About Decision Diagnosis: Seven Antidotes to Decision Procrastination by David Almeida

You can’t make successful decisions if you don’t know what those decisions are asking of you. In this book, via the brokering of economics theories, the scientific method, and a surgical approach to medical problems, you will find innovative methods to diagnosing decisions and tools for improving your clarity in personal and professional decision-making.

Physicians and surgeons routinely go through seven attributes of a medical problem to tease out the pertinent positives and negatives from a patient, so as to arrive at the right diagnosis and manage the patient with the correct treatment. Here I have hybridized this medical technique normally used for complex diagnoses with my work in research and business leadership to create seven antidotes to decision procrastination—a framework, entitled Decision Diagnosis, which we can apply to decision-making.

I believe that when you apply this framework, it will provide useful insights. Most importantly of all, it will help you achieve a greater understanding, clarity, and focus in your strategy and decision-making. Whether it is for personal or professional decisions, I believe this construct will help you succeed and improve your strategic and executive function.

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Author Bio:
David Almeida completed an Honors Bachelor of Science, specializingin Toxicology, at the University of Toronto. After undergraduate studies, he completed a PhD in Pharmaceutical Drug Research at the University of Szeged in Hungary. He went on to complete medical school and an ophthalmology residency at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada. Next, an interest in healthcare administration led Dr. Almeida to complete an MBA at The George Washington University School of Business in Washington, D.C. He then completed a 2-year vitreoretinal diseases and surgery fellowship at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. Dr. Almeida joined VitreoRetinal Surgery, PA – the largest vitreoretinal practice in Minnesota – in July 2015.

About Run and Change Your Life (Second Edition) by Josue Rojas

We all are runners in life.

We must have goals to achieve, whether they are business, job, carrier, finding the right person to start a family with, or reaching an economic and social level, among other goals. In order to get them, we must make the first step.

To figure out how to overcome difficulties that may appear on our path, we only must proceed with the certainty that we will achieve what we proposed and believe that we’ll get it and that any obstacle or mental cluster will be overcome with our faith.

The race of life is to know how to run it and to be focused on the goal. It will teach you how to deal with the trials when tiredness and pain surround you. You may change your steps or pace but never your vision toward your goals or dreams. You may take a pause to refresh yourself, to catch up your breath, or to deeply remove habits that may be burdens or obstacles that hold you from advancing.

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Author Bio:
Josue Rojas is a business entrepreneur, a leadership coach, motivational mentor, public speaker, and writer. He is a certified member of John Maxwell Team and is the author of La piedra y el camino and Poemas del corazón, a book with eighty poems of his own inspirations.

About Butterfly Bones by Rebecca Carpenter:

Butterfly Bones on sale for 99c from Jan. 23-25
BUTTERFLY BONES PRESS RELEASE

Author takes on bullying with butterflies

It’s a sad fact that bullying is a major issue within high schools around the world, and Colorado-based author Rebecca Carpenter “doesn’t pull any punches” in addressing this epidemic in her fresh and unique debut novel for teens.

The first in the Metamorphosis series, Butterfly Bones, is a poignant and powerful young adult contemporary science-fiction novel that truly pushes the boundaries of both nature and a young disabled girl’s desire for acceptance.

Butterfly Bones, published by Lakewater Press on November 28, 2016, tells the story of fifteen-year-old Bethany Keatley who not only deals with a rare bone disease that hinders her growth, but has grown up with no mother and a scientist father tirelessly seeking a cure for cancer. Desperate to leave the small-minded town of Springs, Georgia, Bethany avoids the bullies at school by achieving high grades and through the protection of her gorgeous quarterback friend Jeremiah—until the arrival of the mayor’s daughter Zoey. With the bullying reaching terrifying levels and a desire for more than friendship knocked back by Jeremiah, Bethany’s life becomes a prison. But when her father adds an accelerant to Bethany’s daily shot of butterfly hormone that keeps her condition under control, a horrifying side effect awaits her future.

