Bottom Line to Lifeline by Simon Higginbotham

From the polished boardrooms of global business to the blood-soaked front lines of 911 emergency care, Bottom Line to Lifeline is a gripping memoir of radical reinvention at age 50.

When Simon Higginbotham walked away from a high-powered corporate career to become a paramedic, he didn’t just change jobs — he transformed his entire life. Told with unflinching honesty and visceral detail, this powerful narrative plunges you into the chaos, courage, and camaraderie of emergency medicine, where lives can pivot in a single moment — and so can your own.

Through raw, present-tense storytelling, Higginbotham captures not only the intensity of life-and-death calls but also the deeper truths about identity, leadership, humility, and the human spirit.

“I finished Bottom Line to Lifeline by Simon Higginbotham, and wow, what a ride! This memoir takes you through the author’s complete 180° life change, starting from corporate suit to paramedic uniform, and it’s compelling.” “Beyond recounting action-packed scenarios, Bottom Line to Lifeline profoundly reflects reinvention and purpose.”

— Rashmi Agrawal, Reedsy Reviewer

Perfect for readers seeking meaning, second chances, or simply a damn good story, this memoir is a testament to what’s possible when you leave comfort behind — and choose to show up when it matters most.

Dare to start again. Read the book that’s already inspired thousands.

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The Unique Settled History of Sweetwater Canyon Above Colorado Springs by Diane Olsen Author

Award-winning author Diane Olsen, known for her acclaimed series “Rising Wind” and the multi-award-winning “Roots to Religion,” now presents her memoir titled “The Unique Settled History of Sweetwater Canyon Above Colorado Springs.”

Growing up in Colorado Springs was a magical time for me, filled with treasured memories. The stories shared follow a group of musings, experiences, and explorations in Mother Nature’s playground for a young girl growing up in the little canyons west of Colorado Springs, from sixty to seventy-five years ago, in a home that lay between Cheyenne Mountain and Mount Rosa, St. Peter’s Dome, and Cookstove with Pike’s Peak looming behind them.

We lived above Twilight Canyon, but the focus of this book is the sister valley, Sweetwater Canyon, and every time I see a picture of that mountain area or think about it, the tears flow. Itinerant wanderers and thoughtful individuals sought spiritual solace and inspiration from Cheyenne Mountain’s numerous hillsides, waterfalls, and various winding canyons, such as Cheyenne, Twilight, and Sweetwater, as well as other canyons in the area. I know we did. Perhaps with the writing of this memoir, the Mulberger family realizes that we still do. (Kindle on sale for $2.99 through July 4th, 2025)

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Epitome of Hypocrisy by Kenny McGhee

Epitome of Hypocrisy: Sex, Drugs and the Real Birth of Rock & Roll is an unflinching autobiographical journey through the tumultuous landscape of the 1960s and 70s music scene. The author delves into personal experiences marked by the era’s indulgent lifestyle, exploring the allure and consequences of sex, drugs, and rock & roll. Beyond the hedonistic facade, the narrative seeks a deeper understanding of what constitutes normalcy amidst chaos. Through candid reflections, the book offers a raw and honest portrayal of a life intertwined with the cultural and musical revolutions of the time. It challenges readers to consider the dichotomy between public persona and private reality, shedding light on the often-overlooked personal costs of fame and the relentless pursuit of artistic expression.

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You Couldn’t Make This Up; An Almost True Social Worker’s Memoir by J. Traveler Pelton

I’ve met people from the privileged to the poor and most their relatives. This is a short, almost true history of that career, funny to tragic. Names have been changed to protect innocent and guilty; and I promise you won’t find anything more fascinating than true life in my world. It gets greasy, gritty, gracious and no way glamourous here; I think it has been a life well lived.

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About Featured Book Bottom Line to Lifeline by Simon Higginbotham

About the Book: Bottom Line to Lifeline

What happens when a high-powered business executive walks away from the boardroom and learns to save lives instead? Bottom Line to Lifeline is a gripping, real-life memoir that chronicles one man’s year-long transformation from international CEO to frontline paramedic student. This inspiring and sometimes harrowing journey pulls readers into the adrenaline-charged world of 911 emergency medicine—and the deeply human moments that come with it.

With vivid, present-tense storytelling, this memoir offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at emergency calls, classroom lessons, personal doubts, and the raw moments of truth that shape new medics. It’s a powerful read for anyone contemplating a life change, passionate about medicine, or interested in how resilience, purpose, and teamwork are forged under pressure.

