives because we don’t get those often enough. Our well-meaning family and friends think that advice and lectures will help us to be better, but they don’t understand the wiring of our brains. We do not need to hear the same programming we’ve received over and over, we need new beliefs and ideas in order to succeed.

If the old ones worked, we wouldn’t be feeling negative about our lives.
I give my clients the acceptance they desire,(there is nothing I judge or criticize), with understanding and affirmations to have patience with themselves, and to take things one step at a time. I see the relief on their faces when this happens like they’ve been waiting for someone to just say, “it’s ok, you’re doing great”.
Today’s society puts so much pressure on achievement and action. The older generations are trying to keep up and the younger generations are constantly comparing themselves to one another.

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My goal is to bring everyone back to a place of joy, satisfaction, empowerment, and peace about their lives and their purpose. This life is to be enjoyed and experienced in every way possible so we learn and grow.

And this, my friends …. is Life Coaching

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Love and blessings, 
Lifecoach Maureen

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BIOGRAPHY of Maureen Scanlon 

Award-winning author, Maureen Scanlon is a Popular Life and Relationship Coach of her self-help book titled “My Dog is More Enlightened Than I Am”…

“I’m a spiritual, confidence, and relationship coach with a passion for helping you be your Best Self.”

Maureen Scanlon is the founder and CEO of Maureen Scanlon Life Coaching. She is an award-winning author, relationship expert, motivational speaker, positive change integrator, and spiritual coach who has successfully helped many people, from experienced professionals to young adults and couples. She focuses her tools and techniques on overcoming past negative experiences and making positive changes in our thoughts and lives.

Maureen has been featured on 3TV Good Morning Arizona, 3TV Your Life Az, ABC15 Sonoran Living, Voyage Phoenix Magazine, appeared on the cover and featured in Ultimate Women International magazine, USA daily times, as well interviews on radio shows like Mind Body Radio, Business Talk Radio, and Networking Arizona.

Her book “My Dog is More Enlightened Than I Am “ has now won a silver award from Author Shout and Top 12 book pick list from Spirited Woman, with a 5 Star rating on Amazon.

When Maureen is not working to change the world, you can find her at home relaxing in Mesa, Arizona, with her husband, Dennis. She enjoys scrapbooking, painting, traveling, and time with her furry baby doggies, Jade and Brodie. She is also the mother of three adult children and grandmother to three grandchildren whom she adores.

Come and Connect With Maureen on Social Media!

Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon, Linkedin, Buy on Amazon!

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Special Spotlight Author Interview With Award-Winning Children’s Popular Author, Uncle Dave Howard. He Has Over 20+Books Now Published …

Catherine Lyon Author/Writer A Writer's Thoughts, Author News, Featured Guest, New Book & Author Press Release, Posts, Updates and More , , , , , , , , , ,

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Looking for some amazing and fun reads for your children this holiday season? Maybe have a “12 Nights of Holiday Reading” with all of Uncle Daves Books? Then wrap them up and place them under the Christmas Tree as kids love reading them over and over as they are colorful and have teachable little lessons in each one! But who IS Author, David Howard? How did he begin publishing beautiful children’s reads?

Most of that can be answered in Cat’s Spotlighted Post of Uncle Dave here a few weeks ago: “We Welcome Uncle Dave To Cat’s Reading Den”… And about his new book release too! All of his books are available now on Amazon.com, Kindle, and Barnes and Noble.

But recently he did an amazing “Author Interview” over at my friend Vinny who runs the Book Site Awesomegang! Now we can learn just what makes Uncle Dave so passionate about writing, drawing, and producing all his Fabulous Children’s Books…

**CAT**

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All About Uncle David Howard, Author

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
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I am an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator. I was born with dyslexia, ADD, and autism. I graduated from the art institute of Pittsburgh with an associate degree and the California University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelors of fine arts. I have over a dozen books I have written, co-authored and illustrated.

I enjoy visiting schools around my state and speaking and sharing my books with the children and my story of overcoming disabilities and let children know they too can be or do anything when they open their minds to all possibilities and what I try to teach within my books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
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“Green Pickle Juice.” My stepdaughter asked me one day, “Do you have any use for pickle juice?” This question stuck in my head for over five years and I finally put it all in a book!
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Do you have any unusual writing habits?
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Well, I write on anything. I have written on recites, napkins, cardboard boxes. When an idea hits? I write it down fast!

