#REVIEW: It's Not Your Journey by Rebecca Lombardo

In her first published work, Rebecca Lombardo collects her internationally followed blog into the pages of It's Not Your Journey. Rebecca shares her struggles with bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, self-injury, and recovery from a suicide attempt. Rebecca candidly reveals her real and raw feelings on these subjects, as well as addressing other issues that have contributed to her downward spiral and eventual climb out of her own pit of despair. Issues such as the loss of her mother to lung cancer, the death of her brother, abandonment from friends and family members due to her hospitalization, and more. Purchase on Amazon

My Rating: 4 stars

My Review: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a tough book to get through. Not necessarily because it's a bad book, or that it is written badly, but because it opened my eyes to a world of mental disorders that I don't understand, even while I struggle with my own mental disease. Opposite my own relatively under control anxiety, depression and PTSD, the author writes brutally of her struggle living with depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, self-injury, and recovered suicide attempt. This opened my eyes in a way to the struggle that people with mental disorders have just to live a "normal" life. It's that gray area between people with mental disorders, like me, who are relatively under control and lead a "normal life" with kids and family and a full time job, and those who are so disabled by their mental disorder they are completely unable to have a normal life, who have no one to take care of them and end up in long term care facilities. This book spotlights those of us whose mental disorders are so uncontrollable that a normal life is not possible.
Mental disorders are so hard to understand for someone who doesn't have them, and those of us who have them whose disorders are "under control". This book was raw, and painful, one that I wanted to both read through gently as to not make any more ripples in this pool of anguish, and one that I wanted to steamroll through because it started triggering my own anxiety. Yes, this may be a short and quick read, but it took me a good two weeks to read to get through without ending up as a useless puddle of anxiety.
To the author, thank you for being so brutally, harshly honest about the struggle of those with mental disorders go through. It may be invisible, but it affects everyone's lives around us.

 I'm 43 years old and have been happily married for nearly 15 years. I enjoy reading, writing, music, watching movies and sports. I live in Michigan with my husband and our cats. At age 19, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I have struggled with mental illness in many forms for more than 20 years. I'm a published author, bipolar blogger, and a mental health advocate. In addition, I am about to become a contributor for the Huffington Post.

Follow Rebecca
Facebook / Twitter / Blog / Website / Amazon

Giveaway - $20 Amazon Gift Card, Bookmark,
and a paperback copy of It's Not Your Journey. Open to US residents ONLY. Fill out the form below to enter
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Book Tour

#BLAST and #GIVEAWAY: Feel The Heat Summer Anthology

 

14 steamy Summertime stories for only $.99! Available on Amazon / Nook / iBooks / Kobo

