College Life of a Retired Senior

“Blackwood’s story of returning to college as a senior citizen is so vivid and inspiring, you might find yourself compelled to start looking at course listings, no matter your age. An amazing tale of determination and resilience, told with humor and grace.” —Marcia Trahan, author of the memoir Mercy

Meet Yvonne Blackwood

Yvonne Blackwood is the author of seven books. An award-winning short-story writer, Blackwood has contributed stories to several anthologies, including Human Kindness and Canadian Voices. She has published articles in magazines including More of Our Canada, Adelaide, and Green Prints. Blackwood retired after a thirty-seven-year banking career.

The Girl in the Red Boots: Making Peace with My Mother

Can a mother be both loving and selfish? Caring and thoughtless? Deceitful and devoted? These are the questions that fuel psychologist Dr. Judy Rabinor’s quest to understand her ambivalence toward her mother.

While leading a seminar exploring the importance of the mother-daughter relationship, Dr. Judy Rabinor, an eating disorder expert, is blindsided by a memory of a childhood trauma. Realizing how this buried trauma has resonated through her life, she sets off to heal herself. The Girl in the Red Boots weaves together tales from Rabinor’s psychotherapy practice and her life, helping readers understand how painful childhood experiences can linger and leave emotional scars. In the process, Rabinor traces her own journey becoming a wounded healer and ultimately making peace with her mother, and herself.

Not a traditional self-help book outlining “steps” to reconcile or forgive one’s mother, The Girl in the Red Boots is a poignant memoir filled with hard-won life lessons, including the fact that it’s never too late to let go of hurts and disappointments and develop compassion for yourself—and even for your mother.


Meet Judith Ruskay Rabinor, PhD

Judith Ruskay Rabinor, PhD, is a clinician, author, writing coach, speaker, and workshop leader. In addition to her New York City private psychotherapy practice, she offers remote consultations for writers, clinicians and families. She has published dozens of articles for both the public and professionals and has authored two books, A Starving Madness: Tales of Hunger, Hope and Healing (Gurze Books, 2002) and Befriending Your Ex After Divorce: Making Life Better for You, Your Ex and Yes, Your Ex! (New Harbinger Publications, 2012). A sought-after speaker and workshop leader, Judy speaks at national and international mental health conferences and runs workshops at spas (including Canyon Ranch), colleges and universities (including Harvard University Continuing Education), and retreat centers such as the Esalon Institute, California. She resides in New York City. –This text refers to the paperback edition.

Twice a Daughter: A Search for Identity, Family, and Belonging

Julie is adopted. She is also a twin. Because their adoption was closed, she and her sister lack both a health history and their adoption papers—which becomes an issue for Julie when, at forty-eight years old, she finds herself facing several serious health issues.

To launch the probe into her closed adoption, Julie first needs the support of her sister. The twins talk things over, and make a pact: Julie will approach their adoptive parents for the adoption paperwork and investigate search options, and the sisters will split the costs involved in locating their birth relatives. But their adoptive parents aren’t happy that their daughters want to locate their birth parents—and that is only the first of many obstacles Julie will come up against as she digs into her background.

Julie’s search for her birth relatives spans eight years and involves a search agency, a PI, a confidential intermediary, a judge, an adoption agency, a social worker, and a genealogist. By journey’s end, what began as a simple desire for a family medical history has evolved into a complicated quest—one that unearths secrets, lies, and family members that are literally right next door.


Meet Julie Ryan McGue

Julie Ryan McGue was born in Chicago, Illinois. She and her identical twin sister were adopted together. Julie’s debut memoir is about the search for birth relatives. She writes about finding out who you are, where you belong, and making sense of it. Her weekly blogs focus on identity, family, and life’s quirky moments. If she’s not at her computer writing, she’s out exploring with her camera, or on the tennis court. She is the mother of four adult children and splits her time between NW Indiana and Sarasota. You can follow her at https://www.juliemcgueauthor.com.