Carpenter says of the background to her novel: “Five years ago, while listening to The Cure, a song called “Caterpillar” came on. I’d heard this song a million times. But for some reason, this time the music and lyrics spoke to me. The title of a book emerged: THE CATERPILLAR GIRL.

“The earliest version depicted a bullied teen girl with a rare bone disease getting revenge on her tormentors. Blood and gore were at the forefront. But no matter how hard I tried, Bethany refused to star in a horror novel.

“Instead, she pushed me to pen her story—a journey through great loss, tremendous change, and the harsh reality that Mother Nature and Father Time can’t be cheated.”

Carpenter, a mother and grandmother, who lives in Colorado with her husband and dogs, says: “Bullying is a real problem within our society, one that is all too often overlooked or written off as not that big of a deal.

“What I hope Butterfly Bones will achieve for readers is first and foremost to help them experience Bethany’s life—what it’s like to be bullied, to feel like you have no one to turn to for help, and the roller coaster of emotions that teens go through, especially with physical self-esteem and peer acceptance.

“I want readers to understand her wants and needs and to experience her giddiness and heartbreak over her first crush, as well as her resilience to withstand the relentless bullying at the hands of school mates until she’s finally broken.”

Carpenter hopes Butterfly Bones, which has been described as “an incredible story of true grit, determination, and bravery,” will open hearts and minds to seek for real change in policies to end bullying.

“I want readers to be able to recognize that outer beauty isn’t as important as inner beauty and that being happy with one’s self is the first step to finding true happiness.

“Lastly, I want readers to understand that we all have a good and bad side, but unconditional love is unconditional. And that includes loving ourselves.”

Carpenter’s previous publishing credits include a self-published memoir, The Total Deconstruction of Chloe Wilson, which is a straight-forward look into the life of a teen girl’s struggles with self-esteem and the shame she encounters on the road of teen pregnancy.

When she isn’t working at her childcare centre or spending time with her four gorgeous grandchildren, she spends her spare time reading, writing, and exploring the beautiful mountains of Colorado. Right now she is seeking personal experiences of bullying to share on her blog in the hope of uniting and showing those suffering at the hands of bullies that they’re not alone.

Butterfly Bones will be published on November 28 and has already been a big hit with early reviewers, being described as “freaky and creepy” and “so fresh, enchanting, and imaginative“, and has already attracted the attention of film production companies.

Butterfly Bones is on sale for 99c on Jan. 23-25

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Author Bio:
Rebecca Carpenter is a native of western Colorado. She is married with two grown children and four awesome grandchildren. She owns and runs a large childcare center where she shares her love for books. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, and exploring the beautiful mountains of Colorado.
Rebecca is also a certified copy editor and freelances for Kate Foster Professional Editing Services.
Rebecca has a serious sweet tooth and especially loves Zingers and Bavarian cream-filled long johns.
The Walking Dead is her favorite television show, and any movies with zombies make her happy.

About Tom’s Inheritance by TJ Green

When Tom accidentally crosses to the Otherworld in search of his missing grandfather, he meets the mysterious woman who has been appearing in his dreams – Vivian, the Lady of the Lake. She tells him he must travel to Avalon and wake King Arthur from his enchanted sleep. Something dark is stalking the old forest and Vivian needs Arthur’s help.

The Other is filled with danger, strange magic, and powerful allies, and Tom discovers the ancient stories are real – and so are ancient enemies. Tom’s life may never be the same again.

A magical tale for older children and all lovers of Arthurian legend.

This YA book is available in these Formats: eBook, Print

Buy Book Here.

About Happily Ever After: Falling for the Billionaire:

20 Billionaires, 20 Sizzling Ways to Fall in Love.

$0.99 special preorder price. Whether your fantasy is a prince or a self-made man, this set has all the hard-bodied, Alpha billionaires you can handle. Let our award-winning, best-selling authors take you on a trip filled with exotic locales, dizzying privilege and heart-warming happily ever after.

