Tales2Inspire ~ The Sapphire Collection

TALES2INSPIRE ~ THE SAPPHIRE COLLECTION

Timeless Memories 

Title: Tales2inspire ~ The Sapphire Collection

Subtitle: Timeless Memories

Publisher: Lois W. Stern for Tales2Inspire®

Authors: Lois W. Stern plus winning authors: Tom Eliopoulos, Ashley Howland, Jenna Ludwig, Mary Romero, Sharon S. Johnson, Maurice Nadjari, Mark Newhouse, Janice Emeneau, Micki Peluso, Pauline Hager, Rod DiGruttolo, T. H. Everingham, Mort Laitner, Susan C. Haley

Genre: Anthology of inspiring true stories

ISBN-13: 978-1499539516
ISBN-10: 1499539517

ASIN: B00MER58YA

Page count: 127

Price 

Paperback: $11.25

Kindle: $4.99

BUY HERE:

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REVIEWS

A READERS FAVORITE 5 STAR REVIEW  By Mamta Madhavan 

. . . a collection of insightful & inspirational stories (to) help bring about positive changes in the minds of readers. These stories will move the hearts of readers with their personal experiences . . . helping to change one's perspective. The author's idea of bringing different writers together to share their inspirational & motivational stories . . .  gives varied echoes to the stories, (each with) an individual voice revolving around the human spirit & the conditions that prevail in human minds. Gives readers a sense of hope and peace. 

LIGHT AND HOPE

By multi-published author, Russ Heitz

     This is a time of 24-hour TV newscasts. It is a time of screaming headlines and explicit videos. Whether it is the latest slaughter of innocents or the most catastrophic of natural disasters. Whether the images are of starving babies or dying epidemic victims. The tragedies and pain and suffering that we are confronted with every day are sometimes overwhelming. And because of this unremitting onslaught we sometimes forget that there is another side to this ongoing biography of the human race. Not all of its events are horrendous. Not all of its members are monsters. Not all of its behaviors are deplorable. And not all of its thoughts are centered on darkness. On the contrary, there are glimmers of light and goodness scattered everywhere, in all directions. But they can be seen only by those who look carefully and watch with patience.

     The writers of these little Sapphire Edition essays are those kinds of careful lookers and patient watchers. Their stories are varied; their experiences run the gamut. Maybe it's a dog with a goofy grin or a cardinal plunging through an evergreen. Maybe it's a lost but rediscovered letter. Maybe it's a calamity that did NOT happen. Maybe it's a gift that only a grandson can give to a beloved grandfather. Or maybe it's a birthday card that carries warm memories for years afterwards, both for the sender and for the receiver.

     These are the kinds of positive human experiences that are illuminated by the essays in this small but overflowing collection. Each piece has its own message of inspiration. Each piece has its own way of delivering that message.

INSPIRATIONAL STORIES THAT ENRICH THE SOUL AND NOURISH THE MIND

by William Engels 

     Tales2Inspire - The Sapphire Collection: Echoes in the Mind by Lois W. Stern certainly delivers just what it promises from its title -- inspirational stories of universal appeal that enrich the soul, nourish the mind and offer us valuable lessons about living a fulfilling life. This book contains a collection of fourteen non-fiction stories written by authors from a wide range of backgrounds, including different educational levels, religions and geographical regions. But despite these differences, all of the tales deal with common themes that connect us all with each other: serendipity or destiny, spirituality, religion, cherished items that remind us of our heritage ("Just A Pickle and A Chair," written by Editor Lois W. Stern), lost opportunities, new beginnings, the importance of bringing joy to loved ones and devotion to animals and understanding how they help to make people's lives better.

     Additionally, these stories contain valuable lessons for all of us. In "What is Life," Melissa Noel shows us how to overcome incredible adversity and hardship with courage, perseverance, hope and faith. In "Doorways," Susan C. Haley demonstrates how to learn from the challenges presented by confronting and conquering grief and other obstacles. In "At Least Nothing Bad Happened," Janice Emeneau teaches us the importance of positive thinking as a way to improve the quality of our lives, even our health. Finally "In All That Glitters...," Maurice Nadjari shows by example how following a path of morality, honesty and integrity is an effective way to live a free and independent life.

