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Giveaway – My Mummy After OUr Baby by Namita Mahanama @GoddessFish
I am so happy to welcome Namita Mahanama. Namita is here to share with you why she wrote this book. Isn’t that an adorable cover?
WHY DID I WRITE THIS BOOK?
My children’s book, My Mummy After Our Baby – A Journey of Hope and Healing, is centred around a very niche subject matter.
Some may believe that it is too narrow a topic to write a book about.
Yet, I wrote this book because when I fell prey to postnatal depression after the birth of my second son Kaiyaan, there was absolutely nothing for our family to lean on. We felt so isolated and alone in our experience…when it felt like our whole world was crumbling beneath us and we had no resources or tools to utilise.
Our eldest son Ari, was 4 years old at the time and was completely confused, lost and angry about what was happening within the home and he had no idea what had happened to me…his safe space and rock.
Unfortunately, I was ravaged by the condition, and unable to speak to him or connect with him. The darkness within the home was all-encompassing and he had no idea where to turn…and neither did we.
I recovered at week-11 and I vowed upon my recovery, that I would work tirelessly in creating as many tools as I could to help other women and their families through their journey of postnatal depression. No longer did I want anyone to feel alone, isolated or unsure of where to turn for support.
This book is actually an exact replica of our story. The character Aydan, is my Ari and Kameron, is my Kaiyaan…the doggy Rupert, is our Ruphus. It is spot on from how I revelled in a glorious pregnancy and then fell into the depths of darkness and the trenches on day 5 after giving birth. The pain, darkness and emptiness that I felt and what had engulfed our entire home is portrayed in the illustrations.
Aydan, my Ari, the morning that I ‘sparked back to life’ as I call it, just as the sun rose…crawled into my bed, and sang me an Indigenous Noongar song that he had learned at school and sang to me at a Mother’s Day celebration earlier in the year. I cried warm and heartfelt tears, and still to this day, I have no idea how he knew that I had returned back into my body without me uttering a word…The moment that my heart and brain-centre buzzed back into me.
The song goes like this…’Baby you are my heart…baby you are my heart…baby you are my heart…you are my star, my love, my life’.
Aydan sings this to his Mummy in this book, and I still get goose bumps remembering the divinity in that moment in our home. One that brought back my connection to myself, my children and to all of life. A moment that gave me an awakening to savour life in all its glory and to never take any moment for granted again.
I wanted to share the message of hope for all the little children and families who need to hear that their Mummy will get better too…and that they need to hold on, encourage her to seek help…and she will return and in abundance.
It is a book that I longed for when we were in the trenches…and I know that it will bring light, hope and healing to so many families…
My wish now, is that is can reach their hands, ears and homes…as this condition is brutal and it takes lives.
Too many lives.
I have made a commitment to do all that I can to make this road easier to walk on for women now and in generations to come.
This is why I wrote this book…for all of the Ari’s out there, who are waiting for their Mummy to return and need to know that she can…and that she will.
My Mummy After Our Baby by Namita Mahanama
GENRE: Children’s Fiction – Family and Relationships
BLURB
My Mummy After Our Baby: A Journey Of Hope and Healing is a beautifully written and illustrated story, about the reality of post-natal depression setting in after the birth of their perfect little baby.
It is a gentle, soft, perfectly put together story, filled with an abundance of emotion and heart to explain what is happening at home, for all children who may be feeling lost and confused about what is happening to their Mummy after becoming unwell.
It is written by a mother who experienced this twice herself and vowed to create a beautiful explanation and tool, in order to provide hope, solace and strength for other families, that she wished was available for her children.
This beautiful book is written in the hope of educating, as well as to be a connective and bonding tool, at a time when a family needs it the most. It is gently and eloquently written, with the most amazing illustrations, that will form the basis of a vital healing tool in the home of everyone who is going through this harrowing chapter.
The author has brought the prospect of hope in a perfect package here and is her gift to you and your family, to navigate through this chapter with as much peace and lightness as possible.
EXCERPT
Once upon a time in a far-away town called Knocksville, there lived a little boy called Aydan. He was a very kind, fun, smart and sweet boy full of so much energy and brightness!
Aydan made friends with everyone that he met and he was always the bright spark in every room that he walked into.
Aydan lived with his Mummy and Daddy and they loved spending time together. They played golf, loved going to the beach or running around the park with their little doggy Rupert.
Every day felt like it was filled with so much joy and happiness.
