Mother of Young Heroin Addict Opens Up and Says, ‘This is Us’
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Christine Naman understands all too well that those who struggle with mental illness and addiction are not faceless numbers. They are real people who are valued and cherished by their families, and she wants the world to know and understand her daughter, Natalie.
“People are silent in their shame,” Christine said in a recent interview. “They’re quiet about it. And when you reach out and say, ‘this is us,’ people are anxious to unload and say, ‘that’s us too.’”
Christine traces her daughter’s years-long battle with mental illness and addiction — and opens up about her own struggles with denial and the shame she carries for not recognizing the signs — in About Natalie, a gripping, cautionary tale of how a child can suddenly end up on the wrong path, meet the wrong people and get lost in the unthinkable.
“I did not know the signs or symptoms,” Christine said. “I didn’t know the looks of things or the smells of things. Often times, it was right in front of me. I just didn’t know what I was seeing.”
Natalie was just 15 years old when she became addicted to heroin. They were everyday people, living everyday lives, and then the floor dropped out.
About Natalie takes readers deep inside Christine’s emotional and mental turmoil as she grows into her new, unfortunate role as the parent of an addict. She steps on syringes left on the floor. She lives the nightmare of finding an unresponsive child on the floor and uses Narcan to revive her. She chases away a drug dealer and stays up all night waiting for her missing child to come home. She rejoices during periods of recovery and hope and is devastated during relapses. When her daughter suffers, Christine suffers right along with her.
Interwoven with Christine’s reflections are Natalie’s brilliant poems that share her personal pain and the unvarnished truth of her struggle.
Full of compassion, understanding and hope for those struggling with mental illness and addiction, About Natalie is a story of fighting for — and right alongside — the ones we love, no matter how difficult the circumstances. It is a story of keeping the faith, battling hard and never giving up.
Bestselling author Christine Pisera Naman is a wife to a beautiful man named Peter and a mother to three fantastic kids named Jason, Natalie and Trevor. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, which she does poorly; painting, again poorly; and volunteering at her local hospital, which she hopes she does well. She is the author of the Faces of Hope series of books that are now housed in the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City. Her other works include Caterpillar Kisses, Christmas Lights, The Novena and The Believers. About Natalie is her heart poured onto paper.
She hopes that by sharing her family’s difficult story she can bring understanding and knowledge to those who do not know these problems firsthand as well as provide comfort to those who know the struggles of mental illness and addiction all too well.
Secrets Threaten to Unravel Family Ties in The Wool Over Their Eyes
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At 18, Natalia Foster knew seven things about the biological father she’d never met: he was tall, dark, handsome and Italian. He was also married to someone other than Natalia’s mother, had three children and, clearly, no morals. Now, at age 28, Natalia knows something new: her father is dying.
The Wool Over Their Eyes, from Dione Martin, is an authentic, heartfelt story about complex family dynamics and the emotions that must be unpacked when long-buried secrets push their way to the surface.
Illegitimate and bi-racial, Natalia is the secret that her father, Joe, planned to take to his grave. His wife and family know nothing of Natalia’s existence — or that her mother is Black — but when word spreads that Joe has only months to live, Natalia feels compelled to meet him and salvage what little time with him she has left. But at what cost to Joe’s devoted wife, Rosa, and their grown children?
In the midst of Natalia’s family drama and pain is also a love story. Natalia must choose between two loves — a long-lost one and a new one. Her ex-boyfriend, Tyler Davis, who captured her heart and connected with her soul, resurfaces. But she meets a handsome doctor, David Duplessis, who’d cared for her father. Just as the relationship begins to blossom, David commits an act that severs her trust and sends her spiraling further into her dark abyss.
The Wool Over Their Eyes is loosely based on Martin’s personal experiences. She drew upon her own memories and insights of growing up without her biological father and being betrayed in her own marriage to inform her narrative and give her characters depth and authenticity.
“I wrote The Wool Over Their Eyes for fatherless girls, for women who have been betrayed, for those who have been rejected because of their race (or otherness) and for families that have been torn apart by secrets, lies and deception,” Martin reflects. “Healing is possible – through change, through empathy, through faith and through forgiveness.”
Author Dione Martin was born and raised in New Orleans, where she spent much of her childhood and teen years reading. She earned her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Minnesota-Morris and her Master’s in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. She is currently a senior communications director at Brinker International. She lives in Dallas with her two daughters and enjoys running, cooking, performing arts and attempting DIY projects. The Wool Over Their Eyes is her debut novel, and she is working on her next one.
