Former Congressman Ric Keller Shares Actionable Steps for Turning Dreams Into Reality
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“Ric Keller hits just the right note in Chase the Bears. Not only is it engaging, inspiring, and funny, but it also offers readers a solid plan for achieving their dreams. I love this book!” — Jack Canfield, coauthor of the No. 1 New York Times bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul series and The Success Principles
“Chasing the bears” is a metaphor for chasing dreams, and in his new book, Chase the Bears: Little Things to Achieve Big Dreams, former Congressman Ric Keller shares little things readers can do to succeed and be happy—no matter where they start in life.
“Chase the Bears is about becoming the best version of yourself by using your gifts and taking chances that are aligned with your purpose,” Keller said. With humility and humor, Keller guides readers to pursue their dreams and find happiness with tips and techniques to turn their aspirations and thoughts into reality.
The inspirational messages in Chase the Bears provide practical, actionable steps woven with fascinating anecdotes about others who have made their dreams come true by trusting their instincts, using their gifts, taking risks and never quitting.
The book is divided into two sections: Connecting Your Gifts to Your Goals and Connecting with People. In Part One, Keller starts with the importance of discovering your gifts, trusting your intuition and setting specific goals that are aligned with your purpose. Readers learn how to take actions to move toward their dreams by taking educated risks and making persistent efforts to achieve each baby-step goal.
Part Two of the book is focused on connecting with people and cultivating authentic long-term relationships. Keller shows readers how to network the right way. He also explains why leading with boldness, civility, humility and a little humor will make them leaders worth following.
About the Author Former Congressman Ric Keller served eight years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He chaired the House Higher Education subcommittee and served on the Judiciary and Education committees. Today, he is an attorney, writer, humorist, motivational speaker and television commentator. His TEDx Talk, “The Power of Self-Deprecating Humor,” was the sixth most-watched TEDx Talk in the world in May 2022.
Keller received his bachelor’s degree from East Tennessee State University, where he graduated first in his class, and his law degree from Vanderbilt Law School. He lives in Winter Park, Florida, with his wife, Lori, and their blended family.
Visit his website at www.rickeller.net.
Chase the Bears: Little Things to Achieve Big Dreams Publisher: HCI Books Release Date: September 27, 2022 ISBN-10: 0757324487 ISBN-13: 9780757324482 Trade Paperback, 256 pages Available for pre-order
Trish Stevens Lindsey Mach Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone.
Former First Responder Details Path Toward Healing From PTSD and Overwhelming Life Events
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As a police officer for 25 years, Norm Wielsch witnessed his share of trauma and would later fall into a downward spiral following his own diagnosis of PTSD. He served 8 years of a 14-year sentence on corruption charges and emerged from federal prison determined to help others — particularly first responders — heal from trauma.
Wielsch’s new book, Christ Centered Healing of Trauma: Healing a Broken Heart (and companion small group study guide), teaches foundational principles and tools for resolving issues related to traumatic life events.
Readers will learn how trauma affects the heart, body and soul; how to manage emotions; how to identify the root cause of emotional pain; and how to begin the healing process.
Through a bible study portion, readers will learn God’s plan for salvation and healing. Included are numerous sample prayers to guide readers through the healing process.
Wielsch’s Christ-Centered healing method was originally designed to minister to first responders and combat veterans but is also appropriate for counselors, pastors, chaplains and anyone whose lives are impacted by trauma.
“This book is not only for the victims of trauma, but for their husbands, wives, daughters, sons and parents who suffer right along with them,” Wielsch said. “They are wounded people as well. Hurt people, hurt people. Since our families are the closest to us, we tend to hurt them more than we intend.”
About the Author Norm Wielsch was a law enforcement officer for over 25 years — 16 of those as an undercover narcotic agent. In 1998, he was diagnosed with an incurable neuro-muscular disease, and after more than 30 surgeries, he became addicted to opioids. Wielsch was diagnosed with PTSD, and then his daughter was diagnosed with a serious illness and given a poor prognosis. In a downward spiral, Wielsch made a series of bad decisions that landed him in federal prison.
While incarcerated, he obtained a master’s degree in Theology and Counseling, a Doctorate in Christian Counseling, and a Drug and Alcohol Counseling Degree. He currently works at a men’s residential treatment facility as a registered alcohol and drug counselor and pastoral care provider. He is a working credentialed chaplain who hopes to one day launch a first responder ministry.
