Loss, grief, sorrow and the love that binds – I’m With You by Taylor Dean

Posted on May 6, 2014 by fundinmental

Taylor Dean has become a favorite author of mine, since I first picked up Lancaster House. She has a way with words that will have you laughing and crying right along with the characters.

I can only imagine the difficulty Taylor Dean had in writing this story of her daughter’s ordeal with Trisomy 18.

I recently suffered the loss of my sister. She was 63 years old. She lived life the way she wanted. But the loss of a baby………

has to be one of the worst things that can happen to a family. My thoughts and prayers are with Taylor and her family.

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I’m With You by Taylor Dean

Can three little words irrevocably change your life?

When the doctors inform Chloe Brennan that her pregnancy is “incompatible with life,” her subsequent choices will change her path forever.

She becomes one of the quiet, unsung heroes of this world, incredibly strong, yet somehow wrongly looked upon as damaged.

Three people will pierce Chloe’s existence: her husband, a stranger, and a precious baby.

One will say goodbye, one will say hello, and one will say both at the same time.

I’m With You is a novel about selfless love and the sacredness of life.

Please note: While this book is a romance novel, it also deals with the sensitive issue of baby loss grief. The emotions are real, and sometimes dark.

If you are sensitive to this issue, this may not be the book for you.

Praise for I’M WITH YOU:

Taylor Dean creates a beautiful story of loss, grief, and love.

~Jana (Book Reviewer)

Chloe’s story of grief, growth and healing is poignant and had me wanting to shed tears one moment, and then smiling as hope took root and bloomed in her heart.

~Charissa of Joy in the Moments

It’s amazing how these tragic moments in our lives shape our futures, and this wonderful grandson of Ms. Dean’s gave her the strength, courage and words to let others know about grief as well as Trisomy 18.

~Katherine (Book Reviewer)

Amazon

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Excerpt from I’m With You

Jack turned and looked at her, his eyes wet with tears. “I’m sorry you had to go through it alone.”

“If I could have, maybe I would’ve left too. I didn’t have that option. I don’t blame Mark, I really don’t. Who wouldn’t want to escape? It was a horrific experience.”

“I don’t think it was,” Jack stated quietly.

Startled by his words, Chloe said, “Excuse me?”

“I don’t believe you.”

Chloe felt surprised by his perceptiveness. Her breath caught in her throat as she said, “You’re right. Losing him was horrific. But the experience was one of the most precious times of my life. I’ve never felt so full of love for another individual. It consumed me. I loved him with an intensity I’ve never felt before. He’s the greatest blessing I’ve ever received in my life and I don’t regret a single moment. Maybe I never actually heard him speak, but he said more to me in his short life than anyone has ever said to me in my lifetime. He spoke to my heart in ways that are unfathomable. He changed me and left an imprint on my life that I will never forget. He taught me the true meaning of love and what it’s like to love someone else more than yourself.”

Jack shook his head, fighting emotion. “I can see that, I can feel that. This room is a testament to that love. I can feel your overwhelming love for your child just by glancing in here. That’s how strong it is.”

“Not everyone would agree with you. Mark hates this room. It represents loss to him.”

Jack took a step closer, his eyes blazing. “It represents love, completely unselfish love that few people in this world will ever understand or experience. I’m amazed by you, Chloe.”

Amazon

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A word about I’m With You

Baby loss is a difficult subject. The accompanying grief is complicated and heartbreaking.
In December of 2011, my daughter lost a baby at eight months gestation to Trisomy 18. If you don’t know what that is, I didn’t either, until it happened to us. (You will learn all about this devastating condition during the course of the book.) I’m With You is a romance novel that includes my daughter’s Trisomy 18 story. I knew I wanted to write about the experience one day, but it took me awhile to emotionally prepare myself to actually do it. It has been highly therapeutic. My daughter granted me permission to share her Trisomy 18 story with the hope that it will help others who are dealing with baby loss grief.

There is a song written for and dedicated to the families of Trisomy 18 and 13 babies. It is beautiful and deeply expresses the love parents feel for these special babies.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

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Author Taylor Dean

Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense-you’ll find all sub-genres of CLEAN Romance in her line-up.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads

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GIVEAWAY

taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and Photos $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Ends 5/31/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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To get your copy of I’m With You, or to learn more about Taylor Dean, click on the cover below.

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Tag Team Giveaway – A sweet romance – Joshua’s Folly by Taylor Dean

Book Trailer of Joshua’s Folly by Taylor Dean

Awesome Book Trailer Video of sierra by taylor dean – Come on over and take a peek

Missing Any Memories? i have people by taylor dean Review

Review of sierra by taylor dean

Fanged Mania #7 – Review of the middle aisle by taylor dean

Is he a ghost? A vampire? Is he even real or just a figment of her imagination?(Lancaster House Review)

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

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Another Successful Mullet Toss Adventure for 2014

Posted on May 2, 2014 by fundinmental

Florabama Mullet Toss

Doing it on the Florida – Alabama line.

