Friday, August 22, 2025

Making Peace with Dementia by Ann Olson

 

 

 Nonfiction

Date Published: July 10, 2025

Publisher: MindStir Media



A compassionate, practical, and empowering guide for dementia caregivers—because you deserve peace too.

Making Peace with Dementia is written for the unsung heroes navigating the challenges of dementia care—family members, friends, and loved ones suddenly thrust into a complex and emotional role. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience as an occupational therapist, senior living consultant, and dementia care coach, Ann Olson offers both heart and expertise in this easy-to-read, transformative guide.

Blending professional insight with real-life stories, Olson shares tried-and-true strategies to help care partners interact more effectively and peacefully with those living with Alzheimer’s, Lewy body, or frontotemporal dementia. With clarity and warmth, she addresses some of the most difficult aspects of caregiving—challenging behaviors, communication struggles, burnout, and grief—while reminding caregivers that they are not alone.

Inside you’ll discover:

● A deeper understanding of what your loved one is experiencing

● Tools to respond to difficult situations with empathy and confidence

● Guidance on setting healthy boundaries and letting go of guilt

● Techniques to reduce tension and create calmer interactions

● Self-care practices to protect your well-being while caregiving


Through empowering language and uplifting wisdom, Olson reminds readers that while dementia may not improve, we can get better at managing it—and ourselves.

Whether you’re just beginning the journey or deep in the throes of caregiving, Making Peace with Dementia is your roadmap to reclaiming hope, balance, and peace.


About the Author


Ann Olson has dedicated over 25 years to working with older adults as an occupational therapist, senior living consultant, and dementia educator. She is passionate about empowering family caregivers to navigate the dementia journey with greater peace, understanding, and effectiveness.

Ann’s work is grounded in real-world experience—not only as a healthcare professional but also as a personal caregiver. After leaving her demanding job to care for her ailing mother and support others on a part-time basis, she began writing Making Peace with Dementia—a heartfelt culmination of her expertise and life lessons.

Her coaching and teaching help families understand the changes they see in their loved ones, implement proven strategies, develop realistic expectations, and recognize what they can and cannot control. Above all, she believes in supporting the primary caregiver—who rarely asks for the role but deserves guidance and grace.

Ann’s writing is deeply personal, shaped by both financial loss and emotional growth. She credits her clients with teaching her how to be more patient, confident, and compassionate. Through Making Peace with Dementia, she hopes to shift the narrative from caregiving as a burden to something that—while undeniably hard—can be meaningful, manageable, and even transformative.


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Thursday, August 21, 2025

Funny, Fierce, and Healing … And Right Now, It’s Free

 



Are you tired of being told to “just be positive” when your brain feels like a chaotic carnival ride? Same. That’s why I wrote You Were Never Broken—a funny, supportive, and spiritual (but not preachy) guide for women battling depression, anxiety, and ADHD.

And here’s the best part … for a limited time, you can grab the ebook FREE.

About the Book:

You Were Never Broken is part pep talk, part chaos, part “holy sh*t, she gets me.” Between the laughs, swears, and soul-deep reminders, you’ll find a survival guide for women who are exhausted from trying to be “perfect.”

Inside, you’ll find:

 Practical tools that actually help (without the toxic positivity).

 Sarcasm, humor, and raw honesty … because healing doesn’t have to be boring.

 A reminder that you were never broken in the first place.

This isn’t a forever deal, but it is your chance to snag a book that might just feel like your new best friend.

Blurb:

So, you bought a self-help book. Either you’re wildly optimistic, deeply desperate, or your Amazon algorithm knows things. Whatever the case, welcome. You’re in the right place. This is not a book that’s going to fix you … mostly because you are not broken. You’re just a woman with a gloriously tangled brain, a soft heart, and probably a pile of laundry you’ve been emotionally avoiding since Tuesday. Same.
Here, we’re going to talk about depression, anxiety, and ADHD—the holy trifecta of ‘What the hell is wrong with me?’ Spoiler alert: nothing. Your brain just runs Windows 95 on a MacBook Pro world. You’re not lazy, flaky, or dramatic. You’re overwhelmed, overextended, and still showing up. That’s actually kind of heroic.
This is your invitation to stop fighting your mind like it’s the enemy and start becoming friends with your beautiful, chaotic self. With humor, heart, and the occasional cry-laugh moment, this book is your permission slip to be a hot mess and still be worthy, loved, and healing. Grab some coffee (or wine), and let’s get into it.