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Author Bio:
We’re 20 award-winning, best-selling authors who write billionaires from hard-bodied alphas to genius inventors to exotic princes–but who all love a good happily ever after. Includes Opal Carew, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, USA Today best selling author, Victoria Pinder, Margo Bond Collins, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, and so many more.

About Nightwalk:

Welcome to Coventry Woods,
…a tranquil, middle class neighborhood where trees turn the streets into shady tunnels, soccer moms jog on secluded paths, and backyard barbeques are weekend staples. It’s a quiet, urban example of the American dream. Here businessmen are neighbors with radio DJs, young doctors buy their first houses, and author Mark Garrett has been settling in with his lovely new wife and stepdaughter.
But tonight Mark’s new neighborhood is going to come with something he never bargained on.
The pits of hell have yawned wide and poured their contents into the midnight streets and homes of Coventry Woods. Everything has gone insane. Shots and screams ring out in the night, while death stalks the darkness in forms this earth has never before seen. Even worse, the only hope of escape is by foot.
Now Mark, along with his stepdaughter and his back-fence neighbor, must flee the neighborhood while attempting to help anybody they meet. And it won’t be easy. They will be walking a gauntlet of unearthly predators, as they strive toward a goal they aren’t even sure still exists…the outside world.

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Author Bio:
D. Nathan Hilliard writes horror and fantasy from his desk in Spring, TX. He draws his inspiration from a wealth of experiences growing up in small towns, a childhood addiction to the Saturday Afternoon Matinee, and a life-long love of the written word.

About The Edge of Revolt:

Struggling to find the right balance between loving his sons and upholding justice, how long will David remain silent, even as Amnon rapes Tamar, even as Absalom lures Amnon to his death?

These crimes go unpunished, because a mysterious change has come upon the king, which his court scribes note even before he does. In the past he had to explain his actions, such as the affair with Bathsheba, to them. Now, they want to understand the opposite thing: his lack of action.

In families other than his, such matters may be a mere matter of gossip. Yet when assault, incest, and murder occur in the king’s family, they affect matters of the state. Beset by court intrigue, David is toppled from his throne, and must escape from the son he adores, Absalom.

Even as he finds a way to quell the revolt and come back to the City of David, the road ahead seems unclear. How will he find the right successor amongst his remaining sons, the one who will connect to him and continue his legacy?

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Author Bio:
Uvi Poznansky is a bestselling, award-winning author, poet and artist. “I paint with my pen,” she says, “and write with my paintbrush.” Her romance boxed set, A Touch of Passion, is the 2016 WINNER of The Romance Reviews Readers’ Choice Awards.

Education and work:
Uvi earned her B. A. in Architecture and Town Planning from the Technion in Haifa, Israel and practiced with an innovative Architectural firm, taking a major part in the large-scale project, called Home for the Soldier.

Having moved to Troy, N.Y. with her husband and two children, Uvi received a Fellowship grant and a Teaching Assistantship from the Architecture department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. There, she guided teams in a variety of design projects and earned her M.A. in Architecture. Then, taking a sharp turn in her education, she earned her M.S. degree in Computer Science from the University of Michigan.

She worked first as an architect, and later as a software engineer, software team leader, software manager and a software consultant (with an emphasis on user interface for medical instruments devices.) All the while, she wrote and painted constantly, and exhibited in Israel and California. In addition, she taught art appreciation classes. Her versatile body of work includes bronze and ceramic sculptures, oil and watercolor paintings, charcoal, pen and pencil drawings, and mixed media.

Books and Genres:
Her two series won great acclaim. Still Life with Memories is a family saga series with touches of romance. It includes Apart From Love, My Own Voice, The White Piano, The Music of Us, and Dancing with Air. The David Chronicles is a historical fiction series. It includes Rise to Power, A Peek at Bathsheba, and The Edge of Revolt.
Her poetry book, Home, is in tribute to her father. Her collection of dark tales, Twisted, and her Historical Fiction book, A Favorite Son, are both new age, biblically inspired books. In addition, Uvi wrote and illustrated two children books, Jess and Wiggle and Now I Am Paper. For each one of these books, she created an animation video (find them on YouTube and on her Goodreads page.)

