This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dr. Laura Sims will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
In building her family, Dr. Laura Sims has experienced joy and loss. This is a mother who has been through the worst and best of pregnancy, birth and family life and she won’t shy away from telling the truth of it.
Dr. Sims shows that, as the mother, you have the first say in how your pregnancy and the birth goes. You get to decide how you want to bring your baby into the world. Home births are rising and there is more and more understanding of how putting the mother’s comfort first results in better birthing experiences. Within days of knowing she was pregnant for the first time, Dr. Sims knew she wanted a home water birth. She took the reins right from the start, but was disappointed in the lack of literature available to her about the kind of pregnancy and birth she wanted. Courageous Birth is her offering to women like her, women who want to know the truth of the experience and who want someone to show them what is possible for them in pregnancy, birth, and post-natal life. Dr. Laura Sims opens up her family’s joys, losses and hopes for mothers looking to understand. With an intimate and honest window into her life, Dr. Sims empowers expecting mothers and post-birth mothers to find what’s best for them and their babies.
Read an Excerpt
Being a professional and having a new baby is possible. I dedicated an entire chapter to this because I feel it’s an important part of my life and I know that many times, a person’s career can get in the way of having children or vice versa. I’m a driven person by nature, however, I know many men and women who have a baby and become even more motivated to succeed and provide. With conceiving Grace and starting our business simultaneously, we were taking the leap in all regards. We dove all in. Ready to do whatever it took to make it work in as smooth and effortless a way as possible. Given that I felt so amazing immediately after birth, I got right back into being a chiropractor, working side by side with my husband while Grace was in the baby sling. She was constantly attached to me or her daddy. There were little if any times she was not in contact with us—unless our patients were holding her. She was in the office whenever we were. There were many benefits to having her there, as well as some challenges.
I encourage you to discover what works best for your situation. This is my experience and what worked for our family. It may look completely different for you. The main thing here, is that it is possible and you can do it!
About the Author:
Dr. Laura Sims has been helping people reach optimal health since 2006. Along with her husband, they founded 2 of the largest chiropractic practices on the western slope of Colorado.
She believes the body is capable of healing itself when free from nerve interference. In 2019, she completed a 2-year Master's class in Soul-Centered Living from the University of Santa Monica.
It is her heartfelt mission for everyone to step more fully into their courageousness and trust their inner knowing!
Trafficked is the story of Allison Riley (Sophie Bolen - THE HORSE DANCER, RODEO GIRL), a beautiful young girl with a bright future and a dream of becoming a veterinarian. On the eve of her 16th birthday, she sneaks out of her house to meet a handsome boy she met online, and disappears. Her parents, Joanna (Kristy Swanson - BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF) and Case (Mark Boyd - WHIP IT, “12 Monkeys”), contact the police who assume that Allison is just out with a boyfriend. They reluctantly hire Private Investigator John Belton (Dean Cain - Lois and Clark, GOD’S NOT DEAD ) who has a reputation for making his own rules. Belton quickly discovers that Allison had likely been trafficked by a handsome young man she met online, and that he’s on a race against time if the Riley’s hope to see their daughter again.
Quote from Joel - “Human trafficking is reaching epidemic levels in the US, yet so many people don’t believe that an atrocity like this could happen in the US. I wanted to shine a light on this issue, and help viewers realize this could happen to any family, any where.”
TRAFFICKED: A Parent’s Worst Nightmare will release January 26, 2021 on DVD and all major VOD platforms.
#TraffickedFilmMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork
My Thoughts: This was an amazing film that I stayed glued to from start to finish. The acters did a wonderful job on such a sick unthinkable topic but sadly a topic that is real just one that nobody wants to think or talk about because it is so sickening and nobody thinks it could ever happen to anybody in their family or friends circle but it happens every single day to somebodies child, somebodies friend, mother, or other loved one. It's an eye opening film that makes you want to grab and hold your loved ones close and never let them out of your site.
Disclosure:Many thanks to Collide Distribution for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
BLURB:
Christian Romano lives his life as a con-artist, burglar, drug dealer, and a ladies' man, using his good looks to con wealthy women out of jewels and money. When he is arrested and jailed in one of the most violent jails in the U.S. (Cook County in Chicago), a steamy affair begins with a nympho female jail guard. When he loses control of the romance, Christian must end the affair by reporting her to Internal Affairs. It turns out that she is already under suspicion for supplying drugs to various gang members inside the jail. He has to decide if he is "rogue" enough to help set her up for arrest. Meanwhile, the FBI wants to recruit Christian to gather information against a sadist ex-cop, Scott Mason, who has been arrested for murder. The risk? Christian must wear a wire and testify. The reward? Witness protection for Christian and his girlfriend and a modification of his prison sentence. Will Christian risk his life for a chance at freedom? Will the female sheriff "get even" with him? Or will his life end at the hands of the jail's drug lords or a lunatic former cop?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt:
Something’s wrong, my intuition told me, as I stepped out of the stairwell and into the chaotic frenzy of the main hallway running under Division One of the Cook County jail.
