Have you ever heard a story that changed your life?

cj Sez:  Lyrical Pens is happy to host author Barbara Hinske who is sharing what inspired her to write her latest novel, GUIDING EMILY, slated for launch on June 12.

   When Barbara offered Lyrical Pens the choice of three pre-launch posts, I wanted to use all three. Today is part one: Her inspiration behind this awesome book.  Take it away, Barbara.

My inspiration behind Guiding Emily

“Have you ever heard a story that changed your life?

   Within thirty minutes of stepping through the Foundation for Blind Children’s doorway, my life found its new purpose and mission.

   I’ve lived down the street from The Foundation for Blind Children for decades. I’d never been inside. The Foundation’s Development Director, Steve Pawlowski, encouraged my husband and I to come for a tour with such enthusiasm and pride that we felt we couldn’t decline.

   The Foundation provides education, tools, and services for “children” from birth through one hundred and four. From observing teachers working one-on-one with students with multiple disabilities, to seeing the six-year-old child from Canada running and hugging staff even though his parents had been told by their Canadian doctor he would never walk or talk, to photos displayed on the wall of the group of blind teens and young adults who had climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, I was moved beyond measure.

   Choking back tears, I asked Steve how I could help. What did the Foundation need? His answer was simple and straightforward: (1) funding, and (2) to raise awareness of problems that visually impaired people face within the sighted community.

   I’m an author and knew that a novel could address both of these issues. The story line of my new series was born in that moment.

   Guiding Emily is the first book in a series and is a love story between Garth, a guide dog, and Emily Main, his handler who loses her eyesight on her honeymoon. It’s the heartwarming/ heartbreaking/poignant tale of their journey together.

   Half the profits from Guiding Emily will be donated to The Foundation for Blind Children. For the price of a book, every reader receives a novel that will provide a welcome respite from daily life and supports a remarkable organization that believes vision loss is a diagnosis, NOT a disability. What could be better than that?

Join the movement to improve lives: learn more about Guiding Emily ”

Barbara Hinske is an attorney who recently left the practice of law to pursue her career as a full-time novelist. She is the author of the best-selling Rosemont series and the murder mysteries in her ‘Who’s There?!’ collection. Her novella, The Christmas Club, was made into a 2019 Hallmark Channel Christmas movie.

The book is available for pre-order by clicking...  BUY NOW

   

cj Sez: Be sure to stop by Lyrical Pens on Wednesday, June 10, for Part 2 of Barbara’s journey: White Cane Training. 

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Call for submission

Bienvenue Press put out a call for submissions for their 2020 charity anthology. The deadline is August 1, 2020.

“Bienvenue Press is pleased to announce a Christmas-themed anthology for charity benefiting the Acadiana Writing Project. What are we looking for? Romance stories featuring a character who works in the educational system. These stories can be any genre of romance (contemporary, historical, paranormal, etc.). However, there needs to be a HEA. The anthology will be published in December 2020.”

   For details, please visit their website: https://bit.ly/2Yn0iGX

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cj Sez: That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. 

(Sending up prayers for your health and safety.)

My love story, “Love is Immortal” is one of the short stories in the paranormal anthology BIENVENUE TO THE CHATEAU ROUGE. Here’s one of the 5-star reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Linked Stories

“I received an ARC and enjoyed all the stories. While linked through the setting and characters, each of the selections has a delightfully different approach to the experience of Chateau Rouge. Creative and never boring, the linked characters were all appealing, and the New Orleans mood was spot on.”

   The anthology is available through these fine sites: https://books2read.com/u/bpOMw9?fbclid=IwAR3R2NTI8nH5U8JhXwJynbxkbYQhlK4H-sbTFU5YRhGDB2CocTPkdf8TSEE

   TO ORDER my autographed books or any book of your choice on-line from my favorite indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: The Haunted Bookshop 

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