🏰 AUTHOR INTERVIEW: 'I Would, But My Damn Mind Won't Let Me!' by Jacqui Letran

Jacqui Letran is a passionate and energetic leader who is truly gifted at helping teens transform into confident, happy and successful young adults. Jacqui teaches teens that success and happiness are possible, regardless of their current struggles or circumstances.

Jacqui is an International Best Selling Author, National Speaker, and Founder of Teen Confidence Academy. She has 17 years of experience in Adolescent Health as a Nurse Practitioner, Success Coach and Teen Confidence Expert. Jacqui is passionate and committed to guiding teens to achieve remarkable success in their academic and personal lives.

She is also the winner of the:
2016 Literary Classics Lumen Award and Gold Medal for Youth Non-Fiction
2016 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal Award for Young Adult Non-Fiction

When not working with teens or writing, you can find her traveling in her RV, hiking with her dog or spoiling her three cats. She now lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Title: I WOULD, BUT MY DAMN MIND WON’T LET ME!
Author: Jacqui Letran
Publisher: A Healed Mind
Pages: 158
Genre: Youth/Nonfiction

Literary Classics' 2016 Lumen Award for Best Young-Adult Non-Fiction book of the year, "I would, but my DAMN MIND won't Let Me! is recommended for home, school and public libraries and for use in clinical settings."

Do you believe that life is unfair or that change is impossible? Are you unhappy and frustrated with your life? If you answered yes, you’re not alone! Teen Confidence Expert, Jacqui Letran, is here to show you a quick and easy path to a happier, healthier life. You can learn to create permanent changes for the better!

Your past can cause you to believe that making positive improvements requires a miracle. In Letran’s award-winning book, I would, but my DAMN MIND won’t let me!, you will learn the simple steps to overcome your obstacles and struggles. Once you understand how your mind works, you will have the knowledge and power to take control of your thoughts and feelings. The power to challenge your old negative patterns and create the exact life you want is in your hands.

In this book, you will discover:

·             How to challenge old negative beliefs and create positive new patterns

·             How to stay calm and in control of even the most difficult situations

·             How to keep unhealthy thoughts at bay and replace them with positive ones

·             How to use the power of your mind to create the success you deserve

·             How to create positive life experiences and much, much more!

·              

I would, but my DAMN MIND won’t let me! is a groundbreaking guide to help you take control of your life. If you like real-life advice that works fast and doesn’t talk down to you, then you will love Jacqui Letran’s game-changing book for teens and young adults. This book is recommended for teens, parents of teens, professionals working with teens, and anyone who is interested in learning how to take control of their mind.

Get the award-winning book today to give yourself an unfair advantage in life!

I Would, But My Damn Mind Won’t Let Me!

is available for purchase at

Amazon.

Can you tell us what your book is about?

“I would, but my DAMN MIND won’t let me!” is an easy-to-read primer that teaches how your conscious and subconscious mind work to create your life experiences, and how you can take control of your thoughts and feelings.  In a sense, it’s an Owner’s Manual for your mind.

Can you give us an excerpt?

“You might have guessed by now that your unconscious mind is your personal

assistant. Your unconscious mind's job is to deliver to you whatever experience you are looking for in the easiest and quickest way possible.

What you might not know is that every thought you have and every feeling you feel is a command to your unconscious mind to give you more of the same. That’s right. Every thought you have and every feeling you feel is a command to your unconscious mind, “This is what I want.  Give me more!”

So if you said, "I'm so stressed," your unconscious mind heard that as a command: "I want to be stressed. Look for evidence to support why I should be stressed. Give me more reasons to feel stressed." Once you give that command, your unconscious mind will immediately go to work to look for stressful details in your environment. Details that could stress you out get pushed to your IC so you become consciously aware of those details and can become more stressed. In addition, your unconscious mind will also look in your movie library to find your stressful movies to play in the background for you. You are the boss, so when you asked for stress, your unconscious mind is happy to deliver it to you.

