Glenn R. Murray's Blog

Guest Blogger - Amanda Adams



Predators are everywhere and exist in every walk of life, every profession, every race and ethnicity, every socioeconomic level, any age and all genders. The #MeToo movement, initiated by Tarana Burke, is not about just sexual harassment in the workplace. It’s about sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and violence of any kind, anywhere.

Physical and emotional abuse puts an imprint on our brains and permanently changes how we perceive situations in our lives. This often creates a fight or flight response, resulting in becoming a fierce advocate for victims or a silent, hidden figure.
The Sangrita Club is a collection of #MeToo stories. It is different than other novels because the main characters: Vanessa, Anne, Monica and Maria, are a culturally diverse group of women who look beyond their external differences to see their inner similarities and create a sisterhood.
The Sangrita Club reveals the harsh realities of dysfunctional family relationships and impaired courtships, by providing a glimpse into daily life challenges and interpersonal struggles, utilizing comedic banter and raw truth. The four women of The Sangrita Club are compelled to examine how their present state of being is shaped by their secrets from the past.
As I penned this novel, I wove instances of sexual harassment, molestation and parental neglect from my own life’s story into the character’s lives. This effort became my mode of catharsis to face the realities of the secret burdens I had carried for many, many years. The Sangrita Club became a catalyst to speak my truth to power and end my silent suffering.
Sometimes, we have a tendency not to be able to see the state we are in because were so busy trying to cope with the symptoms of the mess we find ourselves in. Sometimes, it takes an “accident”, or an illness, or a surprise pregnancy, or a few words whispered to us from a friend to open our eyes and help us see where we are, what state we are in, and realize that's not where we could be or where we really should be.

The Sangrita Club reads like a fictional, self-help book, because I wrote it for women who find themselves in situations that they don't necessarily want to be in. Perhaps they may be in those situations because of their own choices or because of the choices that have been made for them by others. I want women to see themselves in the pages and invoke their inner audacity to stand up for themselves, speak up for themselves, develop a strong desire to pursue their dreams, and to remove themselves from situations in which they don’t want to be in; situations that are just unhealthy; situations that hinder them personally, spiritually, and professionally.

As women, we need to come together for the single purpose of creating a community to listen, encourage, uplift, celebrate one another, and share our weaknesses, mistakes, and pitfalls that we’ve encountered. I want us use the The Sangrita Club as a mirror to find ourselves, then find the strength that lies within us to overcome the circumstances that inhibit us from not only being able to achieve our dreams, but also to dream our own dreams for ourselves.

We are experiencing a watershed moment in history, with all of the hundreds of thousands of women coming forth, and telling their #MeToo stories, which cut across all races, religions, and socioeconomic classes – from soccer moms, to members of Congress, to CEOs. We were not created with a diminished capacity in comparison to men. Our brains are not smaller, our ability to reason and think is not less than that of a man. Now, if that is the case, then why have we allowed men to think of us as inferior to them? Why have we allowed men to keep us in a diminished capacity in the workplace and in our own homes for generation, after generation, after generation.

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No matter what the situation is in our lives, we can escape. We must create an escape plan and find a way up, out, through, around and over the stumbling blocks in our lives and transform them into stepping stones. We must wipe off our facades and discover the illuminating value that lies within each of us and develop our own Sangrita Clubs; a safe haven in which we can open up about the truth in our lives and begin the healing process. Whether it’s sexual assault, sexual harassment, discrimination, addictions, abandonment, domestic violence, financial imprisonment, emotional abuse, rejection or neglect – the list goes on and on. There are women in our lives that have experienced at least one of these issues, and some of us, many more than one. Don’t let fear and intimidation stand in your way. Draw on the experiences and wisdom of other women. Rise-up and speak you mind! My hope is that The Sangrita Club helps you to find a way.

