Honored To Welcome Author, Ronald E. Yates and His “Billy Battles Trilogy” To Lyon Book Promotions

“Lyon Book Promotions Welcomes Author, Ron Yates and his “Billy Battles Trilogy,” Book One and Book Two just Released” . . . .

 

 

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“I am a former foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and Dean Emeritus
of the College of Media at the University of Illinois where I was also a Professor of Journalism.

My “Finding Billy Battles Trilogy,” Book One is the first in a trilogy of novels. Book Two has now been released. As Book 2 of the Finding Billy Battles trilogy opens, Billy is far from his Kansas roots—and his improbable journeys are just beginning. He is aboard an ocean liner sailing to the Mysterious East (Hong Kong, French Indochina, and the Philippines), among other places.

I am also the author of The Kikkoman Chronicles: A Global Company with A Japanese Soul, published by McGraw-Hill. Other books include Aboard The Tokyo Express: A Foreign Correspondent’s Journey Through Japan,
a collection of columns translated into Japanese,
as well as three journalism textbooks: The Journalist’s Handbook,
International Reporting and Foreign Correspondents, and Business and Financial Reporting in a Global Economy.”

 

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Author Ronald E. YatesPresents(1) (1)

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“The Billy Battles Saga Begins Here”
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“When a great-grandson inherits two aging trunks and a stack of meticulously detailed journals penned by his great-grandfather, he sets out to fulfill his great-grandfather’s last request: to tell the story of an incredible life replete with adventure, violence, and tragedy. The great-grandfather’s name is Billy Battles–a man often trapped and overwhelmed by circumstances beyond his control.”

For much of his 100-year-long life, Billy is a man missing and largely unknown to his descendants. His great-grandson is about to change that. As he works his way through the aging journals and the other possessions he finds in the battered trunks he uncovers the truth about his mysterious great-grandfather–a man whose deeds and misdeeds propelled him on an extraordinary and perilous journey from the untamed American West to the inscrutable Far East, Latin America, and Europe.


As he flips through the pages of the handwritten journals penned by his great-grandfather, he learns of Billy’s surprising connections to the Spanish-American War, French Indochina, and revolutions in Mexico and other Latin American countries. But most of all he learns that in finding Billy Battles he has also found a long-lost and astonishing link to the past  . . . .


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“Even though the trilogy is fiction, there are many historical facts within the pages of Ron’s action-packed adventures of Billy Battles. As we begin book two, it seems that Billy finds mystery and more adventures unfold as Billy starts to travel the world.”

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“The Billy Battles Book Two Begins”

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“Billy Battles is definitely not in Kansas anymore.”

As Book 2 of the Finding Billy Battles trilogy opens, Billy is far from his Kansas roots—and his improbable journeys are just beginning. He is aboard an ocean liner sailing to the Mysterious East (Hong Kong, French Indochina, and the Philippines), among other places.

The year is 1894 and aboard the SS China Billy meets a mysterious, dazzling, and possibly dangerous German Baroness, locked horns with malevolent agents of the German government, and battled ferocious Chinese and Malay pirates in the South China Sea. Later, he is inadvertently embroiled in the bloody anti-French insurgency in Indochina–which quite possibly makes him the first American combatant in a country that eventually will become Vietnam.

Later, in the Philippines, he is thrust into the Spanish-American War and the anti-American insurgency that follows. But Billy’s troubles are just beginning. As the 19th-century ends and the 20th century begins, he finds himself entangled with political opportunists, spies, revolutionaries and an assortment of malevolent and dubious characters of both sexes. How will Billy handle those people and the challenges they face?

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Another one of Ron’s earlier book release’s sounds so interesting.
I know I have used Kikkoman products most of my life as many of us have.
But I had no idea of the history behind the products. But Ron does and
wrote about it in “The Kikkoman Chronicles.”


About The Book:


The Compelling Saga of One of the World’s Oldest Companies.Combining ancient craftsmanship with modern technology and marketing innovations, Japan’s Kikkoman Corporation has quietly become a $2 billion market leader.

The KikkomanChronicles is the fascinating story of how Kikkoman changed the course of international marketing, shrewdly adapting to 20th-century realities while never turning their backs on centuries of tradition; how one man envisioned the future of the global enterprise, spearheading the first Japanese manufacturing plant of any kind on U.S. soil; and how generations of Mogi family leadership have produced one of today’s most formidable global competitors.

More than an authoritative how-to international business, The Kikkoman Chronicles is the spellbinding story of Shige Maki, the tough and resourceful woman who narrowly escaped the 17th-century siege of Osaka Castle to sow the seeds to today’s Kikkoman Corporation. Kikkoman’s survival and adaptation across more than 300 years of social and political upheaval in Japan.

Innovative strategies Kikkoman has followed to become the world leader in the production and marketing of soy sauce – an Asian staple.The Kikkoman Chronicles is a one-of-a-kind corporate biography. By combining anecdotes and stories about Japan’s amazing history wth hands-on tips and recommendations for proven international business success.

Ronald E. Yates has produced an entertaining book that should become required reading for business persons and students throughout the world.

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I am very pleased and honored to introduce Author, Ron Yates to all my readers and book blog friends. Ron and I met over on LinkedIn. He sent me an invitation to join him on another social media site, one I hadn’t explored before. But, soon after he sent me a nice email asking about my book promo services. Now, after I took a gander at his bio, I said to myself, “I could I ever promote such a seasoned and professional journalist?” Yes, ok, I will admit and own the fact that I was crazy nervous! Then I thought? I can never make one mistake! LOL. LOL.

The fact of the matter is, Ron is a fabulous down to earth guy. And here I am book promoting for my new buddy. LOL. Let me share more about this fantastic writer and see if we can find out more about him and his new trilogy series. Book one and now book two has just released. Here is an interview with Ron via Smashwords.  .  .  .

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Product Details Product Details Product Details

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“An Intimate Author Interview via SmashWords” . . .

 

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Probably when I was in the sixth grade. I loved writing stories and I had a teacher (Mrs. Gooch) who encouraged me. My mother also bought me books and took me often to the library–a place that I found mystical and magnetic. She often read to me and I could “see” the story unfolding before me. When I could, I began to read everything I could get my hands on. As I used to tell my journalism students at the University of Illinois, if you want to be a good writer, be an avid reader.


