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Tag Archives: Mental health

The 10th Annual Mental Health Awareness Month

Posted on May 1, 2022 by Mirrigold

The 10th Annual Mental Health Awareness Month Book Fundraiser

For the 10th year running, an amazing group of authors have generously agreed to donate, in Keith’s name, a portion of their May book sales to help raise awareness for mental health.

This yearly event benefits the Keith Milano Memorial Fund at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. You can help raise money and awareness for mental health in the following ways:

Purchase a book from the amazing books listed below. We hope you will #1click4charity a number of these amazing books. The portion of sales is from ANY platform: digital, print, and audio.
If you have read one of the wonderful stories included, gift a copy to a friend who might love it!
Share the image below or any of the custom photos the participating authors share on social media to raise awareness and to show your support.
In this digital age, COMMENTS are currency so as you see these images PLEASE Comment
Make a tax-deductible donation directly to the Keith Milano Memorial Fund at AFSP.

Thank you in advance for your support as we work to bring mental illness out of the darkness.

2022-Collage-Portrait-green

Participating Authors & Books

Author	Book	Kindle	Paperback	Audio	iBooks
AL Jackson	Hold on to Hope	https://amzn.to/3EiVRzS	https://amzn.to/3Og1fZe	https://amzn.to/3uMYzuk	——
Alison G Bailey	Evie Interrupted	https://amzn.to/37rXijv	https://amzn.to/3jIzw5x	https://amzn.to/36kL0Jp	——-
Aly Stiles	Save Me Series	https://amzn.to/3x3aaEN	https://amzn.to/3Of57JX	https://amzn.to/3JQnwcJ	——
	Rising West	https://amzn.to/3KS7rVb	https://amzn.to/3Of57JX	https://amzn.to/3JQnwcJ	——
	Falling North	https://amzn.to/3uMD1y0	https://amzn.to/38Xomrq	———	——
	Breaking South	https://amzn.to/3OaFeet	https://amzn.to/3uL8Lnh	———	——
	Crashing East	https://amzn.to/38PH0kR	https://amzn.to/3uNXaDP	———	——
	Guarding Shadows	https://amzn.to/3vqpvPI	https://amzn.to/36jbFpM	———	——
Amy Lane	Hidden Heart	https://amzn.to/3KL1tFA	https://amzn.to/3jIXcqa	———	——
Carly Phillips	Just One Dare	https://amzn.to/390L3et	https://amzn.to/3vmEc6j	https://amzn.to/3xspGwG	https://apple.co/3sLwGm0
Corinne Michaels	Say You’ll Stay	https://amzn.to/3jImSmX	https://amzn.to/3vqpD1A	https://amzn.to/36kYwfX	https://apple.co/3OpvCfO
Crystal Perkins	Metros Hockey series	https://amzn.to/3rvdTKg	https://amzn.to/3L5CTQ9	——-	——
	The Love Chirp	https://amzn.to/3KPpqvD	https://amzn.to/3L5CTQ9	———	——
	What the Puck	https://amzn.to/38PDNlf	https://amzn.to/3EmDCtx	———-	——-
