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Is Believing Enough or Do You Need Hope and Oxygen, Too?

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Surviving divorce, raising children and starting over is something Katie Kelley Detmer understands all too well.

San Antonio, TX (USA), September 25, 2015 — Katie Kelley Detmer is an emerging author and speaker looking to touch those around her with a message of faith, family and hope. Detmer always wanted to write, but it wasn’t until after her divorce, the loss of her parents and being a mother of three children that she gained the courage to share her personal story of love, struggles, faith, hope and courage.

In her debut novel Hope & Oxygen, Detmer touches readers and shares her motto of: “It is never as bad as it seems and even though it may be hard, it’s never impossible.” Detmer’s book is geared to women and single mothers, however, fathers will be able to connect to many of the personal journeys Detmer shares such as learning even if something seems dark, impossible, you just need to take the first five minutes…the first step and keep going. Detmer talks about how single parents, wives and husbands need to focus on the first few days, weeks or months and not focus on fives years out from the goal.

“My book covers the seven-year journey I took in getting back into the work force and the dating scene after my divorce as a single mother of three children. It wasn’t easy raising my kids on my own. I had to learn how to balance my life while making sure I kept my focus on myself, my kids and what I wanted to achieve at work,” shared Detmer. “My journey had many ups and downs. I made mistakes, and sometimes people in my life were not honest with me, and I had to protect my kids from it all the best I could.”

Hope & Oxygen is a true story and starts with Katie Kelley Detmer’s earliest memories of a chaotic event that she survived without a blemish. Well, sort of. Detmer’s life has been a series of unexpected events and obstacles that she has had to hurdle. From getting divorced to dating a man sometime after who was trouble but seemed wonderful at the time, and later watching her children go through challenges, including her son being told he wouldn’t be a football player; miraculously, Detmer has always landed on her feet.

“My book isn’t about my ex-husband or why my marriage failed but rather a story about starting over with three kids and traveling down that unchartered path that so many woman travel. I didn’t want this to be a negative or dark book but rather a book of hope laced with plenty of humor even though at the time it may not have seemed funny” said Detmer. “Sharing the trials and tribulations about ‘that guy’ I dated after my divorce was critical to my book as so many woman I have met over the years have ‘that story’. Things don’t always end well in relationships, including marriages. Yes, sometimes an ex can be awful and painful, but my story isn’t about those things. It’s about picking yourself up, dusting off the bad memories and starting over. I want readers to know that things aren’t always that bad and with hope and oxygen, all things are possible.”

Hope & Oxygen takes readers full cycle throughout Detmer’s journey and the tiny opportunities that come along to keep her moving forward through it all.

“Everyone can tell you it is impossible, but it’s not. We do need companionship, be it family, friends or a special person in our lives,” commented Halo Publisher Lisa M. Unima. “I believe it was faith and the importance of her children that helped get Katie through it all. Women email her to share their stories, and that truly shows the inspiration Hope & Oxygen gives readers.”

You can purchase Hope & Oxygen through Halo Publishing’s website (http://halopublishing.com), Amazon and B&N.

Biography:
Katie Kelley Detmer is the proud mother of three children. She grew up in New England, went to college in Boulder, Colorado and currently lives in San Antonio, Texas. She is an outside enthusiast and has traveled the world cultivating lifelong friendships and memories.

Hope & Oxygen by Katie Kelley Detmer, publisher Halo Publishing, Int., ISBN: 9781612443690; Price: $14.95

Press & Media Contact:
Lisa M. Umina, Publisher
Halo Publishing International
1100 NW Loop 410, Suite 700-176
San Antonio, TX 78213 – USA
+1 877-705-9647
contact@halopublishing.com

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New Book Encourages Couples to Celebrates Life Even When One of Them Has a Terminal Illness

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The personal narrative of Don’t Stop Believing: Our Journey with Cancer, by Kasey Crawford Kellem is a remarkable memoir that shares her personal struggle, unconditional love for her husband Craig, and their losing battle against prostate cancer.

Cleveland, OH (USA), August 27th, 2015 — There’s more than one way to tell a sad story, but sharing a true story of love, hope, faith and the loss of a loved one to cancer can be painful, difficult and heart wrenching, as well as uplifting and encouraging. The personal narrative of Don’t Stop Believing: Our Journey with Cancer, by Kasey Crawford Kellem is a remarkable memoir that shares her personal struggle, unconditional love for her husband Craig, and their losing battle against prostate cancer.

