Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Blooming Into Life by Kristie Booker (VBT, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT








It is my pleasure to share a guest post by author Kristie Booker, who shares her answer to my question...



ELF: What was the most difficult thing to overcome on your path to becoming a published author and how did you conquer it?


KB: The most difficult thing I had to overcome on my path to becoming a published author was to get over my own self-limiting thoughts. I spent most of my life thinking that I wasn’t good enough to call myself a writer let alone be a published one. I didn’t think anyone would want to read something that I had written and I thought once someone did, they would laugh at my attempt to tell a story. The conquering of such thinking was hard. I had to do a lot of personal work in order to find the courage to share my writing. Ugly thoughts continue to creep into my life. I’ve learned to accept the fact that I will always be a work in progress.



The process of developing self-love and self-acceptance took several years but I finally got to a place where I began to care a little less about how the outside world saw me. I still have periods when I find myself dependent on the opinion of others. When this happens, I get quiet and remove myself from the world. Whether it’s a long walk in nature, time meditating or even a long drive listening to great music, I’ve learned I need to journey inward to reset my thoughts and reconnect with myself.



I wasn’t able to accept myself as a writer until I found the courage to allow my best be good enough and was able to love and appreciate what that looked like for me. I had to learn that the things that make me different make me unique. The history and experiences in my life help me craft the stories that I tell and make me as worthy as anyone else that calls themselves a writer.



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by Kristie Booker

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GENRE: Women’s Fiction

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BLURB:

Growing up on a farm in Brockville, Illinois, did not prepare Colleen O’Brien Adler to be the wife of a wealthy entertainment lawyer living in Chicago. It certainly didn’t prepare her to be Dinah Adler’s daughter-in-law. The stay-at-home mother of two has more than she’s ever wanted—a personal stylist, a prestigious country club membership, a multimillion-dollar home—but she finds herself not only struggling with depression and body image but also failing as a parent and fearing for her marriage. Her life is about to change when an invitation to a wellness meeting arrives in her inbox. With some coaxing from personal coach Kory Stone, she commits to a new beginning. But will she be able to overcome the things that are holding her back?

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EXCERPT


“How many of you are here to lose weight?” Kory asked.



Colleen raised her hand along with every other woman in the room. Noticing how skinny over half the room was, Colleen wondered why they were raising their hand.



“While your goal is weight loss, my goal is to help you find yourself, your true self,” Kory said.



“What if our true self just needs to lose weight?” Beth said.



The women around the table laughed. Kory smiled at her. “I want to help you see beyond your physical body and dig deep into what makes your heart happy.”



Beth’s smile faded as she considered Kory’s words. Colleen had no idea what made her heart happy. She loved the girls and Jay. They made her happy. They also made her exhausted. Besides her bed, a vanilla latte and a bottle of wine, she couldn’t put her finger on anything that truly made her happy.



“The hardest part about finding out what makes you happy is being truthful about what isn’t making you happy,” Kory said. “In order to lose weight and keep it off, you have to commit to working hard to overcome the things that are holding you back.”



Colleen wasn’t sure she could commit to doing whatever work Kory was talking about. Some things in her life were too difficult to overcome.



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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Kristie Booker is the author of Blooming Into Life, a blogger and a Wellness Coach. She enjoys coaching and inspiring women through her writing as well as in person. Kristie is a wife and mother of two sons. She grew up in rural Illinois, but now lives in Chicago. 












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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway



The tour dates can be found here

52 comments:

  1. Congrats on the tour and thank you for the excerpt and giveaway. I appreciate the opportunity to win.

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  2. Enjoyed the excerpt.

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  3. I enjoyed getting to know your book; congrats on the tour and I hope it is a fun one for you :)

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  4. Congrats on the book tour. Thanks for hosting the giveaway. Bernie Wallace BWallace1980(at)hotmail(d0t)com

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  5. What writers have inspired you?

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  6. Sometimes you just have to forge ahead regardless and hope for the best.

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  7. Thanks for the excerpt. I looked at your book at Amazon and read the only review there. The review sort of made me think your book is more of a self-help book rather than a Women's Fiction story. Is it both?

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  8. Happy Hump Day! I'm here to say thanks again and to let you know I appreciate the chance at winning.

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  9. What do you think about "trailers" for books?

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  10. What did you want to be when you grew up? Did becoming an author ever cross your mind?

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  11. How did you choose the genre you write in?

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  12. Enjoy this beautiful Saturday and I want you to know I appreciate all you do bringing us this great giveaway to enter.

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  13. Thanks for hosting the giveaway. I hope that I win. This looks like a fun read. Bernie Wallace BWallace1980(at)hotmail(d0t)com

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  14. Good luck on your book.

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  15. Have a beautiful Sunday and thank you for the opportunity to win this giveaway. I sure appreciate it.

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  16. Thanks for hosting the giveaway. This looks like a fun read. I hope that I win. Bernie Wallace BWallace1980(at)hotmail(d0t)com

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  17. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

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  18. What are four things you can't live without?

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  19. When did you realize you wanted to become a writer?

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  20. You're the best! Thanks again for the chance at winning.

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  21. How long does it usually take you to write a book?

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  22. Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages per day?

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  23. We made it....it' s Friday! Have a great one and enjoy your weekend also. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  24. What is the hardest part about writing?

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  25. What book(s) are you reading at present?

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  26. I am stopping by to do my daily entry and thanking you again for the opportunity to win. Enjoy your Sunday!

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  27. When did you realize you wanted to become a writer?

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  28. What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

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  29. Happy Monday! Have a great week ahead and thanks again for the chance at winning this giveaway.

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  30. How do you select the names of your characters?

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  31. Do you proofread/edit all your books or do you get someone to do that for you?

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  32. What process did you go through to get your book published?

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  33. I am running late today to stop by. Been busy painting but want to take a minute to say thanks for the chance to win.

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  34. What at some ways you promote your book?

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  35. Happy Friday! Wishing you a terrific weekend and back to say "thanks again" for giving all of us an opportunity to win.

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  36. What were the early influences on your writing and how do they manifest in your work?

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  37. Good evening! Hope you're having an awesome Saturday and enjoying yourself. I am back quickly to thank you once again. I appreciate the chance at winning.

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  38. What makes this particular genre you are involved in so special?

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  39. How important is research to you when writing a book?

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  40. What inspires you to write?

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  41. Hello! I am back to thank you again. Been pretty busy lately and missing many entries but I appreciate the chance at winning.

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  42. How hard was it to sit down and actually start writing something?

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  43. Thanks so much for the opportunity to win this giveaway and all the difficult work you put into bringing it to us.

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  44. What is your take on the importance of a good cover and title?

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  45. Have you ever experienced writer's block?

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  46. Good Friday Blessings and thank you so much for the chance at winning.

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