What was your inspiration to write the Finding Billy Battles Trilogy?

I grew up in Kansas and was always fascinated by what life was like there in the 19th Century when the state was still pretty wild. At the same time, I spent a lot of time in the Far East as a foreign correspondent and I was equally intrigued by what life must have been like in the 19th Century colonial period in places like French Indochina, The Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc. Then one day I got the idea to blend the two using a character from 19th Century Kansas who goes to the Far East in search of himself.

 

What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a published author?

Try to write as much as you can from your own experiences. They are real and uncontrived and if you incorporate those experiences in your fiction your work will have a truthful ring to it. Beyond that, KEEP AT IT! Don’t let anybody (editors, agents, etc) discourage you. At the same time, be willing to accept constructive criticism from those who have experience as authors, editors, agents, etc. Notice I said CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Some people criticize just to be criticizing–or to be malicious. You must believe in yourself, your work, your vision and your story. If you don’t, who will?


What do you think makes a good story?

A good story needs a strong plot and even stronger characters. Otherwise, it falls flat. The writer needs to be first and foremost, a good storyteller. If you build a good story, THEY WILL COME, to paraphrase Field of Dreams. Make readers care about your protagonist. Make readers empathize, cry and laugh with them. At the same time, keep them off-balance. Don’t be predictable and don’t be afraid to do terrible things to your favorite characters. Have you ever known anybody who has sailed through life without some turmoil, some pain, some suffering? I haven’t.

 

Do you have any writing projects you are currently working on?

I am currently starting Book Three, with Book Two just released of the Finding Billy Battles trilogy. It will be ready for publication in February 2016. Then I will start on Book Three. After that, who knows. I may finally get around to writing about my own life as a war correspondent.

If your book became a movie, who would be your first choice to play the lead roles?

Clint Eastwood as the elderly Billy Battles; Clive Owen as the middle-aged Billy Battles and Ashton Kutcher as the young Billy Battles. I would pick Saffron Burrows for Billy’s first love, Mallie McNab and Famke Janssen for the widow Katharina Schreiber who Billy meets on the boat to the Far East. (Why these choices? They are all tall. Billy is 6’3″ and Mallie is about 5’10,” as is the statuesque widow Schreiber).

 

Tell us about your new release.

Book #2 in the Finding Billy Battles trilogy begins this chapter in Billy Battles’ life takes him to the Far East of the 1890s and places like French Indochina, The Philippines, Hong Kong and Singapore. This phase of Billy’s life finds him mixed up with political opportunists, spies, revolutionaries and an assortment of malevolent and dubious characters of both sexes. In short, Book #2 in the trilogy takes Billy far away from his Kansas roots and out of his comfort zone. How will Billy handle those people and the challenges they present? It’s a question that you will have to read Book #2 to find the answer to.

Do you listen to music while writing? If so what?

Yes. I listen to Mozart, Haydn, Telemann, and Boyce when I am in a classical mood. When not, I listen to good “cool” jazz by people like Oscar Peterson, Dave Brubeck, George Shearing, Bill Evans, etc.

 

How do you develop your plots and your characters? Do you use any set formula?

I write from the seat of my pants. I don’t outline my books and I don’t write down plot scenarios. I just start writing and see where the story and my characters lead me. It’s a lot like life itself. We may have a goal in mind, but the route to it is often strewn with obstacles, surprises, and sometimes tragedy. I usually write 3,000 or 4,000 words a day and I edit as I go. In other words, I may write a few paragraphs and then rewrite them within a few minutes of creating them. I don’t write a ‘First Draft.’ For me, that seems like a waste of time.

When I finish writing a book it is finished. I may make a few tweaks with the plot here and there, or alter a little dialogue, or some action by a character, but there is no second or third draft. I know some authors write a draft and put it away for weeks or months and then go back and look at it with fresh eyes–OR they send it out to be critiqued by professional “readers” or “critiquer’s.” Those strategies may work for some people. They don’t work for me. I guess it’s my journalistic training: see it, report it, organize it, write it and then move on to the next story.

 

Say your publisher has offered to fly you anywhere in the world to do research on an upcoming book, where would you most likely want to go?
Back to Vietnam, Cambodia, and The Philippines–three countries I worked in as correspondent in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and three countries where Billy Battles is going to wind up living during the 1890s. While I know a lot of those places, having lived and worked in them, I would love to dig deeper into their colonial periods and learn more about life during that era.

 

If you could have dinner with 1 person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Winston Churchill. He was absolutely brilliant and I would hope by the end of dinner some of that brilliance would have rubbed off on me, though I seriously doubt it. ONE food you will never eat? Monkey Brain Sushi (yes, it is a real dish in China and I won’t tell you how it’s prepared). It is considered a cure for impotence (what isn’t?).


Another dish I will continue to eschew is Balut, which is a delicacy in The Philippines. It is fertilized chicken or duck eggs in which the developed embryo is boiled and eaten from the shell. Yum!

Which brings me to some advice an old Chicago Tribune copy editor named Spokely gave me when I was getting ready to leave Chicago for my first posting as a foreign correspondent. “You are going to places that serve strange food and you will be tempted to say ‘no thank you,’ when it is offered. Don’t do that. It will be an insult to your host. When somebody offers you something to eat that looks or smells horrible, just remember Spokely’s law: Everything tastes more or less like chicken.”


What was the scariest moment of your life?

There have been several. One was during the evacuation of Saigon in 1975. The last day was chaos incarnate. Russian made 122mm rockets were slamming into buildings, 130mm mortars were hitting Tan Son Nhut airport, and the U.S. Embassy was surrounded by frantic South Vietnamese desperate to get out of the country because they had worked for the American military or some U.S. agency. The city was all in full-panic mode. Several of us made our way to the sprawling Defense Attache Office building at Tan Son Nhut and we were finally evacuated by a U.S. Marine CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter. It was a relief until the door gunner told me later aboard the U.S.S. Okinawa that the pilot apparently had to drop a flare to misdirect an SAM-7 (surface to air missile).

