⭐PUYB Virtual Book Club⭐

Depression in Later Life: An Essential Guide by Dr. Deborah Serani

Title: DEPRESSION IN LATER LIFE: AN ESSENTIAL GUIDE
Author: Dr. Deborah Serani
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Pages: 286
Genre: Self-Help/Psychology

BOOK BLURB:

The geriatric population, defined as men and women 65 years and older, is the fastest growing population in the world. Little attention has been given to the mental health of the aging, and often treatable disorders are overlooked entirely. Depression is one of the leading mental disorders in any age group, but among the elderly, it is often viewed as a normal part of aging. But it’s not. Depression at any age requires attention and treatment.

Depression in Later Life is a go-to guide that introduces readers to depression among the aging and elderly. It looks at both sufferers who’ve been diagnosed in their younger years as well as those with a new diagnosis, and reviews the symptoms, the diagnostic process, treatment options including alternative and holistic approaches, and long-term care for those experiencing mild, moderate, or severe depression. With real stories throughout, the book illustrates the many forms depression can take, and Dr. Serani offers a compassionate voice alongside practical advice for sufferers, caregivers, and families.

BOOK IS AN AWARD WINNER: 2016 Gold Medal Winner, Psychology, Foreword Review https://www.forewordreviews.com/awards/books/depression-in-later-life/.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon

Book Excerpt:

What is Late-Life Depression?

I know depression because I’ve endured it my entire life. I had it as a child and it worsened as I became a teenager. And it still lingers in the margins of my life at age 55. For me, depression was a chronic illness that left me in despair and frighteningly unaware of its grinding misery. I didn’t recognize the symptoms – and neither did any family or friends. In fact, as my depression worsened as a college student, I sank into a featureless existence, either awake in a fatigued haze or sleeping the entire day away. Gradually, the bitter brine of depression flooded my mind with hopelessness. I didn’t care about the future and I couldn’t find purpose in the present. It didn’t occur to me that anything was out-of-sorts, short-sighted or even peculiar as my thinking became more corrosive. When I attempted suicide at age 19 with a handgun, it felt right. It felt comforting.

Of course, looking back, I was in deep emotional and physical pain and believed I found a way to make it stop. But it wasn’t a healthy choice. I was making a decision from an incredibly distorted reality. Luckily my plan was interrupted and I immediately got help. I began intensive psychotherapy and discovered that I’d been living with dysthymic disorder and that it escalated into a major depressive episode. Having both these disorders was called a double depression, and I learned how to replace the quiet agony of my illness with tools to live a more meaningful life. The experience I had with talk therapy was so life-changing and life-saving that it inspired me to become a psychologist. I combined my personal experiences with depression with my training as a clinician and became an expert in mood disorders. I realized that my personal experiences with depression offered enormous insight to those who sought treatment with me because I know the talk and I walk the walk.

In the 45 years of personally living with depression and the 25 years of professionally treating it as a disorder, this is what I’ve learned:

Depression doesn’t care if you’re rich or famous, poor or homeless.

It doesn’t care if you’re young or old.

Or if you’re ordinary or superlatively gifted.

Depression cuts across social economic status, is found in every culture and in every country around the world.

Depression will drape its chokehold over men, women and children - and thinks nothing of how it decays your mind, siphons your soul and crushes the glimpse of possibility, hope and freedom at every turn.

Depression is not an experience that fades with the next sunrise or can be shaken off with a newfound attitude. It won’t be cured by tough-love. Or rectified by ignoring it. You can’t snap out of it or will it away either. And if you try to minimize its wrenching hold on your health, it’ll root itself even deeper. Depression can’t be ranked alongside adjectives like blue, sad, dejected, down, melancholy or unhappy. Those words just won’t do… because they don’t even come close to describing what depression feels like.

Depression demands you to see it for what it truly is – an illness. And while it’s a serious illness, it is treatable. The key to success in living with depression is early identification, consistent treatment and planning to manage your illness.