Every night they always shared turns in saying three things that they were thankful for.
Most nights, Aydan would say that he was thankful for food in his tummy, a roof over his head and for having a family who loved and cared for him as much as all of the stars in the sky.
This always made his Mummy’s heart shine brighter, grow bigger and she would hold him tight until he fell asleep.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Namita is a mother of two boys and draws upon her heart-wrenching first-hand experience of
post-natal depression, after the birth of both of her children. She is creating a myriad of support tools for women and their families, to navigate through their journeys of PND with as much ease and grace as possible.
Namita is a registered pharmacist who has qualifications in Ayurveda and Ayurveda Yoga teaching, as well as being a PMC (paediatric massage consultant) and CIMI (certified infant massage instructor). She draws upon her professional knowledge as well as her own experience, to be the support lifeline at a time when families need it the most.
Her intention is that she can be a beacon of hope and shine much-needed light, on the road
towards the mothers and the entire family’s healing and recovery. She hopes to inspire and uplift you through this chapter in your life.
Connect with Namita Mahanama
- WEBSITE http://wholeistichealingco.com/
- INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/whole_istichealingco/
- GOODREADS https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22118373.Namita_Mahanama
Get Your Copy of My Mummy After Our Baby
- AMAZON.COM https://amzn.to/3NI9cpL
- AMAZON.CA https://amazon.ca/dp/0228862930
- INDIGO CHAPTERS https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/my-mummy-after-our-baby/9780228862932-item.html
- BARNES & NOBLE https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-mummy-after-our-baby-namita-mahanama/1140827876
- BOOK DEPOSITORY https://www.bookdepository.com/My-Mummy-After-Our-Baby-Namita-Mahanama/9780228862932
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Giveaway – The Yellow Honeysuckle Is The Sweetest by Bill Pentress @ProvidenceBks
The Yellow Honeysuckle is the Sweetest
by Bill Fentress
March 14 – April 8, 2022 Virtual Book Tour
Synopsis:
THE YELLOW HONEYSUCKLE IS THE SWEETEST is a salute by the author to a lifetime of outdoor experiences in eastern North Carolina and beyond. It encompasses 14 true short stories about family, friendships, and the emotions involved in hunting, fishing, and other outdoor-related topics. It is not a how-to book, nor just a compilation of hunting and fishing stories; it describes how simple family and personal interactions, with the outdoor sports and unmatched natural beauty as a backdrop, can result in treasured memories like perhaps no other pursuits.
If you hunt and fish, or grew up enjoying histories of family traditions and friendships revolving around the outdoors – whether it be in North Carolina, or elsewhere – THE YELLOW HONEYSUCKLE IS THE SWEETEST is for you.
Book Details
Genre: Sports, (as in Hunting and Fishing), Nature, Family, Memoir Published by: Indie Publication Date: February 3, 2022 Number of Pages: 257 ISBN: 979-8-9855598-1-1 Purchase Links: Amazon | GoodreadsHere’s a word from our author:
Read an excerpt:
There is something special about hunting, that sears in place our memories with others. Maybe it’s the vivid nature where our grand experiences take place or the team efforts we go through to make it all happen? Maybe it’s the getting up early, the black coffee, the smell of eggs and bacon in a cabin, the swoosh of ducks over decoys or the violent uprising of a big covey followed by the delirium of released bird dogs? Maybe it’s the sunrises, the sunsets, the gobbles at dawn, the split oak fires or the oysters? Maybe it’s the bonds we have over lifetimes? I’m not really sure. But I do know we’re blessed when these partners come into our lives.
Like many boys, my first hunting partner was a dog, Pepper. I wish I could say Pepper was the granddaughter of King Rothschild’s Sire of Pepper Creek, but I cannot. Pepper was a fittingly, albeit not uniquely, named black and white pointer-mix stray who took up at Miss Jo’s house in Bayboro. Somehow, through either constant brow beating with her pathetic brown eyes or via her constant hanging around the back door looking for food, Pepper convinced Miss Jo to call me—not my mother, her friend—but me.
“Billy,” she commanded, “I have a beautiful dog you would just love!”