Another was during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre when I and several Chinese students were pinned down near the square for 30 minutes or so by Chinese soldiers shooting in our direction. Several students near me were wounded and we were helping them get to a doctor’s house nearby so he could treat them. I was convinced I was going to wind up dead in the square. Then suddenly the shooting stopped and I was able to get my Red and White Sprick bicycle that I had chained to a lamp-post and peddle like crazy for the Jinghau Hotel where I was staying and from where I was filing my stories to the Tribune.

Yet another memorable moment was during the revolution in El Salvador when I and two German correspondents were stopped in our car near the town of Suchitoto by Communist guerillas. They put cloth bags put over our heads and forced us to kneel alongside the road. We were sure we were going to be executed. But suddenly the “jefe” (leader) showed up and we were set free. “Don’t kill journalists–unless they are armed,” he yelled at his troops. I was greatly relieved that I had left the 1911 Colt Pistol I had purchased a few days earlier back in the hotel in San Salvador. I believe it is still there.

Ahhh yes, the life of a foreign correspondent…never a dull moment. But I still believe I had the best job in the world and I wouldn’t trade my career for anything.

What books have most influenced your life?

Scoop, by Evelyn Waugh; The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck; The Quiet American, Graham Greene; The Jewel in the Crown, Paul Scott; Kim, Rudyard Kipling; Huckleberry Finn, Samuel Clemons (Mark Twain); A Passage to India, E.M. Forster; Sister Carrie, Theodore Dreiser; The Naked and the Dead, Norman Mailer.

Do you have a Website or Blog?

Yes, I have both. My website is Ronald E Yates Books and I am constantly updating it. My blog is http://ronaldyatesbooks.com/category/foreign-correspondent/ I try to post to it at least once or twice a week.

I also have an Amazon Author  page and a Facebook Author Like Page called Ronald E. Yates Books. I am also on Twitter @jhawker69 … Readers can also follow and connect with me over on GoodReads as well.

Do you have any advice for inspiring authors?

Don’t let anybody discourage you from pursuing this work if it is really what you want to do. Don’t be discouraged by rejection. You must believe in yourself, your ideas, your stories. If you don’t, who will? Certainly not that dense editor or literary agent who couldn’t see your potential or grasp your book’s storyline.

Is being a writer a gift or a curse?

It is a wonderful gift if you allow the process to come to you and don’t force it. However, don’t let anybody tell you it is not damned hard work. It is. The joy of writing for me is telling a good story. I don’t care about imparting a “message.” Nor do I care about creating any hidden “meanings” that some literature professor will hold forth about in a writing class when I am no longer around to rebut him/her. I just want to tell a good story. That, to me, is the ultimate gift of writing.

The curse is that writing can take over your life, isolate you from family and friends and turn you into a kind of sophistic recluse if you are not careful. Writers need to take breaks from working. If they don’t I believe they run the risk of becoming stale, self-absorbed, and misanthropic.

Where do you like to write?

I have taken over the upstairs bonus room in our house. It is about 500 square feet. In it, I have my rather prodigious library, a good sound system for playing classical music, a large screen TV for watching sports, the Discovery, History, and National Geographic channels when I need a break from writing. My window looks out onto a plant and boulder-strewn foothill that rises in front of my house. Another window looks down onto the Temecula valley some 2,000 feet below. It is quiet and soothing. Couldn’t have a better place to write.

What do you typically drink while writing?

Very cold iced tea.


What has been the toughest criticism so far?

None, so far. Though it is still early in the process. Someone did say they didn’t like the fact that the book is part of a trilogy because now they have to wait for Book #2. I like THAT kind of criticism.

And lastly, what has been the best compliment?

There have been several, but I will list just four here. You can find these and other reviews on the book’s Amazon page: “The is easily the best work of fiction I have read in some time.”

“There is something about this book that is almost impossible to explain, but it takes it from being a *good* book to a GREAT one.”
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Books can be purchased on Amazon and Amazon Kindle Store.
Finding Billy Battles – Book One
The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles – Book 2                                              

The Kikkoman Chronicles: A Global Company with a Japanese Soul

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More about Ronald Yates on a more personal level . . .

Ron was born in N.E. Kansas, USA and is married to his lovely wife. They have raised two daughter’s who are both married with children of their own, which makes him a Grand Pop!
When Ron isn’t writing, he enjoys  hiking, biking, reading, swimming, history, writing (of course).

In his career as a journalist, Ron has won several awards which include, Three Pulitzer nominations; Society of Professional Journalists Peter Lisagor Award; Inter-American Press Association Tom Wallace Award for reporting on Latin America. His favorite color is blue and his favorite foods?  “Just about anything from Thailand, Szechuan China, and Italy. ”

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Author Spotlight Is Presented To You By “Lyon Book & Social Media Promotions” and Interview Courtesy of Smashwords ….

Lyon Book Promotions Shining The Spotlight on Author, Deborah Perdue.

Hello and Welcome Readers, Friends, and New Visitors,

 


“We are all in for an inspiring treat with my new author spotlight! I welcome Author, Graphic Designer, and owner of Illumination Graphics in So. Oregon to Lyon Book Promotions.”

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Now I wanted to start by sharing the inside one of the most current book/journal by Deborah Perdue as her artwork and designs are so beautiful. The one above also comes in a gold cover as well. They have lovely vibrant colors and much more. Her new release of, “Grace of Gratitude Journal. And her newest is an adult coloring book which is stunning. And as Deborah says, you will:


Discover the power of gratitude to transform your life! More happiness and increased, sustained peace of mind are two of the main benefits.”

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I can tell you this is true as she was kind enough to send them to me and they are even more beautiful in my hands then looking at them online. So who is this Oregon gal? Well, Deborah was born and raised in the bay area. She studied at Sonoma State University, CA and received her BA in Studio Art and English. She moved to Southern Oregon 15 years ago and loves it. She has a wonderful husband and loves her doggies! They are “Ella and John Wayne” then we throw in two cheerful cockatiels and now you have a big happy family!


Now A Peek of “Grace of Gratitude Journal” Book:

 

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Deborah also has a wonderful business too. So for those authors looking for spectacular book covers? You need to see her portfolio and website Illumination Graphics ~ Book Cover Designs That Shine! ….