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What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen king. Believe it or not. I loved his worlds, and of course, I love Dr. Seuss with his classic children’s books and rhymes.

What are you working on now?
Many things. Maybe another bible story, or Christmas story and a combination of both of course.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Facebook. I also use a Secret Cat! Lol.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The three R’s!, read, write, research. Writers write, and writers must-read. Ask yourself questions. Who, what, when, where, why, and what if? Never stop asking yourself questions.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Don’t aim low, always aim high, I’ll tell you why. Aim for the moon and the stars, even if you miss, you’ll land on mars.” This is from my book: ‘Why can’t I fly’ by me, Uncle Dave.

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What are you reading now?
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
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What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing because writers write right? Also, I am operating a brick and mortar store where I will be teaching writing, stained glass, and painting.
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If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, The Chronicles of Narnia


Readers can connect with me on Social Media Below! I hope moms, dads, grandparents, and mommy bloggers will stop by my Official Amazon Author Page of  Uncle Daves Books and choose all my Children’s Books for their child this Holiday Season …

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Author Websites and Profiles
david howard Website
david howard Amazon Profile


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David Howard’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Our Friends of TCK Publishing Is Sharing News of Amazon’s Ever-Changing “Book Review Policy”…

Catherine Lyon Author/Writer A Writer's Thoughts, Book Promotion Tips For Authors, Book Review, Featured Guest, Marketing and More, Posts, Updates and More , , , , , , ,

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We all know how important Book Reviews are for Authors and Writers…

Not that t is an easy task for authors to gain book reviews for our published works, it seems for readers as well.

Have you heard about the ALL THE rules for Amazon reviews?

Amazon has made several updates to their review policies recently, and that’s had a big impact on the industry.

In fact, many self-published and traditionally published authors have had Amazon reviews removed from their books for violating their new guidelines. So my Tom, my friend who runs TCK Publishing and who has a helpful blog too. He shares today for all of us about ALL the New Rules of Amazon Review Policies in hopes it helps all who give it a read!

~CAT of Cat Lyon’s Reading Den

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Why-Did-Amazon-Remove-My-Book-Reviews

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Having problems with your Amazon book reviews? So are we.

Our team at TCK is always happy when new books get immediate reviews on our Amazon product page. Our authors are also delighted when positive reviews start to roll in.

Amazon reviews not only build customer confidence, but they also create momentum. Book reviews can help improve your book sales and improve your rankings in Amazon’s algorithms by increasing your conversion rates (meaning more browsers actually end up buying your book).

Higher Amazon conversion rates influence cross-postings on other product pages and increase the chances that your book will be read and recommended by influencers or accepted by book promotion sites.

Not surprisingly, when reviews that had been rolling in suddenly start to disappear, it can be confusing and disappointing. To make matters worse, Amazon’s Customer Reviews Guidelines state,

“We can only discuss specific Customer Review removals with the person who originally posted the review.”

So, you may never know what the review said, who posted it, or why it was removed unless the person who posted it contacts you directly.

Amazon’s Newest Reviewer Policies

Amazon continually experiments with different guidelines and algorithms to eliminate fake reviews and “reviews for hire.” Their algorithms use machine learning and data mining to assess the multitudes of reviews that products and books receive daily, a task that would be impossible for the Amazon Community Guidelines team to tackle on their own.

While we at TCK Publishing applaud Amazon’s goal of a truthful review process, we don’t want legitimate reviews from readers and book reviewers to get caught in the crossfire!

In a relationship- and word-of-mouth-driven industry we believe authentic voices and relationships should outweigh machine learning and algorithms.

Here are some of Amazon’s current reviewer policies you should know about if you’re selling books on Amazon.

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1. You cannot offer anything in exchange for a review

“We do not permit reviews or votes on the helpfulness of reviews that are posted in exchange for compensation of any kind.” – Source

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Paying for reviews is an obvious way to have your review deleted in a hurry.
But we were surprised to find that Amazon reviewer policies allow “book authors and publishers … to provide free or discounted copies of their books to readers, as long as the author or publisher does not require a review in exchange or attempt to influence the review.”

It is therefore important that the review never states “I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.” If your reviewer insists on disclosing that they were offered a review copy, however, encourage them to use wording like “I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation from the author,” otherwise the review may be pulled.