For more information about the author, please visit www.dione-martin.com or follow her on Twitter (@DioneMartin30), LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/dione-martin/) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/dionehmartin).
The Wool Over Their Eyes Publisher: Inspire on Purpose ISBN-10: 1948903539 ISBN-13: 978-1948903530 Available from Amazon.com
Trish Stevens Chelsea Smith Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
20 Tenets to Help Women Lead Purposeful, Successful Lives Revealed in The Woman Code Morning Joe Host & Author of Know Your Value, Mika Brzezinski, Pens Foreword
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The pandemic forced everyone to pivot and re-prioritize, and for many women, that meant putting themselves last. Now, more than ever, women need to know their value, recognize their worth and fill their own cups first.
“Women are the soul of what keeps the world going. We keep our families, our companies, our communities and our nations intact,” explains Sophia A. Nelson, acclaimed journalist and author of The Woman Code: 20 Powerful Keys to Unlock Your Life (April 2021, Health Communications).
Named one of the most inspirational books by Woman’s Day in 2015-2017, this transformative book is updated with new insights about the profound economic and societal shifts that have changed our world since the pandemic. Nelson guides women through living out a powerful life Code that will lead them to purposeful, meaningful and authentically successful lives.
Every woman lives by a Code, whether she realizes it or not. It informs how she treats herself and others and how far she is willing to go in order to find success. Nelson calls on women to examine whether the Code they’re living by is truly helping them create the lives they desire. A senior columnist for USA Today and a frequent commentator on CNN, Nelson reveals 20 powerful Codes including:
● Know Your Value ● Be Resilient ● Choose Your Thoughts and Words Wisely ● Lift Other Women as You Climb ● Practice Love, Laughter, Loyalty
With life quotes from philosophers and poets, mystics and her maternal grandmother, plus her experience as a Black woman rising through the ranks of a male-dominated news industry, The Woman Code is an essential tool of transformation for women to enjoy in reading groups, retreats and Bible study groups. It will help women honor themselves while navigating the demands of work, home, family and friendship no matter what their age or stage in life.
About the Author Sophia A. Nelson is an award-winning American author and journalist who appears regularly on CNN’s Inside Politics and Newsroom as a legal and political analyst. She is an adjunct professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia.
Nelson covered former First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House from 2010–2012. The author appears frequently on CNN and has been a contributor to MSNBC, NBC, Fox News, the BBC, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer and the Today show. She writes for The Huffington Post Healthy Living and The Daily Beast. She has also contributed to USA Today, Essence, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Washington Post. She is the author of The Woman Code, Black Woman Redefined, and E Pluribus ONE.
Safeguard Your Emotional Health During Any Crisis With These 7 Practical Steps
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In our interconnected world, global events impact all of us in one way or another. Knowing how to help ourselves, our families and our organizations navigate a crisis can profoundly affect our emotional health and well-being.
7 Keys to Navigating a Crisis: A Practical Guide to Emotionally Dealing with Pandemics & Other Disasters is a must-read for anyone seeking to thrive during challenging times. Written by clinical psychologist Elia Gourgouris and change management expert Konstantinos Apostolopoulos, this easy-to-read book offers powerful, yet practical, insights to help minimize the negative emotional impact of pandemics, natural disasters, financial challenges and other major disruptions.
“Not only will individuals and families find the book helpful in a crisis, so will first responders, healthcare professionals, mental health counselors and wellness coaches,” said Dr. Gourgouris.
Drawing from their real-world experiences, Dr. Gourgouris and Apostolopoulos explain the following seven keys to navigating any crisis:
Start with self-care. Be aware of your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs.
Practice awareness. Listen to your intuition or inner wisdom.
Choose flexibility so you can adapt, pivot and avoid unnecessary pain.
Act now! Preparation is key to your survival.
Take initiative by moving into action. Become the navigator in your life’s journey!
Cultivate a positive attitude filled with faith and hope.
Show kindness to others.
“Each chapter has an end section including points to ponder, questions to consider and action steps to take, so the reader can move beyond just surviving to thriving in a crisis situation,” added Apostolopoulos.
