Matthew Kenslow has amassed over 1 million followers on Instagram, nearly 70k on TikTok and over 65k YouTube subscribers by sharing his insights, real-world experiences and pearls of wisdom when it comes to navigating the world around him. At 6 years old, Kenslow was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome (now referred to as autism spectrum disorder).
“My autism awareness and acceptance videos should, hopefully, not just encourage the families of those on the spectrum, but also educate those who still need to learn about autism and then accept us for who we are, learning what we’re going through,” Kenslow said during an interview.
Today, Kenslow is a pianist, college graduate, substitute teacher and the author of the book Juggling the Issues: Living With Asperger’s Syndrome, in which he takes readers inside what it’s truly like for someone living with the disability.
“My main message that I tell hundreds of people is that I have not given up on my goals,” he writes in the book’s preface. “I persevere on my aspirations. If I can do that, certainly everybody else can too.”
Told through a series of stories about his personal experiences, Kenslow sheds light on the ways in which certain challenges have impacted his everyday life. The way his mind works is different, he says, and he has struggled with social and conversational skills, and poor eye contact. He explains that simple tasks take longer for him — like reading or organizing his thoughts — while remembering things like the president’s birth, term and death dates; the elements of the Periodic Table; and the books of the Bible come more easily.
Juggling the Issues: Living With Asperger’s Syndrome is an important read for anyone whose life has been touched by autism spectrum disorder. Kenslow’s insights aim to lend understanding, provide inspiration, and encourage readers to put aside differences and embrace the gifts that others have to share with the world.
“Behind the disability we have a heart and a mind; we have a calling and a purpose,” Kenslow added.
About the Author
Matthew Kenslow has grown up with a form of autism that was once referred to as Asperger’s syndrome. Life has been an adventure as he pieced together all of his surroundings amid both praises and taunts. His mission is to teach others from a firsthand perspective about how people with autism interpret things differently from the rest of the world. He feels he has been blessed with the gifts to juggle, play piano and recall facts about the American presidents, geography, science and mathematics. He juggles at elementary schools and encourages the students to never give up on their passions.
He has earned the Gold Medal of Achievement (which is equivalent to the rank of Eagle Scout) through Royal Rangers, a program he has been in since he was 5. Now, he is giving back to children and teenagers, teaching and mentoring them in a wide set of skills and knowledge. He graduated from Orange Coast College with an Associate of Science degree in Chemistry and with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry fromVanguard University of Southern California. He aspires to be a middle school math teacher. Recently, he earned a full math credential after student teaching Enhanced Mathematics at his former middle school, Ensign Intermediate School.Currently, he is going for a Master of Arts degree in Education at Vanguard University and is an employed substitute teacher for NMUSD, often being called by students as “the best sub” and begged by them to come back the next day or to sub for their class soon.
Follow Kenslow on Instagram (matthew_kenslow), Facebook (JugglingTheIssues), YouTube (@matthewkenslow722), Twitter (@matthewkenslow) and TikTok (@matthewkenslow).
Juggling the Issues: Living with Asperger’s Syndrome Publisher: River Birch Press ISBN-10: 1951561325 ISBN-13: 978-1951561321 Available from Amazon.com, BN.com and many other online retailers
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Reviews, photos, links to previous interviews and Q&As are available upon request.
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Who better to write a self-help book than someone who struggled to get it right, then finally discovered a path that truly worked? James Rosseau admits it wasn’t easy, but his persistence resulted in dramatic personal and professional success. Then he felt a need to share what he learned, which led him to write Success on Your Own Terms: 6 Promises to Fire Up Your Passion, Ignite Your Career and Create an Amazing Life.
“What I learned in going through challenges and encountering roadblocks and obstacles,” Rosseau said, “is that I have to be true to myself. These six promises are commitments that I’ve made to myself and mindfully put into practice in every situation that I’ve been in. My advice, from someone who has been there, is to make these six promises and keep them.”
While the book can be helpful for everyone, Rosseau says his target audience is young people, especially those who come from humble beginnings and find it difficult to see a way out. That isn’t too different from his own background.
“I want to be able to show people from the ’hood that you don’t have to be a rapper, play basketball or sell drugs to make it,” he said. “I wanted to go back into the old
neighborhood driving a Lexus, showing them that I achieved success in a
different way. But more importantly, I wanted to show people that it was achievable for them as well. I wanted to help people see their way out of what they probably considered the destiny they were stuck with.”
The six promises that helped propel Rosseau to success are (1) embrace your passion, (2) perform to progress versus perfection, (3) promote with purpose, (4) parlay your platform, (5) put it into action and (6) practice philanthropy.
The titles alone can only give you a glimpse at Rosseau’s path to success; he explains them all in detail in the book. Among the subjects he explores are how to dig up
long-buried dreams; why passion is essential for success (and how to find yours); what it means to “perform to progress,” rather than go for perfection; how helping others often equates to helping yourself; and why giving is so important.
James B. Rosseau, Sr., is the founder and CEO of The Corelink Solution, a nonprofit committed to empowering people to reach their potential. The organization delivers learning programs through that brand and faith-based media through the Holy Culture brand, through Holy Culture Radio on SiriusXM Channel 154. He brings 20-plus years of expertise in creating growth and driving transformation, leveraging his unique blend of revenue generation and business acumen with his ability to skillfully assemble and lead high-performing teams.
