Book Promo ~ COURAGE: Powerful Lessons in Leadership, Strength, and the Will to Succeed

Heart Transplant Recipient and Sepsis Survivor
Shares Inspirational Journey and Keys to Recovery

Three years ago, John Sperzel’s heart, and his world, were on the brink of stopping. While vacationing in Aruba, he was found unconscious and unresponsive in the wee hours of the night. He was medflighted to Miami, where he spent a week in the cardiac ICU, before he was transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital. 

Sperzel’s prognosis was grim: He had a very rare and progressively fatal condition that had been diagnosed fewer than 300 times in medical history — most during autopsies. He was officially in the fight of his life and needed a heart transplant to survive.

Courage: Powerful Lessons in Leadership, Strength, and the Will to Succeed is Sperzel’s gripping account of his extraordinary battle to survive, his agonizing wait for a donor heart and the “kiss of death” that almost ended it all. 

Throughout his emotional journey, he grappled with knowing that his life depended on someone else’s loss. He promised that if given a second chance, he would pay it forward any way he could.

Courage — part captivating memoir, part inspirational call to action — gives readers a rare glimpse inside the mind of someone who has survived the seemingly unsurvivable. But that’s only part of the story.

Sperzel writes, “It’s not about what happens to you that’s important … it’s who you choose to become as a result of what happens to you that really matters.”

Following a period of deep introspection, Sperzel identified the factors that contributed to his miraculous survival and recovery (and other successes in life): Hard Work, Excellence, Attitude, Resilience and Teamwork. Courage compellingly explores the positive impacts of cultivating and embodying these traits, and offers a duplicatable method to guide readers along their own paths toward fulfillment.

Sperzel’s career evolved into his calling, and he hopes that by sharing his H.E.A.R.T., he can inspire others to follow their passions to their true purposes, and live life as the incredible gift it truly is.

Courage author John Sperzel is President, Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors at T2 Biosystems (NASDAQ: TTOO). As a healthcare executive, he has built and led high-performance teams at all levels around the world, and acquired companies in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Following his heart transplant in 2017, Sperzel returned to his role as a public company CEO and continues to pursue his lifelong passion to advance life-saving technologies. As a speaker, he shares his amazing story of courage in the face of adversity, along with powerful lessons in leadership, strength and the will to succeed. He plans to donate all proceeds from his book sales to Sepsis Alliance (www.sepsis.org) and Donate Life America (donatelife.net).

Follow the author on Instagram at www.instagram.com/johnsperzel/ and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/johnsperzelceo. 

Available from
AMAZON

COURAGE: Powerful Lessons in Leadership, Strength,
and the Will to Succeed

Publisher: Merack Publishing
ISBN-10: 1949635627
ISBN-13: 978-1949635621 

To watch Sperzel’s feature video for the American Heart Association,
please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx1gLcAqm5g. 

Book Promo: FREE AND FEARLESS by Phil Moser

Free and Fearless:
The Amazing Impact of
One Precious Life

by Phil Moser

This Courageous Young Woman’s Story Is
Testament That One Life Really Can Impact The World

One thing most of us can’t get enough of right now are inspiring stories that put all the stress, fear and worry of the current pandemic into perspective. How about a story of an incredible young woman who lived a life without limits and managed to enrich every life she touched – regardless of the fact she had a rare and incurable disease? Brittany Moser and her best friend, her dad, set out on the journey of a lifetime and their unforgettable adventure became the backdrop for Philip Moser’s book, Free and Fearless: The Amazing Impact of One Precious Life.

“This book is not about the grief of losing a child, but about making the most out of what we are given and living our lives positively and not out of fear,” writes author (and Brittany’s father) Philip Moser. “Brittany inspired me, an ordinary farm boy, to explore life, to climb mountains and to write a book.”

In 2015, Brittany was diagnosed with Addison’s disease, a rare condition that can lead to adrenal failure. She passed away in 2017.

The book is an honest, poignant account of Brittany’s legacy and the ripple effect that her outlook on life had on those around her. Among Brittany’s valuable life lessons that Philip shares with readers are:

1. How precious life is and how we can affect the people around us;
2. How an open mind and a positive attitude can inspire us to do things we never thought possible;
3. How to move out of our comfort zones and into a challenging existence that can turn each day into an exciting gift to be explored;
4. How to not let fear control us, and to use our abilities to seek unique, positive and inspiring adventures;
5. To embrace change as a natural part of life;
6. And finally, that we won’t be remembered by our things or our savings accounts, but by how we made other people feel.

