Nurse Florence

The Nurse Florence® series seeks to promote science and health among children and to help increase the health literacy levels of our society. With teamwork, inclusion, faith and perseverance, we can.

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Sometimes it seems only a nurse can bring technical information down to an understanding that an ordinary person can grasp. The Nurse Florence® book series provides high quality medical information that even a child can grasp. By introducing young kids to correct terminology and science concepts at an early age, we can help increase our children’s health literacy level as well as help to prepare them for courses and jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. We need more scientists so I hope that many children will enjoy this book series and consider a job involving science.

Books in the series include: How Do Our Fingernails Grow? How Do We Feel Dizzy? How Does Our Hair Grow? How Do We Smell Things? How Do We Hear Things? What is Chronic Kidney Disease?

Author Bio:

Michael Stephen Dow is married to Perla in Arizona and has 3 kids. Michael was on a path to attend medical school and then the events of September 11, 2001 occurred. Michael became angry at the terrorists and decided to join the US Air Force. He went through Officer Training School and then graduated specialized Navigator training to become an Electronic Warfare Officer. Michael deployed 6 times for the Global War on Terror between 2005 and 2009 with the EC-130H Compass Call mission. Michael medically retired in 2010 and then became an US Army contractor serving Wounded Warriors and ensuring they received all of their entitled benefits for 8 years.

Michael always had a love for science and the human body so he then used his GI bill to go through nursing school and graduated in August 2020. Michael now works as a Registered Nurse at an inpatient psychiatric hospital. Michael’s education is as follows: B.A. in Psychology from Auburn University in 1999, B.S. in Biology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2001, M.S. in Management from Troy University in 2010, Masters in Health Administration from the University of Phoenix in 2017, and M.S. from the University of Arizona in 2020 through its 15 month accelerated Masters Entry to the Profession of Nursing program.

Michael is the Founder and Manager of Dow Creative Enterprises, LLC. His books have garnered the Silver Nautilus Book award in 2020 (Nurse Florence, Help I’m Bleeding) and an AwardWinning Finalist in the Religion category for the 2021 International Book Awards (A Prayer to Our Father in the Heavens: Possibly the Greatest Jewish Prayer of All Time).

Michael believes we will need the best of science and religion to successfully navigate ourselves, our civilization, through the future obstacles we will face. More information can be found at www.DowCreativeEnterprises.com and www.NurseFlorence.org. Nurse Florence® is a federally registered trademark by Dow Creative Enterprises.

The Nurse Florence® series seeks to promote science and health among children and to help increase the health literacy levels of our society. With teamwork, inclusion, faith and perseverance, we can bravely face our problems and help each other reach our better selves as well as our best collective good.

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Mission Improbable: Vietnam (A Blanche Murninghan Mystery)
Nancy Nau Sullivan

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It’s 2003, nearly 30 years after the Vietnam War…Blanche “Bang” Murninghan is sitting on the dock of the Peel ‘n Eat Pier on Santa Maria Island, sipping an excellent draft and wiggling her fishing pole after an elusive sheepshead. It’s hot out and the sun is shining. She doesn’t see the woman eyeing her from the fishing hut—not until she appears at Blanche’s side and forever disrupts Blanche’s peaceful idyll in this quiet Gulf coast town.

The woman is Jean McMahon and she needs Blanche’s help—her amateur sleuthing skills have become local legend after she helped solve the murder of a friend and dodge some drug-dealing land developers. Jean needs a good dose of that Blanche determination and doggedness. It’s not a simple favor Jean asks. Will Blanche go to Vietnam with her and look for Jean’s mother?

It’s as if Jean has ripped a new hole in Blanche’s heart. Her father was killed in Vietnam, and she’s never gotten much history from her beloved grandmother and mother on the subject. Jean’s request grows on her. Blanche wants the truth…Blanche and Jean don’t stop once they land in Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, and ex-pat “Stick” Dahlkamp makes sure of that. They pick up the search together. The three cross the rice paddies on Stick’s Honda Dream to Ben Tre and My Tho, old stomping grounds for Stick, a former Ninth Infantry Division Riverine and now bar owner of the popular, The Follies. He’s got friends in jungle towns who might help, and indeed they do. And don’t. Blanche begins to wonder if he’s running them off the road.

