My journey as an immigrant to the United States started in 1988 with my husband, my dreams, aspiration and hope. We adapted to the American way of life and was able to build our American dream.
Our American born children, Moustafa and Dena, have incorporated their heritage with American culture and are committed to education and helping others in the community.
Upon arrival to the United States, I worked as a waitress while pursuing my degree. In 1992, I obtained my master’s degree in nursing and began my career as a nurse practitioner.
We all share different challenges. The important thing is to never give up. Persistence is a great quality and one that we should all look to acquire.
In 2013, I wrote two books on leadership and empowerment while pursuing my Doctoral degree.
In 2015, I faced a real test of courage, I felt betrayed from within—I was diagnosed with cancer. I know that we all have struggles that we want to face on our own behind closed doors; we feel that if people were to discover them, we would be vulnerable and never looked at the same way.
I finally mastered the courage to stand before everyone and share my daily struggles. While doing chemotherapy, I attended classes for my doctorate and worked part-time.
I would be lying if I said I woke up every day feeling positive. However, I pushed through because that was the only option I had. I pursued the things that fulfilled my mind and wellbeing.
Non-Fiction / Self-Help / Eating Disorders & Body Image
Date Published: January 15, 2020
Publisher: CS Publishing Ltd.
For 40-plus years the author battled with attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that are commonly labeled as symptoms of three psychological disorders: muscle dysmorphia, orthorexia, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). The consequences were grave. This book explains Stuart’s struggles and self-inquiry, and then describes the five elements of his psychological healing. Each element helped him, but their synergism profoundly improved his mental health, his relationships, his physical health, and his overall life. This book isn’t targeted only at male bodybuilders and other exercise enthusiasts. The great difficulties Stuart dealt with are experienced by millions of men and women who struggle with their body-image and/or eating, and/or who are tormented by perfectionism or workaholism. His success story may inspire any of those people to start their own self-inquiries that lead to their own success stories.
About the Author
Stuart has had around 1,000 articles published in print magazines. He wrote a monthly column for the UK’s leading bodybuilding magazine for 22 consecutive years. He also authored several acclaimed books including BEYOND BRAWN and BUILD MUSCLE LOSE FAT LOOK GREAT, and published his own magazine for 15 years. But his success as a writer was born out of his efforts to survive the profound struggles he had because of his psychological challenges, which resulted in suffocating distress.
Branden LaNette came to me through a tour company.
Author Bio
Branden
LaNette doesn’t look like a typical author but she has long ignored what she
“should” do, say and look like. On her own at a very young age, Branden
eventually found herself with the wrong guy, the wrong job, and a bleak future.
The fairytale she was promised as a child never materialized.
Finally,
Branden decided that she wanted something different for her life, and realized
no one was going to do it for her. Prince charming wasn’t coming to save
her—she’d have to save herself.
Step
by step, decision by decision, through major trials and tribulations that would
stop most people in their tracks, Branden learned how to turn heartbreak into
happiness and self-judgement into inner joy.
Today,
Branden LaNette is an entrepreneur, coach, speaker, wife, and stay-at-home Mom
to six C-section babies (ages 1-16) and way too many f-ing pets. Somehow,
however, she manages to juggle all of this effortlessly (a blatant lie) while
pushing her way through the kinds of fear and self-doubts that whisper within
all of us (totally true) to achieve her goals. Her most recent dream come true
is this book, one that is destined to have a major impact on millions of women
across the globe (or at least nine people in Michigan.)
Through it all, she has found her happiness, her joy, and more importantly, her voice.
Tell us about yourself. I am a wife, and a mom to six kids. I thrive on dreaming big ridiculous dreams, and I love spending time in a quiet room by myself. I’m a walking paradox. I’m always finding ways to grow and things to improve. I annoy my kids because there’s always a life lesson in every conversation. I also run my own business and have currently taken on the role as a published author, and I couldn’t love my life more. OK, I’m lying. I can give you a list of 1000 things that would make me love my life more and I’m chasing every damn one of them… my mind never turns off.
