It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a shameless promotion. In fact, this may be the first time all year I’m sharing a few new reviews for my books. It seems the season reminds that even self-pubbed authors need to alert readers to their books. So, I thought being that Christmas is just around the corner that it’s a good time to share. After the reviews I’m sharing a draft of the intro to my upcoming book in 2025 – The Real Stages of Grief : There is no order.
Fifteen First Times
Fifteen First Times
5.0 out of 5 stars Relatable stories you will enjoy!Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2024
I just finished Fifteen First Times by author D.G.Kaye and wow, did I have an emotional trip down memory lane. She so plainly yet beautifully bares her soul. This is a collection of nonfiction stories about the first fifteen milestone or life changing events in her early life. These are experiences that changed perceptions, attitudes, opinions, or were life lessons learned. Kaye pledges “unabashed honesty,” and she truly delivers. These life-altering experiences are candid, emotionally raw, heartbreaking, and humorous. I loved that she felt comfortable exposing her insecurities, owning up to her mistakes, sharing her triumphs, and laughing at herself. We have all experienced similar events in different ways, but Kaye seems to give us permission to own up to these awkward situations and realize that in our youth we’ve all experienced insecurities and difficulties in finding ourselves. I felt like I was having a conversation with an old friend who I shared confidences with. With each story I read, I mentally relived my similar experience, relating to hers in so many ways. I laughed, cried, cringed, and cheered.
It is hard to say which were my favorites because they were all wonderful. First Kiss stands out because it so eloquently conveys the difference between the storybook kiss we romanticize from books and TV as pre-teen children, and the reality of a sweaty ten-year-old boy sticking his tongue down your throat. It reminded me of my first kiss at ten when my family spent the summer in Silverton, Colorado. I got kissed in a coal shed while playing post office. Not at all what I expected. First Broken Heart, My First Apartment, and First and Last Love are also amazing. I did love My First Christmas tree because it brought to life how confusing it is for a child to live in a country where their family’s beliefs are different from the norm. From Blond to Wrong was hysterical. Been there done that.
It was so gracious of Kaye to share such person stories. I love her quote, “When we are young, we’re more curious than cautious, and as we age, our accrued wisdom becomes our guide to future choices we make.” These stories are the formulation of the talented, self-confident woman she has obviously become. It was brave for her to share these intimate experiences. As she says, “If we don’t learn and grow, we’re forced to repeat the lessons until we do.” I think everyone can relate to these stories, and I highly recommend you take this journey with Kaye.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Toe-Tapping Debby Does It Again
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2023
When I read D. G. Kaye’s books, I always get the impression I’m having a conversation with the author. In her latest, Fifteen First Times, the author once again gets up close and personal.
In fifteen chapters, Debby discloses her love affair with shoes, close encounters with boys, the fright of her first menstrual period, the glory of travel and much more. Brimming with chutzpah, the author divulges also how she engineered Christmas cheer in a home where Hanukkah was respected.
The vignettes come with lessons learned, takeaways for readers: “My big European vacation taught me many lessons about life—friendship, flirting, culture, how ridiculous I must have looked wearing four-inch spikes in the desert, consequences for not obeying laws, and how much my father had spoiled me.”
Growing up with a narcissistic mother, we are thankful for the presence of a dear Aunt Sherry and a devoted Dad. As expected, the book concludes with an homage to her beloved husband: “My G was the first true love of my life. He loved me through all my war wounds unconditionally. We laughed our way through hard times and shared a most beautiful life together.”
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but most of all you will be able to relate to Debby Gies’ coming of age memoir and conclude with the author that “hindsight gives us insight.” This brief book with a stunning cover by Unicorn Cats Publishing gets five stars.
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MenoWhat? A Memoir
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic! A must read!Reviewed in India on 25 February 2024
‘Meno-What? A Memoir: Memorable Moments Of Menopause’ by life coach cum stellar author D.G. Kaye is a self-help book about handling the stresses and strains of Menopause. Kaye with subtle humour, personal anecdotes, and useful tips manages to educate the reader on the many bodily and emotional issues experienced during Menopause. The book is innovative, unique, witty, easy to read, engaging, and highly instructive. There were many things about perimenopause which even I was unaware and of which I was enlightened by the means of this effective tiny little self-help book. The humour contained therein is rib-tickling funny and made me chuckle many times in the course of the two and a half days I took to read this gem.
In this book, life coach and motivational guru cum author D.G. Kaye manages to explain the many side effects of perimenopause, menopause, and post menopause. These life processes in the body of a woman are a given, yet many women find themselves unprepared for these crucial changes in their hormone and period cycles. Most young girls of twenty and early thirties like me even negate the fact that this is the reality that we will be facing in the long run. We actually avoid thinking about it, repeating to ourselves that we probably won’t need to go through this process because by then a biotechnologist would have invented something where we would be able to look as young as we are today with our stamina, emotional health, and sanity intact. That is just not the case, as mentioned by Kaye and so, through her own menopausal cycles, she has managed to create this book to educate the reader about the same.
