Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.
It's Monday. Is there snow where you are? Gosh, I just want it all to go away so I can plan out my garden and see some birds.
I've had three closings since February 28 and I am gearing up for some listings, so we decided to take a quick trip to Cape Cod for some R&R. The Lil' Princess is still on school vacation and the Lil' Diva took half a day Friday.
It was nice to get away. I didn't even bring my laptop. Theo loved the beach, even though it was cool.
My mailbox was empty, but since we were away I got a chance to do some reading.
I am also reading this devotional for Lent, which started Wednesday. As an aside, did you hear about the teacher who forced a student to remove his ashes that he got for Ash Wednesday? Sounds like the teacher didn't realize how important they are to Catholics.
That's it from my neck of the woods. Hope you have a great week. Please share what your mailbox looked like.
I subscribe to several book newsletters. In the recent Penguin Random House news came a list of self-help books. This one caught my eye because of its uniqueness and the cover art. I ended up taking a look at the inside of this journal on Amazon, but haven't bought it yet. The majority of the reviews have been positive, but it doesn't seem deep enough or driven enough for me. Have any of you used this journal? What were your thoughts?
Start Where You Are is an interactive journal designed to help readers nurture their creativity, mindfulness, and self-motivation. It helps readers navigate the confusion and chaos of daily life with a simple reminder: that by taking the time to know ourselves and what those dreams are, we can appreciate the world around us and achieve our dreams.
Featuring vibrant hand-lettering and images that have attracted a large following for her stationery and textile line in boutiques across the country, Meera Lee Patel's uplifting book presents supportive prompts and exercises along with inspirational quotes to encourage reflection through writing, drawing, chart-making, and more.
Featuring inspiring quotes from writers, artists, and other visionaries paired with open-ended questions and prompts, with plenty of room for writing and reflecting, this appealing full-color book will make a perfect gift and keepsake as well as being a powerful tool for positive change.
Am I Going To Be Okay? is an American story with a universal message. Ms. Whittam traces her history in the form of stories about her all too human, and sometimes unhinged family; she throws a rope to the little girl living there, and in adulthood, is able to pull her out to safety, bit by bit.
For More Information
Am I Going To Be Okay? Weathering the Storms of Mental Illness, Addiction and Grief is available at Amazon.
Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
Let's Start Talking About it by Debra Whittam
I am a first time author so, let’s starting talking about the two questions I am asked most often by nearly everyone concerning my having written a memoir/self-help book. “How long did it take you to write the book?” and “Aren’t you worried about what family members will think?”
Really? Are these questions that pertain to the author? I think not. What I sense is the people asking are only interested in the answer to see if THEY could do it. So, let’s talk about this.
How long did it take to write? I wrote, on and off, for about three years. The most difficult part was the edit, of course. What I thought was going to be an easy, fairly simple week or two process to get my “shitty first draft,” as Anne LaMott calls it, to a final proof copy actually took six months. Good thing my editor knew how to handle my impatience since she told me we would start going from the first draft to revisions.
Well, after the sixth ‘first’ draft I wanted to say ‘I’m done.’ But just in the nick of time she announced we were on to the revisions. Ah yes, now we were getting somewhere!
After the revisions to the revisions, many times over, we moved on to the changes to the revisions. We were now in month three. Too late to turn back, yet, I hated the thought of reading one more word of what was once a beloved manuscript to me.
Then, of course, we went from the changes to the changes to the changes. Then finally, my friends, we were at the final manuscript! Yea! What joy. What bliss. At final manuscript twelve I rebelled and said ‘NO!”
This was just in time for the Final Proof copy. The galley or advanced reader copy as it’s called. Great. After three final proof copies we have now officially gone to print!
Oh my gosh. How do people do this for a living?!
So, do you see how my answering, to the unknowing questioner--it took three years to write the book--leaves me weak in the knees. It’s not about me or what I went through. For heaven’s sake (!), it’s about them. Of course it is.
Question number two is more lengthy to explain, however, equally uninteresting to the one with the query. Are they still listening as I explain that my first writing workshop was with Carol Henderson in Little Switzerland, NC where she explained to any of us thinking about writing creative non-fiction, memoir, to write as though everyone in the story has already died. Or don’t do it at all. That was a heady first bit of information for me as I already was sure I was the only who did not belong at the workshop. I’m was a pretend ‘wanna be’ writer while everyone else was serious about it, better at it, etc.
However, through the next three years of writing, I kept that thought firmly in the forefront of my mind as I traveled the road of writing; what I remembered, my perception of the things I saw, heard and how I was treated from littlehood onward.
Is there any possibility that a family member will agree with my experience being true for them? If, as they say, accuracy is based on perception, then every sibling in the same car having the same horrifying experience of riding with our drunk father at high rates of speed will invariably not have the same or even similar experiences as I did.
We all have our own examples of being at the same dining room table with all the siblings and have a different narrative of what happened when someone spilled milk, triggering a major brawl which in turn lead to yelling, crying and sometimes people coming to blows.
So do I answer to these random people, who I don’t even know, “Well, I can’t go to each person to make sure they are okay with it because blah, blah, blah.” The person is already not listening. No sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin would agree with what I had as my experience. Parents would absolutely not agree. So who ends up being the crazy one here? And, how does anyone begin and end writing their memoir/ creative non-fiction narrative if they are, indeed, a Pleaser.
Was and am I concerned with telling family stories that were always meant to be kept secret? The point of my book is to see how insane it is to NOT talk about family member’s mental illness, their addictions, and the loss of a beloved through death or a relationship. The impact on everyone in the family, especially the little ones watching the adults act like little monsters, is what creates the beginnings of chronic ‘IV drip’ of anxieties where little ones are sure of one of two things: either they did something wrong or there’s something wrong with them. Those are the choices. Silence and denial run the show and eventually become deadly in one form or another.
