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Archive for March, 2012

Two-Time Grammy Nominee Sarah Kelly Releases Midnight Sun And Donates A Portion Of Each Song’s Royalties To Various Charities

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Two-Time Grammy Nominee Sarah Kelly Releases Midnight Sun And Donates A Portion Of Each Song’s Royalties To Various Charities

MIDNIGHT SUN Tells Story of Healing, Restoration, Empowerment

The Woodlands, TX – Midnight Sun, the latest project from Christian music favorite Sarah Kelly, has released through all major digital outlets, and in select retail outlets.

Midnight Sun became collaboration among friends for the two-time Grammy nominee. Kelly enlisted several trusted friends to co-write some of the songs, including her worship leader husband Jonas Ekman, Jeremy Hunter (Taylor Swift, Jonny Lang), and Mitch Dane (Jars of Clay). Justin Knox (Colbie Caillat), Hunter and Dane came in to share the production credits, and Steve Mason from Jars of Clay even signed on to play on four of the album’s more rock-based songs.

A combination of rock riffs, love letters and straight ahead worship songs color the project, making Midnight Sun a bit tricky to truly classify in one single genre. Kelly was able to have complete freedom recording Midnight Sun, and wanted to create a true statement that life is a combination of emotions, struggles and hopes. The album’s first single, Day and Night, is Kelly’s personal testimony set to music. The single is currently going for adds at Christian radio.

“I think Midnight Sun is a good representation of the real me,” Kelly says. “I’m a woman who wants to talk about life, and for me that’s rock and relationships and that love for God that I just can’t contain.”

Over the past few years, Kelly has been transformed from a broken and bruised writer who felt that her voice was no longer worthy of her calling. She admits that much of this feeling was self-induced, and she had to regain her own ability to believe in the gifts that God has given her.

After spending time in Sweden, her second home, Kelly found her voice again. There, Kelly was able to renew her spirit, her calling, and return to the States happy, healthy and healed. Newly married, Kelly now leads worship regularly at Woodlands Church in Woodlands, TX, and spends much of her time training up a new generation of musicians and songwriters.

A percentage from each song from Midnight Sun goes to support a different charity, a concept unique to most album projects. Each charity is a favorite of Kelly’s and spans a variety of projects from cancer research to human trafficking. The list of charities can be found on Kelly’s website. 

“The reason I wanted to do an independent album was so I could give the publishing money to these causes,” explains Kelly. “It seems that the fruit of ‘Christian music’ should go to things that Jesus cares about, not to my big house fund, or the label’s next big artist’s promotion fund. If God wants to bless this album, more kids get fed, more girls get out of the brothels, more cancer research happens. Music is for honoring God and bettering life. My prayer is that this album accomplishes this both musically and practically.”

Midnight Sun is the story of Sarah Kelly’s journey from hurt to hope; grasping to not only the knowledge, but the deep belief of God’s unique plan and passion for each of us.  

Midnight Sun is available through digital outlets, as well as through www.sarahkelly.com

Track Listing:
Live Every Love Song
Standing On My Knees
Midnight Sun
Stolen My Heart
Good Day
Lift You Up
Day and Night
Always Undeniable
Surely Goodness
How Much You Love

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Resurgence Of The American Spirit Captured In Historical Western Romance

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Resurgence Of The American Spirit Captured In Historical Western Romance

Douglas, Wyoming – Though there is a plethora of non-fiction writings on various aspects of America’s surging rediscovery of patriotism and appreciation for core American ideals, there are few if any, current fiction works which embody the foundational essence of the resurgence. The #1 best-seller, national award-winning Threads West, An American Saga series, a sixteen book series, does just that! It is our story. It is Reid Lance Rosenthal’s tale of America and her spirit. It is the ongoing story of us. Book One – Threads West melted down Amazon at 9:07am the day of its release and likewise sold out Barnes and Noble the very morning of that release! Book Two of the series, Maps of Fate, releases nationally April 17, 2012. 20,000 copies are already reserved. The series has been called “the Gone With the Wind of the American West” and compared to Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove and James Michener’s Centennial.