“I want to share the same inspiration that I received for 32 years,” Philip added. “In the end, love truly does conquer all, and Brittany wanted us to know that.”

Author Philip Moser grew up on a farm in Angola, Indiana. After high school, he began working in different aspects of the grocery business, a career that continues to this day. He and his wife, Marilyn Wells, raised two incredible daughters, Camille and Brittany.

For more information, please visit www.freeandfearlessbook.com or connect with the author on social media at https://www.facebook.com/philip.moser.73?ref=bookmarks. 
A portion from the sale of each book will be donated to the National Adrenal Disease Foundation.

ISBN-10: 1733086404                                                                     ISBN-13: 978-1733086400

Available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, BooksaMillion.com and other online retailers

An Unlikely Sisterhood

Standing Strong: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Sisterhood and the Court Case That Made History

By Diane Reeve with Jenna Glatzer

A triumphant true crime story in which a diverse group of women band together in a landmark legal case against the man who deceived them all. It’s Dallas Buyers Club meets Erin Brockovich.

Diane Reeve gives her reader a tough pill to swallow with her intensely gut-wrenching, true crime memoir Standing Strong: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Sisterhood and the Court Case that Made History (HCI Books — $15.95). Her 7th Degree black belt in martial arts background connects the concentration, the punches to the gut, the restraint, the thrill, the power and the knowledge to any reader that dares to grasp on to this hard-to-put-down book.

In her first chapter, Black Corvette, Diane Reeve accelerates into the moment her life takes a sharp turn. A day meant for sweet memories of her daughter’s wedding halts at a fork in the road of her life. Immediately, the reader has been captured to travel a hard-to-believe real life journey as Reeve unpacks the sick reality that Philippe Padieu, the love of her life, was deliberately infecting multiple women—women in their 20s through 60s, with little in common except their vulnerability and now… HIV.

Diagnosed with AIDs, Diane vowed to stop Philippe from victimizing anyone else despite her plummeting t-cell numbers and declining health. In a race against time, she tracked down as many of his conquests as possible. Against all odds, this unlikely group made legal history, successfully prosecuting Padieu and sending him to prison for assault with a deadly weapon.

It was a sisterhood none of them wanted to belong to, but it became their lifeline as they struggled with anger, the specter and stigma of an HIV diagnosis, and failing health.This fascinating case—won only through the help of new DNA science—is Diane’s story of victory and her mission to bring awareness and empowerment to others. As she explains, “Courage is doing what’s right, even when you’re afraid.”

Highlights from the book:

•    “He made me feel strong yet protected, desired and cherished.”

•    “I was never going to be able to forget this night, June 17, 2006; it would be forever linked with my daughter’s wedding.”

•    “Even though we were all in the same boat, I guess I hoped to be better and prettier than the others.”

•    “If there was anything in my life that I’d like to take back, it was the moment I hit “send” on that first e-mail.

•    “I exhaled. Things were going to be different. This was a man I could trust.”

•    “I was sure he could have just about any woman he wanted, and I was flattered that he chose me.”

•    “I have to do the best I can every day to show people what it is to be a person living with HIV—a real person who is more than just a diagnosis.”

Receiving widespread recognition by the media in 2009, this historical case is exposed once more and even further into the psyche of Diane. Brilliantly written, the reader is able to feel the frustration, depression, hope and the many other inconceivable emotions that Reeve encountered as she fought the battle to bring down a pathological perpetrator, build a sisterhood, and manage her very own health all at the same time. The reader becomes a part of her team and sympathizes yet roots for her courage.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Diane Reeve, “the new face of HIV,” has a B.S. Degree in nursing and a M.Ed. in adult education. Her true calling is teaching martial arts. She holds a 7th Degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do plus black belts in three additional styles. She has been the sole owner of Vision Martial Arts Center in Plano, Texas, for over twenty years and she has promoted over 170 of her own students to black belt. In 2008, she was inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Diane is also broadening her efforts to be of service to others by speaking out against stigma and victim blaming. She is a popular speaker on the topics of AIDS awareness and women’s empowerment, and has become an avid advocate and activist for women.

Jenna Glatzer is the author or ghostwriter of more than 25 books. Her recent work includes The Marilyn Monroe Treasures, a Barnes & Noble bestseller; The Pregnancy Project with Gaby Rodriguez, also made into a Lifetime movie, and the authorized biography, Celine Dion: For Keeps.

