WOW Wednesday with Karen Magill

At the desk today, we have Karen Magill. She is an author and a quite special human being. Her blog, Vancouver Vagabond, is one of my favorite blogs. She includes so much information and many great pictures. Oh, I got sidetracked there for a minute. We're here to find out more about her books and the party Did I mention that there will be a release party on 5 March? There sure will be and it's right here.

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Author Karen Magill

What if you woke one day to find yourself paralysed on one side of your body?

That’s what happened to Karen Magill on June 5, 2000. Nine days later she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and just over three months after that, she had to leave the best job she had ever had. Ms. Magill started on a frightening, confusing journey that was her life now.

Then something interesting happened. Once Karen began adjusting to her new circumstances, coming to terms with the fact that her former life had vanished, she realized that the MS was a gift. Her eyes opened to the possibilities around her. 

On The Right Side, My Story of Survival and Success looks at Ms. Magill’s life with MS and the factors in life, which influence her. This isn’t a how to book on living well with chronic illness, but rather a touching, opinionated, sometimes humorous story on how one person has gone from partial paralysis to jumping to touch low hanging tree leaves. 

As long as we aren’t six feet under, we are on the right side and anything is possible. That’s the philosophy Ms. Magill lives by and hopes that readers will come to realize that they too can overcome hardships and live good lives.

Excerpts:

First thing in the morning, I am not fully awake but I do know I have to go to the washroom – that room calls me as soon as my eyes open. Sometimes even before. That Monday I crawled the short distance between my bedroom and the bathroom where I hauled myself onto the toilet, took care of business, and then dragged myself up to the bathroom sink. I leaned against the vanity and brushed my teeth, watching myself in the mirror as I did so. It was strange. Nothing on the left side of my face moved. It was as if someone had drawn a line down the center of my body and everything on the right side was fine but the left side didn’t move. What was going on?

All sorts of possibilities go through one’s mind when he or she is waiting for a diagnosis such as this. Could it be cancer? Or something I have never heard of? Was my life going to be cut short? So many possibilities. But that wasn’t what was worrying me.

I was terrified that the results of the MRI wouldn’t show anything and once again medical professionals would think I was imagining things. I began to silently chant to myself, Let the MRI show something. I chanted that refrain the entire time I was travelling downtown.

Yeah, there was a fair amount of self-pity. I resented the fact I had finally got a job which paid well enough for me to have a future and then this happens. It seemed that every time I was making positive advances in my life, something would happen to derail me. Like the accident on the horse – I was going to college in Vancouver and on my summer break when that happened. What dastardly crime did I, or one of my ancestors, commit so that every time I got something good happening in my life, I would get knocked off my feet again.

Perhaps I was also afraid. This was my opportunity to prove that I had writing talent and could succeed in the literary business. What if I didn’t have any talent? What if I was just a dreamer with no talent, no ability, and destined to remain the way I was until I died? What if all my previous failures were a sign I wasn’t capable? What if there was no hope for me?

Karen Magill is a very busy lady. You'll find her working away at any of the places listed below.

On The Right Side, My Story of Survival and Success, eBook 

Webpage

Blog, Vancouver Vagabond 

On The Right Side Blog

Twitter 

(@KarenMagill)

Amazon page

Face book

FB Fan page 

Author/Speaker fan page

On The Right Side group

Don't forget to come out and be with us at the release party. 

There will be games, prizes and tons of fun with fabulously friendly people!

Party on Facebook

Author John Augustine drops in at the desk today. The publishing house is all abuzz about his upcoming book, 'From the Abyss'. He's having a big online party to celebrate the release of his story. A story that is filled with raw honesty that will cause readers to gasp in disbelief, and cry out for an end to the pain that plays out on the pages. This book tugs at the heartstrings and will stay with the reader long after they close the cover over his words.

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Synopsis/Book Blurb:

 24-year-old John Augustine is looking for a lasting, loving relationship and finds one hidden where he least expects it. Knowing that no relationship is perfect, he walks in with eyes wide open but is unable to see the future swirling with hell and heartache. Amidst the struggles of a new marriage, John begins to realize his wife is far different than the woman he thought he married. Her mental illness soon drags the new family past the point of no return. As a man, John struggles to be strong and tackle their problems single-handedly, though the marital foundation is eroding before his eyes. But once his wife files for divorce, he finds himself in a free-fall.

John Augustine's Bio

John Emil Augustine grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota and toured in his twenties and early thirties with local and national acts; writing, arranging, and performing with notable jazz, blues, gospel, reggae, post funk, prog rock, and folk groups. John has also been a landscaper, mail carrier, English professor, and forklift operator. He currently lives in Minneapolis with his wife and four boys.