Sergeant Ricky Walsh opened the heavy, rusted steel door leading to the death trap—that is A-B stairwell—then turned to me. “Romano, take the stairs down four flights to the bottom, I will meet you there.”
There are four sets of stairs that lead to the main boulevard on the first floor. They are legendary for the infamous men who have been butchered there, the bloodstained walls are a testament to the violence that is the norm in this building. As I begin my descent down the narrow and poorly lit stairwell, the thought hits me: At least half a dozen men have been stabbed in this exact place. The words taunt me as I step slowly down the stairs so that Walsh will have time to beat me to the first floor in the old, decrepit elevator.
When I finally make it down, I breathe a sigh of relief. But it is not Walsh waiting at the huge, steel door I am to exit. Instead of the old mick—who looked and walked like a bulldog with his perfectly groomed hair and mustache—it was one of the lackey guards. They would often hang out on the main floor waiting to proposition some poor woman coming to visit her man. I open the door and step through quickly, not wanting to arouse suspicion. But my heart hangs in my throat.
During my trip down the stairwell, the heavy steel recorder slid down my pant leg, stopping on top of my right foot. The ACE bandage, meant to hold it in place, was also dangling and ready to pop out for everyone to see. Panic set in as my mind processed a million thoughts, but I couldn’t break my stride.
It was common knowledge that this is where inmates often came out stabbing when sent to attack a guard by one of the gang bosses. Looking past the guard, I saw Sergeant Walsh bearing down on us as fast as his stubby legs would carry him.
“Hey Walsh,” I said, “the food poisoning is getting worse, I’m gonna puke all over this guy.”ng around to see what was going on. These guards tolerated zero bull, especially from a smart-ass like me.
I decided that it was quicker and easier to shove the recorder under the waistband of my jail pants and pray it would stay. After splashing water on my face, I poked my head out.
Walsh fell right in line with my cover. “We’re going to the hospital, come with me!” he bellowed.
I exited the closet, pushing the recorder into my torso as we walked past another guard. We traveled down the long hallway. Once we were far enough out of earshot, Walsh found an unoccupied attorney visiting room. As he opened the door, I scurried to the far corner.
“The hallway is clear!” Walsh yelled.
I pulled the recorder from my waistband and looked at it with disdain. Then I wrapped it tight with the ACE bandage. Although the long recording wires had to be reconnected and it only took a few moments, it felt like forever.
Then it hit me: I’m wearing a wire against one of the most violent hitmen Chicago has ever known, and this prick had been a Chicago cop. He probably knows every person who works in this jail. Getting whacked in a place like this costs less than a carton of cigarettes. What the hell have I gotten myself into? But there was no backing out, and I still had to get back to my tier.
Walsh looked at me, his brow furrowed. He quietly asked, “You alright, kid?”
“I better be. I signed a deal with the devil, and it’s time to pay up.”
I drew in a deep breath as we headed to the hospital, so we could sign in and make it look legit.
How did my life get to this point? I wondered as I followed Walsh. Growing up in Chicago, I was exposed to police corruption, murder, drugs, gangsters, and sex, oh yes, lots and lots of sex.
I had no clue of what awaited me, but my unsavory legacy was about to go down in history like crap down a toilet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From The Author:
INTERVIEW 10
Q/What would you find under your bed?
Carpet!
Q/What was the scariest moment of your life?
When I was coming down from the attic, I missed a step and
fell to the concrete floor below.
Luckily, I landed on my ‘butt’ or I really would have been
hurt.
Q/Do you listen to music while you drive?If so, what?
Q/What is something you’d like to accomplish in your
writing career next year?
I would hope that one of my books would get picked up by a
movie producer
Q/How long did it take you to write this book?
After I finished all the research and travel to Chicago, the
actual writing of the book only took about 6 months.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Glenn Painter is single and lives in Central Florida. He became interested in writing at an early age but did not make it his career until 2014 when he published his first book, Beyond the Sentence.
Glenn has written this story from the notes by the man who actually lived it. However, extensive research was also require in order to make the story factual.