So, my dear person with the questions, yes I considered everyone in the story. Alive and not alive. My experience is my truth. If someone could have been in my shoes, at the same time, with the same experience, there might be a chance for some convergence of truth. Doubt it, but maybe. This memoir is a story of my life with my mom, entire family, but mainly her from my birth until her death, interwoven with the untreated mental illness, untreated addiction and unacknowledged grief that flows through everyone’s family tree. We just don’t talk about it. Any of it. Until, of course, on someone’s death bed they sob out some essential bit of information that would’ve made everyone’s life different had they known it was NOT their fault. Whatever ‘it' is.
Answering these lame questions will become habit down the road and I will say, “Three years and, yes, I considered everyone.” Let’s keep talking about it.
Debra Whittam is a licensed, practicing mental health therapist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who specializes in addiction, anxiety and depression, grief and loss. Whittam is passionate about her work in all areas of her specialties, especially addiction. Working in a detox unit for over three years before beginning her own private practice, Whittam realized, while counseling patients in the life and death arena of the detox unit, how much the loss of a beloved through death or a relationship impacted those struggling with addiction.
In this memoir, Whittam skillfully infuses her memories, stories and professional insights to remind us that the most important relationship we will ever have is with ourselves. She splits her time between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York and Paris, France. Am I Going To Be Okay? Weathering the Storms of Mental Illness, Addiction and Grief is her first book.
Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.
Happy Monday, everyone! Last week was simply crazy around here. Needed to get the house ready for the Lil' Princess' birthday party in between working and other fun stuff. We had a sleepover on Saturday, took the girls to church with us on Sunday, and then headed over to Nomads.
I manage the membership database for our local Friends of the Library organization. That means I am at the library even more than I was before. So, you can guess how much more time I spend browsing the shelves these days. Here are a couple of books I picked up while there on Friday.
Hailed by The Economist as the “the most influential pastor in America,” and by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, the bestselling author of The Purpose Driven Life expounds on the profound origins of Christmas, describing it as an opportune time to welcome peace into our lives.
In his powerful yet compassionate voice, Pastor Rick Warren sounds the clarion call to “remember the reason for the season,” taking readers back in time to the most wonderful story of all—the birth of the baby Jesus. When he was just a small boy, young Rick asked his parents if they could celebrate Christmas with a birthday party for Jesus—and the tradition began that the Warrens have upheld for over fifty years. Now through stirring imagery and compelling personal insights, The Purpose of Christmas honors the significance and promise of this cherished holiday. Pastor Warren encourages readers to identify and confront what drains peace from their lives. Warren explains that the way to respond to these peace robbers is to learn how to surrender to God’s will and not feel defeated or discouraged when life does not go as planned. True peace of mind is found by having an unshakeable faith in God—knowing that His empowering Spirit will guide His children through life’s challenges.
Beautifully written, The Purpose of Christmas will stir readers to honor the true significance of Christmas and to nurture God’s gifts of love and peace in this world.
Countless fans remember Michal Landon from his leading roles in the popular television series "Bonanza," "Little House on the Prairie," and "Highway to Heaven." Far fewer, perhaps, know Landon as a caring father who changed the course of his own life to save his daughter's. Cheryl, a motivational speaker who travels throughout the world to share her father's legacy, has combined the simple beliefs Michael Landon tried to exemplify - both at work and at home - with family stories, her own experience, and the loving touch of her father's spirit. This special book is guaranteed to charm "and" inspire. Includes a special introduction and photo section.
Anyone who knows me knows I can't resist seasonal reading, and this book about a man whose work I so admire was the perfect find.
Vacation has been lovely. We are now in our second week at the Outer Banks. We've managed to avoid sharks; though a news report indicated we missed two guys hauling a shark up onto the beach a few hours before we were there one day.
One of the best parts of vacation is catching up on my reading. I'm almost done with Out of Control: Why Disciplining Your Child Won't Work...And What Will by Shefali Tsabary, PhD. I've also read, My Spouse Wants More Sex Than Me: The 2-Minute Solution for a Happier Marriage by Dr. Ruxandra LeMay, and am currently reading ’89 Walls by Katie Pierson and Guilt Free Motherhood: A 5-Step Guide to Reclaiming Your Time, Health & Well-Being by Amber Kahn.
Doctor John McIntosh and Rev. Elizabeth McIntosh, authors of an important new book, MASTERING NEGATIVE IMPULSIVE THOUGHTS, use “nits” as both an acronym for their book’s title and as an analogy for the clearly unhealthy effects of negative thinking.
“Negative thoughts occur impulsively, so that is why they are Negative Impulsive Thoughts, or NITs, for short,” the authors say. “The nice analogy is that nits are also head lice and both (nits and NITs) are irritating, contagious, hard to recognize, hard to eliminate, breed fast, and spread like an epidemic.”
Unlike other, similar books that claim to have a magic route to happiness and health, MASTERING NEGATIVE IMPULSIVE THOUGHTS is based on solid clinical research, say the authors, who together have extensive experience in general medicine, medical research, and holistic health/wellness practices.
For More Information
Mastering Negative Impulse Thoughts is available at Amazon.
Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
Surviving Parenting Positively
by “Mastering Negative Impulsive Thoughts”
If being a parent is the most wonderful experience in your life, why can also be the hardest and most difficult years that you have to survive? As a mother, you are under the most intense pressure emotionally, physically and practically as you manage your personal life, profession, relationship, the house and are also expected to instill in your children all the great qualities that they need to develop into well balanced, decent human beings! Quite a task, and as a doctor and clinical therapist, we have been helping people through these challenges for many years…
So if you could have the precious gift of taking life’s challenges and managing them positively, without drama, without stress and for great outcomes for all concerned, how much better would your life be?
The secrets are all here in this book! Mastering Negative Impulse Thoughts (NITs) is the first time that negative thoughts have been defined with an easy 3 step process to recognise them. Negative thoughts occur impulsively so we have labeled them “Negative Impulsive Thoughts” or NITs for short.
NITs, like the head lice or “nits” that their name invokes, are irritating, hard to recognise, hard to treat and spread from person to person like an epidemic! Controlling this negative epidemic and quarantining you and your family is the key to future happiness and success for all of you!
Amazingly NITs occur in every one of us every day and if you do not control them, they can ruin your life, your children’s lives and your relationships!
