A Life Stolen is the gripping account of a father and daughter’s devastating, but inspiring journey through Alzheimer’s. Its purpose is to give guidance to others caring for loved ones with this terrible affliction. The hope is that it will make the road for others an easier one to travel. Sometimes you just need to feel like you’re not alone. $0.99 on Kindle.
A Life Stolen: My Father’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s
Maude
In 1906, I was barely over fourteen years old, and it was my wedding day. My older sister, Helen, came to my room, took me by the hand, and sat me down on the bed. She opened her mouth to say something, but then her face flushed, and she turned her head to look out the window. After a second, she squeezed my hand and looked back in my eyes. She said, “You’ve always been a good girl, Maude, and done what I told you. Now, you’re going to be a married woman, and he will be the head of the house. When you go home tonight after your party, no matter what he wants to do to you, you have to let him do it. Do you understand?”
I didn’t understand, but I nodded my head anyway. It sounded strange to me, the way so many things did. I would do what she told me. I didn’t have a choice, any more than I had a choice in being born. $3.99 on Kindle.
Love, Ellen: A Mother/Daughter Journey
“Mom, I’m gay.” With three little words, gay children can change their parents’ lives forever. Yet at the same times it’s a chance for those parents to realize nothing, really, has changed at all; same kid, same life, same bond of enduring love.Twenty years ago, during a walk on a Mississippi beach, Ellen DeGeneres spoke those simple, powerful words to her mother. That emotional moment eventually brought mother and daughter closer than ever, but not without a struggle. Coming from a republican family with conservative values, Betty needed time and education to understand her daughter’s homosexuality — but her ultimate acceptance would set the stage for a far more public coming out, one that would change history.
In Love, Ellen, Betty DeGeneres tells her story; the complicated path to acceptance and the deepening of her friendship with her daughter; the media’s scrutiny of their family life; the painful and often inspiring stories she’s heard on the road as the first non-gay spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaigns National Coming Out Project.With a mother’s love, clear minded common sense, and hard won wisdom, Betty DeGeneres offers up her own very personal memoir to help parents understand their gay children, and to help sons and daughters who have been rejected by their families feel less alone. $0.99 on Kindle.
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
A MEMOIR BY THE YOUNGEST RECIPIENT OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE “I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday.”When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.Instead, Malala’s miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she became a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize.
I AM MALALA is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls’ education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.I AM MALALA will make you believe in the power of one person’s voice to inspire change in the world. $3.99 on Kindle (2/14 only).
OinK! Only in Korea!
OinK! Only in Korea!
In 1980, years after Vietnam and even more years before Desert Storm, America was experiencing a seventeen-year period of peace. One of the few places a young army officer could find adventure was on the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Korea, Freedom’s Frontier. The second day in-country, the lieutenant was no longer a Korean cherry boy. Hours later he found himself inside the DMZ. By the end of the week, he was wounded.
As the intelligence officer for the battalion, he knew the area around the DMZ was a dangerous place. The minefields took many casualties, small arms fire got others, and artillery short rounds claimed even more, leading up to the bizarre episode of a missing severed hand and the search for the diamond ring that was no longer on it. Even something as simple as crossing the Imjin River after the monsoons turned deadly. And then there was the most feared affliction of all, catching river blindness. It’s not a disease – it’s going down to the river and getting your eyes shot out.
The lieutenant’s daily routine was anything but routine. The averages told the story: a shooting incident every ten days with thirty-three combat related deaths during the year. The patrols were long and cold, the guard posts were desolate, and Freedom Bridge operations droned on until enemy frogmen shattered the monotony. Peace, in that part of the world, had a unique definition. As they say, the DMZ isn’t hell
Where Memories Meet: Reclaiming my father after Alzheimer’s
Christine Grote’s memoir of losing her father to Alzheimer’s, and her father Jerry’s account of the defining moments of his life from birth in the 1930’s are two stories interwoven in one book. Grote invites us into her parents’ home where accommodations are continually made for her father’s declining condition, and she allows us into her heart as she struggles to accept his loss. The two stories move in opposition as Grote’s story of struggle and loss travels backwards in time. The unconventional story timeline allows Grote to move past memories of the heartbreak of Jerry’s last years, and in effect, reclaim her father after Alzheimer’s. $0.99 on Kindle.