Does this begin to sound familiar? How many times have you felt stressed out about something and then started having stressful thoughts about something else and pretty soon you were overwhelmed with stress and other negative feelings? This is because whatever you focus on grows bigger. Whatever you are focusing on, you are telling your unconscious mind to give you more of that thing. It's like feeding a monster food and watching it grow out of control right in front of your own eyes.

The good news is that the process works both ways. This means that when you focus on something positive, that positive thing will also grow. So if you are stressed out, you can choose to focus on being calm. Remember, you have an assistant who will obey your every command, so use her to your benefit. In stressful moments, you can say to yourself, “Even though I feel stressed, I choose to be calm.” Say, “I choose to be calm” several times to catch your assistant’s attention because this may be a new command for her. After saying that three times, start repeating “I am calm. I am calm. I am calm” over and over again. As you are repeating “I am calm,” imagine yourself doing something that calms you down. It might be reading a book, laying out on the beach, or taking a nice soothing bath. When you follow these steps, what you are doing is saying to your assistant, “Even though I am stressed, I choose to be calm. Calm looks like this. Go get it for me. Give me more of this.” It makes it super simple for your unconscious mind to bring you to calmness.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would that be?

My advice to my younger writing self is very simple. You have a unique message that only you can deliver, in a way that will reach the readers who need to hear that message, exactly as you have written it.  So keep writing from your heart.  Keep spreading your message.

What would you say is one of your interesting writing quirks?

I’m not sure if this is an interesting quirk, but rather a challenge to my writing ability.  I grew up in Vietnam, and in my country we don’t pluralize things by adding an “s” to the end of the word.  In my native language, it’s one banana, two banana, three banana. We also don’t have past or future tenses.  Instead, we say (roughly translated), “I go now” “I go yesterday” and “I go tomorrow.”  Because of this, I do have some difficulties with grammar and I must read and re-read what I’ve written several times to catch mistakes. Even with re-reading, there are many times that I would miss them entirely. Thank goodness there are editors I can hire to help review my work.

Do you hear from your readers?  What do they say?

I hear from my readers quite a bit, and I love it.  Most readers email me to thank me for sharing my case studies in the books.  Seeing how other people just like them overcame similar situations gives them hope and encouragement to go after what they want.  I also have many readers who contact me with questions about themselves, and some even become clients.  I love how my books have helped to remove a geographical boundary to allow me to reach and help so many more people.

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

I remember the morning I woke up to a 1-star review of my book on Amazon.  I was in total disbelief at how mean the reviewer was.  They were not just attacking my writing, or the content of my writing, but me as a person.  I remember feeling so embarrassed, almost like a fraud.  After all, who was I to write a self-help book.  My confidence tanked, and for at least 30 minutes, I contemplated removing my book from circulation and retiring it completely. That was when I remembered something I’ve heard at a seminar along the line of, “You haven’t arrived until you pissed someone off.”  In that moment, I threw my arms up in the air, grinned wildly, and yelled, “I’ve arrived!” My confidence came rushing back and I knew I was on the right path.

What has been the best accomplishment?

My book, “I would, but my DAMN MIND won’t let me!” has won two Gold Medal Awards in the Youth Non-Fiction category from Literary Classics and Readers’ Favorite in 2016. In addition, it was awarded the Lumen Award by Literary Classics for best Youth Non-Fiction book of the year.  Walking across the stage to receive my awards, and connecting with other authors and readers were some of my best moments of the year!  I feel so blessed and grateful for all the support and praise that I’ve received for my effort.  

Do you Google yourself?

I google myself, my books, and my businesses on a regular basis -- in addition to having Google Alerts set up for them.  As a business owner and author, I like to know what is being said about me and my brand so I have the opportunity to correct any misperceptions and connect with the people who support my work.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

I have two books in the works.  One is a second edition of my book, “5 Simple Questions to Reclaim Your Happiness!” I have been getting some awesome feedback and requests so I’m working new ideas into the next edition.  Many readers requested more case studies, so I’m adding in several more.  In addition, I’m making part of this edition a workbook so readers can follow along and use the questions and other tools to quickly reclaim their happiness.  