Here in the book are the keys to not only recognise your own NITs but also recognise negative thoughts (NITs) and behaviour from everyone around you. Uncontrolled NITs knock our confidence, breed fear, shatters our dreams, destroys relationships, and as the research in the book shows, they also attracts cancers, heart disease, strokes, mental illness and shortens our life span by about 9 years!
The book also contains new techniques for turning negative thoughts into Positive Affirmative Thoughts or PATs for short. This 3 step process is amazingly effective, and can easily be taught to your family and you can begin to deal with difficult situations positively for better outcomes!
The book also contains many real life stories that are examples of NITs and overcoming them and many life skills that will empower you when dealing with self doubt, worry, anxiety, depression, life dramas and challenges.
Specific chapters deal with relationships, managing children and giving perspective to the process of child rearing which is a long term commitment. Qualities of patience and alternative approaches to your attitude that you will learn in the book can result in dramatic improvements for everyone!
If you want to take control over your life, you must start with controlling what goes on in your head. This new NITs concept is sweeping the planet and the book is an easy read with inspirational real life adventures of overcoming (NITs), leaving the reader uplifted, inspired and armed with tools to live a positive NIT-free life.
Begin to make the world a better place, starting from the inside first. Become the shining light of positivity and happiness that your children and everyone around you would love to follow!
Doctor H. John McIntosh is known as the “Medical Guru” through his columns and media presence. Hewas educated as a medical doctor in Scotland. He received a general medical degree from Dundee University Medical School in 1984 and moved to Australia in 1993. He received his Specialist Physicianqualification in 1988 from the Royal College of Physicians (UK) and specialist Family Physician qualifications in 1990 from the Royal College of General Practitioners. Other certifications include: Approved Trainer of medical students, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners; James Cook University Medical School, Central Queensland University; Trainer of Cognitive Institute programs, Cognitive Institute of Australia; Approved Trainer of sports medicine first aid courses, Sports Medicine, Australia; and Approved Allergan Cosmetic Injector training and trainer of injectors (doctors and nurses). Dr. McIntosh was the driving force in the building of the Mackay GP Superclinic. In 2013,his medical clinics were awarded the national AGPAL Community Engagement Award for outstanding level of commitment and involvement of the community and won a finalist award in the 2014 Telstra Australian Business
Awards.
Rev. Elizabeth McIntosh is known as the “Positivity Expert” from her life’s work and research in the field. She trained as a life and wellness coach; certified personal fitness trainer under Ken Ware, Mr. Universe of 1994; counselor, hypnotherapist, meditation and yoga teacher; and spa trainer. She is a Reiki master Levels 1, 2 and 3, and a Reiki Master Trainer. She holds a BMSc in Metaphysics from the University of Sedona and the University of Metaphysics, and is an ordained minister through the University of Metaphysics. She runs retreats at her resort in Bali andhas produced a series of CDs on health, relaxation, and success, and a TV documentary series,as well as being a magazine columnist and radio talkback presenter.
Media headlines abound these days saying, “Tea is trendy...” and we believe it until we read the first chapter of Ritual Tea: How the 9 Secrets of Tea Can Transform Your Life. Entitled, Tea’s Sordid and Holy Exploits, chapter one is a worldwide, whirlwind tour of tea history that leaves the reader knowing once and for all that tea has always been trendy for very good reasons. Next to water, tea is the world’s most popular drink.
Author Mario Zeleny, lifelong tea lover and personal coach, extracts the magic of tea from its history, uses, and benefits but also from its power to change the world. He brings the secrets of tea into modern light, and makes it accessible for contemporary lifestyles.
“We do not have to be a Buddhist monk, or study The Way of Tea for decades to be your own Tea Master,” says Zeleny, “but you must understand its secrets to reap tea’s transformative qualities in your life.”
Ritual Tea boasts over 30 links to free tea products, ten personal rituals to help with everything from anxiety to sleep, and 10 charts that make crafting our own ritual a breeze.
Discover the transformative power of tea hidden in its history, versatility, and essence through simple, timeless and individualized rituals. To help us on the tea path, the author has made a free Ritual Tea e-course available through ArtSpellz.com.
Tea has made a 5000 year trek to inhabit the world and in its wake it has altered not only individual lives but cultures and countries. Ritual Tea asks, “Who will we be in tea’s history?” Will we just make tea, or will we allow tea make us?
“Super Mom” Wants to Kill You: Stop Her with Tea
by Mario Zeleny
Super Mom isn’t the only one who wants to kill you, so do Martha Stewart Manics, Ace Achiever Addicts, and the Superior Over-Schedulers. They want to do you in as well.
What’s their problem?
We have become so comfortable with stress as a lifestyle, that we make our too-busy, too-demanding existence an achievement by racking up our self- appointed gold stars, so it doesn’t ‘feel’ like stress anymore. We have become good at telling ourselves and everyone else how party planning and hosting is fun and rewarding, homeschooling our children is fulfilling, or how much we enjoy “staying active.” Talk about turning lemons into lemonade! Except in this case, the lemonade is poisonous. You see, those gold stars and that lemonade are slowly taking moments away from our life.
The antidote to this poison is relaxation.
Relaxation will extend our life by:
• Reducing illness by strengthening immune system • Improving sleep which reduces illness, helps with weight loss, and increases emotional stability • Reducing blood pressure- improves cardiovascular system and reduces the likelihood of heart attack and stroke • Supplying the body with more oxygen creating more energy, clarity and focus • Balancing hormones- weight loss, avoid weight gain, reduces cardiovascular disease • Increasing focus and clarity to accomplish goals and become more present in the moment • Controlling emotions by reducing anxiety and depression • Decreasing body pain and increasing control of chronic pain • Increasing spirituality- research has shown that people who practice relaxation experienced the close presence of a higher power more significantly than those who do not practice relaxation • Increasing life satisfaction
Simplicity, Accessibility and Pleasure Relaxation occurs when we participate in an activity that triggers a relaxation response. Just because we enjoy an activity doesn’t make it effective at relaxing us. The key aspects for creating a relaxation response and cultivating its benefits are:
• Intentional, focused habit (ritual) • Regular and consistent practice • Must be something you enjoy which resonates with you • 10-20 minutes in length • Environment and atmosphere must support the practice
What this list is telling us is the relaxation response is created by performing a ritual. That’s easy! No really, it is. We ritualize life; it is what we do as humans. Rituals provide us with meaning, comfort and satisfaction. Rituals reduce anxiety and stress. When rituals are practiced intentionally and consistently, eventually they will create an automatic and instant change in the brain. Over time, this change becomes permanently accessible by just thinking about doing the ritual. Can you image being able to instantly access relaxation by thinking about it?
