Inner City Strength - The Last Unknown Name Slaughter by Dwight Slaughter

Interview Questions:

GR: Please tell our readers a little bit about yourself and how your writing journey began....

I’m married with five children, and I’m my son’s business manger. He’s a professional basketball player. My writing journey began almost twenty-five years ago. I finally decided to pen it and have it publish.

GR: What is it that draws you to the genre(s) you write?

I’m drawn to so many genre(s); I want to help as many people as I can. My genre can reach many, from physical and mental abuse, molestation, racism, homelessness, drugs and being a parent of a victim of violent crimes.

GR: In one sentence, describe your book. My book is inspirational motivating and encouraging.

GR: Share one scene that you enjoyed writing most in your current release. When I was talking about the achievements of my children.

GR: What would readers be most surprised to know about you? I was the number one Player in the Country in 1972. And I have traveled the world to many Countries and met many great people. I was awarded full custody of my three boys.

GR: How would your friends describe you in one word? Giving!

GR: If you could go to dinner with any book character, who would it be and where would you go? Of course SUPERMAN and we fly to Paris, France for dinner.

GR: Who are some authors that have inspired your writing? Peter Bonnevtre, and Tavis Smiley.

GR: Where is your favorite writing space? Please share what it looks like or a picture. My favorite writing place is in the Marina while looking at the beautiful boats and Yachts

Thank you for stopping by today and sharing with our readers. We wish you the best of success in the future.

Dwight Slaughter graduated from Verbum Dei High School, a school with one of the top 10 winning basketball teams of all time. While at Verbum Dei High School Dwight was voted number one player in the Country in 1972 by different sports magazines.  He then went on to further his education and play basketball at Cal State Los Angeles from 1972 to 1976—a period that would set a precedent with new laws changing how colleges accept athletes. During his athletic career, Slaughter was interviewed by such greats as Howard Cosell, on his show SportsBeat and in his book, I Never Played the Game; Morley Safer from 60 Minutes; and John Chancellor from World Nightly News. He was voted by ESPN and Sports Illustrated as one of the top 100 basketball players in the State of California.

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Book Genre: BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Sports

Publisher: Dwight Slaughter

Release Date: 2/14/2014

Buy Link(s): http://outskirtspress.com/slaughter

Book Description:

Dwight Slaughter graduated from Verbum Dei High School, a school with one of the top 10 winning basketball teams of all time. While at Verbum Dei High School Dwight was voted number one player in the Country in 1972 by different sports magazines. He then went on to further his education and play basketball at Cal State Los Angeles from 1972 to 1976—a period that would set a precedent with new laws changing how colleges accept athletes. During his athletic career, Slaughter was interviewed by such greats as Howard Cosell, on his show SportsBeat and in his book, I Never Played the Game; Morley Safer from 60 Minutes; and John Chancellor from World Nightly News. He was voted by ESPN and Sports Illustrated as one of the top 100 basketball players in the State of California. As a child, Slaughter relied on basketball to build his self-esteem and relieve the stress of mental and physical abuse. His gripping memoir follows his public career and takes the reader inside his personal life as well—into a childhood of abuse, betrayal…even murder.

Excerpt:

During his athletic career, Slaughter was interviewed by such greats as Howard Cosell, on his show SportsBeat and in his book, I Never Played the Game; Morley Safer from 60 Minutes; and John Chancellor from World Nightly News. He was voted by ESPN and Sports Illustrated as one of the top 100 basketball players in the State of California.

As a child, Slaughter relied on basketball to build his self-esteem and relieve the stress of mental and physical abuse. His gripping memoir follows his public career and takes the reader inside his personal life of childhood abuse, betrayal…and murder.

As the author explains, his prowess with a basketball masked an escape from a tarnished life off the court.

 “I grew up being treated like nothing, so I was driven to make something of my life. Sport allowed me to mix with people who cared about me, develop a passion that got me out of the house and achieve things that would win me the acceptance I couldn’t get at home,” says Slaughter, who is a committed mentor to both young and adult men.