About From I-80 to Galway Bay: Searching for a Savior by James Christie:

Christmas morning. A blinding snowstorm. Three cars, two tractor trailers. Two lives linked by death then disconnected by life. CPR for one. An aspirin for the other. For both, the guilt of survival. The inability to cope. Then a heart-wrenching discovery and the search for a savior. The savior himself also searching, but only for final peace.

Adam Connor thinks he is doing the right thing, pulling his car with his pregnant wife and two children off I-80 during a Christmas morning snowstorm. A car has crashed into the wooded thicket separating the east and west lanes, and he is overwhelmed with the need to help. Fifty feet into the woods he finds a car with the driver dead and the passenger dying. When the unconscious passenger’s breathing stops and no pulse can be found, Adam brings the young woman back to life with CPR just before the EMTs arrive.

Emerging from a weeklong coma twenty-eight year-old Addie Harris is told she is now a widow. She is also told that she is alive only because of a Good Samaritan. As Addie recovers, her few attempts to locate the Samaritan go nowhere and she eventually returns to the life of meaningless sexual encounters she had been living before meeting her late husband.

Several months later, Addie discovers the heart-wrenching headline of a newspaper article. And so begins the search for the man to whom she now owes more than her life. A search that eventually leads to Dublin and the coast of Ireland, and her savior, who possibly now needs someone to save him. From himself?

The following is a quote from a review on Amazon:

I have been waiting for another book from this author for FIVE YEARS! His first book Blink Once to Spread Snow is an absolute joy. If you’ve read it or heard about it, you know it fits neatly in the genre of historical fiction. Characters interacting with people and facts from the Great Depression and World War II make this my favorite kind of fiction. So when I read the tease on Amazon for this new book, my first reaction was disappointment. From I-80 to Glasgow is definitely not historical fiction.

But I loved it. Both novels have main characters that are consumed by guilt. But unlike Cal Brenneman who mans up and lives his life the best he can, regardless of how he fails to protect members of his family, both Adam Connor and Addie Harris find themselves incapable of rising above much of anything. Especially Adam. But then again… well, it’s very difficult to offer much information about either Adam or Addie without spoiling three of the most heartfelt moments in the book. I can say, however, that despite the dark paths these two often find themselves on, you can’t help finding yourself emotionally caught up in their struggles. You like these people despite their flaws. And you hope that somehow they will finally meet again. The devastation on Christmas morning, the trial three months later, the stupid and dangerous things each of them does, all become steps along the way to an ending that is both satisfying and credible.

As much as I liked the two main characters, however, my favorite character is Jeannie, the old woman Adam befriends on the plane to Dublin. An early Alzheimer’s sufferer she has made her getaway from a nursing home in the States so she can return to her native Ireland to die without forcing her children to watch her pathetic decline. She and Adam have two more encounters before the novel ends and each meeting not only makes her a more interesting character, but adds another layer to Adam and his understanding of himself.

From I-80 to Galway Bay will grab you by your emotions and take you on an unforgettable trip from a Christmas morning tragedy in Pennsylvania to a nursing home beside Galway Bay seven months later. When you finish turning the last page, you’ll find this trip was well worth the taking.

From I-80 to Galway Bay will be free on Amazon January 23-24.

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Author Bio:
James Christie graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in English and received his M.S. from Elmira College. He has also written Blink Once to Spread Snow. He is currently preparing his third novel, the story of a childhood memory accidentally unlocked during deep brain stimulation therapy, a memory that threatens the guilty and the innocent.
He can be reached at JAC@GracehillPress.com or Mailbox@JamesAChristie.com

About Stroke: A Bad Boy Romance:

She wants me, but can she handle the heat?

If I decide you’re mine tonight, you’d better be ready for the time of your life; you’ll only get one chance. If you get in the way of my business, you’d better make your peace with this world; it’s the last thing you’ll ever do.