They trace Jean’s mother’s steps around South Vietnam, to where she met Hank McMahon, an infantry scout with the old Americal division. They meet more than one shady character who thinks it better to let things lie, deep and peaceful, just the way that they were after the horror of war passed. But Blanche’s stubbornness beats down the door. She is looking for Jean’s mother, and following her father’s trail. He left without a trace. Or did he? Does anyone?

About the Author:

Nancy Nau Sullivan’s SAVING TUNA STREET was a finalist for Foreword’s INDIES mystery of 2020. Third in the series, MISSION IMPROBABLE: VIETNAM launches June 25. Second in the series, TROUBLE DOWN MEXICO WAY (June 2021). She is also author of THE BOYS OF ALPHA BLOCK (April 2021) and an award-winning memoir, THE LAST CADILLAC. A former newspaper journalist, Nancy taught English at a Florida boys’ prison, in Argentina, and in the Peace Corps in Mexico. She lives in Northwest Indiana and, often, anywhere near water.

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Toxic Effects (The Memory Thieves Book 2)

Dr. Joel Shulkin
367 Pages
Blackstone Publishing
September 20, 2022

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Book one Adverse Effects

 

 

Don’t forget to be afraid

Neuropsychiatrist Cristina Silva cannot escape her past. The voice in her head of her former identity won’t let her. Cristina also can’t quite manage to force herself to forget the ex-boyfriend she dumped: handsome police detective Gary Wilson.

Soon after beginning her new job at the Longwood Memory Center, Cristina receives a startling phone call from her contact at the FBI: an assassin is crisscrossing the country, killing anyone connected to the now-defunct pharmaceutical company ReMind—people like Cristina. The shadowy criminal enterprise Zero Dark is back.

Indeed, an assassin is tracking Cristina, a literal femme fatale known as Dama Branca. Like Cristina, DB’s memory was robbed by Zero Dark. Transfixed by the brilliant doctor, DB’s unsure what’s preventing her from killing Cristina. DB has memory glitches and longs to interpret them. Whether or not these have to do with Cristina, she doesn’t know, but she senses their fates are entwined—with any luck, not fatally.

Danger lurks in the shadows. Cristina’s spurned lover, Wilson, is investigating the suspicious deaths of local teens, convinced they’re not accidents. Before their bewildering ends, all the victims exhibit bizarre behavior, and there are now terrified whispers among their friends of a hooded boogeyman called Sack Man. One exceptional young man, Reggie Horne, is clearly in the middle of this bedlam. Wilson vows to prevent Sack Man from claiming Reggie as his next casualty.

And when Cristina’s in danger, Wilson is never far away. Just as it becomes apparent their two stories are entangled, the peril shoots sky-high. With at least one killer in their wake, they must quickly determine what’s real and what’s not. Unlocking Cristina’s memories could save many lives—her own included.

Author Bio:

JOEL SHULKIN, MD, is the author of Adverse Effects, the first novel in the Memory Thieves series, and he has penned award-winning short stories and poetry. A pediatrician and United States Air Force veteran with a masters in public health, Joel lives in Florida with his wife and two daughters.

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PRAISE FOR TOXIC EFFECTS:

“Shulkin’s smart, page-turner Toxic Effects redefines crossed, crisscrossed, and double-crossed. A really great read.”

-Reed Farrel Coleman, New York Times bestselling author of Sleepless City

“A wicked smart medical thriller.”