When did you know you wanted to be an author? Since grade school, teachers have put whispers in my ear about a natural talent I had for writing. It was a seed planted in me as a kid, a natural talent that I was born with. It hasn’t played out exactly like I thought it would, but I am excited to have a voice where it matters. Everything has worked out for me splendidly and I’m grateful for that. I am my happiest when I am creating something with words on paper.
What genres do you like to read? Are these the same genres you write in? Currently, the genre I’m published in, is definitely my current favorite read. My personal growth is so important. I am shaking off years of toxic beliefs and thoughts that had me restricted from growing. I used to thrive in make-believe and write fiction like crazy, but I think this came from not thinking it could be my reality. Now that I know truth is better than fiction, I’m obsessed. My second favorite, I’m definitely a sucker for vampires and werewolves. I don’t think that’s ever going to change. I wouldn’t ever write in that genre but it is definitely a great read. Stephen King also mesmerizes me. His mind is like nothing else that this universe has experienced.
Is your book for adults, young adults or children? I wrote this for adults, but a lot of moms with teenagers have expressed their children’s love for it. A little language never killed anyone, but it has made me feel like I probably need to release a book for teenagers, with maybe one with less F bombs. If they could skip through the years of bullshit I endured. Their life would get an incredible jumpstart on what it is to be happy and not give a f**k what anyone says or thinks. I am a mom that has homeschooled and experienced my kids being in public school. I have a lot to say about these subjects, so I think teens need me to step up for them.
What is your current release or project? Once Upon a Time, Bitches is my current release, I am incredibly grateful at the traction it has gained. 2020 will be the follow up of this book – and even bigger and better.
Tell us about the key characters There is no key character when it comes to my book, other than you. This is about you owning and taking responsibility for your life and then doing something to change it if you’re not happy. If you’re not joyful and content, this is your truth to discover.
What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?
My publisher wrote this so here it is!
That’s Branden on the cover. Yes she has a boy’s name, a Mom
bod, and her tattoos are not photoshopped. She doesn’t look like your typical
author and she sure doesn’t look like the next self-help Instagram sweetheart.
However, besides being a wife, mom to six kids (plus others with fur), coach
and business owner, Branden is the author of the new book, Once Upon a Time,
Bitches. It’s a fast paced, in your face, expletive laced, nothing held back
message to women everywhere: There is no magic fairytale, but if YOU work at it
enough you can come pretty close to creating your version with a happily ever
after. But first, no more whining and no more damsel locked in a tower,
bullsh*t. Is it possible to design a fairytale life? Control your destiny? Be
the hero in your story? Branden thinks there is and she wants to help
you.
Share an excerpt
Sometimes my dreams conflict with the needs of my family. I
need my sanctuary to let my mind create as it was meant to, which doesn’t
always match up with my husband’s schedule. While he is sound asleep at 8:30
each night, I’m blasting some random BoJack Horseman on Netflix and knocking out
word count in bed, wedged between a sleeping baby and cranky toddler. When he
wakes up, as the sun starts peaking over the horizon, I am closing my laptop
and finally falling asleep.
Dreams don’t require perfect circumstances to be achieved.
And as one of my mentors, John Maxwell, said: “Dreams don’t work unless you
do.”
I don’t complain. I just do the work.
And I don’t throw in the towel when things get tough. If I did, I’d be
throwing it in a hundred times per day.
“But you don’t understand, Branden—I’ve got
to work. I’ve got bills to pay. I’ve got a family. I’ve got obligations. I’ve
got to volunteer for the bake sale at my daughter’s school on Saturday. My back
is out. My car is in the shop. Someone stole my laptop. My boss wants me to
work the weekend. I’ve got this, I’ve got that. I’m stuck!”
Stuck? What do you mean, you’re stuck? You’re not a f-ing
tree. Your roots aren’t planted, bitch—unless you want them to be. Take
responsibility for where you are. Be mindful that it was all a choice, and if
you don’t like it, this is your do over.