Glenn has also founded a company, ‘Prisoner Civil Right Services.’ He is an advocate for incarcerated individuals who have had their rights violated. He is in constant contact with these individuals, their families and the council. Most of his stories are inspired by ‘factual events’ that have happened to these individuals. This makes his stories both fiction and non-fiction.
Glenn says that writing is very challenging, and you must love the trials and tribulations that come with it. He believes that patience, perseverance and determination are required essentials to see a book through to being published. The journey is just as important as the destination.
BLURB:
Angela Grimalke appears more blonde bombshell than the gremlin she is. But there is no denying her supernatural truth after her clumsiness gets her fired from her modeling career. Forced to work for her family’s upscale airline, she spends her days slinging luggage and wishing her parents would get off her back about finding a nice gremlin guy to settle down with.
Relationships were the last thing on her mind, not that her family would accept that.
For Dave Ford his frequent business travel made it next to impossible for him to find a woman who could tolerate his chaotic schedule. Which is why he appreciates Angela. Neither of them are looking for love, but Dave feeds Angela's addiction for chocolate while she provides him with the chaos to keep him on his toes.
However, as Angela’s parents bombard her with a parade of "eligible" gremlin men at their weekly family dinners, she finds herself torn between who she longs to be and her family’s expectations. Will she give in and live the life of magic they want for her? Or risk it all by to confessing to Dave that she isn’t human?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt:
“You owe me.”
Angela glanced up from her computer screen. Dave Ford stood in front of her. The blood drained from her face. “Do I?” She raised her “helpful” smile.
“Yes.” Dave handed over his passport and put the Louis Vuitton garment bag on the scale. “Last time, you sent my bag to Cleveland.”
“The system isn’t perfect,” Angela said, punching Dave’s information into the computer. “Things do happen sometimes.”
“You control the system. I think you owe me a glass of wine for having to find a tailor at six a.m. I had a nine o’clock business meeting and just my jeans and sweatshirt.”
“Hmm. By that reckoning, I think I’d owe the tailor for having to get you a functional suit so quickly at that early hour.”
“I tipped him £100. Least you can do is buy me a glass of wine in return.”
Angela lifted her gaze. Dave—all six feet of him with his fabulous hair— had a hopeful expression on his face.
“I’m not in the habit of buying strange men alcohol.”
Dave stuck his hand out. “Hi. Dave Ford. Business traveler.” Angela laughed. “All I’m asking for is a glass of Malbec. Or maybe pinot noir. Small price to pay in comparison to my having to fight off jet lag via acupuncture.”
“Acupuncture?”
Dave shrugged. “It was early for the tailor. His aim wasn’t quite what it could have been.”
Angela dipped into Dave’s mind. The tailor had stabbed him a couple of times. And Dave was playing with her. He wanted to see what she’d do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From The Author:
If you could
apologize to someone in your past, who would it be? Hmm. That’s a tough one.
I’ve been bullied most of my life so I have always tried to be kind to others.
I can’t think of anyone in particular that I’ve left hurting. If I have, I’m
sorry!
If you could keep
a mythical/ paranormal creature as a pet, what would you have? I have always
been jealous of Diana Bishop’s firedrake Cora in Deborah Harkness’s All Souls Trilogy. I don’t know that I
would have been able to release her like Diana did.
How do you keep
your writing different from all the others that write in this particular genre?
I think most authors have their own voice. I guess that can become difficult in
a really popular genre so I’m lucky that paranormal rom com is fairly new. I’ve
always tended to be more of a genre blender than someone who follows the trends.
What are the best
and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received? I think the best and
worst advice were one and the same. I had a beta reader on All Bags Go to Cleveland tell me that I needed to write more scenes
like one particular one. She was absolutely right, but I had no idea what had
made that scene so engaging in the first place and neither did she. After
sitting in the drawer for five years, my writing skills improved, and I
realized that what made that scene so engaging was its deep POV. Hopefully
there’s a lot more of that in Cleveland
now.
Are the
experiences in this book based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
I borrowed a lot from myself and others for Cleveland.
Angela has pieces of me and CJ Redwine (we’re both total klutzes). Dave was
based on the Dave who originally gave me the idea and a friend from high school
who has worked as the head of international HR for several global companies. I
also sprinkled in lots of real places I have been to in New York, London, Paris,
and even Heidelberg.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Catherine “C.S.” Hale has been writing fantasy since she could hold a pencil. When not holed up in a comfortable corner writing all her books out by longhand, she can be found somewhere by the sea, enjoying tea and pastries.
