A Life Through Books

Friday, February 14, 2020

Blog Tour Giveaway

Virtual Book Tour: Pursuing a Better Tomorrow by Blanca De La Rosa #booktour #memoir #rabtbooktours #interview #giveaway @authordelarosa @RABTBookTours

Virtual Book Tour: Pursuing a Better Tomorrow by Blanca De La Rosa #booktour #memoir #rabtbooktours #interview #giveaway @authordelarosa @RABTBookTours
4:00 AM0 Comments

photo Pursuing a Better Tomorrow_zpstqpcinjk.jpg
Memoir
Date Published September 2019
Publisher: Angels Fortune Editions

photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

Although her origins are in Nocedo del Valle, an agricultural village in Orense, a province of Galicia, Spain, Blanca De La Rosa was born in the Dominican Republic in the bosom of a humble family. But fate had something else in store for her.

Pursuing a Better Tomorrow is not just a novel that portrays the history of three generations, but rather an inspiring cross-generational journey from Spain to the United States. The novel details a historical overview and the ideologies of each era where the characters portray the strength of character required to achieve a better tomorrow given the twists, turns, and synchronistic events that shaped their lives.

De La Rosa candidly shares her coming-of-age story of self-discovery as she transitioned from New York City’s projects to corporate America, detailing her personal and professional journey.

This great novel will inspire you to believe in your abilities, dare to dream, and reach for your goals as you pursue a better tomorrow.

Are you ready to embark on this journey?



photo Pursuing a Better Tomorrow print iphone and ipad_zpsur5cacwa.jpg



Interview
What was the hardest part of writing your book?

My personal story was the hardest to write as I struggled with what to include/exclude. I did not want to offend anyone or come off as a drama queen. Writing about yourself is like exposing yourself in the nude to the world.


What songs are most played on your Ipod?

I am a music lover but my favorites R&B songs. One can learn so much from these songs that speak to us about things that relate to our daily lives, love, give us strength and support when we need and at times can give us direction.

Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

Both as each serves a very important role. One can give you professional input while the other can give you a feel for how the average reader will receive your work.

What book are you reading now?

I’m currently reading Rachel Maddow’s Blow Out.


How did you start your writing career?

I started writing and researching my novel in 2000 as a hobby. Since I had a demanding career and family, I’d work on it sporadically whenever I had the time and inspiration. I took a creative writing course at Northern Virginia University and was so discouraged that I put the manuscript down for about four years. What made me think I could write a book? But despite the experience that nagging voice in my head kept telling me I had to write and publish this book.

In 2012 I self-published Empower Yourself for an Amazing Career as a practice book to get a glimpse of the publishing world. In this book I share career advice, drawing heavily from corporate career.

Tell us about your next release.

I will definitely be writing another book but have not yet landed on the genre or topic. I have started a ‘Words to Live By’ short stories in which I use a cliché and pair it with a short story that gets to the wisdom and message of the phrase. I will use these stories in a blog and see how it develops from there.


Editors hate clichés and I agree they have no business in a novel, but I love clichés. They are succinct and get to the heart of the matter and point. For example, the simple cliché ‘"walk a mile in another's shoes." Those six words say so much about not being judgmental, coitizing another’s actions and motives, and being more tolerant.  I am fascinated by the art of creation, inspiration, empowerment of the written word

About the Author

photo Pursuing a Better Tomorrow Author Blanca M. De La Rosa_zpsrryjhggk.jpg
Blanca De La Rosa was born in the Dominican Republic. She grew up in the Projects of the upper west side of Manhattan in New York, during the time before the Hispanic population developed the supportive Latino community which exists today. Although she struggled without support in her cultural and linguistic transition, De La Rosa was able to graduate from Pace University with a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business Management and to establish a successful 34-year career rising through the ranks of Mobil/ExxonMobil Oil Corporation.

During her career, she held numerous positions both domestic and international in nature with increasing responsibility. These assignments took her around the United States, Europe, Central / South America, and Nigeria.

De La Rosa retired from ExxonMobil after 34 years of service. As a Business Development Manager and President of the company’s Employee Resource Group she often represented her company as lead presenter at the Regional and National Scholarship Awards hosted by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. In addition, she represented her company as host, keynote speaker, and panelist of various events with organizations supported by the company's charity foundation. After all her time in the industry, she says her most rewarding role was serving as mentor to the young employees in her company – guiding them through the corporate maze.