Flying to Miami to keep tabs on a rival family was supposed to be just business as usual. But that all changed the moment I laid eyes on that Latina beauty.

Innocent and pure, Bella Rojas is everything I’m not. One look at her killer curves and her seductive smile, and I had to have her. One touch of her silky skin on mine and I wanted more. Her dark eyes flame with passion, and I want to be the one to keep the fire burning.

She doesn’t need to know who I am, just how I make her feel. But when it’s time for me to take a drug operation down, she discovers what I do and won’t let it go. She says she needs time to work through things, but the enemy won’t allow it.

Danger finds her in the form of a dark, sadistic man. We’ll never be together and free, unless I kill him and every last one of them.

It’s always been about business. About family. Now it’s just all about her.

I swore to protect her, and I’m bound to my word. When all is said and done, I’ll claim her as my own.

Stroke is a panty-soaking full-length standalone bad boy romance with an HEA, no cheating, and no cliffhanger.

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Author Bio:
There’s nothing I like more than churning out steamy hot, alpha bad boy romances.

I settle in with my mug of Chamomile and my two kitties by my side, and let my dreamy bad boy fantasies take over. I never hold back on my writing, and I like to keep the action steady and the sex scenes scorching.

Be the first to read my new releases FREE and receive my sizzling hot newsletter by joining my mailing list at http://eepurl.com/cw8mrv.

As an indie author, it’s your support that makes it possible for me to keep writing the stories you want to read. I’d love to hear from you!

GG

gabbygraceauthor@gmail.com

About The Ulterior Motive:

The fate of the United States hangs in the balance and only a select few can prevent the impending disaster.

Stanley Carmichael is an intelligent and hard-working member of the Central Intelligence Agency. Yet, he never expected to be named Deputy Director of the CIA so soon in his career. Nonetheless, he finds himself stepping into shoes that feel impossible to fill.

Anna Carmichael is a legend. She’s one of the fiercest ex-members of the Special Activities Division, where she saw more than enough blood and war for a lifetime. Now, she’s still CIA, but stuck behind a desk and bored. Luckily for her, it seems her fieldwork isn’t done yet. For as soon as Anna’s partnered with rookie FBI Special Agent Blayze Phillips, she realizes his investigation is a lot more dangerous than it seems—especially when it turns its attention to the mysterious Caliph al-Maqasid.
They know that the Caliph spent the last few years successfully uniting fractured terrorist groups in the Middle East. Now he’s formed the most well-funded, strategically efficient operation that’s on its way to becoming a true global caliphate. But who is the Caliph, really? Why doesn’t anyone know anything about this infinitely clever, charismatic, and terrifying man? And what, exactly, is he plotting next?

The Carmichaels will have to work together to find out, because the Caliph is about to strike at the heart of America.

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Author Bio:
Bio: Jack Coleston lives with his wife, Sophie, in Auckland, New Zealand.
Coleston recently published his first novel, The Ulterior Motive, a promising Action-Adventure thriller with aspects of historical fiction. If you like realism and suspense then Jack Coleston’s writing will release your inner page-turner.

About The Sea of Iden:

When an old informant makes contact with the Sentinels, Conrad R. Slade is brought back from obscurity and must risk his life just to meet with her.
Meanwhile, Avery Clark and Alondra Suarez are among many whose lives are turned upside down by one question:
Is Nullis Groon a delusional demagogue or a Messiah?
During a confrontation between the United Earth Alliance and the Jarufani Commonwealth, Groon hijacks an Earth Forces vessel and takes an already tense standoff to the breaking point.

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Author Bio:
A. A. Smith is a graduate of the University of British Columbia and lives in Vancouver, BC. He has worked in environmental consulting and financial services. He is also a practitioner of yoga and martial arts.

About Good Investigations:

South London. The 1980s. David Good, a morally confused and womanising private investigator, is hired by a ridiculously beautiful blonde to help her fend off the attentions of a serial blackmailer. But he’s barely got to grips with the woman’s keen sense of self-interest when he stumbles on to something far more unsavoury.