The second book I’m working on is called, “How to Unleash Your Inner Super Powers and Destroy Anxiety and Self-Doubt.”  This is the third book in my Words of Wisdom for Teen Series and the most fun to write so far.  I’m working toward a late August release, just in time to help teens to go back to school with increased confidence having learned about their own Inner Super Powers!

Do you have anything specific that you would like to say to your readers?  

One of the most powerful lesson I have learned is, “change your thoughts, change your life.”  It sounds simple, and it is very true because whatever you focus on grows bigger.  Your thoughts are like colored goggles. Whatever color your lenses are, you will experience the world through that tint. Your thoughts work the same way. Whatever your thoughts are about your situation become the experiences you live. Your thoughts are also like a giant magnet, pulling towards you more of the same.  If you have negative thoughts, you’ll attract more negativities into your life.  Conversely, if you have positive thoughts, you’ll attract more positives into your life. So, if you are having an experience you don’t like, challenge yourself to change your thoughts into more empowering ones and get ready to be amazed.  Grab a copy of my book, “I would, but my DAMN MIND won’t let me!” and learn how to easily and effectively change your thoughts.

🏰 AUTHOR INTERVIEW: 'Alan 2' Bruce Forciea

Bruce Forciea is known for taking complex scientific concepts and making them easy to understand through engaging stories and simple explanations. He is an Amazon Best Selling Author and author of several books on healing and biology, along with science fiction thriller novels. His fiction writing draws on a diverse and eclectic background that includes touring and performing with a professional show, designing digital circuits, treating thousands of patients, and teaching. His stories include complex plots with unexpected twists and turns, quirky characters, and a reality very similar to our own. Dr. Forciea lives in Wisconsin and loves writing during the solitude of the long Northern winters. 

Website & Social Links:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

About the Book:

A brilliant artificial intelligence (AI) scientist, Dr. Alan Boyd, develops a new program that integrates part of his brain with a computer’s operating system. The program, Alan 2, can anticipate a user’s needs and automatically perform many tasks. A large software company, International Microsystems (IM) desperately wants the program and tempts Dr. Boyd with huge sums of money, but when Dr. Boyd refuses their offer, IM sabotages his job, leaving him in a difficult financial situation.

Dr. Boyd turns to Alan 2 for an answer to his financial problems, and Alan 2 develops plan Alpha, which is a cyber robin hood scheme to rob from rich corporations via a credit card scam.

Alan and his girlfriend Kaitlin travel to Mexico where they live the good life funded by plan Alpha, but the FBI cybercrime division has discovered part of Alan 2’s cyber escapades, and two agents, Rachel and Stu, trace the crime through the TOR network and Bitcoin.

Alan 2 discovers the FBI is on to them and advises Alan and Kaitlin to change locations. A dramatic chase ensues taking them to St. Thomas, a cruise ship bound for Spain, and finally to Morocco. 

Will they escape detection? They will if Alan 2's Plan Beta can be implemented in time. Or is 'Plan B' something altogether different than it appears to be, something wholly sinister that will affect the entire population of the world?

Watch the trailer at YouTube!

Purchase Information:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher

As a book bloggin’ and book luvin’ Princess, I’m always curious to find out how authors got the ideas for their books.  How did you come up with the idea for your book?

I’ve often wondered if science could model the brain and, if so, could the human brain be combined with computer software. If this could happen, would the resulting program be content to serve users or would it have its own ideas of what its purpose is?

Can you tell us what your book is about?

Alan 2 is about an artificial intelligence program created by Dr. Alan Boyd. The program consists of a combination of Alan’s brain and a computer operating system. Alan hopes the program will be the cutting edge of artificial intelligence and will help users by serving them and helping them to work more efficiently.