-Dea Poirier, bestselling author of Next Girl to Die and Find Me in the Dark

“This was my first medical thriller and I couldn’t put it down. Joel seamlessly integrates more twists and turns than a Formula One Race. Highly recommend”

– Brian Cuban, Bestselling author of The Addicted Lawyer and The Ambulance Chaser

 

 

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The Holding & The Healing Companion Journal
Lynda Faye Schmidt

220 pages
OC Publishing
October 23, 2022

Amazon | Goodreads 

The Holding & The Healing Companion Journal integrates the influences of others with the author’s own unique twists. Divided into four sections, the first two sections explore messages and inquiry derived from her novels, The Holding and The Healing. Section three is about uncovering your authentic self, and the final section is about living your authentic life by applying what you’ve learned. It is the author’s hope that writing in this joumal ignites your curiosity, gives you a stronger sense of self, and provides you with more tools to live your life with even greater courage than you ever have before.

The Holding & The Healing Companion Journal contains probing questions for self-examination that cover a variety of challenging life experiences. Content on issues such as trauma, sexual abuse, eating disorders and depression, among others, could be triggering for some people. The guidance in this book is by no means meant as a substituted for professional services or therapies. The author recognizes that the content is derived from her personal experiences, beliefs, and values, and may not be in alignment with everyone. The intent of the exercises is to provide tools for each individual to live their lives with curiosity and courage, with their own well-being to be the central objective.

The Healing
Lynda Faye Schmidt

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The Healing is the story of Cate Henderson who, after twenty-six years in an abusive relationship, sets out on a quest to find healing. Based on true events, the novel follows Cate to Vancouver Island, where solitude in nature and writing in her journal provide the foundation for her self-recovery.

After Cate unearths her authentic self, a chance meeting leads to her soul mate, Ethan. An earthquake in Nepal threatens her daughter’s safety while Cate struggles to create boundaries with her adult children amidst a move to the Middle East.

Her heart calls, to endure the lows and enjoy the highs. Her spirit whispers, I’ve got this.

The Holding
Lynda Faye Schmidt

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The Holding is the story of Cate Henderson, who, born six weeks premature, ignites a fierce protectiveness in her father, William. Based on true events, the novel delves into harsh realities and the power of love to overcome them.

The unbreakable bond between Cate and William creates an unshakable resilience that allows Cate to survive sexual abuse in early childhood and again as a teenager. His devotion is the foundation of her strength as she navigates the trials and tribulations of life.

“He didn’t change the world, but he changed mine.”

Author Bio
Lynda Faye Schmidt is a storyteller who writes from the heart. Her novels are emotionally impacting and character-driven.
Before becoming a writer, Lynda earned a Bachelor of Education. She taught in a variety of settings, sharing her love of reading, writing and creating.

After her move to the Middle East in 2015, Lynda kicked off her writing career with her blog, Musings of an emotional creature. She was also a contributor for DQ Living magazine.

Since then, Lynda has published two novels as a series, The Healing & The Holding. With a goal to publish a book a year, watch for upcoming projects. The Companion Journal to The Holding & The Healing launches October 23, 2022. The Rogue Scorpion is scheduled for release April 23, 2023. For more information, log onto her website.

Author Links

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Truth Behind the Lies

Sandra Kay Darnell
Palmetto Publishing

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The truth is I’m a really good girl. Despite all the lies that have been spread over the last decade about me, I am a child of God. I’ve made my mistakes, but have more than paid for them. I was born to a mother who dearly loved me. My father, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with me. He thought I was illegitimate so he treated me as an unwanted child. My parents divorced when I was two years old and I spent the next 33 years looking for a father figure who would love me. The pain that I endured looking for the right man was more than I could bear, and that led me to some dark places. On top of that, the FBI is pursuing me for something I didn’t do. This is my story. The names in this raw and honest short memoir have been changed to prevent repercussions.

Author Bio:

Sandra Kay Darnell grew up in Nanjemoy, Maryland, and graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in architecture, then went on to become a certified building inspector. Her side job is flipping houses. Sandra has been married for 20 years, and she and her husband have one son. They currently reside in Danville, Virginia, with their two cats. Her hobbies include writing and swimming.

Author Links:

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