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2. You cannot review your own book and family and friends cannot review your book

 

“We don’t allow individuals who share a household with the author or close friends to write Customer Reviews for that author’s book.”


Amazon has been cracking down ruthlessly on this policy. They have launched new data mining techniques in combination with artificial intelligence and machine learning to remove questionable reviews. Unfortunately, these tactics sometimes remove legitimate reviews as well.

“Family members or close friends of the person, group, or company selling on Amazon may not write Customer Reviews.”


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For example, if friends or family leaving reviews use the same IP address as the author, Amazon may deem the reviews to be from “someone you know” and remove the reviews. They even go so far as to remove reviews from anyone that the author has “friended” on Facebook or other social media.

Before you panic and start deleting your Twitter, Instagram, and author fan page on Facebook, however, remember that social media is still a great platform for marketing your book and building your reader base.

One of our authors recently received this cryptic message from Amazon, which does not make it clear what similar information caused the eliminated review:

 

Hello,

We removed the Customer Review for your book because our data shows that elements of your Amazon account match elements of the reviewer’s Amazon account. In such cases, we remove the review to maintain trust in our customer reviews and avoid any perception of bias.

Customer Reviews are meant to give customers unbiased product feedback from fellow shoppers. Because our goal is to provide Customer Reviews that help customers make informed purchase decisions, any reviews that could be viewed as advertising, promotional, or biased will not be posted.

To learn more about this policy, please see our Customer Review Creation Guidelines (http://www.amazon.com/review-guidelines).

3. Customers in the same household may not post multiple reviews of the same product

If you leave a review for a product, no one else from the same IP address will be able to leave a review for the same product.

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4. If your book has only sold a few copies but receives many reviews they may be removed

If an influx of reviews appears immediately after a book’s release even though it has sold only a few copies, Amazon could deem this suspicious behavior and remove the reviews.

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5. Reviews must be respectful

This is fairly obvious. If a review is slanderous, obscene, sexual, crude, etc. it will be removed. You can take a look at Amazon’s Community Guidelines for details of what constitutes a non-respectful review.

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6. The review cannot post promotional content

This is also fairly obvious. Reviews cannot be used to market other products.

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7. The reviewer must be a recent customer on Amazon

To contribute to Customer features (for example, Customer Reviews, Customer Answers, Idea Lists) or to follow other contributors, you must have spent at least $50 on Amazon.com using a valid credit or debit card in the past 12 months.

Amazon reviewers must be regular Amazon customers. Prime members are automatically enabled to leave reviews since their purchase of Prime exceeds the $50 minimum. If they are still on the free trial of Prime, however, the $50 minimum would still apply.

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8. The reviewer does not necessarily have to purchase the book

However, we recently spoke to an Amazon customer support agent who said that all nonverified reviews were being removed. That means that the reviewer would have had to purchase the product in question as well as other products totaling $50 in the past year. This contradicts Amazon’s current Community Guidelines, therefore we hope that this is just a temporary measure by Amazon.

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Be on the lookout for fake reviews

We’ve seen several fake reviews posted about our authors’ books. We aren’t sure of the motive behind them, but it could be a tactic by a competitor to lower the product ratings.

Here are some red flags that can alert you to potentially fake reviews:

● The reviewer’s posts are all the same or similar.

● The reviewer posts only one- or five-star reviews, and there are very few helpful votes on any of their reviews.

● The reviewer has only one or two reviews, usually one star or five stars.

● The reviewer has posted many reviews in a short amount of time. We have seen hundreds of reviews from one reviewer on the same day.

● The review is brief and doesn’t provide any reason or explanation.

● The review doesn’t make sense or apply to the book. Here’s an actual review that was left on one of our author’s books: “The book took over my Kindle, the book crashed my computer.”

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If you think a review on your book violates Amazon guidelines, report it

What can you do if you get a review that violates Amazon Guidelines? You can report it to the community help site.

To report:
1. Go to the review on your book listing

2. Click the “REPORT ABUSE” button

3. Click on the Report button

4. You can also contact Amazon Support at community-help@amazon.com. You must specify the location of the review (copy and paste the URL for the specific review into the body of your email) and explain why you believe the review violates the community guidelines.

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How to Get More Book Reviews

If you want to learn how to get more high-quality book reviews, visit and read our TKC Publishing blog post on How to Get Book Reviews: The System That Got Us 1,000+ Reviews on Amazon. 