Maude
In 1906, I was barely over fourteen years old, and it was my wedding day. My older sister, Helen, came to my room, took me by the hand, and sat me down on the bed. She opened her mouth to say something, but then her face flushed, and she turned her head to look out the window. After a second, she squeezed my hand and looked back in my eyes. She said, “You’ve always been a good girl, Maude, and done what I told you. Now, you’re going to be a married woman, and he will be the head of the house. When you go home tonight after your party, no matter what he wants to do to you, you have to let him do it. Do you understand?”
I didn’t understand, but I nodded my head anyway. It sounded strange to me, the way so many things did. I would do what she told me. I didn’t have a choice, any more than I had a choice in being born. $3.99 on Kindle.
Yellow Crocus
Moments after Lisbeth is born, she’s taken from her mother and handed over to an enslaved wet nurse, Mattie, a young mother separated from her own infant son in order to care for her tiny charge. Thus begins an intense relationship that will shape both of their lives for decades to come. Though Lisbeth leads a life of privilege, she finds nothing but loneliness in the company of her overwhelmed mother and her distant, slave-owning father. As she grows older, Mattie becomes more like family to Lisbeth than her own kin and the girl’s visits to the slaves’ quarters—and their lively and loving community—bring them closer together than ever. But can two women in such disparate circumstances form a bond like theirs without consequence? This deeply moving tale of unlikely love traces the journey of these very different women as each searches for freedom and dignity.Revised edition: This edition of Yellow Crocus includes editorial revisions. $1.99 on Kindle.
Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape
Jenna Miscavige Hill, niece of Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige, was raised as a Scientologist but left the controversial religion in 2005. In Beyond Belief, she shares her true story of life inside the upper ranks of the sect, details her experiences as a member Sea Org—the church’s highest ministry, speaks of her “disconnection” from family outside of the organization, and tells the story of her ultimate escape.
In this tell-all memoir, complete with family photographs from her time in the Church, Jenna Miscavige Hill, a prominent critic of Scientology who now helps others leave the organization, offers an insider’s profile of the beliefs, rituals, and secrets of the religion that has captured the fascination of millions, including some of Hollywood’s brightest stars such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta. $1.99 on Kindle.
Tears of the Silenced
One freezing morning in early March I made a dash for a tiny police station in rural Minnesota. I was a frightened Amish girl with no where to go, a second grade education and no ID or social security card…… Based on the authors tragic true life story.
When I was six years old my family started to live and dress like the Amish. My sister and I were kept as slaves on a mountain ranch where we were subjected to almost complete isolation, sexual abuse and extreme physical violence. My step-father kept a loaded rifle by the door at all times and we were to terrified to try to escape.We knew that no rescue would ever come because only a couple of people even knew we existed and they did not know us well enough to care.
In my late teens my parents feared we would escape and took us to an Amish community where we were adopted and became baptized members.I was devastated to once again find myself in a world of fear, animal cruelty and sexual abuse.Going to the police was forbidden. A few years later I was again sexually assaulted, I knew I had to get help and one freezing morning in early March I made a dash for a tiny police station in rural Minnesota. As a result I found myself plummeted into the strange modern world with only a second grade education and no ID or social security card.
To all abuse survivors out there, Please be encouraged, the cycle of abuse can be broken. Now, ten years later I am a nursing student working towards my Masters degree and a child abuse awareness activist. This is my story……. $0.99 on Kindle
Reflections of a Successful Wallflower: Lessons in Business and Life
Who Is Andrea Michaels? What Does She Know that We Don’t?
Andrea Michaels is literally one of the backbones of the special events industry. Launching her business when there was no formalized or defined marketplace, she was and still is a trailblazer, pioneering the way for others to follow. Always on the cutting edge of the business, she has stacked up a pile of firsts (and 50 prestigious awards) in her legendary career – from initiating corporate branding and messaging into events and interactive themes that create experiences for the guests to entering the international market ahead of her colleagues and incorporating never-before-used technology into her events, just to name a few. $2.99 on Kindle.