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The Ballad of Midnight and McRae

  

Literary Historical Fiction / LGBT Friendly

Date Published: 07-16-2025







For Caleb McRae--devout Baptist, Texas Ranger, hero of the Wild West--life's simple enough: lawmen bring bad guys to justice, and hellfire's a sinner's fate. At least it seems that way, until he falls in love with the notorious outlaw, Henry Midnight...

Thomas Anderson of Literary Titan calls The Ballad of Midnight and McRae "wildly entertaining" and recommends it "to lovers of literary fiction, fans of Cormac McCarthy or Marilynne Robinson, and anyone who believes that stories still have the power to save."

Poet Malcolm Guite writes, "In the story of Midnight and McRae we are enabled to hear the long conversation between Pagan and Christian, and within Christianity between protestant and catholic. and on a personal level between father and son, between lover and beloved, and deep within ourselves, the conversation between the person we are pretending to be and the person we really are. And all these vital conversations are enfolded in and arise from a compelling story set on the frontiers, the badlands, and the formative days of America itself, the place where so many of these conversations need to take place."


“Wildly entertaining… Jess Lederman writes with a fierce tenderness, blending lyrical prose with grit and grace.”

—Thomas Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of Literary Titan





About the Author


Jess Lederman lives with his wife and young son in Southern California, where he writes historical fiction. His debut novel, Hearts Set Free, was an award-winning Amazon best-seller. When he's not writing or playing with his son, he's usually at the piano playing Chopin and Brahms for his wife.


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The Archaic Thesaurus by Nina Spinello

  

 Rediscover the Poetry of Forgotten Words


Nonfiction

Date Published: July 18, 2025

Publisher: ‎MindStir Media





Step into a realm where language brims with history, elegance, and forgotten magic. The Archaic Thesaurus is a curated treasury of archaic and evocative words, crafted for lovers of language, writers, poets, and seekers of the uncommon. Author Nina Spinello revives the rich textures of English vocabulary with a masterful collection that both enlightens and inspires.

From “abstruse” to “zealous,” each entry is meticulously presented with:

● The word’s pronunciation


● Part of speech


● Concise definition


● A vivid example sentence


● A list of thoughtfully selected synonyms—each with its own illustrative sentence

 

This A-to-Z compendium invites readers to embrace words like anathema, bellicose, laconic, and quixotic—expressions steeped in literary tradition and capable of transforming any piece of writing into something timeless.

Whether you’re an author in search of the perfect word, a language enthusiast craving the eloquence of yesteryear, or a student eager to expand your vocabulary, The Archaic Thesaurus opens the door to a more expressive, poetic, and nuanced way of communicating.

Perfect for:
✔ Writers and poets
✔ Lovers of classic literature
✔ Educators and students
✔ Word nerds and language explorers

Bring history into your vocabulary. Let these powerful words rekindle your imagination and elevate your expression.

📚 Rediscover the art of language—one magnificent word at a time.

 

 

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Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Rekindled Flame Burning Hearts Book 1 by Ella Braeme Genre: Small Town, Second-Chance Firefighter Romance

 


Check out this red-hot cover reveal! 


Rekindled Flame

Burning Hearts Book 1

by Ella Braeme

Genre: Small Town, Second-Chance Firefighter Romance

He swore to protect his town—but guarding his heart is the real challenge.

Volunteer firefighter Shawn Miller thought he had his life figured out in small-town Elken Grove. His print shop pays the bills while his real passion—fighting fires—keeps him connected to the community he loves.

Then his new Captain walks through the station doors: Rebecca "Becks" Schwartz, the woman who walked out of his life nine years ago. Now she's his superior officer, and someone in the department is determined to drive her away—or worse.

As danger closes in, Shawn must balance protecting Becks with respecting her authority. But when sparks fly hotter than ever between them, he realizes some flames aren't meant to be extinguished—they're meant to be stoked.

Get REKINDLED FLAME today and feel the heat of this slow-burn second chance romance!

 

★★★★★ "This is a wonderful page turner." - Goodreads review

★★★★★ "Shawn and Becks second chance story is not without some major events which keeps the reader entranced by the story." - Goodreads review

★★★★★ "I loved this story with its second chance at love for these two." - Goodreads review

★★★★ "The characters Shawn and Rebecca are going to deliver a very entertaining book for you to enjoy reading." - Goodreads review

 

**Releases Sep 3 – PreOrder Now!**

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Ella Braeme writes steamy small-town romance where protective heroes and the women who capture their hearts find love in the mountains and marshlands of Georgia. Whether her characters are running toward danger or running from their past, they always find their way to happily-ever-after. When she's not dreaming up new ways for couples to fall headlong into danger (and love), she's in her garden, supervised by a dog who firmly believes digging holes helps the flowers grow. Her quick, satisfying reads deliver the perfect escape, whether you're sneaking in a chapter during lunch or staying up way too late to reach that happily-ever-after.