Defining Depression

Depression is a complex illness that significantly impacts the way you feel, think and behave. According to the World Health Organization, depression involves feelings of worthlessness, decreased energy, hopelessness, poor concentration, negative thinking and disrupted sleeping and eating patterns, just to name a few. The most predominant of these symptoms is a depressed mood, and because of this, depression is classified as a mood disorder. Sometimes called affective disorders, mood disorders are the most common mental illness, touching over a hundred million people worldwide. Mood disorders aren’t the result of a weakness of character, laziness or a person’s inability to buck up and be strong. Mood disorders are a real medical condition.

The Geriatric Population

It’s important to know that depression can occur at any age, but in this book, we’re looking at depression in later life. Specifically, the geriatric population - which are individuals 65 years of age and older. Sometimes referred to as seniors or the elderly, geriatric citizens are the fastest growing population in the world. In America, alone, the baby boomer generation now makes up over 50 million of the senior population. With people living longer, and the combination of medical advances and technology improving the state of healthcare, the senior population is expected to soar to 72 million by the year 2030. More specifically, The US Census Bureau reports that in the next 45 years, people over the age 65 will double, and people over the age 85 will triple. And now more than ever, centenarians, people 100 years of age and older, are not just reaching these amazing ages, but living richly textured lives.

While gerontology, the study of the aging process in human beings, has brought insights about the physical, emotional and social needs of this population, little has been done to train geriatric health professionals. In fact, 97% of medical school students have no training in geriatrics, and the rate of doctors graduating with a geriatrician degree are lower now than ten years ago.

Even geriatric psychology, or geropsychology, the specialty that focuses on the mental health of the elderly, isn’t gaining the kind of traction needed to help those living in their golden years.

This makes identifying and treating depression in later life difficult. But with the help you get in Depression in Later Life, you'll be equipped to see the early warning signs and know where to get help.

Pump Up Your Book Chats with Historical Fiction Author C.S. Taylor @TinyFoxPress

C.S. Taylor is a former Marine and avid fencer (saber for the most part, foil and epee are tolerable). He enjoys all things WWII, especially perfecting his dogfighting skills inside virtual cockpits, and will gladly accept any P-38 Lightnings anyone might wish to bestow upon him. He’s also been known to run a kayak through whitewater now and again, as well give people a run for their money in trap and skeet.

His latest book is the historical fiction, Nadya’s War.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

About the Book:

Nadezdah "Little Boar" Buzina, a young pilot with the Red Army's 586th all-female fighter regiment, dreams of becoming an ace. Those dreams shatter when a dogfight leaves her severely burned and the sole survivor from her flight.

For the latter half of 1942, she struggles against crack Luftwaffe pilots, a vengeful political commissar, and a new addiction to morphine, all the while questioning her worth and purpose in a world beyond her control. It's not until the Soviet counter-offensive at Stalingrad that she finds her unlikely answers, and they only come after she's saved the life of her mortal enemy and fallen in love with the one who nearly kills her.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon

Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself?

Given that the book is historical fiction, I knew I had to do a lot of research. I came away with a good hundred pages worth of notes when it was all said and done. Since I knew avid readers of historical fiction knew their stuff, I was paranoid I’d make some huge anachronism.

Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub?

I thought about both, for certain, as there are a lot of benefits to doing both. Eventually I went with Tiny Fox Press.

If published by a publisher, what was your deciding factor in going with them?

They loved the book and knew what they were doing. Wasn’t much more to it than that.

Are you happy with the price they chose?

Absolutely. Seems quite competitive, especially since there are small presses out there that charge a few dollars (or more) extra to try and recoup production costs. I can’t imagine this doesn’t hurt sales.

Did you purposefully choose a distinct month to release your book? Why?

Not for any other reason than it was a good month for our projected goals and timeline when it came to getting it out.

How did you choose your cover?

Tiny Fox Press hired a fantastic cover artist that we all worked closely with. The cover was a product of lots of back and forth and several mockups.

Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went?

Both. You obviously have to revise after its written. No first draft ever survives intact, especially when good beta readers (and then editors) get a hold of it. But even as I was writing it the first time, my characters decided to stop listening to what I wanted, stopped following my carefully prepped outline and made a mess of things. Every time they did that, I had to adjust the story.

