The Page Unbound

THE REBIRTH OF HOPE

My Journey from Vietnam War Child to American Citizen

By Sau Le Hudecek

  Genre: Memoir / Inspirational

Publisher: Texas Christian University Press

Date of Publication: June 15, 2017

Number of Pages: 160 

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Born in a demilitarized zone during the Vietnam War to a Vietnamese mother and American soldier, Sau Le arrived in the United States as a young woman with only twenty dollars in her pocket. Though bullied and abused since childhood, she nevertheless came to her new homeland armed with courage and determined to build a decent life for herself, her infant son, and her traumatized mother.

This is the story of how she overcame every conceivable hurdle—significant culture shock, a daunting language barrier, serious illness, heartbreak, and betrayal—to become a landlord, a successful business owner, a joyous wife and mom, and a woman blessed with generous, loyal friends. She describes an arduous journey, both physical and emotional, from a place of terror and utter despair to a life overflowing with love and prosperity.

Ultimately, this is a story of hope, something Sau Le thought she’d lost long ago in the minefields of Vietnam. Her goal is both to uplift and to remind everyone born on American soil that anything in this land is possible for those willing to put dedication, faith, and passion to work.

Praise for The Rebirth of Hope:

“Sau Le has an innate abundance of beauty, wisdom, loyalty and dignity which led her to overcome unbelievable challenges and fully realize her dream in America. Thus proving once again that adversity builds character. I couldn’t put it down.” —Dan Jenkins, bestselling author of Semi-Tough

“Sau Le lifted her head and walked through years of hard work and determination, inspiring other women along the way! Every word of her personal journey was written to remind all of us!”  —Robin Sanders, Sanders Travel Agency

“An inspiring story of a Vietnam refugee’s journey to achieve the ‘American Dream.’ This book is a lesson for everyone.”  —Martin C. Bowen, financial executive

“To have written this remarkable story is one more example of the focus and tenacity that Sau Le Hudecek has shown in achieving her previous goals. You will remember this gripping tale of resilience and courage.”  —Gail Williamson Rawl

“A truly inspirational story of a fearless person who overcame unbelievable odds to make a better life and obtain the ‘American dream.’”  —Janie Beggs

Purchase Links

TCU Press    IndieBound    Barnes & Noble    Amazon

Sau Le Hudecek owns a successful salon in Fort Worth, Texas, while still serving her own elite clientele.  In 1993, she arrived in the United States at the age of 22 and was sworn in as a citizen in 2001. She lives with her family in Granbury enjoying the sunsets from their home on the lake.

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  June 7-June 16, 2017

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CHECK OUT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR

6/7   Author Interview   StoreyBook Review

6/8   Review    Reading by Moonlight

6/10  Review   Syd Savvy

6/11  Promo    Blogging for the Love of Authors and Their Books

6/12  Excerpt  Missus Gonzo

6/13  Review   Hall Ways Blog

6/14  Scrapbook 2  Texas Book Lover

6/15  Promo    CGB Blog Tours

6/16  Review   Forgotten Winds

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Breakwater

By Catherine Jones Payne
Genre: YA Fantasy/Mermaids
Release Date: May 30th 2017
Fathom Ink Press

Summary from Goodreads

A red tide is rising.

As the daughter of one of the mer-king’s trusted advisors, seventeen-year-old Jade has great responsibilities. When her fiancé murders a naiad, plunging the underwater city of Thessalonike into uproar, tensions surge between the mer and the naiads. Jade learns too late that the choices she makes ripple further than she’d ever imagined. And as she fights against the tide of anger in a city that lives for scandal, she discovers danger lurking in every canal, imperiling her family and shattering the ocean’s fragile peace.

Can the city’s divisions be mended before the upwelling of hate rips apart everything Jade loves?

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Review

Colorful haired mermaids and water manipulating naiads are a recipe of everything I wanted to read right now. Breakwater did an excellent job of bringing me an entirely different underwater world and keeping things very relatable. Tensions are high between the mers and the naiads with injustice and prejudice. It’s something we see everyday in reality. I’m sure with every story we read, the reader will always see similarities to their own world. Nothing is ever quite simple but this book brings something to light that is. Compassion.

The others characters like Pippa show that even with great loss, we can still find something for which to smile. Or Alexander who doesn’t fit in but works hard and eventually finds a home he enjoys. Even Jade’s mother shows acts of kindness despite the complicated position it would bring her. These characters and more come together in tragedy and upheaval and still persevere.

Jade’s compassion shines through a bleak and troublesome war brewing in her city and it what really drove me to loving this book. At one point, Jade describes heroic women from the past that jeopardized their lives but still persisted. This book is a great example for everyone, and especially young girls, about embracing differences and standing for what’s right. Even if you’re afraid. Well done Catherine Payne.

I enjoyed how mature this book could be while still keeping simple elements to the plot. It was an easy to read, fast paced, and thrilling story that I believe many will enjoy.