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Grace of Gratitude Books

 

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And another amazing website is her  Grace of Gratitude … Books, Journals, Cards, and More. Deborah’s website has many lovely items and products for gift giving for all occasions and you can order right from her site.  It’s a must visit for those like me who journal daily in our recovery from addiction. Her books and journals are also available on Amazon  Author Page & Books …

Author Deborah Perdue created the Grace of Gratitude Journals to inspire you as she was inspired in her own life! Tara Thelen has created gorgeous full-color illustrations throughout both Journals. Check them out on our Retail page. Our journals are also perfect for retreats and workshops – see our Wholesale page to buy 6 or more.

It is why I love the “Grace of Gratitude Reflections as well. I read a little each morning before I start my day. All of her books will help uplift your mood, inspire, and you just may rub that off on others during your day! And she doesn’t do all of the work alone.
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Meet Deborah’s Business Partner Tara:

Tara Thelen, illustrator

Tara Thelen is an American artist living near Amsterdam. The inspiration for her work is emotion in all its various forms. As an artist, Tara’s drive is to create art that elicits strong, positive emotions – art that leaves an impression and truly touches those who view it,

She teaches art lessons to children and teens at Museum Kranenburgh in the beautiful village of Bergen, near the North Sea, where she lives with her husband Paul and their two teenage boys.

Her artwork has been exhibited in galleries throughout the US, Europe, & the Pacific. For the past six years, Tara has been working closely with Deborah Perdue on various projects, mostly book covers, as well as CD cover designs, posters, and other promotional works. Her artwork in the Journal is integral to the beauty of it!

 

Deborah’s Mission Statement:

“Knowing the Oneness of God, I broadcast Love, Peace, Beauty, Wisdom and Joy as a shining example to all.”

 

More About The Author:

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Deborah Perdue
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Deborah has been a licensed practitioner for the Centers for Spiritual Living since 2006. She teaches classes and workshops on the topics of gratitude, abundance and how to live a life of joy. She writes spiritual articles on gratitude, published online and also in the Ashland Daily Tidings.She was first introduced to the practice of gratitude on a daily basis at the Center for Spiritual Living Rogue Valley. It is her intention that the Grace of Gratitude Journal will be a blessing to others who wish to uplift their consciousness by practicing gratitude.

In 1994, Deborah received two Bachelor Degrees (Cum Laude) from Sonoma State University, in English (emphasis: creative writing) and Studio Art (emphasis: photography).

Her graphic design business, Illumination Graphics, is a rewarding and prospering business. An accomplished graphic designer with over 20 years of experience, she chooses to specialize in the design of spiritual book covers.

Living in the country in Oregon, her home office overlooks acres of green meadow that roll into a tree-lined horizon, dwarfed by a majestic mountainside, Deborah is grateful. As it has been for many years, daily gratitude is an essential part of her spiritual path.

You can connect with Author, Deborah Perdue on her social media links below:

Website: Ordering Website
Connect on  Twitter
Connect on  Facebook Like Page
Connect on  LinkedIn

My Three Years Blogging On WordPress? FABULOUS!

HELLO RECOVERY FRIENDS AND WELCOME ALL! 

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Happy Anniversary Catherine on WordPress.com!!! 

You registered on WordPress.com 3 years ago. Thanks for flying with us.
Keep up the good blogging.

3 Year Anniversary Achievement
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So, it has been 3 years ago today that I started this little thing called “Blogging.”


All I wanted to do was continue my recovery journey with others who may be suffering from gambling addiction like had. It was my way of sharing and continuing my recovery journey from my book titled,  “Addicted To Dimes, Confessions of a Liar and a Cheat.”

It was MY way to advocate, raise awareness, and inform the public about the dangers and devastation of this addiction, of this cunning disease. But when I started out I had no idea how others would take my blog about gambling addiction. There were very few blogs here on WordPress about addiction and recovery that I could find, and I was scared if people would “judge me?” I figured, “what the hell,” my whole life is out in the world in book form, so I had no secrets anymore.
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I felt it deep within my heart and my faith that it was the right thing to do. To blog and advocate about this awful addiction and see what kind of feedback I would get. I can honestly say, everyone in the past three years that have come followed my blog here and left comments have been mostly Spectacular! The WordPress community embraced me with open arms, open hearts, and understanding. So, what more could I ask for?

Well, I will tell you. Currently, my recovery community is at 7,414 followers and my visitor count as of today is 34,964 Visits! SO, in the words of “Sally Fields at The Oscars? They Love Me! They really, really love me!!” LOL …

Now, of course, I am NOT that vain, but I feel that my recovery blog here on WordPress is an important blog. Again, there are many recovery blogs here on WP, but very few are about Recovery from Gambling Addiction …

As the first year or so went on, I finally also opened up and shared here on my WordPress blog about my mental health challenges as I am “dual diagnosed,”  meaning I live in recovery from addiction and battle mental health challenges. I was getting tired of reading about how STIGMA was hurting and holding back many from seeking treatment for mental health issues. Not to mention all the news reports of mass shootings that were happening all over the US. So I decided to step out of the shadows of shame for having mental/emotional disorders and challenges. And again? My WordPress community embraced me once more.

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Again, I wanted full disclosure as to my mental health so I could advocate that there is no shame in being diagnosed with mental health illness. Be it mental or medical, it is time for those who don’t suffer have more empathy and understanding of what is like living with mental and emotional disorders. It can for many be very debilitating and painful.

So we don’t need to add more in the mix by having to include shame, embarrassment, or stigma, to make those who suffer feel worse. I always say, “kindness is a choice” and takes much less energy than HATE. Because sadly, those who don’t understand or even want to, and there are many, need to back off  ….

So many recovery blessings have happened here while I have been blogging here on WordPress! After my book released, so many awesome things have come. Too many to list, but a few are:

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A Four Part Article Interview about my me on MyAddiction.com: My Gambling Story & Recovery

Interviewed and written in a major media release by Columbia University Epidemiology Dept. 2×2 project Gambling With America’s Health

Was invited as Guest Expert Gambling Addiction Blogger on Addictionland of Author and Founder, Cate Stevens: Expert Blogger of Gambling Addiction at Addictionland
Where I continue to blog.