MY MOMENT OF SALVATION

Kerri Croake was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised on Staten Island. After a traumatic brain injury, she was diagnosed with drug-resistant epilepsy in her first year of college. She faced multiple challenges including severe memory loss, insomnia, medication side effects, and the stigma that often comes with epilepsy from her peers. Despite these hurdles, she graduated in four years and worked in NYC as a computer system engineer. She is also a veterinary technician and a passionate advocate for epilepsy awareness. This is her third book in what she refers to as “The My Moment” series. Her first book, My Moment of Impact, is an Amazon bestseller. Her second book, My Moment of Madness, was published last year and has also earned attention among her followers. She currently lives in Maryland and New Jersey with her sister, Erin, and their dogs. She skis in the winter and loves to go to the beach in the summer.

Meet Kerri Croake

Kerri was born in Brooklyn and raised on Staten Island. She was diagnosed with epilepsy in her first year of college. After graduation she worked in NYC as an IT systems engineer for ten years.She has an undergraduate degree in US History and is a certified Veterinary Technician. She advocates for persons with epilepsy through fundraising efforts, becoming active in other charities and has found the time to create her own charity, Epilepsy Compassion International (www.navigatingepilepsy.net). Currently, she spends half the year with her family at the Jersey Shore and the other half in Deep Creek, MD with her best friend/sister, Erin. She is a staunch environmentalist, especially regarding marine life and pollution. She skis with her sister, Erin at the ski resort across the street from their home. She also loves the beach and surfing. Her first book, My Moment of Impact, is NOT on the NY Times best seller’s list; however, her work across multiple disciplines broadly addresses the narratives of human experiences with epilepsy.

Unfold the Stories of Unsung Heroes Part I

This is the Part I of the Unsung Heroes Series by Aspiring Blog. This book will make you realize that there is so much potential in being alive that we just never tap into. Here we will present to you the stories of heroes ‘the real heroes.’ Their stories might not be on the silver screen or related to any battlefield, but you’ll get the same Goosebumps moment that you had while watching any other superhero movie. The unreal act of heroism they’ve shown and have done for humanity is enough to leave anyone tongue-tied. All these stories are being written after intensive research because only a few sources are available on the internet. We’ve collected different elements from different sources and then connected them together to bring the true and complete picture of their lives. So let us Unfold the Stories of Unsung Heroes together.

Meet Aspiring Blog

Aspiring Blog Started its journey as a blogging website in 2020, publishing articles that center on significant life events, captivating stories, social and cultural norms, and intriguing perspectives and thoughts. Over time, as our readership grew, we introduced different categories to cater to diverse interests. One such category is the Unsung Heroes, which is dedicated to showcasing the inspiring stories of ordinary people with extraordinary tales. We feel privileged to have the opportunity to utilize our potential to positively impact countless lives. Our Unsung Heroes Series aims to highlight the narratives of unsung heroes who may not be widely known but possess stories that possess the power to drive societal change.

The Summer I Died Twenty Times

“Hello. My name is Fred. And I’ve been dead. Numerous times.”

This is the true account of the medical traumas of Fred Rutman. From 2009 through 2018, Fred faced continuous life and death situations that rocked every aspect of his life. Further, the unique aspects of his rarely-seen conditions forced medical teams to level up like never before.

Fred Rutman was certainly up against it. It being the Grim Reaper. The Reaper unleashed its full arsenal, pitting Fred against much of the medical system he trusted with his life. Even if Fred won the initial battles, could he win the war?

The Summer I Died Twenty Times is a medical trauma memoir unlike any other. In one package, Fred Rutman provides all the overcoming adversity, resilience and beating the odds a reader expects. With a side of sarcasm and humour. He may not be the hero you expected. He just might be the hero you need.

This may be the most important book you never knew you had to read. These experiences changed the lives of almost everyone who knows Fred. It will likely change your life, too. Perhaps even save your life or the life of someone you know. Pick up a copy. Now. You’ll be glad you did.


Meet Fred Rutman

Currently living in Toronto, Ontario, Fred Rutman is a former marketer, consultant and professor (marketing and finance). He is also an avid intermittent faster, which he credits with saving his life. And improving the lives of countless others he works with.

