THE BOOK READERS CAN’T PUT DOWN

Thur Feb 2, 2012 – With over 1500 print copies sold, A Widow’s Awakening is now available as an audio book. Based on a true story, this creative non-fiction book is an extraordinary tale of a young woman’s journey through grief after the on-duty death of her police officer husband.

Shockingly candid and surprisingly humorous, A Widow’s Awakening is striking a chord with readers. “The number one comment I hear from people,” author Maryanne Pope says, “is that they can’t book the book down. As a writer, I love hearing that!”

“As a widow,” Pope continues, “I wish I didn’t have to tell the story I did. A Widow’s Awakening may be a gripping read – but it is not an easy one…I realize that.”

Click here to hear a short audio clip (1 min 30 sec) from A Widow’s Awakening.

“You almost want to apologize,” wrote Michael Platt of the Calgary Sun newspaper, “reading Maryanne Pope’s account of her husband’s death. So vivid is her description, you feel like an intruder…a voyeuristic journey both heart wrenching and uncomfortable.”

Perhaps it is this very candour, however, that readers resonate with.

“I must tell you I found your book heart wrenching,” wrote Sarah, “and I also had a couple of really good laughs. I couldn’t put it down.”

“I wanted to let you know how your book touched me,” said another reader, Jolie. “A Widow’s Awakening made me weep, and laugh, and weep. I know this will sound cliché, but I couldn’t put your book down. Literally. I wasn’t able to set the book down until I had read right through to the end.”

Sherry had this to say: “I got home Friday night and was going to “start” the book – well, I didn’t put it down till I finished!! I laughed but mostly cried. It was an amazing read…thank you for sharing.”

“Your book,” wrote Susan, “is FABULOUS…I couldn’t put it down!”

“I couldn’t put this book down! As the spouse of a firefighter, this unforgettable book made me feel that although there are dangers faced by emergency workers, everyone has the same right to safety,” is what Kristin had to say.

“I bought your book yesterday and meant to wait until the next day to read it,” wrote Darcy. “I crawled into bed and tried to sleep but something kept at me. So I crawled out of bed and read your book from start to finish. It was amazing. I couldn’t put it down.”

This was from Parveen: “WOW!” As soon as I read the first line, I couldn’t put the book down.”

“My heart is beating harder and my breathing shorter,” wrote Kim. “I am hugging my husband tighter and kissing him longer. I have burnt supper while reading! I have read books until wee hours of the night but I have not felt this much about a book before.”

For further information on A Widow’s Awakening, please click here.

Click here for the bookseller’s info sheet.

Please click here for the bookseller’s rate & terms sheet.

For details on the audio version, here is the link.

For further inquiries or to order books, please contact:

Sarah Hourihan
sarah@pinkgazelle.com
(403) 620-5440

WIDOW AWAKENS TO NEW LIFE IN CANDID BOOK ABOUT DEATH

Thur Feb 2, 2012 – What would you do if your life’s dream was granted to you…in exchange for your soul mate’s life? That was the harsh reality for Maryanne Pope, when her police officer husband died in the line of duty at age 32.

Const. John Petropoulos fell to his death in Sept 2000, after stepping through an unmarked false ceiling (there was no safety railing in place) during the investigation of a suspected break-and-enter. There ended up being no intruder in the building.

Hours before John fell, he and Maryanne had an argument about her not making her dream of writing a priority. “We were at the dog park,” says Pope, “and John looked at me and said, ‘Twenty years from now, if you still haven’t written a book, just remember that will have been your choice.’”

“That was our last conversation,” says Pope. “The next time I saw John was in the emergency room.”

Please click here to listen to an audio clip (1 min 30 sec) from the creative non-fiction book, A Widow’s Awakening.

Two weeks after John’s death, Pope began writing what would become A Widow’s Awakening.

Eight years later, in Sept 2008, Maryanne published the book through her company, Pink Gazelle Productions. The print version has sold 1500 copies. With the audio version now available, the author hopes to reach more people with the powerful message that what happens to us matters far less than what we choose to do with it.

“John’s death was a brutal wake-up call,” admits Pope, “about the importance of working hard to achieve one’s dream, instead of just talking about it. But it was also an incredible awakening of my soul to the realization of just how interconnected we all are…even in death.”

In a strange twist of fate, it was John’s dream of policing that ended up giving Maryanne the opportunity to pursue her dream of writing. “Because John died in the line of duty,” Pope explains, “this meant I was entitled to receive his paycheque for the rest of my life. For a writer, this was a dream come true.”

But it came at tremendous cost. “Nothing I do will bring John back. But I do have a choice on how to live my life. And I choose to honour him – and myself – by gratefully accepting the freedom his death has given me and helping make the world a better place through my writing, my company and the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund.”

The candour of A Widow’s Awakening is striking a chord with readers.

“WOW!” wrote one person. “As soon as I read the first line, I couldn’t put the book down. The truth on soul-mates, hope, after-life, happiness, sadness…you definitely told your tale as it is.”

“I just finished reading A Widow’s Awakening. I laughed, I cried, I reflected,” wrote another. “I wanted you to know that it had exactly the effect on me that I imagine you wanted for your readers. My eyes, ears and heart were opened to many things, including the belief and trust in love and soul mates (which I myself have lost sight of) and the importance of passion and commitment to the work we do, regardless of what it is.”

Please click here for further information on A Widow’s Awakening. To purchase a copy, please click here.

To purchase the audio book, click here.

For further inquiries, please contact:

Sarah Hourihan
sarah@pinkgazelle.com
(403) 620-5440

POLICE WIDOW’S BOOK GIVES CANDID INSIGHT INTO LINE OF DUTY DEATH

Wed Feb 1, 2012 – When Const. John Petropoulos, a Canadian police officer fell to his death in Sept 2000, his widow, Maryanne Pope, was forced to accept the unacceptable.

John was searching a warehouse during the investigation of a suspected break-and-enter when he stepped through an unmarked false ceiling. There was no safety railing to warn him – or anyone else – of the danger. There ended up being no intruder in the building.

More than a decade later, the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund (JPMF) raises public awareness about workplace safety issues facing emergency responders – on both sides of the border. The Fund’s 5 TV public service announcements have aired well over half a million times in Canada and parts of the States. The powerful 10-minute safety video, Put Yourself in Our Boots, is being shown in safety meetings, conferences and community presentations throughout North America.

Since Const. Petropoulos’ death, 1795 American police officers have died in the line of duty*

“Is this acceptable?” asks Pope.

Most of these deaths were preventable, as was Cst Petropoulos’. “There is a myth,” says Pope, “that when a police officer dies in the line of duty, it is tragic, yes – but it is an accepted risk of the job. In reality, many police officer deaths can be prevented, when communities work together to help minimize the risks.”

Pope points to the Jan 21, 2012 death of Officer Garret Davis of the Honolulu Police Department in Hawaii. “Our SLOW DOWN; It’s No Picnic Out Here public service announcement addresses the significant issue of officers getting struck by passing motorists while on the road (either in or out of their police vehicle) while carrying out their duties. The PSA educates motorists about the importance of slowing down when passing emergency services personnel on the road…and giving them room to work.

Sadly, 11 U.S. police officers were struck and killed in traffic-related incidents in 2010**, highlighting the importance for motorists to pay attention and slow down.

Another way Pope is striving to raise public awareness about workplace issues facing emergency responders is through her creative non-fiction book, A Widow’s Awakening. It was published through her company, Pink Gazelle Productions, in 2008 and has sold over 1500 copies. With the audio version now available, the author hopes to reach more people with her message about the horrific personal impacts of a police officer’s death.

“A Widow’s Awakening,” Pope admits, “is not an easy read, I realize that.”

Click here to hear a short audio clip (1 min 30 sec) from A Widow’s Awakening.

“You almost want to apologize,” wrote Michael Platt of the Calgary Sun newspaper, “reading Maryanne Pope’s account of her husband’s death. So vivid is her description, you feel like an intruder…a voyeuristic journey both heart wrenching and uncomfortable.”

“But by demonstrating the reality,” Pope explains, “of the immense impacts on the loved ones left behind, it is my hope that more people will take a moment to stop, look around their workplace from the perspective of an emergency responder who may have to attend during an emergency, and ask themselves: is it safe…for everyone? If not, then make a change.”

“If people make their workplaces safer for emergency responders,” concurs Ian Wilson, Managing Director of the JPMF, “they also make it safer for everybody, including their own employees, visitors and service workers.”

Sadly, A Widow’s Awakening often strikes an all too familiar chord with readers. “My husband was killed in the line of duty in August 2007 while attempting to make an arrest,” wrote another police widow. “It was the most horrible time of my life. I could relate to your story all too well.”

“There is tremendous honour in dying in the line of duty,” says Pope. “But at the end of the day, it gave me little solace to know that John gave his life protecting a premise that did not need protecting.”

Click here to listen to another audio clip (this one from John’s funeral, 1 min 30 sec) from A Widow’s Awakening.

For further information on the JPMF and the public education resources available, please visit www.jpmf.ca. To have the Fund’s TV public service announcements aired through your local media, please contact Ian Wilson at ian@jpmf.ca.

For information or to purchase a print copy of A Widow’s Awakening, click here. All proceeds from print copies sold through the JPMF go to the JPMF.

To purchase the audio book, click here.

*Source: National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

For further inquiries, please contact:
Ian Wilson
Managing Director, John Petropoulos Memorial Fund
ian@jpmf.ca
(403) 891-4269