De La Rosa has authored two books: Empower Yourself for an Amazing Career in which she shares career advice drawing heavily from her own successes offering a fresh approach and insight on climbing the corporate ladder, combining practical, common-sense advice with inner wisdom and spirituality, providing strategies to increase the chances of success in the workplace; and Pursuing a Better Tomorrow – En busca de un mañana mejor, spanning more than one hundred years, it is not just a memoir that portrays the history of three generations, but rather an inspiring cross-generational journey from Spain to the US.



Contact Links




Purchase Links




a Rafflecopter giveaway
RABT Book Tours & PR
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Thursday, February 13, 2020

non-fiction PROMO

Book Blitz: Grass Miracle From the Earth by David Campbell Callender #nonfiction #promo

Book Blitz: Grass Miracle From the Earth by David Campbell Callender #nonfiction #promo
12:00 AM0 Comments

Non-Fiction, Environment
Date Published: December 2019
Publisher: Balestier Press

photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

We see grass every day, tread on it, maybe handle, smell, or plant it but how many of us actually notice it and appreciate its amazing resilience? This remarkable book gives the unexpected full picture of the plant that, humble and often forgotten, yet, astonishing, in its incredibly multiple forms holds our human and natural world together and clothes its surface in richness and beauty.

Grass, Miracle from the Earth, is not only highly engaging and readable, but has some stunning illustrations as well. It gives us the full picture of grass. The author reveals that even bamboo and sugarcane are forms of grass and that three kinds of, yes, of grass make up the major food of humans and grazing for innumerable animals.

The book provides hitherto unknown and interesting details about grass. It helps create a high level of appreciation for the abiding necessity of grass for humanity, for nature, and for the arts. The author also explores the eminence of grass in folklore and poetry.

The author makes use of a simple and easy-to-read style to introduce readers to the world of grass. She traces the history of grass right from its origin which dates back to some 50 million years ago. The book highlights the journey of the humble grass as an agricultural asset to its use in medicines, construction, cooking, and many other purposes.

Grass, Miracle from the Earth, also lets readers into some interesting anecdotes and tidbits about its association with mythology, symbolism, and arts. The book establishes a firm connection between grass and the wellbeing of the human race.

According to the author, grass is one of the most extraordinary plant families on Planet Earth. The book will force readers to stop and contemplate the role of this green gift from nature every time they eat food stuffs such as popcorn or even a Thai curry of which lemongrass is a key ingredient.

And ... but just read it!




 About the Author

David Campbell Callender, a name taken (adapted) from, and in memory of, her gifted Irish grandfather, is the penname of the British anthropologist Ruth Finnegan,

Ruth Finnegan OBE, an anthropologist and multi-award (fiction and nonfiction) author, was born (1933) in the beautiful fraught once-island city of Derry, Northern Ireland, and brought up there, together with several magical years during the war in Donegal. She was educated at Ballymore first School County Donegal, Londonderry High School, Mount (Quaker) School York, then first class honours in Classics and a doctorate in Anthropology at Oxford. This was followed by fieldwork and university teaching in Africa (principally Sierra Leone and Nigeria). She then joined the pioneering Open University as a founding member of the academic staff, where she spent the rest of her career apart from 3 years (and more fieldwork) at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji, and is now an Emeritus Professor. She is a Fellow of the British Academy, The Royal Anthropolgical Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, and the American Folklore Society. She is also an Honorary Fellow of Somerville College Oxford.

She has three daughters and five grandchildren and lives in Old Bletchley, southern England, with her husband of over 50 years, where she continues her academic and dream-inspired creatve writing, but now devotes much of her time to her work as co-editor of the innovative Balestier Press young adult series ‘Hearing Others’ Voices’.


Contact Links


Purchase Links





RABT Book Tours & PR
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Blog Tour Giveaway

Virtual Book Tour: The Wrath of Leviathan by T.C. Weber #scifi #giveaway #booktour #rabtbooktours #interview @RABTBookTours @savethereefs

Virtual Book Tour: The Wrath of Leviathan by T.C. Weber #scifi #giveaway #booktour #rabtbooktours #interview @RABTBookTours @savethereefs
3:00 AM0 Comments


BetterWorld, Book 2
Science Fiction (Cyberpunk) / Thriller
Date Published: September 1, 2018
Publisher: See Sharp Press

photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

In Wrath of Leviathan, the second book of the BetterWorld trilogy, Waylee faces life in prison for daring to expose MediaCorp's schemes to control the world. Exiled in São Paulo, her sister Kiyoko and their hacker friends continue the fight, seeking to end the conglomerate's stranglehold on virtual reality, information, and politics. But MediaCorp and their government allies may quash the rebellion before it takes off. And unknown to Kiyoko and her friends, a team of ruthless mercenaries is after them and is closing in fast.