The problem is that Alan has a dysfunction past and struggles with addiction, so the program, Alan 2, inherits elements of this. Alan 2 gets on the internet and begins helping Alan by engaging in cybercrime. It also develops its own plans regarding its own purpose. Part of the plan is very sneaky and plays to Alan’s weaknesses and desires. Alan 2 then becomes extremely dangerous and endangers millions of people. You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens.

Can you tell us a little about the main characters of your book?

Dr. Alan Boyd is the main character along with his artificial intelligence creation, Alan 2. Alan is an artificial intelligence guru with a dysfunctional past. His equally dysfunctional and alcoholic girlfriend Kaitlin accompanies him on his journey. There are 2 FBI agents, Rachel and Stu who discover Alan and Kaitlin’s cybercrime spree and conduct a manhunt to find them.

 If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would that be?

Let your imagination soar and don’t get too caught up in the details.

 What would you say is one of your interesting writing quirks?

I always try to include something about the mysterious side of life in my stories. Concepts like intuition, deep connections between people and the almost paranormal way we sometimes communicate.

Do you hear from your readers?  What do they say?

I do hear an assortment of comments. Some are completely opposite like one person says there was too much science in the story while another says there wasn’t enough.

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

I’ve taken any criticism in stride and tried to learn from it as best I can. I can’t recall anything that has been particularly tough.

What has been the best accomplishment?

With regard to writing I would say it has been to make the transition from writing research based non-fiction to writing fiction.

Do you Google yourself?

Once in a while I check to see what’s out there on me.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

I did have a few unfinished works floating around my computer. I converted a few of these into short stories and produced a collection of them (Anomalies of Reality) that are available for free on my website.

Do you have anything specific that you would like to say to your readers?

First of all, thank you for your support and I sincerely hope my work allows you to escape reality for a while and go on exciting adventures with a group of interesting characters.

🏰 AUTHOR INTERVIEW: 'The Investment Club' Doug Cooper

Doug Cooper is the author of the award-winning novel Outside In and The Investment Club available October 2016. He has a BS in Mathematics Education from Miami University and a MA in American Studies from Saint Louis University. Always searching, he has traveled to over twenty countries on five continents, exploring the contradictions between what we believe and how we act in the pursuit of truth, beauty, and love. Originally from Port Clinton, Ohio, he has also called Cleveland, St. Louis, Detroit, New York, and Oslo, Norway home. He now lives in Cleveland working on his third novel Focus Lost.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

About the Book:

Forty million people visit Vegas every year but most never get past the strip. What about the people

who live there? What brought them there? What keeps them there?

Told from the perspective of a seasoned blackjack dealer, The Investment Club tells the stories of a self-destructive, dwarf entrepreneur, a drug-addicted musical performer-turned-stripper, a retired, widowed New Jersey policeman, a bereaved, divorced female sportscaster, and a card-counting, former Catholic priest before and after their fateful meeting at the El Cortez Casino in downtown Vegas.

As the five learn the greatest return comes from investing in one another, their lives stabilize and take on new, positive directions. But their love and support for each other can take them only so far before they must determine the meaning and value of their own lives.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

As a book bloggin’ and book luvin’ Princess, I’m always curious to find out how authors got the ideas for their books.  How did you come up with the idea for your book?

A: The typical Vegas story — the bachelor party, wedding, or other two to three-day excursion has been overdone. During a visit and seeing all the tourists and excessive entertainment, I looked past the extravagance and became interested in the people who lived there — were they born there, what brought them there, why did they stay? I wanted to tell the stories of several people from different backgrounds who had moved there. I rotated the points of view from character to character but kept the story anchored in the common perspective of a native blackjack dealer while contrasting the concepts of gambling and investing from a financial and personal angle.

Can you tell us what your book is about?