She does so with a bit of a mix of practical advice and emotional health therapy which is peppered with subtle wit in the right places. Throughout the book, Kaye boosts our spirits and encourages us to hang in there until we see the light at the end of the tunnel. Her advice is applicable to real life stories of middle-aged women and her tips, including beauty tips which women can use during this time are very useful. I especially found her practical tips on the plus points of coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, exercising with resistant bands and kitchen olive oil to be very useful.
I loved the way Kaye managed to impact the reader on the seriousness of preparing oneself physically and psychologically for Menopause. I would recommend family members of perimenopausal women to also read this book and educate themselves on the changes in the hormone cycles of a woman’s body. I especially encourage men to read this book as an instruction manual and guide to aid them in understanding the bodies and minds of their loved ones better.
The book prepared me for my own perimenopausal cycle probably in the near future, God willing, and now I won’t be caught unawares when I experience certain hormonal changes that are natural to this particular stage in a woman’s life. I especially was educated on the fact that estrogen truly plays a great part in the condition known as brain fog which I was unaware about earlier.
We need to converse more, share our stories, and spread the word that we are there for each other as friends during this time in our lives. Therefore, don’t battle this stage alone, create a friend circle where discussions can take place and where feelings can be vented without a person being judged. This and more one can gain from Kaye’s insightful book; get your copy of this title today.
I am now an addict of life-coach Kaye’s works and look forward to devouring more of her motivational books in the near future. I love reading convincing books that educate me about something new, and I’ve found Kaye’s books to be in that category. Her energy is infectious, and her beautiful soul is seen through her writings. Such non-fiction books are always winners for me.
Candid, inspiring, informative, educational, and witty – D.G. Kaye’s take on Menopause gets 5 stars from me. Kudos to her on a job well done!
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Conflicted Hearts
From United Kingdom
5.0 out of 5 stars A Brave, Deep Dive
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 November 2024
“As far back as I can remember, I liked to write about my feelings.”
Thus begins D.G. Kaye’s profoundly emotional ‘Conflicted Hearts’, an account of her relationship with her fractured family – especially with her irascible, narcissistic mother. This book is a deep dive into an unhappy, affection-starved childhood, and of the consequences of that in later life.
“When [my mother] had money, she disappeared, and as puzzling as I found it, I never missed her, as you can’t really miss someone who has never been there.”
This book is not an easy read, and it must have taken significant courage to write. Yet for all that – and despite the toxic relationships and ill health it faithfully records – it carries a message of hope; that one can rise above damage and neglect, and carve out a life for oneself. The ghosts of the past will, perhaps, forever persist, but maybe through these words the author has managed to lay a few of them to rest.
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P.S. I Forgive You
D.L. Finn
D.L. Finn
5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful read and insight into mother daughter relationships.Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
I read “Conflicted Hearts” and understand what the author grew up with. I could easily relate to an unhealthy childhood and what it requires as an adult to get past it. In “P.S. I Forgive You” Ms. Kaye has cut off communication and contact with her mother to heal and live a better life. But when her mother is dying, a pang of guilt creeps in and another layer of healing comes into play, forgiveness. Whether you do it in person or allow yourself to forgive from a distance, it can heal that pain carried around. This book was a journey to understand her mother while taking care of herself. We all must walk our paths in life and Ms. Kaye found a powerful one that inspired me as a reader and survivor of a damaging childhood. In life, love and liking can be separate truths. We can wish them well but not aspire to be a part of their lives, and we can forgive them to heal ourselves. The author incorporated this wisdom into an interesting reflection on her life and the lessons she learned. I can easily recommend this, especially if you come from a not-so-perfect family too.
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Have Bags Will Travel
By Thomas Wikman
5.0 out of 5 stars It’s not a disorder. It’s a lifestyle.Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2024
The author loves to travel, and she loves to shop, especially for shoes. As a result, she overpacks, which leads to complications. In addition, she quite frequently has problems with the Canadian customs. They can see her shopping face and know that she is guilty. She also has problems with security. She might have OCD and suffer from germophobia, which complicates her travelling. How do you survive planes and hotels having germophobia? Well, you need elaborate procedures which may be exhausting to the author but comical to the reader. In the book she claims it is not a disorder but a lifestyle.
This book is a travel memoir with some travel advice, but primarily I think it is comedy. I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions. I’ve traveled to many countries myself, but I usually pack very light, and I don’t do much shopping. I even went on a 3 weeklong business trip to India with only a small carry-on bag. Therefore, I don’t entirely understand why she overpacks so much, but then I don’t need a dozen pair of shoes everywhere I go. Her travel adventures are very entertaining, but I can imagine that being her travel companion would be stressful. It was a fun short book.
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Introduction to The Real Stages of Grief
I have discovered that grief is just something we can’t explain to anyone who has never endured it. In my own searching for like-minded people living this same journey – those of us who have worn the shoes, we have much to share and learn from one another.
I never thought in the depths of my wildest imagination that I’d be here writing about grief. But I am here, and I’m here to tell you that grief sucks! And, it will inevitably touch all our lives.
As one who walks the walk, I will tell you emphatically that grief is something very personal and is different for each and everyone of us who enters this arena. And not I or anyone else, or any book, can prepare us for the tragic earthquake that hits us when grief becomes our new life companion.