This makes the month of March the perfect time to introduce you to Reid.  A cowboy at heart, a rancher by trade, and a writer by nature, his Historical Western Romance series glows with American spirit and sizzles with the quick and humorous intrigue and passion we all want to curl up with on blustery spring evenings. A veteran of more than one hundred radio and TV appearances of up to three hours (many repeats) and subject of scores of articles in newspapers, magazines, Match.com, IVillage ezines and others, Reid is handsome, charming, and outspoken. His very unique personal style will spark your audience and provide them with a guest to remember.

Maps of Fate is a novel unique to Reid’s cowboy heart and poet’s pen. Fueled by the powerful magnetic pull of the energy of the vast lands of the American West, the characters of these adventures have neither country nor culture in common—each comes from a different background, but the lives of their textured and conflicted experiences become part of the fabric of America and the West. Their interwoven destinies, ambitions, courage, treachery and love flow through four generations; creating an American epic that binds the historical characters to the predestined struggles, torrid passions and duplicities of their descendants. The intrigue and unrelenting conflict of their lives are destined to converge with startling twists and turns as they build a great nation. Reid’s gifted writing interweaves the destinies, ambitions, courage and treachery of these men and women with an emerging America in an exhilarating read, evoking every imaginable emotion.

“Many have asked what inspires me to write the Threads West series,” Reid says. “I am fascinated with the interrelated energies of all things. The more primal the current, the greater my interest. In the wide range of tugs to the human soul, nothing compares to the power of the land which underlies all we are and do, and the pull on our heart strings of passion-filled romance.

“These magnets to our spirits, coupled with the rich texture of the mid eighteen fifties–a time when America and the world drew their collective breaths, and then exhaled with a rush towards the American West–is our story. It is a memory we need to recall, courage we need to again touch and a reminder of the foundations of our uniquely American spirit: A touchstone to the past and a guide post to the future in these uncertain times.”

A fourth generation land-and-cattleman, Reid bought his first property at eighteen, and has succumbed to the pull of the land ever since. In addition to his success in historical fiction, he is working on a nonfiction book created especially for the descendants of the passionate Americans he writes about in his novels. Land: For Love and Money and the associated workbook Green for Green is a humorous, informative and helpful guide packed with anecdotes from Reid’s forty-year, $1 billion career in land management. His experiences in ranches, farms and rural property acquisition, to planning, improving, conservation easement grants, and disposition in numerous states, three countries and two continents, will provide his readers with a wealth of tips and advice on buying and managing that most precious American right and resource.

Maps of Fate, the second book in the Threads West, An American Saga series, is scheduled for release on April 17, 2012. Volume one of Land for Love and Money will be released on June 5, 2012. Both will be available from Barnes & Noble (in store and online) Amazon and Hastings, in addition to other retail outlets.

Please see www.ThreadsWestSeries.com .       

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We Can Each Make The Choice To Never Be Sick Again

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We Can Each Make The Choice To Never Be Sick Again

Fort Lauderdale, FL – Despite billions of dollars spent on cancer research, the “War on Cancer” has been a colossal failure, says scientist and author Raymond Francis. “Fundamentally, conventional medicine looks at cancer from the wrong perspective and as a result asks the wrong questions,” he says in his breakthrough book, Never Fear Cancer Again (Health Communications Inc.).

His third book is based on the earlier book Never Be Sick Again which proposes a revolutionary change in the way we look at disease and health.

“One of the most profound conclusions I have reached is that health is a choice; virtually no one ever has to be sick,” Francis says. “We make ourselves sick by making bad choices and, conversely, we get healthy and stay healthy by making good ones.” After conventional medical science left him near death in a hospital room, Francis chose to take his life in his own hands and created a simple system to help others do the same. Never Fear Cancer Again is based on the same Beyond Health philosophy and goes into detail about how to minimize the effects of cancer and strategies for avoiding it altogether.