 

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The Smallest of Miracles by Douglas Carpenter

 

Literary Fiction

Date Published: March 6, 2025

Publisher: Seacoast Press


One choice. One moment. A ripple that changes everything.

In The Smallest of Miracles, Douglas Carpenter crafts a masterful literary debut that merges gripping storytelling with profound life lessons. The novel follows Ted Carrington, a wealthy, brilliant, and emotionally distant man on the autism spectrum, who returns to the private elementary school that shaped him—for better and worse. He intends to make a large donation, but what begins as a business transaction slowly becomes a reckoning with his past.

As the story transitions between Ted’s present and his childhood, readers meet the deeply flawed, often cruel boy he once was—especially to a vulnerable new classmate named Anna. But life, in its quiet way, begins to turn his world upside down.

What emerges is not only Ted’s transformation, but an invitation to the reader: to reflect, to slow down, and to reconsider how the smallest decisions—the ones we barely notice—can lead to the greatest changes.

This is not just a novel. It’s a call to awareness. A self-improvement guide disguised as a coming-of-age story.

📘 "Just like everything in life, meaning is found in the small details."
📘 "A golfer knows a 2-inch putt counts the same as a 200-yard drive. Life is very similar..."
📘 "Change is the fertilizer of life. It often stinks, but it is necessary for growth."

🔹 Perfect for fans of literary fiction with depth
🔹 A powerful read for young adults and up
🔹 Ideal for classrooms and book clubs seeking discussion-worthy themes

Read it once for the story. Read it again for the insight.

 


About the Author


Douglas Carpenter is not your typical author. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Douglas became the youngest stockbroker in the U.S. at just 17 and currently owns two accounting firms and an asset management company in New York. Despite a thriving career in finance, his true passion lies in storytelling.

His debut novel, The Smallest of Miracles, took ten years to write—a deeply personal and intricately crafted journey of self-discovery and transformation. Drawing on his keen eye for detail and analysis, Douglas poured over every word, shaping a literary fiction novel that functions as both an engaging story and a guide to personal growth.

The book explores how tiny, seemingly insignificant choices shape our lives far more than major events. Readers are invited to slow down, reflect, and discover truths hidden in the smallest details—just as Douglas has done through his writing.

Douglas hopes his novel will find a place in high school curricula and on the bookshelves of thoughtful readers young and old. His message is clear: "The truth is always hidden behind things that are out of place."

Connect with Douglas Carpenter to discover a new perspective on life, character, and the miraculous power of small decisions.


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Tuesday, August 19, 2025

The Well-Tempered Violinist by Barbara T. Carlton 

 

Book 1 of The Gift 

Historical Fiction

Date to be Published: November 5, 2025

Publisher: Acorn Publishing



Marthe Adler dreams of making history as a great violinist. But in 1905 Germany, tradition and deep-seated prejudice against women musicians stand in her way. To make matters worse, her beloved father’s sudden death shatters her family’s comfortable life, pushing them to the edge of poverty.

But the violin Marthe’s father left her is a constant reminder of the profound bond between them, and it gives her the strength to begin healing. When the Köln Conservatory offers her an unexpected scholarship, she seizes her chance to reach for excellence.

Under the rigorous tutelage of Professorin Wolff, and subjected to predatory harassment by a fellow student determined to destroy both her self-worth and her chances of success, Marthe quickly learns she will need more than motivation and talent to rise to the top.

Filled with heart, wit, and music, The Well-Tempered Violinist is an enduring coming-of-age tale about an artist striving for greatness against enormous odds.


Excerpt


FEBRUARY 1949, HEIDELBERG

In the very beginning was the sound, bright and rich, with an edge of darkness.

I knew it before birth, my mother said, for whenever my father played, I became still in her womb, as if I were mesmerized.

In the sitting room of our house in Eberlinstrasse, I became the audience, propped with pillows before I could sit up, listening to my father and his friends play string quartets on Saturday nights—for love, he said, not money, for he was a banker, though as a young man he had studied with the famous Schradieck in Hamburg. Later, he told me I never fussed, never had to be removed, but remained transfixed, no matter how rough the music nor how often they repeated it. So perhaps my mother was right.