I highly recommend this book. I found it uplifting, encouraging and comforting because it confirms to its readers that they are not alone in dealing with these common human experiences

MEMORABLE THREADS IN THE FABRIC OF LIFE

By Bani Sodermark: an Amazon VINE VOICE and Book Pleasures reviewer

     This book is a collection of memorable incidentby ordinary people with a flair for writing. Editor-cum-author Lois Stern, has in this connection, presented an assortment of stories that "echo in the mind" as these moments are relived over and over again. Some of the contributors are published authors in their own right, others are less well known. The common ground between them all is their passion for the written word.

     The first story "Hand of Destiny" tells of an incredible coincidence in the life of an ex fighter pilot in World War II. Then there is the story of an amazing dog, who was successfully used by his mistress as part of her school management program. Meaningful contact with family members who have passed on is provided by two of the authors, while the editor herself tells the story of a chair with a history. Another moving story, which struck a personal chord is about the memories stirred up by a cup of hot chocolate and how it helped ease discord in parent-child relationships.

     Next comes the story of an attorney who "fought hard to hold on to the things that were of most value to him while investigating the greatest heist in American history. A motivational speaker mentions two close calls and how she survived to tell the tale.

     A son of a Holocaust survivor recalls how reticence prevented him from finding out the truth of his mother's experiences until it was too late. In another story, the author acknowledges the powerful effect of a grateful smile while traveling in foreign climes. Yet another tells the story of a friend with learning disability who overcame incredible odds in order to establish herself in society.

     There is also the heartwarming story of a young boy who plots a secret treat for his grandfather.

     The writing in each of these anecdotes has been painstakingly chiseled to near perfection. Each story is accompanied by one or more photographs and a paragraph about its author. . .  it is clear, that the text has been put together with care and artistry, making it a truly pleasurable read for a lazy summer day.

5

BY LINDA MARIA FRANK

Host of the LTV Show: The Writer’s Dream, Author of the Annie Tillery Mystery Series

     In this latest of Lois W. Stern's "Tales 2 Inspire” collections, we again come to know about the incredible resiliency of the human spirit, and the intricacies of the human mind. Such stories of the individuality, yet common themes of the human condition do inspire. For those of us who find ourselves questioning the conditions of the world around us, Stern's "Tales2Inspire" series gives hope. If it's time for you to find a peaceful place to nurture your own dreams, take comfort in this series. Read, enjoy, and feel good.

5

WOW, GET THESE BOOKS

By Michael Monji, the "Tree Whisperer”

Amazon VINE VOICE Reviewer

Wow!! The author has done a fantabulous job of bringing heart warming stories to life. She has brought together authors that have stories that will make you say how grateful you are for the things and loved ones in your life. You need to read all four books in the series to truly appreciate what each author has to say.

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Lois Speaks About Tales2Inspire®

Tales2Inspire® was a kernel of an idea that I started in 2012 which has grown to proportions even I didn’t dare to envision. My innate curiosity about potentially fascinating human interest stories was the spark that ignited this idea, but it was the confused state of traditional publishing at that time that propelled me forward. Tales2Inspire® delivers exactly what it promises as both an ‘Authors Helping Authors’ project and a contest. Winners get their stories published in print, as e-books, and some even in video formats, with their names, headshot photos, and mini-autobiographies included. Then I spread the word about the winners and their stories on my blogs, social media and monthly newsletter. FREE to enter, this is a great competition for talented newbies and seasoned authors alike.

Click here to learn more about Lois and her Tales2Inspire® 

Authors Helping Authors project/contest at:

Spend some media marketing time with Lois at: 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tales2inspire

Twitter: www.twitter.com/tales2inspire2

POPULAR LINKS

Tales2Inspire website

Facebook Author page

Twitter

BUY HERE

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----- The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

University Press Published Fiction Hits a Chord for Top Reviewer

 

Review by Bookreporter.com  
Title: Don't Forget Me, BrBy John Michael Cummings
Publisher: Stephen F. Austin State University Press

Reprinted with permission from Pauline Finch, Bookreporter.com

 

Reviewed by Pauline Finch originally for Bookreporter.com

 

Families: they love us, they hate us, they confuse us, they support us, they believe in us, they hurt us, they forgive us, they never forget our mistakes. . .

