Kenneth B. Little and Helen Davies have written a novel exploring how to give humankind a second chance. Read an excerpt from God's Intervention. And then stay tuned to find out Ken's thoughts on if this book was made into a movie. Follow the tour for even more! And best of luck in the giveaway.
Getting a rare disease diagnosis can be devastating. This father has chosen to look for the positive and to leave a legacy for his children and others. Be inspired with this excerpt from Bedtime Stories for the Living and then download your own copy. Also check out his writing advice! Leave your questions and comments as you follow the tour. Best of luck entering the giveaway!
One thing that I noticed over the past couple of years is a lot of us had some time to really sit and think about the direction our lives were taking and have been seeking a new path to truly fulfill ourselves. This book is one tool that may be useful. Read an excerpt from Raise the Bar by Jay Ibrahim and then download your own copy. Remember to leave comments and to ask questions as you follow the tour. Best of luck entering the giveaway!
Curl up with this box set of Christian contemporary women's fiction from Jacie Middlemann! Read an excerpt and then follow the tour for more. Rmemeber to leave questions and comments along the way! Best of luck entering the giveaway!
A practice of gratitude is so important in our lives. And sometimes you need a little nudge to help you along the way. Learn more about the 365 Days of Gratitude Journal by Marielle S. Smith and then get your own copy to get you started. She also shares with us her top 5 songs to listen to while doing your practice. Best of luck entering the giveaway! And follow the tour for more.
Today we welcome Charlotte Hubbard back to Uplifting Reads with a look at the fourth book in her Maidels of Morning Star series. Read an excerpt and my review of Love Blooms in Morning Star. Follow the tour for even more! And best of luck entering the giveaway!
July is my birthday month! The official day just happened, so I am giving a present to my followers! And one of my favorite things to receive is an Amazon gift card. So here we go!
Take a ride back in time and enjoy this excerpt from Violet's Voice, a historical western by Annee Jones. Let her know what you think in the comments! Download your own copy and then follow the tour for more. Best of luck in the giveaway!
“Ray, I’m busy right now. Is everything alright?”
“Yeah, everything is fine. I’m so sorry for showing up unannounced like this.” I clasp my hands and search for the right words. “I…um...I realized I invited you to the youth event but never gave you the address.”
Amara raises her eyebrows in that cute little way she does, which makes me think she doesn’t believe me.
“I wasn’t sure if you were working today and I didn’t know if I would see you again before Saturday,” I add.
“Okay?” she says. It’s not irritation in her big brown eyes, but a slight indifference. “Do you have the address written down or something?” She extends her hand.
“Oh, well, since you’re busy, I have a better idea. Can I get your number instead?” I smile and when she doesn’t respond, I explain further. “So I can text you the address?”
She sends me a blank stare.
“If I write it on a piece of paper, you might lose it. Plus, what if you get lost? I’d love to find you.” I flash her another nervous smile, my heart suddenly picking up pace.
She stares and crosses her arms against her chest. Then finally, after what feels like forever, Amara cracks a smile and shakes her head. “You never give up, do you?”
Wow, look at those beautiful teeth. Fine girl. Omoge.
I scratch my head. “Are my efforts going to be in vain?”
She kisses her teeth and extends her hand again. “Where’s your phone?”
Excerpted from The One Who Loves Me by Joan Embola, Copyright © 2022 by Joan Embola. Published by Love Qualified Press.
Rebecca Brown takes us on her own journey in the hopes that she can inspire us to go on our own journeys of self-discovery. She shares with us her story of becoming a writer and a bonus exclusive excerpt from her book Shelter from Our Secrets, Silence & Shame. Download your copy and follow the tour for even more. Best of luck entering the great giveaway!
My back story begins with a career in medical social work, my dream job. I knew from the time I was sixteen years old that I wanted to help people with the challenges life puts in our paths. I was a pretty good student, and in my last few years of high school I really buckled down because I’d set my mind on exactly what I wanted to do. I knew which university I needed to go to, and I worked hard to get there. It was also the farthest university in the province from where I lived, which was exactly where I wanted to be at that time. As far away from home as I could get.
I also knew that I didn’t want just any social work career. I wanted to work in a hospital with people who had experienced trauma. This felt comfortable to me. I could stay calm in a crisis and understood the impact of life-changing traumatic events on a person and their family. I worked hard through my undergrad program, and in my fourth-year internship, I was accepted to work in a hospital rehabilitation program for patients with spinal cord injuries.
I was exactly where I needed to be.
I knew that I could help people here.
I loved this job.