Wielsch also has a master’s degree in Law Enforcement Management and is an expert in law enforcement tactics, criminal investigations, pursuit driving, high risk search warrant service, PTSD and the police culture.
Learn more at www.Christ-CenteredHealing.com, or purchase a copy at www.ChristCenteredHealingBook.com. Follow the author on Facebook (@ChristCenteredHealing), Instagram (Christ_Centered_Healing) and Twitter (@Christ_Trauma).
Christ Centered Healing of Trauma: Healing a Broken Heart Publisher: Leadership Books ISBN-10: 1951648064 ISBN-13: 978-1951648060 Available from https://leadershipbooks.com
Christ-Centered Healing of Trauma: Study Guide Publisher: Vision Group, Ltd. ISBN-10: 1951648080 ISBN-13: 978-1951648084 Available from https://leadershipbooks.com
Trish Stevens Stacy Hawkins Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
An Individual Approach to Surviving the Troubled Economy
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Former teacher David Parker delivers a crash course in economics in his book, Income and Wealth. His three main points? Why income and wealth are two different things; how wealth can be created on a minimum-wage income; and why it’s essential that government intervention in the lives of individuals be scaled back.
“The book includes business and economic insights carried with me since the age of 12, in addition to 40 years’ experience teaching inner-city public schools, 40 years a professional musician and 40 years of real estate investment,” Parker wrote in the book’s foreword.
In Income and Wealth, Parker provides a detailed analysis of how someone earning minimum wage can become financially independent in one decade, drawing upon the business and economic insights he formed during 40 years of studying economic history and principles, teaching in public schools, and being a professional musician and real estate developer.
His prescription for wealth creation may not be easy — but it is certainly effective. He urges all young people, regardless of their earning power, to follow the plan that worked for him. “Those who choose to follow this method, even without prior success, will generate significant income within 10 years,” he said.
Minimum wages in the U.S. today vary between $7.25 and $15 an hour, but Parker believes financial success is possible in a decade because of his own experience.
“There’s no relationship between income and wealth,” Parker added. “You can do what you really want in life. You can be an artist; you can be a schoolteacher; you can open a restaurant … Do it because you want to do it.”
Income And Wealth also provides a framework for reflecting on the role of government in our lives and the opportunities available to each of us. Parker presents a compelling case for the benefits of free market economics and shares strategies and insights that can be used as building blocks for a step-by-step plan for financial prosperity.
David Parker began his career in education at age 24 and served students in San Francisco’s inner-city public elementary schools for 40 years as a music teacher. While pursuing his career, Parker also became a successful real estate investor. It was success in business that focused his writing, teaching and career as a professional musician. He spent 20 years as a member of the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra and 15 years as leader of the Dave Parker Sextet, which has headlined at San Francisco’s Fillmore Jazz Festival.
Income and Wealth Publisher: Waterside Productions ISBN-10: 1951805909 ISBN-13: 978-1951805906 Available from Amazon.com
Trish Stevens Dea Shandera-Hunter Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
Zen Rohatsu Invites Readers to Follow Buddha’s Path to Enlightenment
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Could an ancient practice hold the key to dealing with today’s stressors? Zen meditation practitioner Nora D’Ecclesis opens her new book, Zen Rohatsu, with a guided visualization that places readers at the time of the Buddha, under the sacred fig tree, as he sought to obtain enlightenment.
“Buddha was a man who found his enlightenment and set his path, avoiding suffering by controlling his thoughts and desires,” wrote D’Ecclesis. “He was not and is not considered a deity.”
And with this historical perspective into how the concept of Buddhist enlightenment emerged, D’Ecclesis sets the stage for Zen Rohatsu, which provides thoroughly researched insights into the origins of meditation, its rituals and the ways in which living mindfully can be transformative. Included are simple meditation techniques, such as postures, breathing exercises and the use of mala beads.
Written for anyone wanting to cultivate a deeper sense of mindfulness and spirituality — from beginners to advanced meditation practitioners — Zen Rohatsu guides readers down the proverbial path of enlightenment.
“Zen Rohatsu is a microcosm of Zen meditation which best explains why we meditate and why most should consider this spiritual practice,” D’Ecclesis said. “I sat to outline a story about my spiritual practice, which I wrote from the memory of my own experiences as a lay meditator. The result is this book.”