Move your bitch ass, damnit!
If you think you were going to get to this point of the book
and I was going to start cutting you slack, you haven’t been paying attention.
Maybe that “I can’t do it” bullsh*t works on other people in your life. It
doesn’t work on me. I’ve been through too much and come through it to accept
bullsh*t excuses.
Do you have a favorite scene? The favorite part of my book, is the part where I encourage you to forgive the people that aren’t sorry… I have a lot of magic in these pages, but I feel like we have to free ourselves from the burden of the past to step into the future fully. The most powerful movement in my life was forgiving my mom. She’s never been sorry. It was freeing.
What advice would you give a beginner? My dearest beginners. You’re going to feel like quitting, no matter what you do. The magic comes from pressing on even through the hardest moments. The only time you can fail is if you quit.
Jamie Della and I connected through a mutual friend. She writes non-fiction.
Author bio
JAMIE DELLA has studied magick and spirituality from around the world for more than twenty years. As a practitioner of healing arts, she leads workshops and ritual retreats on earth-based spirituality. Jamie is the author of eight books, including The Book of Spells: The Magick of Witchcraft and The Wicca Cookbook (both available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or your local shop). She also writes the “Herbal Journeys” column in Witches & Pagans Magazine and several of her essays and articles have also been featured in online and print publications such as SageWoman Magazine, edible Institute, Rebelle Society, Manifest-Station, among others.
Tell us about yourself.
I am an
artist and a mother who seeks to find the truth and beauty through writing and
leading workshops of empowerment. I came of age as a proud Mexican during
the Feminist Movement and this has colored the way I see the world. It has
taken me a long time to understand that woman’s soft power is not weak, but at
the crux of all manifestation and creation. I love to write about the upwelling
of Divine Feminine power. When I’m not writing, I am either at my potter’s wheel, teaching at women’s retreats,
guiding Goddess rituals, backpacking, road-tripping, or hosting our AirBnB guests. Sometimes I sneak off to my hammock by the creek running
from the Eastern Sierra to the Quaking Aspen grove in the backyard.
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I have identified as a writer and storyteller since I was
7-years-old. I wrote stories of things I wanted to better understand, like
natural disasters and why some people run away while others stay. Sometimes I
would create a story through dialog and pictures and write them out like a movie
strip. I would paste the ends of paper onto pencils stuck into either end of a
shoebox. When I turned the pencils, the story would roll out like a movie. I’ve
kept a diary since I was eleven, which turned out to be my primary Muse for my
second book, The Teen Spell Book: Magick for Young Witches.
I became an author when I followed my heart to leave the
corporate world and study healing through massage and Reiki. While developing
my healing practice, I wrote stories in parable format for kids that I hoped to
one day place in Highlights Magazines and essays for literary, foodie,
and nature magazines. During this time, I found work with a literary agent as
her assistant and reader. Within two years of working with Julie Castiglia, an
editor contacted her looking for a writer for a Wicca cookbook. Julie suggested
I write the proposal, and now twenty years later, I have eight published books,
a blog and several published articles and essays.
What genres do you like to read? Are these the same genres you write in?
I alternate between self-help and spirituality books to
novels or memoirs with strong female characters. Through writing and reading, I enjoy exploring female characters who must
call upon courage and strength to fight social injustice, prejudice, tyrannical
relationships, or personal demons and limitations. I am interested in the
hidden figures from our collective past who have held together family and
community while fighting for creative expression, individuality, dignity and
equality.
Is your book for adults, young adults or children?
My latest book, The Book of Spells: The Magick of
Witchcraft, is for pre-teen through adulthood. Originally published as The
Teen Spell Book: Magick for Young Witches in 2001, The Book of Spells
was written as a learn-as-you-go magickal cookbook, with spells instead of
recipes, and magickal correspondence, such as moon phases and crystals, instead
of ingredients. For the updated The Book of Spells, I cut thirty spells
that are specific to teen life and added eight new spells based on the wisdom I
have gained in the last eighteen years, plus beefed up the first third of the
book that contains information on magickal correspondence and paths of
Witchcraft. All of my spells fortify the opposite virtue of feelings and
thoughts that contradict our original innocence, infallible lovability and Divinity
to co-create a world of our choosing. Most of these debilitating and isolating
feelings and thoughts began at the root of our individuality, when we were teens,
however, can continue to plague and undermine our success and happiness throughout
our lives until we address them head on. This is what makes my newest book a
perfect fit for people aged from 9-109.
