Allen Long’s is a talented author who drew me in as he told of his experiences. I shared in his sadness and frustration, but most important in his joy. This is a story of resilience and ultimately triumph. I enjoyed this memoir which is odd to say since it made me uncomfortable. Praying for Restraint is an eye-opening memoir – especially for someone my age who has very little experience with healthcare.
I feel like I would have been afraid to write this book – I would be worried about what people would say or think. The author was very brave to share his experiences with the world. Praying for Restraint isn’t a book I would normally grab off the shelf but I would recommend other people read it, because they’d be surprised by the entire story – and inspired. No matter how bad things may seem, you should never give up! Life isn’t easy right now, so it was a good time to read a book like this. Thank you Allen Long for sharing your life with me and other readers. Praying for Restraint is written, well edited, and I certainly enjoyed the short glimpses into your triumphant life. You are a resilient person and I’m glad you never gave up! About the Reviewer: Carmen is a delightful 14 year old from Wisconsin. She enjoys reading, horses, and helping on her family's dairy farm. She is 1 of 6 children and she's looking forward to entering high school in the fall. Her advice for other girls her age is "it doesn't matter if you're even good at it - sing/dance/run or do whatever it is that makes you happy!" About: Praying for Restraint: Allen Long works as a CNA-certified nursing assistant at that supposed sanctuary of caring, an inner-city general hospital. What an unforgettable parade of bizarre, needy, abusive, menacing, endearing, and poignant humanity passes through its doors. And those are just the staff and administrators! Meanwhile, the patient population spans the affluent and sophisticated to the homeless, the mentally ill, addicts, gang members, and criminals in custody. Praying for Restraint takes the reader on a journey into the absurd and surreal that is ultimately uplifting and harrowing, both funny and heartbreaking. Long's struggle to survive a relentlessly toxic work environment with body, soul, and marriage intact is as gripping as the battle against childhood abuse in his previous memoir, Less than Human. Reviewers found that book "inspiring, honest, and beautifully written, engaging, and thought-provoking." Praying for Restraint earns that praise and more. Praying for Restraint is now available to purchase exclusively on Amazon in both paperback and as a Kindle book. About the Author, Allen Long Here’s how I became a writer. When I was a child in Arlington, Virginia, as soon as I understood what stories were, I began telling them to anyone who would listen. As a fifth-grader, I was recruited by the Storytellers, a small group of supervised fifth- and sixth-graders who told stories once a month to kids in the first, second, and third grades. When I reached sixth grade, my teacher allowed me to skip all of my English assignments in exchange for me writing her a short story each week. In seventh grade, one of my stories placed second in an English class competition. Storytelling seems to have been hardwired into my DNA. One of my favorite memories from childhood is telling my younger brother, David, a made-up story every night during the summers we slept in twin beds in our cool basement. I earned a BA in Communications/Journalism from Virginia Tech. While I was there, I took every creative writing class offered and wrote a story that placed second at a regional literary festival sponsored by nearby Hollins University. During my student days, I also worked half-time for two years as a reporter for The Roanoke Times. After I graduated, I accepted a scholarship to earn an MA in English/fiction writing from Hollins University, where I wrote the first half of a novel. I then received a second scholarship and a teaching assistant position to pursue an MFA in fiction writing at the University of Arizona. Shortly after I graduated, I published a story called “Second Honeymoon” in Concho River Review. After that, I decided to continue my writing education by working with master editor Tom Jenks. When Tom was a senior editor at Scribner’s, he completed Ernest Hemingway’s unfinished novel, The Garden of Eden, which became a bestseller. I published two more stories, and then I decided to change gears and write a memoir called “Soul Breach” about the high level of illegal and unethical behavior I’d witnessed while working in the management consulting field. The story was published, and my good friend and editor, Kit McIlroy, told me it was the best piece I’d ever written, and he encouraged me to write more nonfiction. I followed his advice and wrote