The link below is a TV interview with the author:
Success on Your Own Terms: 6 Promises to Fire Up Your Passion, Ignite Your Career and Create an Amazing Life. Publisher: The Corelink Solution ISBN-10: 0578445158 ISBN-13: 978-0578445151 Available from Amazon.com and anywhere books are sold.
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Reviews, photos, links to previous interviews and Q&As are available upon request.
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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.
Learn How to See the Good in the World, and Help Make America Sane Again
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A mindset that embraces rational thinking, perspective taking, and optimism can help society fight back against the rising tide of pessimism, posits Dr. Michael Adamse in his new book, Make America Sane Again: A Mental Health Expert Weighs In.
“Unless we get a collective grip on what is truly happening to us on a deeper psychological level, the shift away from individual and collective optimism is at risk,” Adamse wrote in the book’s introduction.
In Make America Sane Again, Adamse uses his background in philosophy and clinical psychology to tackle the critical topic of America’s mental health from two important — and completely nonpolitical — perspectives.
First, Adamse explores the myriad nationally scaled issues such as addiction, violence, loneliness, the double-edged sword of technology and other concerns that continue to undermine America’s mental health.
Then, after taking readers on a deep dive into the factors influencing the current mental health crisis, Adamse emphasizes personal responsibility and offers readers practical suggestions on how to address these challenging sources of stress and what they, as individuals, can do to contribute to America’s welfare.
Written in a conversational style, Make America Sane Again uses well established psychological principles to evaluate what is happening in this country on a deeper level and what readers can do to improve their own well-being, which, in turn, helps everyone.
“I think we should be aware and concerned about America’s mental health, but not panicked,” Adamse added. “Panic subverts rational thinking and simplifies complex issues into a primitive state of fear … The path forward is clear if we intelligently learn to manage the influences that work to distract us.”
With over 300 interviews across all media platforms, Dr. Adamse is able to speak on a wide range of psychological issues. Most recently, he has been asked to comment on the stress individuals are experiencing around current events, including the upcoming elections and inflation fears.
About the Author
Dr. Michael Adamse specializes in relationship issues and has practiced for over 40 years. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Miami after completing a pre-doctoral fellowship at Yale University. He also served as a Captain in the Medical Corps, U.S. Army Reserve.
He is also the author of Affairs of the Net, which represented a cutting-edge online relationship study; the inspirational novel Anniversary; and God’s Shrink.
For more information, please visit https://makeamericasaneagain.net/.
Make America Sane Again: A Mental Health Expert Weighs In Publisher: Inspired Forever Books ISBN 13: 978-1-948903-67-7 Available from https://www.amazon.com/dp/1948903679 and https://makeamericasaneagain.net/
Trish Stevens Alex Spencer 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
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
12 True Stories That Enable Discovery, Evoke Inspiration and Elevate Awareness
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“Liminal” means threshold, and thresholds are not just transitionary places; they are opportunities for discovery, awareness and choice, posits Sande Hart.
In her new book, The Liminal Odyssey, Hart invites readers to step into, not over, the thresholds of their daily lives to explore the transformative power of the space between crisis and action.
“Oftentimes, we simply step over the mundane or ignore what may seem meaningless, not realizing what gems these synchronicities and messages can actually reveal in our lives,” Hart says. “In this space, we can interpret and examine possibilities for creativity that help us move on from old problems, beliefs and myths of who we are.”
Combining true stories and lessons from Hart’s life with practical wisdom to inspire readers on their own journey, The Liminal Odyssey details how readers can alchemize their own lives. Hart outlines the 12 skills she deems foundational to such a journey, including the art of listening, forgiveness, grace, cultivation of synchronicities and trust. These skills, among others, provide the tools and lay the groundwork for a paradigm shift, allowing readers to explore the gifts that exist in the everyday. A reimagining of Joseph Campbell’s framework of The Hero’s Journey, a liminal odyssey goes even further to explore life’s pauses, transforming an experience into an experiment.
The Liminal Odyssey incorporates philosophy, science, shared indigenous knowledge and psychology by some of the world’s most spiritually prolific leaders, authors, scientists and indigenous grandmothers. Hart has created a call-to-action for the current era, where a changing world is summoning a cultural shift.
As Hart states, “Imagine the outcome when we grow collectively by way of individual contribution into that cultural liminal space. It is crowd-sourcing change at its best and is the only way that is sustainable and resilient for this next era we are moving into, with or without us.”
Everyone has an abundance of stories waiting to be discovered. The Liminal Odyssey is where these stories can take us.
About Sande Hart Sande Hart is an award-winning leader in the fields of women’s empowerment and interfaith community building. She founded the women’s interfaith international grassroots organization S.A.R.A.H. (The Spiritual And Religious Alliance for Hope) the morning of 9/11, an instinct to gather women of diverse faiths to protect all that they consider sacred, now in its 20th year. She founded and served as director of Charter for Compassion’s Women and Girls sector, served as chair for the United Religions Initiative for North America and serves on the Women’s Task Force for The Parliament of World’s Religions.
Hart is also the founder of Compassionate California. She is currently being inducted into the Women’s Oral History Library of Claremont Colleges.
For more information, please visit https://www.liminalodyssey.com/.
The Liminal Odyssey: The Alchemical Power of The Spaces In-Between ISBN-13: 979-8812367336 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.