Did you come up with special swag for your book and how are you using it to help get the word out about your book?

We got word out with lots of networking, targeted swag, however, was not part of that. One day, probably, when approaching certain dates to revitalize interest, perhaps we will.

Did you consider making or hiring someone to make a book trailer for your book? If so, what’s the link?

No, I hadn’t.

What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?

I’m all for doing whatever one needs to do to sell copies. If giving away one sells more, that seems to be a simple choice. Obviously, you don’t want to be only giving away copies and not selling any—or too few—and as such, it’s good to keep an eye on the actual numbers.

As for what we did, we had a large number of ARCs that were sent out to reviewers and editors leading up to launch, and gave maybe 15-20 away altogether through various giveaways to readers. As I type this, we have one up on Goodreads as well where I’ve got 2 signed copies up for grabs. (https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/259323-nadya-s-war)

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?

Revise. Revise. Revise. You can never release too late, but you can release too early. After that, working on getting the word out and developing a solid game plan is crucial, in my humble opinion.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released?

Start working on whatever is next, writing wise. Devote some time each week to continued marketing in some form, and don’t obsess over reviews (probably the hardest for most writers 😊 ).

What kind of pre-promotion did you do before the book came out?

We did quite a bit for a small press. We had a lot going on various social networks, worked on getting pre-release reviews on places such as Hypable and The Historians podcast.

Do you have a long-term plan with your book?

I’m going to continue to support it as much as I can and work what’s coming next. Gelling ideas now, but I’m leaning to a novella before a knocking out another full-length novel.

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

Hope you enjoy Nadya’s War, and feel free to drop by my humble site and say hello (http://cs-taylor.com/).

PUYB Virtual Book Club Chats with 'A Tangled Web' Mike Martin @mike54martin

Mike Martin was born in Newfoundland on the East Coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a longtime freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. He is the author of Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People and has written a number of short stories that have published in various publications including Canadian Stories and Downhome magazine.

The Walker on the Cape was his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. Other books in the series include The Body on the T, Beneath the Surface, A Twist of Fortune and A Long Ways from Home.

A Long Ways from Home was shortlisted for the 2017 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award as the best light mystery of the year. A Tangled Web is the newest book in the series.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Welcome to PUYB Virtual Book Club, Mike! Can we begin by having you tell us how you got your start as a mystery author?

I kind of fell into the mystery genre when I started to write fiction. I needed a box, a formula to fit into, and the mystery genre gave me that. I really just wanted a vehicle that would allow me to write my stories and the mystery genre has fit the bill perfectly. Six books later, I’m happy with my choice.

In A Tangled Web, Sgt. Windflower is such a character! Can you tell us more about him? What makes him tick?

Sgt. Windflower is basically a social worker in a police uniform. He wants to do good in the world and tries to see the best in everybody, until they prove him wrong. He is an interesting character because he is quiet and reserved, yet deep in both intelligence and spirituality. He is also naïve about the ways of the world and in particular, in dealing with the opposite sex. Luckily, he has a partner to help him with that.

Can you tell us about his love interest?

Sheila Hillier knew that Windflower was her man, long before he realized it. She even proposed to him, when he started to linger a little too long on the other side of the altar. She is also a self-made and sufficient woman who has already run a successful business and is currently the Mayor of Grand Bank. She is Windflower’s anchor in the many storms in his life and the place he loves to come home to.

I’m curious to know why authors choose a certain locale for their book. Why did you choose yours?

I did want to write a book based in Newfoundland because of its colorful past and interesting present. The ocean and the weather and the fog make it the perfect setting for a murder mystery. But it wasn’t until I was in Grand Bank one year on a vacation that the whole thing came to me. It was like Sgt. Windflower walked out of the fog and started telling me his story. All I had to do was to write it down.

All books of fiction have a pivotal point where the reader can’t put the book down. What’s one of the pivotal points in A Tangled Web?

There are many points on which the story turns in A Tangled Web, starting right from the beginning when a little girl goes missing. But there are also pivotal points when someone is found dead in a snowbank and another where somebody is at risk of being shot. Chapter 40. That’s all I can say.

What’s next for you Mike?