Interview

What is the hardest part of writing your books?
The hardest part is sitting down each morning and getting into the flow of writing. It’s a hurdle that must be overcome every day.


What songs are most played on your Ipod?
I create playlists for all my characters, and also playlists for particular kinds of scenes (e.g., combat or romance). Listening to a character’s favorite songs (or a close facsimile) is one of the best ways I’ve found to connect with them. For example, Gabriel likes a Brazilian band called Chico Science, and Waylee prefers industrial/punk/thrash music like Ministry, Orange 9mm, and Rage Against the Machine.

When I’m not writing, I have an eclectic mix of songs on my 20 GB iPod. I usually put it on random. But some of my favorite artists include Sonic Youth, Radiohead, Interpol, Massive Attack, Beach House, and Uncle Tupelo.

Do you have critique partners or beta readers?
I am in two critique groups, one in Baltimore, and the other in Annapolis. I also solicit feedback from beta readers, who are mostly other writers. If you want to join my beta reader team, please let me know!

What book are you reading now?
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. I have a stack of other books by the bed or on the Kindle also.

How did you start your writing career?
I’ve pursued writing since childhood, then learned filmmaking and screenwriting in college (along with a little bit of physics). I transformed those interests into novel writing while trapped at home during the "Snowmageddon" of 2010, and looking for something productive to do.  

Tell us about your next release.
I recently finished editing the final book of the BetterWorld trilogy, Zero-Day Rising. In this book, Kiyoko resolves to save her sister and bring down President Rand and MediaCorp. However, MediaCorp unleashes its ultimate plan: direct mind control with cerebral implants. Can Kiyoko and Waylee’s team stop them? Can they penetrate MediaCorp’s networks and end the company’s grip over humanity? All while eluding the biggest manhunt in history, in a country where everyone and everything is under surveillance?




About the Author

T. C. Weber has pursued writing and music since childhood, and learned filmmaking and screenwriting in college, along with a little bit of physics. Trapped at home during the "Snowmageddon" of 2010, he transformed those interests into novel writing. His first published book, Sleep State Interrupt, was a Compton Crook Finalist for best debut speculative fiction novel. By day, Mr. Weber works as an ecologist and has had a number of scientific papers and book chapters published. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife Karen. He enjoys traveling and has visited all seven continents.


Contact Links



Purchase Links





a Rafflecopter giveaway
RABT Book Tours & PR
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,

Monday, February 10, 2020

Blog Tour Giveaway

Virtual Book Tour: Wolf by Herbert J. Sterm and Alan A. Winter #booktour #historical #fiction #giveaway #interview @RABTBookTours

Virtual Book Tour: Wolf by Herbert J. Sterm and Alan A. Winter #booktour #historical #fiction #giveaway #interview @RABTBookTours
2:00 AM0 Comments

Historical Fiction
Date Published:  February 11, 2020
Publisher:  Skyhorse Publishing

photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

 Perhaps no man on earth is more controversial, more hated, or more studied than Adolf Hitler. Yet many questions remain about his personal life and how he gained power. Based on extensive research, the extraordinary novel WOLF, by Herbert J. Stern and Alan A. Winter (Skyhorse Publishing; February 11, 2020), lifts the curtain so that the reader can observe through the eyes of a fictional character, how a seemingly unremarkable corporal who was denied a promotion for lack of "leadership ability" became dictator of Germany. The result is a gripping page-turner, a masterful historical novel.

The story begins in the mental ward of Pasewalk Hospital as World War I ends. A gravely ill soldier, who has lost his memory and is given the name Friedrich Richard, encounters a fellow patient: Adolf Hitler. Suffering from hysterical blindness, Hitler, also known as Wolf, becomes dependent on Friedrich for help with the simplest, day-to-day tasks. By the time Hitler’s sight returns, the two have forged an unbreakable bond.