The Toaster Oven Mocks Me
The Daily Hazards of a Middle Eastern Wife
Forgiveness Unforgettable
My Grape Year
My Grape Year takes fans of Laura Bradbury’s ‘Grape’ series back to where it all began. In a last-minute twist of fate, Laura is sent to Burgundy, France for a year on an exchange. She arrives knowing only a smattering of French and with no idea what to expect in her first foray out of North America. With a head full of dreams and a powerful desire to please, Laura adapts to Burgundian life, but her inability to resist the charming young men of the region means that Laura soon runs afoul of the rules, particularly the ‘no dating’ edict. Romantic afternoons in Dijon, early morning pain au chocolat runs, and long walks in the vineyards are wondrous, but also present Laura with a conundrum – how does she keep her hosts happy while still managing to follow her heart? $0.99 on Kindle.
Too Young to be Old: From Clapham to Kathmandu
Somebody Stole My Iron: A Family Memoir of Dementia
*2015 Finalist High Plains Book Awards
Faced with caring for both parents after their dual diagnosis, author Vicki Tapia watched helplessly as her mom and dad both descended into the rabbit hole of dementia/Alzheimer’s disease. Her memoir, Somebody Stole My Iron, weaves their family’s struggle into an engaging story, filled with humor and pathos. The narrative offers an honest and heartfelt glimpse into the ups and downs of life with memory loss and provides readers useful information and tips for coping. This memoir is a must-read for anyone experiencing the countless emotional ups and downs associated with the caregiving role. $2.99 on Kindle.
Whisper My Secret
Free: A Towering Experience
K.D. worked at the legendary Tower Records on Sunset Blvd, and this short story details some of his tribulations there, 3 years before they went out of business. Not only do you get various stories about celebrities who came into the store, but the fact K.D. was homeless and living in his van during this time period adds some personal drama to the story as well. It’s not lengthy but it’s well written and never gets boring. If you are a huge music fan or musician such as myself, or if you enjoy slice of life type stories, I think you should check this one out! Free on Kindle.
Patient Zero Three Years to Live
Follow the true story of a 15-year-old, impoverished, illegal immigrant as she deals with a devastating disease known as Myasthenia Gravis. She grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, where she lived with her two brothers and parents. Disenchanted with failed attempts to make a living, her father moved the family to the United States, with hopes of finding work. Financial ruin, alcoholism and lack of legal status force the family to go back to Great Britain.
After selling everything they owned and purchasing plane tickets, Margaret becomes gravely ill, and the move is cancelled. A former gymnast, she quickly and suddenly loses the ability to speak, chew and swallow food, exercise, and ultimately, breathe. She suffers misdiagnoses, multiple hospitalizations, and unnecessary surgery, eventually landing in intensive care and on life support. She undergoes years of treatments, including total body irradiation therapy and chemotherapy. Countless medications fail to alleviate her symptoms, and cause life-threatening side effects.
At the same time, she manages to complete high school and go to college. After graduating with a Master’s degree, Margaret was accepted in to a doctoral program, along with her father. Knowing that she was physically weakened and mentally destroyed, her father gives up his job, and joins the doctoral program to support her. While going to school, and still in her twenties, she receives a terminal diagnosis, and told that she has approximately three years to live. Promising never to tell a soul about her prognosis, Margaret continues onwards as best she can. Find out how a unique approach to treatment changed her life forever, as well as the lives of thousands of people living with Myasthenia Gravis. A truly remarkable and inspirational story of survival and resilience. $3.99 on Kindle.
Free: From Sex Appeal to Self Appeal: One Woman’s Journey to Recover Her Body, Her Sexuality, Her Self
Scientist by day, stripper by night. Until she chose one job—the one she had fun at. Then her real scientific exploration began. This brave memoir chronicles a woman’s journey to self-love, self-respect and a healthy moral sexuality born of experience, not dogma or societal restraints. Free on Kindle.
I.T. Geek to Farm Girl Freak: Leaving High Tech for Greener Pastures
Avalon: a Heartwarming True Cat Story
Avalon is a heartwarming true cat story about a Turkish Van cat that was both a movie star and a cartoon character. As a follow-up to his cinematic star turn, he now has his own book. Garfield was a phenomenon in the seventies and eighties. Cat lovers are ready for the feline star of the new millennium and that’s Avalon. $0.99 on Kindle.