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The release party for 'From the Abyss' promises to be huge. Authors,

readers and friends will come together to celebrate John's

new release with games, trivia, and prizes. 

Lots of prizes. 

And, it's happening today! Feed and tuck in the family, and join us on Facebook. 

It's easy to join, just click on the link below and tick 'join' on the event page. 

Then, check back in throughout the day, but especially at 

7-9 PM Eastern, 6-8 PM Central, 5-7 PM Mountain, 4-6 PM Pacific 

when the festivities really start hopping! 

I'll be there along with other Master Koda authors, artists, readers and friends. 

Live From the Abyss

You can also connect with John at the links below. 

He enjoys hearing from readers, and it always open to new friends and followers on social media. 

Website

Facebook Author Page

Facebook Personal Page

Twitter

Rough Hewn II: ESCAPE Cover Reveal

I can't tell you all how excited I am to finally share this book with you. And, the cover is fantastic. Rebbekah White captured the story in teeny-tiny pixels and fitted them together to come up with this wonderful cover that represents Jim and Carolyn Breckenship.

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The Book

Rough Hewn II: Escape picks up the lives of Kilmservy Village's most well-known citizens almost two hundred years after the village was settled by the Stuttshire and Breckenship families.

Life has changed a lot in the small mountain village since Oliver Stuttshire, Yule Breckenship and their families made the journey from the shores of North Carolina to the mountains of Tennessee. Some things never change, though. Good people tend to pass on their way of life to their children and grandchildren. All of whom go out into the world and try to make it better in their own way. The same can be said for people who are not so good. Those with evil in their hearts pass on that evil to the young ones. And if they are not strong enough to fight it, these children mimic the behaviors they've learned at home.

Some say it's in the blood; that evil passes from generation to generation. In the case of the Breckenship blood line, it seems to be true. Each new generation of Breckenship men seem more monstrous than those who have gone before. If it's true that evil endures in the blood and is passed on, than this family is the epitome of such evil. And, Jim Breckenship is the worst of the lot.

Jim's wife, Carolyn, learns too late that whispers of her husband's crimes are more than rumors. She must reconcile within herself the reasons she stays in the house with a monster. Additionally, she must alter her escape plan as Jim's actions grow more abhorrent by the day, nay, the hour. Will she escape in time to save herself and her secret, or has she waited too long?

The Cover

Now, as promised, the cover for Escape.

I'd like to thank Rebbekah White of Advantage Marketing for You and Master Koda Select Publishing for a job well done on this cover. You've truly captured Jim in all his 'glory'.

Book Launch Party

I'd like to invite everyone to the online book launch for Escape on Facebook. There will be games with prizes awarded, authors, readers, and friends. I'd love to have you stop by. The date is November 8 and the time is 3:00 PM CST. Please join us while we celebrate another release from Master Koda Select Publishing. The link for the party is here.

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It's always good to see you. Thank you for stopping by the desk today. 

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Author Spotlight ~ What She Knew

We have a special treat at the desk today. Kimberly Hughes and Tamy Burns, better known as the writing team behind the trilogy, What She Knew. Much like real life, this fictional tale of what Marilyn Monroe may have known, and of Kennedy's assassination is riddled with conspiracies, lies, threats and secrets. The ever-present, what ifs abound in this thought-provoking and entertaining first novel in the trilogy.

Book one, “Fateful Night” is on sale right now for 99¢ and is a must read in advance of the second book, “Darkest Day”. Speaking of the second book in the What She Knew trilogy, it was released on 17 September! And, there's a book launch planned for 20 September that you are all invited to attend. It's always a great party when Kimberly and Tamy get together with their friends – old and new!

Did Marilyn Monroe commit suicide? Did someone get away with an elaborate plot to murder the famous sex goddess? On that “Fateful Night” in August 1962 find out what may have happened to her and why she was killed. Many argue that she was involved in way too many secrets from different factions of the world. She was a smart woman who could play the dumb blonde to attain her stardom yet she unwittingly learned of conspiracy plots and political threats that would not only end her life but that of the current president, John F. Kennedy.

In this fast paced suspense every major player of the early sixties is involved, from the world politicians, to the Rat Pack, to Hollywood, and the mafia. What if Marilyn Monroe had lived and what if what she knew could have saved JFK?
Fact or fiction? What if....

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Let's get a closer look at the What She Knew team.

T.L. Burns

As Burns' co-author puts it "She is the foremost researcher and historical guru for the "What She Knew Trilogy." They have just finished writing book two in the trilogy and are in the process of writing book three.

Burns passion is for at-risk families. She volunteers her time to help the needy, not with a hand-out but with a hand-up. She is married and has two grown sons, best sons in the whole world, Kenny and Deven and one 4 legged son, Digby.