	Deking the Beauty	https://amzn.to/3M83YCa	https://amzn.to/3xyx6i6	———-	——
Helena Hunting	Little Lies	https://amzn.to/3xCBIUo	https://amzn.to/3rBijzj	https://amzn.to/37ZQhXl	——
Jeannie Moon	Compass Cover Series	https://amzn.to/3rvukWH	https://amzn.to/3rvukWH	———	——
	Then Came You	https://amzn.to/3uS2oyE	https://amzn.to/3JLZCPC	———-	https://apple.co/391e7SY
	You Send Me	https://amzn.to/3EopZde	https://amzn.to/3Oo9WRw	———	https://apple.co/3JN1VSw
	All of Me	https://amzn.to/3M7KPQK	https://amzn.to/3rysd4q	———	https://apple.co/3Enl6kR
	My Christmas Wish	https://amzn.to/3OdD0el	https://amzn.to/37YTxls	——-	https://apple.co/3JVgKSS
Kelly Jamieson	Dancing in the Rain	https://amzn.to/37taogz	https://amzn.to/3JTSJf1	———-	———
Kindle Alexander	Up in Arms	https://amzn.to/3uSYHc0	https://amzn.to/3uRQvse	———-	———
Leylah Attar	53 Letters for My Lover	https://amzn.to/3jMXdcQ	https://amzn.to/3JNdd9r	———	——-
	The Paper Swan	https://amzn.to/3KWyDlE	https://amzn.to/3vrE0mp	https://amzn.to/3jNDidF	———
	Mists of The Serengeti	https://amzn.to/3M8qsmo	https://amzn.to/3KWLkgv	https://amzn.to/3OkYVAb	———
	Moti on the Water	https://amzn.to/36o7QzG	https://amzn.to/3Oor7lF	https://amzn.to/3jSSKFD	https://apple.co/3OkiEQB
M. Jayne	See Me	https://amzn.to/3Ok8Q94	https://amzn.to/3Et0704	https://amzn.to/3KT8wMl	——-
	Feel Me	https://amzn.to/3Ok92oO	https://amzn.to/3vuMMQH	——-	https://apple.co/3jSiLVo
	Touch Me	https://amzn.to/3MfBgPK	https://amzn.to/3Ok92oO	———	https://apple.co/37qpbIQ
ME Carter	Under Fire	https://amzn.to/3JPvEtX	https://amzn.to/3Mam5r6	——-	——-
Melanie Harlow	Make Me Yours	https://amzn.to/37lROHi	https://amzn.to/3JYtI2d	https://apple.co/3OhlqGe	———
Melanie Moreland	Hidden Justice Series	https://amzn.to/3EodT3M	——-	——-	———
	The Boss	https://amzn.to/37tm3Mb	https://amzn.to/3KTtATe	https://apple.co/3pDVfOy	———
	Second-in-Command	https://amzn.to/3vtPo1e	https://amzn.to/3rz43am	https://apple.co/3vuLyVB	——-
	The Commander	https://amzn.to/3MhQV1d	https://amzn.to/3JVjhMS	https://apple.co/3JSxxX0	——-
Melanie Jayne	You Only	https://amzn.to/37thNMP	https://amzn.to/3rAISEx	———	——
	Greyson	https://amzn.to/3uSI9Rb	https://amzn.to/3JTd8Rz	———	——-
Natasha Madison	This is Series	https://amzn.to/3KS96df	https://amzn.to/3rARbQN	———	https://apple.co/309wUaB
	This is Crazy	https://amzn.to/3EopQq6	https://amzn.to/3KSSMJB	https://amzn.to/3jOu3Kp	https://apple.co/3OgCxYK
	This Is Wild	https://amzn.to/37lbkDO	https://amzn.to/3uPBUha	https://amzn.to/3xBkW84	https://apple.co/3M9BA2w
	This Is Love	https://amzn.to/3xyuJM7	https://amzn.to/3OfCxIF	https://amzn.to/3xAtPhX	https://apple.co/3xzoyaq