Of course, I immediately got off the phone and begged Mom to take me to Bayboro. “Miss Jo’s got a dog she says I need!” I always thought Miss Jo should have led many of the sales classes I attended in my banking career. Let me tell you, she talked directly to the buyer, and went right around the secretary. While I’m not sure how long it took for Mom to talk to her again, we came home with Pepper in the Chevy wagon and me with a smile as broad as the cuff on my dungarees. Pepper was one of the smartest dogs I ever owned. She followed me everywhere—from our store to Grandmamma’s house to the woods behind our house to the tractor shelter woods across the road, down Swan Point Road, and of course behind our neighbor’s house. Pepper was smart enough to look both ways before she crossed the road. Don’t smirk; I saw her do it a hundred times. She also knew how to be quiet as I planned a sneak-up strategy on the local robins and wrens. But her mind absolutely took the day off when it came to our neighbor’s chickens.
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Excerpt from The Yellow Honeysuckle is the Sweetest by Bill Fentress. Copyright © 2021 by William C. Fentress. Reproduced with permission from Bill Fentress. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Learn More About Bill Online:
BillFentress.com Goodreads Facebook – @billfentressauthorTour Host Participants:
Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!ENTER TO WIN:
This is a giveaway hosted by Providence Book Promotions for Bill Fentress. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.
Find Your Next Great Read at Providence Book Promotions!
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Giveaway – Great Kids Don’t Just Happen by Dr Paul Smolen @DocSmo @iReadBookTours
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Book Details:
Book Title: Great Kids Don’t Just Happen, 5 Essentials for Raising Successful Children by Dr. Paul Smolen
Category: Adult Non-Fiction
Genre: Parenting/Family
Publisher: Torchflame Books
Release date: October 22, 2019
Tour dates: Nov 4 to Nov 29, 2019
Content Rating: G
Book Description:
Physically and emotionally healthy children are Great Kids. They are happier when young and thrive as adults.
Pediatrician Dr. Paul Smolen identifies five essential parenting elements which help develop happy and successful kids.
In Great Kids Don’t Just Happen you will learn how to use those elements and nurture the children in your life.
The author’s observations and advice are supported by scientific studies referenced throughout the book and personal observations from his many years of practice as a pediatrician. The five essential elements and how to apply them are made easy to understand in the warm words of one who knows, practices, and teaches from research, observation, and experience.
Learn how to provide:
- Realistic praise
- Consistent limits
- A healthy emotional environment
- Strong parental commitment
- Stability
Meet the Author:
Dr. Paul Smolen, also known as Doc Smo by his friends, is a pediatrician with 37 years of experience caring for children and families. He is a graduate of Duke University (1974), Rutgers Medical School (1978), and Wake Forest University-N.C. Baptist Hospital (1982). At Wake Forest University he completed a residency in general pediatrics, served as chief resident, and completed a fellowship in ambulatory pediatrics. Subsequently, he became board certified in the American Academy of Pediatrics (1983) and completed his recertification in 2014. For the last 37 years, he has been an Adjunct Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, helping to train a generation of medical students and pediatric residents as well as author several research papers. He is also the author of a parenting book called, Can Doesn’t Mean Should.
With 37 years under his belt, Doc Smo is a bona-fide expert in knowing what parents want and need to know about parenting and child health. Imparting practical and useful advice is the goal of every “Pedcast”. Smiling along the way can’t hurt!
Connect with the author: Website Facebook Twitter
Dr. Paul Smolen, also known as Doc Smo by his friends, is a pediatrician with 37 years of experience caring for children and families. He is a graduate of Duke University (1974), Rutgers Medical School (1978), and Wake Forest University-N.C. Baptist Hospital (1982). At Wake Forest University he completed a residency in general pediatrics, served as chief resident, and completed a fellowship in ambulatory pediatrics. Subsequently, he became board certified in the American Academy of Pediatrics (1983) and completed his recertification in 2014. For the last 37 years, he has been an Adjunct Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, helping to train a generation of medical students and pediatric residents as well as author several research papers. He is also the author of a parenting book called, Can Doesn’t Mean Should.
With 37 years under his belt, Doc Smo is a bona-fide expert in knowing what parents want and need to know about parenting and child health. Imparting practical and useful advice is the goal of every “Pedcast”. Smiling along the way can’t hurt!