Come visit our team at Lyon Media and Literary Services to see how we can help you!

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New Release REVIEWS Only for Author, Joe Siccardi and His New Book “My Name Is Sam” …The Novel Follow-Up of ‘Heaven Shining Through.”

Catherine Lyon Author/Writer A Writer's Thoughts, Author News, Book Review, Book Review Post, Featured Guest, News Around The Web, Posts , , , , , , , , , ,

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ABOUT THE NEW BOOK:

Sit down with a cup of coffee or a nice wine and visit with Sam as she shares a lifetime of memories in this new Christian-themed fictional memoir. My Name Is Sam … and Heaven Is Still Shining Through is a follow-up to the breakout novella, Heaven Shining Through. It introduces Sam (Samantha), her family and friends in more detail than the original, and picks up where the novella left off. I hope readers get to know Sam as a friend, a life long friend. Share her life … complete with some drama, some humor, some heart tugs. Just a free-willed suburban Jersey girl trying to figure out this journey called life with the presence of God in her ordinary life as the underlying theme.

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Pages: 193
Publication Date: June 30, 2019
ASIN: B07SRX1HGV
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/My-Name-Sam-Shining-Through-ebook/dp/B07SRX1HGV/
Purchase Price ~ Ebook: $2.99 – Paperback: $13.99
GENRE:    Biographical Fiction (Kindle Store)    Biographical Fiction (Books)          Religious Romance (Kindle Store

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READERS, BOOK BLOGGERS, and REVIEWERS:

Goodreads:

Amy rated it … “It was amazing” ~ July 9, 2019

My Name Is Sam … and Heaven Is Still Shining Through is another fabulous read by Joe Siccardi.
This is an amazing light Christian based fictional memoir about Sam and her life struggles. It is quite an emotional but yet inspiring journey. I enjoyed getting to know Sam and seeing how she was able to cope with her life struggles.  I give My Name Is Sam … and Heaven Is Still Shining Through five-plus stars.
I highly recommend Sam’s story to all other readers.
I loved it! I received this book from the author but was not required to write a review.

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Mary rated it on Goodreads ~ Aug. 3, 2019

I give 5 stars to “My Name is Sam…and Heaven Is Still Shining Through,” a fictional memoir, written by Joe Siccardi. This is a great book! I felt like it started a bit slow, just (my opinion) too many conversations, but about a quarter of the book later, I was hooked!

Our main character, of course, is Sam. The author starts the story in her college days but gives us plenty of glimpses of her younger years also. When Sam meets the love of her life, we are able to follow their marriage, the heartache of breaking various news to both sets of parents, and watching the choices that they all make as they are combining families.

Sam shares her decisions and rationalizations with us as we fall in love with her! We get to follow her throughout her life, share in her joys and sorrows, (yes, I am being intentionally vague, sorry). All the while we are knowing that God is on His throne, and nothing will happen in Sam’s life without His knowing.

I don’t want to say too much and give away the storyline, but I can say, if you don’t pick up this book, you will be missing out. I feel like the back of the book really doesn’t do the story justice! My Name is Sam, is a clean story. I think it would be suitable for teens and up. It is an easy read and a must-read! (This review contains my own opinions.)

 

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July 1, 2019. ~Amazon Reviewer 

4.0 out of 5 stars  Page turning, enjoyable read

Format: Kindle ~ EditionVerified Purchase

While there is a Christian worldview to the book, it isn’t preachy and the focus stays on navigating the joys and sorrows of life. Some laughter, some tears, which is my personal preference in a book. The characters were reasonably developed and authentic. Definitely recommend reading, especially for a beach read this summer or fall reading!

 

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Editorial Media Amazon Review:

Exceptional Fiction Memoir …

If you happened to have read Author Joe Siccardi’s debut book of “Heaven Shining Through” like I did, then you are going to enjoy reading this new full-length novel, the follow-up and the full story about the main character ‘Samantha,’ actually the backstory to her life. The perils and the fun of Sam’slife, if you will, is written, flows, and is told as if you and Sam are sitting in a coffee shop and reminiscing about life memories. It’s a definite 5 stars!
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Right from the first chapter, the author draws you in, and as I was reading, I felt as though I was reading about my own life and primarily through my 20s of meeting friends at a dance club mixing it up over some drinks and having fun. But that is just the tip of the story iceberg of Sam’slife. With a Christian filter, the story unfolds, and Sam begins to learn that Gods presence has always been within her life as she looks back and even when she was never aware.

