Ascot Media Group Blog
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Rescuing An Abused Or Neglected Dog Comes With A Reward – A Lifetime Of Unconditional Love

Dallas, TX, – Diane Pomerance will be the first to tell you that she and her husband didn’t set out to save or rescue dogs but the dogs ‘found’ them. In her latest book, Our Rescue Dog Family Album (Polaire Entertainment Group, Inc.), the love she has for these neglected, injured or abandoned animals is conveyed through every heartwarming story of 45 rescued dogs that were given the chance to replace pain and despair with joy, hope and contentment.

The author of seven books about all aspects of living with and caring for animals and for sharing life with a special pet, Dr. Pomerance’s most recent book Our Rescue Dog Family Album is a memorable tribute and collection of heartwarming stories and beautiful color photographs of the lives of 45 dogs they had rescued and adopted over the past several decades.

In addition to this wonderful compilation of stories, Dr. Pomerance previously wrote six books in The Animal Companion Series that cover the gamut for every imaginable scenario for pet owners; from adopting the right animal companion and caring for aging animals, to helping cope with the loss of a beloved pet. She is also the narrator of her books on audio CD’s and a description of all of her books and CDs can be viewed. They can be purchased on her website at www.aimalcompanionsandtheirpeople.com, amazon.com, etc.

These books are a must read for animal lovers and anyone who owns or is contemplating getting one. They belong in any pet lover’s library and have great appeal to readers of all ages. In fact, these books make a wonderful Holiday gift for any animal lovers in your life. They illustrate how pets interact in every part of our daily lives and how they are not only our best friends, but they provide us with limitless emotional and spiritual benefits. In fact, the calming and soothing effect they have on people is just one reason they are used in nursing homes, in children’s hospitals, helping with autistic children – and even in prisons.

Where else but from our pets can we get such unconditional love and loyalty? They let us just be ourselves without pretense or affectation and don’t even care if we have brushed our teeth or if we’re clean or dirty – they love us just because we’re us!

Dr. Pomerance and her books have been featured on CNN Headline News, Fox News, Lifetime TV, Montel Williams and The Daily Buzz, as well as in countless radio interviews and numerous newspaper and magazine articles. Diane Pomerance has a Ph.D. in Communications and is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist who counsels those grieving from any loss, but particularly those mourning the loss of a beloved pet.

This benevolent husband and wife team admit there is often a great deal of pain, hard work and sadness involved with these animals, nonetheless, they feel it’s always a privilege to be a part of their journey by providing the necessary love and care to give these wonderful dogs a chance at a new life. 

In Our Rescue Dog Family Album, the Pomerances’ pay homage to the many dogs who have shared their lives over the past decade; some who have stayed to become cherished members of their own ever-expanding family, as well as those who have moved on to find new families. They believe the gifts these dogs brought them are beyond measure and the life lessons they have taught are invaluable. The gratitude, innate wisdom and unconditional love from these animals brings profound joy to every life they touch.

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TIP SHEET:

Seattlepi books: “If ever a book was appropriately named, Our Rescue Dog Family Album is the book. Details of over forty dogs that were rescued … are shared, along with scores of pictures of these lucky canines.  What Pomerance – and anyone who has ever rescued a dog — knows is that once you rescue an animal, you have a devoted friend, ‘til death do you part.  (Her) …books for dog owners and prospective owners, covering topics that include the death of a pet, adopting the right companion, older animals, and the roles companion animals play in the lives of the humans with whom they live.
People who read (it)…will be charmed by the histories of these dogs that no one wanted…from puppy mills (boo! hiss!), others were abused and abandoned, and still others share unknown backgrounds… (she) draws the reader in with her obvious respect for her furry family. Filled with irresistible photos and enchanting stories of improved lives… (It) makes a lovely gift for any dog lover or wannabe-dog-owner, and should be found in the waiting rooms of veterinarians across the world. Maybe it will inspire others to adopt a shelter dog…or two…or three…”

