In ‘Gumbeaux’, Kimberly Vargas’ award winning adventure novel, readers have an opportunity to immerse themselves in vivid and richly drawn experiences of Louisiana people, culture and traditions
Author Kimberly Vargas will appear on The Authors Show radio version beginning on November 28, 2011 to discuss her award winning adventure novel, ‘Gumbeaux’.
Nearly driven to homicide by an alcoholic caretaker, a sheltered, rebellious young heiress disappears into New Orleans to heal in peace from the death of her parents. In moving from Washington, D.C. to Louisiana, she experiences culture shock and freedom for the first time. The title refers to a Cajun restaurant where she takes a job as a waitress. There she engages in many misadventures with often hilarious results. Years later, she is haunted by the conviction that she may have left part of her soul behind in the deep south, and must face her dark, reckless past in order to win it back.
A Washington, DC psychologist is surprised to discover that her new patient is the wealthy and powerful philanthropist Mary Fait. Mary is the granddaughter of one of the greatest painters of the 20th Century. Despite her position, Mary is troubled by, what she refers to as, "a fracture in her soul". She is haunted by memories of her past and feels she must confront them but is afraid to do so.
“I am excited and honored,” stated Ms. Vargas, “to make an appearance on The Authors Show. The characters of ‘Gumbeaux’ are ready to take on a new group of readers to delight and entertain. I hope readers enjoy the adventures of Mary Veronica Fait and the Louisiana cultural immersion program the book presents.”
In a recent review, Andrea Glass of Writer’s Way stated, “To me, the mark of a successful novel is that I care about the characters, and I did! The protagonist has a problem that she is seeking help for. Her therapist, and the reader, through her diaries, follows her coming of age journey through the men, money, and mysteries of the South. When I finished reading ‘Gumbeaux’, I was ready to book a flight to New Orleans, and I envision seeing ‘Gumbeaux’ on the big screen”
‘Gumbeaux’ was a 2011 Gold Medal literary contest winner awarded by Readers Favorite.
Kimberly Vargas is available for media interviews. She can be reached using the information below or by email at vavavargas@gmail.com. More information is available at her website. ‘Gumbeaux’ is available at her website and at Amazon.com.
Profile:
Kimberly Vargas is the 2011 Readers Favorite fiction contest winner (chick lit category). She is a San Diego resident, an artist and a surfer in training. For over ten years, she wrote instructional design content for Fortune 50 companies such as Capital One and GEICO. This is her first novel. She lives in San Diego with her husband Michael and their three dogs.
Contact:
Kimberly Vargas
www.KimberlyVargasAuthor.com
vavavargas@gmail.com
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Kimberly Vargas, Award Winning Author Of ‘Gumbeaux’ To Appear On The Authors Show Radio
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Mississippi Flooding: Dr. Laurie Pappas Offers Real Hope In The Midst Of Tragedy
The Mississippi River flooding is the next horrific event in what has become a long line of environmental catastrophes. Author Laurie Pappas believes that learning to overcome these challenges, as difficult as this may appear to be, begins with choices made by the individual and offers practical guidance in her new book 'The Loving Heart'
Natural catastrophies take a serious toll on those of who must suffer through them - serious injury, the death of loved ones, loss of homes and possessions, businesses destroyed, the displacment of families, financial ruin, the cost of rebuilding - the list goes on and on. These challenges can easily overwhelm even the strongest of us. Yet, amidst this chaos, there is another way of looking at such events. Dr. Laurie Pappas offers a different perspective in her recent release,'The Loving Heart'.
"These events," stated Dr. Pappas, "have, once again, brought despair to human beings who urgently need a way to cope with the adversity that life can bring. Viewing a situation in terms of its opportunities rather than its agonies can help anyone, anywhere to deal with hardship. What if there was actually a grander purpose in all crises? What if disasters such as this could make us stronger and wiser? What if we could learn something profound or useful from our experience? I believe that it is the nature of the Universe in which we live to challenge us to improve ourselves and discover hidden pockets of knowledge and power that we didn’t even know we possessed. If we open to this possibility, not only can we navigate rough waters more easily, but we can also develop amazing new versions of ourselves – ones more masterful and empowered, self-aware and compassionate."
Dr. Pappas presents her approach in 'The Loving Heart: Navigating the Journey from Conflict to Peace'. The book is supplemented by a workbook entitled 'The Loving Heart Companion'. Dr. Pappas has included over 30 years of observation and wisdom gained from personal experiences, as well as working with students, clients, family members and colleagues. She now offers a series of teleclasses dealing with the subjects contained within her written works.
“Teleclasses,” continued Dr. Pappas, “on such subjects as forgiveness, surrender and the Mirroring Principle, help us to mend the fearful, anxious and angry states of mind that accompany us each day. The concepts taught help us to uproot any disturbing thoughts we may have, and replace them with calm, peaceful ones, freeing us to extend hopeful, caring thoughts into regions of the world that so critically need our nonviolent, harmonic energy.”
Dr. Pappas offers phone and in-person spiritual and metaphysical counseling, in addition to life coaching, classes, workshops, speaking engagements and teleclasses. Her teleclass schedule for Spring 2011 is as follows (all times EST):
Thurs. June 2 8 Secrets to Beating the Blues 12:00-1:15
Wed. June 8 Developing The Knack of Loving Ourselves 12:00-1:15
More information on teleclasses and her books is available at her website. Specific information on teleclasses is available by email. Dr. Pappas is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below, or by email at laurie@lovingheartconnection.com. 'The Loving Heart: Navigating the Journey from Conflict to Peace' and the accompanying workbook, 'The Loving Heart Companion', are available at her website, Amazon.com, Rittenhouse, Nacscorp and Expresso Book Machines.
Profile:
Dr. Laurie Pappas is an educator, spiritual counselor, speaker, writer and life coach. Dr. Pappas is a recipient of the 2005 International Peace Prize, Key of Success Award, and Woman of the Year Award, bestowed by the United Cultural Convention of the United States of America for outstanding personal achievements to the good of society as a whole. She lives and teaches using ancient psycho-spiritual principles. She is the co-founder of the Metro Detroit Center for Attitudinal Healing, a non-profit center, whose activities she directed for 16 years. She has been counseling for 22 years. She has taught classes and workshops and trained support group leaders, in addition to writing articles for a large metaphysical newspaper.
Contact:
Laurie Pappas PhD
P.O. Box 250206
Franklin, MI 48025
248-626-0792
Laurie@lovingheartconnection.com
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