She was almost trafficked because of her MOM? 😳

View in browser This week on ABTS: She was almost trafficked as a young girl because of her mother's ambitions. Check out Bianca Ambrosio She grew up in Howard Beach Queens, surrounded by lots of Mafia. Bianca's father was in prison when she was born, but her mother and father got married while he was in prison and her mother was 8 months pregnant. Raised by grandparents, Bianca's mother was in and out of her life. She's had to deal with abandonment issues and attachment anxiety. While still in school she started drinking and skipping school. But the trafficking? She was nearly trafficked when she was only FOUR! Listen to the story straight from this author now. Listen to the Podcast! Join the podcast! Set an appointment today. Click Here! I'm so honored to have been an on-air guest of Rachel and Jamie over at Corner Cafe Radio! This episode will air on the radio AND be available on YouTube once it goes live in a few weeks after post-production. It was so much fun getting to know Rachel and Jamie in the studio. I'm looking forward to a blossoming friendship over tea in the near future, and the airing of this very special episode. We spent an hour talking about what human trafficking looks like, how anyone (regardless of age) can be trafficked, what the differences are between human trafficking and human smuggling, and who can make a difference in the lives of those around them. We got locked into the parking garage after the interview and had a heck of a time trying to get out. I'll have to tell you guys that story sometime. My husband came to the rescue, as only he can. I'll also be sharing some video clips of the interview on my TikTok page. Check out Corner Cafe Radio! It's been a busy week for me! As well as interviewing at the station for Corner Cafe Radio, I was also on Project Good Work! The episode should air before long, but I had a great chat with Annmarie Hylton. The Project Good Podcast is a social impact podcast, interviewing experts and advocates about the pressing problems that we face globally and hearing how they suggest we move forward in the future. Of course, with lived experience, my area of expertise is human trafficking. This interview was audio only, not in studio, so you get a small glimpse of my home office in this photo. Ignore the Starbucks cup please. Behind me you can see my wall of display shelves, and though you can't see the contents, each is filled with 1940's antique handbags, hats, gloves, books, comics, flowers and collectibles that served as some of the inspiration for the clothing worn in "The Road We Left Behind" based on my grandmother's first love and her very own real life Second Chance Romance. It's my first published historical fiction (inspired by a true story) but there will be MANY more in the future!  Check Out Project Good Work Promotions and Happenings Check out these incredible deals! Women's Fiction. It's a thing. A good thing indeed! It's true, men and women tend to have differing tastes when it comes to the books they select to read. My husband will freely admit that he's read my historical fiction and enjoyed it very much, but will also admit that it's not something he would have picked up off a shelf to read had his wife not written it. I tend to think he might be slightly biased, but he begs to differ. He doesn't sugar coat things. If he didn't like it or understand it, he would be the first to sit me down and explain that to me. Kindly. Because I'm a redhead. And he doesn't want to sleep on the couch. Not that it would come to that. Do you love Second Chance Romance? All my life I'd wanted to write a second chance romance story, and I always knew it would be about my Grandmother's lost love. When finally I decided I would try, I was scared I wouldn't do it justice. But the words flowed, the story careened down a path all by itself and it was all I could do to keep up. The book has since been a smash hit with over 5,000 digital ebook downloads and too many paperbacks (and hardcovers) for me to easily count. But these other books? They blow mine out of the water. Check out these seasoned authors. Tell your friends about the newsletter (and free book) so they don't miss out on these interviews every week! They might discover their next favorite author! Author Amanda Blackwood Thanks for being a part of my world while you were here. You're welcome to come back anytime you like, and I don't send out Newsletters very often so you're safe. Unsubscribe me

Bianca Ambrosio Speaks Up

 

In a few short hours, the podcast interview with Bianca Ambrosio will go live at the ABTS podcast (listen here!) at 6pm (October 14th 2022), and she wanted to offer a guest blog post for you in advance. This young woman is amazing and has gone through things most people couldn't begin to imagine, except in some unbelievable Hollywood productions.

 

"I was inspired to write my book Gracey, which is currently in the editing process, after remembering the experience of almost being trafficked when my mother found an audition in the Backstage that was not legitimate. I was flooded with memories of my childhood, including my father being in prison when I was born and for most of my life, plus growing up in a very particular area of Queens, NY that has a large Italian population. Even though the subject matter of my book is serious, I wrote it with a sense of humor, bringing on the peculiarities of my family and the setting. I hope you can read it one day and see for yourself.

Writing the book was very cathartic for me and helped me on my healing journey. I recommend writing in any form as one way to express emotions and begin to heal. Thank you for listening to my story."

- Bianca Ambrosio

 

In case you didn't catch that, this young lady was nearly trafficked at a young age because of some terrible decisions being made around her. She's quite remarkable and I'm looking forward to the episode airing. You've got to hear this story, straight from the young woman who lived it.

Thank you, Bianca. I completely agree with you. Without discovering the incredible world of writing, I never would have healed from my own past traumas enough to do what I'm doing now.

Congratulations to Bianca Ambrosio on her forthcoming book and future successes. 

 

 

Foster and Adoption struggles - Author Layla Reed has gone through it all.

View in browser This week on ABTS: Foster mom, adopted mom, and warrrior, Author Layla Reed Layla's books are all fiction, but she has written about things that have affected her greatly: foster care, adoption, infertility - a lot of difficult subjects for so many women worldwide. She's come a long way down the road of recovery and I'm proud to have her on the show today. Follow Layla Reed online: GoodReads Amazon Twitter Listen to the Podcast! Next Week on the ABTS Podcast: Author Bian Cara was nearly trafficked at a young age because of some poor family decisions. Did you know that I've been writing for many years? That's right, I've had This Blog, All Along My blog originally started in 2010 after watching the movie "Julie and Julia" which resulted in a burst of creativity, an overwhelming sense of inspiration, and a solid commitment to write a blog a day for at least one year. Of course there were a couple of days that I had to skip, but that the end of 365 days, I had written 365 blogs! Some of them have since become content for some of my books, but the blog is FREE to read. Why not head on over and see if you find something you like? I'd suggest starting with THIS one. I do also have a new blog if you find yourself looking for something more recent. Check out this one if you like. Check out the ancient blog! Coming up next weekend, I will be Speaking at a Church. It's coming up fast, and I'm hoping I might be able to get someone to either live stream or video the event for social media. (All my links are at the bottom, you're welcome to follow me so you can watch it live). The event is FREE to those who would like to come, but I'll be talking about what it means to be a survivor, how I overcame the trauma, why I wrote the book, and who I am today. My only hope is that I'm able to offer comfort and hope to someone else who has gone through similar trauma, or to someone currently going through it now. If you're able to come, please do. October 16th at Noon. 290 S Quitman St, Denver, CO 80219 Promotions and Happenings Check out these incredible deals! All Women's Fiction FREE BOOKS. SHH! Every one of the books on this list are written by women. I'm always surprised to be included in some of these incredible groups, even though I'm a woman too, because these other authors are stellar. You should definitely check these out.  Who doesn't believe in Second Chances? My current crowd pleaser, "The Road We Left Behind" is listed among some of the most amazing second chance sweet romance stories I've seen so far. Several of these are on my TBR list! These books are CLEAN romance books, but how many of my readers didn't realize this book specifically is a second chance romance? I talk about that on TikTok, but not really much elsewhere.  Tell your friends about the newsletter (and free book) so they don't miss out on these interviews every week! They might discover their next favorite author! Author Amanda Blackwood Thanks for being a part of my world while you were here. You're welcome to come back anytime you like, and I don't send out Newsletters very often so you're safe. Unsubscribe me