DogTipper.com: “Our family has included a number of rescue dogs over the years…all but one came to us from shelters or by being dumped near our country home.  We …were immediately impressed by Dr. Pomerance’s Our Rescue Dog Family Album…being a nationally-recognized pet expert who works with several organizations including the SPCA of Texas, K-9 Friends Visiting Therapy Dogs of GTDOG, and Alaskan Malamute Assistance League.  (It)… documents some of the many dogs who have been adopted into her loving home…is an entertaining book, enhanced with color photos of her pets and details of…day-by-day efforts to save as many distressed dogs as possible. Their gradual introduction and integration into the lives of abandoned and mistreated pets is an inspiring journey. The Pomerances’ inspiring story is a quick read but will long linger in the hearts of all dog lovers.”

 

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How to Get Firmer, More Youthful Looking Buttocks in Just Two Quick Visits To The Doctor

Quick, Painless Procedure Can Re-Align Derriere in Less Than 45 Minutes

Dallas, Texas, – A stitch in time can re-align. At least, that’s the concept behind a new minimally-invasive cosmetic procedure to lift and shape the buttocks called the Brazilian Thread-Lift.

“I’ve never seen anything this quick and this dramatic,” says Dr. Bill Johnson at Innovations Medical in Dallas. “After two simple, 45-minute procedures using only local anesthetic, a patient can completely re-shape her backside.”

During the first visit, while under local anesthesia, the patient has several specifically-designed sutures or plastic threads strung under the skin and across each buttock. The entire procedure takes less than an hour. The threads have a series of thin knots covered by tiny cones which can be placed easily and with minimal discomfort. The cones create small fibrotic areas that function like little ligaments. After three months, the patient returns for an equally-brief follow-up visit, during which the physician gently tightens each thread, providing a smooth, even lift.

Women achieve more shapely buttocks with minimal scarring or discomfort. Patients are advised to avoid strenuous activity for no more than a week, after which time they can return to their normal activities.

“Most women today tell me they don’t want implants,” says Dr Johnson. “Especially down there.”

The Brazilian Thread Lift can, however, be combined with several other elective procedures, to include Liposuction, body contouring and fat transfer.

Dr Bill Johnson is the only physician outside of California and New York to be offering the procedure. Access is limited because it is a unique, new procedure.

Visit Dr. Johnson’s website at: www.innovationsmedical.com.

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For more information, contact:
Jeff Brady
Brady Media Group
214.265.5670 or 972.764.3541
[email protected]

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How To Bring Sex And Intimacy Back Into A Woman’s Relationship After Cancer

Potomac, MD,  – Intimacy and sexuality are often damaged by cancer treatment. The Lovin’ Ain’t Over for Women with Cancer (CIACT, Inc. Publishing) by Barbara and Ralph Alterowitz, is a practical guide to help a woman overcome sexual difficulties after treatment, bringing hope to couples that they can reclaim intimacy.

The authors discuss the effects that cancer therapies have on a woman’s body and sexual function and offer information on aids and medications, practical suggestions and examples from more than 100 women who have experienced female cancer, with recommendations from top sexual health professionals.

The Lovin’ Ain’t Over for Women with Cancer starts a woman off with the four-step AIDA system for reviving her sense of self after breast and other cancers. The book goes on to provide a roadmap that includes how to communicate, getting emotionally and sexually reacquainted with the partner, and having sensual sex. It breaks down the problems and describes solutions so that every woman can tailor her approach.

Clear cut and straightforward in its style and easy to read, this book encourages readers to take the action to make their sex lives as vibrant, vital and fulfilling as they want it to be. The Lovin’ Ain’t Over is helpful for patients, but also for their partners and for medical and mental health professionals working with cancer patients.