My patients were primarily sixteen-to-thirty-year-old males who were injured while engaging in high-risk behaviours, like cliff diving, drunk driving, or contact sports, or in vehicular accidents. Some had attempted suicide. Others had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time and had broken their necks, backs, or seriously damaged their spinal cords.
My patients were beautiful young men, full of life and often the life of their parties.
Until the accident.
An important part of self-care is self-supervision. Laurie Ponsford-Hill is going to teach you how. Today I have an exclusive excerpt from The Art of Self-Supervision for you and then you can read more as you follow the tour. Be sure to download your own copy and leave comments for the author along the way. Best of luck in the giveaway!
Read an exclusive excerpt:
Schön (1983) describes reflective practice as a semi-structured, self-regulated process, noting that it is practicable for professionals in a variety of disciplines. He observes that the goal of self-reflection is to enhance the individual’s ability to make informed and balanced decisions, adding that this is particularly important for the practicing professional. He believes that the creation and maintenance of a virtual world, such as a sketch pad, can open a reflective conversation about issues relevant to the artist. The conversation facilitates making discoveries and promotes further self-reflection on the individual’s intuitive responses; it is both a method of inquiry and an intervention. Self-reflection is a valuable way for professionals to explore their experiences.
The act of creation brings the unknown onto the page enabling the art therapist to bring forth self to engage with their reality (B. L. Moon, 1997; C. H. Moon 2002; Ulman, 2001). The art therapist has the essential knowledge to liberate feeling, create new self-awareness and expose deep unconscious content, even when these elements are interpreted by and for themselves through their art (Allen, 1995; B. L. Moon, 1997; C. H. Moon, 2002). The therapist looks within to understand experiences, and the subsequent countertransference with their image evokes deeper elements of the unconscious (Shaverien, 1995). Professionals need a way to make informed and balanced decisions, and self-reflective practice provides a valuable means for the professional to explore their lived-experience (Schön, 1983). The art therapist is in a unique position to engage in self-exploration through art, as the profession is based on aesthetic exploration.
Today we welcome author Toby Negus to Uplifting Reads. He shares with us an excerpt from The Heart Knows What the Mind Cannot See as well as advice he would give his younger writing self. Be sure to follow the tour after you download your own copy. Best of luck in the giveaway!
A song without heart carries no life.
It is from the heart that comes so many defining qualities of love and the human adventure of life. It is the source of our abiding happiness, because the wish of the heart is for our happiness. It knows what is best for us because it knows us intimately. Within its chamber lives our loves, hopes, and our dreams.
The heart is the source of all the world’s greatness. It can pull star dreams to earth, for the heart has created all the wonders of the world, all the gifts of humanity and all the songs of love. It is the home of an innocence, a wise innocence that dispels the cynicism I hold in myself and of myself.
It is the place of our truth, not the truth of yesterday or tomorrow that my mind struggles to know, but the truth of the moment, the living truth. And when I allow it, it is a cathedral of light, a library of illumined text that describes the union of my heaven and earth. Its call has the power to move mountains or create the gentlest touch of love. It is the artist within, the writer of meanings, and the manifestor of dreams.
Although we live in a world of this-and-that, there is within the heart the dreams of forever and memories of the infinite.
All of us have different coping mechanisms that we use to get us through tough times. And we do need to do what is best for us. A lot of times, though, it does help to write out what is going on in your head. You don't need to share it. But author Javacia Harris Bowser is sharing some of her stories and tips to help you write your way through all that life has to throw at you. Take a look at this excerpt and then follow the tour for more. Best of luck entering the giveaway!
- from “Write Like a Girl”
On my eleventh birthday, I declared I was a woman. I have no idea why. My budding boobs barely filled my training bra, and I wouldn’t get my period for another year. But it was as if turning eleven declared I was number one and said it again for good measure, and I believed it.
I can’t recall exactly what I decided to wear on this special day, but I do remember slouch socks were involved. I also remember that I didn’t want a party because birthday parties were for children. A woman–especially one who at the time fancied herself a poet–should spend her birthday having a quiet evening at home writing in her journal, reflecting on her past, and making plans for the years to come.
What I’m trying to say is eleven-year-old me was ridiculous. But I think about this girl often. Sometimes to become the woman you’re meant to be, you must remember the girl you used to be. Sometimes you must write like a girl.
When you write for a living, it can be hard to remember how to do this. When you write for a living, you can easily forget to write for yourself. You can forget to write simply for the love of words, for the joy of stringing together sentences. It can be hard to remember what it felt like to write with no regard for readers or a deadline, but that’s what writing like a girl is all about.
Sometimes I think back to that eleven-year-old girl–who thought she was a woman–and I challenge myself–just for a few moments–to forget about building a brand or pitching publications and just write. Yes, I can get back to business later, but right now, just write.