and published magazine-length memoirs about the happiest, most intriguing, and worst moments in my life. These combined pieces became my first book, Less than Human: A Memoir (Black Rose Writing, 2016). After that, I published memoirs on a wide variety of subjects, including two about my work as an assistant nurse in a poorly managed inner-city hospital populated by challenging patients, including violent mentally ill ones who often were not sedated or restrained. “Keep writing about that hospital, and you’ve got your next book,” Kit said. I followed his advice, eventually producing my second book, Praying for Restraint: Frequent Flying with an Inner-City Hospital CNA (Legacy Book Press, 2021). One final comment—I’ve loved visiting zoos and aquariums my whole life, and I’ve raised box turtles, swum with sea turtles, and gone on multiple dolphin- and whale-watching expeditions. Therefore, you may notice that quite a bit of wildlife has crept into my writing. At last count, I spied lions, tigers, giraffes, eland, monkeys, chimps, elephants, alligators, caimans, box turtles, sea turtles, bottlenose dolphins, and humpback whales. Have I missed any? You can discover more about Allen and his work on his website: http://allenlongauthor.com/. --- Upcoming Tour Schedule May 23rd @ Madeline Sharples Fellow memoirist Madeline Sharples shares her thoughts after reading Allen Long's latest memoir Praying for Restraint. Readers won't want to miss Madeline's review. https://madelinesharples.com/ May 23rd @ Kathleen Pooler Kathleen Pooler reviews Praying for Restraint by Allen Long. Find out what one memoir author has to say about the memoir of another author! Don't miss this valuable insight! https://www.krpooler.com/ May 24th @ Bring on Lemons with Michelle DelPonte Healthcare worker and Wisconsin mother, Michelle DelPonte shares her thoughts after reading Allen Long's memoir Praying for Restraint. http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/ May 25th @ World of My Imagination Nicole Pyles offers her thoughts in an insightful review of Allen Long's medical memoir titled Praying for Restraint. Join readers at World of My Imagination as they learn more about this inspiring memoir and it's author. https://worldofmyimagination.com/ May 26th @ Linda Appleman Shapiro Memoirist, Artist, and Psychotherapist Linda Appleman Shapiro offers some deep thoughts in her review of Allen Long's latest memoir Praying for Restraint. Join readers at Linda's blog today to learn more! http://applemanshapiro.com/my-blog/ May 27th @ Bring on Lemons with Cathy Hansen Wisconsin educator and small business owner Cathy Hansen shares her insightful review of Allen Long's Praying for Restraint. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about this memoir! http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/ -- -- Crystal J. Otto Busy Unicorn Riding Mom of 6 Amazing Humans! Virtual Assistant to USA Today Best Selling Author Bette Lee Crosby Blog Tour Manager with WOW! Women on Writing Publicist with Dream of Things Publishing Small Business Owner - Relax Consulting Council Secretary, Financial Secretary & Office Manager - Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Owner - Mark Otto Dairy Farm Cell: 920.645.7529
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We just completed author Rebecca Pott Fitton's book trailer for her book "Wave Rider: Poetic Journey from Abuse to Wholeness." Her video had a "world premier" yesterday at a private reading with friends. Rebecca was abused by her uncle (and father figure) as a child. Her journey is one of inspiration and rising from a childhood filled with abuse. We are so proud to work with Rebecca and of all the work she's done, both internally and in writing her book. She is a voice against childhood sexual abuse. We hope her book touches many... As part of our author marketing services we offer professional head shots to our clients.
Today we took Fiona Simon's head shots. Fiona is in the process of publishing her business memoir about Fiona's Granola and her journey to introduce quality granola to the US market. You can find the granola at Whole Foods Market. For now, stay tuned for more as we work with Fiona to publicize her upcoming book. #author #authormarketing #memoir #businessmemoir #bookmarketing #santafenm We just put the finishing touches on the photos we recently shot with author Shirley Melis ('Banged Up Heart' 2017).
Presentation is key! That's why we include head shots in our author marketing packages. P.S. Adobe makes an excellent backdrop! #authors #authorphoto #shirleymelis #bangedupheart #photoshoot #santafe We are working with Shirley to promote her upcoming memoir "Banged-Up Heart." Click the photo to visit Shirley's website. |
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