Never one to run a mile when a woman needs help, Good finds himself up to his neck in trouble, upsetting some unpleasant people with short fuses and their own self-interest to protect. This time his trade mark sense of humour might not be enough to see him safely out the other side, but the clock’s ticking, so for once he ignores the obvious risk to his own carelessly maintained health and starts to unmask an illicit trade that’s been causing a great deal of suffering.

Join David Good as he seeks to simultaneously unravel both the crime and the woman.

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Author Bio:
Ben is the author of the David Good, Private Investigator stories. Set in London during the 1980s, they follow the adventures of a PI in tune with his neck of the woods and in possession of some distinctly pliable morals. The stories place a big emphasis on relationships, especially those between Good and the many women that pass through his life, and all come served with a side-order of humour.

Ben was born in London and spent most of his childhood in the semi-rural environs of north-west Kent, before heading off to the altogether different and industrial metropolis of Manchester for three years as an under-graduate.

As study gave way to work, the urge to scribble became incessant and Ben spent many, many years doing just that, jotting down in an uncontrolled jumble anything and everything that jostled for space in his head. Eventually order and discipline was established and for several years now, Ben’s focus has been on writing crime stories.

Ben now lives in rural Northamptonshire in the UK with his family and a heavily over-worked computer.

About Ghost – Honor Thy Parents – The Rick Watkinson Story By Trish Faber:

One is supposed to honor thy parents. At least that’s what the Bible says. In the prequel to Ghost – The Rick Watkinson Story, “Honor Thy Parents”, tell of the fateful night that 16 year old Rick Watkinson picked up a semi-automatic rifle and fatally shot his father and his step-mother. Why did he do it? What was his state of mind that led to his actions? This prequel sets the stage for answers to those questions and more. Find all of these answers and more in the full novel – Ghost: The Rick Watkinson Story.

For most, teenage angst is like a sacred rite of passage into adulthood. You fight with your parents because they don’t like the clothes you wear or the music you listen to. They tell you to be home at a certain time and to do your homework. You tell them to screw off. Rebellion is a part of growing up; a cat and mouse game of sneaking around and pushing the limits of independence. But what happens when that rebellion is fueled by extreme betrayal, years of abuse, spiritual brainwashing, and a final fit of explosive rage? In the case of sixteen year old Rick Watkinson, it meant one fateful night that would alter the course of his life forever.

Rick Watkinson was a typical American kid growing up with his mother, father, and brother in California. Idolizing his father Robert, a pilot, the young boy reveled in their shared passion for flying and fostering their adventurous spirit sailboat racing and travelling. But the strength of that father-son bond was crushed when his father filed for divorce soon after moving the family to Oregon. Ten-year-old Richard was devastated – unable to comprehend his father’s wicked betrayal of the family. With his bitter and vengeful mother’s help, the love for his father quickly turned to hate. The center of his universe became the center of his scorn.

Consumed by her own hatred and personal issues, his mother was unable to offer him the support and security his confused psyche needed and craved. God would save them she said. God would look after them. They just had to believe and pray – don the armour in the fight against Satan and his army of demons. Ricky would lead the way, with his ‘special gift’ he was ‘Christ’s Little Warrior’.

Darkness, light, light, darkness. With his emotions slammed tight behind an iron wall of resolve, Rick and his lost soul took to the streets, finding comfort and his voice, among the criminals and socially angry young adults. They became his strength. They became his guide. If fences needed to be jumped, things stolen or sabotaged, it was often ‘crazy little Ricky’ who was asked to do the deed. This built confidence, and finally made him feel like he was a part of something again.

By the time he was 15, he was wanted by Oregon police for two first degree counts of arson. Tracked down in Oregon by his father and step-mother, he was given a choice – either come live in Alaska with them or be dropped off at the police station. Rick chose door number one, the apparent lessor of two evils. With that choice his fate was sealed, and for the next thirteen months, his life in Alaska was a cage match with each party throwing punches; the violence and tension escalating with each round. His only solace was his participation in the Navy JROTC, a place where he found peace and a sense of purpose.

