Immigration and Adaptation: How Immigrant Families Excel in North America
by Haskell G. Edwards D. Min.
Paperback
Publisher: Langdon Street Press
Price: $16.95
ISBN: 9781936782239
Pages: 272
Release: September 15, 2011
Haskell G. Edwards, D. Min. Web Site:
Book Summary:
Adaptation is a must. But how does one go about doing this? It takes great planning, finances, and courage to leave one's homeland; but then finding support and comfort or anything of familiarity in a new land presents a whole new set of challenges. The stress is overwhelming. How do you gain the happiness and success you dreamed of attaining in the new land?
Immigration and Adaptation is here to help you navigate through these challenges. With the information herein, immigrants coming to North America will be prepared to identify and resolve social, family, and personal challenges with confidence. Mr. Edwards' vast professional experience with diverse immigrant families, as well as his own personal journey and genuinely encouraging approach, not only help immigrant families adapt to new surroundings, but grow stronger together in their journey.
This book includes:
- A family wellness test
- Step-by-step guidelines
- Real-life examples
- Inspirational stories
- Family, parenting, and spousal exercises
- Illustrations
- Single-parenting advice
Immigration and Adaptation also includes tips on: building self-confidence, resolving conflicts, tuning communication skills, networking and building social supports, budgeting, parenting, enhancing spousal relationships, helping teenagers adjust, communicating effectively, and more.
To read the EXCERPT, click HERE
Raising Wild Ginger
A Lacland Story
Author: Tara Woolpy
Paperback: 228 pages
Publisher: Bats in the Boathouse Press (June 11, 2012)
Amazon Link
Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the author, Tara Woolpy. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.
Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
My thoughts:
The book tells the story of Edward and Sam, two men in a relationship dreaming of having a family of their own. Actually, Sam wants it, Edward on the other hand is uncertain in proceeding with this plan because he is not sure he can handle it right.
Ginger is twelve years old but she has already experienced everything in life. Sex, drugs, child pornography, stealing, etc. Henry, the counsellor, thinks Sam and Edward's plans of raising a family is just right on time because Ginger needs to be given a "home". Henry considers the gay couple the best foster parents to Ginger. Sam and Edward take on the role seriously and together they experienced the ups and downs of having a kid while maintaining their busy lives.
I usually don't read GLBT books, I'm just not comfortable reading stories about gay and lesbian relationships. There was one, Coming Out Can Be Murder by Renee James which I've read earlier this year, like the first time after reading the synopsis, I decided to try it again and I'm so glad to have read this book. And now I think I've finally overcame my hesitation of reading the GLBT genre. Good for me ;)
I thought the author did an extensive research on foster care as she was able to provide readers some helpful information when it comes to foster care/foster parenting and I love how she weaves Edward, Sam and Ginger story. I can deeply relate to Edward and Sam as they take on this parenting role. Taking care and protecting Ginger is very hard especially she's not a "normal" twelve year old kid. It was such an emotional journey, I laughed and cried with them. I was tempted a number of times to skim the book not because the book's bad but I just want to know right away the end of the story, whether they would eventually adopt Ginger or not. I finished reading the story crying... oh I love how it ended!
Overall, certainly a GLBT book to keep! Raising Wild Ginger will definitely be included in my top ten best books read for 2012!
About the book:
Parenting is hard. That's what Edward Rosenberg has always assumed, although his only experience with children has been as the drunken uncle. Now the love of his life, Sam DaCosta, is yearning for fatherhood. Edward's been sober for years. He and Sam are in a good place. Why rock the boat? On the other hand, how can he deny Sam his dream of a family?
Then they meet Ginger. At twelve she's been through more than either Edward or Sam can imagine. She's seductive, secretive and dishonest. But somewhere between stealing his cash and alienating Sam, Ginger manages to wind herself into Edward's heart. Can the three of them create a family? Or will Ginger blow them all apart?
About the author:
Tara Woolpy is the author of Releasing Gillian's Wolves. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Whitworth College and spent a post graduate year at the Women Writers Center in Cazenovia, New York. Her short stories and poetry have appeared in literary journals and anthologies. Raising Wild Ginger is the latest installment in a series of loosely linked novels set in the fictional town of Lacland.
Let’s Dispense with the Games, I’m Desperate for you to Read my Book.
Dear Reader,
Recently at a dinner, Justin attempted to convince a woman to buy his book.
Here is how it went.