It’s no good picking and choosing which of the above (in what could be an interminably long list) best applies to your particular family, or mine, because today’s assumption will become tomorrow’s irrelevance.  

As author John Michael Cummings shows with such poignant and searing skill in DON’T FORGET ME, BRO families contain all of it. There’s simply no tidy, predictable emotional or dynamic boundary to draw around these most primal of human units. Even those who don’t know their biological families have collective relationships that daily test their autonomy, individuality, self-worth and dreams. 

Cummings, who’s spent more than three decades writing about human beings, mainly of the everyday American persuasion, excels in uncovering those beneath-the-skin familial stories that realistically probe uncomfortable, often invisible, areas of life. And even in our current decade of sociological transparency, perhaps nothing is more resistant to illumination in this context than mental illness.   

As a broad collection of chemical, biological and/or psychiatric disorders of the brain, it eludes clear-cut treatments and solutions as successfully as families elude pat definitions of who and what they are. When families and their perceptions of mental illness collide, as happens with such gritty persistence in Don't Forget Me, Bro all the discomfort of relationships, normal and otherwise, comes to the fore.

Returning home to West Virginia to deal with the premature death of his older brother Steve, long diagnosed as schizophrenic, Mark Barr carries plenty of his own emotional and psychological baggage, including a deep-seated distaste for a father he remembers as abusive, a mother who seems a passive bystander to life, and a middle brother who comes across as just plain weird. With a number of failed relationships on record – including the one that’s falling apart even as he sets out from New York – he’s not so sure about his own mental health either.

“Going back home” stories are often based on narrow cliché-filled themes that focus on a single character or experience. Like series TV shows, they are easier to control and wrap up in a satisfying sentimental or tragic package at the end.

Fortunately, Don't Forget Me, Bro isn’t one of them. It’s a gripping emotional and literary journey that hits just about every pothole one can expect to find on life’s road; that part is engaging and sometimes oddly familiar. And when Cummings throws in a few unexpected left turns, thanks to his character’s unpredictable relatives and colleagues, there are moments of surprise and difference to ponder as well. That skilfully managed dichotomy in itself sets this author apart, drawing the reader into places that challenge assumption and attitude.

At the outset, Mark does think this back-home story is all about him, but he’s not driven by ego or self-absorption as much as by fear, worry and chronic indecision.  His own identity, perhaps even his future, are on the line.

But as he blunders into memories, people, and artifacts from the chaotic mosaic of his dead brother’s life he rediscovers who Steve really was. In spite of himself he grows into a kind of belated and bewildered stewardship over his brother’s cremated remains, which become a catalyst for revealing ever-deeper layers of family stories he never really knew.

Haunted by the last words he heard Steve utter – “Don’t forget me, bro” – Mark realizes that at the heart of every human existence is the fear of being forgotten, of simply disappearing into cosmic anonymity. After all, even families that can’t stand each other tenaciously remember their own.

With the unexpected complicity of his equally dysfunctional remaining brother, Mark hangs around his hometown, stumbling upon ways to build better memories than the ones he’d fled more than a decade earlier when he went to New York seeking success.

The Barr family changes a little, just enough for its surviving members to actually remain civilly in the same room together. That’s about it. Cummings doesn’t make their story television-comfortable, nor does he eliminate the heavy reality of an uncertain future.

Set against the larger contexts of contemporary economic depression, social despair, fear of the known and unknown, as well as multiple shades of guilt, remorse and anger, in the end Don't Forget Me, Bro can only exhale in a long sigh of acceptance.

Cummings adeptly leaves the reader suspended in that fragile moment before the next breath must be taken, yet strangely satisfied that compassion and justice have been attained. Don't Forget Me, Bro is a rare thing, a brilliant addition to a theme in which so many other novels under-achieve.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

John Michael Cummings is an award-winning novelist and short story writer from Harpers Ferry, WV.  His fiction has appeared in more than seventy-five literary journals, including The Iowa Review, North American Review, and The Kenyon Review, and has been nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize.