More promo for A Tangled Web, and at least one more Sgt. Windflower Mystery. I have to find out what happens with Sheila and her pregnancy and whether Windflower wants to continue being a Mountie. Don’t ask me what happens. I don’t know until Sgt. Windflower tells me.

PUYB Virtual Book Club Presents S.K. Derban's Circumvent Cover Reveal!

Title: CIRCUMVENT
Author: S.K. Derban
Publisher: Touchpoint Press
Genre: Mystery

Imagine living in a quaint, beach front cottage on the Hawaiian island of Maui. You have an amazing job, combined with the pleasure of working from home. Lunch breaks become a daily picnic on the sand. Dessert is always included because of your marriage to a famous pastry chef. Life could not be any better. Or so it seems... When French born, Nikki Sabine Moueix travels to Hawaii for a special work assignment, her job of writing an article about a famous Swiss pastry chef generates more than a magazine piece. They fall in love, get married, and Nikki becomes Mrs. Ruggiero Delémont.

When another assignment calls for Nikki to spend three weeks in France, Ruggiero’s schedule prevents him from joining her. She travels alone, advancing straight into danger. After a threatening confrontation, Nikki wakes up in a French hospital with no knowledge of her past. When she fails to check in, Ruggiero panics and pushes for an immediate investigation. But as he closes in, Nikki’s new found friend moves her to another city. It becomes a game of hide and seek with Nikki as the prize.

CIRCUMVENT allows readers to form a bond with Nikki as they yearn for her to remember. They will cheer for Ruggiero and his relentless determination to locate his beloved wife. This is a story about two people who never lose their faith in God, and find amazing friends to help them along the way.

When the plane leveled at a cruising altitude, Nikki reclined her seat back and reopened her novel. Her seat mate appeared to be napping, and Peter Safin was busy preparing his work area. Nikki’s curiosity flourished when she realized her reclining position provided a clear view of his laptop screen. But, as his fingers danced along the keyboard nothing on the illuminated display made sense. She was reading a combination of letters and numbers that appeared to be some sort of code. Maybe he’s a spy, Nikki amused herself in thought. A Russian spy. No, wait! Her mind raced. Maybe he’s a mole, or even a double agent.

Nikki almost laughed aloud as she refocused on the book within her hands. It was the latest spy novel, written by one of her favorite authors. Maybe I should switch to romance.

Born in the United States, S.K. Derban moved to London within the first three months, and remained in England until the age of five. Her mother was involved with the London Royal Ballet Company, and a great fan of the arts. Even after returning to the United States, S.K. Derban’s life was filled with a love of the theatre and a passion for British murder mysteries.

Her personal travel and missionary adventures also help to transport readers virtually across the globe. S.K. Derban has smuggled Bibles into China, and has been to Israel on seven missionary trips. When writing, she relies on all aspects of her life, from a strong faith in the Lord, to her unique combination of professional experience. The many personal adventures of S.K. Derban are readily apparent as they shine through into her characters. Circumvent is the third mystery novel for writer S.K. Derban.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

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The Song of Solomon Revealed by Owen Syphen

Title: THE SONG OF SOLOMON REVEALED
Author: Owen Sypher
Publisher: Litfire Publishing, LLC
Pages: 308
Genre: Religion/Bible Studies

BOOK BLURB:

The book of Song of Solomon is a spiritual book full of allegories or pictures where God used the natural to show the spiritual. By using the keys of understanding found in the Bible the author has unlock the hidden meaning of the book of Song of Solomon.

The book of Song of Solomon is about the love that Jesus has for his bride. When looked at from this angle a lot of the verses makes more sense.

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Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Book Excerpt:

Song 4:16: Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. KJV

We know that north is God’s direction as stated in Psalm 75:6–7.

Ps. 75:6–7 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. KJV

Since promotion comes from God, and the only direction not mentioned is north. That makes north God’s direction. That would make south man’s direction. This illustrates to me that we need the right spirit in our lives, no matter what comes our way. Whether the wind is blowing from the north or the south makes no difference; we still have the same spirit (our fragrance). What this tells me is that no matter if I am receiving the blessings of God (north wind blowing upon my life) or cursing or tribulation from others (south wind, or man’s direction), I would have the same spirit blowing out of my garden or I would show the right spirit no matter what is happening in my life, and it would be a sweet smell to the Lord, and it is all because of the things that the Lord has planted in my garden.