Now with over 50 five-star reviews, Bottom Line to Lifeline has struck a chord with readers across careers and continents. Rashmi Agrawal, a Reedsy Reviewer, writes:

“It’s an eye-opening reminder of what really matters in life and work. The book got me thinking about purpose and meaning in my career, which is always a sign of a good read!”
And she adds,
“Imagine going from worrying about profit margins to holding someone’s life in your hands. The contrast is wild.”

Special EMS Week Offer: In honor of EMS Week (May 19–25), the Kindle edition is available for just $0.99 between May 20 and May 27—a massive 83% discount off the regular $5.99 list price.

Fast Facts:

3,700+ copies sold

4.7/5.0 average rating

Ranked #1 in Emergency Services and Personal Transformation on Kindle during launch week

Perfect for fans of medical memoirs, career-change stories, and leadership books with heart

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Author Bio
I’ve lived a life of contrasts, from corporate boardrooms in Europe and the U.S. to the back of an ambulance on a 911 call. After a successful career in international business leadership, I made the bold decision to retrain as a paramedic at age 50. Bottom Line to Lifeline is the story of that journey: a year of reinvention, challenge, purpose, and unexpected fun.

I’ve always been drawn to new perspectives, whether in life, business, or the outdoors. When I’m not working with EMS teams, consulting, or writing, you can find me hiking or mountain walking (Snowdonia in North Wales, UK, is a favorite) or out on the open road on my motorcycle. I also play both guitar and violin—music brings a kind of clarity and expression that words often can’t.

My writing reflects my conviction that life is too short to remain stagnant, that we’re all capable of profound transformation, and that the most meaningful work we can do often begins when we venture far outside our comfort zone.

If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to change everything, or if you’re curious about what happens behind the scenes in emergency medical care, I hope you’ll find something in this book that inspires or stays with you.

The Adventures of a Florida Boy by Jim Melvin

NEW RELEASE: Many of us are in need of relief, and we sometimes search for something good-natured and joyous to put a smile on our faces. This is what “Florida Boy” is all about. This sweet memoir will make you laugh and feel happy in that stomach-warming way that fond memories tend to inspire, and it can be read in one or two sittings. Melvin’s boyhood was spent in Florida in the 1960s on an island called Coquina Key. His parents’ waterfront home overlooked a wide expanse of Tampa Bay. Back then, parts of the island were undeveloped, which left room for climbing trees, digging forts, and swimming in shark-infested waters. Some of the things he and his friends did were downright dangerous. But they didn’t care. They were the rulers of their domain. Readers will discover moments that will awaken their own childhood memories, regardless of where and when they grew up.

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You Still Can’t Make This Up! by J. Traveler Pelton

In this second book about my twenty-eight years in professional Social Work, I reached back in my memory vault to put stories to the faces that still come to mind when I sit back and recall those days. Some of them are drop-dead funny, some are sad and some simply infuriated me. I’ve met people from the privileged to the poor and most their relatives. Book two continues the short, almost true history of that career, funny to tragic. Names have been changed to protect innocent and guilty; and I promise you won’t find anything more fascinating than true life in my world. It gets greasy, gritty, gracious and no way glamourous here; I think it has been a life well lived. If you like true to life stories, odd characters funny to tragic, you will love this book.

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Ascent of a Woman by Mhairi Blyth

In Ascent of a Woman, Mhairi Blyth presents an unfiltered, candid account of her life. Spanning over thirty years, her memoir shows a life littered with trauma, trials, and tragedy, starting with her dad leaving to work over three-thousand miles away, in the middle of a war, when she was just six.

With every chapter of her life, a new and seemingly impossible trial begins which tests Mhairi’s mental and physical strength, and her ability to overcome adversity. She reveals her darkest moments, together with feelings of loneliness, loss, and despair, where even mother nature is against her. Mhairi also describes her sparks of resilience and determination in fighting for herself and for her family, where she comes up against those meant to be the very people to help and protect.

Ascent of a Woman is one woman’s story of endurance, growth and forgiveness whilst overcoming massive personal loss, the consequences of which will always be with her. This is Mhairi’s ascent from a child to a girl, to a woman. This is her evolution.