His debut novel The Night I Freed John Brown (Penguin Group, 2008) won the Paterson Prize, and his short story collection Ugly To Start With (West Virginia University Press, 2011) was an IndieFab Award Finalist.

 

His latest novel, Don’t Forget Me, Bro (Stephen F. Austin State University Press) has been excerpted in The Chicago Tribune.

 

For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Michael_Cummings

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

 

 

Marlon Brando's Nephew Takes on the Writing of Fiction

Title: The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality
Author: Gahan Hanmer
Author's book tour Web site link:  http://thekingdomontheedgeofreality.com/thekingdomontheedgeofrealitybooktour.htm
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Action and adventure
ISBN-10: 937293645
ISBN-13: 978-1937293642
Graphics: http://thekingdomontheedgeofreality.com/images/book.png



 

The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality

Sometimes it’s funny how fast things can change, and sometimes it’s not . . .

Welcome to Albert Keane’s beautifully designed medieval kingdom nestled in a completely isolated river valley in the Canadian wilderness. Peaceful, happy, and prosperous, it takes nothing from the modern world, not so much as a single clock.

There is a castle, of course, and a monastery. There is even a pitch dark, rat-infested dungeon – because you simply have to have one if you are trying a rule a feudal kingdom!

Farmers work the land, artisans ply their trades, monks keep school and visit the sick, and nobody (well, almost nobody) misses the modern world at all.

So why has Jack Darcey – actor, wanderer, ex-competitive fencer – been tricked and seduced into paying a visit? And why hasn’t anyone told him that the only way to leave is a perilous trek across hundreds of miles of trackless wilderness without a compass or a map?

Because a tide of fear and violence is rising from the twisted ambitions of one of King Albert’s nobles, and Albert’s fortune teller believes that Jack could turn the tide – if he lives long enough . . .

Seamlessly blending medieval and modern elements, The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality serves up a heady brew of action, humor, romance and satire in a kingdom set apart in time and space where reality is the dealer’s choice.

 

The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality answers the question why the past holds the key to happiness that may be missing in our present day.  That community and connectedness is more important then we realize.  We could very easily leave the present and live in the past.

 

The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality is a modern classic that has an original story line.  The author's vivid storytelling transports you to a world of fantasy, actionl and adventure.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR'S PROCESS
 
When Gahan began writing he found the creative process, as so many artists will attest, mysterious. You make an attempt to create something, the project unfolds, and at the end you wonder, “Did I do that? How did I manage to do that? When writing Gahan drew on his previous experience as a method actor and his working knowledge as a trained stage duelist.

 

Although the novel takes the shape of a fairy tale, it is a serious book about the human predicament, and unlike so much of what is coming out nowadays, it has a philosophy and a moral point of view. The hard part for Gahan was leaving the characters, which became totally real behind. These characters were larger then life. They all had real personalities, quirks, hopes and desires, and their own opinions.

 

WHAT BOOK LOVERS ARE SAYING

"I love the twist on an old fantasy story. To have a modern-day kingdom that is ruled and ran as the original kingdoms of old is ingenious. This is a captivating fantasy story that I would recommend to all fantasy-lovers." Literary R.R.

 

EXCERPT

" I got to my feet and looked Pollux over while he stood there calmly, unconcerned with the dead men in the grass and with the violence that had erupted a short time ago. Embedded deep in the wood of my saddle, I found the second crossbow bolt. That was good—it would support my story. I was still thinking about investigations, and evidence, and criminal courts, as though I still lived in the twenty-first century. But that wasn’t true anymore. I was a knight living in the Middle Ages now. "

 ABOUT GAHAN HAMMER

Gahan Hanmer naturally gravitated toward the arts. He speaks French and Spanish and has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Columbia University. Under the guidance of his uncle actor Marlon Brando, Gahan developed his talent exclusively as a theater artist, working with many inspired teachers and directors. The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality is available at: Amazon, My Book Orders,, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and on his website.  Ask Gahan Hanmer questions by visiting his website at http://thekingdomontheedgeofreality.com/contact.htm.