#TheSangritaClub #MeToo #WomenRiseUp
Michigan and New York native Amanda Adams began her quest to become an author through journaling and writing poetry as a method of catharsis during her college years. Amanda earned degrees in Information Systems and Management Science, as well as an MBA and worked as an Information Technology Executive and Management Consultant for multiple Fortune 100 companies. She spent two decades crafting a back story for her debut, The Sangrita Club, the first in a series of stories about compelling female corporate executives. Currently, Amanda is an entrepreneur and lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and daughter where she’s active in community activities and continues to write.
Twitter: @BooksByAmanda
Facebook: BooksByAmandaAdams
Instagram: BooksByAmandaAdams
Email: BooksByAmandaAdams@gmail.com
Website www. BooksByAmandaAdams.com

Filed under: Blogs, Books, Social Awareness
The Sangrita Club

Time SignatureToday's 220 Publishing Book Giveaway : "Time Signature" by Carlo Kennedy .
Visit the @220comm twitter page and post the hashtag #Timesignature and you could be the lucky winner.


Reading Time Signature I first thought author Carlo Kennedy is working for Itunes. Every chapter is the name of an 80s song and it kept me heading to my phone dowloading tunes I loved but forgot. But its really a well thought out historical action/sci -fi/music adventure. If you're a fan of time travel this is a book for you. Great for young adults and us older kids as well. Memorable characters interacting with historical figures . Well written, great dialogue totally enjoyable. Carlo's Italian/Irish roots help provide great historical context for the time period.. A Must read (or a "must win" ) if you're lucky

http://www.amazon.com/Time-Signature-...

Today's 220 Publishing Book Giveaway : "Time Signature" by Carlo Kennedy .
Visit the @220comm twitter page and post the hashtag #Timesignature and you could be the lucky winner.


Reading Time Signature I first thought author Carlo Kennedy is working for Itunes. Every chapter is the name of an 80s song and it kept me heading to my phone dowloading tunes I loved but forgot. But its really a well thought out historical action/sci -fi/music adventure. If you're a fan of time travel this is a book for you. Great for young adults and us older kids as well. Memorable characters interacting with historical figures . Well written, great dialogue totally enjoyable. Carlo's Italian/Irish roots help provide great historical context for the time period.. A Must read (or a "must win" ) if you're lucky

http://www.amazon.com/Time-Signature-...

Speak Your Peace: Healing Is Your Choice20 Publishing 4th Anniversary Prize Giveaway. Speak Your Peace: Healing Is Your Choice by Jodine Basterash - Speaker/Author/Domestic Violence Advocate/Actress/Model


To win a copy of Speak Your Peace: Healing Is Your Choice place #SpeakYourPeace in the comments section on the 220 Publishing FB Page

Some projects we take on because they are meant to make a difference. This was one of them. We entered a joint publishing venture with Masterpiece Publishing founder Jodine Basterash . Admittedly, it was the most difficult manuscript read I have ever had . It is at times unnerving and uncomfortable to read first hand the pain one individual can inflict on another.
The goal was to create an anthology of survivors of domestic violence experiences in their own words finding and speaking their "peace" with the experiences they had overcome. With very little editing or changing of the message, right down to the impactful cover. We are proud that what we were able to release was an amazing, sometimes harrowing first person account from domestic survivors. Jodine shares her own story and empowers survivors to literally speak their "peace" and put brutal past memories behind them. Not just filled with stories. There are real life lessons on recognizing an abusive situation, The book also provides critical, life saving information for people trying to escape domestic abuse. We are proud to have been a part of this project. If you want to see what real victory over devastating circumstances then please read this book.

http://www.amazon.com/Speak-Your-Peac...

This month, 220 Publishing celebrates its 4th anniversary. What started as a spur of the moment idea evolved into a full service publisher with nearly 20 releases . Throughout the month of July we will be offering the opportunity for our social media friends to win copies of all our titles. Look for a daily book giveaway as we share the stories behind our releases and allow you to share in our celebration of great writers sharing their talents with the world.
http://220communications.com/publishing/

Todays' Book Giveaway "Sometimes You Have To Take A Drastic Step To Change Your Life" by Toni Harris For a chance to win a copy of this book email me with your shipping information. Winner will be selected today by 7PM

We met Toni Harris in Dallas TX in 2012 at the Power Networking conference, the first thing you notice about the Houston native is her endless energy. But that energy was only the beginning. She is a determined and driven professional who simply doesn't believe that things are impossible. She had overcome every obstacle to make it to the conference (including not having a book until a few weeks short of the conference, and dealing with an ailing loved one) . Personally, I was impressed by her spirit...her can do attitude and professionally by her book and the lineup of authors and their stories of overcoming intense challenges to achieve great success.
We relaunched "Drastic Steps" under the 220 Publishing imprint the next year. Since then Toni has not stopped moving forward. She's taken her message of taking drastic steps all across the nationally as well as internationally.