Upon release from the hospital, Friedrich heads to Berlin to work as a nightclub bouncer, while Wolf moves to Munich where he focuses on turning a fledgling political club into what will soon become the Nazi party. After accidentally killing a man, Friedrich flees to Munich and reunites with his close friend.

Persuaded by Hitler's convictions about how to rebuild Germany in the wake of its defeat, Friedrich joins the Nazi’s inner circle. Hitler, who in real life often played one advisor against the other – and was not one to rely on any of them – trusts the fictional Friedrich so much so, that he calls upon him to help resolve both personal and national crises that are historically accurate. Throughout the sixteen years covered in WOLF, Friedrich interacts with dozens of people who largely lived the lives the authors depict – from Hermann Göring and Joseph Goebbels to Berlin brothel-owner Kitty Schmidt and film star Lilian Harvey.

While history has painted Hitler as a man unable to forge lasting relationships, the authors’ research has uncovered that, in fact, he built many lifelong friendships. Hitler was attractive to women and had multiple affairs with young women as well as with the wealthy society matrons who backed the party. These relationships, which are portrayed in WOLF, “have been documented in numerous interviews over the course of seventy years, yet they have rarely, if ever, been reported by historians,” Stern and Winter explain.

During the course of the novel, Friedrich struggles to reconcile his loyalty to Hitler with his own rejection of the party’s anti-Semitism. He never wavers in his friendships with Jews, such as nightclub owner Max Klinghofer and police chief Bernhard Weiss. It is Friedrich who saves Weiss, the highest-ranking Jew in the German police when Goebbels orders him arrested. After this incident, Friedrich promises Weiss to remain by Hitler's side in the hope that he can help lessen the severity of increasingly harsher laws meant to drive Jews from Germany.

WOLF is a historical novel that will satisfy history buffs and fiction fans alike. For those who want more, the authors’ meticulous research can be accessed at www.NotesOnWolf.com. In combination, the novel and the notes deftly answer the question: how did a nondescript man become the world’s greatest monster? This is truly a lesson that no one can afford to ignore.


Interview

What inspired you to become a writer?

Initially, I came to writing by accident. I had a “what if” situation in my personal life that was theoretical, as far as I knew, and not based in reality . . . yet I was plagued by it. The only way I could purge the notion from my head was to write about it. The issue was simple enough: I have three sons who do not look like brothers. When people saw them together, they would comment that they can’t be brothers and that I must have taken the wrong one home from the hospital. I know that is not the case. Even so, I began to wonder: what if someone knocked on my door one day, with a boy in tow, and said that my wife and I took the wrong child home from the hospital. Here’s yours; I want mine back.” What would I do? I challenged myself to write a story about babies switched at birth. I loved the process. The result was my first novel, “Someone Else’s Son.” These many years of writing and refining my craft were essential for me when working with my co-author Herbert Stern on our new novel WOLF.  I think it’s what helped make WOLF so special.

What are you passionate about?

That's easy: I am passionate about reading and writing. I try to read for pleasure even when I was in the midst of writing WOLF. When I am not writing either because I am between projects or doing research before I begin a new story, I feel out of sorts. Something is missing and that something is actively writing.

How long have you been writing?

While I have been writing fiction for more than thirty-five years, I realize that I have been writing much longer. Even though I was a history major, I chose a career path in the health professions. I edited a professional journal for many years and also published over twenty professional articles. So in reality, I have been writing my entire adult life.

What's your favorite genre to write/read in and why?

Given that WOLF is an historical novel, it should not be a surprise that I read mostly suspense thrillers and historical novels. I study how the authors ply their craft of writing, how they set up their stories, and how the good ones teach their readers something new in the process. Then, every so often, I read non-fiction to see how the author handles the challenge of presenting a story that is both factual yet compelling.

What's the inspiration behind your books?

Ideas, regardless of where they come from, that haunt me. If they haunt me, I know they are worthy of pursing as long as they teach me and the reader new things. To this end, when Herb pointed out how historians paid short shrift to the critical period when Hitler was in a mental ward and for the years that followed, I knew I had to collaborate with him to write WOLF. The result has been more rewarding than anything I have written before. In addition to telling a unique story, WOLF changes the historiography of what has previously been known about the most evil tyrant who ever lived.

What advice would you give any newbie author or anyone that wants to pick up writing?

The first thing is to read as much as possible in the genre you are most interested in. Be analytical. How does the story start? Are there things (exposition) that you skip over? Why? Learn the good and the bad of the craft from reading others.

