Author Spotlight

~ Elise Brooke

My story from survival to thrive

 My name is Elise Brooke, I grew up in Hawkes Bay NZ.  My parents moved to NZ from England and South Africa to create their New Zealand Dream, this quickly turned into my New Zealand nightmare. I have written and published two autobiographies in my book series, "The New Zealand Dream,” by Sheila my pen name, I wrote this book to inspire and give hope to others.  

    Writing is a very powerful healing tool, sharing your story can  help others as well as help you on your healing journey. I am a writing mentor who can help people write their own story or with any writing project they are creating.

My passion is creative writing, I’ve been writing for 24 years in fiction, non-fiction, poetry and content. I have published many articles and guest posted on various sites. I conduct interviews on my website which I built from scratch to help promote my fellow writers and host guest postings to collaborate with other writers.

My website is mynzdreamblog.com. One can follow me on Instagram at mynewzealanddream, facebook at fb.me/mynewzealanddream or join us in the group “A Journey of Transformation.”

A brief about my books

    “The New Zealand Dream” is a story and account of my life so far.

You take a journey from birth, growing up in a beautiful countrytown. Moving to the suburbs, discovering New Zealand’s underground in book one; "The Seeds are Sown." Life has been astruggle and a uphill climb, I was born with learning difficulties that caused me challenges every day. My mother, who single-handedly raised my brother and I suffered from mental health problems. Idove into the drug and alcohol scene at a young age, growing up surrounded by violence and gangs. I escaped a religious occult, got married and had children. In book two; "Growth and Destruction,"before I hit the age of thirty, I was a divorced single mother. My support network passed away, and I sank into a world of abuse. I stayed trapped in an abusive relationship for over eight years untilone night he nearly killed me and I finally escaped.  Within these books  you will meet characters you may relate to and characters that will shock you.  "Come on read my story, it is aimed to assist and attest to one being able to cope with setbacks and bounce back."  Elise  

Visit me at my blog if interested in being mentored or just want to collaborate. I have other writers share their work and post, you can too @ mynzdreamblog.com

A message from Susan B. Anna, I met Elise via FB and was instantly a fan. Can't wait to read her work and continue to collaborate and grow with her leadership and guidance. As writers/authors it is important to continue to uplift and support fellow artists.  Thank you Elise for sharing your work with Bella Newsletters, Reviews & more. Interview coming soon as can't wait.  ~ Susan

All rights reserved ~ Susan B. Anna 

NEW BOOK RELEASE "THE BROKEN DAUGHTER"

THE BROKEN DAUGHTER (THE CURSED KINGDOM: BOOK 1)
By: Aimee Shaye

Blurb: Long ago, magick filled the land of Dramolux. But one sorceress delved too deep into dark sorcery and tainted the creatures inhabiting the land. In an effort to save all creatures, a noble sentinel locked the dark powers away. For generations, the dark ones were controlled, passed down to those who ruled the sentinel kingdom. All is peaceful until the newest sentinel queen is murdered and all the magick is released back into the world. It is now up to her daughter, Princess Aymeri--who has no knowledge of what she truly is--to recapture it. But another dark sorceress is on the rise. She wants to lay claim to the magick and wield it herself, in an effort to take all of Dramolux under her control. The odds are against Aymeri and the magick the sorceress wants is evil. Aymeri must prepare to battle or die fighting for the survival of her people.

Available May 24th, 2020 in paperback & Ebook format

The Broken Daughter Buy Link

Best of luck Aimee on your first book, I am certainly anticipating reading it.   

All rights reserved~Susan B. Anna

Working from Home

Since the pandemic many of us have been working from home and let me just say I now totally love my commute. Hop out of bed, take a shower, get back into your pj's and walk down stairs to the dining room to log in while your coffee brews in the next room. Time 20 minutes if not less, taking a whopping hour and twenty minutes from my normal commute on a bus to an office in midtown Manhattan.

The first two weeks took some getting used to but now it is all great, minus the fact I hate having to comb my hair. Hence, most days I just push it back and hope it will maintain. Now we are on fourth week, hubby keeps looking at me strangely as he walks by and the son glances at my hair, nods and keeps it moving. This of course triggers me to look in the mirror, where I am stunned at the image I see and am now afraid to even tackle the issue.

I have knots, I can't go to a salon so therefore I must resort to doing the unthinkable and give myself a wash and set before I scare those I'm in quarantine with and end up alone. I come to now understand how so many can get used to not taking care of the stuff you would normally do if you were still going to an office or school. Today I decided to break the chain. I will now look forward to visual drink night with the girls on Friday's. Who cares if we have no place to go but the dining room, kitchen or livingroom. We can still live our best life, even if quarantined. I will post pics and feedback of our first visual Friday this week.

