New Release Spotlight: Brenda Kennedy's New Romance "Forgetting the Past"

When Ava Emerson wakes up from a coma, she has no memory of the past 25 years. The only things she knows are the confusing stories told to her by her split family and her two best friends, Chase and Skylar. Learning that her husband, Connor, died in the car accident that caused her amnesia, Ava is sad and heartbroken. 

With the encouragement of Chase, Ava and Skylar open a bed and breakfast together in the heart of Savannah, Georgia.

When a tall, dark, and handsome Xander Jamison walks into her life, will Ava feel safe enough to let him into her broken and empty life? Will Ava be able to move on and live her life free of a haunting past? Is Xander the man that Ava thinks he is? Or does he hold his own secrets?

GENRE : Soft Romance   RELEASE DATE : August 9, 2016
∗∗∗∗∗ This is book 1 in an all new series, The Forgotten Trilogy by Brenda Kennedy, and is not meant to be read as a stand - alone. Book one does end in a cliff - hanger. Books 2 and 3 are scheduled for later release this year.

Purchase Forgetting the Past

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About the Author

First and foremost I am a wife, mother and grandmother. I am also a nurse and a new author. I moved to sunny Florida in 2006 and never looked back. I love fresh squeezed lemonade, crushed ice, teacups, wineglasses, non-franchise restaurants, ice cream cones, boating, picnics, cookouts, throwing parties, lace, white wine, mojitos, strawberry margaritas, white linen tablecloths, fresh flowers and Pinterest. I also love to read and write and to spend time with my family. My books thus far, have been inspired by the things I love and the people who influence me, every single day to be a better person.

Connect with Brenda Kennedy

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JOIN BRENDA'S STREET TEAM : BRENDA'S STREET TALKERS

More books by Brenda Kennedy

The Starting Over Trilogy

          

The Freedom Trilogy

          

The Fighting To Survive Trilogy

          

The Rose Farm Trilogy

          

The Forgotten Trilogy

          

Coming Soon!

 

Tour proudly hosted by Christina at #CBB Productions

Swim Season is Now Available for Preorders!

 
Have you caught Olympic fever? I have, and a mighty bad case of it too. I can't resist watching these athletes and their magnificent performances. And the US has so many outstanding athletes - in swimming, gymnastics, and track and field, to name just a few - that I find myself glued to the TV every night and checking results on my phone throughout the day, often to the detriment of my to do list. 

One item on that list was to publish my epic swim novel Swim Season in Spring 2016 and heavily market and promote it during these Olympics. I've been working on the book for almost five years, and its progress has been interrupted repeatedly by my repetitive strain injuries and more recently a family medical crisis. I was in the final editing stages and working on a production schedule when that erupted, and once again I came to a full stop and had to shelve my plans. Sadly I realized I would not meet my goal. 

As the crisis passed and life became more manageable, I revisited my project and realized the book was almost done. And the Olympics were on their way. Not all was lost. I could launch the book during the Games with Amazon Kindle preorders and promote it while the world was focused on the toughest, most competitive swimming races in the sport.

It's not the launch I planned, but it seemed foolish to let this opportunity pass when I was so close.

So, Swim Season is now available for preorder on Amazon Kindle. The official release date is November 1st. I'm experimenting with Kindle Select the first 3-6 months, so publishing on other digital platforms - iBooks, Kobo, and Nook - will be on hold until the results are in. I'm not in favor of limiting myself to just one platform but I'm curious to see if being Kindle exclusive and in Kindle Unlimited has any benefits. I'll be sure to tell you how it all works out and if/when the book will be available on other platforms. I'll publish the paperback version sometime between now and then. And an audiobook will be forthcoming in 2017.

Swim Season is a Young Adult (YA) novel suitable for ages 12 and up. It's a Clean Indie Read (CR4U) free of sexual content, profanity, and violence. Perfect for family reading.
You can read the first two chapters here.

To preorder Swim Season please visit its Amazon page. 

Books and their authors do not become successful on their own. It takes a ton of dedicated fans and friends to move them along. You can support me and this book by joining my street team. Members help promote the book on social media and through personal contacts. Each member will receive a free copy - digital or paperback - and other assorted swag when available. To sign up send me an email at mariannesciucco@gmail.com with your mailing address so I can send you an official Swim Season bookmark as a thank you. And follow me on Facebook and Twitter. Retweet, repost and share my news. Remember to tag me so I can thank you properly.