The second thing to know is there is no “right” time to start writing. Don’t over research your topic. Get a feel for it and start writing. Don’t worry about getting stuck, move past it when you do. Always start a story in the middle or at the end, never in the beginning . . . this gives you leeway to tell the backstory or have flashbacks. Know that finishing a manuscript for the first time is little more than completing a draft. Albeit, it is a great accomplishment, but it is still a draft. The real writing comes in when you rewrite and then rewrite your story again and again until you are satisfied with the finished piece.

Lastly, read what you have written out loud. Listen for the rhythms, the cadence of each sentence. Are they lyrical. Too long? Too short? When it sounds right, you are done.








About the Authors

Herbert J. Stern, formerly US attorney for the District of New Jersey, who prosecuted the mayors of Newark and Atlantic City, and served as judge of the US District Court for the District of New Jersey, is a trial lawyer. He also served as judge of the United States Court for Berlin where he presided over a hijacking trial in the occupied American Sector of West Berlin. His book about the case, Judgment in Berlin, won the 1974 Freedom Foundation Award and became a film starring Martin Sheen and Sean Penn. He also wrote Diary of a DA: The True Story of the Prosecutor Who Took on the Mob, Fought Corruption, and Won, as well as the multi-volume legal work Trying Cases to Win.

Alan A. Winter is the author of four novels, including Island Bluffs, Snowflakes in the Sahara, Someone Else’s Son, and Savior’s Day, which Kirkus selected as a Best Book of 2013. Winter graduated from Rutgers with a degree in history and has professional degrees from both New York University and Columbia, where he was an associate professor for many years. He edited an award-winning journal and has published more than twenty professional articles. Winter studied creative writing at Columbia’s Graduate School of General Studies. His screenplay, Polly, received honorable mention in the Austin Film Festival, and became the basis for Island Bluffs.


Contact Links



Purchase Links




a Rafflecopter giveaway

RABT Book Tours & PR
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,
Blog Tour Fantasy

Virtual Book Tour: The Unruly Curse by Sunayna Prasad #booktour #middlegrade #fantasy #giveaway #interview @SunaynaPrasad @RABTBookTours

Virtual Book Tour: The Unruly Curse by Sunayna Prasad #booktour #middlegrade #fantasy #giveaway #interview @SunaynaPrasad @RABTBookTours
1:00 AM0 Comments


photo The Unruly Curse_zpsd6ch9nad.jpg
Alyssa McCarthy's Magical Missions, Book 2
Middle-Grade Fantasy
Date Published: July 2019


photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

History, like magic, has a habit of repeating itself...

It’s been six months since thirteen-year-old Alyssa McCarthy left magic behind for good. Or so she thought…

Then the enchanted objects that protected her disappear. Now a skeleton named Errol has cursed her with magical powers that keep getting her in trouble. Suddenly strange things are happening with disastrous effects, and if Alyssa can’t remove the magic, she will lose everything she holds dear.

In order to get rid of her unwanted wizardry, Alyssa will have to boost her bravery and confidence and determine who Errol really is. But every time Alyssa uses an enchantment, Errol is one step closer to getting his flesh back and becoming alive, and he will do anything to achieve his goals…even if it means destroying Alyssa’s happiness.

Originally published in 2016 as “Wizardry Goes Wild” and “The Uncontrollable Curse” in April 2019, “The Unruly Curse” is book two in the exciting and suspenseful paranormal Magical Missions series.




Interview
What is the hardest part of writing your books?

Getting the characters to sound distinguishable and their reactions to being believable, especially with extreme situations.


What songs are most played on your Ipod?

I play songs by Queen, Britney Spears, and even some soundtrack sounds.


Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

I use editors for my writing, although I’ve used critique partners and attended groups in the past.


What book are you reading now?

I’m not reading anything now.


How did you start your writing career?

When the idea of a blonde girl, named Alyssa, who had magic in her life popped into my head many years ago.


Tell us about your next release.


It’s the start of summer before Alyssa starts high school. But she is given enchanted powers that she has to control and live with. She also has to defeat two evil wizards, including a powerful one.



About the Author

photo The Unruly Curse Author Sunayna Prasad_zps9f0j6d9p.jpg
Sunayna Prasad is passionate about fantasy and magic in fiction. She has also written the previous installment, "The Frights of Fiji" and enjoys worldbuilding. She lives in New York.