From Us For You: Inspiring Stories of Healing, Growth and Transformation

Twenty-five women (aged 30 to 80) tell stories of how they endured or navigated a variety of struggles and emerged having grown and transformed. Their desire is to share lessons learned to provide you with inspiration, hope, and encouragement. Writers describe experiences like altering limiting mindsets to recognize the value of self-care, listening, and manifesting; escaping emotionally or physically abusive environments and emerging stronger; stripping away restrictive expectations of others and creating authentic and passionate lives; and overcoming life-threatening illness through determination and taking charge. Others claim enough and intentionally discover and pursue more fulfilling careers; face harsh labels and inadequate language to become more compassionate; and find unexpected joy in mentoring and uplifting others. Their stories are important to learn from as they help us be more aware of the complexities of other people. Everybody has a story. Everybody. You will be touched by the resiliency and bravery of these writers as through their words you’ll find reasons to uplift your own life. Net profits from From Us For You book sales will be donated to a designated non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for and assisting women.

Purchase the Book


Meet Diane M. Dresback

Diane M. Dresback’s passion for storytelling drives her career as an author, screen- writer, and director. When Diane is not writing books, she’s making films. Diane is a past recipient of the Arizona Filmmaker of the Year Award. Find her at:
dianedresback.com (author) mindclover.com (film)

A Heart Without A Home

9-year-old Nichole and her parents are evicted from their home because of her parents’ heroin addiction. With nowhere left to turn, they are now homeless. In order to survive they must dig through dumpsters, beg, and steal. While living on the streets, Nicole struggles to understand why people treat them differently.

Meet Nichole Carpenter

NICHOLE CARPENTER is a wife and mother living in Orange County, CA. She is passionate about sharing her testimony of overcoming homelessness with others.

China’s Great Wall End to End

“China’s Great Wall End to End” is the true story of a mid-1980s solo journey, hiking across China on top of the Great Wall. A battle of triumphs and jubilation over misery and misfortune, this photo journal documents this “Seventh Wonder of the World” like never before. Closed since 1949, China had just opened its borders to tourism, but the majority of the country was still basically off-limits, and this 4000-mile journey was largely out of bounds. Hiding from China’s “men in green” was key to survival, but that didn’t prevent getting detained over and over, and penalized again and again. The story of this extreme eleven-month challenge also features 150 original images of the Great Wall as it crosses the heartland of China before vanishing in the Gobi Desert. Confucius once said, “Determination make a wise man do foolish things.”

Meet Millard Farmer

Entering Viet Nam, a trained 19-year-old combat medic, my teenage years ended wearing an Army uniform. Two years later though, 1968’s “Summer of Free Love” had begun, and my military obligation was over. Favoring the life of a hitchhiker, 90-day visas kept me moving across several continents before establishing roots in Costa Rica in the mid-1970s. Learning the importance of never being late, I discovered the graphic arts and the publishing world until the mid-1980s and the invention of the mountain bike. A 10-year, 150,000-mile bike journey followed, photo-documenting nearly 40 countries. When the money ran out, I returned to Costa Rica before the end of the millennium. That was 25 years ago and now at the age of 76, hitchhiking aimlessly has become one of my favorite dreams.

Stage 5: A Cancer Journey

Stage 5: A Cancer Journey is the remarkable story of how a terminal lung cancer patient overcame his illness. His prognosis was grim, and his life expectancy was projected in months, not years. He was considered to be at Stage 4 – and most Stage 4 lung cancer patients die quickly. There is no cure. There were many obstacles. The initial biopsy failed to reveal the correct genetic mutation. He lost his job and his health insurance. From tenuous treatment options to incorrect test results to sky-high drug prices, he overcomes enormous challenges. His life evolved into an unending roller coaster ride. But now, more than a decade later, he has survived, and he can finally share his amazing experiences.

Meet David Chill

David Chill is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author. He was born and raised in New York City, and after moving to Los Angeles, he earned a Master’s degree from the University of Southern California. He is the author of 15 books, including Post Pattern, which was a finalist in the Private Eye Writers of America contest for best new mystery novel. Stage 5: A Cancer Journey is his most recent book, and his first memoir. David Chill lives in Los Angeles.