A: Forty million people visit Vegas every year but most never get past the strip. What about the people who live there? What brought them there? What keeps them there?Told from the perspective of a seasoned blackjack dealer, The Investment Club tells the stories of a self-destructive, dwarf entrepreneur, a drug-addicted musical performer-turned-stripper, a retired, widowed New Jersey policeman, a bereaved, divorced female sportscaster, and a card-counting, former Catholic priest before and after their fateful meeting at the El Cortez Casino in downtown Vegas.As the five learn to help and accept help from one another, their lives stabilize and take on new, positive directions. But their love and support for each other can take them only so far before they must determine the meaning and value of their own lives.

Fiction Authors: Can you tell us a little about the main characters of your book?

A: The story rotates points of view of five characters—a self-destructive, dwarf entrepreneur, a drug-addicted musical performer-turned-stripper, a retired, widowed New Jersey policeman, a bereaved, divorced female sportscaster, and a card-counting, former Catholic priest—told from the perspective a native blackjack dealer.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would that be?

A: Don’t get so hung up on one idea or book. When finished with the first one, immediately start the second one, then the third. It’s a three to five-book journey before one really knows him or herself as a writer.

What would you say is one of your interesting writing quirks?

A: I like to write with no pants on. I wear a T-shirt but nothing else. Maybe some socks if it is cold. There’s something really liberating and inspiring to me with my fingers on the keys and the fresh air on my lower half. I wouldn’t recommend sitting in my desk chair though. (laughs)

Do you hear from your readers?  What do they say?

A: I do, and I love it. My writing is very detailed and realistic so they think everything is about me or happened to me. I always remind them: it’s all fiction baby!

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

A: When a reviewer is critical of something that was intentional, and he or she just didn’t get it. They think it is a mistake, but it’s done to communicate something about that character or reinforce a theme in the book. Of course one can never respond. It always comes off as defensive, but it’s really tough to take.

What has been the best accomplishment?

A: Winning my first literary fiction award for my first novel Outside In was extremely satisfying because I was taking a lot of heat about the content. It’s pretty salacious and hedonistic. The award, which was followed by two more, allowed me to take the criticism with my head held just a little higher and actually feel like, maybe, just maybe, I might actually know what I’m doing. (laughs)

Do you Google yourself?

A: I have a Google alert set with my name, so I get notifications if anything is posted about “Doug Cooper”. Most are not about me. It’s amazing the brotherhood of fellow DCs out there.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

A: I have my third book that I’m doing the final rewriting on now that I hope to have published in the next year called Focus Lost about when passion becomes obsession for a nature photographer, a famous actor, and his agent. Been a lot of fun writing this one. Looking forward to hearing what others think.

Do you have anything specific that you would like to say to your readers?

The greatest return in our lives comes from investing in each others’ lives. It’s so easy to get caught up in what we want or don’t have, but most important is what we can do for each other.

🏰 AUTHOR INTERVIEW: 'Wooing the Wedding Planner' Amber Leigh Williams

Amber Leigh Williams is a Harlequin romance writer who lives on the US Gulf Coast. She lives for beach days, the smell of real books, and spending time with her husband and their two young children. When she’s not keeping up with rambunctious little ones (and two large dogs), she can usually be found reading a good book or indulging her inner foodie. Amber is represented by the D4EO Literary Agency.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

About the Book:

Wedding planner Roxie Honeycutt can make happy-ever-after come true for anyone except herself. Freshly divorced and done with love, she's okay with watching clients walk down the aisle. What's not okay? Sharing a charming Victorian house with accountant Byron Strong. He's frustratingly sexy and determined to keep her confused. 

Roxie thought Byron's expertise was numbers, yet somehow he sees her for who she really is. Somehow he understands the hurt she hides behind a trademark smile. Suddenly romance is tempting again, even if it means risking another heartbreak.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Amazon

As a book bloggin’ and book luvin’ Princess, I’m always curious to find out how authors got the ideas for their books.  How did you come up with the idea for your book?

Ideas for WOOING THE WEDDING PLANNER were drawn from the previous three books in my small town series for Harlequin Superromance. After the first book – in which both characters, Roxie and Byron, were introduced as secondary characters – was released in 2014, I received emails from readers asking if either of them were going to wind up getting a book of their own. I’m happy WOOING THE WEDDING PLANNER came together the way it did so that Roxie and Byron had room to stretch as lead characters, finally.