Early in the evening of November 30, 1995 his father informed Rick that because it was interfering with his school, he was pulling him from the Navy JROTC. The first blow landed. After a prolonged argument with his wife, Robert Watkinson informed his sixteen year old son that he was to be gone from the house before sunrise the next morning. No money, no plane ticket back to Oregon, just a kick out the door into the dead of an Alaskan winter. It was more than he could take.

In his own words Rick writes; “This second betrayal was too much. The dam that held back the waters of six years of suppressed emotions broke and I was overwhelmed. In an act, I will always regret, I shot both my father and step-mother”. Never denying his guilt and confessing to the crime, Rick was tried as an adult and sentenced to 160 years in prison.

“Ghost” is the true story of Richard Watkinson, his journey from a tumultuous childhood, to his current stay and personal growth behind the thick steel bars in the Alaska State Penitentiary. Who is this man and what causes a person to cross the boundaries of humanity? Can these events be strictly traced to upbringing and environment, or do some people have an inherent propensity for evil? Is redemption or rehabilitation even possible? Watkinson’s compelling story and subsequent trial and extremely harsh sentencing raise serious questions about society in general, the treatment of minors, and the power of the American justice system.

Stripped down to its core, this is a story of a boy who just wanted to be loved. A boy who just wanted to belong, and be a part of a family, whatever that incarnation of a family might have been. He has spent his entire life searching, testing the different philosophical and ideological strains to find some semblance of who he is. He is not asking for forgiveness nor is he expecting us to give it. His life is his life, and his mistakes are his mistakes. He cannot change the past or give life to his father and step-mother. He can only move forward, continuing to find the light in a life of darkness.

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Author Bio:
I began to write at the age of five, using my family as characters in my first epic novel, “The Rabbit Family”. Although never formally published, the single, handwritten and self-illustrated copy of “The Rabbit Family” did make appearances at the local school, grocery store, bowling alley and bridge club meetings, courtesy of an enthusiastic Mother and her large purse. I am grateful to my family for allowing me to develop my imagination and creative flair without ever passing judgment. I realize at times this must have been difficult.

I was blessed to be born into the most wonderful and loving family, with parents who adored each other and three incredible older brothers who still arm wrestle at Christmas to see who’s the strongest. My older sister is my best friend and someone I’m not sure I could ever do without. My family gave me my foundation and helped me be the person I am today. We’ve had our struggles, losing Mom at such a young age, being at the top of the list, but we’ve always stuck together. I am thankful for their love and the love of their spouses and children.

Being the youngest kid in a big family is an awesome thing, even if meant I had to be the “official television station changer” before the invention of the wireless remote (long story…maybe a future blog post!). And then there were the times my oldest brother made me run laps through the house to “train” for the Olympics, while he sat on the stairs, laughed and shouted the odd word of encouragement. Do I begrudge him? Hell no! I just made his two girls sprint back and forth in my backyard when they came to visit…

Creativity is about having the courage to not only find your voice but share it with others. It can be frightening – I know. For too long I was afraid, and kept my creativity safely hidden in the closest. Afraid of being laughed at…ridiculed for being a bit zany. So I tried other means to satisfy my imagination. I coloured my hair. A lot. I re-arranged furniture and painted walls. But nothing seemed to work. I couldn’t deny it. I had to write. I was forced to write. And I was liberated.

I enjoy all sorts of writing and don’t like to pigeon-hole myself into one particular genre. It all depends on the vibe I’m feeling for that particular day. I’ve written non-fiction books, fiction books, articles and over forty scripts for short 30 second animation pieces. I enjoy what I do and have to admit it does give me a feeling of accomplishment. Life is all about what you make it. If you never take the chance, you’ll never know just what you might be able to accomplish!
Trish is the first author signed to the Wonder Voice Press label.