What is your current release or project?
I am
currently promoting The Book of Spells: The Magick of Witchcraft. Meanwhile
I began a magical realism memoir, Walking Between Rooms, by writing every
day in November 2019 for NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. Walking
Between Rooms is based on twenty years of research into my family history
to address belonging, loyalty, class systems, and personal strength. Sometimes
I write fresh words and sometimes I incorporate excerpts from unpublished works
(a script, two novels and two memoirs) to weave together a story that spans 300
years.
What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?
The Book of Spellsis a detailed and comprehensive encyclopedia of magickal
correspondences with fifty spells designed to help readers uncover their
Divine essence, whether they are new to the Craft or advanced practitioners. In
this revised edition with new spells, Della’s voice is stunning and
radiates such calm as she guides readers through a variety of rituals and
visualizations including those for releasing negativity, increasing bliss,
healing a broken heart, and finding your Spirit guides.
Share an excerpt
The Book of Spells: The Magick of Witchcraft
excerpt used with permission by the author.
BLESSING YOUTHFUL
INNOCENSE
When
I began editing this book for its revival, I felt embarrassed about some of the
seemingly frivolous spells and my youthful, outrageously hopeful point of view.
I was just exiting my Saturn’s Return, a cosmic right of passage, and about to
experience the death of three parents, divorce, raising three teens alone, the
loss of career, and a wavering of my faith. Yet, I stand tall today because of
my youthful innocence and the wisdom I gained by going through Saturn’s Return.
Whereas Earth takes 365 days to
circle the sun, Saturn takes approximately 29 years to return to the same place in the sky that it occupied at the moment of
your birth. Saturn’s Return, which occurs between the ages of 27 through 33,
feels like the ground beneath you shifts, the things you relied upon lose their
value or disappear, and most everything you knew as a Truth (with a capital T)
changes entirely. It is a time to let go of trying to figure out anything and
allow the mystery to unravel and reveal itself to you. You will emerge new, and
stronger than before by learning to trust your inner guidance.
Saturn, also known
as Father Time, offers an invitation to have faith as you grow deeper into your
unique self. There is no point in rushing Saturn as He is the God of
agriculture and you cannot force a tree or your spirit to grow faster than what
is natural and right timing. Saturn represents faith, solitude,
self-discipline, and self-respect. He is not humored by indulgent whining about
being young and not knowing – the answers will come in time. He does not heed
self-recriminations of what you should have known – the past is gone and must
be accepted. It may sound harsh, but can you feel some relief in Saturn’s
restoration of your original and everlasting innocence?
On a Saturday, incidentally a day
that was named in honor of Saturn, a day for doing spells to release, set out
an indigo or black cloth. On the cloth, place a digital timer such as your
phone, black and blue stones or crystals, and a small dark bowl filled with
water. Burn copal incense. Take three deep breaths and clear your mind. Repeat
the chant:
Oh Saturn, Father God of Solitude
Grant me a forgiving attitude
To accept folly as timely sense
And bless my youthful innocence
Set the timer to your current age and
let it count down to zero. As each number passes, recall a moment from that age
and send your younger self the blessing of acceptance. Repeat the process as
many times as needed, coming up with new or difficult to forgive scenarios or
until you can’t come up with a new memory from your youngest age. I started
doing this at 15-years-old, using the microwave to count down. I believe its
one of the many reasons why and how I can step back into time and viscerally
recall what it felt like at varying ages to heal my emotional wounds with
repeated acceptance. I offer this gift
to you.
What advice would you give a beginner writer?