The book is written by an internationally-recognized, husband and wife sex counselor team that works with cancer patients and their partners to strengthen their intimacy and sexuality, and has experienced cancer in their own marriage. Barbara and Ralph Alterowitz are certified by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT). They are the founders of The Center for Intimacy After Cancer Therapy – a non-profit organization dedicated to helping couples renew intimacy after treatment. They have written Intimacy with Impotence and other books and articles about cancer and sexuality, contributed to the professional reference guide “Sexual Health”, and are sought-after speakers at cancer support groups and conferences to educate patients and the medical community on dealing with the sexual effects of cancer treatments.

Please check out their informative website at: www.renewintimacy.org.

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TIP SHEET:

Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former U.S. Surgeon General, wrote the foreword for the book: “A cancer diagnosis may be received by a woman of any age, in and out of a relationship, and in any sort of relationship. Whoever you are and no matter what your situation may be, you will be able to find yourself in this book…can be viewed as a guide to better living through making informed choices regarding your relationships as well as by maneuvering some of the choices during treatment.”

Reviews from Amazon readers:

Kansas: “Ralph and Barbara Alterowitz …have authored yet another outstanding book recognizing the intimacy issues experienced by women dealing with cancer…I have recommended this book to several cancer support lists as well as a multitude of Medical Oncologists, Urologists, and Radiation Oncologists, and most certainly recommend it to women dealing with such issues as well as organizations who provide support to women with cancer.”

Florida: “…an inspiring resource for anyone who has experienced a serious illness in a relationship. Lovemaking tends to be a delicate issue for most couples, even when they are healthy. For a woman with cancer, physiological changes and psychological shifts add an extra challenge. Ralph and Barbara Alterowitz offer wise council and practical solutions to shows that of course there can be sex after illness!”

California: “This book has something for everyone—from psychological to pharmacological and most everything in between. Whether you are a cancer survivor or a friend or relative of one, you will find solid advice in this comprehensive book. The authors write with knowledge and compassion based on inputs from many women who have successfully survived the disease and gone on to live fulfilling lives.”

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How To End Negative Self-Talk And Take Life To A Whole New Level

New York/Pennsylvania. – Meet the dynamic duo! Politics might make for strange bedfellows, but the literary world is also capable of pairing some unusual bunkmates to produce powerful results. Noted author, and rabbinical leader Dr. Abraham Twerski, an Orthodox Jew; and, Tom Gagliano, whose roots are Italian Catholic and who is a high profile leader and successful entrepreneur in the field of addiction and self-help therapy, have joined forces to create this book, “The Problem was Me”(Gentle Path Press). Tom Gagliano and Abraham Twerksi inspire readers to silence their inner voice of self-doubt and fear and begin living proactive, satisfying lives.

Tom Gagliano has developed unique methods and procedures that have been embraced by doctors, institutions and patients to help individuals deal with their childhood wounds. Besides his valuable psychological insight from his life experiences, Tom holds a Master’s degree in social work from Rutgers University.

Besides helping those with destructive behaviors, this book will also bring an understanding to many of us with loved ones who act in ways where they sabotage their own happiness when it comes their way. Also this book will provide some with a blueprint, a blueprint to give our children the healthy messages that may have been denied to many of us. 

To learn more about Tom Gagliano’s book, visit:  http://thomasgagliano.com or to find out more about the book and/or to book an interview with the author or discuss a review, please contact me at: [email protected]

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TIP SHEET:

Publishers Weekly Review: “Gagliano …presents a method of stopping the negative thoughts and self-destructive behaviors that might appeal to sufferers of substance abuse and poor impulse control…Gagliano calls his negative voice ‘the warden’ and shares how it impacted his adult life. He presents the idea, backed by a quote from Twerski, that these voices stem from negative messages received during childhood…and illustrates his theories with traumatic childhood anecdotes, some from people identified as his clients. The section on how to conduct a written inventory gives readers a tangible tool to move toward recovery. The book provides a hopeful message on how parents can help their children avoid these pitfalls and how readers can include forgiveness and a spiritual power in their lives.”

