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Archive for February, 2015

Guion Teaches Kids It’s OK To Give And Receive Help From Any-one Who May Be Different From Them

Englewood, CO – Bright colors, engaging characters and an inspirational theme com-bine for an instant classic in Guion the Lion: A Colorful World (Inspire On Purpose), by Rebecca Wilson Macsovits.

Guion (rhymes with “lion”) is a rainbow-colored lion who stands out in a grey world. He wants to find a way to bring back the color, but how? While on his quest, Guion encounters a variety of animals, each struggling with a unique problem. Always kind and friendly, he does his best to help.

To his delight, Guion eventually discovers that every time he helps someone, a little much-needed color comes back into the world.

Rebecca Wilson Macsovits approaches life with a sense of adventure and continually seeks out new people, information, and challenges to keep her invigorated. Although the majority of her career has been spent in marketing, her true creative spirit launched after the birth of her first child and continues to be cultivated by all three of her children, ages eight and under. To help balance her career and creativity, Rebecca runs marathons and also boxes.

Rebecca’s oldest son, Guion, who has Down syndrome, inspired her first children’s book. He brings a tremendous amount of joy to his family, and Rebecca regularly wit-nesses his siblings asking him for help because they know he is able to give it. She doesn’t want others to discount his abilities just because he’s different. Rebecca hopes her first book, Guion the Lion, will encourage young people to give and receive help from others who don’t look exactly like them – this is what makes our big world such a welcoming and colorful place.

For more, please visit the website: www.Guionthelion.com

Guion the Lion: A Colorful World
Inspire On Purpose
ISBN-13: 978-1-941782-02-6

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Inspiration & Gratitude are the Buzz Words for 2015

Deerfield Beach, FL – “I never thought that my hobby of photographing the sun would turn into my ‘passion project,’ never mind a book,” says photographer/author, Kim Weiss about, Sunrise, Sunset: 52 Weeks of Awe & Gratitude (HCI Books – Fall 2014 — ISBN; 9780757318085– $10.95). “Odd as it is to go from publicist to ‘author,’ I was moved to share the sense of awe I get to experience every day from my 14th floor terrace.” Her universally loved sunrises (& sunsets) fill the pages, accompanied by the sage words of inspiring people we admire. Each week commentary from people like Candace Bushnell, Lisa Nichols, Jack Canfield, Joan Halifax, Marty Becker, Marci Shimoff and many, many more complement the visual beauty of sun rising and setting.

“I’m actually thrilled to see that a growing number of admirers of my photographs have convened on Facebook and Instagram and not only like my pictures but are inspired to post their own,” says Weiss. “We’re many thousands strong and have posts from Nova Scotia to Guam.”

Sunrise, Sunset, (which happens to fit nicely inside a bag, or perch on a nightstand), is the ultimate gift book for saying “thank you,” sharing a blessing or offering an oasis for spiritual awakening. From sunrise to sunset this book will be a perennial source of inspiration.

Weiss’s actively growing community of backyard photographers can be joined on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KimWeissSunriseSunset and all her events and reviews can be seen at: www.sunrisesunsetbook.com

We hope this will interest you for a gift guide, a feature, or as a giveaway for your audience.

A significant portion of the proceeds from book sales goes to AVDA – an organization dedicated to helping and bringing hope to women who have suffered domestic violence. For more information on this very worthwhile cause, please visit: www.avdaonline.org.

In great appreciation of your consideration. Please contact Kim Weiss at (800) 851-9100 ext. 212 or [email protected] for an interview, excerpt, or a review copy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kim Weiss (Boynton Beach, FL) has been a publicist in the book industry for many years and coaches other writers aspiring to be bestselling authors. Her love of nature and photography began when she was just a little girl and bloomed into the writer and photographer she is today. From her 14th floor terrace she witnesses the beauty of nature and captures it through the lens of her camera. As a storyteller, Kim has contributed to the hugely popular Chicken Soup for the Soul series and The Ultimate Bird Lover with “America’s Vet” Marty Becker. You can also find Kim’s stories and photos in Arielle Ford’s acclaimed book Hot Chocolate for the Mystical Soul. When she’s not working with authors, Kim is studying opera, playing guitar, being entertained by her birds and cats, or taking photos from her terrace at sunrise and sunset.

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The Appleseed Journal: A Spiritual Message from an Authentic American Hero

Bartonsville, PA – There’s more to Johnny Appleseed than meets the eye and Dr. Stewart Bitkoff’s new release, The Appleseed Journal, unveils the true story of this American hero, who very few may know was a spiritual man, and further that he went missing in 1843.