	This Is Forever	https://amzn.to/3OlZbik	https://amzn.to/3jMhxem	https://amzn.to/3M4geng	https://apple.co/3JRreCX
Nicole Edwards	Filthy Hot Billionaire	https://amzn.to/3OjA2oB	https://amzn.to/3ry5xkW	——	https://apple.co/3xCKoKs
Penny Reid	Beard In Mind	https://amzn.to/3jPLlqE	https://amzn.to/36oM92B	https://apple.co/3v1copr	https://apple.co/36rUQsY
Piper Rayne	Hollywood Hearts Series	https://amzn.to/3OoSz30	——-	———	——-
	Mister Mom	https://amzn.to/3EnLOtA	https://amzn.to/3JQPkO7	——-	https://apple.co/3uOEfsB
	Animal Attraction	https://amzn.to/3MeIOSV	https://amzn.to/3uROUTg	——	https://apple.co/3vkhU5i
	Domestic Bliss	https://amzn.to/3JSMqbC	https://amzn.to/37ZPnd4	——	https://apple.co/3vs5fgD
Rebecca Yarros	Muses and Melodies	https://amzn.to/3JOcDrL	https://amzn.to/3OhxQ0O	https://amzn.to/386ukpC	https://apple.co/3K0WBLy
Saffron Kent	Heartstone Series	https://amzn.to/3uRjegX	https://amzn.to/3uRjegX	——-	https://apple.co/38Ont4e
	Medicine Man (book 1)	https://amzn.to/37ZY3Av	https://amzn.to/3McsqlN	https://amzn.to/3EpO8A3	https://apple.co/3xzol78
	Dreams of 18 (book 2)	https://amzn.to/3JW1Rjg	https://amzn.to/3OnL2RJ	——-	https://apple.co/3jOLWZv
	California Dreamin’ (book 3)	https://amzn.to/3rywB3o	https://amzn.to/393OalT	——-	https://apple.co/3uRP3WY
Sarina Bowen	True North series	https://amzn.to/3ryIUNv	https://amzn.to/3ryIUNv	https://apple.co/3uPv0bu	https://apple.co/3EjAazP
	Bittersweet	https://amzn.to/3uQ8Kyi	https://amzn.to/3vtPaH9	https://apple.co/3uPv0bu	https://apple.co/3ElbTta
	Steadfast	https://amzn.to/3uRnRYj	https://amzn.to/3xBWNhI	https://apple.co/3M9aw3p	https://apple.co/3KRUqeq
	Keepsake	https://amzn.to/3EmNwvg	https://amzn.to/3OnFHKb	https://apple.co/3uN6l7u	https://apple.co/3JNLntI
	Bountiful	https://amzn.to/36oBvZH	https://amzn.to/3uRL0tR	https://apple.co/3EiLpbI	https://apple.co/3k2T8S9
	Speakeasy	https://amzn.to/3OnFEOv	https://amzn.to/3uQMmEY	https://apple.co/3rwWkte	https://apple.co/38PIOu9
	Fireworks	https://amzn.to/3Mc7MCn	https://amzn.to/3vrl1s7	https://apple.co/3xyZNeK	https://apple.co/3vqWx2j
	Heartland	https://amzn.to/3jOEbmA	https://amzn.to/390WCSL	https://apple.co/3MbwG5e	https://apple.co/3M6yJY8
	Waylaid	https://amzn.to/3KS0fZ3	https://amzn.to/3vtWmDp	https://apple.co/3Oh4nEo	https://apple.co/3KS7ksT
Sawyer Bennett	Baden	https://amzn.to/3voiw9Z	https://amzn.to/3rylRCq	https://amzn.to/3jLc1bS	https://apple.co/3Itlmzd
	Stone	https://amzn.to/3voh1sr	https://amzn.to/3xywdGi	https://amzn.to/37TfFOg	https://apple.co/3M4CrlT
Sierra Simone	Saint	https://amzn.to/37W9V6z	https://amzn.to/3vuELLI	https://apple.co/3JQtBpz	https://apple.co/3M7LzFB
Taryn Quinn	Bodyguard by Night	https://amzn.to/3KS6Qmz	———	——-	https://apple.co/3KOFldC