 Contact Links

Website  


Purchase Links



RABT Book Tours & PR
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Blog Tour Giveaway

Virtual Book Tour: Amber Hollow by Edgar Swamp #blogtour #giveaway #horror #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

Virtual Book Tour: Amber Hollow by Edgar Swamp #blogtour #giveaway #horror #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours
2:30 AM 2 Comments

photo Amber Hollow Cover 2_zpsyxe96swm.jpg
Horror
(with elements of suspense, mystery, and fantasy)

photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

On July 15, 1991, an isolated village in Northern Wisconsin is ground zero for an unprecedented, fiery tragedy. Of the community's 600 residents, there are only five survivors. Detailed accounts by the victims contradict each other; the only link is a man named Anthony Guntram, but because he is presumed to be dead, this claim can't be verified. Further investigations reveal a culture enshrouded in mystery. What are the survivors hiding? Only the villagers know the secret of Amber Hollow, a place where sanity is checked at the town line and the parameters of reality become blurred. An unconventional horror story by design, Edgar Swamp delivers an action-driven page-turner that will keep readers guessing until the calamitous ending.

Review

 I liked the way the author set up the novel and the history he made sure to give the reader so that they came to understand the situation.  One of my favorite things was the pacing. I felt like everything really flowed smoothly and led to an easy read. There are definitely some darker moments throughout, so not for the faint of heart. A wonderful Horror!


About the Author

photo Edgar Swamp Headshot 2_zpsuafsnclq.jpg
Edgar Swamp is the author of the “Gyre Mission,” “Glitch in the Machine,” and “Blackout.” His short stories have appeared in Alienskin, Macabre Cadaver, and Urban Reinventors. When he isn’t holed up in his office playing online poker, he likes to dig up the recently deceased and make furniture out of their skin. He lives and works in San Diego, California.


Contact Links



Purchase Link




RABT Book Tours & PR
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at 2 comments:
Labels: , ,

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Blog Tour Giveaway

Virtual Book Tour: Heart to Beat by Brian Lima, M.D. #blogtour #giveaway #nonfiction #career #interview #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours @BrianLimaMD

Virtual Book Tour: Heart to Beat by Brian Lima, M.D. #blogtour #giveaway #nonfiction #career #interview #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours @BrianLimaMD
2:30 AM1 Comments


Non Fiction / Personal Growth/Career
Date Published:   February 18, 2020
Publisher:  Clovercloft Publishing

photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

College, medical school, and then ten years of grueling surgical training, that’s what it took for Brian Lima to become a leading heart transplant surgeon – literally able to breathe new life into critical ill patients.  Not only has Lima never shied away from a challenge, he has spent his life actively seeking them in pursuit of seemingly near-impossible goals.  In his insightful new book, HEART TO BEAT:  A Cardiac Surgeon’s Inspiring Story of Success and Overcoming Adversity—The Heart Way (Clovercroft Publishing/February 18, 2020), Dr. Lima shares his story, giving everyone – not just aspiring physicians – the tools and encouragement needed to be their best selves.

“We all have free will, and we all have a choice,” he writes.  “You can choose to live aimlessly, halfheartedly going with the flow and suppressing that inner voice, the one beckoning you to unleash your full potential and to grab the world by storm.  Or you can achieve success by committing to hard work and unceasing effort.”

In HEART TO BEAT, Dr. Lima candidly shares, often with a wry sense of humor, how this approach enabled him to reach the pinnacle of success in all of his undertakings – whether it was building the strength and skill to become a varsity football player, becoming valedictorian of his high school class, earning a scholarship to Cornell University, or winning coveted residency opportunities as he trained to become a heart surgeon.

“You don’t have to be the smartest or most talented person in the room to get ahead, just the one who wants it the most,” he writes.  Indeed, Dr. Lima credits his own achievements purely to his intense effort.  In his eminently readable, down-to-earth book, he breaks down the keys to advancing beyond your comfort zone and perceived limitations to unleash your full potential.  Dr. Lima’s powerful lessons include:

Heart Over Matter – “You, and you alone, are responsible for how much or how little you achieve in this life,” he writes.  Only when you realize that you are master of your own destiny, and refuse to allow insecurities, past experiences, and fears to limit your potential, will you realize your dreams.


Heart Of War – Complacency is your biggest adversary.  You must never cease working and bettering yourself – if you do, you will surely slide off the top of your game.  “The minute you rest on your laurels and kick your feet up, you’ve settled for defeat,” says Dr. Lima.


