Marie Lavender

What a thoroughly delightful introduction. I am impressed. Thanks to M. Schmidt and A. Raymond for pointing us to Marie Lavender and A Little Magick!

When Angels Fly

Please welcome Marie Lavender to my blog. Hello Marie, have a seat and we shall chat for a short while. 

Please introduce yourself to those reading this blog post.

Hello! Nice to visit your blog, Mary! I am an author of twenty-four books in various genres. I’m from a small town in the Midwest. I am a thirty-something woman and I hope to marry my fiancé sometime this year. I love shopping, reading and writing!

Has writing always been part of your life and when did you “know” that it was time to start writing your first book? 

Yes, I’ve been writing fiction in some capacity since I was nine years old. I think I always knew I wanted to be an author.

In college, I had two stories published in a university anthology. By 2010, I started the indie publishing journey, and in 2011, I submitted my first historical…

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5-Star Book Review of Sammy: Hero At Age Five

 

The Celebration of Life!

5-Star Book Review

by Beem Weeks

Sammy: Hero at Age Five

by M. Schmidt

& Gene D. Donley

 Blurb: “Kids can get hungry sometimes while on chemo,” says five-year-old Sammy, having a good day despite the malignant tumor invading his brain. Based on true events from the 1980s, Sammy’s story is imagined by his mother and brother as if the young boy might tell it himself. The result is gripping. Told in two parts, Sammy’s account first invites us into the everyday middle-American lives of a mom and her two boys. Sammy is a sweet, good-hearted kid, even as he faces the most difficult challenges in Part 2: “Cancer Arrived.” Here Sammy talks us through hospital trips and procedures, the hardest parts as well as moments of simple joy. It is not always possible to survive such a grim diagnosis, so Sammy and his family must embrace the smaller victories from one day to the next. Finally, our young hero is given one last opportunity to find his own unique path toward triumph. Listen closely as Sammy tells us all what matters most.

Beem Weeks Review:

This is the true story of a five-year-old boy named Sammy. Though Sammy is the story’s narrator, it is told through the eyes of his mother and older brother. Sammy had cancer, the disease he succumbed to at age five.

The first part of the story shares insight into the daily life of a typical American family, detailing the goings-on with Sammy, his brother, and his mother. Readers get to know Sammy and his budding personality. Most American boys will recognize the activities of riding Big Wheels, messing with snakes, and sneaking off to forbidden areas. There are some humorous stories here, like the older brother, Gene, accidentally locking Mom out of the house. A neighbor had to bring a ladder, allowing Mom to climb in through the attic to unlock the door. 

The second part is entitled Cancer Arrived. Sammy began to be sick—all the time. Sinus infections, inner and middle ear infections, mononucleosis, and upper respiratory disease took over Sammy’s body. Doctors couldn’t pinpoint a cause and medicines didn’t clear things up. A radiologist even misread the x-ray. Because of this, he missed the tumor mass in Sammy’s neck and head. The cancer diagnosis left the family reeling. No parent wants to hear that awful disease pronounced on their child. The battle against Rhabdomyosarcoma became a family fight. 

To a young boy, this would be a scary situation to be in. Sammy certainly had those moments. But what we learn from this personal story is the wisdom and courage this boy gained in his all-too-brief time in this world. While cancer is a dark subject, this book is anything but dark. I found in these pages a celebration of a life that is still touching others, even nearly thirty years after his departure. As long as his mother, brother, family, and friends are here in this world, Sammy will be here too.