Join us for a Conversation with Author and Mental Health Advocate Linda Baron-Katz

Being an author is about so much more than enjoyment; it can be a vehicle for giving back and improving the lives of others. This is certainly how Linda Baron-Katz looks at it.

Linda, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a young adult, knows full well the struggles that those with mental illness face when trying to recover their health. She wrote her first book, Surviving Mental: My Story to help them know they are not alone, and for the past several years she has also served as a mental health advocate/peer counselor in her native Queens, New York. Her second book, Peter & Lisa: A Mental Illness Children's Story, was a collaborative effort with her husband, Charles. The book is designed to help kids, particularly those with a loved one suffering from mental illness, to understand that he/she is not "crazy," but has a disease as real as any physical ailment.

It was my pleasure to speak with Linda about her work and why she is so passionate about educating people about mental illness.

Click here to listen to the interview.

You can order these inspiring books on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

SAVING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY JUST GOT EASIER!

“So many people wish, too late, that they had saved the stories of their late parents and grandparents. I want to help prevent that situation for others,” says Nashville personal historian Deborah Wilbrink. The journalist and former English teacher has assisted over a dozen seniors in writing and publishing their memoirs. She’s now writing a book about saving one’s life story or family history, with chapters about the people she wrote with and songs she penned about family histories, magic moments in life and mementos that generate memories. Quilters from East Tennessee’s Rose Center Quilt Guild are providing some of the illustrations. Wilbrink is also writing songs!  

Her book and accompanying CD are titled Time To Tell: Your Personal & Family History. Wilbrink is serving tips to start writing one’s life story and importantly, motivating the readers with stories from seniors who have authored their own personal histories. The songs will trigger those ‘Oh, I remember!’ and ‘I should do that!’ reactions. Whether you just want to enjoy the music, read the stories, or… start writing or recording your own, that’s for you to decide!  

Using treasured mementos from the past to inspire a story is one tip Wilbrink writes about. A year ago she volunteered to lead Show and Tell events with seniors. She heard about earthquakes, emigration, equators, equal rights. Other stories surfacing featured a vaudeville act, a typesetter, even a kidnapping in a cotton field. Some of those stories are in Time to Tell and the song “Yesterday’s Trash, Today’s Treasure.”  

 She wants to have the book and CD out in time for Mother’s Day.  For more about Deborah see www.perfectmemoirs.com  Follow the project at  

https://www.facebook.com/TimeToTellbyDeborahWilbrink  

Join Us for a Conversation With Author and Weight Loss Specialist Zaheen Nanji

It was a great pleasure to speak once again with author, weight loss guru and life coach Zaheen Nanji. Zaheen, who owns the Shanti Wellness Centre in Canada, was on the show last year after contributing to the anthology, Unlock the Power of You: 12 Keys to Health, Happiness and Success. This time, she spoke about her own book, Attracting Your Ideal Weight: 8 Secrets of People Who Lose Weight and Keep it Off. The book is an outgrowth of her workshops on the same topic.
 
What makes Zaheen's approach to weight loss unique is that she explores the connection between our relationship with food and our relationship with life. "Ideal weight does not mean thin," she said, "it's the point at which you are comfortable in your skin and your clothes." It's also about being comfortable in their lives. Zaheen challenges her coaching clients to figure out, not only why they became overweight, but the hidden barriers to achieving weight loss success. They usually find they are carrying around limiting beliefs, often from childhood, that affect how they interact with their spouses, families, friends...and food.  

You don't have to be struggling with weight to get something out of this book. Its principals are rooted in psychology and universal laws and can help you improve any area of your life. Click here to listen to the podcast. 

In December, Zaheen is launching a six-week home study course to go with the book. And in January, she will host an online weight loss training. Also six weeks, this group coaching class includes a  phone call each week to keep everyone on track. One-on-one coaching is also available for those who prefer it. The class will hold only ten people, so sign up soon!


Attracting Your Ideal Weight: 8 Secrets of People Who Lose Weight and Keep it Off is currently available as an e-book on Amazon and iBooks. The print book, which includes a workbook, is available at www.attractyouridealweight.com  or at the Shanti Wellness Centre.  You can also connect with Zaheen on Facebook and Twitter.