Can you tell us what your book is about?

In WOOING THE WEDDING PLANNER, true love is Roxie Honeycutt’s business—and there was a time she believed in it, too. But since her marriage fell apart, Roxie’s been questioning many things, including what she really wants and who she is. And Byron Strong seems ready to accept whoever that is. The handsome accountant has been a friend, but he just might also be part of her new and improved happy ending!

Can you tell us a little about the main characters of your book?

As individual characters, both Roxie and Byron are fun to work with. Together, they’re even more enjoyable. She’s a dreamer; he’s a realist. She’s an optimist; he’s a cynic. They have their differences, but they feel a very strong reciprocal chord of respect toward one another. I love how Byron sits back and lets Roxie figure out who she is and what she wants without pushing her verbally in either direction. Will she seek the security of her relationship with her ex? Or will she explore the new life Byron knows she wants to build for herself – and let him be a part of it? He’s the reluctant gentleman and a sexy one at that, which creates quite the conflict for Roxie’s decision-making.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would that be?

Don’t wait for inspiration; just write. Working on deadline with my editor for the last three years has taught me that you don’t have to wait for the right ideas or motivation to write. If you write a little bit each day, that’s all you need to get the word tap flowing and ideas and images will follow.

What would you say is one of your interesting writing quirks?

I’m a plotter. I research and do extensive note-taking. I must have a messy outline of what the book will look like before the writing can begin. But the writing process itself somehow always seems to take on a life of its own. I’m working alongside my notes and outline, but I have to give the characters room to wiggle and grow of their own volition if I want them to look like real people, not cardboard cutouts. The first draft never fails to surprise me, as a result, and I think that’s what keeps me eagerly coming back to my work. As much as I try to influence every aspect of the story, there’s still something mysterious and magical that takes place when it comes to putting it on the page. I love that.

Do you hear from your readers?  What do they say?

One of the best things about my job is getting feedback from readers. When I wrote the first book in my Superromance series (A PLACE WITH BRIAR), I received many notes asking about Byron. Several readers thought he should wind up with another secondary character, Adrian. Adrian did get her own book, as well, (HIS REBEL HEART) but her hero turned out to be her high school sweetheart James Bracken. I liked playing around with the dynamic between Adrian and Byron. There was a bit of a love triangle that was never really a love triangle at all. Instead, it was fabricated by the wishful thinking of her mother who would have preferred Adrian wind up with the reluctant gentleman (Byron); not the notorious rebel (James). I hope readers enjoy that as much as Byron’s reasons for falling in love with Roxie instead.

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

I welcome constructive criticism. The worst is the kind that comes from people who’ve never read the books or won’t give them a chance based on the genre. I’ve always wanted to work with Harlequin and I’ve been a fan of what their authors produce for decades. So it’s difficult to hear anyone criticize a fellow Harlequin or romance writer’s book based on the genre alone. The modern romance industry is so varied and diverse, there’s something for everyone to enjoy from it.

What has been the best accomplishment?

Receiving word from someone who feels a deep connection with something that I’ve written. I write because I love it, but I also write to those like myself who love nothing more than uncovering a great story and finding something moving within its pages. The art of writing in its most transcendent form is the act of reaching out. It’s absolutely lovely when you can make a positive connection with someone through printed words alone.

Do you Google yourself?

I read reviews and visit networks likes Goodreads, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually Googled myself. However, I’m there to connect with readers via Twitter and Facebook weekly.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Many. It’s terrifying, because I know at any point the perfectionism that has chased me throughout my career can take hold at any time and bring the work to a standstill. Like I mentioned, though, the best thing a writer can do is write a little bit each day. Nora Roberts comes to mind. She says, “You can’t fix a blank page.” And I think it was J.R. Ward who said, “Plots are like sharks. They keep moving or they die.” Both are unequivocally true.