Catherine Jones Payne is a Seattle native who loves the written word, international travel, crashing waves, and good coffee. Her earliest memory involves pulling up a rolling chair to her parents’ old DOS computer—while wearing a tiara, naturally—and tapping out a story of kidnapped princesses. By day she’s the managing editor of Quill Pen Editorial and the editor of Splickety Magazine. She lives in Waco, TX with her historian husband, Brendan, and their cats, Mildred and Minerva.

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Internet Famous 
by Danika Stone
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: June 6th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Excerpt:

This guy looked more like a college student than high school senior, but there were too many other clues to ignore. Madi’s stomach twisted. Oh God—there’s no way this is happening.

“You’re Madi,” he repeated. “From the MadLibs blog, right?”

“I am,” she said, then forced a smile. “I know this sounds weird, but how do you pronounce your name?”

“It’s Laurent.” The way he said his name tipped her off: Luh-Ron. It rhymed with Lebron—the accent on the second part of the name—clearly masculine. Laurent Abelard, not Lauren Tabelard! she realized. Madi fought the urge to face-palm.

“I didn’t realize it was you,” she said. “I thought you were a girl.”

“I didn’t either. I thought you were—” He laughed. “I don’t know. Someone else. I expected someone… different.”

“Different?”

“I don’t know. You just look like—like—”

Madi’s wanton perusal came to a screeching halt. What. The. HELL.

“Like what?” she snapped.

“Like a blogger.”

“A blogger? What’s that supposed to mean?!”

He shrugged “I… I don’t know. You’re just not what I expected.”

Madi drew herself up to her full height, vibrating with anger. “Sorry to disappoint you, but there are lots of people who look lots of ways—”

“But I only meant—”

“—and bloggers come in all shapes and sizes—”

“Yes, I know, but—”

“—and MadLibs has a HUGE fanbase! Hundreds of thousands of visitors come to my site each month. I’m eighteen years old. I’m an entrepreneur. I’m not some—some kid, or something!”

Laurent recoiled from the screen, his face blanching. “Ah, non! Ce n’est pas le cas! I-I’m so very sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I just—I messed up. I didn’t think—I-I—Pardonnez-moi, s’il vous plaît. Je ne veux pas vous ennuyer…” His words tumbled out faster and faster, disappearing into a blur of anxiety-ridden French.

And that was the moment, Madi realized, when she knew she was going to fall and fall hard, because nothing was more romantic than a language you couldn’t understand and a young man who was anything but American who was spouting apologies and wringing his hands. (That doing it onscreen made him look like a matinee idol from some brooding French film was an added bonus.)

Purchase Links:

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Author Bio:

Danika Stone is an author, artist, and educator who discovered a passion for writing fiction while in the throes of her Masters thesis. A self-declared bibliophile, Danika now writes novels for both adults (The Intaglio Series and Ctrl Z) and teens (Icarus and All the Feels). When not writing, Danika can be found hiking in the Rockies, planning grand adventures, and spending far too much time online. She lives with her husband, three sons, and a houseful of imaginary characters in a windy corner of Alberta, Canada.

The first book in Danika’s upcoming Tathagata series (Edge of Wild) was selected as a quarter-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel of the Year Award (2013). Edge of Wild (Stonehouse CA) will be released March 2016. Danika’s YA novel, All the Feels (Macmillan US), will be released June 2016.

Ms. Stone is represented by Morty Mint of Mint Literary Agency.

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Black Dawn by Mallory McCartney

Publication Date:  February 14, 2017

Publisher:  Clean Reads Publishing

Synopsis:

The end of an Empire, the rise of a Queen

Emory Fae enjoys leading a quiet, normal life. That is until two mysterious, and handsome soldiers show up at her apartment, and the life she knew is instantly whisked away. Memphis Carter and Brokk Foster come from the magical and war ridden world of Kiero, and upon Emory’s arrival she will discover she is the long-lost heir to the Royal Line and is thrown into the Black Dawn Rebellion with a dynamic role to ignite the rebels and reclaim her throne.

With both men being darkly woven in her past Emory uncovers hidden secrets, a power held long dormant, and will soon realize there are worse things than supernatural humans, love, loss, betrayal, and a Mad King.

Some things are better left in the shadows

Excerpt:

Jaxson sat on a wooden perch, his chin resting on his hands as he stared longingly onto the horizon. She spoke softly, “Go to bed, Jaxson, I have it from here.”

Snapping to attention, he jumped slightly, not having heard her come in. “Nyx, you scared me a bit there. How are you?”

She winked at him. “Needing some starlight and an endless night.”

Nodding solemnly, Jaxson hopped down. Before leaving, he placed a burly hand on her shoulder. “We have to be prepared not to give up hope. For Alby.”

His words were like a weight anchoring onto the ocean floor. Nyx climbed up on the perch as Jaxson left, the door swinging closed behind him. Nyx closed her eyes. She could move forward with this. It was already too late. She had pushed Memphis to make his decision. He believed in Emory like he had never believed in her. He had and would always choose Emory. Her chin wobbled as her eyes snapped open. There was no going back now. She silently said goodbye to the man she loved as her eyes searched the land stretching out in front of her. To her left, the woods, and beyond that, an escarpment of mountain terrain…and Adair. It was as simple as breathing as Nyx reached out, her mind brushing against a thousand consciousnesses. A thousand whispers sounded back to her. She searched only for one. She didn’t have to wait long.