A message from Keith’s Sister Denise

Did you know over 16 years ago I promised he would not go quietly? Did you know I had no idea what that meant or that I had no idea how to make that happen? Did you know I shared our pain with the hope that at least one other family would be spared? Did

Fund Information

⭐ Keith Milano Memorial Fund ⭐

140 Adams Ave, Suite B-12

Hauppauge, NY 11788

Facebook | Twitter | Direct Donation

The Keith Milano Memorial Fund was established to help raise awareness about the devastating and deadly disease that is mental illness. Keith’s spirit and laughter are kept alive through our efforts to increase awareness about mental illness and to raise money for education and imperative research.

Keith often struggled with society’s perception of mental illness. Our hope is that by having the strength to say that Keith was “Bipolar” we can strip away the stigma and help others to be more open about their disease.

Watch to learn more about the Milano Sprung Family’s mission:

The Keith Milano Memorial Fund benefits the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). At the end of the event, participating authors pay AFSP directly.

AFSP is the only national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research and education, and to reaching out to people with mood disorders and those affected by suicide. AFSP is a fully accredited 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization incorporated in the state of Delaware with primary offices in New York City. Federal tax ID # is 13-3393329.

10th support

Musings

Release Blitz: Bring Me Home by Nicola Haken

Posted on October 11, 2021 by Mirrigold

Bring Me Home | Nicola Haken

Release Date: October 11th, 2021

Cover Design: Golden Czermak at FuriousFotog

Universal Link: https://bit.ly/3alAccc

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58914491-bring-me-home

READ MY REVIEW

Blurb

Hugo Hayes has it all; the voice, the money, the looks. Adored by fans all over the world, there’s nothing more he could ever wish for. Or so it appears. But no one sees what happens off stage. Nobody knows where he came from, what he goes through, where he’s heading…

Except the girl he left behind. She’ll know. She always did.

Helen Jenkins is starting over. Back on the diet and heading for a career change, it’s time to stop wallowing in the past and give up missing the best friend who traded her in for fame and glory eight years ago. Harder than it sounds when his image and voice seem to follow her wherever she goes…

Harder still when he appears at her front door one rainy spring night.

Hugo is falling. After all these years, will Helen still be prepared to catch him before the inevitable crash? Or has he lost the only home he’s ever known, forever?

Excerpt

We had to wait for the cameras to capture an appropriate amount of applause before someone shouted, “Cut!” and when they did, I was outta that chair before the word had finished leaving their mouth. I stormed from the set, ripping the mic pack from my back, eyes focused on my target.

Drew.

He raised his hands in a protective stance, his mouth melting into an apologetic frown.

“Don’t ever do that to me again,” I barked, shoving the mic pack into his chest. I didn’t wait around to listen to his excuses or apologies. I needed out. Out of the studio, out of the heat, the whole fucking building. I barged past crew members, blustered through mazes of corridors lined with framed photos of stars from the various TV shows produced here, until I found a set of exit doors.

The rush of air smacking me in the face as I pushed open the double doors felt like breaking the surface of the ocean. Finally, I could breathe again, after being pinned under water for almost an hour, splashing, screaming, begging, too far from the shore for anyone to notice. Outside, I leaned back against a wall, closed my eyes. I had about a minute before hyperventilation set in and I lost control of my senses.

Breathe,I told myself. One, two, three, four…hold… I inhaled slowly, focused on my diaphragm, the vision of it expanding a little more with every breath. One, two, three, four… Box breathing, a therapist had called it back in my high school days. Belly breathing, said another. Sometimes it worked, if I noticed myself slipping in time. Other times, the anxiety flourished so quickly it retained all the power, leaving me helpless. Scared.

“There you are.” I was vaguely aware of Helen’s voice, but I couldn’t distract myself enough to focus on it. “Hugo?”

One, two, three, four…

“It’s okay, Hugo. I’m right here.”

I heard her footsteps come closer. It made my heart rate spike, the nerves under my skin feel like barbed wire. No. Not Helen. If I couldn’t bear Helen’s touch…where did that leave me?

Alone. Forever.

One, two, three, four…

“It’ll be over soon,” Helen whispered, cupping my cheek.

I felt the muscles freeze inside my body. Nausea tore through my stomach. Irritation tightened my lips. “Get off,” I mouthed, teeth gritted. I felt like a bastard, a useless and selfish motherfucker, but I couldn’t stand it. Her skin on my skin. The sound of her breath. “I’m sorry,” I choked out, because I was. Truly fucking sorry. I lovedher…but I couldn’t be near her, couldn’t even look at her. Not yet.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” she said softly, footsteps retreating. She understood. She fucking understood.