Johnny Appleseed is famously portrayed for his impact on growing the apple industry and expansion of his operation throughout the frontier. After a further look at Appleseed and his contributions, we discover that he was quite a spiritual man who ministered throughout his life’s journey. The Appleseed Journal is based on actual events and delves deep into the era when Appleseed went missing on the way to a convention at the Church of New Jerusalem in Philadelphia. It’s uncertain what happened along the way, but what is certain … he never arrived.

“Johnny Appleseed had a spiritual calling and provided apple seedling, a life staple along the frontier, as part of his work,” says Dr. Bitkoff. “It’s rumored that Appleseed planted a message in Hudson Valley, New York so that it could be harvested by spiritual travelers in our time.”

Author of six published books on spirituality, Stewart Bitkoff, holds a doctorate in education and has served as a faculty member for multiple college and universities throughout the US. Dr. Bitkoff is a spiritual traveler and advocate for Sufi mysticism. Additionally, he specializes in therapeutic recreation, psychiatric rehabilitation and mental health treatment. Dr. Bitkoff is a regular contributor to online media outlets such as: Philadelphia Spirituality Examiner, Wisdom Magazine, New Age Journal, and Mystic Living Today.

For more information, visit: www.stewartbitkoff.com.

The Appleseed Journal
By Stewart Bitkoff
Publisher: Abandoned Ladder
Available at Amazon.com
ISBN-10: 0991577515
ISBN-13: 978-09915775414

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Cancer Survivorship Tools: Practical Tips and Inspiration for Emotional Well-being

Stillwater, MN – Inspired by the pages of her personal journal, Barbara Tako, two-time cancer survivor shares her journey to kick cancer out of her life. Tako’s new release, Cancer Survivorship Coping Tools – We’ll get you through this: Tools for cancer’s emotional pain from a breast cancer and melanoma survivor, focusses on emotional well-being of cancer patients, caregivers and their loved ones.

Hearing “you’ve got cancer” are three words you never forget, according to Barbara Tako. For Tako, it was a powerful awakening of panic, pain and emotional turmoil aside from the fear of the treatments she would be enduring. Her words, as written in her journal during her bouts with cancer, offer a deep insight into the healing process from both physical and mental aspects.

Cancer Survivorship Coping Tools is an honest, and sometimes humorous account of Tako’s process. It features tips for emotional health to foster positivity, no matter where patients are in their personal journey to conquer cancer. The book is a useful tool for family members, friends and caregivers to provide a better understanding of the cancer experience and how they can help.

“I’ll never forget the day my doctor told me I had cancer, or rather the day my life changed forever” says Barbara Tako. “Doctors can address all of the medical aspects of your condition, but who picks you up off of the floor after you’ve been dealt the news and helps you get your ‘game face’ on? It’s my intention to fill that void for cancer patients and their loved ones with this book.”

Meet Barbara Tako. She’s a breast cancer and melanoma survivor, author, organizing/ de-cluttering genius and motivational speaker. She holds a B.A. in English and psychology and lives in Minnesota with her husband, children and furbabies.

For more information, visit: http://www.cancersurvivorshipcopingtools.com

Cancer Survivorship Coping Tools – We’ll get you through this: Tools for cancer’s emotional pain from a breast cancer and melanoma survivor
By Barbara Tako
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing (Ayni Books)
Available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and wherever books are sold
ISBN-10: 1782797750
ISBN-13: 978-1782797753

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Despite Personal Sacrifice, One Man’s Goal In The War-Torn Middle East Is To Unite People In Peace

Houston, TX – Frank Romano, PhD, has seen it all in his quest to bring sustainable peace to the Middle East. For decades, through interfaith grassroots efforts to open up communication, he has brought Jews, Muslims and Christians together from all corners of the world in support of peace.

Romano tells the remarkable story of his journey in Love and Terror in the Middle East (AB Film Publishing). A 4th edition of the book, it includes a chapter dedicated to a recent event where he was trapped in the middle of rioting Palestinians, following the killing of a Palestinian youth by Israeli soldiers, and barely escaped with his life.

Frank Romano’s story began decades ago with a move from California to France to study philosophy. He later ventured to Morocco on his way to the Middle East, where he was to participate in the interfaith peace movement. In his quest for the universal religion, which at first he thought might be Islam (meaning “peace”), he soon realized that what he found had little to do with peace and more to do with radicalism. After daring to ask questions relating to Islam and women, he was wrongly accused by Muslim extremists of being a Zionist spy and was imprisoned. This ultimately led to a spiritual awakening and, eventually, to his escape.

It was through meditation after this journey that he found truth about religion – and this truth continues to be the source of power that compels him to bring Jews, Muslims and Christians together to celebrate their shared similarities and begin to build on a platform of the belief in one God. His vision has always been about creating dialogues and breaking down barriers. “Organizing interfaith groups is critical to creating a platform for those dialogues to take place,” says Dr. Romano.