Connect with the author: Website Facebook Twitter
Book Tour Schedule:
Nov 4 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 4 – Working Mommy Journal / book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 5 – fundinmental – book spotlight
Nov 5 – Over Coffee Conversations – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Nov 6 – Reading Authors Network – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 7 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Nov 8 – b for bookreview – book spotlight / author interview
Nov 11 – The Clipped Nightingale – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 12 –Character Madness and Musings – book spotlight /
Nov 13 – To Thine Own Shelf – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 14 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Nov 18 – Momfluenster – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Nov 19 – Laura’s Interests – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 20 – Genuine Jenn – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Nov 21 – On My Bookshelf – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Nov 22 –From the TBR Pile – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Nov 26 – Bookmark and fork – book spotlight / author interview
Nov 27 – #redhead.with.book – book spotlight
Nov 28 – Library of Clean Reads – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 29 – Celticlady’s Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 29 – Svetlana’s reads and views – book spotlight / giveaway
Enter the Giveaway:
- You can see my Giveaways HERE.
- You can see my Reviews HERE.
- If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
- Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
- Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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Giveaway and Review of Cracks In The Sidewalk by Bette Lee Crosby
“This novel is based on a true story of losing hope and finding forgiveness. The book was the 2011 Winner of the FPA President’s Book Award Gold Medal and it took First Place in the Royal Palm Literary Award Competition. It is a story that will touch your heart and leave you with a feeling of inspiration.’
The Words of Bette Lee Crosby
How can you look into those gorgeous blue eyes and not want to wrap your arms around the child and fill his life with love and happiness? The emotion this cover evokes almost overwhelms me. It’s as if he is pleading with me to make it all better.
I received a letter and immediately sat down and wrote a letter in return. I hadn’t seen my grandchildren in 20 years. My dreams had always been of a large family, always together. I was an only child, but I didn’t know it. I filled my life with an imaginary family, to take the place of my cold and unloving parents.
Charlie and I could only have one child, but I filled Elizabeth’s life with playmates. When she married Jeffrey and they said they were going to have a houseful of kids, I was ecstatic.
Elizabeth told us of her first pregnancy twenty-two years ago. That’s when I told her of my imaginary family of kids. We joked and laughed about how we both could picture their faces.
When Elizabeth became pregnant with their third child, she knew something wasn’t right, I did too. J. T. rode her hard and criticized her at every turn. Elizabeth knew it was because of his own failure, but she loved him and made allowances.
Funny how you think you know someone, but they are totally different. They have kept it hidden, but something like money problems exposes their weakness. Elizabeth’s dad, Charlie, wouldn’t give J.T. any more money. So, in an attempt to blackmail him and extort more money from him, he wouldn’t let them see the kids. He didn’t care who he hurt.
As Elizabeth’s health deteriorates, no one sees J.T.’s next move coming, until it is too late.
5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)
Bette Lee Crosby’s covers always portray such a mix of emotions, foretelling the roller coaster ride inside the pages of the book. How can you look into those gorgeous blue eyes of the child on the cover and not be overcome with a desire to protect and love. I just know something bad is coming by the look in his eyes, the pain I see there.
A very sad and tragic story. As I read, I became very angry. I can’t say much about why, but when you read the book, you will know what I mean. No words can tell how upsetting parts of the book were, while others were so uplifting. Whenever a child’s heart breaks, the mothers breaks also. Whenever a child’s heart soars, so too does the mother’s. Our children are always a child to us parents.
Elizabeth was a good and kind person. When she was a little girl, she brought home every stray she found, feeling it necessary to care for them and give them a loving home. When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would respond – a mom. She loved being a wife and mother. I remember my own mother’s answer when I asked her if she ever regretted staying at home and being a wife and mother. She said no, she loved every minute of it. Elizabeth would do almost anything for her husband and kids. She was a loving daughter, insightful and forgiving. Everyone loved her, except for, maybe, her husband.
J. T. was a mean, selfish, self-centered and vindictive adulterer. Because of his inability to accept blame for his failures, he had to blame them on someone else. So he picks the one person who loved him most, to become his whipping post. If I could have leaped into the pages of the book and punched his lights out, I would have.
Claire was a wonderful, loving and caring mother. She would do anything for her daughter. Sacrifice anything. She ached for her daughter’s pain. A heartbreaking vigil.
“Nothings perfect, life is like a sidewalk leading to heaven, we’re bound to come across a few cracks in it.”
“They’re Gods way of moving aside life’s cement. He’s giving us a chance to let something new grow.“
Bette Lee Crosby’s writing evokes such a wide range of emotions, I am continually surprised at how deeply her books affect me. Bette s books are so well written and the stories are so heartfelt and realistic, that you cannot help but respond to them. I couldn’t put the book down, as I read the blurred words through the tears in my eyes, until I reached the last word and closed the book.