  WANTED By Evelyn Adams Billionaire developer Luke Master and his wife Claire are used to controlling both their boardrooms and their smoking hot bedroom. The arrival of their baby six months ago changed everything, and the tiny love of their lives has reset the new parent's agenda, leaving them in need of some serious alone time. An unexpected island adventure complete with a trusted babysitter is the perfect opportunity to reignite the fire between them, but have the last few months chasing after the baby left them on different continents, or are they finally in sight of having everything they've ever wanted?
  OVER IT By Christine Bell Boxer, Robbie “Sledgehammer” Stevens, has always been a loner, and he likes it that way. When he gets a chance to travel to Monaco for the bout of his career, he’s one-hundred percent focused on nabbing the win…until he runs into the girl that got away. And she’s hell-bent on showing him what he’s been missing the past few years… Mellissa Halpern never got over her high school boyfriendRobbie, but his cheating ways nearly broke her the first time around. When a once in a lifetime Spring Break trip brings them face to face again, she can’t help trying to exact a little revenge. But will her efforts to make Robbie pay for hurting her wind up costing far more than she ever imagines?
  SINGAPORE FLING By Rhian Cahill Carly has lusted after her boss for months and while on a business trip to Singapore she throws caution to the wind and suggests a fling. But Saxon Grant isn’t the conservative businessman she expected. Their passion is overwhelming and beyond anything she’s ever experienced. A weekend of red-hot sex is too much temptation to refuse, but once Saxon gets his hands on Carly he knows a couple days will never be enough. Months of wanting her explode into a weekend of tangled sheets and twisted emotions.
  MAD ABOUT MEG By Mari Carr She’d never been lucky in love…until she met him. If it weren't for bad luck, Meg Williams wouldn't have any luck at all. As if traveling to a tropical island onValentine's weekend in a nasty storm isn't bad enough, she's doing it alone after finding her boyfriend in bed with another woman. Enduring the trip from hell, she arrives on Eden Isle only to discover that her hotel reservation has been lost and there are no vacancies anywhere on the island. Disheartened, Meg heads for the hotel bar. Rob Madison is used to being in the limelight due his wealth and power. Used to being pursued by women for his fortune. When he meets Meg and realizes she doesn't know who he is, he decides to spend the evening as a regular guy. Discovering she doesn’t have a place to stay, he offers to share his penthouse with her. As the night progresses and their mutual attraction becomes apparent, Meg wonders if her luck has turned, whileRob wonders if one weekend in each other's arms will be enough…
  BEACH BLANKET BRIDESMAID By Margo Bond Collins For as long as Ava can remember, she’s had a crush on her older brother’s best friend, Grant. When Grant wentoff to college to become a petroleum engineer and Ava stayed behind in Necessity, Texas, to wait tables at The Chargrill and take care of her grandmother, she figured he was out of her life for good. One New Year’s fling when he was home visiting eighteen months ago didn’t really change that. But now Ava’s brother is getting married in Antigua, and she and Grant are the only guests. She can accept thatGrant doesn’t want anything serious. The only problem? He’s realized that walking out on her after New Year’s was a mistake, and now he wants her. All Ava wants is one wild island fling before she settles back down in Necessity. And she wants it with Grant. But she may have choose between right now and forever.
  THE WALK OF SHAME By Jennifer Dawson The walk of shame. Ah, yes, there’s nothing quite like shamelessly letting yourself be dragged off to a storage closet by a younger man to really put the cherry on top of your humiliation sundae. It’s been along, slow trip to the bottom, but I’ve finally reached my limit. After spending the night with ChristopherFellows, and slinking out of his apartment in the wee hours of the morning, I have no choice but to take a serious look at myself. It’s time for a change. A real life overhaul, full of self-development,healthy living, and all that other stuff that’s supposed to be good for you. And what better way to find yourself than with a vow of celibacy and a trip to Belize? The way I figure it, if you’re going to get your act together, you might as well begin with a tropical jaunt to paradise to start your transformation off on the rightfoot. What could go wrong…
  YOURS TO TAKE By Cathryn Fox Against her better judgement, Rebecca Andrews accepts her friend's invitation to an exclusive vacation resort. When her charter plane veers off course, the last person she expects to see piloting the craft is Quinn Montgomery—multi-millionaire and CEO of Montgomery Charters—the powerful man she once took down in the court room. One year ago, when attorney Rebecca Andrews swept into the courtroom and took control, it turned Quinn Montgomery’s world upside down. Now, seeing her name on his manifest, old memories are awakened, not of the hard-nosed lawyer who had far too many tricks up her sleeve, but of the sensual woman who spouted legal jargon from full pouting lips. Taking note of her destination, a posh vacation resort that caters to the more...private entertainment, a plan forms, and Quinn decides it's time to show the sexy lawyer a few tricks of his own. Nor did she expect to find herself pseudo-kidnapped and stranded with him on his private island. She can leave, but when he tells her he wants to show her that real control comes in the form of surrender, Rebecca has two choices—run home to her boring life, or put herself in the hands of the commanding man who promises to give her everything she's ever wanted in exchange for total and utter submission.