When a writer makes you feel apart of the story, it means a great job with the writing was accomplished which is offered in this novel and so much more. By the time you learn all about Sam’s life, you will wish she was real as you could be life-long friends! This read has a little of everything about relationships, marriage, even parenting trials. The mother and daughter drama, some humor, and a few tissue moments are a few of the highlights.

Even though Sam has gone through some perils and beauty in her life through the years, Sam is consistently reminded that even in the worst of days, God has always been with her in protection and love through her life storms and as well as all the good life brings.

Just a fantastic read for anyone, especially for women. Even though it is a work of fiction, it reads like a real-life story if you enjoy memoirs or a unique fictional biography.

Author, Catherine Townsend-Lyon ~ “Lyon Media Services and Cat Lyon’s Reading Den”

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See All Books By Author, Joe Siccardi …Now Available From His Amazon Author Page.

 
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Another New Release Garnshng Amazing Book Reviews by Joe is “Wisdom From A Father! Now Ebook Just .99 Cents and read FREE with Kindle Unlimted!

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Review and Interview With Author, Joe Siccardi on 1Rad Reader …

Catherine Lyon Author/Writer Author News, Book Review, Book Review Post, Posts, Updates and More , , , , , , ,

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WELCOME JOE SICCARDI AUTHOR OF: “WISDOM FROM A FATHER” And His New Book Just Released: “My Name Is Sam”… 1Rad Reader Reviews.

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INTERVIEW ~ Rad-Reader:  I saw that you wrote your book from your blog.  Any reason you chose the year 2012?

 

Joe:  That’s when I started blogging, figured I would start at the beginning.

 

Rad-Reader:  When you first start writing or posting on your blog.  Did you ever think it would take you to publish a book?

 

Joe: No! Never! I’m just so appreciative people seem to enjoy the little stories about life.

 

Rad-Reader:  Did you find your posting/writing helped you as you were writing or as you went back to see what you wrote for the day?

 

Joe:  I went back and updated the information, making sure I noted the circumstances at the time.

 

Rad-Reader:  Were your thoughts done in the morning or just whenever you thought to sit down that day to post?

 

Joe:  I wish I could say I was a disciplined writer, but I’m not. Some were written in the morning, but more in the afternoon or evening after my workday “inspiration.”

 

Rad-Reader:  How did you come up with the catchphrase: Thought to Remember?

 

Joe:  It just evolved. I wanted to share some positive message with each post, so I started collecting them as I went along. By far, those little add-ons are the most popular part of the book and the blog.

 

Rad-Reader:  Did you have an idea that you would touch on so many topics when you first wrote your “Thought to Remember”?

 

Joe:  No. I just wanted to add something positive to each post, even if the post itself wasn’t.

 

Rad-Reader:  The few entries that you had that dealt with music: “Beer with Jesus” – “The Wonder” by Dion – That whole section about Dion was something I did not know. (Though I did know the song & “The Day the Music Died” – I don’t know what we were to get from that, but I got redemption?

 

Joe:  I  can’t carry a tune in a bucket, but I do appreciate good music. It’s part of my life. Good music — whatever genre — evokes an emotion. Dion’s story was a story of redemption. A lot of country music is also about redemption or at least pointing to redemption. The entire book is really my journey of blessing, grace, and redemption. Music is part of that.

 

Rad-Reader:  Was it your idea to put the last one in about the expiration dates with food?  Side note:  I thought the same thing.  My wife and daughter keep telling me, NO!

 

Joe:  I drive my kids crazy. I guess you could say I’m a hoarder so I ended up collecting food — especially spices — for recipes, using just a teaspoon or so and just adding the remaining container to my collection. I just don’t take life too seriously. As long as it doesn’t smell rancid or have little green fuzz growing, I’m good. Maybe it’s a guy thing.

 

Rad-Reader:  What does your family think about your daily writings becoming public?

 

Joe:  They’re generally supportive. Although they may be the focus of a particular story, they know I  would not publicly embarrass them. I love them bunches.

 

Rad-Reader:  Do you encourage them to do the same in order to get some peace or clarity during difficult times?