Counselor Magazine: “…This book is certainly very suitable for those who are battling addictions since, as the author points out, ‘some addicts who have been sober for a long time may continue to lead tormented, angry lives.’ …However, it should not be written off as a book simply for those who are suffering addiction as it has a much broader application …and could be helpful to anyone who wants to break the cycle of self-defeating thoughts and self-destructive behaviors.”

 

 

 

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The Case for the Only Child: Your Essential Guide by Susan Newman, Ph.D., author of Psychology Today’s “Singletons” Blog

Family life in America has changed drastically over the last few decades. With forty being the new twenty for women starting a family, it indicates they are no longer prepared to risk their biological clock ticking away while waiting for Mr. Right to come along! While we have all been brainwashed at some point into believing the ideal family has two children, the trend toward one-child families throughout the world is unmistakable.

When social psychologist Susan Newman first published Parenting the Only Child with Random House twenty years ago she was clearly ahead of her time. Here we are now in this new decade where the single child is the fastest growing family unit due to either the rise in the cost of living, the necessity of two-family incomes, older first-time parents, or all three. These and other statistics are discussed and explored in Susan’s latest book, The Case for the Only Child (HCI Books – $14.95).

While people think they know how many children they want, they are rocked into reality by costs, infertility problems, job constraints, or being told they are selfish if they don’t have a second child.  As more women and men, by choice or circumstance, keep their families small, the pressures and questions remain:

• What’s really wrong with having one child?
• Is one enough for you? For your partner?
• What constitutes a complete, happy family?
• Will your only child be lonely, spoiled, bossy, or selfish?

The pervasiveness of only-child folklore masquerading as fact implored Dr. Newman to set the record straight about what research really says about having and being an only child while offering the latest findings about the long-term effects of being raised as a singleton.

Being the one to open the dialogue about only children, Dr. Newman was fascinated by the response from both sides of the debate. In The Case for the Only Child, she discusses the pros and cons of a larger family and walks parents (and future parents) through the long list of facts:

• 41% of newborns are born to women over 35
• Five times more people adopt one child as adopt two
• Over 70 percent of women with children work
• It costs approximately $286,000, not including college, to raise a child today 

And asks the questions:

• Why the increase in one-child families? (Starting families later; the stress of needing to work; infertility; divorce; more single parents; step families, and more.)
• Can we afford another child? Physically? Emotionally?  Financially?
• How do children affect women’s employment? The Motherhood Penalty is 5 percent per child…larger in some fields.
• The unspoken truth about siblings—does your child need one?
• How will the only child fare in the future—without parents and siblings to lean on?
• What will the 21st Century family look like?
The time is right to discuss a new definition of family and the emerging type of nuclear family—one that consists of a solo child, what Dr. Newman calls and is fast becoming The New Traditional Family. The Case for the Only Child guides parents with one child and parents-to-be through the process of determining what they want so they can feel confident and happy with their decision—whatever it may be.

About The Author:
Susan Newman, Ph.D., social psychologist and parenting expert has written 15 books in the family relationship field. She has appeared on 20/20, GMA, The Today Show, and many other television news and radio shows discussing family life and parenting. She is the parent to four stepchildren, the mother of one son, and has a sibling with whom she has an excellent relationship. In other words, her approach to this topic is objective and grounded in decades of research. She lives in New Jersey. You can visit Dr. Newman’s website: www.susannewmanphd.com

THE CASE FOR THE ONLY CHILD
Your Essential Guide
Susan Newman, Ph.D.
Author of Psychology Today’s “Singletons” blog
ISBN: 0-7573-1551-0
 
$14.95
June/July 2011
 

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SIXTY AND UP: AGING ATHLETE KEEPS CLIMBING

“Old age ain’t no place for sissies,” H. L. Mencken declared. It’s especially true the way Marshall Ulrich does it.

This July, to celebrate his 60th birthday, Ulrich will climb two deadly mountains in the same week — right after he finishes running 146 miles across the hottest place on earth.