The book explains that Rohatsu is a spiritual practice of meditative zazen that occurs on the eighth day of the twelfth month on the Gregorian calendar. The meditation sessions, which focus on Zazen Meditation rather than scriptures or rituals, are celebrated for seven days in advance of December 8 by Zen practitioners all over the world. Zen Rohatsu will help readers understand this type of meditation and how it might help them.
D’Ecclesis also added: “Zazen, a Japanese style dating back to the Buddha, is a meditation that keeps us in the present with focus, equanimity and stress management by clearing our thoughts from the various anxieties that permeate them. We turn off the chatter in our own heads and establish a place of compassion. We all experience interoceptive responses to the stressors and suffering and even the great joys in life, as all sentient beings do, so the balance of meditation and concept of equanimity are a welcome alternative.”
Nora D’Ecclesis is an American bestselling nonfiction author and Haiku poet. Her international No.1 bestseller The Retro Budget Prescription held the top spot in Kindle book downloads for the business/self-help category for over a year. She is a graduate of Kean University of New Jersey with post graduate degrees in administration and education. Her other published nonfiction includes Amazon No. 1 bestseller Haiku: Natures Meditation and paperbacks/eBooks on such topics as time management, guided visualizations, gratitude/equanimity, journaling and Zen meditation.
For more information about the author, visit https://noradecclesis.com/, or follow her on Twitter at @DECCLESIS or on Facebook at NoraDEcclesis.
Zen Rohatsu Publisher: Renaissance Presentations, LLC ISBN-10: 1733020136 ISBN-13: 978-1733020138 Available from Amazon.com
Trish Stevens Susan Graber Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
Finding Meaning in Life’s Messes: Easier Shows Readers How
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When it seems as if the path forward looks like a brick wall, it’s time to zoom out, and watch other possibilities come into view, advises author and business coach Chris Westfall. His new book, Easier: 60 Ways to Make Your Work Life Work for You, isn’t about taking the easy way out of difficult circumstances. It’s about overcoming tunnel vision, seeing things in a new way and showing up differently when challenges arise.
“The book Easier is actually filled with difficulty, just like life is,” Westfall said in a recent interview. “But in the midst of difficult circumstances, difficult relationships, misunderstandings, communication challenges … a new path emerges — a new possibility emerges.” Accessing new ideas and possibilities in Westfall’s narrative is simpler than readers will find in other self-help books because Easier is told as a relatable, straightforward conversation between a Client and a Coach. The Client is ambushed at work. He’s fired on a Monday morning. He believes his wife will leave him as a result. He’s afraid that he can’t pay his bills.
From this life-after-career-death story, new discoveries bloom, revealing 60 insights into resilience, resourcefulness, self-leadership and more. With each new concept, readers can find their perspectives shifting from “How will I ever get through this?” to “What can I gain from this?”
Westfall’s insights can be applied not just to the workplace, but to all aspects of life.
“The obligations are the obligations, the duties are the duties, the deadlines are the deadlines, the sharks are still the sharks,” Westfall said. “But when you show up differently, the conversation can change.”
Ultimately, Easier takes an even-handed look at how things work — using neuroscience, history and powerful coaching examples to impart fresh perspectives that are vital for companies striving to create inclusive cultures, for organizations seeking to expand innovation and for individuals who want to deepen their relationships through understanding.
“When it looks like life and career and communication and everything else is breaking down, it’s time to break free,” Westfall said. “It’s time to access a kind of personal freedom that allows you to make different choices. To see things in a different way. People around the world are looking for more personal freedom, more encouragement and more possibility.”
About the Author Chris Westfall is one of the most sought-after business coaches and keynote speakers in the world. He helped launch over five dozen businesses and has appeared on ABC NEWS, NBC TV and CNN. A regular contributor to Forbes, he has worked with thousands of leaders at Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit organizations and high-tech startups. A coach to entrepreneurs and executives around the globe, his clients have appeared on Shark Tank, Dragon’s Den and Shark Tank-Australia. He regularly consults with top-tier universities and is the author of three other books, including Leadership Language.
For more information, please visit http://westfallonline.com or http://easier-book.com. You can also follow Westfall on Twitter (westfallonline), Instagram (westfallonline) or Facebook (easierbook).