What stops us from doing an intentional ritual and creating a new habit, has to do with simplicity, and pleasure. If the ritual is too complicated, it is unlikely that we will do it or keep doing it. If we force ourselves to do a ritual and we do not resonate with a ritual, or do not enjoy certain aspects of it, the ritual will not be effective. Eventually, the ritual will become sabotaged. Forcing ourselves to perform a ritual leads to increased anxiety, stress and other unwanted life results.
Drink the Stress Away Drinking tea has been a health and spiritual ritual for thousands of years, though many look upon tea these days as just something else to drink. Tea is the most consumed beverage next to water, and its health benefits are considerable, too. What is interesting for us here is that tea contains an amino acid called L-theanine that is known to calm, relax and increase mental alertness. Drinking tea is not enough, however. If we make tea drinking a ritual, it creates incredible rewards.
Teas especially known to foster relaxation apart from the amino acid present in tea are: passionflower, ginseng, lavender, chamomile, valerian, and lemon balm. To be honest, some of these flavors are not anything to get excited about. For a tea ritual to be effective, you really do have to enjoy the tea. That is why I recommend blending your own. Tea blending isn’t as complicated as you might image. Design A Tea makes it easy. Design A Tea is a virtual boutique teahouse that allows you to blend your own tea. There is a coupon in my kindle book for tea blending from Design A Tea, as well as an in depth interview with Design A Tea’s owner, Brian Pfeiffer.
Tea by itself can be a ritual; practicing mindfulness while making tea is an ancient and traditional practice. This requires that we be in the moment and there is no rush. The water can take forever to boil. We have lost our attachment to time. We appreciate the water. We notice the cool feeling of our china cup. We wade in the smell of the tea as the canister opens. We have nowhere to go, we have nothing to do but make tea.
We can take our tea ritual to the next level by combining it with other pleasurable, meaningful activities noted also for their ability to relax us and change our brain. Some examples of this are:
Rituals change our underlying psychology. They prepare us for innovation and creativity. Consciously creating rituals decreases anxiety and uncertainty and opens us up to infinite possibilities. Go with a tea ritual to reap big changes in reducing stress levels and fostering relaxation. Live longer with tea!
For more information about tea and how to create effective tea rituals, please read my book, Ritual Tea: How the 9 Secrets of Tea Can Transform Your Life. The book also includes a free virtual class beginning May 10th. My book is available at Amazon in Kindle and paperback. The soft cover is also available at my Art Spellz shop during the month of May for 20% off and includes free tea and a coupon for blending your own tea: Go to http://mariozeleny/shop.
Mario Zeleny – Lover of all things tea. Mario spent 15 years in healthcare and social services in clinical and administrative roles that offered coaching to employees and volunteers. An artist and entrepreneur from an early age, Mario now brings his love of writing, art, spirit, coaching and ritual together online at his creative living site, Sancti Spiritus and also from his transformational art site, Art Spellz. Mario looks forward to completing his education with Mentor Coach and St. Clement Seminary. He currently resides in Sacramento with his husband of 8 years, their children and their domestic sovereign, a pug named Brigit.
Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.
Do you ever request a book for review and then forget you requested it? Yeah, I did that twice and ended up with two unexpected books in my mailbox last week. Whoops.
Erinn Wolf needs to reinvent herself. A once celebrated playwright turned photographer, she's almost broke, a little lonely, and tired of her sister's constant worry. When a job on a reality TV show falls into her lap, she's thrilled to be making a paycheck--and when a hot Italian actor named Massimo rents her guesthouse, she's certain her life is getting a romantic subplot. But with the director, brash, gorgeous young Jude, dogging her every step, she can't help but look at herself through his lens--and wonder if she's been reading the wrong script all along...
Anyone can publish a book and become an "author," but if you want to become a successful author with a profitable publishing career, you need a clear, step-by-step guide to help you develop book ideas that sell. In The Author Training Manual, expert editor and book coach Nina Amir reveals the exact process successful authors have used to create business plans and proposals for their books and teaches you how to view your ideas through the eyes of acquisitions editors and literary agents.
Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, plan to traditionally publish or self-publish, The Author Training Manual provides you with the tools you need to achieve your goals and become the author publishers want. Inside you'll find concrete steps, evaluations, sample business plans, in-depth training activities, editor and agent commentaries, and much more--all designed to help you stand out, from the slush pile to the shelf.
These are the Kindle freebies I couldn't resist downloading week:
Two climbed up. Two fell down. One woke up. Robin Saunders is a high school sophomore with an awesome best friend, a hard-working single mom, and a complicated relationship with a sweet guy named Reno. She's coasting along, trying to get through yet another tedious year of high school, when Em suggests something daring. They live in Florida-- tourist central--and Emily wants to sneak into a theme park after midnight and see what they're made of.
When things get out of control, Robin wakes up in a hospital bed and Emily doesn't wake up at all. Just getting dressed becomes an ordeal as Robin tries to heal and piece together the details of that terrible night. Racing to remember everything in the hopes of saving Emily, Robin writes a series of notes to herself to discover the truth.
Gr. 8-12. Adult language.
EVERYONE REMEMBERS THEIR FIRST LOVE... BUT SOMETIMES IT'S THE SECOND LOVE THAT LASTS
"Evocative and heartfelt, The Guestbook is the profound story of one woman's journey toward hope, renewal and a second chance at love on a lush Pacific Northwest island. Curl up with your favorite cup of cocoa and enjoy." ~Anjali Banerjee - author of Imaginary Men and Haunting Jasmine said about this women's fiction romance
This book weaves together the heart of Nicholas Sparks, the romance of Nora Roberts, and the charm of Debbie Macomber.