Constantly surrounded by war, his journey has been fraught with sacrifice. Friends and fellow activists have been brutally murdered. He has been attacked by settlers, harassed by Israeli soldiers and arrested by Palestinian police. In his personal life it has cost him his marriage, another long term romantic relationship, and impacted his role as a father. In spite of the danger and sacrifice, Dr. Romano – lawyer, author, speaker and professor of law, literature, history and philosophy of law – continues to be an advocate for peace in the Middle East.

For more information on Dr. Romano’s book or his ongoing drive for peace, please visit:
http://www.frankromano-loveandterror4.com (book)
http://www.frankromano363.blogspot.com/ (blog)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwQ-TYRDIVI (Interview)

Available at Amazon.com and major online outlets
Love and Terror in the Middle East, 4th edition
By Frank Romano
AB Film Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-0989706865

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Capturing And Cherishing The Moments When Life Is Well Seasoned

Memphis, TN – Well Seasoned: Savoring Life’s Lessons (Inspire on Purpose) perfectly chronicles the seasons of life through the inspiring prose and the lens of photographer and writer, Rebecca Webb Wilson. When Rebecca’s parents gave her a gift of a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye years earlier, they had no idea it would lead to a lifetime of travel and a yearning to capture the perfection of nature and diverse cultures of people in faraway lands.

For Rebecca, it all began as a young woman when she used her camera to photograph hawks along the expressway in her hometown of Memphis. While her first job as a flight attendant for PanAm cultivated a love of travel, it was her innate gratitude for the unexpected joys revealed in nature’s seasons that fostered her love of photography. Sprinkled with thoughtful quotes and tidbits of poetry, Well Seasoned is about the people that touch our lives, for a moment or forever, and pairs nature’s seasons with the seasons of life allowing readers to view the aging process differently and discover their own ‘Aha’ moments within its pages.

The author’s unconventional and uplifting philosophy, paired with vibrant, full-color images of places, nature and people, easily transports readers to magical locations around the globe, sharing her journey as she climbs Mount Kilimanjaro and the Swiss Alps part of the Haute Route, or taking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Encouraged to reflect on our own memories, we Rethink, Remember, Renew.

Rebecca attended law school at the University of Memphis and served several years as an Assistant United States Attorney. She founded a youth leadership program in Memphis called Bridge Builders, which to date has had 21,000 participants from surrounding public, private, and parochial schools. Named one of Memphis Woman Magazine’s ‘50 Women Who Make a Difference,’ she also received the Legends Award from the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis in 2010.

A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Rebecca serves as a member of its Board of Trust and also serves on the board of directors of Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation. She lives in Memphis with her husband and they share their time between two sons, two daughters, and nine grandchildren. For more information on this accomplished photographer, author and dedicated humanitarian, visit: www.hawkeyenature.com.

Well Seasoned: Savoring Life’s Lessons
Publisher: Inspire on Purpose
ISBN # 978-0-9898008-6-0

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The Dollhouse Mirror: See Life’s Enduring Beauty Reflected In Miniature

New York, NY – It’s a genre worth exploring again. The Dollhouse Mirror (Plum White Press) invites us to stop and wander over each page, and linger in that moment between dream and reality. Within that world, readers find many of the things they thought were only fantasy are more real than they imagined. Kirkus Reviews recently said “beauty and terror frequently intersect throughout his poems, often with clever and engaging results….[these are] Compact poems replete with stunning and visually arresting images….”

From the burning carnality of love to the mystical attraction of nature, this exquisite collection of poems leaves a lasting impression that will catch at you at the most unexpected moments. Being transported into a semi-dream world while reading the poetry, away from the distractions of everyday life, it becomes a place to let imagination flow.

Frank Watson was born in Venice, California and now lives in New York City. He enjoys literature, art, calligraphy, history, jazz, international culture, and travel. Other publications include Seas to Mulberries, The dVerse Anthology (editor), One Hundred Leaves (translator and editor), Fragments (translator and editor), and Poetry Nook (editor). His work has appeared in various literary journals, anthologies, e-zines, and literary blogs.

Watson has more than 60,000 followers on Twitter (@FollowBlueFlute) and his site, www.poetrynook.com, contains a database of over 230,000 classic poems, and features his work as a poet, translator and editor, offering an incisive, lyrical and penetrating glimpse into ourselves and our world through the genre of poetry and micropoetry.

For more information, see http://www.poetrynook.com/user/frankwatson

The Dollhouse Mirror
Plum White Press
Available from the author’s website http://www.poetrynook.com/store
and online at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P30L9TS?btkr=1
$6.99
ISBN-13: 978-1939832122

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