Drastic Steps was the first 220 Publishing book to receive a 5 Star Review from a national book club. Here's what they had to say about the book:

"I found 'Sometimes You Have To Take A Drastic Step To Turn Your Life Around' by Toni Harris this to be an inspirational and motivating book on how to change one’s current circumstances. I was not sure in the beginning what to expect, but as I read through the different stories of people who had taken a drastic step to turn their lives around, I was inspired.

This book held stories from people who really went into depth and detail about what they were going through. I could totally feel and relate to their stories. Their journeys were thought-provoking and some cases sad, but they all overcame. Even the author's own story of her journey captivated me because I could feel her pain and her emotions of where she had come from."

With this giveaway you're not just winning a book you may just be making a real life shift

The Hand of Karma“The Hand Of Karma”(220 Publishing) , a thriller written by sisters Nan C Hensley and Judith Haimes was an idea born from a devastating life event. Hensley had just found out she was diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer, when she broke the news to her sister, the pair decided to write as a form of therapy. Started during Hensley’s chemotherapy sessions, under the pen name “Haimes Hensley”, the two sisters and best friends journeyed through the ordeal of cancer together and created a serial killer by proxy thriller that has left readers begging for more.

The book has been hailed as a “must read” and “hard to put down” by readers and critics alike. The story takes readers through the skillful manipulation of a psychotic man by a brilliant and emotionally warped woman. Allison Rogers, a psychic, picks up clues through contact with a place where one of his crimes was committed, but she is unable to convince the unbelieving police that her vision represents real events. Angered by the refusal of the police investigators to accept what she tries to tell them about the killer, she resolves to put the crime out of her mind and concentrate on her project of exposing false psychics who prey on gullible people eager for easy answers to their problems. But that project crosses the killer's trail, and Allison is caught up in a web of events that make her a target of the killer.

Judith Haimes worked with law enforcement as a consultant. She is a member of the National Society of Arts and Letters, and the national writer's organization--Sisters in Crime. She was a syndicated columnist and is the subject of the book, Judith. She resides in Clearwater, Florida with her husband.

NanC Hensley is a member of Sisters in Crime--a national writer's organization, worked as a consultant with law enforcement, and has been a Clinical Hypnotherapist since 1992. She has published numerous articles on the topic of metaphysics. She currently lives in Pinellas County, Florida.

“The Hand of Karma” Is Available in digital and paperback wherever Books Are Sold.

Radio host, entrepreneur and author, Jennifer Bridgeforth, will kick off a series of book signings in July for her new book “Wisdom in Pieces" (220 Publishing) a collection of real-life stories meant to motivate those seeking to overcome personal challenge and celebrate their internal power.

Bridgeforth says the book’s purpose was inspired from personal experiences where she struggled with real life issues and found the best way to overcome them was by consuming motivational stories in small doses. She has taken this small-step approach in writing her book as a way to help readers become more inspired at their own pace.

“Whenever I would have a challenging experience, or interact with a client or a friend that did, these motivations were gentle reminders at the end of the day that there is truly a light at the end of the tunnel – even in their darkest state. I saw it as peace in small bites on the days that I may be too confused and frustrated for a lot of positivity, but still in need of a little taste of hope", the author said in a recent interview.


Bridgeforth hopes to use the book and her personal story to get readers to recognize their innate ability to be happy and successful, and to not be afraid of the journey to find their own big breakthrough.

As a successful entrepreneur who created the Phoenix Art and Empowerment Space, Bridgeforth has hosted events for Fortune 500 companies, been mentioned in publications like the Chicago Sun-Times and Ebony/Jet Online, and has had art on the set of Oprah’s documentary, “Season 25-Oprah’s Farewell Season.” She uses her past failures and eventual success as a testament for readers to receive victory in their own right.