We have the capabilities of doing this because we understanding this verse in Romans 8.

Rom. 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. KJV

Phil. 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. KJV

I use this scripture to show that I am not going to let outside circumstances dictate how my spirit responds to the Lord. I can be content in the Lord no matter what.

PUYB Virtual Book Club Chats with 'The Nature of Entangled Hearts' Emma Hartley

Emma Hartley is an author and artist living in picturesque Maine. She has been writing and making art since childhood and has been insatiably curious and industrious her whole life. Emma was a double major in English and Fine Arts and she received her Masters in Art and Design Education. She is a specialist in ceramics and includes much of this expertise in her novel The Nature of Entangled Hearts. Her other interests include playing drums, making art and exploring every square inch of the Maine coastline. The Nature of Entangled Hearts is her first novel.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

About the Book:

Title: THE NATURE OF ENTANGLED HEARTS
Author: Emma Hartley
Publisher: Satin Romance
Pages: 277
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Paranormal Romance/Thriller/Chick Lit/Women’s Fiction

BOOK BLURB:

The Nature of Entangled Hearts is a fast-paced, edgy, romantic thriller, with a subtly supernatural twist. Enter the story of Elwyn and James, two strangers entangled by their past-life experiences, who are mired in an unquantifiable present. Throughout the novel they work to understand the bonds that hold them together, just as an unforeseen danger threatens to tear them apart.

Elwyn “Derrin” Derringer is a ceramic artist and a professor at the local college of art in Portland, Maine. She has always felt insecure and disconnected, unsure of how or why she fits into the world, seeking through her art to fill in the missing pieces of herself. When Elwyn’s eyes lock on those of a stranger across the market, everything she has taken for granted as reality is thrown into question. Understanding blooms in fits and starts, interrupted by her fears of attachment and eventually by the unwanted attentions of an obsessed and disturbed art student.

Throughout the novel, Elwyn discovers reservoirs of strength and independence as she faces these challenges, endearing the reader with her feisty nature and her fierce desires to create authentically, to love intensely and to transcend the destructive links to her past. “The Nature of Entangled Hearts” takes us on a thrilling ride through past and present, through love and dread, through loss and reclamation, leaving us thankful that we don’t understand all the mysteries of the universe just yet, and reminding us never to take our lives - or our loves - for granted.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself?

Before I began writing, as well as throughout the book, I made sure that I was up to date on all of my knowledge of ceramics. I know how to fire a kiln and create large-scale sculptures out of clay, but at the college level the work is more nuanced. I had to make sure that everything I wrote was accurate. I also did some extensive research on quantum physics, with a particular focus on entanglement theory. It is very easy to coopt buzzwords into a novel, but to have real substance behind them takes a deeper level of understanding.

Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub?

I chose the traditional route of finding a publisher that was a good fit for my work. I am thrilled to say that it was only the fifth publisher I sent the novel to that accepted it. It felt surreal!

If published by a publisher, what was your deciding factor in going with them?

The Nature of Entangled Hearts is my debut novel, and as such, I was an unknown quantity. I knew that a large-scale publisher would probably pass on the project because there is such an inherent risk associated with new authors. I chose to query smaller publishers because I thought they would be a better fit. Melange Books has been very helpful and accommodating, making the process of publication a seamless one.

If published by a publisher, are you happy with the price they chose?

I am very happy with the price my publisher set for the book. The ebook is of course somewhat less expensive than the print book, which makes sense.

Did you purposefully choose a distinct month to release your book? Why?

The process, from signing the contract to seeing the print proof in my hand was exactly a year. This was determined by the publisher, so I had little to do with it.

How did you choose your cover?

The art department sent me a first draft with a sexy woman on the front. I cried a little bit because she didn’t resemble my character at all! Then, once I got a grip on my feelings, I emailed the designer and explained my feelings as respectfully and deferentially as I could. She listened to all of my comments and within a few hours she sent me a draft of the current cover. She asked, “Is this more what you had in mind?” I replied, flooded with extreme relief, “It’s perfect!”

Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went?

I suppose I do a lot of both. I revise extensively as I write because I am such a grammar geek, but I also revised the book considerably after it was done. I rewrote the entire ending because it just didn’t feel right.

Did you come up with special swag for your book and how are you using it to help get the word out about your book?

Yes! I designed bookmarks and postcards, but I also took the time to make 100 book charm necklaces that look like tiny replicas of the book. They’re really adorable!

Did you consider making or hiring someone to make a book trailer for your book? If so, what’s the link?

I made the book trailer myself. I taught myself how to use iMovie, looked for appropriate stock footage and music, and figured out how to add text. I actually ended up really liking the trailer! I’m sure that it’s not as slick as what a real movie producer could do, but I’m proud of the fact that I did it myself! Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci1jEqrb3F4 .

What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?

I’m all for it! I feel like the more people I can put the book in front of, the better. If they like it, they’re more likely to stick with me when I publish my next book!

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?

The first thing I try to remember is: be thankful. I am so thankful that I am able to publish the fiction that I expend so much of my creative energy to write. I am thankful to have the opportunity to share it with others.

The second thing I believe an author should do is be exuberant about their release. People want to join others in their excitement. The outpouring of love and support that preceded the publication of The Nature of Entangled Hearts was truly heartwarming.

Lastly, authors should create a to-do list so that they don’t get overwhelmed with all of the excitement and marketing demands after the book hits the market. A comprehensive list of goals and strategies has really helped me out.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released?

Keep on it! Be as active in marketing your work as you can. It’s easy to put it out there and expect someone else to do the work for you. Here’s what I figure. No one owes me anything – I need to work for my own success. If I want people to read the book, it’s up to me to get it in front of them.

Next, advertise. Spend money to make money.

Last, write your next novel!

What kind of pre-promotion did you do before the book came out?

Before The Nature of Entangled Hearts came out, I made a website, created print media such as bookmarks and postcards, I set up my Facebook page, Instagram account, Twitter account. I also joined RWA, BookBub, Bublish, Riffle, Goodreads and as many other book websites as I could find. I wanted my presence to be in as many places as possible.

Do you have a long-term plan with your book?

My long-term plan is to make sure that I don’t give up on it after a few months. I will have a second novel published in July and now is the time to build my readership. I am also actively trying to build my mailing list! It’s hard to break out of the realm of people who know you and your work, but that is my goal.

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

The Nature of Entangled Hearts delves deeply into the essential question of what connects as humans. It is an exploration of the transcendent power of love to last beyond a mere lifetime and of how love can sometimes heal emotional wounds and constitutional insecurities. The Nature of Entangled Hearts is also a psychological thriller, for even as the two protagonists gain new understanding about the depth of their relationship, the fixations of a disturbed art student threaten to tear them apart.

Elwyn and James, two strangers entangled by their past-life experiences, are mired in an unquantifiable present. Elwyn “Derrin” Derringer is a ceramic artist and a professor at the local college of art in Portland, Maine. She has always felt insecure and disconnected, unsure of how or why she fits into the world, seeking through her art to fill in the missing pieces of herself. When Elwyn’s eyes lock on those of a stranger across the market, everything she has taken for granted as reality is thrown into question. Understanding blooms in fits and starts, interrupted by her fears of attachment and eventually by the unwanted attentions of an obsessed and disturbed art student.

Throughout the novel, Elwyn discovers reservoirs of strength and independence as she faces these challenges, endearing the reader with her feisty nature and her fierce desires to create authentically, to love intensely and to transcend the destructive links to her past. The Nature of Entangled Hearts takes us on a thrilling ride through past and present, through love and dread, through loss and reclamation, leaving us thankful that we don’t understand all the mysteries of the universe just yet, and reminding us never to take our lives —or our loves—for granted.

I sincerely hope, dear readers, that you find a deep connection with this book. It was a labor of love to write and I am very thankful to be able to share it with you.