Fleeing her picture-perfect marriage among the privileged set of Brentwood and the wreckage of a failed marriage, Lily Parkins decides to move to the only place that still holds happy memories, her grandmother’s old farmhouse. The lush and majestic setting of the Pacific Northwest calls to her and offers a place of refuge and perhaps renewal. Her grandmother has passed away, leaving the Madrona Island Bed & Breakfast Inn to Lily.
Left with only an old guestbook as her guide–a curious book full of letters, recipes, and glimpses into her family history–Lily is determined to embrace her newfound independence and recreate herself, one page at a time. With the help of the quirky island residents she has befriended, she slowly finds the strength to seek out happiness on her own terms. But as soon as she has sworn off men and is standing on her own two feet, Lily meets Ian, the alluring artist who lives next door, and her new life is suddenly thrown off course. The last thing she wants to do right now is to open her heart to another man.
Ultimately, Lily must decide if it’s worth giving up her soul for security or risking everything to follow her heart in this romantic love story.
The Guestbook is the first book in the Madrona Island Trilogy.
You can read my thoughts on the first chapter of this book here.
The American way of life pushes people to constantly strive for more--more money, more stuff, more clout. But how much is enough? And how do we know when we have too much of a good thing? In this provocative, paradigm-shifting book, Will Davis Jr. challenges readers to discover the peace that comes through contentment with what we have and compassion for those in need. Through surprising statistics, scriptural insight, and real-life stories, Davis gently leads readers to consider living with less in order to do more for the kingdom. Thought-provoking discussion questions and short chapters make this a perfect study for small groups.
No one will come away from this powerful book unchanged.
These are two books I borrowed from the library last week:
Calpurnia Virginia Tate is eleven years old in 1899 when she wonders why the yellow grasshoppers in her Texas backyard are so much bigger than the green ones.With a little help from her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist, she figures out that the green grasshoppers are easier to see against the yellow grass, so they are eaten before they can get any larger.
As Callie explores the natural world around her, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates the dangers of living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century.
Debut author Jacqueline Kelly deftly brings Callie and her family to life, capturing a year of growing up with unique sensitivity and a wry wit.
At the end of World War II, Jack Baker, a landlocked Kansas boy, is suddenly uprooted after his mother's death and placed in a boy's boarding school in Maine. There, Jack encounters Early Auden, the strangest of boys, who reads the number pi as a story and collects clippings about the sightings of a great black bear in the nearby mountains. Newcomer Jack feels lost yet can't help being drawn to Early, who won't believe what everyone accepts to be the truth about the Great Appalachian Bear, Timber Rattlesnakes, and the legendary school hero known as The Fish, who never returned from the war. When the boys find themselves unexpectedly alone at school, they embark on a quest on the Appalachian Trail in search of the great black bear. But what they are searching for is sometimes different from what they find. They will meet truly strange characters, each of whom figures into the pi story Early weaves as they travel, while discovering things they never realized about themselves and others in their lives.
This last one ended up being an audio book, so I'm getting a chance to listen to it while I'm in my car. It's an excellent book.
My blogging might be a bit sporadic this week. I'm studying for my real estate exam on Wednesday. Hope you'll share your books today too.
This is a powerful memoir of a near-death experience. After a Native American sweat lodge, the author loses control of his body and then his life. He begins a passage that leads to a personal hell. He discovers a way to escape and emerges into an amazing exploration of the soul’s journey. In this intense adventure, there are insights into stages of consciousness and encounters of blissful perfection. This spiritual, inspirational book is meant to be an aid to removing the universal fear of the final journey we are all taking.
First Chapter:
I was with a high school buddy who told me that his greatest fear is dying and death. I wanted to comfort him. I thought if I shared my personal experience to that ‘undiscovered country,’ it could relieve some of his anxiety. And that is what I want to do for all those who read this. I’d like to make it easier to navigate where we all are headed.
***** Death is not the end of being. *****
It was the evening of a cold Sunday on the thirteenth day of December in Los Angeles, California, The United States of America, planet earth, the Milky Way. It was the day before my birthday.
My whole body was sweating. Every pore was oozing. I had never been this hot. I could barely breathe. Would I survive?
I was in a sweat lodge. These ‘sweats’ are purification rituals where you join a group of people, often strangers, and you all enter a dark enclosed space that gets very hot.
I had done sweats before. In the darkness I had shared wishes, confronted issues of life and death, and I had sweat. A lot. In these previous sweats, I had been able to deal with the discomfort. Later I learned about an infamous case where people died in a sweat that was improperly prepared, poorly led and overcrowded. I wonder if I would have gone to this particular sweat had I known people died in that one. But you can die anywhere.
Sweats were always a test for me. A lot of my life has been about passing tests.
The test of a sweat is to be present. In the heat. To be honest. In the heat.
I was in one of those transitional phases in life where I figured I might learn something from this kind of uncomfortable encounter. It seemed like a good way to sort some things out. Join in a circle of other humans in the dark. In the heat.
I had been working in the film world as a director and I had a fairly successful career up to then. But I was troubled about my future. Earlier that afternoon, I had attended a party in Topanga Canyon with a friendly crowd of Hollywood movie co-workers and ‘wannabes’ and a number of ‘has-beens.’ It was Christmas time in Los Angeles and it was all good cheer, jingle bells and twinkling palm trees.
At the party I talked about the film project I was working on and others talked about theirs. As the sun started to cast shadows, I knew it was time to move on. I made a circuit through the rooms, saying my goodbyes and thanking my hostess. She wrote a feature I had directed some years back. We liked each other, even though we rarely stayed in contact. That was the way of things for me in the movie business. I would get close to my crew and cast when working on a film. We would become a family; but after the film was done, the relationships would dissolve. If I ran into someone years later, there might be a hug and a few shared memories, and then we would drift away to our separate lives.