***

The second beginning was my fourth birthday, when my baby sister Anni stuck her fist into my birthday cake when no one was looking and my grandparents gave me a music box that played “Papageno’s Magic Bells” from The Magic Flute, which I listened to until everyone but me was sick of it. Best of all, my father gave me my own small violin and began to teach me its mysteries. First, the names of the strings and their personalities: A, sensible and even-tempered; D, cheerful and impetuous; down to G, serious and thoughtful; up to E, nervous and temperamental, with a tendency to squeak. How to tune them, how to find the notes and make them pure instead of scratchy. He turned exercises and drills into games and improvised harmony to my children’s songs, something different every time. Alle Meine Entchen, All My Ducklings. Bruder Jakob, a round. Kleines Mädchen, Little Girl—my favorite, because it was about me.

I practiced every afternoon for my evening lesson. Occasionally, with nerves like caterpillars in my stomach, I played for the applause and praise of my father’s friends. I might have thought all children were as docile as myself, if not for Anni. Anni’s temper tantrums, Anni thundering up and down the stairs, Anni meddling with my toys and often breaking them. I couldn’t imagine where my parents had found her, or why. Someday, I thought—preferably soon—she would run off to become a pirate and leave us in peace.

The pirate would surely come to no good. But I dreamed I would become a famous violinist and lead an exotic and sophisticated life on the concert stages of the world.

***

When I outgrew my first violin, Anni inherited it and my father began to teach her—at least, he tried. Anni never practiced and she hated lessons of all kinds. The experiment was short-lived and a spectacular failure.

I felt horribly smug for weeks.

My father and I shared a secret language, a world full of treasures where Anni couldn’t stick in her fat little fist and grab anything and where my mother didn’t care to go. A bond grew between us as between two fibers of the same tree, pure and deep. . .

***

 

MARCH 1906, KÖLN

Both of these beginnings came before the real one, like the prologue in fiction.

The third beginning, the real one, is now: a cold March morning a month past my eighteenth birthday, before the grand front door of one of the grandest houses in Köln. Herr Dietrich keeps a firm grip on my elbow, probably to keep me from running away. In my other hand, I carry my violin in its case. This house, on Leopoldstrasse in the heart of the Lindenthal district, belongs to Herr Ferdinand Kurtz, president of the Bank of Köln. My father’s bank.

Yes. It begins here.

The violin I carry is my father’s, because he is dead.

 

***

 


About the Author


Retired architect Barbara Thornburgh Carlton is an author of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Though not a musician, she remains music-adjacent as a volunteer for the San Diego Opera and the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival in Washington. The mother of two grown children who are remarkably considerate about keeping in touch, she lives in San Diego, California, with her photographer husband, Barry.

The Well-Tempered Violinist, Book 1 of The Gift series, is her first novel.

 




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The Heart Scarab The Duchy Wars Book 2 by Stella Atrium Genre: SciFi Dystopian Fantasy

  


"...an exhilarating and original piece of fantasy." 

Self-Publishing Review

The Heart Scarab

The Duchy Wars Book 2

by Stella Atrium

Genre: SciFi Dystopian Fantasy 


Bybiis has successfully thwarted her nemesis Ulaya and captured a clutch of serpent pouches that carry a certain magic. Against her will, the pouches get distributed among warriors of the Siibabean, so Bybiis goes her own way for discovering more about her beastmaster powers.

Meanwhile, Stuben el Cylahi has taken a position as police in the duchy capital of Urbyd where he butts heads with his boss Rufus el Arrivi. Stuben realizes that he also must strike out on his own and joins a group of Rundi who are on mission to recover some quarry slaves. His witness of coming events makes him wish that he had remained nearby Rufus. Can Stuben regain his tribal status?

 

Praise for The Heart Scarab:

 

For fans of speculative fiction who crave rich world building, complex characters, and thought-provoking themes, The Heart Scarab is nothing short of essential reading.

The BookViral Review

 

An elaborate and enthralling fantasy. Reminiscent of Robin Hobb’s legendary fantasy series, the immersive vernacular and eccentrically crafted language fully transports readers to. The alternating narrative structure provides readers with a full picture of this meticulously constructed realm, while the intermingling plotlines keep the elaborate prose at a persistent pace. Striking a confident balance between political intrigue, rich character study, and trenchant but epic dystopian themes, this second novel of Atrium’s series shines as an exhilarating and original piece of fantasy.