“Wisdom in Pieces,” will be released in July and available wherever books are sold. Signings will begin in July and will last throughout the summer.

About the Author

Jennifer Bridgeforth is a well-known radio host, consultant, and motivational speaker. She creates strategic empowerment programming for seminars at Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, and schools around the country. She also produces audio and video content on healthy relationships, transitional career planning and envisioning a life beyond your circumstances

The first time I met Toni Coleman Carter via phone I knew she meant business. She is quick, to the point and the consummate business woman. She speaks her mind and delivers. It was when I read her memoir" When Trouble Finds You" I understood the sense of urgency to spread her message of hope. Her life was truly lived at a pace that would have caused many to crash and burn.

After losing her father at seven, her life became a self described “living hell.” For more than two decades, she hid the scars of physical and sexual abuse, the shame of an attempted suicide, the challenges of being a teen mother, and the granite obstacles of climbing the corporate ladder. Her ability to overcome those setbacks formed the basis for When Trouble Finds You (RTC Publishing). A work dedicated to increasing awareness around issues impacting children, while inspiring the human spirit.
When Trouble Finds You invites readers on an emotionally life-changing journey. Although it’s Carter’s frank, journal of hopelessness and redemption - her story ultimately inspires, enlightens and stimulates others to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. The transparency with which she tells her story may cause some to lose themselves in the realism yet find themselves in the redemption.
The former Deputy Mayor of Hanover Park, IL is also a mother, wife, outspoken community leader, human resources practitioner, and public speaker. By sharing her story, Carter reaches out to the hundreds of thousands who find consolation in silence--and gives them courage to find a voice, but not just any voice, their voice. When Trouble Finds You and its companion workbook was released to great reviews this week. Carter is hoping to inspire a generation of young people to take advantage of every opportunity afforded to them. And if they don’t have ANY to create their own.

So you've published a book and you're ready to sell a million copies? Before you hop on your horse and ride off to conquer the world. You may want to make sure you have a few important items/services at your disposal. I warn you this list is totally biased and comes from my working with authors over the past four years and helping to publish several titles. There seem to be a few key things to think about when becoming a published author, whether its self published or even when you sign with a publisher. Consider these the basics:



1. A smart phone that allows you to check email



This is necessary as your pr team or you should always be on the lookout for media opportunities. Sometimes the best opportunities arise at the last minute and require a quick turnaround. You need to be able to seize the moment and respond quickly. If you have a manager or PR team they should be able to respond quickly as well so they absolutely should have this function. If you don’t have it call your cell phone provider and find out if it can be added to your phone, if not, time to upgrade. What media opportunities you say? Subscribe to Pitchrate.com for a daily feed of opportunities to comment on articles.







2. Square Payments Account



I’ve evangelized about this one before. It’s free, convenient and works with almost any smart phone (thus the smartphone requirement being #1). Its perfect if your doing conferences, speaking engagements or someone quickly wants to pay you for a book. Even when you don’t have a book you can take payment and have one shipped quickly so you never lose the money! Once a payment is made with Square the money is deposited in your bank account the next day. So you have a stress free commerce system. You only pay for the sale (about a 2.7% rate). (www.squareup.com)







3. Google Alerts Account for you and your title(s)



I do this for each author, client, competitor etc. I call it the digital equivalent of looking in the mirror each day. Google Alerts searches the web for any mentions of you in press releases articles and any other news regarding you or your title. You need to know how you and your brand (yes you are a brand, and you became one when you decided to become an author) are being portrayed online. http://www.google.com/alerts







4. A Plan to give away one book per month to someone deserving (or strategic)



When we first started I was very much against this..but that’s because you are protective of anything you launch and I wasn’t into freebies unless they were seriously giving me instant return on investment (that’s the curse of being a publisher and running a business you count everything as a cost). But as we’ve learned in our interaction with media, bloggers and readers sometimes a strategic comp can go a long way. Don’t get me wrong I’ve sent books to so called “bloggers/media types, etc” that didn’t pan out at all and I made sure to call them on their B.S. But for all the suffering through we are slowly starting to see some traction with book clubs and a few reviewers who are providing some good Amazon and Goodreads.com (soon to be an Amazon property) feedback. I only recommend doing this once a month so you can really put some thought into who gets the book and you don’t blow out your budget on comps.