I climbed into my white 1981 Avanti and drove off. I liked this car. It was a classic coupe with a sleek design and red interior upholstery. Now I wasn’t a car person and could barely fix a flat tire, but when I saw my first Studebaker, I became a fan. This handsome vehicle was its last iteration. It got a lot of attention on the street. I liked to tell the story of how it was made.
The great industrial designer Raymond Loewy had his associates conceive the car in two weeks. He isolated them in a desert town where they were denied drink and women. The result was an auto that has feminine curves. It was also a car that had saved my life once. A torrential rain had turned Los Angeles streets slippery. I was driving a curved road in Beverly Hills, and suddenly the Avanti went into a 360 degree spin sliding toward a telephone pole on the driver’s side.
This was going to be bad. But to my surprise, the car stopped inches short of crashing. I breathed easier and was very grateful. Whatever and whoever was watching over me had decided not to kill me then. I had heard that you have a number of close calls before your actual death. This was one of mine. There were others.
So here I was now, in my Avanti, driving fast along the Pacific Coast Highway. I was heading into the Malibu Mountains. The route was lonely, full of curves, and sparsely inhabited. I was already late. It was a bad habit of mine back then.
My mind wandered and worried. The other sweats I had done had been strenuous and unpredictable. I’d seen things in the blackness.
Often the heat had been so heavy, I had wanted to leave before the ceremonies were over. In the past I had stayed to avoid the embarrassment of what I thought would be seen as failure. How would I handle this next sweat? Another test.
Thoughts of what might occur in this sweat pre-occupied me. I suddenly realized I was lost.
I had passed the junction for the turn off and gone way too far up the road. I pulled over and switched directions. I headed back down the mountain more slowly, paying attention to where I was.
Would I find the way in? Around the next corner, a small signpost pointed to a narrow dirt road. It read The Wright Land. This was where I was supposed to go.
The Avanti, somewhat of a low rider, wasn’t meant for rough roads. It bumped over the pits and rocks through a narrow passageway that led up a hill. Enormous red boulders threatened to scrape the doors. I bounced around until reaching a crest, which opened up to a large plateau below. In the distance was a dramatic cliff that dropped off into the ocean.
Vehicles were lined up on the grassy field below. Clearly, the other participants had already arrived. I drove down the hill and parked. I got out and hurriedly grabbed some towels from my back seat. The sun had not completely set, so even though late, I knew there was still some time before the ritual would actually begin.
I decided to walk up a little mound next to an unfinished home on the cliff. The structure was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and belonged to his grandchildren who owned the property, hence The Wright Land. On this knoll, the ground was marked out with white stones in the shape of a prayer wheel with its spokes extending in the cardinal directions. I stepped into the circle and sat on the cool ground. I was trying to center and calm myself.
The sun was creating a golden red sky. I tried to slow my breathing. Get peaceful. It didn’t work. I was still a little anxious. I stood up.
I turned, walked down the hill, and passed a lily pond with croaking frogs. I hiked up an incline through red tan sandstone outcropping. Behind these rocks was the sweat lodge.
The structure looked like a sphere cut in half. Created by bending and interweaving branches, it was about six feet high in the center. It was covered with a variety of faded quilts, so that it looked like a big colorful upside down teacup. The coverings are used to keep in the heat and the dark.
In front of the lodge was an open round fire pit filled with logs and thirty-six football-sized volcanic rocks. A shallow dirt channel led from this fire pit to the lodge. It’s called the ‘spirit pathway.’ You are not supposed to step over this channel which is as a sacred space for the heated rocks to enter the lodge. You avoid crossing the path to keep the energy flowing. That’s how I understood it. No human interference.
Like many lodges, this one had a small entrance flap. In front of it was a collection of various totems including a carved whale bone, eagle and owl feathers, an indigenous medicine pipe, a Yaqui Indian rosario which is a beaded paper flower necklace, and a reindeer horn from Russia.
Many of these symbols resonated with me. Some recalled my Russian ancestors. I had learned the language while in high school. Much of the culture appealed to me including the authors Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Gogol, the music of Tchaikovsky, balalaikas, icons, vodka, lacquer boxes, the revolution and the genius film director and writer Sergei Eisenstein.
He was my inspiration to become a filmmaker. Of course, there were the negative Russian associations as well, like the slaughtering Cossacks and the pogroms persecuting the Jews. This was one of the reasons my grandparents left that country.
The owl feathers also resonated. This bird had been a totem animal for me. An image of an owl had appeared during a previous sweat. My eyes had been open in the darkness of that sweat, and though the space was pitch black, I saw this owl clearly. Later I looked up the owl’s significance in other cultures. In one tradition, it is a messenger from unknown worlds, including the world of the dead, whatever that was.
The totem of a whale bone reminded me of the stunning songs of humpback whales I had heard on a vinyl record back in New York when I was a graduate film student. Their otherworldly deep ocean sounds suggested a hidden knowledge. These giants possessed a long distance communication ability way beyond our comprehension.
All these items - the whale bone, the feathers - had been brought to the sweat by my friend Michael. He had introduced me to these Native American traditions.
I met Michael when I was approached to be the director of an ill-fated movie about a clown who was imprisoned with children in a Nazi concentration camp.
As we exchanged histories, it turned out that a month before, unknown to each other, we had been at the same Yaqui Easter Indian ceremony outside of Tucson where participants wore masks and mixed Catholicism with Indian myths. The theme of that ritual was death and resurrection. We were among the few white people in attendance.
Title: My Death: A Personal Guidebook Genre: Spiritual/Self-Help Author: Jeremy Kagan Publisher: Balboa Press Pages: 124 Language: English Format: eBook
Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE.
