Synopsis

This is a collection of true life stories that together share the life of a young girl and her walk with God including how far she ran away from Him. Follow her through the valley to the other side!

By reading this three part series in one complete collection, all readers should walk away with a greater faith than what they began with.

This book is guaranteed to make you laugh and cry and laugh again! After all, isn’t that one of the reasons we read to begin with?

Review

An in-depth look at one woman’s journey in life and with God.

Wendy found herself in a place she didn’t think she wanted to be at a young age, but sometimes that is where you are meant to be and there is a journey planned out for you that you don’t think you want until you are traveling down that path.

While I haven’t made it through all of her stories yet, each one that I have read is raw and gets to the heart of Wendy’s journey, her feelings, and what she wants from life.

I enjoyed reading about her childhood and she had some pluck as a child! No matter what life threw at her, she persevered and made the best of things. Not every moment was beautiful, but each event taught her something about life and herself.

This is a book you will want to take your time reading and think about how you might react to certain situations and reflect on what have been teaching moments in your own life.

About the Author

My name is Wendy Glidden. I am a Mom of 10 and a Grandma of 7. God spoke to me at a young age and informed me that I would be a mother to many. I ran from that promise with a vengeance! However, despite my best attempts, I could not outrun God. He delivers on His promises for He is faithful! My childhood dreams were to be a famous author. As a child, I informed God how I did not need much; material possessions have never been a hang-up for me. Thank God for that! I promised God I would use all my riches to help others. I had dreams to say the least! When you start out life on your own at 16, unwillingly married and with child, your dreams have a way of falling to the wayside. Little did I understand that God was just thickening my story and adding immense color!! It’s funny what happens when you come to the end of yourself. Everything changes. This is what happened to me. My ministry is just developing. My focus is on total wellness. I love how well God has prepared me for my ministry. I love how God has been there for me even when I thought he wasn’t. I was blogging before I even realized fully what was going on. It amazes me that in less than 4 years, I have had over 62,500 page views. Even cooler to me than that is where I have been read. My stories have been viewed in places I did not even know existed until they showed up in my stat report. This journey has been quite exciting and I am looking forward to moving to the next step. This year I am republishing my trilogy in e-book format with West Bow Press. Alongside publishing books, I blog for my ministry ‘You Are Worthy Too’. If that wasn’t enough, I am currently pursuing my Biblical Studies Degree through Colorado Christian University and in my spare time, I market for a wellness company that is a just in time manufacturer of everyday needs. No fancy packaging but tons of value! Not often can you spend less and end up with more! This side business fits perfectly with my theme of total wellness and helping others. Often others ask me how on earth I manage to do so much. I reply, “Only by the grace of God do I do what I do.”

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Synopsis

Life hit Pat and Tammy McLeod hard when their son Zach collapsed on a high school football field; he had sustained a severe brain injury. Facing the devastating possibility that things would never be the same for their beloved son, they committed to staying strong as a family and finding a way to maintain their footing. But the journey would reshape their faith, their family, and their future in ways they never saw coming.

What would it take for them to navigate the endless fallout of their son’s life-transforming injury? How could they reconcile their grief over the life Zach lost, with gratitude for the life that remained? And how does a couple move forward together in their search for hope, rather than letting indefinable loss drive them apart?

Hit Hard is the true story of the McLeods’ journey through ambiguous loss–both having and not having their son. It’s the story of a family who faced unexpected heartbreak, a story that offers us all glimpses of how we can pick up the pieces, redefine expectations, and trust God for hope in the midst of unresolved pain.

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Praise

Guest Post

Hit Hard: One Family’s Journey of Letting Go of What Was–and Learning to Live Well with What Is

by Tammy McLeod

I wrote Hit Hard seven years after my sixteen-year-old son suffered a traumatic brain injury playing football and became severely disabled for life. After a year of trying dozens of interventions, it was clear that Zach wasn’t going to have a full recovery. I started reading grief books, but they didn’t connect with me. My son didn’t die, but he wasn’t the same.

Meanwhile, the different ways that my husband and children dealt with our loss torqued the relationships within our family. I asked several colleagues and friends for recommendations for books that addressed the type of loss we were experiencing. Finding none, I finally called the librarian at Zach’s rehab hospital to see if he could recommend any books or resources for people dealing with our kind of loss.

The following day the librarian said that the name of the type of loss we were dealing with was ambiguous loss, and he sent two articles by Pauline Boss. I read them and ordered her book. When it arrived I devoured it; finally I felt understood.

At that time I was in graduate school working on a degree in spiritual formation. I decided to write a research paper on the topic. As I processed this research with one of my professors, she told me, “There is a book here.” She planted the seed.

I was compelled by two factors. First, I needed to figure this out for my own sanity and for the survival of our marriage and family. Second, I wanted to write the book that I wish someone could have given to me a year after Zach’s injury—a book that named the type of loss with which I was dealing, that validated my pain, and that helped me better navigate the ambiguity and stresses of this kind of loss.

The book never would have been written without the enthusiastic support of my professor. She offered to be my supervisor for two self-directed grad school courses. The writing assignment for the first course was the book proposal and the second course the first few chapters of the book. For another class assignment, my husband and I attended a writing conference where we pitched the book.

Interestingly, the agent who chose to represent us, the contact at the publishing house who bought the book, and the collaborative writer who got our book in its final form, all had their own personal experiences with ambiguous loss. We saw from the beginning how ubiquitous ambiguous loss is. People wanted to see the book become a reality because it addressed one of the greatest felt needs in their own lives—coping with an ambiguous loss.

Writing the book helped me process the pain of the loss. Through many tears I wrote scene after scene. Writing not only helped me to connect more deeply with my losses, but also helped me to see the good coming out of the tragedy.