PUYB Virtual Book Club Presents Lottie Loves Book Blast! @samiesands #bookblast

Title: LOTTIE LOVES
Author: Samie Sands
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Pages: 210
Genre: Contemporary Romance

“Will you marry me?”

Four words I’ve waited my whole life to hear. Four words which I was sure would change my life forever, and it did. Just not in the way I thought it would.

Finding out that my extremely gorgeous rock star boyfriend was about to propose, had the complete opposite effect I thought it would. Rather than catapult me into a future I’ve always wanted, it plunged me all the way back to a past I tried to forget.

Now I can’t get him out of my head. I can’t help but wonder what could have been, how our lives would have ended up if he didn’t leave me behind a shattered mess.

All these memories of the past are dangerous. It’s bringing my past back to ruin my future. And worst of all, it’s taking me right back to him, my childhood sweetheart, my first love…my biggest regret.

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Amazon

"Will you marry me?"

It was the words that I'd wanted to hear my entire life. Didn't every girl fantasise over the perfect man going to buy the perfect ring and getting down on one knee in the most romantic way possible, before telling them that they loved them so much, they wanted to spend the rest of their life with them?

I knew that I certainly had.

Me and my best friend Cici used to talk about it all the time. We used to plan our dresses, the music, the flowers—every part of the ceremony down to the very last detail. Of course, the man didn't really matter. We were young enough and naive enough to believe that we would magically meet the perfect man without even trying.

And I really thought that I had. I really, truly believed that my dream had come true.

Me and Danny had begun our love story in a very typical fashion—our eyes had met across a bar, where we'd had long, lingering eye contact, sparking all kinds of emotions within me. The only difference between my story, and that of every other rom-com ever, was that Danny was a genuine up-and-coming rock star, playing on a fairly big stage, and I was a fan who already felt a lot of love for this man. I'd been admiring him from afar ever since I first heard their album a year or so before.

I certainly hadn't expected it to ever go any further than that moment, so when he came and joined me at the bar later on for a drink, despite being mobbed by other members of the audience, I felt like my entire life had been leading me up to that moment. I felt like everything that I'd experienced was all drawing me closer to Danny, the love of my life. Here was a gorgeous man who was destined to be famous, and who could have any girl in the world hanging off of his arm, talking to me, asking me questions, and actually showing me interest.

It seemed like a dream—one that I was terrified to wake up from.

As he flicked his messy auburn hair from his warm, chocolaty eyes and he gave me that smile that had already melted the hearts of the nation, I thought for a dreaded, wonderful second that he was going to kiss me in front of all of those people. But after a few beats of pure terror, he didn't. Instead he handed me his phone number, and he asked if I would like to go on a date with him.

Me—boring old Charlotte (Lottie) Jones—on a date with Danny Boreom, bassist of the (now very) famous band Jax. It didn't seem real.

Yet, it was real, and it did happen.

It was the start of my real life.

After a night out on the town where he well and truly wined and dined me, he walked me home to my tiny flat which must have looked ridiculous compared to the mansion that I now know he lived in with the rest of the band at the time, and he finally kissed me. As his lips met mine, I felt myself flying on top of the world—he was an amazing kisser, and there seemed to be an endless chemistry between us. One that I never wanted to end.

Breathless and turned on by the power of his mouth, I invited him inside. Although he coolly and calmly turned me down, it was still the best night of my entire life, made even better by a phone call the next day to say that he only didn't come inside with me because he wanted to be something real. He didn't want our love to end at a one-night stand, he actually wanted us to develop and for him to become my boyfriend.

Fast forward three and a half years and we were blissfully living together, grazing by every day happily and easily. Although he was away for a lot of the year touring, it didn't seem to bother us. We were so strong and so solid with what we had, that nothing would get in our way.

It was perfect, still a dream come true and that intense chemistry hadn't burned down one bit.

Which made it even weirder that my reaction to Cici telling me that Baz—another member of the band—had just told her that he'd been engagement ring shopping with Danny, wasn't one of pure joy.

"What...what do you mean?" I asked, my heart racing frantically in my chest. I could tell that my voice was breathless and kind of terrified, but my mind was spinning too fast for me to be able to do anything about it.