5. A Twitter Account (one that you actually use )



As a published author, you should be engaging readers and the best way to do this is through Twitter. Case Study: One of the authors we've published under our 220 Publishing imprint Dee Stokes (Author of Experiencing Grace) has commandeered 2 trips to Scotland as a result of her Tweets. The second will be to keynote a women’s conference in 2014. The connection would never have happened had she not decided to Tweet daily inspirational messages both original and from her book.



As I warned you at the beginning, this is a totally biased list, I’m sure there are tons of other suggestions for published authors but these are the ones I see missing the most. Wishing you much success with your release and I’ll be on the lookout for you.

We’ve all had difficult experiences in life. If there weren’t problems we wouldn’t have jobs is a common phrase heard in corporate America. But some setbacks, especially emotional and deeply personal ones are the hardest to overcome. But while adversity lives we don’t have to allow it inside our homes, invading our lives and controlling our thoughts. Challenges are best met head on. Adversity and hard times can be a very overwhelming adversary if you allow them to be. “Allow” being the key phrase, what you allow inside your mind you become.
So how does one get back” on track”? There have been countless books , DVD collections, and television shows teaching the masses what it means to bounce back. Small fortunes are spent (and amassed) in the business of “bouncing back” . But without spending money that probably would create more challenges here are some tips to help “steady your ship”.
Thoughts Determine Action: Remember “what one thinks they become” sounds simple but if it were there wouldn’t be a need for inspiration. Positive thinking, however you decide to leverage and apply it. Some prefer prayer, some use affirmation, and others meditation. It all says that the mind is a powerful tool in combating the challenges that cause stress and eventually lead to illness. A great example of using the strength of the mind, author D. Michelle Stokes suffered the ultimate setback. Stokes lost her mother, her grandfather and another close friend along with her coaching job all within the course of a year. On levels of personal and professional this pretty much is the ultimate in loss. Stokes background coaching basketball helped her deal with the losses in a way that would best be described as amazing. She captured her emotions and her prayers, her experiencing in dealing with difficult losses in life and on the court in a monthly journal. The Result her journal became the book “Experiencing Grace”. The book did more than just provide Stokes with the mind shaping thought enhancing outlet she was looking for but also has helped countless others. Her writings and timely passages have led her to travel the world as guests of inspirational speakers. The lesson with Stokes and with all of us is that loss is devastating and we embrace that but the recovery is fulfilling because it gives us a testimony that will impact countless others in ways we’ve never imagined. Your thoughts are your most powerful weapon in the quest to overcome adversity.
Seek out and surround yourself with positivity: it doesn’t matter your financial situation inspiration is either a click or a short trip to the library away. Some of the best information I received, some of the best inspiration I received I found without spending a dime. Also this is the time positive people aid to your change in attitude, those people differentiate themselves by providing you the words or actions to help make your roughest days take a turn for the positive. Those people speak to you and move you in a way that you instantly recognize the action as your own personal message. You have to have it within you first (remember thoughts determine actions) to get up from any malaise. But those positive seeds however small or large will certainly help. Another exercise in positivity is projecting that which you want to receive. Kick start your positivity, find your favorite inspirational quotes and create a list. Make it a habit of seeking out one inspirational quote per day. Before you know it you’ll begin to become the resource you seek. Equipping yourself helps you to grow into what you want to become even faster.
Recognize that “a ha” moment . Recognize that your downtime may be prepping you for a huge breakthrough. It’s in darkest moments that purpose and preparation are found. This may be your bounce back moment. You have to recognize what put you in your current position, what the actions and responses to other actions did to land you where you sit at this moment. Analysis isn’t really effective unless you use the data. What are you doing to analyze your situation at this moment?
As stated earlier there is no simple solution, every story is different. You have to look at these points as helpful suggestions. There are many more that can be written. The first step is always looking yourself in the mirror and understand that the time is now. What is it that you want to become? What hurdles to do you have to scale? It starts with you, it ends with you , setbacks will always be there, they are not the ending,only a chapter in your story.