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Sunday Soul Read Find : Moorestorms: A Guide For The Bipolar Parent by Rebecca Moore

                               Biography

I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I was 33 years old. Although I lived my entire life with mood swings, it was not until then that the doctors' got it right. Before then I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, which made sense because I only sought help when I was depressed. Since my diagnosis, I made it my mission to reach out to others' who are coping with bipolar and depression. I have ran my own blog for over 3 years, wrote "Moorestorms A Guide for the Bipolar Parent" and am doing advocacy work within my own community. I also am on the Consumer Advisory Council for the International Bipolar Foundation and run my own bipolar support group. I am also married to my high school sweetheart and we have 7 children together.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rebecca is a Bipolar Mom herself. She has seven wonderful children and has been married to her husband for 14 years. She is from Northeastern Pennsylvania, where she still lives with her husband and children. Rebecca was diagnosed in 2011 with Bipolar 1 Disorder. Her hope is to reach out to other parents and encourage them. She wants them to see that Bipolar Disorder does not have to stand in their way of being an awesome parent!

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Moorestorms: A Guide For The Bipolar Parent January 23, 2014

By Jennifer Kimmins

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Moorestorms: A Guide For The Bipolar Parent is a well-written. It provides a no-nonsense understanding of the roots of Bipolar, this easy-to-read narrative exhibits the ups and downs of diagnosis, discusses treatment options, and offers valuable coping strategies.
It is written by a writer who I truly admire, her way with words as much as her generous drive to help others. I highly recommended reading this book. It’s for anyone who has a loved one in their life grappling with bipolar disorder. This is a must read for any parent who deals with bipolar disorder is any way, whether it’s for you or for someone you love. Moorestorms: A Guide For The Bipolar Parent will likely sound like a familiar tale!

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative. A Must Read For Everyone Who Knows Someone Who Is Bipolar. January 22, 2014

By F.S. Tri

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I believe everyone who has someone in their life with these symptoms should read this book. Rebecca has shared a wealth of information including interactions with people uneducated about this disorder, what one may expect now and in the future, legal issues and much more. She has also candidly displayed her life for all to see, which I find to be very brave.

5.0 out of 5 stars A heartfelt, insightful book about having bipolar and parenting a child with bipolar January 21, 2014

By Dyane Leshin Harwood

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Ms. Moore's moving book "Moorestorms: A Guide For The Bipolar Parent" was a fast, moving read filled with tons of helpful information. Reading "Moorestorms" was like sitting down with a good friend to learn about what it's like to live with this illness, and how to live a better life in spite of its damage. As Moore is the parent of seven children, she has learned an enormous deal about how to be the best parent she can be. I wish I had this book a long time ago when my two kids were young, as it would have made me feel less alone with my struggles and it would have given me practical pointers as well. The author bares her soul throughout the book. She never condescends to the reader like some "bipolar experts" do in their tomes. I highly recommend it

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Book Tour & Giveaway: Changing Gears: A Family Odyssey to the End of the World by Nancy Sathre-Vogel

Changing Gears:

A Family Odyssey to the End of the World

by Nancy Sathre-Vogel

Nancy Sathre-Vogel is a 21-year classroom veteran who made the decision to leave her teaching career behind to travel the world on a bicycle. Together with her husband and twin sons, she cycled 27,000 miles throughout the Americas, including traveling from Alaska to Argentina. Now she lives in Idaho, pursuing her passions of writing and beadwork.

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Giveaway: 5 ecopies of the book

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Genre: Travel memoir/Cycling

Publisher: Old Stone Publishing

Release date: March 21

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Changing Gears: A Family Odyssey to the End of the World by Nancy Sathre-Vogel

What would you do if you were not afraid?

Changing Gears is the true story of one woman asking herself that very question. What followed was a family journey of epic proportions – a journey ofphysical challenge, emotional endurance, teamwork, perseverance, and tremendous learning opportunities. It was a discovery of self, of priorities, of accepting hardships, of appreciating blessings, and of contrasting a comfortable past life with the extreme hardship and poverty of those they met.