“We loved, laughed and lived to the very end,” shared Kasey. “We didn’t give up on life just because of a grim outcome. Craig’s life touched many people from family, close friends and strangers who followed our journey through social media.”

In the memoir, Don’t Stop Believing: Our Journey with Cancer readers experience some of the uplifting events and ways Kasey and Craig celebrated, danced and enjoyed life. “You have a choice in this world and we chose to believe,” said Kasey, and believe they did. With a cancer diagnosis hanging over their heads, Kasey and Craig paid it forward by encouraging others also battling cancer and hardships to find the joy in life around them. Kasey and friend, Harry, even started a trend based off the concept of a Flash Mob to help uplift not only Craig, but family, friends, co-workers and complete strangers with what they dubbed a Love Mob.

Kasey is a big believer, teacher and role model of being resilient. Living with Multiple Sclerosis and having lost her mother eleven years ago, she knows how to overcome challenges. “My mom used to say, ‘If this is the worst that can happen to you, then you’re lucky,’” said Kasey. “Craig also had a motto: ‘This too shall pass.’ Because we believed and celebrated life, laughed, dreamed and were surrounded by loving people, we were able to get through the hard times.”

In Don’t Stop Believing: Our Journey with Cancer readers will relate to the love and devotion Kasey and her husband Craig experienced as they believed and celebrated to the very end. Much of the memoir draws upon memories and social media posts Kasey shared on Facebook throughout their journey with cancer. “When I sat down to write after Craig passed, it was very raw and fresh to me the experiences we went through. I found going through my timeline and being able to reflect was very cathartic and therapeutic. I wasn’t able to process what was happening to us at the time. I was on autopilot. I couldn’t let myself get emotional. I had to be a rock for my husband. But now, I was able to see what happened and how we made it through to the end. Writing this memoir has helped me process everything. I’m not bitter. I don’t play the ‘What if’ game. We lived…we believed,” shared Kasey.

Kasey Crawford Kellem’s raw honesty reveals every emotion she faced and the various thoughts that raced through her mind after her husband Craig was given his death sentence. Don’t Stop Believing: Our Journey with Cancer is not exactly happy. It’s not that kind of book. However, it will linger long and hard in the minds of readers and show life is worth living no matter the outcome. But it’s not a cancer book either…because cancer books suck.

“In the midst of a cancer diagnosis, most patients and family members find it difficult to retain the information they hear. Having a loved one live with a terminal diagnosis for an extended period of time is fast replacing sudden and unexpected death as a norm,” said Halo Publisher Lisa M. Umina. “In this emotional rendition of Kasey and Craig’s battle with cancer, Kasey encourages people fighting this dreaded disease to never lose hope, to keep believing and to celebrate life to the every end.”

You can purchase Don’t Stop Believing: Our Journey with Cancer through Halo Publishing’s website (http://halopublishing.com), Amazon, B&N and local bookstores.

Biography:
Kasey Crawford Kellem, a school counselor, has devoted her life to helping others facing adversity overcome their challenges and be resilient. She earned a bachelor and master’s degree in special education and an educational specialist degree in counseling. Kasey is the author of five Mind Over Matter children’s books: Believe; Love; Relax; Laugh; and Dream. She is a recent widow, stepmother, sister, daughter and friend to many.

Don’t Stop Believing: Our Journey with Cancer by Kasey Crawford Kellem, publisher Halo Publishing, Int.
ISBN: 978-1-61244-379-9; Price: $14.95

Press & Media Contact:
Lisa M. Umina, Publisher
Halo Publishing International
1100 NW Loop 410, Suite 700-176
San Antonio, TX 78213 – USA
+1 877-705-9647
contact@halopublishing.com

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I Hope Nobody Sees Me, Memoirs of a Teenage Stroke Survivor by Nicolas Sully Released Worldwide In eBook and Print Book Form

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I Hope Nobody Sees Me, Memoirs of a Teenage Stroke Survivor, by Nicolas Sully is a raw, and at times explicit depiction, of an inner-city coming-of-age experience, made even more challenging by a debilitating stroke.

For Immediate Release – (Elmont, NY, USA – May 1, 2013) — In Nicolas Sully’s first book, titled I Hope Nobody Sees Me, Memoirs of a Teenage Stroke Survivor, Nick tells how life changed dramatically after a stroke his 8th grade year. Relationships end, dreams end, but a new life unfolds.