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The Friend of My Mind by Gil Frank

“Written by a man about the woman he loved with all his soul is healing. We NEED more books and works like these.” —Jessica Coates. Victims of Abuse Advocate During the week of mourning Gil opened the blue crate she never agreed to unpack. He discovered her poems of passion and erotic enjoyment with previous lovers. The family was shocked, but the secret consumed him in a tumultuous whirlwind. He hid it until the family left. Then, he let the verses, like Satan bites, scramble his dreams, twist his grief. He did not eat, headaches detained him. By keeping silent about what led her to carnal passion, she obscured how the wounds of their betrayals still impregned her soul and snuck into their relationship. Friend of My Mind is a two-part dialogue between a man and his departed spouse. He writes the letter she wanted to pen—their love story from his perspective. In part two, he recounts his own journey to love — ‘careloving’ face to face with her death, and himself. Across Paris, Jamaica, Jerusalem and America, the story climbs to “Friend of The Mind” as the response beyond distrust, prior toxic relationships, financial inequality, and ge

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The Pink Dress: A Memoir of a Reluctant Beauty Queen by Jane Little Botkin

For fans of Little Miss Sunshine and Secrets of Miss America, this memoir from a national award-winning author reveals the reality of being the first Guyrex Girl in the 1970s. Beauty pageant stories have never been this raw, this real.

Growing up in West Texas, Jane Little Botkin didn’t have designs on becoming a beauty queen. But not long after joining a pageant on a whim in college, she became the first protégé of El Paso’s Richard Guy and Rex Holt, known as the “Kings of Beauty”—just as the 1970’s counterculture movement began to take off.

A pink, rose-covered gown—a Guyrex creation—symbolizes the fairy tale life that young women in Jane’s time imagined beauty queens had. Its near destruction exposes reality: the author’s failed relationship with her mother, and her parents’ failed relationship with one another. Weaving these narrative threads together is the Wild West notion that anything is possible, especially do-overs.

The Pink Dress awakens nostalgia for the 1960s and 1970s, the era’s conflicts and growth pains. A common expectation that women went to college to get “MRS” degrees—to find a husband and become a stay-at-home wife and mother—often prevailed. How does one swim upstream against this notion among feminist voices that protest “If You Want Meat, Go to a Butcher!” at beauty pageants, two flamboyant showmen, and a developing awareness of self? Torn between women’s traditional roles and what women could be, Guyrex Girls evolved, as did the author.

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Choose You First: One Woman’s Journey Through Pain, Resilience and Hard-Won Healing. A Powerful Reminder That Your Story Is Far From Over. by Michelle Bishop

What if choosing yourself first was the most powerful gift you could give to those you love?

As women, it’s almost natural to forget about what we need and put everyone else first. It seems to be part of the mom/daughter/sister package that we’re born with.

But putting yourself last doesn’t do anyone any good. It leaves you tired, drained, and fresh out of creative solutions to everyday problems.

But here’s the thing…

The habit of putting yourself last doesn’t come out of nowhere. How you were raised has an immense impact on how you are as an adult—more than you can imagine.

From self-worth to confidence to your ability to say no and set healthy boundaries. It’s all influenced by those early years.

In Michelle Bishop’s memoir, Choose You First, the author opens her heart to share her deeply personal journey from chaos to self-love. Through candid stories of resilience, she takes you on a path from the struggles of her tumultuous childhood to the healing moments that reshaped her sense of worth.

In this book, she gives you the tools she developed through her most difficult times to help you step further, deeper, and bigger into your life.

Whether you’re seeking hope, healing, or inspiration, Choose You First provides the courage and wisdom to take that step into a future full of love and fulfillment.

As well as learning how to overcome personal trauma, develop inner strength, and choose yourself in a world that often asks you to do the opposite, this book shows you:

The importance of self-love and why it is not selfish to put yourself first.
How to overcome personal trauma and use it as a foundation for growth.
Practical ways to set boundaries with others to protect your well-being.
The value of resilience and how to find inner strength even in the darkest times.
How to recognize and break free from destructive patterns learned in childhood.
Techniques for silencing self-doubt and building genuine self-worth.
Why forgiveness, especially of oneself, is a crucial part of healing.
How to find hope and light within, regardless of past experiences.
It’s time to Choose You First.

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The Adventures of a Florida Boy by Jim Melvin

“A joyous glimpse into a childhood we all wish we’d had: fun, carefree, and near the sea.” —JS Hyder

Many of us are in dire need of relief, and sometimes we search for something good-natured, random, and joyous to lift our spirits and put a smile on our faces. This is what The Adventures of a Florida Boy is all about. This short and sweet memoir will make you laugh and feel happy in that stomach-warming way that fond memories tend to inspire.

Jim Melvin’s boyhood was spent in Florida in the 1960s on an island called Coquina Key. His parents’ waterfront home overlooked a large expanse of Tampa Bay. Back then, parts of the island were undeveloped, which left plenty of room for climbing trees, digging forts in the sand, and swimming in shark-infested waters. Some of the things he and his friends did were downright dangerous. But they didn’t care. They were the rulers of their domain. Jim wouldn’t trade his childhood for anything.

In this lovely book, readers will discover moments that will awaken their own childhood memories, regardless of where and when they grew up.

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