Would the journey be a dream come true – or a mother’s worst nightmare?

Excerpt:

Highs and lows in Costa Rica

“Congratulations Daryl,” I said. “You’ve just entered your eighth country.”

My son turned to me and said, “What difference does it make, Mom? Crossing a border doesn’t change anything. A border is just a line on a map.”

As I passed through the border formalities, I thought about Daryl’s words. He was right. We were still in the Central American jungle. People on Costa Rica looked exactly like those in Nicaragua. They spoke the same language and worshiped the same god. Nothing changed as we crossed that border except that we spent a different currency.

After spending so many years of my life poring over maps and dreaming of visiting far-flung places, I had developed a bit of a “map syndrome.” I saw a very distinct, physical line at that border. I saw a new country with a new government. In my mind, each country was a separate, unique entity and, of course, the people belonging to that country were unique and different from those from neighboring countries.

Daryl’s words brought me back to reality. There was no line at the border. The people who lived on one side of the border were no different from those who lived on the other. Once we strip away all the wrappers we tend to wrap around people – when we look beyond the language they speak, the clothes they wear, the god they worship, and the food they eat – we are all more alike than we are different. Underneath it all, there isn’t any difference between us at all.

My sons, at age eleven, understood that. I, at 48, was still working on it.

For miles on end, we cycled through a tunnel of green.

I was pedaling along the Costa Rican road and was quite bored. It was just another day in paradise. Nothing in particular to look at. No villages to keep me entertained. Just mile after mile of lush green jungle.

Then I thought, “This is crazy! Here you are in Costa Rica – COSTA RICA – and you’re bored? Costa Rica is paradise on earth! It’s a traveler’s utopia! Costa Rica is one of the premier vacation destinations in the world! And you’re bored?”

I feared I had become jaded. I was so accustomed to fabulous scenery and people that I zoned out when I only had tropical jungle to look at. We were pedaling through a lovely area and I wanted to fall in love with the jungle and the green all around and the monkeys swinging in the trees.

Yet I wasn’t quite there. I was so focused on getting out of the blasted heat that I wasn’t paying attention to the small details surrounding me like I generally did.  My mind was so centered on getting to the next town and away from the interminable heat that I missed everything else.

For the first time ever I started to wonder if it was all worth it. Cycling through the jungle was miserable; there’s no other word for it. We awoke in the middle of the night and packed up as sweat poured out of our pores. By first light we were on the road, but it was still blazing hot and the humidity level made it hard to breathe.

I mentally drew a map in my head and figured we still had 800 miles of jungle. 800 miles of being covered with layer upon layer of sweat, sunscreen, and road grime. 800 miles of nothing but lush green jungle on either side of the road. Was it worth it?

I wasn’t quite ready to give up yet – that would come later – but I knew I wasn’t enjoying the journey.

The following day I sunk even lower. We had been amply warned by other cyclists about two things: the hills and the truck drivers in Costa Rica. By all account the hills were the steepest in Central America and the drivers were the worst. In our short time in the country, I had to agree.

We slowly ground up hill after hill while sweat fell like a river from beneath our helmets. At one point, John even took his helmet off and strapped it onto his trailer – he figured he was safer without the helmet than blinded by sweat.

And the truck drivers did their thing. Their Costa Rican thing. Regardless of whether the far lane was open or not, each and every truck driver that passed by held his ground and refused to budge an inch. It seemed like the attitude was that the lane belonged to them and us cyclists hugging the edge of the road were nothing more than pests.

The third time a truck cut me so close my knuckles actually scraped the side as it whizzed past, I lost it. “What the hell is with this country?” I screamed to nobody in particular. John and Davy were too intent on controlling their own bikes on the narrow road to pay any attention. “This is crazy!” I hollered into the jungle.

All I wanted was to get safely through the country and out the tail end. Was that too much to ask?