Just write. The hardest part is always getting started. Don’t
worry about writing to some unknown perfection. Writing is like peeling back
the layers of an onion to reveal your own unique spirit. If you are shy with
admitting truths to yourself, it may take awhile to find your voice. The writer’s
voice is the most important aspect of writing; more important to pace or dialog
or structure. To write your truth powerfully and clearly try daily journaling,
such as the beloved daily pages from the Artists Way. Spend some time exploring
your creativity without judgment – just pure expression.
My Mini-Mindest Manual is a must read A-Z guide for anyone who wants to know more about the power of mindset. This powerful little book is packed with simple tips, ideas and supportive words, to potentially turn your life around.
(Half of the authors royalties are donated to MIND charity)
My Back-To-Basics Business Bible is a must-read A-Z guide for anyone in need of a confidence-boost when setting up a business, becoming an entrepreneur, or building a start-up. Those early days in a new business can be a steep challenge, and in this powerful little pocket-book, fitness entrepreneur, Neeta Oza, shares an indispensable mini-guide to how she helps herself during times of doubt, and times of delight. A must-read that you can dip in and out of without taking up too much of your precious time, this little book will lift up everyone who needs some words of comfort and advice during the tumultuous early days of entrepreneurship. My Back-To- Basics Business Bible is packed with pearls of wisdom the author has learnt from many people, near and far. Starting her own fitness business changed Neeta’s life in many amazing ways, and she is constantly learning from this journey; all day, every day! Written as part of her own life journey, this powerful little book is packed with simple tips, ideas and supportive words, to potentially turn your life around. It is part of a Mini Mindset Series designed to help people at various stages of their lives, relationships and careers.
My Fun-Filled Fitness Folio is an inspirational A-Z guide to keeping fit by Yoga and Pilates instructor, and all-round health, fitness and wellbeing lover, Neeta Oza. This powerful little book offers tips and inspiration to keep newbies – through to fitness fanatics – on track, to keep life flowing during times of finesse and fireworks. Neeta Oza is a Yoga and Pilates instructor, blogger, writer, and all-round health, fitness and wellbeing lover, who started her fitness business in 2017. Written as part of her own life journey, this powerful little book is packed with simple tips, ideas and supportive words, for those who simply love fitness, to those who absolutely loathe it – but are prepared to give fitness a try! My Fun-Filled Fitness Folio is part of a best-selling Mini Mindset Series designed to help people at various stages of their lives, relationships and careers including My Mini Micro Mindset Manual (January 2019), My Back To Basics Business Bible (May 2019) and My Super-Compact Self-Care Script (December 2019).
My Super-Compact Self-Care Script is a must-read A-Z guide for anyone who needs a helping hand to learn self-care strategies for life. Self-care is not selfish, far from it, nor is it a millennial buzzword with no real meaning. Neeta Oza, fitness entrepreneur and author, has created this mini micro manual for anyone who understands they need to step-up their self-care skills in order to bring their best to their health, relationships, life and work.
This book is for anyone who wants to boost their wellbeing
through self-esteem, rest and relaxation, and time-out to help them feel more in control, balanced and happy…but could do with some friendly guidance as to how, what, where and when!
We can be the masters of looking after everyone else, but it can be more difficult to learn – and remember – to care for ourselves. Neeta shows small steps that can be adopted into daily life to take us on a lifetime journey towards self-care. Neeta’s latest mini manual offers practical and realistic suggestions that can be applied with ease to add a sprinkle of self-care to our lives.
Read alongside My Mini-Micro Mindset Manual (January 2019), My Back-To-Basics Business Bible (May 2019), My Fun- Filled Fitness Folio (September 2019), My Super-Compact Self-Care Script is a wonderful addition to this hugely popular series.
Neeta Oza is on a mission to show people that health and fitness is not something only available to those with buckets of money to throw around! This book series is for anyone passionate about making a change to their life, their wellbeing and their health.