What are your quarantine stories? Lets share. 


All rights reserved~ Susan B. Anna

Passover/Easter 2020

As we enter our fourth month in 2020 and continue to hear positive and negative news behind the Coronavirus we see more and more how humanity has either put themselves out there by being in the front lines or supporting them as they battle the unknown. It is heartwarming to see individuals come together, but it is also sad to see the ugliness in others as they allow hate and ignorance take over.

New York, Connecticut and New Jersey are currently dealing with the unknown. Our neighbors, friends and families are dying, or in fear of dying due to a virus. Forget where it surfaced it is now here. Our medical personnel, police officers, EMT's, Correctional officers and Home Health Care workers are fighting a demon that has taken us off guard and risking their lives doing so. Remember essential workers are not only at risk at their place of employment but also as they ride the public transportation system that continues to be overcrowded to date. Social distancing is impossible in a city that is known to never sleep yet is being forced to. 

Staying safe and not being exposed or exposing others is the hard task. You take a risk when you're an essential employee. Hence, consider your fellow community members. They have a lot to deal with and don't need the extra pressure. Stay home. Be vigilant and cherish your families. This may be one Passover and Easter that we cannot celebrate as we normally do, but we can cherish the fact we are still alive. We have lost many to this unseen culprit, but we must continue as best we can for the ones still with us. If this has taught us anything at all it is to love more, appreciate more and forgive more. 

May you all be blessed with comfort, love and peace during this pandemic. Better days are ahead of us. 

All rights reserved ~Susan B. Anna

Make America Great or Not - Cuomo for Governor

Courtesy of Rocklandvoice.com

Governor Cuomo is in hot water over a comment he made that was almost like that of, Donald Trump yet added the following to it. “America was never Great.”  The comment bringing both an uproar and some truth to what we already know. America can be great, and the possibilities are there but sadly it begins with those in power who can make it so if they only kept all citizens regardless of race and status in mind.

Your ignorance to the damage you yourself caused since becoming Governor is evident to every citizen, resident and business owner in Upstate New York. You blatantly take campaign funds to assist the Hasidic Community in Kyrias Joel, Rockland County and NYC to line your pockets yet forget the fact that every single one of them and their families are milking the Government for public assistance, food stamps, rent and Medicaid while also allowing the husbands to claim their multiple children at the end of the year and collect from the Government some more.

The fact that no one in Government from the President to Governor to Mayor has done nothing to end the abuse of public assistance by these individuals is disgusting to say the least. My husband and I work hard to pay taxes, clothe and feed our one child and it baffles me to see these families in Walmart, BJ’s and other surrounding supermarkets with their EBT cards while their husbands who have businesses and real estate all over Orange County earn enough to support their families with ease, but claim to be poor.

 I work for a politically backed Union and they too support Governor Cuomo, but I simply can’t. My reasons are outlined above and very well presented by others who agree below. You cannot be for New York and allow the City and State you claim to support slowly deteriorate. You can’t say you’re for the working class when we are diligently paying our taxes while still trying to keep up with the cost of living and individuals such as these in Orange County and New York City continue to milk our government dry.

You can’t say our homeless epidemic surrounding Port Authority, Penn Station and Madison Square Garden is not a problem, because it simply is. Come visit the ex 1199 offices on w. 42^nd Street between 8^th & 9^th , and also take a look at Penn Station and Madison Square Garden and tell us this isn’t an issue.  How would you like to face walking to work and dodging feces and urine steps away from your office entrance and the Port Authority Terminal? I can continue to outline all things wrong with NYC and NY State but the main thing wrong is our Governor and right alongside him our  Mayor.   

Crime is at an all time high in all boroughs, Brooklyn especially, and our cops, who have had enough are no longer doing enough due to recent scrutiny.  Who could blame them, they are underpaid and have lost a lot of respect from surrounding communities based on the past few years. 

As if we haven't had enough to deal with this past year with Covid-19 we now need to add the sexual harassment allegations that just keep growing in regard to our Governor. We need a change in  leadership and politicians that will do their due diligence to correct the past and enhance the future. It's certainly time.  

All rights reserved~ Susan B, Anna 

REVISED 3/17/2021

CuomoHelps Welfare Jews & they Help Him Right Back by Avner Benyamin

Who Really Receives Welfare courtesy of Thoughtco.com

Huffpost ~ Who gets Food Stamps? White people, mostly   By Arthur Delaney and Alissa Scheller

Food Stamp Chart 8/2018 courtesy of trivisonno.com

Cuomo Defending Sexual Harassment