Florabama celebrated two fantastic events during the 2014 Mullet Toss.

It was their 50th anniversary and the 30th anniversary of the Mullet Toss.

The Mullet Are Flying At The Redneck Riviera for the Gulf Coast’s Greatest Beach Party

Chasing the Mullet “GOLD” since 1996 at the Florabama

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

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What happens after you die? Thereafter by Terri Bruce – Giveaway

Posted on May 1, 2014 by fundinmental

I was supposed to have a review ready for the tour, but due to a family emergency, I have not finished reading Thereafter by Terri Bruce.

Please keep your eyes open for the review in the very near future.

Thereafter (Afterlife Book 2) by Terri Bruce

Genre: Contemporary fantasy/paranormal

Publisher: Mictlan Press

Date of Publication: May 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-9913036-2-5 (print) / ISBN: 978-0-9913036-3-2 (ebook)

Number of pages: 318

Word Count: 99,000

Cover Artist: Artwork by Shelby Robinson; cover layout by Jennifer Stolzer

Book Description

When recently-deceased Irene Dunphy decided to “follow the light,” she thought she’d end up in Heaven or Hell and her journey would be over.

Boy, was she wrong.

She soon finds that “the other side” isn’t a final destination but a kind of purgatory where billions of spirits are stuck, with no way to move forward or back. Even worse, deranged phantoms known as “Hungry Ghosts” stalk the dead, intent on destroying them. The only way out is for Irene to forget her life on earth—including the boy who risked everything to help her cross over—which she’s not about to do.

As Irene desperately searches for an alternative, help unexpectedly comes in the unlikeliest of forms: a twelfth-century Spanish knight and a nineteenth-century American cowboy. Even more surprising, one offers a chance for redemption; the other, love. Unfortunately, she won’t be able to have either if she can’t find a way to escape the hellish limbo where they’re all trapped.

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Author’s Note

I am THRILLED beyond all measure to finally be able to bring you Thereafter, and I want to thank all the fans who have waited (more or less patiently) an extra year for this book to finally come out. Thereafter would not have been possible without your support—thank you all! I hope you love this beautiful new cover as much as I do, and I hope you find Thereafter to be worth the wait.

Excerpt

Her hand touched a rock, one of the flat beach stones she’d seen on graves. She picked it up, laying it flat in her palm. She didn’t remember picking this up. In fact, she had been careful not to take any. It had seemed disrespectful and too much like stealing to remove them, and while she’d seen a few here—both loose and piled in cairns—she hadn’t picked any of them up. There had been no point. What would she do with a rock?

No wonder her bag was so heavy.

She tossed the rock over her shoulder and heard it hit the ground with a satisfying thud some distance away. It felt good to be rid of something, to make a decision and be sure it was the right one.

She surveyed the pile again and then grabbed a small handful of paper animals. She picked one up between a finger and thumb. It was a horse. Irene had been in Chinatown during Chinese Ghost Festival, a holiday in which the living left offerings for the dead. These offerings included paper replicas of things people thought the dead would need in the afterlife—money, clothes, television sets, and even animals. Irene had admired the precise and delicate folds of the Origami figures and had picked some up to admire them more closely. Without thinking, she had dropped them into her bag and apparently been carrying them ever since.

Well, even Jonah couldn’t argue with her on this—there was no way she was going to need a paper horse on her journey through the afterlife. Plus, these didn’t hold any sentimental value. She cast the horse onto a nearby fire and watched as the paper curled and blackened in the low-burning flames.

The fire leapt and seemed to glow blue for a moment. Irene tensed—what was happening?

Thick black smoke began to rise slowly from the flames, spiraling upward in a thickening column. The smoke grew denser and then elongated sideways. Irene leapt to her feet and backed away, her heart pounding. Something was forming in the fire.

The smoke was taking shape now; there was purpose and design in its movements. She could see a long, horizontal back, four legs, a neck, and finally a head and a tail. The smoke swirled with a final flourish and then shuddered into the solidity of a smoke-colored horse. The animal blinked passively. Then it violently shook its head, blew out a breath, and delicately picked its way forward out of the fire. It immediately put its head down and began to lip the ground, looking for food.

Irene stared stupidly at it. “Are you shitting me?”

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About the Author

Terri Bruce has been making up adventure stories for as long as she can remember. Like Anne Shirley, she prefers to make people cry rather than laugh, but is happy if she can do either. She produces fantasy and adventure stories from a haunted house in New England where she lives with her husband and three cats.