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SUBMITTED BY
Yvonne WuAuthors Support Services
The YP Publishing
http://theyppublishing.com
You have your own story to tell, our mission is to help you get the message out there.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

True Sobriety Info Done with "Brightness"

Title: Sober is the New Black

Author: Rachel Black
Web site: www.soberisthenewrachelblack.blogspot.co.uk
Category: Self help, Addiction, Alcohol, Memoir
ASIN: B00HZIGNLU
Buy the e-book here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00HZIGNLU

 

Reviewed by Anna Buttimore B.A.Hons Administrator, originally for the spring 2015 issue of Law Care News

 

Sober is the New Black by Rachel Black shows very effectively how alcohol can insidiously, destructively and completely take over a life. Throughout it powerfully juxtaposes events in the author's life--business conferences, family holidays, book club meetings--when she was drinking, and after she stopped. There's always a risk with this sort of personal memoir that it can become egocentric and dull, but this one avoids that on two counts. First, because Rachel will resonate with so many readers as a typical working mother, someone they can relate to. Second, because it doesn't go too deeply into aspects of her life (we never learn the names of her children or her Other Half, or what job she does) and stays firmly focussed on the subject of alcohol.




I particularly liked the metaphor where the author compares lifelong abstinence with her mortgage. Both are burdens which look huge and terrifying when viewed as a whole, but are manageable and life-affirming on a day-to-day basis. The book well written, interesting and not overlong, but for me its best feature is the overriding optimism and delight on every page. If it has one message, it's that the sober life is wonderful. Rachel was evidently taken by surprise to find how much better everything, from social events to Christmas, is when you're not focusing solely on wine and how to drink as much of it as possible without anyone noticing. That brightness and assurance shines throughout the book and lifts it above other "sobriety memoirs”.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel Black is also the author of‘Fashionable and Fabulous’. Read her blog here.

Join her on Twitter @SoberRachel.



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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Ask People Who Know About Today's Education

 

Title: Lifting the Curtain: The Disgrace We Call Urban High School Education

By D. A. Russell

Second Edition
Paperback: 276 pages

Genre: Nonfiction
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 2nd edition (January 5, 2015)
ISBN-10: 1506015980
ISBN-13: 978-1506015989

Blog tour by WOW (Women on Writing) WOW!

Buy the book at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lifting-Curtain-2nd-disgrace-education/dp/1506015980

Review by Renee Roberson

In the first edition of Lifting the Curtain, Russell outlined the issues that are plaguing today's high school educational system, and offered solutions necessary to incite change. After releasing the book, he heard feedback from so many teachers that he decided to put together a 2nd edition so their voices could be heard. It also includes additional topics that weren’t in the 1st edition, such as the loss of electives in today’s schools.

The author is a retired math teacher who felt an overwhelming need to document the very real problems with education that are affecting the children both inside and outside the classroom, by spending three years surveying 760 teachers and students in 19 urban high schools in 15 cities in Massachusetts.

I learned a lot personally from reading this book. I truly had no idea how difficult the teaching profession has become to navigate. If you are a teacher, you can’t just expect a love and passion for teaching children will carry you through the obstacles he outlines in this book. You’ll be stonewalled by PDPs, standardized testing mandates, the pressure to pass children, bullying by school administrators, and much more.

But rest assured. This book is not just one teacher ranting about the problems within the public school system. The responses from the students and teachers he surveyed as part of the book’s research speak volumes, as does the following quote:

We seem to have asked everyone outside of the school building what is wrong with education, but ignored the views of everyone inside the building.

The final chapter of the book provides a clear and set of solutions to all the problems Russell outlines in the earlier chapters of the book. But to learn what they are . . . you'll have to check out Lifting the Curtain for yourself!