  PLAYING DOCTOR By Allison Gatta High-powered executive Felicia Webb went on the company retreat to Hawaii for one reason: To win over her new boss. Well, that and to finally score the promotion she’s had her eye on for a solid two years now. Still, grabbing the boss’ attention may be easier said than done when a freak accident forces her into the hospital…and the arms of the handsome doctor hell-bent on showing her just how screwed up her priorities are. Trey Patterson is determined to live a life without complications. Now that he’s moved away from the big city and settled on the laid back island of Oahu, he’s made some pretty big changes to his life—the biggest of which is his new no-dating policy. Still, when a fiery redhead practically falls into his lap, it’s all he can do to control his anything-but-hands-off urges.
  CAN'T HOLD BACK By Molly McLain Off to their honeymoon in exotic Cabo, Dan and Maddie Hudson are eager to explore the intimacy of newly wedded bliss. Unfortunately, what Maddie craves most is beyond her no-nonsense husband’s comfort zone. Will her secret desires bring an early end to their happily ever after? Or will Dan stay true to his vows and be the man his wife needs?
  ROCK, RATTLE, & ROLL By Taryn Elliott & Cari Quinn Loving in fast forward... Love on the fast track has been the definition of Harper and Deacon McCoy's relationship. In between studio sessions with Deacon's band, Oblivion, and building a new clientele for Harper's catering business, the newlyweds haven't had time to sleep let alone have a honeymoon. Deacon convinces Harper that they need a week alone together before her business as well as a new album and tour swallows them whole. Since Texas has always held special meaning for them, they head to Galveston to recharge and remember what it's like to just be a couple. A beachfront cottage, hours of alone time, and plenty of skin on skin action is just what the rock star ordered. Until the future once again comes much quicker than they expected, threatening to crumble not only their perfect honeymoon but also their brand new marriage.
  BILLIONAIRE BEACH BUM By Katherine Reid Tropical nights. Beautiful views. Killer beaches. After social worker Hayley Nelson witnesses the murder of an abused wife by her psycho husband, she’s immediately put into protective custody by her FBI agent brother. Then the killer puts a hit out on her life. Hayley's in more danger than ever--especially as the trial date moves closer. Her brother transfers Hayley to a beautiful hotel on a small island off the California coast. She the only guest on the beautiful property and It would be perfect, except for one small problem. Logan Greyson. The billionaire playboy had once professed to love her, but kept secrets from Hayley. Big secrets. Like being a freaking billionaire. ButLogan wants to earn her forgiveness and rekindle their passion. But their reunion is short-lived. A tropical tempest rolls in, bringing with it the man who wants Hayley dead. As the storm rages and the killer attacks, Hayley and Logan must rely on each other to survive. And Logan will protect the woman he loves--no matter the cost.
  THE BILLIONAIRE'S BEACH HOUSE By Gina Robinson Their relationship is off to a stormy start... THE PERKS OF HAVING A BEST FRIEND WHO'S MARRIED TO A BILLIONAIRE... Flashionista fashion buyer Britt West is trying to land the deal of her career with multi-millionaire Eli Davis' trendy menswear company Hott Socks. But Eli refuses to do business with her. To take Britt’s mind off him, her best friend gives her an exotic vacation package for a getaway off the coast of Fiji. She heads to a private beach house sitting just off-shore of its own tropical island, in a coral reef, and featuring a completely underwater fantasy master suite. It’s the perfect place to relax and unwind alone. Until Eli, who's as hot as his socks, ends up stranded with her in paradise. As a storm brews on the horizon, the question is—will it make land? Or will Britt land Mr. Hott Socks? The Billionaire's Beach House is part of the Jet City Billionaires world, which presents romantic stories full of humor, laughs, secrets, mysteries, and love. And hot, hot, single billionaires. Also in the Jet City Billionaires world are the Billionaire Duke and the Switched at Marriage series. Take a vacation with the Jet City Billionaires!
  SHIP WRECKED By Willow Summers Hawaii’s great and all, but the only reason I’m here is so my co-workers can tie me to the sinking ship that is our department. I know how to sell, but it’ll be impossible with the shoddy presentation I’m forced to do. When it doubt – drink it away! I’ve never been lucky, have I mentioned that? So of course it’s when I’m knee-deep in hot mess that I meet Mr. Handsome. He throws me a smile, and a line, and my bad mood evaporates like tequila on hot cement. Dream come true, right? If only. Instead he breaks my fall with his crotch as I tip off the bar stool. Worse still, his buddy is the big shot COO of the accountI’m trying to get. With the odds stacked against me, I’m better off steering clear. I know this. But oh man, that smile. This weekend was supposed to be about work. I was supposed to ward off men with my snarly attitude. But then, who could say no to that smile…
  CHERISHED BY THE SEAL By Zoe York A hot bride, an island honeymoon, and a suitcase full of bikinis. So what if he’s not the groom? Navy SEAL Logan Dwyer has been Victoria Fletcher’s best friend since second grade, and has had a hopeless, secret crush on her for at least half his life. When she's left at the altar, and decides to salvage her honeymoon as something just for herself, Victoria is surprised when Logan volunteers to come with her for seven days on the Caribbean island of Miralinda.