During the climbs, he and his fellow mountaineers will be roped in, but the best insurances against plummeting off Mount Eiger (13,025 feet) and the Matterhorn (14,692 feet) are strength and experience, both of which Ulrich has in legendary measure. He’ll need them: the Eiger has earned the nicknames “the Ogre” and Mordwand (German: “death wall”) because more than 60 people have perished while trying to scale the north face since 1935. The Matterhorn has claimed even more lives: 500 since it was first climbed in 1865. This fact just makes Ulrich all the more eager to conquer them. 

But this is not the first time he has thumbed his nose at advancing age:

• In 2008, when he was 57 years old, Ulrich ran 3,063 miles (the equivalent of 117 back-
 to-back marathons) across the United States, breaking records set by men more than 15
 years his junior.

• Four years earlier, he had ascended Mount Everest.

• To mark his 50th birthday in 2001, he had run across Death Valley four times in a row for  a total of nearly 600 miles, crossing the scorching desert and going up and down Mount
 Whitney in order to raise money for orphans.

This time he will run the Death Valley route just once as his warm-up to the Alps climbs. The infamous Badwater Ultramarathon, dubbed by National Geographic as the toughest footrace in the world, accounts for the first 135 miles but then Ulrich, a 4-time winner and 16-time finisher in this race, never stops at the finish line. He always runs up Mount Whitney and back to make it 146 miles, just because … well, just because.

Earlier this year, Ulrich debuted his memoir, Running On Empty: An Ultramarathoner’s Story of Love, Loss, and a Record-Setting Run Across America (Avery; $26). He is frequently asked why he waited so long to write it because his athletic accomplishments warranted examination sooner than this, readers say. Ulrich responds that he is glad he waited, as this book is richer and more reflective than one he might have written as a younger man. “Before, I didn’t feel qualified to speak with authority,” he admits, though most would argue the point. “Finally, I felt comfortable to write about something more than sport, to communicate some valuable lessons I’ve learned about living.”

It is also because an important element in the book is a recounting of how Ulrich met his wife late in life and how she taught him to love again after great personal tragedy. He credits her not only with helping him to become a better man but also with being essential to his completing this epic, record-setting transcontinental run.

Ulrich has been competing in extreme endurance sports for nearly three decades, but he didn’t start his athletic career in high school as did most peak performers. It wasn’t until his thirties that Ulrich discovered his formidable talent for ultrarunning and set records on some of the world’s toughest courses. In his forties, he became an innovator in the sport, finishing feats of endurance no one had accomplished before and many of which no one will ever attempt to beat. And then he diversified into adventure racing, taking on multi-day team events requiring a combination of such skills as long-distance trail running, ocean paddling, mountain biking, and (on occasion) camel riding.

As he entered his fifties, he was hailed by Trail Runner magazine as one of the legends of the trail; Outside crowned him “Endurance King,” and Adventure Sports highlighted him as an athlete “Over Fifty and Kicking Your Butt.” That’s when he started climbing and went to the top of the highest mountains on every continent, reaching all seven summits on his first attempts.

So Running On Empty is both a love story and a thrilling look into the life of someone who has accomplished more than most people can comprehend–and who continues to take on new challenges to show that the human body and the will to endure are miraculous indeed. For Ulrich, there are no such things as “too old,” “too far,” or “too difficult.”

For a closer look at the life of this extraordinary man, please visit his website at: www.MarshallUlrich.com.

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TIP SHEET:

Dean Karnazes, acclaimed endurance athlete and bestselling author of Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner: “Marshall is The Man. Definitively. His run across America at the age of 57 sealed that distinction forever. He’s living proof that endurance never sleeps, never gets old, never tires. Nothing can stop him, and that gives us all hope, gives us resolve to keep trying.”