“Conventional medicine views cancer as a thing, and they ask how can it be killed or removed. But cancer isn’t a thing you can cut, poison or burn — it is a biological process affecting the entire body.” Doctors and patients should be thinking of cancer as a process, he argues. “Once you understand this process, you can see how to turn it off — just like turning off a lamp in your living room! Once you learn what to do to turn off the process and keep it turned off, the cancer will not return.”

Francis is an MIT-trained scientist and has been called “one of the few scientists who has achieved a breakthrough understanding of health and disease.” On the cutting-edge of biological science, he is an internationally recognized leader in the field of optimal-health maintenance. In addition to being a best-selling author, Francis is the creator of the internationally-presented Beyond Health Seminar, author of the “Pathways to Health” newspaper columns, and has been a guest on more than 1500 radio and television shows. For more than fifteen years, Francis has been the host and producer of his own syndicated radio talk show “The Beyond Health Show.” He is also the founder and president of the nonprofit, The Project to End Disease (TPED).

Please see www.BeyondHealth.com.

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Wrinkles Don’t Hurt: Daily Meditations On The Joy Of Aging Mindfully By Ruth Fishel, Author of Time for Joy, With Illustrations By Bonny Van de Kamp

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Wrinkles Don’t Hurt: Daily Meditations On The Joy Of Aging Mindfully By Ruth Fishel, Author of Time for Joy, With Illustrations By Bonny Van de Kamp

“Ruth Fishel allows readers to embark on the journey of aging with a refreshing vision of it as a time of celebration and liberation; a time to set new goals, dream new dreams, and to grow into ourselves emotionally and spiritually.”
– Jane Middleton-Moz, author of Values from the Porch

Sarasota, FL – “The secret of meditation is to become conscious of each moment of your existence.” – Thich Nhat Hanh. So begins the January 16 entry on page 21 of Ruth Fishel’s new book, Wrinkles Don’t Hurt: Meditations on the Joy of Aging Mindfully (HCI Books – $14.95). What follows for that day is commentary from Fishel, a 30-year meditator best known for her book of affirmations, Time for Joy. Whimsical illustrations by Bonny Van de Kamp are sprinkled throughout the book to enhance the variety of inspirational quotations, affirmations, and essays for each day of the year.

Says Fishel, “Many years ago my publisher suggested that I write a daily meditation book geared toward older people. I thought about it, tried it, and couldn’t make it flow. I didn’t have specific words within me for older people…Inspiration is inspiration no matter how young or old you are.” After a conversation with a friend, the author reconsidered, “While inspiration is the same for all ages, there are many other specific differences…our issues change….Losses, limitations, changing times, pain and diminished energy all sneak up on us. How we look at life changes.” Hence, Wrinkles Don’t Hurt was conceived.

Here are few of the affirmations that appear at the end of most entries:

 In spite of some of the aches and pains, I’m filled with compassion for all my body can do. I’m filled with gratitude. I’m filled with joy.
Today I am taking time to be aware of how I respond to my thoughts and feelings. I am being gentle and loving with myself, however I feel.
I feel younger and happier when I begin my day with a smile and a positive greeting.
How wonderful it is to be able to bring peace and joy to any moment by simply being aware of my breath.

No matter what the age, Ruth Fishel’s goal is the same; her book will guide you, day by day, to be fully present in each moment while letting go of your fears, doubts and insecurities.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ruth Fishel, M.Ed, is a prolific author, national retreat and workshop leader and meditation teacher. Her books are inspirational and spiritual, helping people to find more joy, peace, healing, growth and purpose in their lives, including Time for Joy, which has sold over 300,000 copies since 1998. Ruth cofounded and codirected Serenity, Inc. a multi-faceted nonprofit residential and outpatient treatment program for chemically dependent women, which has helped thousands of women recover. Currently she codirects Spirithaven, where she teaches meditation and facilitates spiritual retreats for women. She has also created a line of inspirational greeting cards and other products, which can be seen at her website www.spirithaven.com.

