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A Year in the Company of Freaks is a”disarmingly appealing” tale of discrimination, transformation and restoration, Freaks is bursting with intrigue, drama, comic relief and romance.

About A Year in the Company of Freaks

It’s 1972 and a seismic clash-of-cultures is rattling northern California. In the redneck town of Trinity Springs, rumors of hippies migrating up from San Francisco have residents bracing for an invasion. When Italian-American hometown boy and Berkeley graduate Sid Jackson is busted for growing pot on his deceased parents’ farm, locals suspect the assault has begun. Will a crazy deferral program devised by the sheriff keep Sid out of prison? Or will a house full of eccentric strangers, a passionate love interest, and demons from his past be his undoing?

A “disarmingly appealing” tale of discrimination, transformation and restoration, Freaks is bursting with intrigue, drama, comic relief and romance. Reviewers agree this five-star, coming-of-age classic “very much reflects the attitude and mood of the times.”

My Thoughts

I wasn’t too sure what to expect from this book when I read the plot summary but I fell in love with the story from page one. You learn to understand, respect and appreciate so many different aspects of life and beliefs.

We start off learning about our main character Sid, who turned bad boy after his parents died. He went away to school and learned about a lifestyle so different from the one his small town parents raised him in. He challenged all of his teachings, faith and even relationships with family and friends. All he wanted out of life was to have a good time and travel. When he is busted for growing pot in his small town, he faces a cross-road. Either face jail time or serve one year at home in his parents house. But for him, coming face to face with his past and his parents death could be his undoing.

I loved watching Sid grow mentally and emotionally throughout this book. He went from believing he knew everything and that the new hippie lifestyle was the way to be, to understanding and valuing the differences in lifestyles and appreciating the beliefs of others. He learns that you can be happy and not be high. What spoke to me the most was the healing that he went through over his parents death and living in their home. He goes through so much emotionally and spiritually and to be able to experience this is special. He grows as a person and has to learn to move forward with acceptance and love. But it’s not just him that goes through an understanding, his Godparents do as well. They learn to understand and accept the lifestyle and beliefs of their godson – to love him for all that he is.

A Year in the Company of Freaks is an amazing story of healing, understanding, the pitfalls of discrimination and hope. It is a definite must read novel that you will not want to put down.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Author of highly-acclaimed “A Year in the Company of Freaks,” Teresa was raised in a large Midwest family and now lives in Oregon. She is also the author of “Bianca’s Vineyard,” and its sequel, “Domenico’s Table.” Both books are based on the true stories of her husband’s Italian family in Tuscany. In addition to enjoying family, writing, reading, meeting her readers, wine tasting, traveling, and all things Italian, Teresa loves playing the fiddle with other musicians.

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Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Path of Lucas follows Lucas Clarkson who is a simple man, a family man, and a hard working farmer’s son.

About the Path of Lucas

Path of Lucas follows Lucas Clarkson who is a simple man, a family man, and a hard-working farmer’s son. From a small town in Eastern Ontario, the author, Susanne Bellefeuille, brings us on Lucas’s journey through the trials and tribulations of his life.

Lucas’s path is not as simple as the man he’s portrayed to be. From the days spent working on his dad’s farm to becoming a successful mechanic, with a genuine heart and his incredible strength, Lucas faces many difficult decisions. The choices he makes may be the difference between realizing his dreams and keeping his family together.

Based on true events, this is Susanne Bellefeuille’s first novel.

My Thoughts

The Path of Lucas is the story of Lucas as he grows from his teenage years through his adult years and becoming a parent and then a grandparent. We are introduced to his story when tragedy hits very close to home. He opens up to his daughter about how he met her Mother and their relationship in their teen years that led to their marriage. We learn about the sacrifices he made not only for his wife and children but also for his Mother and Father. The story is told by Lucas and told both in the past and the present.

The Path of Lucas is a story that so many parents and children can relate to. We feel obligated to help our family and to honour them when they ask for our help, even if this means sacrificing our own wishes. This could be not going away to school or giving up a job opportunity to be closer to an aging parent. In this story, Lucas gave up the job that he loved and was succeeding in (not to mention a great pay) to return to his roots and work the farm that he disliked so much. He did this for his Father – a sacrifice he made for a parent that loved, guided and taught him everything he knew.

The story is heart warming and one that many of us can appreciate. I found myself laughing, crying and full of respect for the journey that Lucas went on. He had a heart of gold and always thought of others first. His first love was for his family and honouring them. It is a lovely story of care-taking, family, love, hope and faith that I fell in love with from the start. The ending was perfect and just what this lovely novel deserved.

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon, Amazon Canada, Barnes & Noble and Chapters.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Susanne Bellefeuille is a sister, mother, grandmother, and an inspirational mentor to many people. Graduating from the social service worker program at St. Lawrence College in Cornwall, Ontario, Susanne spends countless hours offering her professional aid, guidance, and most importantly, her friendship to people with intellectual disabilities.

Susanne’s life changed remarkably after the realization that her desires would require her to complete college and set a better example for her children and grandchildren. From being a high school dropout and a mother at the young age of seventeen, Susanne has journeyed a considerable distance to become the successful person she is today. Her journey is not only to write books but also to help people reach their full potential, as she truly believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to shine in life.

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Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Invitation: To Journey Through a Conscious Mind is an ode to the beat generation of poets that carved their names in literary history.

About The Invitation: To Journey Through a Conscious Mind

The Invitation: To Journey Through a Conscious Mind, is a showcase in talent from author and poet Tyfany Janee. She’s eloquently produced the anthology through plaintive artistic angst. Injecting the essence of her soul into her prose. The diverse collection of poetry which lies between the covers is the result of an entire life’s work experimenting within her vocation.

Her work is comprised of truth, meaning, hope, possibility and a succinct hint of humor as she tears away the facade from humanity. The works shed light on relative issues that we’re all faced with in our easily waywardly led astray lives, and the monotony that makes up our existence.

The Invitation: To Journey Through a Conscious Mind is an ode to the beat generation of poets that carved their names in literary history. Any creative mind will revel in the inspiration that lies between these pages; it’s full of daring attitude, and celebration for the authentic. A unique look on love, that you have to dare to delve within. It harnesses true devotion, with a stark, hair raising element of modern reality.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Tyfany Janee is a mother and an upcoming graduate with a BS in Business Administration in a concentration of Entrepreneurship, and a minor in Marketing. She is a prolific writer, author and poet and she has an upcoming plan of releasing a short story collection in 2018 that she titles; The Road Sometimes Traveled; and a poetry collection book titled “RSVP: To Be You Unapologetically.” Additionally, a release of a debut novel, the first of a series in 2019 she titles; To Love Him..I.

Her recent book is comprised of truth, meaning, hope, possibility and a much-needed element of humor when it comes to exposing the true nature of humankind. Tyfany devours inspiration wherever she can get it, from cult classics, to just about anything she can see

You can connect with her on her website, Twitter and Facebook.

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Disclosure: This is a spotlight post, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.