And seven hot, unexpected nights. Reader Prize - $50 Amazon Gift Card Fill out the form below to Enter a Rafflecopter giveaway Follow the Tour

#GIVEAWAY: 4TH of July Giveaway

 

Welcome to the 4th of July Summer of Reading Giveaway!

The authors below are offering up $150 Amazon Gift Card to you can get your read on!

Please check out the books below, some are Free, Free with KU, or Inexpensive.

Young Adult

New Adult

Sweet Romance

Contemporary Romance

Women's Fiction

Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy

Science Fiction

Want to win a $150 Amazon Gift Card? Follow the authors in the rafflecopter below for a chance. Open WW 18+ Ends July 20, 2016 @ 11:59 PM EST

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

#BLAST: The Enigmatologist by Ben Adams

 

Twenty-something, John Abernathy is disillusioned. His job as a private investigator is unfulfilling, and he can’t find work in his chosen field, Enigmatology, the study and design of puzzles. He is about to quit when the National Enquirer calls. A woman in Las Vegas, New Mexico sent them a photo of someone who’s supposed to have died 35 years ago—Elvis Aaron Presley. And they need John to investigate it. When the Elvis impersonator, Al Leadbelly, is murdered, John investigates, finding Air Force colonel, Alvin Hollister—convinced Leadbelly has information regarding Elvis's death—at the crime scene conducting his own investigation. John discovers great-great-great grandfather's journal—unearthing a conspiracy entwining Elvis, shape-shifting aliens, and Mary Todd Lincoln. When John finds Leadbelly, alive and wearing a sequined jumpsuit, John must help him escape before Colonel Hollister finds him, and discover if Leadbelly is really Elvis, an obsessed fan, or something more.
 Buy for only $.99 on Amazon

Follow on Twitter , Facebook Author Page , Facebook Book Page

#Product REVIEW: Impressionist Paintings

 

About a year and a half ago, I was contacted by a representative from Framedart.com to review a piece of art they would allow me to choose. This year, again, I asked to review another piece of art. This time however, I didn't let my children know, and chose a piece I have loved for a very long time, "Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh.

As before, I am absolutely amazed by the massive selection of artwork that is available for the consumer to choose from. They have everything anyone could be looking for: sports, classics like Monet, modern artwork, photography, animals, you name it, I bet you could find it. A few months ago, I had a friend at work tell me about how she was looking for artwork for her hall stairway. She was looking for very specific things. She was looking for flowery, but not overwhelming in color, pastel, but not washed out, a series that would look good in her hallway, something feminine, but masculine enough for her husband to enjoy as well. I showed her this site and we spent a few minutes looking around the selections. Within 10 minutes, she was able to find exactly what she was looking for.
The website itself is very easy to navigate, with a search option and the ability to filter by frame, canvas, or print, as well as style, color, shape, and size. While it seems the huge selection of options can be overwhelming, the website gets easier the more often you use it.

Again, my beautiful Starry Night came very quickly, less than 2 weeks. The packaging was just as I remembered: professional and safely without a scratch on it. The hanging was the same as last time, with the metal strip.I had to get my husband to hang it, as I had sprained my ankle a few days previous to receiving it and couldn't climb a step stool and balance a picture at the same time.

Overall, I am very happy with this company, and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for any type of artwork for their home or office.

Rating: 5 stars