And now most recently a brand new Recovery Author Columnist for a fantastic Premier Recovery Mag called: In Recovery Magazine ~ “The Author’s Cafe”  which my first column
debuts in this June’s 2016 Issue!! We have over 25,000 recovery subscribers and mailed we mail out and can be purchased at over 800 locations worldwide.

So come subscribe today and be ready to read my Secret Special Premier Guest Author whose book will soon be in our magazine’s “The Book Stand.”

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Now year two here on WordPress was a growth year as I took on the world by storm with a new venture into  Lyon Book & Social Media Promotions here on WordPress!

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“Sharing The Magic Of Written Words Within Your Books!”

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And what a year it was! My little online bookstore and promotions business keep growing and growing. I now have over 17 authors I book promote for and more on the way! So drop by my book promo blog here on WP above and come meet your new book!

I offer a little something different from other book promotions. I enjoy helping and teaching authors how and where they need to promote their fabulous books. I do all the social media legwork for them by setting up authors social media accounts, add their books to many free book sites for exposure to large readerships.

We also have loads of good things for readers too like books reviews, excellent new book releases, and author spotlights so readers learn more about our fine authors I promote. Let’s face it, many of us brand new authors are not always computer savvy, and navigating the inner works of social media sites to sign up maybe intimating to some authors  …

So I do that and much more for affordable pricing that won’t “break the bank.”
And WordPress gave me everything I needed to get my new book promotions blog up and going by using all the free services they have here. So I would never host my blogs anywhere else!

So I will wrap up this WordPress Celebratory Anniversary post by saying a very Big Thank You to WordPress and to all my WP friends, family, followers, and all new visitors!!
Thank you for making my 3 years here on WordPress Special …


CHEERS!
Author Cat Lyon

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An Author Interview With Allen Currie & Book OPERATION PHOENIX.

I’m happy to Welcome Author, Allen Currie and his book Titled; OPERATION PHOENIX to Lyon Book Promos.

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Editorial Review:

“The seeds of a global perfect storm are sewn. Scientists caution of potential mega quakes, super disease, volcanic eruptions or solar flares. Population growth and industrial activities increasingly stress the environment. One Middle Eastern state after another erupts in civil war. (Sound familiar?)

And most insidious of all, the governments, central banks and banking industries of every developed country on the globe have been systematically building funeral pyres of paper under their respective economies, building them ever higher over the course of decades with mountains of debt, printed money and derivatives, just waiting for a spark, a match, a stray bolt of lightning…

In the novel, the protagonist, elite headhunter Gary Alden didn’t have a crystal ball, just a comprehensive study of the demise of empires past. He’d watched the alarming parallels with current events developing for some time. But he was one of very few. The vast majority don’t like to hear that the party is over, and aren’t apt to listen until it’s too late.

So, when the pyres do burst into flame, Gary must marshal his family and his resources – especially his expertise in recruiting specialists in various fields – to navigate a gauntlet of economic and social calamity, build a new community and preserve what they can of a modern standard of living before the ashes of another fallen empire scatter in the wind.”
~ Val Martinez

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Allen

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A Canadian Author, Allen Currie resides in NW Ontario and enjoys nature and the outdoors. Part of the year this man of mystery hides deep in the Canada bush where who knows what he may be up to, but I hope it is crafting and writing more books. His release of ‘Operation Phoenix’ is now available on Amazon and Amazon Kindle Store. But I caught up with him and here is what Allen was willing to share ….
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“I was born and raised on a dirt poor farm during the dirty ‘1930’s. Began into computers when you still walked inside them and taught computer operation and programming. I then went on to become a CFO and CEO. Dabbled into consulting, primarily with the most advanced banks in the world. I later switched to “competitive intelligence” consulting, whose evil twin is industrial espionage.

I now live in Ontario. Along the way, I climbed mountains, traveled around the world, and became a glider pilot and a sculptural hot glass artist collected by international museums.”

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About The Book:

Are you comfortable with the state of the world today?

After decades of active mismanagement, neglect, greed, corruption and divorce from reality by humanity, the world reaches a tipping point. Having recognized the trend and studied the demise of empires past, Gary marshals his resources to deal with a financial collapse and subsequent gauntlet of social upheaval. It’s a thrilling and for some, terrifying ride…
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AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

Q – I read your bio and you have done a lot of unusual things. Computers when you still walked inside them, CFO and CEO, consultant to some of the world’s most advanced international banks, Glider Pilot, Hot Glass sculptural artist collected by international museums, world traveler, and now author. But before we get to that, one thing that intrigued me was Competitive Intelligence or CI. You say the evil twin to CI is Industrial espionage. Tell us about that.

“Well, the methods used in CI were really invented during World War 2. The Yanks needed spies in Japan, but they didn’t have many slanty eyed operatives. What is worse, a village on one side of a mountain speaks a different accent than a village on the other side of the same mountain. The North Islanders won’t even speak much to the Tokyo crowd because they are Gai jin – foreign devils. So any spy the Americans managed to find was going to stand out like a sore thumb, except in one small village where everyone knows everyone else.”

Q – You have been to Japan?

“Oh yes, I was briefly married to a Japanese I met in Tokyo. Mother nature likes to mix the gene pool. Anyway back to WW2. What the Americans did was to subscribe to every village newspaper in Japan. Of course, if there was going to be a factory built, the local paper would proudly write about how many people would be working at that plant, some idea of what they would be manufacturing, how many units would be produced, plus a lot of other details. Not only did the Americans know where to bomb to do away with critical things like bearings, but they learned almost exactly the capacity of the Japanese machine. They got 98% of what they wanted without leaving their desks.

Q – So, how does that lead to CI?

“CI is the art of gathering actionable information. Inferring information from other facts. If I ask someone who knows how many boxes for widgets a factory is ordering, I can be quite sure how many widgets they expect produce yearly. One of the more famous examples is about a company wanted to know secretly how many tons a competitor was shipping before they tried to take to take it over. They measured the rust on a railway spur leading to the plant and came up with an estimate that turned out to be within three percent of the actual.’


Q – Your intriguing thriller, “Operation Phoenix” seems to be positing the state of our society as we rush into turmoil. Are you predicting the end of the world?