Self-Publishing Review

 

**Only .99 cents!!**

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The Matrix Opal

The Duchy Wars Book 1



From 5X award-winning writer.

Ariseng knew that she was expendable, but she would leave the stone forest and embrace their mission only if the Matrix Opal was hers, for magic and protection. She didn’t know that her true enemy lived among her new friends.

This standalone science fiction novel presents a fresh protagonist and sidekick. Familiar characters from the previous 5-book series also grow into adult roles, such as Bybiis the Beastmaster who struggles to find her place among the tribes that populate Dolvia’s city-states. Kristos el Arrivi meets Ariseng who is from a very different tribe and unwilling to harness her skills for the resistance. Will the young leaders learn to work together before their training is overwhelmed by a Ciska assassin group?

 

Praise for The Matrix Opal:

Stella Atrium’s writing is fluid and her superior storytelling skills leave a spell on readers, forcing them to keep on turning the pages. This deeply moving tale is filled with humanity and realism.

-Book Commentary

 

As always, Atrium builds worlds and cultures with anthropological rigor… and tour-guides readers through those creations with such exacting prose and immersive detail that the textures of life and conflict come to feel real.

-Book Life

 

… a beautiful masterpiece of worldbuilding with richly drawn characters, nuanced politics, conflicting cultures, and strange and wonderful creatures… It would be a shame to miss out on any of it.

- Catherine Langrehr, Indie Reader

 

**Only .99 cents!!**

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Stella Atrium presents planet stories about female protagonists of diverse ethnicities who encounter obstacles relatable to our lives today. How do women in a conflict zone gain voice in the public square using the few tools available to women?

THE BUSH CLINIC received an Editor's Pick from BookLife, a 2024 Silver Medal for Science Fiction/Space Exploration from Global Book Awards, and a 2023 Independent Press award for Science Fiction.

The second novel titled THE BODY POLITIC also received an Editor's Pick from BookLife, an Artisan Book Review award.

HOME RULE is the title for book 3 released in May 2023, securing an Editor's Pick from BookLife, First Place for Best Science Fiction Sisterhood from 2024 Chick Lit Cafe International award, and a 2023 Artisan Book Review award for Science Fiction.



TRIBAL LOGIC: Book 4 of The Tribal Wars was released in March 2024, and won the First Place Gold Medal for Science Fiction/Dystopian from Global Book Awards. 

Book 5 titled UTCAN’S TALISMAN was released in August 2024 with highest ratings from Literary Titan and Indie Reader, and gained a Bronze medal for Science Fiction/Dystopian from the 2024 Global Book Awards.

Also be certain to pick up Atrium's standalone novel SEVEN BEYOND that won an Editor's Pick from BookLife, and a 2014 Reader's Favorites Award in Science Fiction.

 

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Monday, August 18, 2025

Revenge The FBI Tampa Mystery Series Book 1 by A.M. Holloway Genre: Clean Romantic Suspense, Mystery Thriller

 

 


Love, Bullets, and a Second Chance — Will They Survive the Crossfire?


Revenge

The FBI Tampa Mystery Series Book 1

by A.M. Holloway

Genre: Clean Romantic Suspense, Mystery Thriller



Love, Bullets, and a Second Chance — Will They Survive the Crossfire?

When FBI Special Agent Micah French joins a high-risk pursuit through the streets of Tampa, he never expects the day to end with his partner shot and the woman he once loved holding his partner’s life in her hands.

Finley Herald, the surgeon who broke his heart a decade ago, now lives in Tampa. She’s saving lives at Tampa General and possibly risking her own when a vengeful cartel leader wages war against the agents involved in his brother’s death.

As bullets fly, allies fall, and a trail of revenge stretches from Mexico to Florida, Micah must navigate a storm of violence, betrayal, and second chances.

Every decision could be his last, and Finley’s reappearance threatens to shatter the emotional defenses he’s spent years building.

This book is a gripping blend of action, faith, and romance, where love may be the deadliest risk of all.


 **Get it for Only .99cents 8/24 – 8/26!**

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A.M. Holloway is an author of clean murder mysteries where crime and suspense take hold. Her catalog spans five series. A.M., who is married, relies on her husband's expertise in the CSI field to ensure accuracy in her books. She was born and raised in Georgia but now lives in Central Florida. When not writing, you will find her with her family, enjoying the outdoors, or sitting in her favorite chair, daydreaming about her next book.

 

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