Wednesday, October 5, 2016

#GiveAway #Interview - The Last Ten Pounds by Lina Sage

  
The Last Ten Pounds: 
One Woman's Journey to Love (by shedding Fear, Anger, Hatred...and Everything In-Between)
by Lina Sage

Lina will be awarding a $20 azon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the RaffleCopter below to enter. Please remember you may increase your chances of winning by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here


Crystal: Today I have the pleasure of hosting  Lina Sage. Welcome Lina! I'm so happy to have you here.  Would you share a little bit about yourself with us today?

Lina: I have a two-year-old shih-tzu named Bobo who is the love of my life. I’m a self-professed chocaholic. Although I only like dark chocolate, so can that pass as healthy? I love to cook and bake. I like taking classic recipes and trying to find a healthier way to make it. The same goes for baking. I love to travel and the top 5 things on my bucket list are:
1.       Go on an African safari
2.       Hike Mt. Kilimanjaro
3.       Rent an RV and drive across Canada
4.       Visit Tibet and maybe live in a monastery for a week or two
5.       Walk the Camino de Santiago

Crystal: What are you currently working on?

Lina: I’m currently working on my second book. My second book is an extension of the last quarter of The Last Ten Pounds where I talk about the transformation process. My second book will go into further detail of how one can manifest and transform their life. It is a spiritual book/self-help book. I’m also actively writing on my blog called Chic Sage (www.chicsage.com) which is also a spiritual blog full of wisdom and insight for those who are searching.
Crystal: Where did you come up with the idea for either your current release or your current WIP?
Lina:  My memoir, The Last Ten Pounds, started off as a personal project to help me process, deal with and heal from the emotional traumas from my past. It originally started off as nothing more than scribbled notes in my journal. Before long, it had filled an entire book. That’s when I realized that my personal project was so much more than journal entries. It was meant to be shared with the world and maybe along the way help to inspire people in their own personal struggles.

Crystal: Do you have a favorite snack that like to munch on while writing? If so would you mind sharing what it is with us?

Lina: I always sit down to a cup of black tea with almond milk and of course dark chocolate. CrystalDo you have a favorite scene you would like to share with us?

Lina: One of my favorite scenes in my book (or time in my life) was when I first met Aiden. I thought I was incapable of loving anyone so when Aiden and I first kissed, I felt the foreign tingles of butterflies. It’s the feeling of falling in love that makes life beautiful. I’d like to share a short excerpt from that scene (or rather time in my life).

The butterflies, the fireworks, time standing still... as cliché as it sounds, that’s exactly how I felt in that moment. The overwhelming connection I felt with Aiden was enough for me to ignore my conscious questioning of how one could stir up this much nostalgia in such a short amount of time, and contend to the utter bliss that had me wrapped. We pulled away long enough to gasp for air before our mouths would collide in perfect unison of tongue and lips and our bodies moving in rhythm to our sexual desires. A call from one of the tradesmen brought us back from euphoria and left me with the full realization that that kiss had just opened up Pandora’s Box.

Crystal: When you are not busy writing wonderful stories to keep us lucky readers entertained, what do you like to do? Do you have a hobby?

Lina: When I’m not writing, I spend us much time as I can with my dog and husband. I like to stay in shape so I’ll hike and bike in the summer and in the winter I like to ski. I also love binge watching TV shows on Netflix. My favorite TV show is Suits.
Crystal: Do you have a favorite background noise you like to having going while you write (TV, Music, kids playing)?

Lina: When I’m in writer mode, I prefer to write in silence. I find that music is too distracting to my writing process because it inhibits me from hearing my inner voice. I like to use my inner voice as guidance when I’m writing.

CrystalThanks for visiting. It has been a pleasure having you visit today. Can you think of anything else you would like to share with us today?


Lina: I’d like to leave you with a quote of mine. “The path of curiosity is where you’ll find the most auspicious gifts.” - Lina Sage -

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BLURB:

Shortly after I was born, my family left Vietnam’s strict Communist regime by escaping on a tiny fishing boat in the middle of the night.

Luckily, Canada accepted us as refugees and we were excited for a new beginning. However, any hopes of a brighter future vanished before an abusive alcoholic father who’s repeated physical violence against my mom left me screaming for any stability. Sexual, physical and emotional abuse clouded my childhood years leaving me so damaged that it changed who I was meant to grow up to be.

In my early twenties, I bought a house and converted it into a full blown marijuana grow op.

Soon after, I entered into the world of elite call girls and became one of the most sought after girls in my agency. By my late twenties, I was on top of the world and the proud owner of a multi-million-dollar luxury day spa.

Just when I thought I had it all, I made the ultimate mistake that ended in me losing everything and hitting rock bottom.

I was spiritually broken and in desperate need of healing. I had no choice but to reconcile with my past. This decision brought me down a miraculous journey that opened me up to consciousness and enabled me to exist in the space I do today; that of uninhibited peace.

The Last 10 Pounds: One Woman’s Journey to Love (by shedding Fear, Anger, Hatred…and Everything In-Between) is my personal journey and a testament that it is possible to heal and transform. To be the person you were born to be.

GENRE: Memoir

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EXCERPT:
  
Flashing red lights and turbulent commotion outside made me abruptly wake up to a scene of a dozen men who were heavily armed, dressed in full on black armor and gas masks, jumping out of what looked like black SWAT vans. I was anesthetized in my own trepidation; unable to run or hide. All I could do was stand by my window. As if in slow motion—taken straight from the movies—I watched these men approach my house. You couldn’t engage in an illegal grow op for long without getting busted and I had enough marijuana plants in my house to face a strong conviction. In that moment, my usually rapidly thinking brain, experienced the unusual phenomena of an outer body experience where time stood completely still and I felt like I was listlessly floating amongst the clouds. Harps played in the background replacing the loud bangs of the SWAT team trying to break down the door. And just as if I was protected by a sea of angels, I slowly came back to my body and realized that the loud bangs were that of my neighbor’s door and not mine. The SWAT team had veered off to my neighbor’s house without me even realizing.


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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lina Sage is a writer, speaker, producer and entrepreneur. She is the creator and founder of Chic Spirituality; a movement whose philosophy is to live your life with heightened awareness by surrounding yourself with things you deem beautiful. Lina believes balance of mind, body and soul, is the key to unlocking all things beautiful. Therefore, she enjoys physical activity to maintain a strong body and meditation to calm the mind. But she especially cherishes time spent with her beloved husband and dog because they are what brings her soul the greatest joy. Lina also likes to surround herself with great food and exotic travels around the world.

Social Media Links:


10 comments:

  1. congrats on the tour and thanks for the chance to win :)

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  2. Replies
    1. I have so many favorite quotes but one of my favorite is "when you see, you can't unsee." It's so true in every way.

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  3. Happy Hump Day! Hope it's a great one for you and thanks for all you do offering us these terrific gveaways

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    1. Thanks for reading James. Good luck with the draw.

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  4. Thank you Reviews By Crystal for hosting me today!

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  5. what inspired you to begin writing>

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  6. Thanks for sharing the excerpt and interview - I enjoyed reading them both :)

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