Standing Strong: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Sisterhood
and the Court Case That Made History
By Diane Reeve with Jenna Glatzer
HCI Books / April 2016/Available wherever books are sold
Paperback / $15.95– ISBN: 9780757319020
Publishers contact info for direct orders: (800) 441-5569 or www.hcibooks.com

 

read an excerpt

Book Promo: Till the End of Time by Sylvia Anthony

Till the End of Time: A Story of Persistence,
Love Failure and Success in a Woman’s Life

Rediscover Why We Celebrate The Season:
We’re Meant To Keep On Giving Till The End Of Time

Life has not always been easy for Sylvia Anthony, but if you met her you would see a vibrant, remarkable woman who today, at age 86, stands as a pillar of inspiration that life does not end in retirement – but finding new meaning in life is what gives us life! Sylvia overcame insurmountable adversity in order to help others and is living proof that life can be lived victoriously at any age. As founder and president of Sylvia’s Haven, a shelter for women and children near Boston, Sylvia has helped transform over 1086 lives in the past 28 years. While there is never enough money (she has loaned her own money to the shelter many times and has not received pay for the past four years), Sylvia wouldn’t change what she does for the world and calls it her “magnificent obsession!”

Sylvia’s memoir Till the End of Time is now in its third edition (eFluential Publishing), a compelling biography, seasoned with wisdom from a vast array of real-life experiences, that portrays a rich emotional and personal journey of transformation from an abused child to senior citizen. It is an extraordinary true story of abuse, love, sorrow and triumph – and is a story that will forever change your life.

Sylvia’s book tells of a child, beaten by her father and unwanted by her mother, whose saving grace was the love of her grandparents, uncles and cousins. At age five, when several of her beloved relatives moved to California, she was more lost and alone than ever before. As a teenager, still suffering beatings by her father, Sylvia experiences her first young love; Tony. Readers share a poignant story of a marriage that produces three children, but ends in divorce due to cruelty, leaving Sylvia to raise her children alone. Tony later becomes a disabled veteran through tuberculosis, and Sylvia goes on to cope with life and its hardships.

Sylvia’s second marriage to Rick brought them both closer to God and lead to the founding of her shelter, Sylvia’s Haven. In fact, just six months before Rick died of cancer, he completed   the details, with the help of a lawyer who worked pro-bono, to get the shelter started. It was incorporated on January 25 and Rick died March 30. 1987.

The title, Till the End of Time, represents the favorite love song of Sylvia and Tony, her first love, so it makes perfect sense that the remainder of the book is devoted to many of the remarkable stories of how Sylvia cared for her “girls” and she did so with the help of Tony, who re-entered her life to help with the shelter until his death at age 71 – proving that their love truly did last Till the End of Time.

Sylvia believes that in spite of the bad experiences she endured, God gave her the courage to continue on. Although she was made to believe as a child she could do nothing, she went on to marry, raise three children and at 57 begin her service of sheltering homeless women and children. At age 86, still a force to contend with, she never backs away from a new challenge.

She has been featured on the 700 Club, and received a commendation from President George Bush in 2002. She is the recipient of the Arthur L. Whitaker Award, the National Alliance to End Homelessness Recognition Award, Ambassador for Peace Award, the Governor of Massachusetts Recognition Award,  named the Hometown Hero by WBZ-TV in Boston, and recognized as Woman of the Year 2012/2013 by the National Association of Professional Women.

Sylvia’s Haven is a nonprofit housing facility near Boston providing shelter, guidance and emotional support for homeless women and their children. The women can be referred to schools, counselors and work advisers in the area for help with developing their own earning skills so they may live independent lives. Sylvia is also the author of Sylvia’s Haven, published in 2008 by AuthorHouse. For more information, please visit: www.sylviashaven.org

Available from Amazon.com
Buy from the author’s website, www.sylviashaven.org and she will inscribe the book before shipping
Till the End of Time
eFluential Publishing
ISBN-9 781517 477851

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Sylvia’s Pastor wrote in her book: “Sylvia is a woman of faith, courage, tenacity and love. Her story shows that no matter a person’s background, age or season in life, when we make ourselves available to God, He is able to accomplish great things through us. Through Sylvia we learn of God’s great provision and how a simple ‘yes’ to God can turn into hope for 1,077 women and children.”

Sylvia Anthony believes “the golden years” are a time to gear up and get busy, not relax and take it easy. She has faced many hardships in her 86 years, but they have made her stronger and more determined.