 

Joe:  I do. My oldest daughter actually set up my blog because I was procrastinating. She currently blogs and is in the process of writing her own book.



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Rad-Reader: You have five children, 18 grandchildren, and three great-granddaughters. Do you get to see them much?

 

Joe: Not nearly enough. I’m actually expecting great-granddaughter #4 in the fall. We try to get together at least once a year, although we’ve missed the past few years. December 2017 was spent with me on the road visiting each of them and their families in New York, Ohio, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Massachusetts, with side stops in Indiana, Florida, and New Jersey to visit with friends and other relatives.

The kids weren’t particularly happy with my decision to retire to Maine so I was instructed to Messenger them every day to let them know I was fine. I guess they thought I couldn’t take care of myself by myself. We stay connected throughout the day with Messenger so we stay pretty close and try to help each other out through any “calamities” of the day … even if it’s a simple “I love you!”

 

Rad-Reader:  What is your next project and when is it coming out?

 

Joe:  I’m really excited. In March 2018 I published a novella — Heaven Shining Through — based on a “community” writing project that ended up being a community of one. It was met well, but often with the comment, “It should have been a novel.” So I started writing a novel based on the novella, “My Name Is Sam … and Heaven Is Still Shining Through.”  It is available at Amazon. The actual release date was June 30, 2019, and a Facebook Live book launch was July 2  and archived on my Facebook author page, @wisdomfromafather

 

Rad-Reader:  Where can our readers buy your books? Links

 

Joe:  All three books are available on Amazon is both e-book and paperback versions. Wisdom From a Father is at amazon.com/Wisdom-Father-dads-thoughts-life-ebook/dp/B07KB7JKVM/

(e-book) and amazon.com/Wisdom-Father-dads-thoughts-life/dp/1727315316/

(paperback). Heaven Shining Through is at amazon.com/Heaven-Shining-Through-Joe-Siccardi-ebook/dp/B07BRZYRCD/
(e-book) and amazon.com/Heaven-Shining-Through-Joe-Siccardi/dp/1545624569/ (papeback).

My Name Is Sam is available at amazon.com/My-Name-Sam-Shining-Through-ebook/dp/B07SRX1HGV/ (e-book) and [paperback link is still pending my acceptance of the proof copy, which is expected June 14. I will forward when available.] I also have them listed on my blog, wisdomfromafather.wordpress.com where I offer signed copies for buyers.


Rad-Reader:  Where can our readers find you on the Web? Links

Joe: My web presence is my blog, wisdomfromafather.wordpress.com  I also have a Facebook presence @wisdomfromafather and a Twitter account, @joesiccardi

Joe,
Thank you for hanging in there with us… We were having a bad time there and you were so kind to wait for us to read and do this interview.  Thank you for doing that with us. This was just what my husband needed during this time.
Thank you,
~Char

In-Depth Interview Share With Rusty Blackwood All About Her New Romance Drama ~ “The Perils of Autumn.”

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Courtesy of  “ReadFree.Ly” . . .

The Perils of Autumn is a contemporary romantic drama, set primarily in the early 1970s, and centers on young Kentucky woman, Autumn Leeves, born in 1946 to Abigail Leeves, an unwed mother who struggles to make ends meet. By 1970, Autumn graduates nursing school and is sent on assignment from the local hospital to care for the terminally-ill wife of middle-aged, English equestrian master, Cyril Landon, owner of Landon Lawns Stables, a most successful thoroughbred racing stable located just outside Lexington, Kentucky in a posh community known as The Meadows.

Rusty Blackwood     The Perils of Autumn

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Tell us about Duff Taylor. He’s the other main character in the book, right?
Duff Taylor, world renown jockey who is tops in his field, lives full-time above the tack room at Landon Lawns and enjoys the many benefits it brings, but he also has a dark secret surrounding an unsolved racing incident from his past that he will go to any length to protect.

Autumn arrives at Landon Manor in time to be thrown into the fray and finds herself caught up in the ongoing disruption that ensues.

Oh? What genre does this book fall into?
Romance.

If you like a story that is filled with action, drama, and suspense, as well as one that will touch your heart in the process, you’ll love my book.

So it’s not just a simple romance story?
As there are a few different aspects and subjects entailed in this story, I feel it will appeal to a general audience, especially those who love the world of the Triple Crown, and professional equestrian events. However, people and situations do not always appear as they are.