Author Elia Gourgouris, PhD, is the Founder of The Happiness Center, an organization of world-leading experts in the field of positive psychology. Dr. Elia’s previous book, 7 Paths to Lasting Happiness, became an Amazon #1 best-seller. He is an international keynote speaker and happiness expert focusing on corporate wellness and leadership training. He holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology and is a UCLA graduate. Dr. Elia is certified by the American Red Cross in Disaster Mental Health Services, having assisted in the 1994 Los Angeles and 2010 Haiti earthquakes, the 1999 Columbine High School shooting and other crises. He’s the co-host of The Kindness Happiness Connection podcast and a Thrive Global contributor. Please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thehappinessdoctor/, https://www.instagram.com/dr.eliag/ or https://www.facebook.com/DrElia.
Co-author Konstantinos Apostolopoulos is the Founder and CEO of Fresh Biz Solutions, a performance consulting and training provider. As an award-winning facilitator and coach, he has successfully delivered hundreds of custom learning events in the US, Canada and Europe for diverse audiences and industries. He is a regular contributor to Thrive Global and other industry publications. As a young man in Greece, he experienced firsthand the devastation left behind by natural and economic disasters. As an adult, he was fortunate to help play a small part in the rebuilding efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Today, he helps others navigate the challenges brought by major events in their lives. Please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkon/.
7 Keys to Navigating a Crisis: A Practical Guide to Emotionally Dealing with Pandemics & Other Disasters Publisher: The Happiness Center ISBN-10: 1734943815 ISBN-13: 978-1734943818 Available from Amazon.com
Trish Stevens Terri Lynn Polk Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone 800.854.2207 Fax
Ashley Samson Trish Stevens Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 Phone: (760) 213-8005 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com
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Angel Faces® — You Will Never Forget Their Courageous Stories
We live in a society of selfies and status postings; how you look can dramatically affect your self-esteem more than ever before. But add to that being mauled by a raccoon, or left for dead in a horrific house fire, and it can be a living hell. The physical and emotional scars can be unbearable when you are faced with the cruelty of the world. But there’s hope…
Burn survivor Lesia Cartelli is sharing her experience and helping girls navigate the permanent disfigurement left from traumatic injuries. The stares, unwanted questions and rejection are the reality this special group of survivors deals with on a daily basis.
Lesia knows this is true because she lived through it herself. Her desire to heal from a natural gas explosion at age nine that left her seriously burned over 50% of her face and body, encouraged her to create Angel Faces® for girls and women who suffer disfigurements from traumatic injuries. This year, two retreats will be held concurrently in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, on June 16 – 23, 2019.
Over thirty adolescent and young women (ages 13-26) with disfiguring traumas will come together on a private compound on Lake Winnipesaukee to heal. They come from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma Texas, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada, and their stories will tug at the hearts of your audience.
During the multi-day retreats, survivors hear first-hand from Cartelli about her injuries and methods she used to recover. Through role-playing, the girls learn strategies on how to handle staring, teasing and intrusive questions, and during daily yoga, art therapy, lake play and intensive sessions, the participants begin to let their social armor down. The truth of the effect of their trauma is exposed so they can begin to heal. Licensed psychologists and clinical cosmetic professionals are also on hand to lead groups.
“Our retreats are only the first component to healing,” Cartelli explains. “Seeing our participants realize they are not the ‘burned or disfigured girl;’ they are a daughter, sister, a good soccer player, etc., first. Their trauma is an experience (a reservoir within themselves they can now access for courage), but it’s not who they are. I hear from their families or medical centers that referred them that after they return home with the tools they learned at the retreat, they are much more confident and self-assured in the real world—ending their social death. Now that gets me excited!”
Her own experiences on the long road to healing inspired Lesia to write a book as a way of helping others in their journey. Heart of Fire demonstrates how to discover blessings and gifts within any challenge, and the importance of opening our hearts to deeply heal what blocks our life’s pathway. In her book, Lesia also teaches the power of embracing our fears—something she did herself at age thirty-three when she faced her fear of fire and suited up in full firefighting gear to enter a burning building known as a “control burn.” A beautiful side note to the story is that after she conquered her fear, she married the fire captain who actually led her into the fire.
Angel Faces®, founded in 2003, is a non-profit organization headquartered in Encinitas, CA, whose mission is to provide healing retreats and ongoing support for adolescent girls and young women with severe and permanent disfigurement from burn/trauma injuries so they may achieve their optimum potential and develop meaningful relationships for themselves, their families, and their communities.
For more information, please visit the Angel Faces website at www.angelfaces.com.