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

D. A. Russell has spent the last ten years as a math teacher in one of the urban high schools that is the subject of Lifting the Curtain. He is an honors graduate of Dartmouth College, and has his master’s degree from Simon School, where he was valedictorian of his class. Russell is a decorated Vietnam veteran. He has two children that he treasures, and four grandchildren. His son is a police officer who served in the US Army in Afghanistan, earning a Bronze Star for valor. His daughter is a lawyer and his most passionate fan and honorary literary agent. Russell has a passion for children that dominates his life. He has taught and coached children for decades. Few things are more important in Russell’s view than to cherish the children who are our real treasures in this world. He is a contributor for education matters to the Huffington Post, and runs a personal blog at: LiftingTheCurtainOnEducation.wordpress.com dedicated to letting teacher voices be heard in the real problems with education.

 

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Renee Roberson is an award-winning freelance writer who also blogs at www.reneespages.blogspot.com. When she’s not writing, researching, or reviewing books, she assists authors as a blog tour manager with WOW! Women on Writing, which provides authors with excellent service and out-of-the-box book promotions.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Children's Book Helps Them Understand They Are Not Alone

Title:  Busy Dizzy
Author: Dr. Orly Katz
http://www.SimplyMeModel.com  Category:  children's book
ASIN: B00HALMR6C
Amazon link

Reviewed by Kathryn Svendsen  Busy Dizzy is a lovely educational book for children in the 4-8 range. It will help them to recognize those negative feelings that rise up inside of them that tell them they aren’t good enough, or that they will be laughed at, or not to try because they will lose, or any other negative thing that we sometimes tell ourselves. Dr. Katz helps children understand that they are not alone. Every child, and every adult too, has feelings like these and through this lovely rhyming story gives the child and parent a strategy for dealing with these feelings to deal with them and overcome them.

Busy Dizzy is written in delightful rhyming style, perfect for holding the attention of young children. The pages are brightly coloured, with interesting, colourful pictures.

The text is simple enough that as children begin to read, they will be able to read some of the text on their own with help from mom or dad. There is a song to sing to the Busy Dizzies to send them on their way which will help for practicing reading and as a pleasant way to divert the child’s mind from the negative thoughts troubling the child.

Included in the back of the book are some pages for the child to draw and name their Busy Dizzies as well as a couple of pages for parents with a few reminders of how to help your children deal with those negative thoughts.

I thought this book was an exceptional teaching aid for helping young children deal with those negative thoughts that get in the way of the child engaging in an activity he/she would like to participate in. I liked particularly that it empowers the child to do something about the situation such as naming the Busy Dizzy and then saying good bye to it and sending it away. Recognizing that all people have these kinds of fears/emotions is helpful because then the child doesn’t think that he/she is the only one. This would be an excellent book to use in a classroom or at home.

As a parent, I would recommend this book to all parents of young children and as a teacher myself, I would also recommend this book to schools. I gave this book 5 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the author, Dr. Orly Katz for providing a copy of Busy Dizzy in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

About the Author

Best seller author, Dr. Orly Katz (SimplyMeModel.com) is an expert on children and youth empowerment and the founder of the Simply Me Center for Leadership, Empowerment and Self Esteem. She is the author of numerous books on Amazon under the "Simply Me" series: (Surviving Junior High, Surviving Primary School and Busy Dizzy for ages 4-8).

Orly is also the creator and developer of the Simply Me- Digital Programs:
For teachers, parents and workshops facilitators:
"Empowering Adults to Empower Children".
Orly lives in Haifa, with her Husband and three children.
To get the "Supper Quiz" for Parents and find how well you know your children, go to:
http://simplymemodel.com/MevdakEN.asp 

You can watch Orly's TEDx talk- "Raising a star- not a celebrity" at:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2yiWB-JDQus  

 

 

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Maria Mar Gives Spirtual Nonfiction Book a Great Big Ten

Title: "Love and the Mystery of Betrayal: Recovering Your Faith and Trust after Trauma, Deception, and Loss of Love"
By Sandra Lee Dennis   

ISBN-13: 978-0986068423

Purchase at Amazon: http://bitly.com/1xRKgC5

Author website:  www.sandraleedennis.com

Genre: Nonfiction Narrative/ Relationships/Psychology/ Spirituality

Awards: Finalist USA Book News 2014

Reviewed by Maria Mar, blogger and author of “A Place for Roses” originally  for her blog  

“From all the books I’ve reviewed in 2014, this moving story and compelling journey is the uncontested winner!” Maria Mar, the Dream Alchemist

 

“If you are reading this book, it is likely that you or someone important to you is responding to an urgent call to open up a pained past or dive into the swirling seas of a currently upended life.” 

