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
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
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
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
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
Callista Gingrich announces the release of From Sea to Shining Sea (Regnery Kids), the fourth volume in her New York Times bestselling Ellis the Elephant series.
A patriotic American history introduction for young children, From Sea to Shining Sea follows an adorable elephant named Ellis in exploring the early years of the United States and the epic journey west into uncharted territory with Lewis and Clark. Charming rhymes and beautiful illustrations make the 50th reading as fun as the first, for children as well as adults!
In earlier books, Sweet Land of Liberty, Land of the Pilgrims’ Pride, and Yankee Doodle Dandy, Ellis, the time-traveling pachyderm, learns about pivotal moments that shaped America. Authored by Callista Gingrich and illustrated by Susan Arciero, From Sea to Shining Sea will delight those who want to know how brave Americans forged a growing nation and spread freedom from coast to coast.
Callista Gingrich is the president of Gingrich Productions. She and her husband, Newt─ a former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives─host and produce historical and public policy documentaries. Recent films include A City Upon A Hill, America at Risk, and Nine Days that Changed the World.
Mrs. Gingrich is also the co-author of Ronald Reagan: Rendezvous with Destiny. Her photography is featured in the New York Times bestseller Rediscovering God in America. An avid musician, she sings in the Choir of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. and plays French horn with the City of Fairfax Band in Fairfax, Virginia. She resides in McLean, Virginia with her husband, Newt Gingrich.
For more, please visit the website: www.EllisTheElephant.com
From Sea to Shining Sea Regnery Kids Available October 13, 2014 at independent and major book stores across the country including Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million and Amazon.com $14.99 ISBN-13: 978-1621572534
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Michael Taube, Washington Times: “Callista Gingrich has created one of the most impressive children’s book series in recent years. Her love for her country can be seen in every footstep Ellis takes in these three memorable volumes. As this small elephant discovers U.S. history, young children will never forget his great adventures.”
Kevin K: “Callista has found a great avenue to teach children about America. These books tell the unique history of our country and bring to life personalities and events in a way that is extremely appealing. This series is a gift to our children.”
John Longshore: “Delightful.…clear and easy to read and teaches history in a way a young child can understand and enjoy…educational at both the child and adult level. It is always good to be reminded of the facts of our nation’s history…”
Katie K.: “I love that Callista Gingrich has taken the time to write American history for children. I read these books to my nieces and nephews when we are together and they love to hear the story….it gives us a way to open up the conversation about the greatness of our America, and why we are here….a great gift to the younger generation…and you will ENJOY the time reading this book to them.”
BOOK TOUR:
Wednesday, October 22, 2014 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. BARNES AND NOBLE TUCSON/EASTSIDE 5130 E. BROADWAY TUCSON, AZ 85711 520-512-1166
Wednesday, October 22, 2014 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. BARNES AND NOBLE PIMA & SHEA SCOTTSDALE FIESTA SHOPPING CENTER 10500 N. 90th STREET SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85258 480-391-0048
Friday, October 24, 2014 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. DOYLESTOWN BOOKSHOP 16 S. MAIN STREET DOYLESTOWN, PA 18901 215-230-7610
Saturday, October 25, 2014 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE 1971 UNIVERSITY BLVD. LYNCHBURG, VA 24502 434-582-2316
Monday, October 27, 2014 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. BARNES AND NOBLE CREEKWALK VILLAGE 801 WEST 15th STREET SUITE E PLANO, TX 75075 972-422-3372
Tuesday, October 28, 2014 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. BLUE WILLOW BOOKSHOP 14532 MEMORIAL DRIVE HOUSTON, TX 77079
Wednesday, October 29, 2014 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. BARNES AND NOBLE OAK PARK MALL 11323 W. 95TH STREET OVERLAND PARK, KS 66214 913-492-8187
Wednesday, October 29, 2014 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. BARNES AND NOBLE 3055 SOUTH GLENSTONE SPRINGFIELD, MO 65804 417-885-0026
Monday, November 3, 2014 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. THE VENETIAN WATERFALL ATRIUM & GARDENS OF THE PALAZZO 3355 LAS VEGAS BLVD SOUTH LAS VEGAS, NV 89109 702-414-1000
Wednesday, November 5, 2014 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. BARNES AND NOBLE BETHESDA 4801 BETHESDA AVENUE BETHESDA, MD 20814 301-986-1761