Easier: 60 Ways to Make Your Work Life Work for You Publisher: Wiley ISBN-10: 1119834570 ISBN-13: 978-1119834571 Available from Amazon.com
Trish Stevens Helen Cook Senior Publicist Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 281.333.3507 Office 903.654.0938 Direct [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com
Lyrical Writings Radiate Mother’s Grief and Illuminate Paths Toward Healing
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There may never really be closure when a loved one passes on, but there can be gentle nudges toward healing and, eventually, toward the forgotten fringes of happiness.
In Blown Into Now: Poems for a Journey, Mylo Schaaf carries readers from deep sadness and loss to comfort and support, finally edging toward joy. Her melodic words become a guidebook, allowing those who grieve to witness a spectrum of responses, to understand what might give relief, and to know how to look for the signposts that will guide them down the path toward healing.
Each of Schaaf’s 45 remarkable poems is paired with a striking photograph taken by her mountaineer son, Alex Lowenstein, who passed on unexpectedly in his twenties. Schaaf’s personal journey through grief became this book.
To those who must endure such a shocking new reality, she aims to bring compassion, beauty and spiritual connection.
Her poems reveal a mother’s great heart and the love she shares with her son for granite peaks and untracked desert. Each photograph provides a pause from grief and allows us a glimpse of something we want and cannot name.
About the Author Mylo Schaaf trained as a journalist, editor and physician, before taking a left turn into poetry. Before everything changed, she was a faculty member at the University of California, San Francisco, mentoring and teaching students in international, low-resource settings. Her commitment to global health grew out of her work and connection with India, the Americas, Liberia, Haiti and China. Then one day, a shocking phone call collapsed this pursuit of engagement and action. Her 24-year-old son, a mountaineer/peace-and-conflict scholar/veteran, had passed away. Poems demanded to be written. They brought relief and healing, as did warm, grassy hills, tree spirits, and arms of sky. Years wandered past. Poems continue to emerge, as the tangles of our days slip into light.
For more information, please visit https://www.myloschaaf.com, or follow the author on Instagram at writermyloschaaf.
Blown Into Now – Poems for a Journey Publisher: Blue Light Press ISBN: 979-8-9864093-0-6 (softcover, available now) Available from https://www.blurb.com/b/11208355-blown-into-now Hardcover and eBook editions coming soon (For updates on these additional formats, please visit https://www.myloschaaf.com).
Trish Stevens Helen Cook Senior Publicist Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 281.333.3507 Office 903.654.0938 Direct [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com.
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In her thirties, Stacia Sims embarked on an intense journey toward self-discovery when her therapist posed a simple question: “What does love mean?” Unable to articulate an answer, Sims suddenly realized what had been blocking her path toward healing.
“That was my first realization that I had never been taught or shown unconditional love. Not by my parents and not by the world,” she wrote in the prologue to her new book, It Is All About Me!: Breaking Cycles and Loving Who I Am.
In this collection of true stories about her life, Sims unpacks the impact of an upbringing in a narcissistic family where love had to be earned, her true self had to be hidden and generational cycles needed to be broken.
Her journey led her to the realization that what happened in her past doesn’t define her present or her future, and it is her aim with this book to show readers that, with the right mindset and guidance, this can be their truth, too.
“Being true to yourself can sometimes make others uncomfortable,” Stacia said. “But another person’s discomfort should not become your burden to resolve. Stop carrying other people’s baggage.”
It Is All About Me! is loaded with insights on what real, authentic love means and how to embrace one’s true self.
“If you find your life revolving around others’ expectations or desires, it’s time to allow your journey to be about you for a change,” Sims added.
About the Author
Stacia Sims has a formal education with a BS in Computer Science, but she is using the practical education that was picked up along life’s path to start her second act. Through therapy and surrounding herself with authentic friends and mentors, she was able to shape her education beyond the narrow and limiting life skills that her parents had to offer.
Sims lives in Florida with her wife and sweet dog, Lilly. It is the view of the water and the incredible sunrises that inspire her to write and tap into her creativity. Her love of books and passion for helping others has inspired her to write her second book — an instructional book with details about managing personal finances.
Connect with Sims on Facebook at Stacia M Sims, or check out her blog at https://staciamsims.com/.
It Is All About Me!: Breaking Cycles and Loving Who I Am Publisher: Inspired Forever Books ISBN-10: 1948903636 ISBN-13: 978-1948903639 Available from Amazon.com
Trish Stevens Tonya Gibson Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