Purchase Links:

BAM | Chapters | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

Guest Post by Mallory McCartney

Best places to go writing and why

Thank you for having me!! Personally, I thrive on routine, and when it comes to my writing spaces I am a creature of habit! I have my writing nook in my home, which is nicely framed by my bookcases. When I hike, I always carry my notebook and take down lines and ideas when they come to me. I have my favorite coffee house as well, though this is a place I only write at once and a while. I tend to get deep into my world when I work, so for me personally my best place to write is in my nook, where I can be utterly transported (plus my dachshunds for company!). Also hiking, using the inspiration of nature to get my creative juices flowing. I think the best places to write really depends on the author themselves, where they are comfortable, and is different for everyone as individuals.

AUTHOR INFO:

Mallory McCartney currently lives in London, Ontario with her husband and their two dachshunds Link and Lola. Black Dawn is her debut novel, the first in a series. When she isn’t working on her next novel or reading, she can be found dog grooming, book shopping and hiking. Other favorite pastimes involve reorganizing perpetually overflowing bookshelves and seeking out new coffee and dessert shops.

Author Links:

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When Planets Fall
Abby J. Reed
(Stars Fall Circle #1)
Published by: Soul Mate Publishing
Publication date: April 12th 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Young Adult

“In this richly imagined start to a new sci-fi series, Reed brings optimism to the goal of solving entrenched violence in a galaxy far, far away . . . A propulsive, sharply crafted tale about a planetary war.” -Kirkus Reviews

Breaker’s home is cleaved by blood. The three tribes on the planet Scarlatti, whose only difference is their blood color, each want to exploit Breaker’s valley for themselves. The feudal tension has already claimed red-blood Breaker’s leg and his older brother. Now all this 18-year old wants is to maintain the tenuous peace in order to keep his little ‘stroid of a brother alive. Malani, a red-blood raised blue, is a kidnapped POW and only wants to return to her adoptive home with her dangerous blue secrets. Luka, a red-blood stewing for trouble, wants to right wrongs done to his family and bath his home in justice.

All three intersect when Breaker discovers a wrecked starship and is given seven days by the green-bloods to fix and hand it over as a weapon. Breaker must decide if aiding his enemies is worth the home he knows and his family’s life. War is coming. And war respects no boundaries. And war leaves no survivors.

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Top 3 Favorite Writing Places:

Because I have Chronic Migraine, leaving my house to write someplace cool is really difficult for me. There’s a lot of outside stimuli I can’t control that my brain instantly interprets as pain. Instead, I’ve built places within my house that work for both writing and migraining! So here are my top 3 places to write and why:

1. My office.

I always need a clean desk in order to write. A messy desk means my brain is messy and I can’t create when my thoughts aren’t organized! There’s a giant board above my desk where I’ve pinned inspiring quotes and pictures—all the things that give me little creative nudges. I love looking at it when I’m creatively stuck. I even have a massive lounge chair where I can take a nap mid writing session! Plus, I can close all the shades and turn my office into a vamp cave whenever my brain is hyper light-sensitive. It’s the perfect set up for an author with Chronic Migraine.

2. My loft.

I have this random loft in my house that I transformed into an art studio. I have a really comfy, really ugly chair up there (seriously. It has this purple floral pattern my mom thought was cool twenty years ago) along with a keyboard, easels, canvas, and way too much splattered paint. Just sitting up here makes my soul happy. So sometimes I’ll nestle in and type away, surrounded by color and texture.

3. My mini library.

I grew up in California. Nobody cares what size fork or spoon you use for meals. Nobody has a fancy-pancy dish set. And nobody has a formal living room. So when I moved into a house, I had no idea what to do with this entire extra room sitting by the front door. Why have a room you’re never going to use? Solution? Turn it into a library! Now, anytime I need a cozy spot to read or write while surrounded by great works of literature, I go to this room. I tend to do most of my writing research in here, curled up and surrounded by books Belle-style.

Bonus:

When I do feel good enough to get out the house, I really enjoy writing at my local indie bookstore. Again, being surrounded by great books is an amazing feeling. Then I can also wander the aisles while taking a break. There’s something so comforting about running your fingers along all the spines.

Confession: this option is really bad for my budget. I almost always end up walking out with out least two new books.

Thanks so much for having me today!

Author Bio:

Abby J. Reed writes young adult science fiction and fantasy novels that ask what if. She has a degree in English Writing and is drawn to characters with physical limitations due to her own neurological disorder called Chronic Migraine. Her debut novel, WHEN PLANETS FALL, will be published in April 2017 by Soul Mate Publishing.
Abby lives in Colorado with her husband and two fluffy pups. If her hands aren’t on the keyboard, they are stained purple and blue with paint. Find her online at http://www.abbyjreed.com.

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