I’ve discovered through my own journey of searching that people want truth. They want to know relatable things that resonate with their own grief. Grieving people need something we can relate to, something that can give us hope we are not alone, hope that someone else who has walked this path has something resonating that we can cling to. I know that’s what I was in search of while reading numerous books and joining grief forums. I wasn’t looking for experts. I wanted to hear from the people who get it, the people who have lived the pain. I wanted to learn from people who knew the shock and awe of what losing a loved one can do to us. In my isolating grief, I just wanted feel as though I weren’t alone. And wanted to learn how one does get through it.
I needed to hear stories from others to verify whether my stages and circumstances were same as some others experienced. It was almost as though we look for a kinship in others because we are now in this new and solo phase of grief and uncertainty. So, I wrote this book for the many who may be searching for the same, just as this book will serve for others who may be fortunate enough not to have crossed this painful time of loss but may be interested in a deeper understanding of what grief’s effects can have on someone you care about or love deeply.
You cannot grasp the full effect grief holds on us by reading about the depth of the grief from loss and what it leaves in its wake unless you have lived it. And know this much, everyone’s grief is different and will be experienced differently, despite the fact we are all grievers because everyone’s relationship was different, as is the uniquity of grief. Grief is personal because to sum it up tidily: The more you loved, the more you will grieve. Grief is the love we hold for our person that now has nowhere to go but reside within us.
In this book I will discuss the many journeys and stages I have lived through since losing my own husband. I will share ideas that have helped me begin to breathe easier, things that worked for me such as the need to talk about our lost loved ones, the need to find our tribe – those who know the daily grind of continuing daily with a big gaping hole in our hearts, and more. And I will share my stages, how they affected and triggered me, and how I continue to get through. I say get, because grief will never become a past tense. It becomes part of who we are, it’s just the adjustment of becoming so is a painful process. As much as we loved is as much as we will grieve. And as we all know, love never dies, so neither shall grief.
As a new griever, I became an eternal searcher of the whys about death, searching for something relatable to quiet the pain that resides within my heart. I wanted to learn more about where our loved ones go after their souls leave their bodies, are they happy and healthier now? We want certification because in some small way if we could know these things, maybe our hearts could settle in the knowing that they are okay and not hurting anymore – unlike us, the ones left behind.
When we grieve we seek anything that can comfort us in our moments, hours, days, months and years of grief. We seek solace in other people’s stories, in our sharing stories about our lost loved one, in words and songs. We long for a familiarity that becomes akin to a feeling of tucking ourselves under a blanket of comfort.
Some of us join widow/widower social groups because we crave a connection with others who know this pain. Those who get it. We’ll watch videos and listen to podcasts and others may reach out to Mediums to summon lost loved ones, leaving us wondering if we too could summon up our own lost loved ones. We all look for what works for us to feel, both, comfort and a sense of knowing we are not alone with what we experience in the aftermath. There are many side-effects of becoming a widow, and one is realizing that many people disappear from our lives. I’ll talk about that too later in the book.
In this book, you will find the real talk on this subject of grief. It is us, the grievers, who are the ones living this new role of walking on a road we never envisioned ourselves walking. We are now here, at a place where besides our hearts feeling as though they’ve been chopped into pieces, and with much added weight from discovering that life as we knew it, is going to take a 180 on us all.
I don’t profess to be a grief counselor here, although I’m pretty sure I’m well qualified. But I don’t need a master’s degree, a PHD or fancy letters beside my name to ace the topic about death, dying, and its aftermath. I’m just someone who is living it daily and trying to get through the pain like so many others. And since I’m a writer who has found herself in this new classification of bereaved widow, I thought if there are people out there like me who also aren’t getting enough comfort from the many books we search through on this subject then maybe I’d just write raw and real here since I have earned the badge of knowing what this journey is about. On the same note, this book will offer insights for anyone who may have a grieving loved one, giving some insights as to what your grieving friend or relative is really going through.
I thought if there are plenty like me out there who seek solace in words that help us relate to the realism of grief from one who is walking the walk, you may find something relatable from my journey, and in some small way it can offer you comfort through that relatability.
I’d like to think I’m paying it forward by sharing about my grieving discoveries and the many side effects it leaves in its wake. I speak frank and real about grief and this heart-wrenching journey in my own quest to seek a path to healing. There are phases and moments we all share as common grievers, but topics aren’t always brought to the forefront of discussion because typically, death and all that comes with it are not popular topics of conversation people prefer to engage in.
Grief is like an illness we learn to live with. With it comes a barrage of side-effects. For many, health problems can arise, as they did for me after losing my husband. When the mind is steeped in grief, nothing else feels like it matters. And for those who are living alone in their ‘griefdom’ it can be even harder.
For now, remember to take a pause when you need a moment, and remember, this journey is one day at a time. This is all we can do in our deepest hours of grief. Don’t get overwhelmed with tomorrow’s list of to-dos. Just live in the moment of each day.
©DGKaye2024
Excerpt – Introduction to The Real Stages of Grief: There is no order
DGKayewriter.com 