Available wherever books are sold or to order directly from the publisher, contact:
(800) 441-5569 or www.hcibooks.com

WRINKLES DON’T HURT
Daily Meditations on the Joy of Aging Mindfully
Ruth Fishel
Illustrations by Bonny Van de Kamp
ISBN: 9780757315909
$14.95
December 2011

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Everyone needs to ask: If I died today, how would I be remembered?

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Everyone needs to ask: If I died today, how would I be remembered?

Houston, TX – To friends and family, Vernon Turner is a very private man who is known to be his own worst critic and who finds it difficult to talk about himself. To his fans, he is the talented athlete that played professionally for the Buffalo Bills, LA Rams, Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So it was a huge surprise to those that know him to discover he had written the story of his life – a life that had its share of tragedy and dysfunction, but at times was greatly touched by happiness and inspiration.

In The Next Level: A Game I Had To Play! – a book that was seventeen years in the making – Turner steps out of his comfort zone and reveals secrets that even some family members were not aware of. That’s because Turner made sure people only saw one side of him – the success and accomplishments; he was careful never to show the hurt from childhood events that accompanied his days and haunted his nights. 
 
The Next Level is both a motivating and inspirational story that tells of a young man who had to face insurmountable odds to save his family, and in the process achieve a childhood dream. Turner sees himself as ‘a work in progress,’ and while he readily admits to making mistakes he has learned that “my past experiences became my toolbox for future journeys.”

Turner shares the challenges of not only growing up in the 70’s in a predominantly African-American neighborhood of Brooklyn, but facing school days and football with his 5’6” and 98 lbs stature. This fascinating and candid account shows readers what Turner’s life was like from age five to the present, and what was really going on behind the big smile – moments of pure joy overshadowed by agonizing periods of pain and regret that will be with him forever.

While Turner remembers the good times he and his cousins spent at Nana’s house; his beloved compassionate and principled grandmother he openly describes as ‘his heart,’ he also remembers the bad times with his mother’s addiction.

In The Next Level readers get to know the deep thinker who over-analyzes and dissects everything in his life, his family, and some of the amazing individuals he believes were meant to cross his path, learning how this all played an important part in his life. 

Turner admits that while writing his book was perhaps one of the most difficult things he has ever done because it forced him to remember things that were long buried in his mind and heart, by sharing his story he overcame obstacles, learned never to miss an opportunity, and now tries to never take anyone for granted. He hopes the messages in his book will connect with readers in a truly inspiring way because leaving his mark and making a difference is extremely important to him. He believes everyone needs to ask themselves: “If I died today, how would I be remembered?”

For more information, please visit: www.vernonturner.com.

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Addiction Does Not Discriminate: Now A Way To Fight Back With This Ground-Breaking Path To Recovery

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Addiction Does Not Discriminate: Now A Way To Fight Back With This Ground-Breaking Path To Recovery

New York, NY – In light of Whitney Houston’s demise and others who have been tragically hurt by addiction, Dr. Peter Sacco was asked in a recent interview: ‘Why do so many people have addictions, engage in bad habits, and seem so miserable?’ His response pinpoints why people often become dependent on a ‘fix.’ He said, “Most people today are having what I call near-life experiences–they endure life, withstand it, tolerate it and become indifferent. The problem is too many people stopped enjoying and engaging life way too young, when they were told their dreams are ridiculous, impossible and that they should grow up. Until you awaken the little kid in you again, you are not having a real-life experience!”

In Sweet Acceptance Versus Bitter Resistance (Booklocker), author Dr. Peter Sacco breaks new ground, combining psychology with spirituality by using cognitive behavioral therapy techniques together with the eight Beatitudes from the Holy Bible, to overcome addiction. By applying the principles and tools outlined in Sacco’s book, readers will be on the road to recovery in breaking addiction, dealing with bad habits and/or changing negative thinking patterns.