Burns is very proud of her boys. Her oldest, Kenny, is married with three kids and is the artist for all of their book covers. Deven is in college pursuing his degree in Engineering.

                T.L. Burns & K.R. Hughes 

K.R. Hughes

Hughes is an English major from Amarillo, Texas. She now resides near Atlanta, Georgia. She enjoys writing with her co-author T.L. Burns. They have just finished writing book 2 in the trilogy and are currently in the process of writing book three.

Hughes enjoys working with budding writers and tutoring English. Her passion is for at-risk teens. She volunteers to help teens realize their potential and find their passion. Hughes has two grown children, Justin and Kayti, and two four legged girls, MayZee and Ruthie.

Find other works by this author in the Historical Romance section, pen name is Kymber Lee, "Treasured Love" and "Lord Tristan's True Love" are both a fun romp written in Regency England in 1811. Lee (Hughes) wrote these novels for her grandmother who is a huge supporter of her work.

Would you like to contact the What She Knew team?

• International link for Fateful Night - http://dld.bz/cJc8C
• Website: http://www.kandtproductions.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/WhatSheKnewBook
• Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/
• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/whatsheknew/boards/

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Before we exit the room, here's a sneak peek at the newest addition to the 

What She Knew Trilogy:

“Darkest Day”

By K R Hughes and T L Burns

On the tragic day of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the nation mourns the loss of a president who stood for radical change and whose charisma carried him through the masses with never before seen devotion. Kennedy’s determination to pay the U.S. back for his good fortune never wavered, with a presidency riddled in strife from the Cuban Missile Crisis to the Cold War and finally to the Vietnam conflict 

nothing was easy for him.

In this fictional novel, Kennedy isn’t on a world tour or even in Texas in 1963. Instead he is in the Alps recovering from back surgery, a ruse that he had planned with Bobby, and his double months in advance 

of the tour. With the oval office tapped and the ever present Bobby running interference there was little likelihood that anyone would realize this was not the president. In fact, no one did.

Now, the world believes they’re beloved president is dead, there is no going back for Jack. While the decisions are difficult, it is far better to leave his ‘death’ alone than to risk political failure for his family 

clan and ridicule for his young widow.

Kennedy must now take on another face, name, and identity. Who is behind the assassination? What was the ultimate goal in killing the president? Was it to topple the American government and take down the Kennedy’s with it? Find out in this action packed conspiracy novel.

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 It's been my pleasure to share the first two What She Knew books by T.L. Burns and K.R. Hughes with my readers today. I hope you get the opportunity to read this imaginative trilogy soon.

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Wendy & Charlie Siefken Visit Nadia's Desk

I'd like to welcome Wendy and Charles Siefken to the desk today. They are the mother and son writing team behind Kai's Journey. Kai's Journey has been polished and is being rereleased by Master Koda Select Publishing after its original run as an indie book.

Exciting things are happening with the Siefkens including a great online release party at Facebook. Come over and join the fun with the Wendy, Charlie, friends, readers and the Master Koda Team at Kai's Journey book launch party. 




Kai's Journey is the story of a young man who lives in an apocalyptic world that his father created by accident. Faced with zombies and werewolves, how will he handle this world - seven years of adventure and lessons.



You can purchase the book at Amazon, here.

Now, lets hear what Wendy and Charlie have to say.

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Charlie will be attending college this fall for auto mechanics. He loves to read and create stories. He works full time at a local auto shop now. Charlie’s inspiration to become a writer and who got him hooked on reading books is Christopher Paolini who also started his writing career while in high school as well. 

Wendy is a wife, mother and also works as a tier one tech at a local call center. She has always loved to read books and when her children were small she loved to tell them stories she would make up with the kids being the main characters. Together Charlie and Wendy create worlds and people who live in them. 


Our journey started as a school project back in 2009. Charlie was given the task of writing, editing, and publishing a book. He was always writing stories and the teachers had a difficult time getting him to do his homework or doing the writing topics they wanted him to write on. Since then we have tried our hand at finding an agent with the big publishing companies before going the indie route. We had found someone to help us edit the book but they didn't quite have the same vision for the story as we did.

We had also found someone to help us create a book cover but again, they didn't quite see it as we did. Since we have joined with MasterKoda Select Publishing we have had wonderful help with editing the book to make it the best story possible with characters that will stay with you long after you finish the book.

Dan Peyton who is a very talented author is also a gifted artist who helped us by drawing the characters Kai and Clover for the cover. His amazing talents and beautiful work can be seen on the cover along with Rebbekah White's background that helps bring the story to life. Together these two wonderful people have created a beautiful work of art that we are proud to display for our book cover. 

So please join us on May 31st for fun, games and prizes! 
Just follow the link below and invite your friends as well!
https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/379479385502512/


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