Safe From the Past ~ Book Review, and $30 Amazon.com Giveaway!

About the Book:

A kidnapping, the divorce of her parents, the loss of her father, temporary abandonment and extreme poverty are just some of the issues the author dealt with as a young child.

Her mother finally tells her she must go to college so she can break out of this cycle of poverty and hopelessness. But how can she when she has no money and absolutely no confidence or self esteem?

Read this true story to discover what hope, faith and determination can do to change a life.
A truly inspiring, deeply personal tale of perseverance in the face of unimaginable hardships, Safe from the Past makes clear the restorative power of an education.
Told in an open, honest voice with the deepest sincerity, the author's life story serves as a rousing inspiration to those with the desire to create a better life than the one they are currently living.

No matter how helpless you feel, everyone has the power to shape their own life.

My Thoughts:

This book definitely was a quick read with only 138 pages; as well, I tend to enjoy memoirs genres making this book right up my alley. I thought that it was an encouraging story of how a young girl against all odds made a better life for herself, and how she learned to use her painful experiences as stepping stones to better her future.



I thought that the story seemed watered down, and at some points made the background not sound as awful as it probably was, although I believe the author was trying her best to bring to life the fear, anxiety, and chaos that she had faced while growing up. I also found it baffling that she seemed to let her mother “off the hook” (so to say) in the parts that she played in the lifestyle that in which they lived. I also wondered where she found her faith and God. I don’t recall any talk of church or knowing other believers.


Although, I thought some information was left out that could have enhanced the story a bit more, the bottom line is the story is an encouragement for anyone who desire to go to college, but are finding themselves struggling through life.


A Giveaway:
Litfuse is sponsoring a $30 Amazon.com giveaway open to both you and your blog readers.

How to Enter the Giveaway! To enter all you have to do is send a tweet (using #litfuse) about Safe From the Past or share about it on Facebook!
If you tweet we'll capture your entry when you use @litfuse. If you share it on Facebook or your blog, just email us and let us know (info@litfusegroup.com). Easy.

Not sure what to tweet/post? Here's an idea:
TWEET THIS: Safe From the Past by Patricia Mauro - inspiring tale of perseverance in the face of unimaginable hardships. http://ow.ly/5FQHA #litfuse

FACEBOOK THIS: Don’t miss Patricia Mauro’s Safe From the Past - inspiring, deeply personal tale of perseverance in the face of unimaginable hardships. http://ow.ly/5FQHA. Told in an open, honest voice with the deepest sincerity, the author's life story serves as a rousing inspiration to those with the desire to create a better life than the one they are currently living.


Want to Buy the Book Yourself: http://www.amazon.com/Safe-Past-Story-Faith-Determination/dp/1933651849/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310054112&sr=sprightly-20

About the Patricia Miller Mauro:

Patricia worked in New York City's financial district for thirteen years in the field of securities operations. At that time, she went on to obtain an MBA from New York University . She and her husband moved to Dallas , TX in 2001 where they are raising their two children.

During her time in NY, Patricia wrote an article entitled "A Tribute To My Mother" which was published in "The Recovery Journal" in 1999. Her book is a continuation of that tribute and serves to spread the message to those in similar situations that good news is on its way to children considering a higher education but who are afraid to dream. For more information please visit, www.patriciamaurobooks.com.

Find Out What Other's are Saying: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13380085

 *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity group’s blog for books program in exchange for a review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I'm in no way directly related to the contest giveaway, and comments left for this blog post will not count toward entry into the giveaway contest (ways to enter are listed above.)

Deadly Ties by Vicki Hinze ~ Book Review

About The Book:



The now resourceful confident women, Lisa Harper is on brink of reaching out to rescue her mother from her stepfather, Dutch Hauk’s grasp. The man quickly stepped in after her father’s death, and soon became harsh and controlling. Fearing for her daughter, Annie Harper gave up custody to a good family friend when Lisa turned 16. Now that Lisa was graduating from college, she could take care of her mother, and set-up plans to move her mother away from Dutch. Dutch would do anything to keep what he felt was his, and finally put that brat kid where she belonged where she couldn’t stir up any more trouble. Using his some criminal connections Dutch has Annie attacked, and Lisa kidnapped into a human trafficking ring.


Lisa’s new boyfriend, Mark Taylor and his old Special Ops buddies are there to help rescue, Lisa as they watch over Lisa’s mother Annie while she is in the ICU after the attack. After finding out that the group NINA that they were battling years before is somehow behind Lisa’s disappearance they step-up the search to trying to find Lisa, and get more information on the ties that NINA has to her disappearance. As Mark faces his fears of failing another person, he loves.

My Thoughts:

This book started out very slow, and while reading the following of the characters were a bit confusing in the beginning of the book as well. I had a hard time keeping focused on the book, as it just didn’t do well at keeping me engaged, and I found the ending quite predictable. I also found that the romance side of the book was a bit cheesy as well with the word usage. On the upside of the book, the leading female came across with strong sensibility, and grace even when put into a horrific predicament. The mother as well showed kindness, love and sacrifice while in her abusive relationship. And of course, there was a handsome hero to swoop in and save the damsel in distress.  For those of you who like a book with suspense, a strong female lead, and the handsome hero, this maybe the book for you, but you won’t know unless you try it.

*Disclaimer: Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.