Neeta is an EA, Yoga & Pilates Instructor, & Author. Her 1st book – ‘My Mini-Micro Mindset Manual’ came out in Jan 2019. 50% of her proceeds for MMMMM are going to MIND Charity. All 4 of her books are part of an A-Z Self-Help Series. She is hoping to inspire and be inspired through the powerful beauty of writing!
Do you want to stop dreading the future or reliving past disappointments?Thirty years ago, Gigi Langer was a prisoner of her worries who used alcohol, romance, and professional accomplishments to soothe her frayed nerves. When she stopped drinking, she began applying tools from therapy, recovery programs, scientific research, and a variety of philosophical and spiritual teachings to overcome her anxieties and stress.Worry Less Now offers four life strategies and 50 eclectic tools to dissolve the whispered lies of negative self-talk. Although many books address negative thinking, very few give the reader step-by-step directions on how to defeat it. Others simply advocate a single approach.With candor and humor, Langer describes a wide variety of strategies that helped her and others defeat dysfunctional relationships, perfectionism, addiction, and worry about loved ones. As an award-winning writer and professor, Langer skillfully shares compelling stories and exercises that empower readers to:-MANAGE life’s most difficult challenges with calm wisdom-CREATE relationships that blossom and thrive-FULFILL your dreams without limitations-SERVE others in their personal growthRegardless of the situation, you’ll be able to gain peace, clarity, and wisdom.
Gigi Langer holds a PhD in Psychological Studies in Education and an MA in Psychology, both from Stanford University. During her 25 years at Eastern Michigan University, she won several awards for her teaching, and (as Georgea M. Langer) wrote four books for educators.Before her doctoral studies, Gigi competed in show jumping, hitchhiked across Spain, and taught middle school French and Spanish (where she met and married her first husband).In her second marriage, she continued her adventures by studying and giving riding lessons in Hawaii and Germany. After moving to Michigan, Gigi married again and soon found herself facing a third divorce along with a growing alcohol and marijuana problem.Since then, Gigi has applied strategies from recovery, therapy, and a variety of scientific and spiritual approaches to overcome her addictions and self-defeating patterns. She’s now a pillar of the recovery community and an award-winning teacher educator and author. Gigi’s retreats, workshops, and presentations have helped thousands of people succeed in their work and personal lives.As a person in recovery, Gigi hasn’t had a drug or drink for 33 years, although she does occasionally overindulge in Ghirardelli chocolate and historical novels. She lives happily in Michigan with her fourth husband (of 30 years) and her cat, Murphy.
Robin Waters grew up in Southern California and left home early to get professional theatrical training and pursue her dream. In her early twenties, she found a new passion–holistic health–and shifted her focus to become a wellness educator.She currently lives in Canada where she stays busy writing, demonstrating how to cook healthy food, and leading workshops and women’s circles. She loves cuddling and reading out loud with her son and daughter. Now that they are older, she has returned to her first loves of narrating and performance. There is something magical about connecting with others through voice and sharing the human experience with good storytelling and characters. Partnering with Gigi to produce this book was a gift, as it was a beautiful combination of her two passions. She has spent a lifetime overcoming worry/anxiety, and finding herself through expression and connection. She hopes this audiobook brings you more inner peace and is a comfort on your journey toward a vibrant life.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Gigi Langer. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Q&A with Author Gigi Langer
Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
When I finished the paperback, I went to open a special checking account at the bank. I told the manager that I just published a book, and he asked, “Can I get the audiobook?” It became clear that I needed to do that. So I began studying the process about a year after the paperback was completed. I thought I’d narrate it myself—after all, I wrote it, and I give talks all the time about my suggestions to “worry less.” I thought it was a no-brainer.
Then I started reading about how to do it. I even got the proper equipment and learned how to use the audio editing software. When I recorded the preface, I thought, “Oh, my God!” I realized that although I have a pleasant voice, I am NOT a voice actor. If I did it myself, I’d need coaching on how to do it well. Also, I decided I didn’t want to spend over 20 hours recording, checking, editing, and polishing the audiobook. So, I went with ACX (see question 2).