Kickstart My Heart – Dr. Lima explains that the “propulsive power of ambition” has been one of the most impactful forces of his life.  “Your eagerness to move ahead contributes more to your success than natural talent or being born with a silver spoon.”  Ambition is what enables people to overcome the primary hurdle to success:  self-doubt.


Till Death With My Heart – If something is truly your calling – meaningful, bigger than you, and well-intended – it is likely not going to be easy to achieve, says Dr. Lima.  For him, the rule must be “it’s all in or no win.”  Being “well-rounded” is incompatible with true excellence, he contends.


Not For the Faint of Heart – Fear of failure can disrupt the pursuit of any goal, and overcoming this fear is a monumental task that requires you to meet it head-on again and again, until you’re desensitized to its paralyzing influence.  Dr. Lima urges readers to see every moment as just that – a moment – whether they’re going for a buzzer beater in basketball or performing heart surgery.  This is what gives people the courage to take their shot at every opportunity.


The Heart Sell on Entrepreneurship – “One way or another, you have to get the word out about how great your ‘brand’ is – in other words, how great you are,” says Dr. Lima, contending that the sales mantra “always be closing” is critical to success.  He points to such key fundamentals as avoiding pigeonholes and being open to opportunities; never second-guessing yourself; continuing to invest in yourself; and using your time wisely.


In addition to the author’s compelling personal story, HEART TO BEAT also includes a fascinating look at the current technologies and medical care available to treat heart disease, along with the basics about living a heart-healthy life – straight from the mouth of one of the country’s leading heart transplant surgeons.


“There are those who choose to chase victory and to live life on their own terms, and there are those who don’t,” declares Dr. Lima.  HEART TO BEAT will help you choose the path to victory, giving you the motivation you need to achieve your dreams, whatever they may be.

Interview
What is the hardest part of writing your books?


As a busy heart surgeon, finding the time to organize my thoughts and ideas has been one of the most difficult challenges in writing my book. But time is only part of it, because almost equally as challenging has been making the conscious decision to go out on a limb and share my personal journey—few, if any, of my colleagues have done so in the past so it was a leap of faith on my part to trust my instinct and tell my story. 



What songs are most played on your Ipod?

My playlists consist primarily of 1990’s alternative (grunge) and hip hop, with classics from NAS’s 1st album ILLMATIC, widely considered the best hip hop album of all time (favorite tracks include New York State of Mind), Wu Tang Clan, and any song with Chris Cornell (from grudge band Soundgarden) who I think is the best male vocalist of all time—songs include Black Hole Sun, Sunshower, Seasons, Hunger Strike. But really, depends on my mood, what I’m doing (driving, operating, working out), and I can listen to most genres.



Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

Not really, unless my wife, Courtney, counts as one? She was my unofficial sounding board throughout the writing of this book.


What book are you reading now?

“THE SUBTLE ART OF NOT GIVING A F*CK”


How did you start your writing career?
For the past twenty years I’ve written a great deal in the medical literature as part of my professional career in heart surgery. But about 5 years ago I began to coalesce personal notes I had jotted down about my life and the challenges I faced reaching my goals. These became the eventual contents of my first book, a motivational memoir entitled HEART to BEAT.



Tell us about your next release.

To be determined…



About the Author

Dr. Brian Lima is a cardiac surgeon, associate professor of surgery, and recognized authority in advanced heart failure.  He has published nearly 80 articles in peer-reviewed medical journals and presented at numerous national and international medical conferences.  As the surgical director of heart transplantation at North Shore University Hospital, Dr. Lima helped launch the first and only heart transplant program on Long Island.  Dr. Lima completed his undergraduate studies at Cornell University and was awarded a Dean’s Full Tuition scholarship to attend Duke University School of Medicine.  During medical school, Dr. Lima spent a year at Harvard Medical School’s Transplantation Biology Research Center as a Stanley Sarnoff cardiovascular research fellow.  He then completed his general surgery residency training at Duke University Medical Center, and subsequent heart surgery training at The Cleveland Clinic, where he was awarded the prestigious Dr. Charles H. Bryan Annual Clinical Excellence Award in Cardiovascular Surgery.

Contact Links



Purchase Links



a Rafflecopter giveaway

RABT Book Tours & PR
Read more »
Reading Time:
Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: , , ,