“Hello there, my name is Justin Ordoñez and I’m passionate about life. I think knowing your life’s passion is important to feeling positive about the future. I’m positive about the future, and should you decide to read Sykosa, I want you to be positive about it, too. I’m new to the area—this publishing thing—so I’m looking for someone who will not only give Sykosa a shot, but also be chill with who she is. I’m a confident, self-assured person who always appreciates the good reviews, but never stresses over the bad ones, so don’t feel pressure to…”
Wait, maybe I shouldn’t have said “bad reviews.” It puts the thought in her head, doesn’t it? Let’s try this again. Or should I mention I like to travel? No, that’s ridiculous—everyone likes to travel, it’s all anyone ever says!
I can recover. Be confident about your writing!
“What I meant to say was I’ve had nothing but good reviews, everyone loves my writing, they’re hypnotized by it and they can’t believe how brilliant it is!”
Yikes, I sounded cocky there, didn’t I? That’s what she needs, isn’t it? Another cocky doofus who thinks he knows everything and tries to make it with her at the end of the night, even though she’s obviously kept waiting for the “save me” text from her friend, but can’t get it because the cell phone reception is so bad here. Well, I don’t want to be that guy who does that. I’m not that guy. Alright, I can fix this—the key is self-deprecating humor and admitting something embarrassing.
Okay, here I go.
“Recently, I turned thirty, and I discovered I was losing my long hair, but I decided to be proactive and get on the Rogaine—which makes me think, every morning and evening I put it on, of Ed Helms from The Hangover saying, “uuuuu-sing of the Roeeee-gaine, check!”—and it’s totally worked, my hair isn’t falling out anymore, some is growing back and…”
Geez, TMI there, right? I’m so bad at this, we’ve only been at dinner for five minutes and I’ve drank three glasses of water. I already have to go to the bathroom. I’ll have to go several times at this rate. She might conclude I have an enlarged prostate or something. She might assume my virility isn’t strong, that I’m unfit for mating—not that I’m thinking about mating! I mean, not to say I wouldn’t want to mate with her, of course I want to, she’s so beautiful! I just mean I wouldn’t make such an assumption. She’s an independent person and I know we’re going to have a spent a lot of time getting to know each other before we even reach that point. Besides, I’m only trying to sell her my book. That’s all. Okay, I can save this. I just need to subtly suggest how potent I am, and then show her how much I’m wanted, so to create an infuriating jealousy in her.
That’ll win her back.
“One thing you should know is I’m a popular dude, and I’m at a point where I can’t be held down. I gots tons of honeys running me down to read Sykosa. This isn’t ego spitting. It’s honesty. Don’t hate the player, hate the game! I gotta play the field. It’s me being honest with you, me showing you respect, when I say—yes—I want you to read Sykosa, but I also want all your friends, your enemies, your coworkers, your church friends, your Zumba classmates, your ex-lovers, your local bar friends, and your entire Facebook friend list to read Sykosa. I even want your mother to read Sykosa. That’s right. I want your mother and you to read it together. Yeah, your Moms and you—reading Sykosa and talking about it and doing it again and again! And I want you to pay me for it. I want you to go to whatever book merchant you prefer, then pay me for Sykosa.”
Oh, God! I sound like a pervert! And a prostitute! Oh, this is bad. This is so very, very bad, but not like sexy bad, I mean legitimately bad. This isn’t what I’m usually like. Okay, the key here is to be myself, that’s the key.
It’s okay, I can fix this.
“My name is Justin Ordoñez. I recently released a book called Sykosa (that's "sy"-as-in-"my" ko-sa). It’s a story about a sixteen year old girl trying to reclaim her identity after an act of violence shatters her life and the lives of her friends. It’s been described as ‘gritty, intense and definitely not a book I'll forget’ and ‘This book really snuck up on me. I would find myself thinking about it when I was driving or doing other things.’ Basically, Sykosa and her friends attend a weekend-long, unchaperoned party at Niko's posh vacation cottage, where Sykosa will confront Niko and her friends over what happened last year. She will also have to deal with her new boyfriend, Tom, and decide if this is the weekend she wants to lose her virginity to him.”
Whew, that’s it. I finished strong.
I think I might have a shot at getting a reader.
What do you think?
Hey! Justin Ordoñez wrote a book called Sykosa. It’s about a sixteen year old girl who’s trying to reclaim her identity after an act of violence destroys her life and the lives of her friends. You can find out more about Justin at his blog, http://sykosa.wordpress.com. You can also find Sykosa, the novel on Amazon:
Price: $12.95 paperback, $2.99 ebook
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9780985424312
Publisher: TDS Publishing
Release: March 2012