 

… And I am the living proof!

To say that it is an excellent book seems trivial. It is a sacred experience of healing through a deep dive into the transformation that betrayal brings into our life so that it can be cleared, healed and transmuted into a higher frequency of love.

That this book fell in my hands is simply part of Divine Design. This book is such a miracle. If it has found you, receive the blessing. For me this book is sacred. It has the qualities of a sacrament, of an anointment and ceremony that acknowledges both our human frailty and our superpowers.

Sandra Lee Dennis has achieved a rare marriage of soul, body, emotions, mind and spirit in her language, in the journey through which her book takes us, and in the knowledge she shares with us.

If you have gone through a betrayal—romantic or otherwise—it may have left pieces of poisonous thorns embedded in your soul and you may have left pieces of soul embedded in the time-space continuum of the trauma. A shaman would tell you that you need to do a soul retrieval. This book has the qualities of such a sacred ceremony.

You may not realize it but years—even decades after the trauma of betrayal—these unresolved pieces can result in health issues, relationship failures, or blind spots that grow into toxic fields and flood your life. These are psychic lakes of amnesia where your memory and awareness goes to sleep. You can close off entire aspects of your sacred self, your emotions and even your trust and faith in life.

The good news is that it is never too late, and if this topic resonates with you, then this book is your alchemical codex to free yourself from the limiting and traumatic impact of betrayal. If you have gone through the trauma of betrayal, no matter how long ago it was—get this book immediately and clear time not just for reading; but for healing.

The journey through this book is a healing experience that helps us to understand what we’ve gone through, to name the invisible, hidden cracks this trauma inflicted on our psyche, to validate our soulful intuition, and, finally, to help us emerge into an ecstatic experience of self-love and higher love.

If you are going through the trauma of betrayal now—get many copies of the book. One is for you. The other is for your closest friends and relatives; your support system, and one or two are for the healers or therapists of your choice. This book is your blueprint through the dark stormy seas of betrayal into the harbor of radiant health.

If someone you love has gone or is going through a betrayal—get two copies. One for you and one for that person. Read yours carefully so that you know how to talk to this person in ways that truly support her and how NOT to talk to her so that you don’t join the many insensitive voices that add salt to injury.

One of the things that appalls me about our modern world is the insensitivity to grieving. Sandra Lee Dennis does an amazing job of addressing our cultural blindness to the grief and trauma of betrayal; so that you can maneuver through it without shame, guilt or alienation from your sacred self.

Another Important topic that she introduces is our secret tendency to measure trauma based on how long, how tragic or how dramatic a trauma is; so that betrayal seems trivial in the face of death, serious car accidents, murder, rape or physical violence. This book is vital in our society because so many of us have been deeply traumatized by seemingly “minor” betrayals that have stolen essential parts of our self, limiting our lives and haunting us for years; perhaps for all our lives.

As the author points out, because betrayal often comes accompanied by personal shame, social embarrassment and relationship awkwardness, its devastation is swept under the rug and the person is expected to “get on with her life.” This leads to a social gag that compounds the problem, making the person feel that they are alone and that there is something wrong with them that they cannot “move on.”

Sandra Lee Dennis has broken the silence behind the trauma of betrayal by sharing her own excruciatingly painful and gloriously sacred journey from betrayal to the deepening and expansion of her capacity to love. She is blowing the whistle in a society that minimizes emotional trauma because it is afraid of things it cannot control, like emotions.

This author, who is also a doctor in psychology, writes this book in the voice of the sacred warrior who walks through fear into freedom, through pain into power. She also becomes a priestess of the sacred darkness who guides you through a journey into the dark night of the soul, revealing ancestral wisdom from the very womb of the holy mystery that has been held by priestesses in sacred feminine schools of wisdom.

Trust your heart to this author-healer-warrior. Walk inside this book to walk inside yourself and find your way back to your heart.

I give this book 5 STARS because my rating does not allow me to give it ten!

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