Reviews on launch day are like gold. Request an advance copy and be one of the first to post a review. Simply drop me a line at mariannesciucco@gmail.com and I'll send you a digital copy to read on your PC, laptop, tablet, or phone. Comments, especially the constructive, critical kind, are welcome. We all make mistakes and if you spot a typo, grammar issue, or structural problem please let me know. 

And thanks for following me on this journey. So many times I wanted to give up, but my love for the sport and the voices of Aerin and her teammates on the Two Rivers Trailblazers swim and dive team would not let me quit. They've got a terrific story that will resonate with swimmers and swim fans and with sports lovers as well. Who doesn't love a great race?

So happy to finally start the next chapter of Swim Season!

Why did I write a novel about girls varsity swimming? Here's the interview. Disclaimer: this video was produced in 2014 and some aspects of the story discussed (i.e. 1979 was changed to 1989) and part of my marketing plans have changed (see above.)

AlzAuthors: Let's Talk Dementia with Carol Howell

by Carol Howell

My mother, Vera, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in October of 2006. That was the day my world changed – forever. I will never forget (or is that statement actually true?) the day I received the phone call. 

“Mrs. Howell, I am calling to tell you your mother has dementia.” The doctor lacked bedside manner, and he assured me he could call in medications that would make Momma better.

My grandmother (Momma’s mother) had been living with Alzheimer’s for many years at that point, and I knew just enough about the disease to be frightened by the phone call. I felt my knees buckle and my stomach churn as I listened to the doctor talk about Momma, her brain, and her future.

After finding a new doctor, doing research on my own, reading, reading, and reading, I knew education was a must. I needed to know everything I could to help Momma in this new phase of her life. And so, my dementia caregiving journey began.

After completing classes about dementia and dementia caregiving, I felt compelled to share what I had learned with anyone who would listen. My Amazon #1 Best Seller, LET’S TALK DEMENTIA, is a result of that desire. I felt a need for caregivers to experience HOPE in their caregiving journey. I believed then, and I still believe today, that KNOWLEDGE brings POWER. Power brings HOPE. Hope brings SMILES. And we all need more SMILES!

In addition to writing LET’S TALK DEMENTIA, I started a non-profit named Senior Life Journeys. Through our company we educate caregivers and we offer Creative Music Experiences for individuals with cognitive disorders and for those folks who are on hospice care.

While writing LET’S TALK DEMENTIA, I realized I was doing more for my own healing purposes than for anything else. But, as time went by, I knew I wanted to share it with others. I began searching for an agent and a publisher, and God blessed these efforts. Today my book is represented by Hartline Literary, and I couldn’t be more pleased. Through their marketing efforts, I have been able to reach individuals in four countries, been offered speaking opportunities throughout our country (where we educate about dementia but keep the audience giggling and engaged), and began blogging and podcasting about dementia.

Did I ever dream the book would be a best seller? Not in my wildest imaginings! My writing has always been a source of comfort. I can allow my feelings to flow through my fingertips. I can erase and edit and change and add to until my heart is happy with the final product. These words are then shared through books, blogs, and even our new podcast – also titled LET’S TALK DEMENTIA. It thrills me to know my thoughts and education, my tips and hints, my jokes and quips can bring hope and light into the world of individuals who are facing dementia.

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AlzAuthors: Marsha Burris, Miracles All Around Me

by Marsha Burris

My parents raised four children in a small community located near Charlotte, NC where they were active in social and church affairs. Jim coached Little League and Rusty directed the polling place in our precinct. My siblings and I grew up, went to school, and made life-long friends there. But then, gradually, negotiating the complexities of social interactions became more difficult for Mom and Dad and they withdrew from the activities they once enjoyed. 

Rusty began losing bits of herself down a dark path through early onset Alzheimer’s. She was the age I am now. My dad had his own set of health issues that ultimately concluded in a stroke. Despite these challenges they worked to maintain their independence at home as long as possible, but eventually they needed help. I lived near them so dropping off groceries on my way home from work, and taking them to various medical appointments, were convenient and happy excuses to see them often. 