Jeremy Kagan is an internationally recognized director/writer/producer of feature films and television and a tenured professor. Some of his feature credits include the box-office hits HEROES, the political thriller THE BIG FIX, THE CHOSEN (2 time Grand Prize winner),and THE JOURNEY OF NATTY GANN (Gold Prize Moscow Film Festival). Among his many television shows are KATHERINE: the Making of an American Revolutionary and HBO’s CONSPIRACY: THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 8 (ACE Award for Best Dramatic Special). His film ROSWELL,THE UFO CONSPIRACY garnered a Golden Globe nomination and he directed the pilot for the hit series DR. QUINN: MEDICINE WOMAN. Other television films include, for Showtime COLOR OF JUSTICE about racism and BOBBIE’S GIRL about a lesbian couple and CROWN HEIGHTS about the 1991 riots, which won the Humanitas Award for “affirming the dignity of every person.” Kagan has won an EMMY for Dramatic Series Directing and directed “West Wing” and Spielberg’s ”Taken.” He has made films for The Doe Fund which is the most successful program in America helping the homeless and for The Bioneers which organizes leaders in ecology and social justice, and TreePeople. Professor Kagan teaches graduate courses at USC in directing and has created the Change Making Media Lab, which has made projects on cancer prevention, obesity and ADHD. Kagan has served as the Artistic Director of Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute and is on the National Board of the Directors Guild and Chairperson of its Special Projects. His books DIRECTORS CLOSE UP, Vol. 1 & 2, are published by Scarecrow Press. A Graduate Fellow of the American Film Institute, he has an M.F.A. from NYU and a B.A. from Harvard University. He has taught master seminars on filmmaking in Hong Kong, Hamburg, Hanoi, France, Lebanon, Israel, Ireland and India. You can visit Jeremy Kagan’s website at www.theneardeathandlifeofjeremykagan.com.
Does someone you know have diabetes? Then why not take a moment to visit Linda Weaver Clarke's blog and enter for your chance to win a copy of 21 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes by Cherie Burbach.
This takes a more personal look at the disease and will help change your perception about diabetes. Here is what Cherie has to say in her interview with Linda:
"I've been a Type 1 diabetic for 20 years, and over time I've noticed that many of my friends and family say and do some really dumb (and sometimes hurtful) things in relation to my disease...I don't think people mean to be hurtful, I just think if you don't have the disease, you view it from the assumptions and misinformation you've heard."
Visit Linda's blog at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com/2011/01/interview-with-author-cherie-burbach.html for details on how to enter. This is an international giveaway. An eBook will be offered to a winning reader outside of the U.S. and Canada. A resident of the U.S. and Canada will have a choice between an eBook and a printed copy. This giveaway ends on January 24th, so hurry on over now!
For nearly ten years, Judge Glenda Hatchett has delighted TV audiences with a brand of justice that turns the everyday into something eminently watchable.
Her message can be distilled into the following two words: Dare Yourself. Whatever obstacles or fears one faces, Judge Hatchett’s prescription implores readers to write their own story in this life. With care and conviction, Judge Hatchett uses real life stories from the courtroom and her personal life to counsel readers. Shows them how to find their true purpose and gifts, to be real about their reality and its potential outside of challenging circumstances, and to always be true to themselves.
Interactive as well as inspirational, Dare to Take Charge challenges the reader to ask self-reflective questions that lead to moments of self-discovery and a defined pathway to healing. Daring her audience to study the positive with the same interest and intensity that they study the negative, Judge Hatchett uncovers the potential for grace and success in lives that are now punctuated with despair and unfaithfulness.
Read the Reviews!
"Judge Hatchett's book, DARE TO TAKE CHARGE, is a primer of common sense loaded with inspirational stories and cautionary tales aimed at folks interested in changing patterns in their lives. It is a personal guidebook from a very wise woman on how to take step one and step one hundred. It comes at exactly the right time in our tough economy." (Geraldine Laybourne, co-founder and former CEO/Chairman of Oxygen Media )
"Glenda does a wonderful job of blending her own inspirational journey with the stories of those who have appeared in her courtroom. Clear, practical, and daring suggestions. Exactly what we need right now." (Robin R. Roberts, co-anchor, Good Morning America )
"Glenda Hatchett has done it again! Energizing and potent, DARE TO TAKE CHARGE is a treasury of inspiring stories, insight and wisdom that helps us get unstuck and navigate the journey to emotional growth and joy. The Judge's ready guide is worth a hundred times the price." (Susan L. Taylor, editor-in-chief emeritus, Essence magazine; founder and CEO, National CARES Mentoring movement )
"An amazing book by an amazing woman, with amazing stories and experiences from her amazing life and career. Judge Hatchett shows you how to dare to take charge of your life. I dare you to read this book. It will amaze." (Robert Allen, author of the New York Times bestsellers Creating Wealth, Multiple Streams of Income, and The One Minute Millionaire )
After graduating from Emory University School of Law and completing a coveted clerkship in the U.S. Federal Courts, Glenda Hatchett accepted a position at Delta Air Lines, as the company’s highest-ranking African-American woman. She served in dual roles as a senior attorney for Delta, litigating cases in federal courts throughout the country, and Manager of Public Relations, supervising global crisis management, and media relations for all of Europe, Asia and the United States. In fact, her outstanding contributions were recognized by Ebony Magazine, which named Glenda Hatchett one of the “100 Best and Brightest Women in Corporate America.” She made the difficult decision to leave Delta Air Lines in order to accept an appointment as Chief Presiding Judge of the Fulton County, Georgia Juvenile Court.
Upon accepting the position, Glenda Hatchett became Georgia’s first African-American Chief Presiding Judge of a state court and the department head of one of the largest juvenile court systems in the country. Glenda Hatchett is a graduate of Mt. Holyoke College and has been recognized as a distinguished alumni and awarded an honorary degree by the college. She also attended Emory University School of Law and because of her commitment to excellence and service within the community, Glenda was awarded the Emory Medal, the highest award given to an alum by the university. Currently, Glenda Hatchett presides over the syndicated show, “Judge Hatchett” currently in its 8th season (Sony Pictures Television), and is author of the national best-seller, “Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say” (HarperCollins). She has previously served on the Board of Directors of Gap, Inc. the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), and The Service Master Company.
Presently, Glenda Hatchett is a board member of the Atlanta Falcons Football Organization and serves on the Board of Advisors for Play Pumps International. She also serves on the Boys and Girls Clubs of America National Board of Governors and she resides in Atlanta, Georgia with her two sons.