“Definitely not the end of the world. I am predicting great change in our world, which some may think of as the end of the world as we know it. Change in the world is happening at a rate never before known to mankind. We are so accustomed to having some things, many of which most people don’t even understand, such as certain technologies advancing to solve various problems that crop up, that the world is reaching a tipping point on many fronts. Climate and weather change, over-population of our world, peak oil, financial excesses, super diseases, political short term solutions to real long-term problems, the list of possible tipping points goes on.” 

 

Q – Political such as?

“Consider the hoo-haw that went on in the most recent debt ceiling debates in the US. If the debt ceiling wasn’t raised, the US would default. If the US cannot pay its debt now, how could it repay a greater amount? If it cannot pay its debt, it is bankrupt. When Iceland reached the same point a very few years ago and its banks required a bailout, Iceland said they are a commercial enterprise, and let them fail. No bailout. Particularly the UK screamed blue bloody murder because UK banks were heavily exposed to Iceland but the UK bailed its banks out. The result in Iceland was vicious but short lived. Today Iceland is doing very well economically, thank you.
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They let nature release the stresses that had built up in the local economy. The last time that the Fed in the US did not interfere in an economic downturn was in 1919. That depression was probably the most vicious to that date, but short lived again. Eighteen months. The next depression, the dirty 30’s was history making. The government interfered and today’s estimates are that the resulting depression was doubled or tripled in depth and length because of that fiddling by government.
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Today the pressures have built too much higher levels because of more “management”.  The explosion will likely be much bigger. What makes it worse is that so many economies around the world have jumped on the same “management” theories. It will spread like wildfire. The US, Japan, and Europe are ‘Wily Coyote’ who is off the cliff but not yet looked down because of government “management” spin. Take the foul tasting medicine to cure the disease, otherwise, it becomes worse. But politicians loath to put forth “foul tasting” because they will lose their jobs. ”

Q- This is fascinating, but let’s get to your thriller novel. I didn’t notice any mention of CI. Is there a connection?

“On a very basic level, there is definitely a connection. CI is about information and using that information. It is a method of thinking. The ideas in the novel develop according to CI training. Some people would call it in a logical way. If  there is debt, it will be paid somehow. Either to the lender or to mother nature if only in a damaged credit rating, but it will be paid. The world has not only been borrowing financially but environmentally, socially, more ways than I care to count. Sooner or later the piper has to be paid.”

Q – So why did you write Operation Phoenix only now? It describes the result of these tipping points that you say you have recognized since 1987?


In 1993 I decided I had to give back to humanity for having lived in the best time and place mankind has ever known. I had thought about the problem since 1987 and had slowly come to the conclusion I was somewhere near correct. It turns out I was amazingly so. My forecasts have been much closer than I ever believed possible. However, in any field, you have to pay your dues to become proficient. Writing is no different. The basic story has not changed. What I had to learn was how to write a story. And I had never written any more than a letter till that time. It would have been much easier to have simply stopped and gone to university and taken a journalism course.

Stupidly and stubbornly, I had to do it the hard way. I learned, but it took 18 or 19 years. Mind you, I had no idea at that time that economists could spin the situation out as long as it has. They have muddled through amazingly well. They have learned too.

Q- Well I read most of the free preview and reviews, what I read is well written. I found it rather fascinating. Tell us how we can get a copy and where readers can connect with you?

It is available online on Amazon and my website. You can download copy or order a hard copy which will be printed for you specifically. Delivery is in about a week depending on your method of shipping. Usually, I get mine in about four business days.

Go to Allen Currie Website You can find a free giveaway contest of an autographed book, and a forum to discuss the ideas in the novel or your questions, which I try to attend on a regular basis. (At least weekly if I am out of touch.) There is also an unusually long free sample read. You can connect with me on Allen Currie, Author on FB  and on Allen Currie on Twitter …
(Now also available on Amazon & Amazon Kindle store)

AMAZON BOOK REVIEWS:

” Great detailed story, can’t wait for the second book to come out.

” Worst case scenario about a country drowing in debt ”

”  This book is a treat –  ” I read this book many years ago, I have communicated with the author a number of times. This story is a work of art it is very entertaining and well done. I am not going to say more than buy the book and read it. It as a book written by a man who saw the future for what it was over 20 years ago.

I applaud the book and the man who wrote it.”


Author Interview Presented By ‘Lyon Book & Social Media Promotions’

An Intimate Book Review For Author, J.A.Wright~Guest Share By New Zealand Booklovers.

Hello, and Welcome Readers and Friends,

 

“I have a  you treat for readers today! My dear friend and fellow Author, J. A. Wright has a featured intimate book review by New Zealand Booklovers  on their Fabulous website. Yes, after living many years in the Pacific Northwest, Jodi had moved abroad to New Zealand. She enjoys living there with her family. And why not? It seems to fit with her being a unique author and writer.”   *Cat*

 

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HOW TO GROW AN ADDICT BY J.A. WRIGHT

This month, I have been addicted to books about addiction. Like a book junky, even if I didn’t want to read more, I just had to. Any book that has come my way with its focus being on self-destruction, self-hatred, or self-analysis, and the attempt to tame the beast of self with proscribed substances, I have devoured. That’s my bag, you see – having personal experiences with addiction, I’m always morbidly attracted to the stories of people with similar crosses to bear.

Over the past few weeks I have plowed through Keith Richards’s memoir,Life, following it up with Anthony Kiedis’s Scar Tissue, and then moved swiftly on to Marilyn Manson’s ode to oddity, Long Hard Road out of Hell.

Enough, I thought, as I read the last tales of scoring eight balls and snorting cocaine off of prostitutes. I stacked the books up on my bookshelf, regained the will to live and thought perhaps of moving on to some kind of lighter material, picking up a copy of Woman’s Weekly; a publication so light, it practically floats if it is not weighed down. But it wasn’t to be, How to Grow an Addict, debut novel from New Zealand author J. A Wright, popped through my letterbox and after reading only half the blurb, I felt compelled to read on.