Nicolas Sully was a typical kid going to an inner-city school. Nearing the end of his 8th grade year, Nick’s biggest concerns were football, friends and girls. Playing basketball one day in the school gym with his friends Nick gets a headache. Then his voice slurs. When he has difficulty putting on his shoes and vomits in front of the Gym teacher, school personnel call the ambulance.

Nobody that age expects a stroke – A stroke that will change how the world looks at him, and how he looks at himself. A stroke that will change his relationships with friends, family and all of the people that make up his world.

Nick speaks his mind, with raw, and at times explicit depictions, of an inner-city coming-of-age experience. An experience made more challenging by his stroke. Nick deals with the transitions of school, relationships, and youth to manhood, all the while trying to control the emotional roller-coaster ride of a teenage stroke victim.

“What a powerful story!

This is an outstanding book!

As a stroke survivor myself, I’m not sure what I was expecting from this read. Nicolas truly touched my heart with both his story and his courage. As a middle-aged professional when I had my stroke I know how terrified I was at times. Never did I expect to so totally identify with this young man’s story. We had so many touchstones in common it amazed me. I can identify with that overwhelming fear someone will “see” me. I felt for his pain of the fight to build a new life, losing friends, and learning to accept what’s happened.

Good for young Nicolas who has now decided to go into the medical field as a result of his experiences.

This isn’t a story just about surviving a stroke…it’s for young adults, it’s about life, and learning that when life knocks you down you get back up and keep fighting.

I hope you can “see” the man I do.”

~The Golf God – Amazon Review, April 28, 2013

Media Contact:
Nicolas Sully
E-Mail: Nsully6@gmail.com

The ebook version of I Hope Nobody Sees Me, Memoirs of a Teenage Stroke Survivor, ISBN 9781622872725, published by First Edition Design Publishing (http://www.firsteditiondesignpublishing.com), is available on-line at Amazon.com (http://tinyurl.com/cbobhrp) and wherever ebooks are sold. The 108 page print book version, ISBN 9781622872718 was published by First Edition Design Publishing and distributed worldwide to online booksellers.

Art

Hopeful Stories of Cancer Survivors Meant to Inspire

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Book Sales to Benefit Fund that Makes Children Smile

Valley View, OH, February 16, 2011 — Motivated by a four-year-old relative who lost his battle to an aggressive brain tumor 20 years ago, lifelong salesman John Voso Jr. recently released a book he says is about “hope.”

Today’s Heroes, Surviving with Style, a compilation of stories from 23 cancer survivors, is meant to inspire people, said Voso, a Cleveland, Ohio native whose family was profoundly affected by the death of his nephew, Richie White, in 1991. Voso and his family continue to help others dealing with medical battles through the Richie White Pediatric Family Fund at the Cleveland Clinic, which will benefit from sales of Today’s Heroes. Voso said the mission of the Richie White fund is “Making Children Smile.” Each year, the fund pays for a summer picnic and Christmas party that bring great joy to families enduring the pain of sickness, the author said.

A former professional bowler who grew up in Cleveland’s working-class Collinwood neighborhood, Voso always wanted to write a book. Emotionally stirred by the many people he has met through the Richie White sponsored events, he decided to share the struggles and triumphs of cancer survivors. “It’s their story more than my story,” he said when describing Today’s Heroes. The people featured in the book range in age from 14 to 84 and live in several American states, including Ohio, Florida, Hawaii, Minnesota and Washington. Voso interviewed most of them and wrote their stories, but a few of the chapters are first-person accounts, he said. The author borrowed the “Surviving with Style” tag line from ovarian cancer survivor Sheryl Stanowick, who developed Cancer Survivors with Style, a line of comfort products for chemotherapy patients.

An alumnus of St. Joseph High School, Voso is a senior vice president and agency relations manager at Old Republic National Title Insurance Co. He lives in Sagamore Hills, Ohio with his wife, Debbie, and has three children Angela, 24, John, 21, and Deanna, 16. He continues to bowl in a men’s league and is compiling an Italian cookbook featuring his favorite dishes that he plans to publish in the future.

To schedule an interview with John Voso Jr., call 216-408-8866 or e-mail todaysheroes831@aol.com. To order Today’s Heroes, Surviving with Style, visit Halo Publishing International at http://www.halopublishing.com.

Press & Media Contact:
Lisa M. Umina
Publisher & Award-Winning Author
Halo Publishing International
5549 Canal Road
Valley View, OH 44125
Tel: 216-255-6756 / 877-705-9647
lisa@halopublishing.com

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