When Lions Roar by Karen Leigh Gruber

 

When Lions Roar

by Karen Leigh Gruber

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GENRE: Women’s Fiction

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BLURB:Two women from different lands, each struggling to survive; a child’s mysterious disappearance will alter both their lives forever…

Maggie has become unrecognizable to herself, succumbing to the predictability of being a mother and wife. Every day she reminds her daughter to brush her teeth, has the same conversation with her husband about what’s for dinner. Maggie struggles to cope with the disenchantment of the monotonous tedium that has become her life. Despite her boredom, when her husband David is called on assignment to South Africa, Maggie resents having to rearrange her life just because David has decided they all need to traipse halfway across the globe.

While on safari, Maggie awakens one morning to a mother’s worst nightmare; their daughter Hannah has gone missing. Just when things can’t get any worse, Maggie is confronted with the harsh truth of her emotionally abusive marriage and what she has allowed her life to become.

When Lions Roar is set against the backdrop of the exotic and intriguing landscape of South Africa, when the country is reeling from the aftershocks of apartheid. Will Maggie find the strength and courage to abandon the fragile ties of her marriage and confront her self-destruction in time to save the life of her daughter?

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Excerpt : As we enjoyed our breakfast, my mind tended to wander. That morning, as I looked at my divine daughter, a million thoughts came rushing in. She is so kind, so smart, and so emotionally in tune, this young girl. As I watched her interact with the world and the people within it, I was touched by how compassionate and thoughtful she is. She was so respectful and engaging of the people around her, whether it’s a peer, a person of authority, and especially now, the personnel catering to our every need here in our little hotel bubble. Between the culture, the language, and the accents, there were challenges in communication. Hannah had a smile for everyone, and they, in turn, lit up when she spoke to them. Her demeanor truly reflected that a stranger was just someone she hadn’t met yet, and everyone we encountered responded in kind. I couldn’t help but be so proud of her. I thought back to all the moms I knew who insisted they could never travel that far away with their kids, which made me sad for them because I didn’t think I could ever travel that far away without her. She was such a wonderful travel companion.

Getting to experience the world through her eyes was a true gift.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links: Karen Gruber is an international #1 best-selling contributing author,

inspirational speaker, and a Leadership Development Coach for women and moms. She specializes in inspiring moms to realize their potential as mothers, women, and leaders. Karen has had extensive specialized training in parenting, feminine spirituality, and leadership. Over the past 15 years she has provided innovative leadership coaching for moms and has dramatically transformed her own life.

Sharing her life with her husband Jim and daughter Jaymie, presenting her message to other women, and traveling the world bring her the greatest joy.

She is the founder of The Inspired Mama, a company located in gorgeous Denver, Colorado that focuses on the inspiration, leadership, and wellbeing of women and moms.

When Lions Roar is Karen’s debut fictional work. She is freakish about Christmas lights and loves to play Baccarat.

Website: https://theinspiredmama.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karen.kraussgruber

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspiredmama/

Book Pre-sale: https://theinspiredmama.com/product/when-lions-roar-pre-sale-copy/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/When-Lions-Karen-Leigh-Gruber/dp/1734976004

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION:  One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

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IN THE AUTHOR'S OWN WORDS:

Why I Became a Writer, My Journey to Publication

I never considered myself a creative person. In 2017, I was approached to contribute a couple chapters to a self-help book for moms. That experience caused me to look at myself in a different light, I began to look at myself as a writer. Before then, I had only written for my business. I didn’t like writing just for business, it was hard. I felt the pressure of having to get it right, of having to say something profound every time I put pencil to paper.

During my own journey of healing I began to see myself as a creative being. I came to the realization that we are all creative beings. There are all these beautiful expressions coming through us as our contribution to the world, and as a path to our own healing.

A mentor of mine had a business program I wanted to participate in for years. A large part of the program was dedicated to the writing and promotion of a book. Since I didn't see myself as a writer, I thought it would be a waste of time and money to join the program. Once I saw myself as a creative being, I couldn't wait to say yes to the program. Included in the program was a week-long writing retreat in Hawaii. I figured even if nothing came of the retreat itself, I would get to be in a beautiful location.

I promised myself I would be open to the process, open to what came and trust that whatever my experience was, it was meant to be. I did a lot of journaling while asking a lot of questions. I did all the prep work and exercises we were asked to do prior to arriving at the retreat.

As part of this preparation, I was shown the title of my book, the location of my book, and a few pertinent details. Once I began the actual process for the book, I just let it come. I was rewarded, for as soon as I was immersed in the writing, the flood gates just opened. Within days, a few things became very clear. The most important was that this book needed to be published. This was the voice of my soul and the soul of other women that needed to be heard. Receiving that information was very scary. I was prepared to keep it just for me, but to share with others was a giant leap of faith. Writing When Lions Roar was a tremendous healing process for me, and I knew it would help heal other women as well.

I left Hawaii with the structure of the book and the pivotal scenes complete. I spent the next year filling in the gaps and making sure all the components made sense. Alongside this work was all the labor and effort that goes into self-publishing, another monumental task. This book has been the biggest accomplishment in my life so far. Whatever your dream is, I believe with all my heart that you can do it too. Have faith, trust what’s in your heart, and never give up.