Having not inspected the front cover properly, until about half way through the book I had it in my mind that this novel was an autobiography. I had assumed that Randall Grange, the young, troubled addict protagonist of the piece was not a fictional character. Randall was written so realistically, so vividly and insightfully, that How to Grow an Addict read like one of the better autobiographical tales of addiction and redemption. To its credit,How to Grow an Addict is a wonderfully straightforward read, and not at all trite or contrived; there really isn’t any glorification in this story of a young girl trying to navigate growing up in the midst of a turbulent home life, often the sufferer of benign neglect at the hands of her equally troubled parents.

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It is hard to pinpoint in this novel exactly where things start to go so wrong for Randall because it is seemingly nothing and everything that leads to her demise. The severity of her problems with substances and addiction are not over-sauced, so it is both shocking and a complete non-surprise when Randall crashes and burns one last time, and is tricked into entering a rehabilitation center. It takes a particular type of writer to capture all at once the banality and torture of addiction without being hackneyed or over-sentimental – J. A Wright excels at this. Her approach to the topic in this debut novel brought to mind passages from The Bell Jar; how one can be so entrenched in behavior that it seems completely normal in its absolute dysfunctionality.

The cynic in me usually wants this type of fiction to end in horrific tragedy, because that just seems more realistic; surely it’s only natural for some heroin addicts to take it too far and die in a public toilet of an overdose, or for a man to lose everything due to drink and never get his shot at redemption, but I genuinely found myself hoping for Randall’s recovery inHow to Grow an Addict, that’s how invested I was in her as a character. Now, perhaps I’m mellowing, or perhaps exceptional writing negated my inherent nihilism and all-around jaded attitude where “happy “endings are concerned. Perhaps .  .  .

How to Grow an Addict, by J.A. Wright, is published by She Writes Press, and is available now on Amazon Books and now Amazon Kindle Store …

About The Author:

How to Grow an Addict is J.A. Wright’s debut novel. Named best book of 2015 by Redbook/Good Housekeeping magazine and a finalist in both the 2015 USA Best Book Awards and 2015 Foreward Reviews’ INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award and Bronze winner in the 2016 IPPY Awards for Literary Fiction.
J.A. Wright has been in recovery from addiction since 1985. Raised in the Pacific NW, she moved to New Zealand with her young family in 1990. Visit her website for more about Author, J. A. Wright:  Jodi A Wright Website .

 

Editorial Review:

Portland Book Review – Feb 2016

The review for How to Grow an Addict received 5 stars.

“J.A. Wright’s How to Grow an Addict is a novelization about Randall, a young girl who is trying to navigate the testy waters of her family life and come out unscathed despite growing up in a house full of addicts and abusers. It reads like a memoir, a sort of “come clean” string of consciousness that chronicles her rise (or rather, fall) from a young girl to a young woman.

The novel is literally what the title implies, a sort of explanation of a series of factors both genetic and environmental that lead to the rise of a small, precocious, and anxious child becoming a full-blown addict. Randall has an abusive father and a mother who has a hard time defending her as it is clear that she’s terrified of losing him (going so far as to get breast implants in a failed attempt to stop him from sleeping around). He behaves like he hates Randall, and she chews her fingernails to nubs as a result – and has a hard time functioning in a normal world without fidgeting.

Randall is immensely likable, and though the reader begins to see her make a series of missteps as she gets older in an attempt to seek love in “all the wrong places,” the novel never takes on a judgmental tone.

Randall is just a girl who’s trying to navigate a very difficult situation that gets increasingly more difficult as life takes away some of her fiercest protectors and supporters. She is selfish, but only in a way that an addict is – someone who cannot see past their impulsive decisions into what the consequences may mean. It doesn’t matter to her as she’s just trying to get by in the only way she knows how. Her family resembles a million families, and some readers might even see some parallels between her family and their own in an alcoholic, abusive father who prioritizes a son above a daughter and creates another monster in the process; her brother who comes to hate her and lack empathy as much as her father does; her mother who is not perfect, but sad and unable to manage an angry and abusive husband, and who turns to anti-anxiety pills and alcohol as a way to cope.

The novel ends with Randall beginning to accept help from those who have to foist it onto her and ends with an uplifting message: people can make a choice to recover and do the right thing. There may be mistakes and trip-ups in the process, but it’s a process worth doing. This is a great book, and even if readers don’t have first-hand experience with addicts or dysfunctional families, Randall feels real-life enough to turn to when it comes to trying to deal with real-life addiction. Readers should definitely give this one a shot.”- Portland Book Review

New Book Review Share For “Addicted To Dimes,” My Memoir!

Hello Readers and Friends,

 
It’s been awhile since I have shared a ‘Wee Little Bit’ about my book titled: Addicted To Dimes, Confessions of a Liar and a Cheat, available in both paperback and e-book on Amazon. And, my book was recently read and reviewed by two new exciting readers. The most current is a fantastic author herself from the UK and was very honored she read and reviewed my book. She then did an in-depth fair and honest book review on her Book & Author Blog! Author, T.R. Robinson, thank you! You got it! You understood all the points I was trying to get out through my memoir, and you did pinpoint the area’s my writing needs to improve. I have no problem with corrective advice as it helps me be a better writer!

The second was placed here Amazon Top Book Reviewer and I was both honored and surprised that an Amazon Top 100 book reviewer took the time to read my book and do a nice fair book review. He is a writer and journalist for, Vine Voice and a Hall Of Fame Amazon Reviewer.

The next I am sharing is from a new book site I came across and used my book as a test run for a low-cost Professional Book Review to see how well they do before I refer clients over on Online Book Club .org Book Review. I hope you enjoy reading more of what readers and book reviewers are saying about my Memoir and Sharing HOPE to others from addiction through my book….  Author, Catherine Lyon  :-)


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Monday, 11 April 2016

Addicted to Dimes (Confessions of a Liar and a Cheat) by Catherine Townsend-Lyon – Book Review

A very personal, honest, no holds barred memoir. This is the tale of the author’s journey with gambling addiction. Catherine Townsend-Lyon has been very honest about all her failings. Though she admits writing the book had a cleansing and cathartic effect on her, it must have been very hard to recall and put into the public view all that occurred on her journey. She has to be admired and respected for having taken this step.

The author has endured much but at the same time, I think it only right to remind readers she is anything but alone in this. Many of us, one way or another, have suffered in our lives, some similar to her own experiences, others very different. We are each unique and individual and though there may be similarities each of our journeys differ.