Second, writing together helped Pat and I see more clearly why we were having conflict in ambiguous loss, and that led to the resolution of some of the conflict. Consequently, writing the book helped us grow closer in our marriage.

Writing also helped me find my voice in the chaos. We both wrote from our own perspective, and readers enjoyed seeing the ways two people looked at things differently and how our marriage survived.

We also had one of our young-adult sons read the first draft of our book and suggest edits. He encouraged us to be more authentic in our writing, and working together on the book drew us closer to him also.

When our publisher asked for a second draft with more transparency, it helped us be more honest about our emotions.

Last, writing the book helped me see that God could use the tragedy we went through to help others. Hearing people talk about how the book helped them was encouraging.

I hope:

that people feel validated in their ambiguous loss and are relieved to learn that their loss has a name.

that Hit Hard will stimulate readers to be gentle with themselves and their loved ones as they journey through the world of ambiguous loss.

that it will help repair marriages and other relationships that have been torqued by loss.

that readers are inspired by Zach’s life—one full of joy and still loving God and people though he has suffered much loss.

that readers learn to grieve their losses better.

that readers learn skills that help them become more resilient in ambiguous loss.

that readers come to know God for the first time, come back to God, or stay near God.

that readers find hope.

About the Authors

Pat and Tammy McLeod serve as Harvard Chaplains for Cru, an interdenominational Christian ministry. Tammy is also the Director of College Ministry at Park Street Church in Boston. She received her MA in Spiritual Formation from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Pat holds an MA in Theological Studies from the International School of Theology and an MA in Science & Religion and a Ph.D. in Practical Theology from Boston University. They are founding members of the Mamelodi Initiative in the township of Mamelodi, South Africa—a project that connects Harvard students with at-risk youth in a mentoring and educational program to prepare them for college. Pat and Tammy, certified instructors for Interpersonal Communication Programs, Inc., have been married for more than three decades and are parents to four grown children. They co-authored the book Hit Hard: One Family’s Journey of Letting Go of What Was and Learning to Live Well with What Is in which they share their journey into the world of ambiguous loss that began after their son suffered a traumatic brain injury playing football. Zach’s story received media coverage by ABC, NBC, CBS, and NPR. Recently they started COVID-19 Conversations on their website hoping to help others be resilient in ambiguous loss.

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Synopsis

This historic home holds the keys to their destiny . . . and their hearts

Abandoned at birth, her family roots a mystery, historical museum curator Sloane Kelley has dedicated her life to making sure others know theirs. When a donor drops off a dusty old satchel, she doesn’t expect much from the common artifact . . .until she finds real treasure inside: a nineteenth-century diary. Now she’s on the hunt to find out more.

Garrett Anderson just wanted to clean out his grandmother’s historic but tumbledown farmhouse before selling it to fund her medical care. With her advancing Alzheimer’s, he can’t afford to be sentimental about the family home. But his carefully ordered plan runs up against two formidable obstacles: Sloane, who’s fallen in love with both the diaries and the house, and his own heart, which is irresistibly drawn to Sloane.

A century and a half earlier, motherless Annabelle Collins embarks with her aunt and uncle on the adventure of a lifetime: settling the prairies of Sedgwick County, Kansas. The diaries she left behind paint a portrait of life, loss, and love–and a God who faithfully carries her through it all. Paging through the diaries together takes Sloane and Garrett on a journey they never could have planned, which will change them in ways they never imagined.

This warm, beautifully written split-time novel will resonate with readers looking for stories that reveal the beauty of God’s plan for our lives, and how our actions ripple for generations.

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Praise

“Winding through past and present and linking them in surprising ways, Wen’s debut novel captures the legacy of a historic farmhouse and all the people who’ve made their lives there. I was rooting for Sloane out of the gate, and my heart went up and down with her. Wen writes with warmth and a delightful voice about heritage, family, and the nature of what’s truly important.”  —Joanna Davidson Politano, author of The Love Note

“A moving, enchanting story of love and loss. Amanda Wen takes readers on an adventure that weaves past and present together in a beautiful tapestry of skillful storytelling. I was blown away by this book and its timeless message.”  —Heidi Chiavaroli, Carol Award–winning author of Freedom’s Ring and The Tea Chest

Review

The first line in the author’s notes sums up this book beautifully:

“Family is at the heart of this book.” 

I honestly loved this book. It was the perfect book at the right time and I enjoyed every written word. I think one of the aspects that I enjoyed the most was the genealogical hunt for Annabelle Collin’s descendants and also Sloane’s history since she had no idea who her blood relatives were since she was adopted. I really enjoyed the diary aspect that shared Anna’s life in the 1800s and how she came to live in Kansas and what it was like for her. We saw her fall in love, have children, lose family, and so much more.

Jumping to the present, we have Sloane and Garrett. Neither necessarily looking for their soulmate but ultimately finding it within each other. Not that the road was easy, there were quite a few bumps. But the journey was enticing and they definitely bonded over Annabelle’s journals. It was like a treasure each time they found one and I enjoyed how both really enjoyed finding out more about this woman.

But don’t go into reading this book thinking it is all sunshine and roses. There are bumps, heavier topics, and a few major twists that pulled me even further into the story. The supporting cast of characters includes Garrett’s sister, Leah, and their grandmother. Grandma is a hoot despite her Alzheimers. There are a few “evil” types of characters that add even more dimension to the story.

While this book jumps between the past and the present, it is done seamlessly. I couldn’t ask for a better transition between the time periods.

If you are looking for a book about family, history, faith, and love, then look no further. A wonderful debut novel and we give it 5 paws up.

About the Author

Amanda Wen is an award-winning writer of inspirational romance and split-time women’s fiction. She has placed first in multiple writing contests, including the 2017 Indiana Golden Opportunity, the 2017 Phoenix Rattler, and the 2016 ACFW First Impressions contests. She was also a 2018 ACFW Genesis Contest finalist.