How did you select your narrator?
ACX was so simple to use. I just created a sample for narrators to read, and they sent in their auditions. It became very clear that Robin Waters was heads and shoulders above the others. So we worked out a reasonable deal and started in April.
How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process?
Robin and I have become fast friends. We worked very closely as I turned each chapter into a “listening” version. I had to revise the many exercises and advise the reader to use the Companion PDF for their journaling, writing, and other notes.
Were there any real-life inspirations behind your writing?
YES! It’s about the tough experiences that led me to overcome worry and negative thinking. I got married in 1971 and taught Spanish and French near Denver. In 1973 I divorced my first husband and had a series of adventures with my second husband in Brazil, Hawaii, and Germany.
After dissolving that marriage, I spent four years at Stanford completing a PhD in Psychological Studies in Education. I got through it only by getting high every night. In 1982, I settled in Michigan with my third husband and began my 25-year stint teaching in Eastern Michigan University’s College of Education.
By 1984, I was deeply unhappy and escalated my use of marijuana and alcohol. After one particularly embarrassing episode, I went to a psychologist to find out why I couldn’t be happy. That began a long road of recovery, therapy, and a variety of other healing experiences. After 25 years, I retired and began writing “Worry Less Now’” where I explain practical tools I discovered to help me heal.
I’m now 33 years clean and sober and just celebrated 30 years of happy marriage with Peter, my fourth husband. PS: I don’t have any children because I couldn’t stay married long enough! Maybe this book counts!!
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what ignited your author’s flame?
My latest book began as a memoir chronicling my three short marriages, career as a professional horseback rider, and adventures hitchhiking across the north of Spain–all before I turned 38. My wise fourth husband (we just had our 30-year wedding anniversary!) suggested that, instead, I write a self-help book with “all those helpful things you say when you counsel people on the phone.” At that point, Worry Less Now was born. Throughout the six-year writing journey, the right people showed up at just the right time to make the book interesting, practical, attractive, and clear.
Who is your favorite singer?
Taylor Swift’s “Reputation” concert on Netflix. I find her songwriting so inspiring and real, but it’s her sincere, sassy and slightly gawky personality that endears her to me. I often work out to her music and find it totally energizing.
What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
I meditate before I write so I can get the inspiration and clarity to flow.
What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Don’t just get a friend to edit your work. Hire a professional, not just for line-editing, but also for structure and appeal.
Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
For non-fiction, pay close attention to how you change the wording so that it works for the listener.
The F-Word: A three letter word that carries the greatest impact to the
deepest void inside the soul…Fat there I said it.Just the word
alone makes every hurt, pain, failure or haunting memory rise to the
surface and food is the only thing that will quiet the storm.You
don’t have a problem with food! You have problems, issues,
behaviors and you go to food. There is a big difference!WEIGHT, What?
is the third release in the Now That’s Just Stupid, Inc. book
series. It’s a journey through real weight loss using regular,
every day foods only this time you will solve the issues and keep the
food. No one should tell you what to eat, what not to eat or how much
to eat. YOU know how to do that! What you don’t know is how to
solve the reasons why you overeat. Healthy foods and exercise didn’t
make you fat and they won’t make you thin UNTIL you face the
emotional issues underneath the weight. This book will show you how
to use your food to guide you toward your C.O.R.E. issues and take
the steps to solve them.
Author, Debra Taylor has battled obesity since childhood topping out at
almost 400 pounds before learning to manage her adiction to food. She
now holds a Masters of Science with an emphasis in Applied Behavioral
Analysis and a Ph.D. In Psychology, with an emphasis in addiction.
Her specialty is working with clients who struggle with behavioral or
emotional eating before, during and after their weight loss. She has
traveled nationally and internationally as a motivational speaker and
was Director over several hospital surgical and non-surgical weight
loss programs. While working with tousands of obese individuals she
designed the meaning behind food groups that explain and solve
emotional eating while teaching people to lose weight eating
regular every day foods.
Oct. 22nd:
