Smorgasbord Free Book Promotions 2023- Share an Excerpt from one of your published books #Memoir – Fifteen First Times: Beginnings: A Collection of Indelible Firsts by D. G. Kaye

In this series you are invited to share an excerpt of 500 words from any of your published books .

This feature is for any author who has been promoted on Smorgasbord previously.

Please read full details of how to participate at the end of the post.

The aim of the series

1. 1. To showcase your book and sell some more copies.
   2. Gain more reviews for the book.
   3. Promote a selection of your other books that are available

Today I am featuring an excerpt from Fifteen First Things: Beginnings: A Collection of Indelible Firsts by author and long-term contributor to Smorgasbord D.G. Kaye….Debby Gies.

About the memoir

This book is a collection of stories about some of Kaye’s first-time experiences with life’s most natural events. Told through the intimate conversational writing we’ve come to know from this author, poignant personal steppingstones to learning moments are revealed. She encompasses the heart of each matter with sincerity and sprinkled inflections of humor.

From first kiss to first car to walking in the desert with four-inch heels, Kaye’s short coming-of-age stories take us through her awakenings and important moments of growth, often without warning. Some good and some not, life lessons are learned through trial and error, winging it and navigating by the seat of her pants.

An excerpt from Fifteen First Times

These short stories are a reminiscing back to some of the firsts in my life. They are moments that left an imprint and propelled me forward through life. Nothing that happens to us is insignificant – everything that happens is for a reason or for teaching us something to take forward with us. ~ D.G. Kaye

First Broken Heart

Barry lived across the street from us when we lived in our big white house. The newly developed neighborhood had only two houses built at first—ours and Barry’s. Playing outside was a favorite pastime. Riding bikes and outdoor games kept us kids busy after school till the first streetlight shone its beams into the darkness, like a school bell alerting playtime was over and we must go inside.

Barry’s family moved in halfway through the school year, so he would finish the year at his old school before joining my junior high after the summer. I was twelve, Barry was eleven. We became good friends, and our friendship quickly blossomed into romance.
Barry’s kisses were not my first kisses, but Barry was my first love. We spent most of our time together after school and on weekends, going for walks, holding hands, and kissing.

Many evenings we’d sit outside together on a street curb and look at the stars, sharing dreams and aspirations, planning our future together at the ripe old ages of twelve and eleven, and talking about eloping. What the heck did we even know about eloping? We’d both come from broken homes, and the convenience of boy meets girl living on the same street was probably half our attraction to each other.

But we were madly in love. His term of endearment for me was Debby Delish. My gawd, I still have the love letters he sent me from camp that summer . . . when he left me behind. Literally.

During June and July, we did many things together, from outside activities to watching movies and stealing intimate time together when our parents weren’t around. Of course, there were limits. Not to say Barry didn’t try breaking limits, but the fear of my mother ever finding out I even kissed a boy was strong enough to keep my hormones in check.

We had what some would call a fantasy puppy-love relationship. We had much in common—broken homes, siding with our fathers, and mothers who were barely ever at home. Who knows if these common threads contributed to our attraction. Whatever the reasons, our relationship filled a void for one another.

©DGKaye2023

One of the  reviews for the book

Lauren Scott 5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful and poignant memories  Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 23, 2023

I’ve always enjoyed D.G. Kaye’s conversational writing style. This book is no exception to her honest and entertaining narrative. She has compiled a collection of ‘firsts’ from her teen years relatable to all readers. I felt so at ease that I read this collection in one sitting, feeling like we were comfortably chatting over a glass of wine. These memories invited me to stroll down memory lane, recalling crazy crash diets, first kiss, first boyfriend, and first broken heart that felt like it would never mend. Her amusing fascination with shoes made me chuckle; how she managed those heels is beyond me. I laughed out loud when I read about the first hair dye episode. Her first car was a Ford Mustang given by her wonderful father, and while my first car wasn’t, her story evoked memories of when I bought a blue Mustang a few years later with equal excitement.

Kaye’s anecdotes are witty, engaging, and poignant. She has no trouble sharing her vulnerability. Low self-esteem plagued her in those years, but with her outgoing personality and wild sense of fashion, she rose above it, growing into the confident woman she is today. Being a teenager isn’t easy. Those years are about finding ourselves, figuring out who we are, and Kaye succeeded with spirit!

Kaye ends the collection with an emotive tribute to her late husband, her only true love. My heart still aches for her loss. She writes in her dedication, “To those who’ve been there, done that, and learned from. And for those who’ve yet to venture out and overcome.” She couldn’t have expressed the purpose of this delightful book any better. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a heartwarming memoir and a stroll down memory lane. 

Read the reviews and pick up a copy at your local Amazon: Fifteen First Times Universal Link 

Books by D.G. Kaye

Read all the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – and: Amazon UK – follow Debby: Goodreads – Blog: D.G. Kaye Writer – Twitter: @pokercubster – Linkedin: D.G. Kaye – Facebook: D.G. Kaye – Podcast: YouTube –   All Links: Linktree

About D.G. Kaye

D.G. Kaye is a nonfiction memoir writer who writes about life, matters of the heart and women’s issues. Her intent is to inspire others by sharing stories about events she encountered, and the lessons that came along with them. She loves to laugh and self-medicate with a daily dose of humor. When she’s not writing intimate memoirs, you’ll find her writing with humor in some of her other works and blog posts.

Kaye’s childhood kept her observant about her surroundings. Growing up in a tumultuous family life kept her on guard about the on-and-off-going status of her parents’ relationship. She began writing notes, and journaled about the dysfunction she grew up in. By age seven she was certain she was going to grow up to become a reporter. But life has a funny way of taking detours. Instead, she moved away from home at eighteen with a few meager belongings and a curiosity for life, finished university and changed careers a few times along the way, always striving to work her way up to managerial positions. Her drive to succeed at anything she put her mind to led to having a very colorful and eventful life.

Ever the optimist, D.G. conquered quite a few battles in life; health and otherwise, and her refusal to accept the word ‘No’, or to use the words ‘I can’t’, keeps her on a positive path in life. She hopes to inspire others with her love of telling stories with lessons to empower others, by sharing her own experiences.

In 2021, she lost the love of her life. “When the grief overcame me, I found my only way to move forward was through my writing (that book currently in the works) and communing with others who understand this journey. Through this and my own search for seeking comfort, I began podcasting – Grief, The Real Talk. This is a podcast for those of us who’ve worn the shoes, and for all those who wish to understand the journey of a griever.

What will be in the post and how to get in touch

• • • • I will top and tail the post in the usual way with your other books and links, bio, photo and social media.
      • I will also select a review from Amazon or Goodreads that I feel has the best selling pitch for the book.
      • Please share a book that has reviews to select from.
        
      • This series is open to all authors who have previously been featured in the promotions on Smorgasbord.
      • I do have a younger readership for the book posts so please consider that when selecting your excerpt.
      • I suggest an excerpt of 500 words that you feel would encourage a reader to buy the book, or a poem that you feel best reflects the theme of your collection.
      • No need to send the cover as I will have that or will access from Amazon.
      • Please send your excerpt to sally.cronin@moyhill.com
      • I only ask that authors share the link to their social media and respond to each comment individually as a matter of courtesy.

 

Thank you for dropping in today and I hope you will be leaving with some books.. Sally.