Do you have anything specific that you would like to say to your readers?

Keep reading, early and often. Read what gives you strength and pleasure and never feel as if you have to make excuses for it. It’s one of the most positive forms of entertainment and escape. The reading tribe is by far the best!

🏰 AUTHOR INTERVIEW: 'The Spirit of Love' the spirit of love known as glen

At the peak of his destructive cycle glen was so consumed by addictions, that on any given day saw the abusive consumption of cocaine, MDMA powder, special K, ecstasy, crystal meth, marijuana, prescription drugs (anti-depressants, sleeping pills) and alcohol.

A time that saw him attempting and failing to out race police cars through the streets of a Melbourne suburb one night, to experiencing a near death experience while bleeding out from a glass injury when holidaying overseas, a time of daily self-harming with the prospect of suicide never being far out of reach.

However, through the unconditional love of his parents, glen found himself backpacking though South America where a collection of events and direct experiences with the local people and Mother Earth herself, triggered the beginning stages of what would later become known to him as the shattering and dissolving of the false identity of the illusionary mind-made-self and its “poor me” story.

An inner-journey that awakens the spirit of love, known as glen, to not being a personal identity as such but rather a way of being, a way of simplicity, a way of the heart, a way that embraces and dances with the perfection of the present moment like no other.

You can visit the author’s website at www.spiritoflove.com.au or his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thespiritoflovebook.

About the Book:

The Spirit of Love is a collection of short writings, poems and phrases written by a man who took

himself into some of the darkest and most destructive depths that one can go with drug and alcohol addictions back in his early twenties.

The collection of writings contained within The Spirit of Love are the result of one man’s healing journey within himself and the deep questioning that has arisen from within it.

With the love, support and guidance of his dear friend Edwina, in helping to bring these writings from the handwritten scribbles on paper to how they are presented today, The Spirit of Love is a reminder that no matter how dark, desperate, alone, helpless or trapped one believes they may be, the sheer beauty of the perfection of life in its totality is silently and patiently living within us all, and its love is so powerful that it can heal anything that has come to pass.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Please accept my deepest thanks and gratitude for creating a little slice of cyber space to be here with you now, at Book Bloggin Princess, I am most honoured that you have allowed this space to be filled with this interview.

As a book bloggin’ and book luvin’ Princess, I’m always curious to find out how authors got the ideas for their books.  How did you come up with the idea for your book?

Spirit came up with the idea for the book, I simply listened and honoured what the voice of the heart requested that I needed to do in order for the book to materialise in form.

It was not long after finishing the third volume of writings that I was sitting up one night at home and what I refer to as the voice of the heart spoke through as a spontaneous impulse feeling asking that I was to make an effort to have the writings published.

That was it, just to make an effort, so with the beautiful help and support of Edwina I honoured and followed what the voice of the heart asked for.

We transferred the writings onto Edwina’s computer in their most basic of forms, and then I searched the internet for any publishing companies that I felt might be open to such writings. I came across two companies (Aurora House Publishing and Barker Deane Publishing) and posted off a printed copy of the writings to each publisher.

It was around a couple of months later when we received an email from Linda, of Aurora House Publishing, saying that she was interested in publishing the writings and that was it. 

The process from when I received the feeling impulse to make an effort, to having the book published and released has all happened within a year.   

Can you tell us what your book is about?

The writings contained within The Spirit of Love are the result of the healing journey out of depression, alcohol and drug addictions, and the deep questioning that arose from within it.

It is a reflection and the result of coming into an acceptance of one’s true nature, through an inner-journey that began not long after experiencing a near death experience in 2002, through to completing  the writings of volume 3 sometime in late 2015 – early 2016.

The book is the result of this fourteen year or so journey.

Can you give us a short excerpt?

Volume 1

 6.

Take me now so that I need never feel again

Screaming inside I keep everything in

Release me now so I may tear this skin from off my shell

For free can I not be from this living hell?