Wen is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and regularly contributes author interviews for their Fiction Finder feature. She also frequently interviews authors for her blog and is a contributor to the God Is Love blog. Her debut novel, Roots of Wood and Stone, releases from Kregel Publications on February 2, 2021.

In addition to her writing, Wen is an accomplished professional cellist and pianist who frequently performs with orchestras, chamber groups, and her church’s worship team. She serves as a choral accompanist as well. A lifelong denizen of the flatlands, Wen lives in Kansas with her patient, loving, and hilarious husband, their three adorable Wenlets, and a snuggly Siamese cat.

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Giveaway

Second chances start when a hardened criminal crosses paths with a precocious little girl who is helped by an angel to change hearts during the holiday season.

I was asked to watch and review this movie. What they should have said, is to have a box of tissue by your side because you will be blubbering like a baby.  This story is gut-wrenching and touching all at the same time. It is a perfect movie for the holidays because it reminds us that life is about faith and where that faith can take you if you will only believe.

The actress that plays Lucy Shimmer is darling and she is full of faith that her parents have taught her. Her faith is incredibly strong and she sees only the good in people and wants them to know that they are loved.  This is especially true of Edgar, the prisoner in the hospital with failing kidneys.

Lucy is loved by her family but they don’t always believe her especially when she tells them she can see Grandpa Jackson who died the previous year. He is definitely an angel watching over Lucy. He is even her partner in crime when she is hospitalized with pneumonia and Lucy realizes that the sad man in her dreams is none other than Edgar. Grandpa Jackson helps create diversions so that Lucy can get into his room and talk to him and encourage him to not give up on life, even though she doesn’t realize that is what she is doing.

While I suspected how the movie would end, it still didn’t stop the onslaught of tears running down my face.

Definitely, a must-watch for the holiday season, or really any time of the year.

We give this movie 5 paws up!

IMDB

Free to watch on Amazon Prime

Purchase the DVD on Amazon

Press Release

ROB DIAMOND’S NEW FEATURE FILM LUCY SHIMMERS & THE PRINCE OF PEACE ANNOUNCES RELEASE

-Film debuts on Amazon Prime on Black Friday, Nov. 27 and Living Scriptures on Dec. 4

Salt Lake City – Writer, Director, and Producer Rob Diamond announced today that his new film, LUCY SHIMMERS & THE PRINCE OF PEACE will be released on Amazon Prime on Black Friday, November 27, and then on Living Scriptures on Friday, December 4.

LUCY SHIMMERS & THE PRINCE OF PEACE is Diamond’s 15^th feature film and was produced completely in Utah early in 2020. “I can truly say that this is my favorite film I’ve ever made,” said Diamond. “The inspiration for the film came from a dream I had and then the story and the entire production came together absolutely seamlessly.”

LUCY SHIMMERS tells the story of five-year-old Lucy and the incredible influence she has on those around her, especially hardened criminal Edgar. Lucy, with the help of her guardian angel, create miracles that change his heart and inspire a second chance in his life.

The film features mostly local talent, including Shawn Stevens as Grandpa Jackson, Adam Hightower as James Shimmers, and Florencia Stevens as Isabelle Shimmers. In addition, the film stars well-known actor Vincent Vargas (THE MAYANS) and newcomer Scarlett Diamond in the title role of Lucy.

Scarlett Diamond just so happens to be the granddaughter of filmmaker Rob Diamond.
“Granted I’m biased, but Scarlett was absolutely incredible. She is only five-years-old and this was her first major speaking role and she proved she’s a natural!” proclaimed Diamond.

In addition to writing, directing, and producing, Diamond also operates an acting studio and many of the actors in the film are current and former Diamond students. The film was shot entirely on location in Salt Lake City and Heber, Utah early in 2020. “Our last day of filming was literally the day before Utah shut down in March because of the pandemic,” said Diamond.

Giveaway

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THE SANTA BOX tells the story of teenager Kallie Watts. For the past five years, Christmas has spelled disaster for her and her family. When a fire leaves Kallie and her widowed mother homeless just before the holidays, there’s only one conclusion: Kallie is cursed by Christmas. When Kallie and her mother relocate to a small California town, Kallie is confronted by her worst nightmare come true: a town overflowing with holiday decorations and Christmas cheer. Kallie’s life is soon changed forever by the gift of a Santa box. When she lifts the lid, she rediscovers the magic and true meaning of Christmas.

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Review

If you are looking for an upbeat Christmas themed movie then look no further than this new release. This movie has it all – likable and unlikable characters, spirit, and a clear message – that it is better to give than to receive.

The movie starts off during WWII with two soldiers around a campfire listening to a Christmas song. An enterprising young man distracts them to steal a can of food. Much to his surprise, one of the soldiers only wants to help him. The movie then fast forwards to the present day and we meet Kallie and her mom, Rachel, who has just moved to a new town and rental home after losing pretty much everything in a fire. Kallie is very discouraged because bad things seem to happen around Christmas time, at least for the last five years and she believes that the holiday is cursed.

However, things will change once Kallie meets Otto. Otto loves the spirit of Christmas and they form a fast friendship and he shares his beliefs and gives her some sage advice about the holiday. Will it be enough to change her mind?  You will have to watch the movie to find out.

The magic of the movie is in the Santa Box that Kallie finds on her porch. Inside is a note telling her to write her Christmas wish on the note and put it inside the box and leave it on her porch. What she doesn’t realize is that her wish will have long lasting ripples into the community and even deep within her own beliefs.

This movie also has an underlying story about Lisa Green who is the popular girl in school and actually something of a bully to the other students. She is mean and degrading to them. She sort of befriends Kallie because her mom told her to be her friend. But is she a true friend if she is mean to others?  We can tell that Kallie isn’t comfortable with Lisa’s actions but she is afraid to confront Lisa. I felt like this story was pretty spot on and even has a message of forgiveness.

Overall, this is a fantastic movie and one that can be enjoyed every year. I know it affected various emotions and I will admit to being a bit teary eyed during parts.

We give this movie 5 paws up.

The Santa Box_Theatrical_Trailer1 from Ron Brough on Vimeo.

Filming the movie

Writer, Director and Producer Spanky Dustin Ward in partnership with Covenant Communications and Excel Entertainment announced today that the new film, THE SANTA BOX, will open in local Megaplex Theatres on Friday, November 6. Covenant Communications served as the production company with Ron Brough as executive producer, and Excel Entertainment is distributing the film in theaters.

Ward had been working on the idea and screenplay for the film over the past couple of years, but it was earlier this summer that the actual production shifted into high gear. “We shot the film in early August at several locations along the Wasatch Front,” said Ward. “And that was after only about three weeks of pre-production time, including casting and rehearsals! But everything fell perfectly into place to get THE SANTA BOX produced in time to release it for this Holiday season.”

THE SANTA BOX features mostly local talent, including Shawn Stevens as Otto, and newcomer Cami Carver as Kallie. “Playing Otto was something completely new for me, but it was a role I wanted so much,” said Stevens. “The Otto character is an 85-year-old German immigrant, and naturally, Spanky originally wanted to cast an actor who was around that age. But, luckily for me, with the help of an amazing makeup artist, Vanae Morris, I was able to convince Spanky that I could pull-off a great performance of an old German man. And the character was an absolute joy to play.”

“For the role of Kallie, we auditioned dozens of young actresses and Cami originally auditioned for a different role, but she absolutely knocked our socks off!” proclaimed Ward. “We instantly knew she was our Kallie.”

In addition to the two leads, THE SANTA BOX features 20-plus major characters and dozens of extras. “Filming during this crazy time brought some unique challenges, but we acclimated to it very quickly,” said Ward. “Everyone on the production team strictly adhered to safe production guidelines implemented by the health officers we had on set. Thanks to those practices, everyone in the cast and crew stayed healthy and the production went off without a hitch.”

For more information on THE SANTA BOX, visit its IMDB page

Giveaway

NOTHING SHORT OF WONDROUS

(American Wonders Collection, Book Two)

by

REGINA SCOTT

Genre: Historical Fiction / Christian Romance

Publisher: Revell

Date of Publication: October 20, 2020

Number of Pages: 336

Scroll down for the giveaway!

In 1886, the U.S. government gave control of Yellowstone, the country’s first national park, to the cavalry to stop predation by poachers, hunters, and vandals. Mrs. Kate Tremaine is all for the change. The young widow and her late husband held the lease to operate one of the hotels in the park. She has raised her six-year-old son among God’s wonders and knows every inch of the mountainous park like the back of her hand. It is her home, and she has vowed to protect it.

Lieutenant William Prescott needs someone of Kate’s caliber more than he knows. Congress has appropriated funds for only one guide, who is required elsewhere in the park, and the cavalryman is having some trouble finding his way around much less tracking down the troublemakers. As Kate and her son help him, he doesn’t dare give in to the tender feelings she raises in him. A tragic mistake eight years ago nearly derailed his career and made him question his own abilities. Not even Kate’s encouragement or God’s forgiveness can blot out the stain on his conscience.

When Kate’s son disappears, Will and Kate must work together to rescue the boy and protect the park. In doing so, they may just find that two wounded hearts can lead to one powerful love when God is in control.

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When I read the first book in this series from Regina Scott, I was whisked away to the past and the beginnings of our National Parks.  I had high hopes for this book as well and it did not disappoint.

As I’ve grown older, I have come to appreciate the history of our country and the various landmarks that surround us. I may not have visited many of them yet, but I enjoy reading about the various spots and little tidbits you may not have known. I have to give two thumbs up to Regina Scott for the amount of research she has done for these books. Many of the characters are actual people but how they are portrayed in the books is fictional.  With her description of Yellowstone, I can see it in my mind and can only imagine the beauty and the danger in this park. Yellowstone is definitely on my bucket list.

“You warned us when you took us around the first time. There are too many ways to die in Yellowstone.”

“But only one way to live.”

There is quite a variety of characters assembled in this book with multiple personalities to contend with on a daily basis. Kate has her staff at the hotel and the guests that visit Yellowstone to see the geysers. I admire the loyalty in her staff considering they are somewhat remote from town. But I think that has a lot to do with her treatment of them and considering them family. The guests for the most part are respectful, but bad manners abounded back much like it does today. Will is seeking a second chance to make up for events in the past that haunt him to this day. The servicemen assigned to his company seem like a good lot for the most part, but there is one that has his own past that he is running from and he seems to butt heads with Will a lot. But perhaps that helps them understand each other.

“I never knew what home felt like until I came here.”

Home is where you feel at peace with your surroundings and the people around you. What Kate and Will find in each other is home and that includes Kate’s son Danny. I love how he looks up to Will and has taken to him. Perhaps it is because he needs a strong male role model in his life. I think that is what Will needs as well, someone that he can guide and mold.

“It seemed God still wanted his heart. Joy bubbled up inside him like mud from a paint pot.”

Faith plays an important role in this book, and perhaps it is really the lack of faith in themselves and others. It takes a while for Kate and Will to realize that there is more to life than their past and while it plays a significant role, it should not define who they become.

I truly loved this book and all aspects of the story and the setting. When Will revealed his past to Kate, it wasn’t nearly as bad and he felt it was or how she might react. This is not revealed until near the end of the book and I do wish it had been discussed earlier but it keeps the reader guessing. There is a bit of a mystery regarding a poacher that is on the run from the calvary, but it wasn’t hard to connect the dots when certain situations occur near the end.

If you enjoy history and our National Parks, you definitely want to check out this series. You won’t regret it in the least.  We give this book 5 paws up.

Regina Scott is the author of fifty works of warm, witty historical romance, including A Distance Too Grand. She was twice awarded the prestigious RT Book Reviews best book of the year in her category. A devotee of history, she has learned to fence, driven four-in-hand, and sailed on a tall ship, all in the name of research. She and her husband of thirty years live south of Tacoma, Washington, on the way to Mt. Rainier.

Website ⬥ Facebook ⬥ Blog 

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 Amazon Author Page

  ————————————-

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

THREE WINNERS! FIRST PRIZE: Both books in the American Wonders collection, tote bag, book swag, and $25 B&N gift card; 

SECOND & THIRD PRIZES: Copy of Nothing Short of Wondrous and book swag. 

October 13-October 23, 2020

 (U.S. Only)

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Synopsis

If you could leave your true love one final gift, what would it be? This intense, moment-by-moment chronicle begins with the officer’s words, “She is deceased.” For the next thirteen days following the fatal automobile accident of his wife, renowned thought-leader Dr. Seana Lowe Steffen, the author draws on nearly forty years of study and training with gurus and meditation teachers to discover ecstatic love, save fractured relationships, and glimpse a greater arc and purpose for being alive.

The Final Gift of the Beloved: Her Disappearance–13 Days is the story of one man’s sudden, astonishing brush with devastation and the Divine under the most heartbreaking of circumstances.

A love story disguised as a tragedy, Steffen weaves extraordinarily poignant and powerful experiences with honesty and revelations that will change lives. Along with intense pain and emotion, prepare yourself for great beauty and transcendent insight, for nothing is as it appears.

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Excerpt

The Final Break of the Intensive

The meditation intensive’s last break of the day was in the late afternoon. As I got up to stretch and walk around, I turned my phone back on and noticed a visual-voicemail message from a police officer.

That’s odd, I thought, and went outside to my car to listen to it.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, I put on my headphones and played it back. A Vashon Island police officer was asking me to call him back as soon as I got the message. I could not remember ever having been called by an officer before, and to have it come from the only policeman of the small island where my wife and I lived in Washington felt both noteworthy and worrisome.

Before I made the call, to steady myself, clear my mind, and return to a calm curiosity, I took in a few deep breaths. Then, still with some trepidation, I dialed the number.

“Am I speaking to Mr. Barron Steffen of Vashon Island?”

“Yes, sir. That’s me.”

“This is Officer Travers from the Vashon Island Police. Where are you right now, Mr. Steffen?”

“I am at the Unitarian Church in Seattle, sir.”

“What are you doing there?”

“I am at a yoga and meditation retreat that’s being held here,” I replied, wondering why he would want to know that. For a brief moment, I considered sharing a more comprehensive version of the truth, but immediately abandoned the idea, having had so little success over the years in describing to others a Siddha Yoga Shaktipat Intensive.

“How did you get there?”

“In my car.”

“What is the make and model of your car?”

“A black Chevy Volt … 2012.”

“And what’s the license plate number?”

I looked around inside the car as if I might somehow be able to see my license plate from the driver’s seat. On the dashboard control display before me was the speedometer, odometer mileage, and other shiny black and silver graphics and buttons but, of course, no license plate number. I can’t imagine why I thought the information he was requesting might be found there. But suddenly I felt uneasy about this call and a little scared, and I was not going to get out of the car to retrieve that for him, at least not until I knew more.

On the defensive and unaccustomed to being questioned about my whereabouts and license plate number, I asked him,“Why do you need that?”

Thankfully, he moved on to another question. “Are you married?”

“Yes, sir.”

“What’s your wife’s name?”

“Dr. Seana Lowe Steffen.”

“And where is she?”

“Seana is in Boulder, Colorado.”

He had my full attention, now. Is this about Seana? As that thought arose, my body tensed in heightened alert amidst a widening fan of possibilities that I could not yet allow myself to consciously consider.

The officer continued his line of questioning. “What’s she doing there?”

“Seana’s been working on an environmental project for a few weeks.”

“Does she live there?”

“No, she lives here with me.” A perplexing feeling of suspense was slowing the conversation down like syrup, and a rising unease rooted me in the driver’s seat. My chest, suddenly only half filling with air, compelled me to focus even more intensely in order to analyze his intent.

“Where is she staying in Colorado?”

“With friends in Loveland.”

“Do you know where she is today?”

Something was definitely off, and I struggled to contain the anxiety now rising up like a giant snake slipping silently around my body, squeezing all the air upward and out of me. It was the randomness of his questions that disoriented and frightened me the most. What is this about? Is Seana hurt? Whatever it was, a sense of urgency verging on alarm was now tightly gripping me.

“Seana is finishing her work with the Natural Hazards Center in Boulder, Colorado, and flies back here tomorrow.”

There was silence and a pause on the other end. Then, as if he had decided something, he asked,“What time does your yoga retreat end tonight?”

“In an hour or two.”

“When do you expect you’ll be back in your home on Vashon Island?”

“I think probably by around eight tonight?”

“Okay. I am going to meet you later at your house on Vashon.”

And now dread. The possibility that I might not be told until hours from now his purpose for calling and asking so many personal questions about Seana was unbearable. I categorically had to hear his words and could wait no longer, not minutes and certainly not hours. Nothing is real in this world, not even a death that happened hours before, until someone speaks it to you.

Inside of me a clear, unwavering resolve crystallized, and with it, all manners and etiquette instantly vanished. Right now, in this present moment, he was going to tell me why he had called.

“Officer, if this involves my wife, Seana, you need to tell me right now, not tonight.”

“Yes, it does. Your wife was killed in a car accident in Colorado earlier today. She is deceased.”

In spite of all the signals and warnings, I could not possibly have been more abruptly caught off guard. His words felt concurrently impossible and extraordinarily real. It was like falling off a precipice, but there was nothing left of the world.

Through my windshield I could vaguely make out the empty parking lot before me and white clouds in a blue sky overhead. Untethered, I floated within empty, endless space awhile, drifting among the folds of its silky fabric in dreamy cognizance of total disorientation.

Rippling out in deeper and deeper tremors and cascading across my consciousness were inaudible shockwaves. Paralyzed, my initial reaction was completely internal and mute. It was all happening very slowly, as if the terrible news was being passed by word of mouth deeper and deeper inside me, but it had so very far to travel.

Thankfully, there was no one around, not that I would have noticed. In my mind’s eye, the trees and flowers outside the car appeared fuzzy and crossed up, tilting in the golden light of the afternoon sun, while inside me an irreversible chain reaction went through its invisible sequence. Trillions of connections within my brain were uncoupling, severing their relationships as fast as the uppermost edge of the sun drops below the horizon every evening at dusk.

No words approach what was happening inside me. There is so much power in words, and his were still landing far down inside me. Noiselessly, a vast inner horizon that, for as long as I could remember, had been the imperishable foundation of who I was, had simply vanished. And so had “I.”

“Are you sure?” a voice asked him.

“Yes … she is deceased,” the officer replied.

Under the circumstances, these were the kindest words he could have spoken. She is deceased left no room for doubt. No hospital-bed vigil would change this, for no change was possible at all. Though seated, I was reeling.

I wonder if it’s a norm in society that when, out of the blue, you are told your wife was killed today, no one has any expectation of how you speak or act after hearing it. And that’s a good thing. It’s not a point in time to suppress any part of the complex repercussions that have been set in motion. This moment will happen only once for both of you.

Downward, deep and wide, an uncompromising, utter finality began to vaporize all that had been so vibrantly present only seconds before. It was as if, mid-chapter, the next sentence in an engrossing book is, without warning, the very last one. It left so many unanswered questions and plot lines, all of which were now irrelevant.

In the stillness of the parking lot, sealed inside my car, there was no next thought and, as yet, no feeling. Or perhaps more accurately, I felt so very much all at once, but the feelings were so foreign to me that they had no names. For the moment, my sense of “I” drifted through my awareness as aimlessly as the sunlight that was filtering through the branches of the trees outside the parking lot in front of me.

And then, just as suddenly, “I” dropped down and back into my mind and body, obliterating everything on the path of return.

Reprinted from The Final Gift of the Beloved: Her Disappearance-13 Days. Copyright © 2020 by Barron Steffen.

About the Author

Barron Steffen is a longtime student on the spiritual path of Siddha Yoga, a big band crooner, and a widower. He has been a big wave surfer, a 1980s Italian pop singer, and an award-winning elementary school teacher. Steffen has now fully transitioned from the elementary school classroom to his company, The Yoga of Mindset, where he teaches children and adults how to use their thoughts so they’re not used by them.

Website

A DELIGHTFUL LITTLE BOOK ON AGING

by

Stephanie Raffelock

Genre: Inspirational / Spiritual / Essays / Self-Help

Publisher: She Writes Press

Publication Date: April 28, 2020

Number of Pages: 119 pages

Scroll down for the giveaway!

All around us, older women flourish in industry, entertainment, and politics. Do they know something that we don’t, or are we all just trying to figure it out? For so many of us, our hearts and minds still feel that we are twenty-something young women who can take on the world. But in our bodies, the flexibility and strength that were once taken for granted are far from how we remember them. Every day we have to rise above the creaky joints and achy knees to earn the opportunity of moving through the world with a modicum of grace.

Yet we do rise, because it’s a privilege to grow old, and every single day is a gift. Peter Pan’s mantra was, “Never grow up”; our collective mantra should be, “Never stop growing.” This collection of user-friendly stories, essays, and philosophies invites readers to celebrate whatever age they are with a sense of joy and purpose and with a spirit of gratitude.

  Amazon ┃ IndieBound

Praise

“Where are the elders? The wise women, the crones, the guardians of truth here to gently, lovingly, and playfully guide us towards the fulfillment of our collective destiny? It turns out that they are right here, in our midst, and Stephanie Raffelock is showcasing the reclamation of aging as a moment of becoming, no longer a dreaded withering into insignificance. A Delightful Little Book on Aging lays down new and beautiful tracks for the journey into our richest, deepest, and wildest years.” – Kelly Brogan, MD, author of the New York Times bestseller A Mind of Your Own

“A helpful, uplifting work for readers handling the challenges of growing older.” – Kirkus Reviews

This is an introspective book about aging as a person, especially as a woman, and is a book meant to be savored and reflected upon.  We all feel what the author has felt at one time or another whether we are over 60 or under 60.  This is a crazy world and we have to learn how to adapt and cope so that we don’t make ourselves crazy in the process.

This book is divided into four sections that address different aspects of how to age gracefully.  The sections are Grief, Reclamation, Vision, and Laughter.  Grief is letting go of ideas of what it means to be young or what you believe youth means from the outside. Reclamation is reclaiming who you are and perhaps past hobbies or interests that might be a new outlet for you. Vision is becoming engaged in life and perhaps taking what you reclaimed and make it your own.  And laughter really doesn’t need much explanation – it is celebrating life and not letting the little things bring you down.

There are many ideas that are repeated and to me, that means you need to take note of those things because they are important.  Exercise is one of those that is repeated many times and I can understand that because if you stay active you are able to do more things that keep you young.  I like how the author doesn’t say you need to be in a gym or lifting weights – just walk.

“None of us are in it alone. We are moving toward the sunset together, and on that horizon eternity lingers. May we all embrace living fully, with unabashed joy and appreciation for this path of transition.”

No matter your age, we all need to sit back and enjoy life and those that are in our life.  You never know what tomorrow will bring and by enjoying the simple pleasures in life and those around us, we make our days more fruitful and blessed.

“You don’t need a PhD to see that the personas we craft for social media are all rainbows and unicorns. It’s as though the struggles of our lives are shameful and must be kept secret. We need places (probably not social media) to give air to what it means to be human. Too much energy convincing everyone of how positive you are while holding sorrow in abeyance can turn a person numb.”

“Social media is not reality. Be real. Be vulnerable. Be authentic, and be yourself…and don’t waste too much time on social media.”

These two passages resonated with me especially in the crazy times we live in today. Many times I don’t want to even log into Facebook, Twitter, or even read/watch the news because of the negativity and the hate that I see many show towards one another.  It saddens my heart that many do not want to have civil conversations with someone they don’t agree with about the hot button topics.  But if we communicate with each other on an equal playing field, we may discover some information we didn’t know before, and perhaps our viewpoint will change or we will have a better understanding of how others think.

“What we shed are the “things” that gather dust – the things that bind, the things that have become clutter. The new skin is made of of the intangible – purpose, meaning, connection, joy, and love.”

This statement is so true and relevant.  We have become a world of consumers and these purchases bog us down.  What is really important is the experiences and relationships we have with others.  This is a good reminder for me to not worry about “things” and to enjoy life and the relationships with my friends and family.

“Taking full deep breaths slows everything down. I close my eyes and breathe deeply ten times. With each exhale I say to myself, “thank you.” And isn’t “thank you” a beautiful prayer to whisper throughout the day?”

I am a big believer in taking deep breaths to calms and center myself.  I never thought about saying Thank You while doing this and it makes sense.  We are thanking the universe for providing for us.  I plan to do this next time I need some calming breaths.

There are so many parts of this book that I enjoyed, from her frank discussions about life to sharing stories that touch your heart.  I especially enjoyed a story about six teenage young women that were at a pool helping a friend through a tough time.  From the outside, you might think that they are shallow or vapid young women, but if you look past appearances and listen to conversations, you might find the truth is the complete opposite.

Here are some of my other favorite lines from the book:

“I worked with my hairstylist so I could stop dying my hair. Now it’s turning silver. I prefer the word “silver” over “gray” because silver sparkles, and I think that women our age sparkle.”

“Love, even the size of a parakeet’s heart, is eternal.”

“The conclusion was that we fear insignificance.”

“I have accepted that, in order to be successful, I need failure.”

“As the plane landed, all the babies stopped crying. Clearly the whole thing had been planned. They had probably met at the changing table in one of the airport restooms and plotted their little baby tyranny.”

Overall this was a delightful book and there are many nuggets of wisdom to take with you as you continue on through life.  I think many could learn a little something from this book and I plan to share it with my girlfriends because I feel like they will learn something from this book.

We give this book 4 1/2 paws up and suggest picking up a copy for yourself and your friends.

Stephanie Raffelock is the author of A Delightful Little Book on Aging  (She Writes Press, April 2020). A graduate of Naropa University’s program in Writing and Poetics, she has penned articles for numerous publications, including the Aspen Times, the Rogue Valley Messenger, Nexus Magazine, Omaha Lifestyles, Care2.com, and SixtyandMe.com. Stephanie is part of the positive-aging movement, which encourages viewing age as a beautiful and noble passage, the fruition of years that birth wisdom and deep gratitude for all of life.  She’s a recent transplant to Austin, Texas, where she enjoys life with her husband, Dean, and their Labrador retriever, Jeter (yes, named after the great Yankee shortstop).

  Website ║ Facebook ║ Instagram ║ Amazon

———————————

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

TWO WINNERS: Signed hardcover copy of A Delightful Little Book on Aging

+ a set of 50 pocket inspirations

ONE WINNER: A set of 50 pocket inspirations

JULY 7-19, 2020

(US ONLY)

Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

For direct links to each post on this tour, updated daily,

or visit the blogs directly

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This three book series by author Darlene Green is a pathway for shifting your awareness from the de-stabilizing chaos of the external world to the ever-present expression of Love.

Synopsis

In Service to Love offers a modern day mystery school that elevates your conscious awareness, catalyzing transformation and ultimately enlightenment.

Revealed through daily messages, scribed by Green from the Masters that comprise the Council of Light, you’ll experience your own unique, exquisite process of enlightenment. Each day’s message holds rich frequency. Simple foundational concepts, exercises, meditations, light infusions, and activations guide your experience, allowing your own resonance to reveal truth.

Enlightenment is not a privilege to be earned, it is who you are at your essence. The process of enlightenment uncovers what gets in the way of your greatest expression. With each step made on your unique journey, the experience of your life here and now is enhanced.

In Service to Love masterfully aligns your awareness to your divine nature so you may hear the voice of your soul and create your best life possible.

Available to read for free through Kindle Unlimited on Amazon

Guest Post

In Service to Love: Living on the Edge of Creation

In Service to Love began the morning of December 26, 2017. When I awoke, I felt immediately overcome with Love, appreciation, and enveloped in the rich, palpable presence of the sacred divine. I could feel and see the exquisite, brilliant light of Masters, and the Elohim before me. I could do no other than sob. An invitation was extended to sit with the Masters of the Council of Light as Scribe for one year in collaboration. I said, “Yes!” I knew in an instant this was the mission I had always felt at the depths of my being and was so sacredly kept I dared not even utter the words. And “Day 1” poured through my fingers.

I have always been deeply empathic, intuitive and sensitive. This created a chasm between what I sensed and the physical reality I saw. I became an avid student of spirituality and pieces of the puzzle started lining up. I never thought of myself as a writer. My natural inclinations are as a healer and teacher. In 2015 I connected powerfully with my own history as Scribe with profound events at sacred sites in Southern France. I began to practice reaching for the fine frequencies that contain inspiration. It was both beautiful and frustrating as the experience required developing adeptness at sensing my own inner realms. Following a car accident in February of 2017, all work stopped as I turned deeply inward for healing. Then December 26, 2017 occurred.

As I sat down each day to write In Service to Love, I was guided by the Council of Light to what I can only describe as a field of fine, exquisite frequency that contains depth, concepts, pictures, and colors. Each day was written from a different frequency even as my mind struggled to understand the process. Sometimes full concepts landed in my awareness as a picture that contained all the information then, my work was to interpret the picture I was given utilizing words that were a frequency match. Some days I was invited to expand my reach as the Council of Light moved into even finer light realms. Other times there was no thinking at all as the words flowed like honey onto the keyboard.

I continue to live a Master’s class in accessing original thought. At times I work to reach the space of connection and ultimately realize there is some limitation I am taking into the space that clouds my vision. My personality left to its own devices is fraught with doubt. So, my goal is to access my unlimited divine knowing by raising my awareness and frequency. In those moments in meditation I ask, “What may I release that I may see clearly?” Mostly what shows up are ways I discount myself. When I release my limitations, the air clears as I reach my truth unfettered by the beliefs of my personality. An expansive sense of freedom and delight ensues.

Two of the keys to access my most potent creativity:

1) Immaculate presence in the Now: I visualize myself within a series of concentric circles, with my center-most point being the exquisite stillness of the present moment. When my attention is in the outer-rings I am highly distracted, so, I watch myself walk to my center. There I experience the absence of thought. I take a deep breath and allow.

2) Willingness to not know: Accessing my greatest innovative capacity only occurs as I move beyond what I already know. Potent creating is not about rearranging what already has been, it is about accessing my own high frequency field where innovation arises in my awareness only in the Now moment.

Central messaging of In Service to Love invites us each to consider our own innovative capacity. Not as something that is unreachable, or only for a few of us, but as something that is deeply, intrinsically connected to our soul’s voice. As we connect to our own heart’s essence, we become the contribution we each intend. I continue to lean into the unknown to move beyond my own limited perceptions as I write daily. I feel the time we are in now requests our best to show up. With works inspired through the lens of our essential Self, how could we be anything else?

I am hoping the works of In Service to Love invites a new perspective for the reader. One that resonates powerfully with their own exquisite truth. Enlightenment is not a state to be earned; it is a natural process where we claim our wholeness. When we gently release the burden of who we are not, who we are shines brilliantly.

About the Author

Highly sensitive, a natural empath, healer, teacher, and scribe, Darlene Green has followed her heart’s direction in the discovery of the sacred in life. After many years of spiritual practice and study, Darlene experienced an invitation by the Masters of the Council of Light to sit with them as a scribe, daily, for one year and one day. The result is the extensive body of work that is In Service to Love, relayed through three books: In Service to Love Book 1: Love Remembered, In Service to Love Book 2: Love Elevated and In Service to Love Book 3: Love Now.

Website * Facebook * Instagram

The world is noisy. Everywhere we turn we see what is expected of us, including in business. Messages about powerful women entrepreneurs bombard us: Boss Babe! Supermom! Mom Boss! We are taught to envision a life of prosperity, push ourselves to succeed, do whatever it takes, and strive for recognition. Those channels promise success and prosperity, yet what happens when the promise is unfulfilled? Not because we didn’t succeed, but in the midst of our success.

When I found myself hitting this successful-yet-something-was-missing wall, I was left feeling like there must be something wrong with me. Was I not focused enough? Did I not want “it” badly enough? Was I not willing to work hard enough? Was I not cut out to be an entrepreneur?

These lies are just what the enemy wants us to believe, as he seeks to distract us from God’s purpose by planting seeds of discouragement, doubt, and discontent in our minds. When some major setbacks led me to seek answers, I encountered Jesus. And that changed everything I knew about business.

This book is for you if any of these resonate with you:

•You are a successful entrepreneur (even if you believe you were, but aren’t now), who feels she’s lost her joy for the business
•You feel like you’re chasing the money but losing fulfillment, and you wonder what to do next
•You’re formerly of the corporate world, now translating all that drive, discipline, competitive edge, and resilience into your own business in search of hope and freedom
•You seek to keep your relationship with Christ in the forefront as you build a business in the midst of drivers and strivers all around you.

I wrote this book to bring hope to women like you and me, who desire to make an impact for God’s glory but aren’t sure if it’s possible (or even appropriate) to bridge faith and business. God gave us businesses to live out His purpose for us and to steward wisely. The only way to do this is with Him at the center, and that’s how we Hustle with Heart.

About the Author

Erin Harrigan is a follower of Christ, wife, mom, and entrepreneur, known as the Hustle with Heart Coach. She is a sought-after coach and speaker for groups of three to thousands. Her personalized coaching focuses on entrepreneurs seeking to build a God-centered business and pursue success God’s way by helping entrepreneurs align results to God’s truth. Erin also helps people live healthier inside and out as brand ambassador for the global wellness brand Arbonne.

Erin hosts The Hustle with H.E.A.R.T. Podcast, distributed through all major podcast channels. She also shares the Hustle with Heart message through her Daily Dose Facebook live videos, and in the Success God’s Way Facebook community.

Erin is the founder of the Elaine’s Gift Foundation, which honors the memory of her mom Elaine by awarding scholarships to the children of single mothers to bring higher education within their reach.

Erin and her husband Brian live in Chesapeake Beach, MD, enjoying empty nest life with their two Bichons while cheering on their two adult daughters who are pursuing their dreams as an entrepreneur and an artist.

Facebook * Instagram * Podcast – iTunes * Podcast – Spotify