The damage caused by the hateful disease of mangled plaques and tangles robbed my mother of her memories and her capacity to conduct her own affairs. This meant my role in their daily survival grew more extensive. I placed all career aspirations on hold and my objective became one of endurance - to simply endure this dreadful course my parents were on. My only goal was to survive the ordeal. A bleak outlook, I know. 

A friend loaned me her copy of John Bayley’s Elegy for Iris in hopes that it would give me solace. I finally read it. This was the first miracle introduced into my life. The book stressed this message: Alzheimer’s disease brings with it its own ‘compensations’ if only you look for them. I begged to differ with Mr. Bayley as I saw no advantages to the destruction Alzheimer’s visited upon my mother’s brilliant and active mind. I set out to prove him wrong but I did the opposite. And this was miracle number two. 

Rusty and I negotiated the world together through the lens of Alzheimer’s for ten years. It was never easy or painless, or without effort. But because I changed my attitude, I became aware of the Miracles All Around Me and accepted the possibility of unexpected gifts associated with the disease, the very things that Bayley called ‘compensations’. 

Chronicling Rusty’s story and giving her a voice helped me place in perspective the profound sorrow I felt because of my father’s stroke and my brother’s suicide while losing Rusty to Alzheimer’s. When I had done this, I was able to feel the grace granted us all when we must face times of crisis. 

Purchase Miracles All Around Me

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AlzAuthors: Tanya Ward Goodman, Leaving Tinkertown

By Tanya Ward Goodman

I grew up in in the mountains of New Mexico in a roadside attraction built by my father. With the exception of, “I love you,” I have probably spoken this one sentence more than any other. I defined myself as the daughter of Ross Ward, the man who created Tinkertown Museum. 

I did not mean to write a book. After my father died from complications of early onset Alzheimer’s disease, I sat down with my journals to try to understand what had happened to me and to my family in a five-year period that began just before I turned thirty. 

I sat with all of the pages and all of the photographs I’d taken and tried to pay attention to where I felt a kind of heat. I wrote to figure out where I’d been. I wrote to understand what I’d lost. As I wrote, I begin to see not just my journey, but the journey of my family. As I wrote, my compassion deepened. I wrote toward questions. Eventually, I wrote my father back to life.

“Leaving Tinkertown,” was published by the University of New Mexico Press in 2013. I have such a hardwired connection to my family and to the glorious red dirt of my home state that it makes a lot of sense to me that I would find my identity as a writer by telling the story of my relationship with my dad. 

In the years since the book came out, many people have gifted me with their own tales of my father. Other readers, who didn’t know my dad in life, tell me they feel as though they’ve made a new friend. I’ve met other caregivers and joined my voice in the chorus of those working to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s. We need to find ways to provide respite and home care. We need to increase federal funding for research and ultimately we must find a cure. To achieve these noble ends, it’s my belief that we all need to see the faces of those affected by this terrible disease. We need to hear the stories. All the stories. Writing and publishing “Leaving Tinkertown,” has expanded my life in so many surprising ways. It’s a fitting memorial to the man who showed me how to live with humor, creativity and joy. 

When Dad was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, we were all sad and angry and afraid, but with Dad’s carny credo, “The show must go on,” as our mantra, we kept moving. The “show” is still on the road. Tinkertown Museum is open to the public and my kids sell tickets during the summer months. They never got a chance to meet their grandfather, but he is a big part of their lives. I’m so glad they have the old stories to keep them company as they begin to tell their own. 

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AlzAuthors: Karen B. Kaplan, Encountering the Edge

by Karen B. Kaplan

 It can get lonely carrying on with this job that most people think I must be a “little strange” to be doing. “You’re a hospice chaplain? Isn’t that morbid to be doing that?” Someone felt my going so far as to write a book about it was downright peculiar and distasteful. But with my front-row seat at Act Three Scene Three of people’s lives, I keep getting intimate glimpses of what hospice patients are pondering, remembering, laughing about, and caring about. 

When I come home to dinner, my husband loves to hear all the interesting encounters I have. One day, one story was about a Puerto Rican who came to the Continental U.S. to spend his final days because Puerto Rico is “a chaotic mess” from bankruptcy. Another was about a man expressing his disappointment that 40 years ago, even though he won an award for an original poem, he had had been unable to claim it in person. Yet another was about a patient who wanted a croissant and for whom a substitute such as a toasted English muffin from the communal kitchen would not do. (I brought her an honest-to-God sample the next day.) 