Join Us for a Conversation with Novelist Belinda Tors

Some of the best books tackle the toughest topics. In the case of Belinda Tors' new novel, Letting Go, it is the scourge of domestic violence. Letting Go is a moving and realistic account of what a woman goes through, not only during an abusive marriage, but after she leaves.  

Belinda Tors is a retired social worker and journalist who has published widely in newspapers and literary journals. Under the name Barbara Fifield, she is the author of two women’s novels, Photographs and Memories and Lucifer Rising, and a self-illustrated book of poetry, Passion’s Evidence. She is a member of several writing groups, including the Florida Writers’ Association, the Tomoka Poets, and the Ormond Beach Writers’ League. She resides in Port Orange, Florida. 

Tune into the WITS podcast this Friday to hear Belinda discuss her passion for writing, her creative process, and her own struggle to rebuild her life after leaving a violent relationship. 

Click here to read my review of Letting Go. 

Join Us for a Conversation with Author and Animal Activist, Chris Hammer

They say it only takes one person to change the world. In Chris Hammer's case, it only took one animal, a beautiful, blind pit bull named Irving. When Chris, a lifelong animal lover, set about finding Irving a home, she discovered a lack of services for abandoned senior and special needs animals. That was the inspiration for Irving House Animal Sanctuary, the organization Chris founded four years ago to save these precious creatures from almost certain death.

Chris has another passion--writing--and she ties these two loves together in her wonderfully crafted books. Today, Chris joined the WITS podcast to discuss her latest, Family Can Be Murder. It is a fast-paced mystery with plenty of intrigue, humor, and of course, a dog. Fred, the smart, funny Chihuahua, steals so many scenes that he'll undoubtedly return in the next installment of the Dysorganized Crime Series.

Her first book, Bixby's Canine Capers, is a collection of short stories chronicling the adventures of an equally feisty beagle, including the internationally acclaimed, Bixby and the Wolf.

Click here to listen to the podcast


Like what you heard? Family Can Be Murder is available on Amazon, Goodreads, Kobo, and through the publisher, The Fine Line Editorial Consultancy. You can also order Chris' books and learn more about her work with animals at www.irvinghouse.org.

This Week's Podcast Guest: Zaheen Nanji

Join us this week as Zaheen Nanji discusses Unlock the Power of YOU: 12 Keys to Health, Happiness & Success. The book is a powerful anthology written by Nanji and eleven other self-improvement experts from across the U.S. and Canada. Nanji's chapter, entitled How to Attract Your Ideal Weight, focuses on looking past surface issues around weight to reveal our authentic, healthier selves.

 Nanji's method centers on the Law of Attraction, of which she is a certified facilitator. However her expertise extends far beyond weight loss. She is also a motivational speaker and owner of the Shanti Wellness Centre in Alberta, Canada. The Centre offers a wide range of self-improvement services, from yoga and karate to hypnotherapy and coaching.

She also hosts the radio show, Fat to Thin  and has created a series of YouTube videos to help people struggling to overcome their weight issues.

For more information on Zaheen's work, visit  www.zaheennanji.com or www.shantiwellnesscentre.com and tune into the WITS podcast!

Tune into Our Chat With Author Sherri Starr

Do you ever get tired of searching for "the One"? Constantly updating your online dating profile, or joining that yoga, scuba diving or art class, just so you can meet that special guy or girl? It can be a full-time job and an exercise in frustration. According to author Sherri Starr, much of the agony is also unnecessary (albeit entertaining). Starr's new book, Mia and Jake: Finding the One offers an uplifting and riotous take on some of the things singles do to find their other half.

Mia and Jake would make the perfect couple, but first they have to meet! In this sea of single, smart and funny stick figures, how will they ever find each other? Starr's answer may surprise you, and it will most definitely delight you.

 

Click here to listen to Sherri discuss the inspiration behind the book, her creative process, and how she met her real life "Jake".

 

Like what you heard? Contact Sherri to order the book and share your own dating stories.
www.miaandjake.com
mialovesmail@gmail.com
Like Mia and Jake on Facebook
Follow Mia on Twitter