After the Miracle Book Blast and $50 Giveaway

Welcome to the After the Miracle book blast to introduce you to the books plus give you the chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal Cash! Keep reading to learn how to enter (ends June 25th). 

   

After the Miracle: The Cody Parmer Story In the summer of 1999, doctors raced against the clock to save Cody Parmer's life after a terrible car accident on a rural Idaho road. His parents, Brenda and Kreg Parmer, prayed that God would save him, and received their miracle. Months after his recovery a mysterious new discovery threatened to take Cody's life once more, but this time the doctors couldn't fix it. As Cody fought for his life, his mother searched for answers. Why would God let this happen? Would God save her son, just to let him die a short time later? Even if Cody lived, could the family handle his injuries and limitations? Even after receiving a miracle, the strength to accept God's will would be the greatest blessing they could ever ask for.

   

Praise for the Book "Such an amazing story! I read this book cover to cover all in one day. I could not put it down! It is very well-written, and you feel as if you are right there with the family experiencing every part of their incredible journey first hand. I cried through a lot of it but found parts that made me laugh too. When a book can make you do both of those things, you know you've found a good one." Shannon Dooley, Amazon Review "This is a book about amazing resiliency in the face of the kind of trauma every parent dreads. It's told with incredible honesty and transparency. But, it's also a story about struggling faith that grows into a deep belief in the goodness of God even in the face of adversity..." MarSue, Amazon Review "This book was an inspiring read. Very well written, and a page turner. Cody's family made it through some impossible odds. You really feel the struggles that they go through as they try everything to get the best results for their son." Nora, Goodreads Review   

    

Excerpts - Please choose 1 and delete the others prior to posting. Introduction - Rick jumped up and started tracing the path backward. He was only a few steps from the truck when he saw the outline of a person lying in the tall brown grass. “Over here!” he yelled to Joe, and they both rushed to the spot, crushing pieces of broken glass in the weeds as they ran. There, lying only a few yards from the overturned truck, was the outline of a teenage boy. As Rick got closer, his stomach sank. The boy was lying chest down in the grass, his body tossed like a rag doll. His shorts had been torn and his white shirt was covered with a muddy mix of dust and blood. His left arm was lying limp at his side but the other was a mangled mess, broken and twisted around more than once. The skin from the shoulder to the elbow looked like a washrag being wrung out. The broken arm was perched awkwardly in the air, and the hand looked like it was covering his mouth. He stepped closer. No, the hand was in his mouth, shoved into a fist inside his gaping jaws. Rick’s stomach turned as he realized the boy’s head was twisted almost 180 degrees, facing up to the sky, while the body lay chest down in the dirt. Rick stepped back, he didn’t notice any movement, surely the boy was dead. How could anyone survive something like that? His knees got weak and he shuddered at the thought of being the first to find a dead body. Then he heard gurgling, low and wet, coming from the boy’s chest and mouth. “He’s choking!” Joe called out, “What do we do?” Chapter 3 - Kreg helped me stumble over to the depressing little waiting area. We sat on an old worn out blue couch and stared at the ugly coffee table in front of us. Jeff’s parents, Lyn and Betty Smith, arrived and were allowed to see Jeff for a moment, but then they joined us in the waiting area. We exchanged hugs and cried together, then resigned ourselves to waiting. Betty was doing about as poorly as I was, and Lyn was trying to comfort her. Betty kept asking questions that none of us could answer. “Who was driving? Do you know who was driving? What happened? Were they wearing seat belts?” Gradually she realized we didn’t have any answers for her and she quietly sank into her husband’s arms. We sat in silence for what seemed like forever. What do you say to each other when both boys are on the edge of life or death? I began to pray, but nothing was making sense. My thoughts floated between my own questions about the accident, earnest pleas to Heavenly Father, and what Cody was going through all alone upstairs. I hated knowing that Cody was alone up there. If I wasn’t so frozen with fear, I would have stormed right up there, checked every room until I found him, and stayed by his side until it was all over. Chapter 16 - I turned to Cody and he truly looked lost. The charts didn’t lie, Dr. Pike had done the tests again and again. It was done. Finished. Cody was gone and he wasn’t coming back. No amount of wishing or hoping or praying was going to fix it. And instead of him just dying naturally, we had to be the ones to flip the switch and cut off his air, his food, his medication. It was cruel. It was torture. It was too much. Kreg was trying to be strong for me but I knew he felt it too. I could see it in his eyes. The pain, the struggle of the impossible choice, the burden of our whole family’s emotions on his back. It was too much for him to bear as well, though he had to maintain some sense of composure for all our sakes. I gave up trying to make decisions and buried my head in my hands. Then, in the middle of our solemn and painful silence, came a knock on the door. Chapter 20 - I started walking out the door but I stopped and turned back, giving it one more try. “Hey Cody, if someone called, what would you say?” Cody’s eyes were staring at the ceiling, and he was breathing deeply. My son was inside there, somewhere, and it was exciting and excruciating at the same time, knowing that he was so close, yet so far. I turned to leave and was halfway through the doorway when I heard it. “Hello.” The sound was labored and barely resembled a word, but I could tell what he was trying to do. “What did you say?” I tried to coax it out of him once more as I ran to his side. “Hello.” The same sounds, the same word, a little bit clearer than before. I could barely contain myself, Cody was speaking! I picked up the phone and quickly dialed Kreg’s number at work. “Kreg! Kreg! You’ve got to hear this!” I held the phone up to Cody’s mouth. “Tell Dad what you told me.” “Hello, hello.” Cody was getting excited about his newly-found ability and his voice was getting stronger each time he spoke. Kreg was crying on the other end of the line, trying unsuccessfully to maintain his composure. 

   

About the Authors Brenda and Kreg Parmer met in high school in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and fell in love on the night of graduation. Brenda graduated from cosmetology school and Kreg went to work for a farm equipment company, and soon married. They had one son, Cody, and three beautiful daughters. Since the accident in 1999, a major part of Brenda and Kreg's lives have been devoted to caring for Cody, who still suffers from major limitations. They love being with family, enjoying the beautiful Idaho scenery, and visiting their grandchildren. Along with their family, their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the most important thing in their lives. Facebook

The Giveaway: One winner will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash. Giveaway ends June 25th. Good luck!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway Ends 6/25/17 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.