Sacco teaches individuals held captive by an addictive personality how to find the self they have been seeking and how to receive what they want in life.  No one need ever be a slave to cigarettes, expensive drugs, or a painful drinking habit – Sweet Acceptance Versus Bitter Resistance is the pathway to a better life – without dependency!

Dr. Sacco’s latest book is highly rated and accepted by individuals, regardless of whether they are going through 12-step programs or one-on-one counseling, as well as those with no addictions support. By combining his practical and theoretical knowledge with his revolutionary 3-tier approach of psychology, spiritualism and law of attraction, he provides readers with the necessary tools to overcome their addictions and transform their lives.

NY Times bestselling author, Robert A. Schuller, had this to say about Peter Sacco’s latest book:

“For Years, Peter has been using his cognitive training skills and blending them with the ‘Beatitudes.’ The results of blending science with the words of Jesus have truly had amazing results. No surprise. What is a gift to humanity is that today he is sharing his secrets with you in this insightful book.”

Peter Sacco is the author of many international, popular selling books, as well as a psychology professor, and former private practitioner/Hypnotherapist.  He is the former Editor-in-Chief of Vices: The Magazine for Addictions, Habits and Well-Being, and author of more than 400 magazine articles.  As a sought-after speaker, he lectures at universities in the USA and Canada, specializing in relationships, criminal psychology, addictions, sports psychology, and mental health. 

This award-winning author has been a regular resident expert on several television programs as well as hosting the show Mental Health Matters for over two years. Please visit www.petersacco.com to learn more about this inspiring figure.

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When A Nameless Force Drives Her Back To The Reservation – This Former Agent Has No Idea The Evil She’s About To Encounter…

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When A Nameless Force Drives Her Back To The Reservation – This Former Agent Has No Idea The Evil She’s About To Encounter…

Dallas, TX – Author Parris Afton Bonds attributes her fascination with historical romances and, in particular, Native Americans, to authors she read growing up such as Helen Hunt Jackson. Bonds’ latest mystery romance, Dancing With Wild Woman, is an adventure into a culture most of us know little about – that of the Hopi Indians and their prophecies.

Hopi Indians believe it is their duty to dance in order to keep the world in balance. The lead character in Dancing With Wild Woman is a former female Hopi Tracker for U.S. Customs, ICE, who must learn to dance if she is to find a serial killer and keep the world in balance as well as her own off-kilter love life.

The communal and conforming Hopi have been predicting the cataclysmic shifting of the earth’s axis for more than a thousand years. Now that the prediction has been borne out with an earthquake in Chili and unprecedented sun spots tilting the axis even farther, the world is off balance and attention is riveted on other prophecies inscribed on the Hopi’s legendary, missing stone tablet. One such prophecy, indicating an alternate energy source, a power grid on a grand scale, has extended tantalizing tentacles to grab even the attention of shadowy thrones behind world governments.

When a series of decapitations by a monstrous-appearing fiend occur on the Hopi Reservation, Janet, just barely this side of sober, offers her services as an out-of-work U.S. Customs tracker to the Hopi Tribal Council. With the world-famous tourist spectacle a week away, the famed Hopi Snake Dance, the Tribal Council is desperate to apprehend the serial murderer. Although Janet would rather give up drinking than return to the Reservation, she needs a job – and she cannot ignore the voice, urging her to ‘go home.’

Parris Afton Bonds has been declared by ABC’s Nightline as one of the three-best-selling authors of romantic fiction. This award-winning author has been interviewed by such luminaries as Charlie Rose and featured in major newspapers and magazines, as well as published in more than a dozen languages.

The mother of five sons, Bonds donates her time to teaching creative writing to both grade school children and female inmates. She is the author of thirty-five published novels and is the co-founder and first vice president of Romance Writers of America. 

The Parris Award was established in her name by the Southwest Writers Workshop to ‘honor a published writer who has given outstandingly of time and talent to other writers.’ Prestigious recipients of the Parris Award include Tony Hillerman and the Pulitzer nominee Norman Zollinger.

For more information on this talented writer, please visit: www.parrisaftonbonds.com.

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