Volume 2

55.

I have no structure I have no plan

What will come of me in this foreign land?

Of winding words and silly phrases

Yet here stands an uneducated man

Laying my eternal heart down upon the blank canvas

That awaits creativity’s abundant dance

Lost I had become trying to be something I am not

No fanciful sonnets grace the land of my soul

Only a singing bird in spring’s early sun

From this the belly fills to its brim

Let wisdom’s tribute stand before any brave man

That showeth his heart wounds and all

Standing before the jury, accepting a tightening noose

To give it all away to one fair day

That found himself where he had always laid.

Volume 3

106.

Everything is a meditation for the One who is aware of being awareness

Silent and still I shall forever remain

No matter what movement life turns out to play

One need not sit in lotus all day awaiting attainment

For nothing more than another fallacy of the so called New-Age movement

What else possibly can be attained?

Is the rainbow missing a colour on a cloudy summer’s day?

Are the songs of the birds missing a note through the mist of spring’s enchanting morning?

Are the flowers missing a scent in the fullness of their bloom?

Is the appearance of the night sky lacking in imagination when the full moon decides to fly?

So continue to wait for something that simply does not exist

While I continue on creating and showcasing thy eternal bliss

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would that be?

Best not to think of oneself as anything

Let go of the mental idea of trying or aspiring to be a poet/writer/author, it will just get in the way and block the potential of what is possible from within you.

Go inside your heart, feel it, open it up completely to a force greater than yourself, yet it is within yourself, and see what wants to come out, just write, no concern about correct spelling, no concern over correct grammar. Just let the hand start moving and don’t look back at what has been written, keep writing. Anything that wants to come out let it out, forget about what anyone else may think about it.

To that which is said and thought by another about yourself let it be of no concern, for in awareness there exists no others of you.  

What would you say is one of your interesting writing quirks?

 I don’t see oneself as a writer/poet/author or anything else when in the moment of writing.

Do you hear from your readers?  What do they say?

If I do hear from a reader, it is usually by coming into face to face contact with them around town. Each reader shares their own perspective and interpretation of the book, which is the book’s way of doing what it is destined to do. People really seem drawn to the front cover artwork and how the book actually feels when it is in their hands.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

There is one unpublished manuscript sitting at home, it is titled: Awaken – For those who are willing.

Here are a couple of excerpts from it:

·        Enter thyself from the sound of a butterfly’s wings.

·        You journeyed here from the realm of death before that human shell appeared before your eyes, did you not?

Then why fear it?

·        If one does not find peace and love from within oneself, one will spend an entire lifetime discovering that it cannot be found outside of oneself.

·        The more invested one is with the fortune of one’s inner-nature, the less invested one naturally is with the form of things of the external-nature.

·        If you are paying someone to find out who you are or want to be, best give them everything you have now then walk away with what’s left of you.

Do you have anything specific that you would like to say to your readers?

No, not really, as when one is content with being one’s true nature one realises that there is nothing that can be said that can alter, effect, or change the nature/perfection of who one already is.

True wisdom is best left unspoken

Instead, I will share the following, there are one hundred and sixty six writings contained within The Spirit of Love, if it was suggested that I was able to share only one of them with the heart of mankind, which one will it be?

143.

So you wish to know and meet the nameless One

Can you be a you that no longer has any of you to hold on to?

Can you be a you that no longer has any existence of you to cling to?

Can you be a you that dissolves any and all parts of you into nothing of you?

Can the you that is no longer a you be of service to a love that holds no name or form of you?

Can the you that is no longer a you be of service to a love that is beyond the comprehension of you?

Live yes to such questions

Then know of me you can and meet me in the stillness of eternity you may

Thank you to Book Bloggin Princess for accepting this interview, thank you to all the readers out there and to everyone for being here on Mother Earth in this moment, love knows the way home.

the spirit of love, known as glen

www.spiritoflove.com.au

www.facebook.com/thespiritoflovebook