It also shines a light on what it was like for single mothers in the 1940’s who endured the judgmental standards of the time. It applauds the resilience of Abigail, and her daughter Autumn, as they struggle to make their way in a world that is often against them. So for anybody looking for an insightful read, this is the one to read.

Talk to us about Autumn.
She is a young, strong, determined woman, born in 1946 to an unwed mother. Autumn refuses to adhere to the same standards that tried suppressing her strong-willed mother, and at age twenty-four, becomes a registered nurse who is excited to see where her career will take her. She is a compassionate, feisty, auburn-haired, doe-eyed beauty who loves animals, horses in particular, and wears her heart on her sleeve.

How much of Autumn is really just a reflection of you?
A fair amount, such as the love of horses, the excitement of riding, the need to constantly be strong regardless of how I feel, and the drive to succeed in areas that always seem against me. I have always borrowed from my own life experiences when creating a new story, and used them to create unique, interesting characters to immerse into stories that I would love to be part of.

Sounds like you’re not done with this character.
The Perils of Autumn is the first of two. The second carries on from where Perils of Autumn leaves off and takes the reader to end of the intriguing story. It is titled, Return to Autumn, and is expected in early 2020.

We can’t wait.

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We know that you like horses – what else do we need to know about you?
I was born in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, and grew up on my paternal grandfather’s farm in rural south-western Ontario. I graduated with honors in Interior Decorating & Design – not writing – and I am not professionally trained in the field, however, I developed my love of writing while still in elementary school, and carried that love well into my adult years. I was fortunate to be blessed with the unique ability to express myself through the stories I wrote. I became a serious writer in 2001, and an independent, self-published author in 2009, publishing my first collection of contemporary and traditional poetry, entitled, Feelings: A Rhythmic Journey in Thought, which I later republished under the title, Impressions, containing the contents of Feelings along with new work. My first love is romance drama, and I love to create scenarios to immerse my often colorful characters into. I am a retired vocalist, and musician who plays guitar, and bass guitar respectively, and once performed professionally with two south-western Ontario bands: ‘The Midnight Ramblers’, country music, and the country/rock/blues band, MIRAGE. I love art, animals – mostly dogs and horses, boating, gardening, taking long walks in nature, and spending time with family and friends as well as my dear cat, Tipper.

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Can we go back to your career as a writer? Tell us more about that.
The Perils of Autumn is my seventh title. I had published four titles prior, but they are no longer available, so I presently have seven. I write four different genres, and they are – with tiles, children’s short stories, ‘Through the Eyes of Innocence’, a comedy series, ‘The Misadventures of Derwood Tugbottom’ and ‘Derwood Returns’, poetry, ‘Impressions’, and romantic fiction drama, my favorite genre, consisting of Passions in Paris: Revelations of a Lost Diary, and ‘Willow’s Walk’.

I have just completed the third installment of my comedy series, entitled, ‘Derwood Goes Caribbean’, which is soon to be published.

How on earth is it possible to write so prolifically in multiple genres? Where do your stories come from?
Mostly my imagination, as well as the different things I love to do. There’s always a story to be found within all of them.

Okay, can we test your ability to come up with stories? What if we give you 4 random words – airport, gun, Pepsi, floods? Can you turn them into a story?
A beautiful executive from a well known Toronto accountancy firm was in flight to South Beach, Miami. She sat sipping an ice-cold Pepsi when the captain’s voice came on the intercom, announcing his intention to land elsewhere as their designated landing strip was covered in oil, flooding the entire landing area. She was about to speak to the gentleman beside her, when someone screamed, “He’s got a gun!”

Wow, that’s exciting. How can our readers contact you on social media – if they want to nag you for the rest of the story?

Facebook.
Twitter – @rusty_blackwood
Pinterest
Goodreads

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Do you have a website too?
www.rusty-blackwood.com

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What’s next for you?
I have just completed the third installment for my Derwood Tugbottom comedy short series, titled, ‘Derwood Goes Caribbean’, and will be publishing that through Amazon’s KDP platform. I have also begun work on the follow-up novel to ‘The Perils of Autumn’, titled, ‘Return to Autumn’. I have also considered doing a final poetry collection that will contain my favorite selections. I also have a historical documentary underway based on my years with my family’s country music band, The Midnight Ramblers, titled, ‘Rambin’ Years: The Midnight Ramblers: A Biographical Account’.

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