Though one of her motivations for writing this book is to help others who suffer the same addiction it should be born in mind this is her own tale, dark at times. No doubt others have and do experience similar circumstances but this is not a handbook for them.  Nevertheless, having said that, it should help many to appreciate they are not alone; that others have and are going through similar difficulties; that there is hope; that there is escape if they truly work toward it.

Throughout, ‘triggers’ are described and talked about but we must bear in mind these are also personal to her. For others, the ‘triggers’ may be very different.  Catherine (if I may be so personal as to refer to her by first name) frequently explains how, through her dysfunctional family, she consistently felt valueless. But also, and very sadly, briefly describes; how she was abused by someone outside the family; how she was unable to tell anyone about it; how this also acted as a ‘trigger’ and how the combined resulting mindset and emotions have continued to plague her throughout life.


Drawbacks:

Before mentioning these it is only fair to acknowledge the author has made clear she is not a writer but has simply decided to share her own story.  It is very much told in her own words and expressions which have the benefit of really making this a personal work.

Nevertheless:

  • I consider the book a tad  long. Much of what has been shared could be condensed and consequently, would make it a more readily readable book.  For many time is an issue and it would be a shame if readers gave up because of the length.
  • Until approximately the eighty percent mark (I read this on a Kindle and therefore am referring to percentages rather than page numbers) I did not feel drawn into the story.  Of course, this may be personal to me but up to this point, I felt I was simply being presented with information and facts.  I was able to sympathize but that was all. However, after this point there were areas where I felt empathy for the author; could feel her emotions, concerns, sorrow and disappointment.
  • Most addiction recovery programs have a twelve step process.  The author frequently refers to these but never really explains what is involved.  Of course, I appreciate this is not intended to be a formal guide but it would have been nice to have a little more understating of what these steps involve; many readers will not be suffering from the addiction but will be reading out of genuine and general interest.


Rating: As any regular or frequent readers of this blog and my reviews will know, I consider the majority of books fall within the three-star rating.  Regrettably, to my mind at least, the rating system has been undermined, sad to say mostly by self-published authors, by the constant allocation of higher ratings than often merited.  But at the same time, I acknowledge reading is a subjective experience. Consequently, what one may enjoy another may dislike and each has the right to reflect this.

Nonetheless, I do consider far too many four and five stars have been given.  Now, with respect to this book, I have found it difficult to determine a final rating.  The author has willingly shared everything, exposing all her faults and failures honestly.  She has taken us on the difficult journey of her life without drawing back from the realities, prepared to endure the opinions and attitudes that may result. For this reason, and despite the reservations referred to above, I consider the book merits a higher rating than three stars.  Existing rating systems, well at least those that are primarily used by readers, do not allow for percentages. Consequently, I feel there is no option but for me to allocate a 4 Stars (****).
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The book is available both as a paperback and as an e-book from: Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CSUJI3A

Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CSUJI3A

Reviewer sidenote:
Catherine Townsend-Lyon contacted me about a year ago asking if I would consider a review exchange of books. I agreed and we exchanged free copies. I did explain it would take a while for me to read and review; there are many demands upon my time.

Nevertheless, a year is excessive. Unexpectedly some family issues arose, including health, that required my absence from my usual routine. At first, I tried to keep up but in the end had to abandon my on-line and reading activity. In the end, I was absent for eight to nine months. Of course, I then had the mammoth catching up process to go through.  However, I firmly believe we should always fulfill our undertakings, even, as in this case, where deadlines have to be postponed. All I may do is apologize to her for the long delay but in my defense point out it has been due to circumstances outside of my control.


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Now, my second review is just a partial review, as I would you like for you to visit the website to see all the awesome books and great free services they have for readers & authors over on Online Book Club .org Book Review !
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Official Review: Addicted To Dimes

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User avatar

G, A Porter Posts: 21 Joined: 03 Oct 2015, Currently Reading: the king’s curse Bookshelf Size: 325 books  ~ Online Book Club .org

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[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of “Addicted To Dimes” by Catherine Townsend-Lyon.]

Book Cover


A 3 out of 4 Stars…


Review by G A Porter … April 11th, 2016


Addicted To Dimes, Confessions of a Liar and a Cheat by Catherine Townsend-Lyon 
 is a Memoir about the author’s personal battle with gambling addiction. The book explores the author’s past experiences and decisions which eventually culminated in a financially and emotionally devastating addiction and the difficult ordeal of the recovery process. The author is open and honest about her past mistakes, her family drama, family dysfunctional dynamic, past abuse, and the long-term consequences gambling has had on her marriage and friendships.

The first section of the book is an introduction to the author’s early life. She grew up in a dysfunctional family and suffered abuse at the hands of her parents as well as outsiders. As a teenager and young woman, the author felt stifled by her mother’s overbearing control, particularly in controlling her own hard-earned money. She outlines decisions she made and relationships she began while searching for a replacement “unconditional love” that she did not receive from her parents. The hardships of her early life may have made the author vulnerable to the lure of addiction, and the continuing dysfunction may have added fuel to the fire later in her life.

The author gives the description of her family dysfunction and past to illustrate the person she used to be before the addiction took over her life. The addiction began slowly, but over time grew and drove her to drastic actions. As stress piled on her, gambling became an outlet and escape to her emotions. She also adopted the gambler’s mentality of placing bets to win money she desperately needed to pay bills, but in the end, would lose more money than she came in with and chased her loss’s. Over the years, and giving insights, not excuses, the author would borrow money, steal from friends and workplaces, and jeopardize everything she and her husband worked for to maintain her gambling habit before fully committing to the recovery process.

Townsend-Lyon was inspired to write this book after hearing the news of a local woman’s suicide due to gambling addiction. She wrote this book to give hope to those caught in the addiction that recovery is possible as well as to inspire empathy and bring awareness to others. The recovery process took a long time for the author and she described the “rock bottom” situation that appears to have been necessary for her to fully commit to the recovery process. She describes her own missteps, triggers from family and stress, and aspects of therapy which were most and least helpful for her. In the end, she appears to have been successful, if still in financial hardship at that time.


Please visit the website link to read the full review and Final Rate of my book: Online Book Club .org Book Review   Thanks, Friends! :-)  *Cat*