I received this book in return for an honest and unbiased review. That is never a problem with Bette’s books, because they do not disappoint.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bette Lee Crosby’s work was first recognized in 2006, when she won the National League of American Pen Women Award for unpublished fiction with What Matters Most. Her novel, Cracks in the Sidewalk, received the 2009 Royal Palm Literary Award and then went on to win the 2011 FPA President’s Book Award Gold Medal. In 2011 Spare Change received the Reviewer’s Choice Awards and it garnered a second Royal Palm Literary Award. Her books have earned numerous five-star ratings with readers acclaiming them as heartwarming and captivating.
Most recently, Bette completed a memoir written for Lani Deauville, a woman the Guinness Book of Records lists as The World’s Longest Living Quadriplegic.
To see what Bette Lee Crosby is up to, follow the links below.
To purchase any of Bette Lee Crosby’s books from Amazon, simply click on the cover below.
To see my Review of Spare Change, go HERE.
To see my Review of Cupid’s Christmas, go HERE.
GIVEAWAY
Bette Lee Crosby is offering for the Giveaway
US – 2 (two) Paperbacks
International – 1 (one) ebook.
Easy entry as always, just leave your email address and answer the question:
What is a good memory you have as a child growing up?
Giveaway will run from 1/30 – 2/13, 2013 .
CLOSED. WINNERS are — PB Margie – PB Cindy Hamilton – Ebook Pragya.
Follow me by email to keep up on all the latest news, reviews and giveaways, not required.
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A Joyous Romp at North Pole High by Candace J. Kringle
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Yeah, my Dad’s Santa, but to me, he’s just Dad. I’m sixteen and he acts like any other dad. Everything that comes next, is all his fault. If he wouldn’t have made me go to the Welcoming feast, none of it would have happened. 
Once Rudy arrived, Candycane started doing things she had never done before and going places she had never even thought of. It was not surprising that Santa became very displeased with her and Rudy.
Her teacher put her and Rudy together, the school project was making a Christmas tree. She had always been the best tree maker, but her confusion over how she felt about Rudy, made it difficult for her to work with him.
When Candycane took Rudy on a sleigh ride, it turned into a nightmare. Little did she know, but Tinsel, her boyfriend, had a hand in it.
They loved their food – eggnog, gingerbread cookies, bubble gum, baked Alaska, gazpacho, Sno Cones, stuffing and almost any sweet thing their hearts desired.
The North Pole:
Where a tan is not a healthy thing.
Where Elfnip is keebler viagra.
Where tickle fights are a form of punishment.
Where does the best chocolate come from?
4 Would Highly Recommend To Others
What a great and original idea. A memoir of Santa’s daughter. Had me cracking up all the way through.
I knew when I read the blurb, the book would be hilarious. I can see this as a Christmas special on TV. All the little kiddies would love it.
A coming of age story for the “Princess” of the North Pole. But there is so much more.
The names applied to the characters were funny and the roles of the characters are so creative. The characters are humans, polar bears, seals, walruses, elves, penguins, pandas, puffins, and anything else that you can imagine would live at the North Pole.
Check out what they eat, even for breakfast. Who wouldn’t love having a menu and diet such as theirs, other than having to live in the cold. lol
What a fun read, perfect for the season. A great Christmas gift for the young and old alike. It will definitely brighten your day.
I was given this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
About the Author
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Candace Jane Kringle is a junior at North Pole High. She likes candy canes, unicorn races, and making snow angels. Her father is the most well-known and beloved toymaker and toy distributor in the world. Her memoir, North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus , is her first book. After high school, she plans to enroll at North Pole University and write more books, maybe even some fiction. 🙂
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GIVEAWAY
Candace is offering 1 ebook – mobi/Kindle or EPUB – for the Giveaway. International. Easy entry as always, just answer the question – What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas? – and leave your email address.
Closed. The Winner is – Ann Herrick.
Giveaway will run from 12/13 – 12/22, 2012.
To see all my Giveaways, click HERE.
Please tweet it out and share it with your friends, family and followers, not required.
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To get your copy, simply click on the cover below.
Related articles
- Cyber Santa: Today’s North Pole communications are high-tech (triblive.com)
- USPS offers North Pole postmark for Santa letters (fox13now.com)
- North Pole High by Candace Jane Kringle: Interview & Giveaway (iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com)