I have all these slices of life against the poignant backdrop of death being around the corner. Wouldn’t the public be curious as to what I experience being in the presence of the ultimate mystery? Might they want to know how people deal with facing the end? My idea was to give readers a fly-on-the-wall perspective of what I come across as I go to patient’s rooms, talk with family members and colleagues, and how I cope with facing death second-hand over and over. And I wanted to give readers this vicarious day in the life of a hospice chaplain with no preaching and no sugar coating. 

Over and over reviewers said that Encountering the Edge was honest and intimate. One even said it was “oddly entertaining,” which I am glad to hear, as I wanted to make this forbidding topic approachable. But one response was unexpected: “I was surprised and sad when she revealed her own personal ambivalence about what follows our physical death. What comfort can you provide if you are not sure yourself?” This illustrates that my book is not an “inspirational” book in the common sense of the term. It is about pondering what one’s own life and death are all about and what our priorities should be while we are still here. Chaplains strive to be the mirror that you will find your own spirituality in rather than to be the poster that will impart a message and do the thinking for you. 

At first, the Alzheimer's authors who invited me to include my book in their series hesitated because it is not about dementia per se. But they realized that of course, like for everyone else, facing death is part of the package. In my chapter on dementia entitled, “Dwelling Full-time Within a Memory,” I conclude, “There is no denying that advanced dementia is unspeakably sad…but what is remarkable is that despite all the barriers, sometimes we can reach across the patients’ missing synapses and clogged neurons to meaningfully communicate with them, as long as it is on their terms and not ours.” 

Purchase Encountering the Edge

Connect with Karen B. Kaplan

Website: offbeatcompassion.com 

Twitter: @chaplainkkaplan

AlzAuthors: Shannon O'Donnell, Save the Bones

by Shannon O'Donnell

In the late 1990s, I joined a writers’ group. The rules were simple: “Bring three pages, double-spaced, to read. Ask for the critique you want.” I wanted to write, not just think about writing. 

I wrote and shared a story about a trip my sister and I made to visit our mother in Southern California. It had been an odd time and we were still trying to make sense of it. Writing helped. I kept writing, especially about funny conversations I had with Mom. 

When conversations with a parent take on the quality of a late-night comedy sketch, you can either stop talking or you can laugh. I chose to laugh when Mom sang "76 Trombones" on her birthday. I laughed when she grumbled about missing ordinary people and when she thought I was my bearded writer brother. Alzheimer's came in like a pratfall and stayed to tell jokes. 

Eventually, my mother had to move out of her retirement community in California to assisted living in Washington. I kept writing. 

I looked online for comrades. Most of the stories about Alzheimer’s were drastic, horrible. I remember thinking, “No one is writing about the funny stuff.” Misheard conversations, unfamiliar words, mistaken identities, all of these found a place in those three double-spaced pages that I shared with the writers’ group. Humor seemed key to my handling all the new things that happened. 

Mom went to the hospital, changed living situations, became combative then passive. The years went by. I wrote. I didn’t know that writing would get me through the emotional riptide of Alzheimer’s. 

By 2012, it had been a number of years since Mom had said anything, much less anything funny. I collected up all the stories and put them in a book called Save the Bones. I worried a bit about my siblings’ response to the book. I hadn’t always been kind about them in the writing, but in the end, this book was my experience with Mom. They have their own stories. 

Save the Bones was published in January 2013. It lead to talks with church groups and a book club, and a reading at a clothing store in downtown Seattle. (That last one sounds right up the Alzheimer’s alley, doesn’t it?) I finally joined a support group that winter. After ten years of dealing on my own, it was finally time. I missed talking with my mom, missed having weird adventures with her, and I needed to talk with others who understood why saying goodbye was taking such a long time. 

My mother died in November that year. The day itself was memorable and I finally wrote it all down in 2016 and made it the final chapter of the book. Save the Bones is in its second edition. Mom’s memory lives on. And I’m very glad to have contributed to some of the humor that shows up as families wrestle with changing circumstances. 

Purchase Save the Bones

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