Aron Ralston, author of Between a Rock and a Hard Place and subject of 127 Hours: “Usually, graceful would be applied to a runner’s form. With Marshall Ulrich, it’s even more apt a descriptor of his spirit, his soul, which he generously shares with us in Running on Empty. Tempting as it might also be to describe him as superhuman, Marshall has fallen and struggled and risen and struggled some more. His story, therefore, is ours, and whatever one might admire in him is also, therefore, in each of us.”

Mark Burnett, Emmy-award winning producer of Survivor, Eco-Challenge, The Apprentice, and Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? “Marshall and I go way back to the first Eco-Challenge in 1995. An athlete of astonishing grit both then and now, he never fails to push the limits of his sport, no matter what extreme endurance event he’s chosen. Running on Empty tells the story of Marshall’s greatest test: reading it, you get a sense of how tough this man is, but there’s also a bit of Everyman in Marsh.  He’s an inspiration to all of us.”

 

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Unstoppable in Stilettos – A Girl’s Guide to Living Tall in a Small World

Ascot Media Group (Press Release) – New York, NY, May 29, 2011 – Standing 4 feet, 2 inches tall in flats (which she would never be caught dead in anyway), Lauren Ruotolo’s preferred method of transportation is her stiletto heels, and she utilizes them to do everything from hailing cabs in mid-town Manhattan to traipsing along the streets of exotic, ancient places like Greece and Turkey. But how does a girl with a rare genetic disease, McCune-Albright Syndrome, who was originally predicted to live a wheelchair-bound existence become so adventurous, self-assured, successful, and . . . unflappable?

Instead of being hovered over by enabling parents, Lauren tells us in her new book, Unstoppable in Stilettos: A Girl’s Guide to Living Tall in a Small World (HCI Books — $14.95 – October 2010), she was treated the same as her fully-able siblings and subsequently became the role model big sister to them (and landed a hot boyfriend, to boot!). Truly unstoppable, she rose to become Director of Entertainment Promotions for Hearst Magazines.

Lauren Ruotolo avoided the label of “disabled” through uniquely discovering who she really is and thus avoiding playing the label game. The little girl with the big voice, Ruotolo is a combination of roaring personality, great mind, and humble soul, with a heart bigger than any shoe closet of Carrie Bradshaw. Part of that heart fills this book, as Ruotolo offers the entertaining evolution of a little girl in a big world to living tall in a small one, with advice and encouragement for any woman of any age who is still finding her way.

About the Author:

Lauren Ruotolo is the Director of Entertainment Promotions at Hearst Magazines in New York City, where she is responsible for developing strategic key partnerships with TV & cable networks, music labels, and movie studios. She recently helped produce E!’s Style Network show about the inner workings at Marie Claire fashion magazine and is working on three one-hour specials with Scripps Networks for Esquire and The Food Network & Good Housekeeping magazine.  Lauren joined Hearst Magazines from TV Guide Magazine, where she was the Director of Consumer Marketing & Promotions and created the first ever U.S. newsstand promotion with a CD on the cover featuring Elvis Presley.

Ruotolo’s first-person essay “Get Shorty,” shared her philosophies on living with the rare genetic disorder McCune-Albright syndrome, was published in Marie Claire magazine in 2009, and was one of the most-responded to articles in Marie Claire. Currently Lauren just published her first book titled “Unstoppable in Stilettos—A girls guide to living tall in a small world.” In this book Ruotolo discusses her struggles and achievements  growing up as a disabled person plus offers her advice on life known as “Lauren Lesson’s” on how to achieve everything you want in life even when life throws lemons at you.

Ruotolo has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated television shows as The Nate Berkus Show & Wendy Williams and was on Oprah’s book list for the top ten titles to pick up in 2011, plus has been interviewed on many local news broadcasts promoting her message of empowerment.  Besides writing and working full time Lauren is on the advisory board of Glamour Gals, Love Our Children USA, and is an active member in the NY chapter of Women in Communications and Step Up for Women. She currently lives in NYC with her long time boyfriend Nelson.

Visit Lauren on Facebook, follow her on Twitter (laurenjaenyc), or log onto www.laurenruotolo.com

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