Why?Why was she still here? She deserved better than this.

The end befell eventually. Always did. After what could’ve been several minutes or an hour, a sense of calm encircled me, floated from above like weightless chiffon and moulded itself to my body. Breathing became natural again. I could smell the brine from the canal that ran the length of the studios and beyond. I could hear Helen…and appreciate her.

My eyes peeled open. “Hey.”

She smiled, though her eyes looked heavy. Sad. “Hey.”

About The Author

Born in Manchester, England, Nicola Haken is an author of multiple genre-hopping romance novels, including Bring Me Home, Broken, and Goodbye Kate.

She lives in Rochdale with her husband, four children, and a menagerie of pets, is addicted to Pepsi Max and chicken nuggets, and wishes Harry Styles was her best friend. Like one of her characters, Hugo Hayes, Nicola is autistic, and has battled with her mental health her entire life – winning every time…eventually. With two of her kids also on the spectrum, life can get pretty…interesting!

When she’s not locked in her office playing with her imaginary friends, she can usually be found reading, binge-watching boxsets, or belting out great songs and pretending she doesn’t sound like a cat in distress.

Oh, and if the kids ever ask, she moonlights as the Pink Power Ranger while they’re sleeping…

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolahakenauthor

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/NicolaHaken

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/nicolahaken

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nicola-haken

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nicolahaken

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/nicolahaken

Website: https://www.nicolahaken.co.uk

Release Publicity: LGBTQ+

Another masterful demonstration of how to write a complex character romance

Posted on March 14, 2020 by Mirrigold

FallingFMR cover Falling For My Roommate by Garrett Leigh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When it comes to reviewing a Garrett Leigh book, I always have to think about just what I want to say and how to say it.

That’s because I really believe the best way to experience her stories is to pick them up and read them without much prior knowledge.

She is a master storyteller. She delves deeply into the psyche of humanity, and not just the typical ‘perfect’ alpha specimens but the ones who are the most complicated and in need of understanding.

In Micha, I think she’s possibly hit the ultimate goal for demonstrating how mental health care is so vitally important.

This book also delves deeply into the shitty and reprehensible behaviour of elements of the British media and the staggering fact that – some 30 years after Justin Fashanu became the first top level professional footballer to come out, with ultimately tragic results – there haven’t been any more since.

The pressure cooker of top flight football is difficult to comprehend from the outside, but the fallout of a life being exposed to the tabloids scrutiny is so brilliantly illustrated in this book.

My heart broke for Micah, for the mental turmoil he lived with. Garrett’s books never sugarcoat the seriousness and there’s never any cure by ‘magic dick’.

And Sam, he’s not a white knight saviour who stops all the problems from affecting their life. But I absolutely loved every bit of this down-to-earth Yorkshire lad.

I’ve mentioned in previous reviews how much I love the interconnected nature of the books Garrett writes.

While this one stands alone, it is in the same world as her Lucky series and I appreciated the mention of characters from those books.

So, pick it up and fall into another wonderfully evocative and effortless championing of the need to pay serious attention to mental health issues.

You’ll also fall in love with two different men who are able to work with what life gives them and find their own happiness together.

#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.

View all my reviews

Reviews: LGBTQ+

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Tag Archives: Mental health

The 10th Annual Mental Health Awareness Month

The 10th Annual Mental Health Awareness Month Book Fundraiser

Participating Authors & Books

A message from Keith’s Sister Denise

Fund Information

Spread the love:

Like this:

Release Blitz: Bring Me Home by Nicola Haken

Bring Me Home | Nicola Haken

Blurb

Excerpt

About The Author

Spread the love:

Like this:

Another masterful demonstration of how to write a complex character romance

Spread the love:

Like this: