Annie Bot Book Giveaway + Book Recs & Letting Go of Seeking a Big Life!

Plus June celebrations and a new WIP!

Hi all,

June is my birthday month! I love that my birthday, June 12th, is the same as Anne Frank—who inspired me to start writing diaries when I was a young girl. And I had a fun-filled day with my two favorite boys, my husband and son.

We laughed so hard attending the farce, Noises Off, at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, PA, followed by dinner.

June is also the month of Father’s Day here in the United States. It was my first Father’s Day without my dad. This photo teaching his grandson, Joshua, how to ride his first bike represents so much of my dad. He was a very patient teacher. Whether he was teaching you a game of Hearts, croquet, badminton, golf, or chess, or instructing you how to drive--or ride your first bike. When you got frustrated, he would calmly correct you and push you to keep trying. Thanks for pushing me to keep learning, Dad.

For me, June is also a month to celebrate being a true Gemini. I used to think that this was a curse but now embrace it with all its gifts. The gifts of duality, communication, longing, wonder, and imagination.

I’ve been called flighty before, but through a recent struggle with finding purpose again my dear friend, author, and teacher, Kathryn Craft, told me something I’ll never forget. She said that I live life by trial and error through curiosity—and I will find purpose once more as it’s in my nature being a seeker. And if you’re a novelist looking for an amazing developmental editor to work with on your story, be sure to check out Kathryn’s services and get on her list for her next Your Novel Year class!

Kathryn and I having fun!

And I’m now embracing this as my motto: “Live life by trial and error through curiosity”! I am a lifelong learner and some things I achieve and leave behind, but I always take with me what I learn and apply it to new adventures. And “this is who the hell I am” … another motto I’m taking on as my own this year. Feel free to take it on as your own, too. 😊

With the stress of family challenges in 2023 fading away, I’ve been in a rest and recovery place where things burbling beneath the surface have led me toward renewed purpose. And part of this purpose was being compelled to launch my podcast, Your Bounce Back Life, to journal about my own self-awareness on how to reset from life challenges and share my advice with others.

One of my recent podcasts that is very personal to me (and I got super fired about!) is Episode 14 on Bouncing Back from Believing You Need to Live a Big Life.

For a long time, I’ve been aiming for a “Big Life” in all I do, not realizing I missed out on fully celebrating what I’d achieved no matter the results. I’ve recently stopped believing that I need to build a big life—and recently discovered that living a small life IS a big life. And way less stressful! In accepting that I have more joy in living a small life, I guess you could say I became a Recovering Over Achiever … and am now a Receiver. To receive and celebrate all the good in my life. To be a Receiver not an Overachiever. I hope for you, too.

And I hope you take a listen with my episode here where I share more on this with 6 ways to exit the winning roadmap of a big life (as preached by others) and how to create your own terms of success to embrace a small life.

Catch a snippet of my episode here and the full episode below:

Apple: https://apple.co/4cAhPyz
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4cj7fLU
All platforms: YourBounceBackLife.com

And I’m also now compelled to begin a new middle grade story that is firing up my imagination. A fantasy grounded in the real world involving the 1,000 Islands on the Saint Lawrence River, an ancient guardianship, mythology, and Vikings! I’m having so much fun researching and outlining this story. More to come 😊.

Book Recommendations and Book Giveaway!
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
Science Fiction

Let’s get to my book giveaway! I so want you to experience this unique story that I’m giving away one hardcover copy of Annie Bot (U.S. and Canada only please. Ends 7/1). There is so much to discuss about this book and I’m eager to meet my Book Club in July and do just that! I hope you have your own unique chats about this book with your peers.

Here’s the summary:
Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner Doug. Designed to satisfy his emotional and physical needs, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the pert outfits he orders for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his moods. She’s trying hard. She’s learning, too. But becoming more human also means becoming less perfect, and as Annie’s relationship with Doug grows more intricate and difficult, she starts to wonder: Does Doug really desire what he says he wants? And in such an impossible paradox, what does Annie owe herself?

I think Esquire’s quote wraps this story up perfectly with Annie Bot being, "Provocative...a Frankenstein for the digital age...a rich text about power, autonomy, and what happens when our creations outgrow us."

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE or Below:

Making it So by Patrick Stewart
Memoir

Summary:
From his acclaimed stage triumphs to his legendary onscreen work in the Star Trek and X-Men franchises, Sir Patrick Stewart has captivated audiences around the world and across multiple generations with his indelible command of stage and screen. Now, he presents his long-awaited memoir, Making It So, a revealing portrait of an artist whose astonishing life—from his humble beginnings in Yorkshire, England, to the heights of Hollywood and worldwide acclaim—proves a story as exuberant, definitive, and enduring as the author himself.

Ahh, what a rich delight this book is! I’ve always adored Patrick Stewart, especially as my crush on Jean Luc Picard in Star Trek the Next Generation. It was my go-to show on Saturday nights in the 1990s! Not only is Stewart a treasured actor onscreen and onstage, but now a treasured storyteller. His stories of his childhood and life are so detailed and vivid you feel as if you are living them through him. Plus, what a wonder it is to delve into his nostalgic memories and cultural snapshots in time of life through his eyes.

Happy reading and summer cruising!
XXOO-Donna

P.S. I’m also taking a break from social media for my mental health so I can focus more on creating and exploring through deep work which brings me such joy and purpose. So, I will be present only here through my newsletter! 😊 But I’d love to hear from you in the comments.