Her latest book is Dare to Take Charge: How to Live Your Life on Purpose.
You can visit her website at www.glendahatchett.com.
Today's guest blogger is Robert Boich, author of the self-help book, Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting!: A Bridge From Addiction To Early Recovery.
Making a resolution to address an alcohol or substance abuse issue is only the beginning. The real work begins when the alcoholic or addict acknowledges that something has to be done. As one counselor put it, “An addict only has to change one thing: everything.” More than mere abstinence or simply eliminating certain people and places from one’s daily routine, a successful recovery requires a brand-new approach in dealing with life. In this compelling, intimate narrative, Boich shares his struggles, and insights encountered during his first six months in recovery.
"Getting Personal Presents a Unique Set of Challenges, As Well As Rewards" by Robert Boich
When I opened up the e-mail requesting me to write a guest post about the greatest challenges and rewards associated with telling my story, I immediately began tallying up entries on the challenge side of the ledger. At first I was a little overwhelmed, but I stepped back from the task at hand and reminded myself why I began this project in the first place: to help people; other people like me, individuals saddled with a substance abuse problem.
That's how this whole thing got started--the book idea--that is. One of my counselors in rehab suggested that I use the materials from my personal journal to write a book about early recovery. This particular individual felt that my experiences would be able to help other struggling addicts and alcoholics take the first steps towards a new life. It all sounded great at the time. What could be better? Write my first book; I've always wanted to be a writer, and help fellow addicts and alcoholics find a better way of life.
The first pangs of doubt began early on in the process. I wasn't going to be writing about some fictional character. I wasn't going to be writing about some friend or acquaintance that I had met in rehab. No, I was going to write about myself. Furthermore, I was going to be discussing some of the most painful and trying times of my life. Why on earth would I ever want to do such a thing? Oh yeah, that's right! I almost forgot; I'm doing this to help others.
So I started writing; or should I say I started rewriting. For the most part--the story was already there--in my journal. All I had to do was expand on some of my entries and observations, personal things that I had experienced throughout my first six months in recovery. I actually began keeping a written record a couple of weeks prior to my last drink and drug, so there were some pre-sobriety recollections to deal with as well.
Two challenges in particular became obvious right away: how much do I want to divulge, especially about my failures. I mean it's one thing to write about the positive aspects of my battle with substance abuse, but what about the parts of my recovery that didn't go quite as planned. Was I obligated to write about those painful memories as well? Secondly, do I really want to put my name on this thing? After all, why not use a pen name? Surely I could achieve my goals of using my experiences as the basis for a book to help others without actually using my real name.
The answer to my first dilemma came quickly. In fact, it was there all along. The second chapter of the book is entitled Honesty. What was the point of telling my story if it wasn’t my story? How was I going to be able to help anyone by penning a self-help book that was merely based upon actual events? In order to be of any use to others I would have to tell it like it is; or rather, tell it like it was. So I did. To the point that I even included at least one incident that I had failed to record in my journal: my slip, my mini-relapse. In the overall scheme of things it wasn’t a big deal, but at the time it loomed larger than life. I didn’t write about the back-slide in my journal because I wanted to forget about it, to simply erase it from existence. I decided to include this episode, as well as several other situations where I stumbled along the way. I could still use a pen name to cover up my involvement in the event that the not–so-flattering portions of my tale became too overwhelming.
As I neared the completion of my manuscript I was still wrestling with the pen name issue. In the end I decided to go with the real me. As the project progressed I began to realize that if I was going offer up advice then I should be willing to take the credit for it. Good or bad, I was writing a book designed to help struggling addicts and alcoholics. I went through great pains to make sure that I wasn’t writing anything that could be detrimental or cause harm to my readers. I passed several copies of my manuscript out to professionals in the substance abuse field in order to ensure that my advice was sound.
This is where an unintended benefit of my project appeared. Having decided to take credit for my work I realized that I was taking out an insurance policy on my own sobriety. How would it look if I were to relapse after publishing a book on recovery? I had, in effect, created an additional incentive to stay sober. I know that should I stray from the principals set out in my book, and the additional tools I have acquired since publication, that my so-called insurance policy won’t be worth much. Nonetheless, I feel as though the situation has provided me with one more tool that I can use to help me make the right decisions, and maintain a sober lifestyle.
The last unique challenge I struggled with has to do with the additional tools I mentioned in the previous paragraph. Everything in my book, all of the information and observations were recorded either just prior to, or during my first six months of sobriety. By the time I had secured a publisher and began editing my manuscript for publication I had tacked on another year of sobriety. I learned a lot in that time. A lot of valuable information that changed the way I thought about certain things. It’s not that I had a different view of the materials I had written during my early sobriety, as it was that I had an expanded view of things. I had grown tremendously. I had a craving to expound on some of my original material. At times when it was necessary to re-write a section it was extremely difficult to remember exactly how I was feeling and what I was thinking back in the early days of my recovery. I had to go back to my journal entries, and to the best of my ability I kept things as they were. This was important because I was writing a book for the newcomer to recovery, by a newbie; not a book for the newcomer by someone with a couple of years of sobriety under their belt. I have to say that I am happy with the way things turned out. I really wanted to keep things simple.
At the end of the day, having navigated a few hurdles, I feel that I have accomplished my primary goal. It all began with an idea to do something that would help other addicts and alcoholics. Helping others is the big payoff, the brass ring, and is by far the greatest reward associated with this project. It’s funny how things work out sometimes. In helping others I was also able to help myself.
Robert Boich was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado, and attended Ohio Northern University where he graduated with a law degree. The author also received his LLM in Taxation from Boston University. The Author is currently working on his second book, a novel based on World War I and the Battle of Verdun. He lives in Dublin, Ohio with his wife and children. You can learn more about Mr. Boich and his first book, Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting! on his website at www.rwboich.com.
challenges the reader to ask self-reflective questions that lead to moments of self-discovery and a defined pathway to healing. Daring her audience to study the positive with the same interest and intensity that they study the negative, Judge Hatchett uncovers the potential for grace and success in lives that are now punctuated with despair and unfaithfulness. 