"Aren't you happy?" She giggled, "I thought that you'd be over the moon to finally be Mrs. Boreom."

"No, no, I am," I half lied. The idea had always been at the edge of my thoughts. I knew that Danny was the one for me, and despite all the car crash relationships around us, we'd even managed to survive the fallout of him becoming mega famous. It helped that I had no interest in the spotlight and that I did everything I could to avoid it, but even despite all of that, I felt like it proved that we could go the distance, and be together forever. So why wasn't I excited for us to take the next step? "It's just a bit of a shock, that's all."

But that was normal, right? Everyone freaked out at first when they learned that they were going to become someone's wife...didn't they?

Of course, I already knew that wasn't true. I'd already been proposed to once in my life before, and that time, I didn't hesitate one bit. Panic didn't even come into the equation, I was happy, over the moon at the thought of becoming his wife. This was nothing like that had been. I felt completely different.

For the first time in a very long time, I allowed myself to think about Joe again, and almost the second that I allowed that vault to open in my mind, I felt myself fall into a tailspin. As his face filled my brain once more, it was almost as if the last five years hadn't happened at all, and that I was still his proud girlfriend, waiting to be his wife.

As the wound reopened, I could barely hear what Cici was saying to me. I felt like I was gaping, exposed, and extremely vulnerable all over again, and I did what I'd always done when I was younger, when things got too difficult for me. I started to talk to Joe in my mind.

Where are you now?

What became of you?

What happened to your life?

It was so strange to have gone from the closest people in the world, to absolutely nothing, and I struggled to imagine that he'd changed one bit. Of course I had, my life was completely different, but I couldn't think of Joe without viewing him as the other half of me. The boy that I'd adored, and the one that I never thought would leave my side.

"I...I've got to go," I finally announced to my friend. "I'll speak to you later, okay?" And then I hung up the phone, without even waiting for her to answer. I knew that I was being rude, acting more than a little strange, but I needed some time. I needed to be alone with my thoughts to try and process all of this.

So quite how I found myself sitting at my computer with my fingers running along the keys, I wasn't quite sure.

Don't press anything, I willed myself. As soon as you do, everything will change.

Since we had gone our separate ways, I hadn't contacted Joe once, and with the uprising of social media I hadn't looked him up either. I just couldn't face it. He was like an imaginary fantasy in my mind now, and I wasn't sure that I wanted to ruin that with reality. What if he was married now? Or into drugs or something? His life could have gone in any direction, and I wasn't sure that I really wanted to find out which one.

Plus, my life really was amazing now. Why would I want to even consider risking that? I had a gorgeous, passionate man who actually wanted to be with me forever, even though he was about ten leagues above me, I had a teaching job that I loved, and friends that would do anything for me. That was a hell of a lot more than most people had!

In the end I forced myself to stand up and to move away from the computer screen before it lured me in. I couldn't do it; I just wasn't willing to take that step into the unknown. It terrified me far too much. But as I wandered aimlessly from room to room, I realised that I couldn't just do nothing either. I needed to calm this beast within me, which meant delving into my past whether I liked it or not.

I stood at the bottom of the attic ladder, wondering what awaited me up there. When me and Danny decided to buy a place together—well, he put the most money in of course, but we still classed it as 'ours'—I shoved everything related to my old life away, not wanting to even consider it. But it was always a comfort, knowing that it was there, knowing that I could access it at any moment if I really wanted to.

And I could feel myself finally taking that step.

I creaked up the ladder, feeling my heart thump and my palms sweat with nerves. This was a mistake, I knew it was, but at the same time I couldn't stop.

There would be no way for me to get married without taking this step anyway. Right now, things were comfortable, but if I was ever going to have a future with Danny, I needed to consult my past first. At least, that was my excuse and I was sticking to it.

Danny knew about Joe anyway. Well, he'd been told some of it, the very basics, so I supposed that I was probably going to have to confess all before we finally took the plunge. With that thought in mind, I tore open the first box I stumbled across, and I ended up looking at the few photographs that I had of me and Joe when we were very young, when we very first met...