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Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Intentional: How to Live, Love, Work and Play Meaningfully by David Amerland - Book Tour - FIVE Guest Posts!!!!! - Giveaway - Enter Daily!!

Hi, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host David Amerland and his new book, “Intentional: How to Live, Love, Work and Play Meaningfully,” here on FAB!!  For other stops on his Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with David and to increase your chances of winning!!

Thanks for stopping by!!  Wishing you all lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!!


Intentional:

How to Live, Love, Work and Play Meaningfully

by David Amerland

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GENRE:  Non-Fiction / Smart Book

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BLURB:

Live your life the way you want to. Manage stress better. Be more resilient and enjoy meaningful relationships and better health. We all want that. Such life leads to better choices, better jobs, loving romantic partners, more rewarding careers and decisions that are fully aligned with our aims.

What stops us from getting all that is the complexity of our brain and the complicated way in which the external world comes together. The misalignment between the internal states we experience and the external circumstances we encounter often leads to confusion, a lack of clarity in our thinking and actions that are not consistent with our professed values.

Intentional is a gameplan. It helps us connect the pieces of our mind to the pieces of our life. It shows us how to map what we feel to what has caused those feelings, understand what affects us and what effects it has on us and determine what we want, why we want it and what we need to do to get it.

When we know what to do, we know how to behave. When we know how to behave we know how to act. When we know how to act, we know how to live. Our actions, each day, become our lives. Drawn from the latest research from the fields of neuroscience, behavioral and social psychology and evolutionary anthropology, Intentional shows you how to add meaning to your actions and lead a meaningful, happier, more fulfilling life on your terms.

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EXCERPT ONE:

Whether we realize it or not, we all feel the need for this kind of guidance that gives us a deep sense of purpose. Because we are born physically helpless we have evolved to latch onto and work hard to understand our immediate environment and the people around us. This makes us, as we grow older, intensely pro-social. At the same time it provides us with a ready-made set of expectations, rules and guidelines to guide our behavior that arise from the collective behavior of those around us.

That behavior is the culture we experience and the traditions we abide by. The problem with this is that rather than defining for ourselves what is important to us we accept that which is given to us. That which is given to us is rarely what we want, but it can very easily become what we settle for.

Settling is an evolutionary-programmed trait. Let me explain: Life is hard. It really is. Even if we happen to have the extraordinary luck to be born into a very rich family whose legacy gives us everything we need to live comfortably for the rest of our life, maintaining that fortune and navigating through life is going to be fraught with risks, traps and constant upheavals.

We need other people. Other people need us. That is a truth. But the reasons for this mutual need are usually contradictory or, at the very least, sufficiently at odds with each other to make trust an issue and turn cooperation into a risk-assessment exercise.

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FIVE GUEST POSTS:

Overcoming Writing Obstacles

This is my second book in the field of neuroscience and human behavior the first one was The Sniper Mind and the two books represent six long years of research, writing, and interviews of scientists and researchers. The main obstacle for me is that because of my scientific background I lose myself in the research and then it’s hard to come back down to the level where I have to write a book using plain English instead of a jargon-filled scientific paper that is written in a very dry, factual style. There were days when after I’d written 2,000 words plus I’d have to wipe them all out and start again because what I’d written made perfect sense only to scientific researchers.

What is your favorite motivational phrase and how do you apply it to your writings, life, etc.?

I think every writer struggles with a sense of their own capability and their own sense of worth in their writing. It is human. Whenever I am faced by doubt I use a psychological trick called “distancing”. I talk to myself in the third person like I am coaching me and I say “You can do this.” That usually is enough for me to feel an easing of the internal pressure I have brought to bear on myself and the fresh perspective this gives me is sufficient for me to be able to get done whatever it is that is challenging me.

My Take on Fake News and Its Impact on the Future of Writing

In truth, in our world, lies and half-truths always find more fertile ground than the truth and reason. The truth and reason are energetically difficult for us. We have to work hard to process them, they often overturn our most cherished notions about the world and then we usually have to do something about it. Lies and half-truths on the other hand are easier to swallow because they reflect our biases and feed into our prejudices. Because they have been crafted to fit our perspective exactly they require no effort to process and internalize. Right now, we are at a time in our history where this has become a problem.

As always, when faced with a problem we come up with a solution. The solution is to devise personal strategies that helps us either get our information from credible sources or fact-check the information we have for accuracy and veracity.

This, inevitably, affects writing. The popular perception for fiction writers was that they “get paid to lie”. That was never true. A fiction writer has to create alternative verisimilitudes of the real world that are logically viable so we can suspend our disbelief, buy into the premise of their creation and accept them. Fiction writers will have to work that little bit harder now on their modelling of these alternative worlds, fleshing them out so they can withstand closer scrutiny from their readers.

Non-fiction writers also have to work harder in what we present. It’s no longer enough to say “many studies show” for instance. We need to be able to explain which studies and what they show exactly. Where we make speculative pronouncements they have to be clearly labelled as speculative. Where we use deductive reasoning to reach a conclusion we have to be able to show the process. This creates greater transparency in our thinking which helps the reader trust our writing.

Putting Yourself on a Page: What It’s Like to Share Your Most Personal Words with the World

Writers often hide behind their words in that they want themselves to be away from publicity and let their books speak for themselves. The main reason for this is because, we, as writers are afraid of judgement. The words on the page, irrespective of genre, reveal aspects of ourself that we usually strive to keep hidden. We reveal our beliefs and our values, our ideas and our hopes. We show to the reader how we think the world works.

It is a terrifying thing to consider. It becomes even more terrifying when you think of all the different people who will read your words and interpret them through their own experiences, knowledge and memories. As writers we are accustomed to having control of what we write. The act of writing is one of total control. We choose the framework of our books, we write the words. If we are writing fiction, we choose the plots and create the characters and while characters often assume a degree of autonomy and present their actions to us, it is still our world and our characters who do so.

Non-fiction writing gives us even greater control. We pick the subject, the research, the interviews. We shape the premise we present through the writing. We have the power to make it virtually anything we want it to be.

The moment the book is out there however all that sense of control slips away. You then have to mentally and emotionally deal with the fact that all those inner thoughts, ideas and values that you keep inside you, as a writer, are now out there for the world to see. It takes a lot of thought to manage emotionally manage this.

Writing This Book Has Taught Me…

Every book is, for me, a learning opportunity. This one is no exception. Putting into good use the lessons I’ve already learnt from my previous books I learnt how to be even better at using simple, everyday English to express complex, neuroscientific and neurobiological terms.

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AUTHOR BIO:

David Amerland is a Chemical Engineer with an MSc. in quantum dynamics in laminar flow processes. He converted his knowledge of science and understanding of mathematics into a business writing career that's helped him demystify, for his readers, the complexity of subjects such as search engine optimization (SEO), search marketing, social media, decision-making, communication and personal development. The diversity of the subjects is held together by the underlying fundamental of human behavior and the way this is expressed online and offline. Intentional: How to Live, Love, Work and Play Meaningfully is the latest addition to a thread that explores what to do in order to thrive. A lifelong martial arts practitioner, David Amerland is found punching and kicking sparring dummies and punch bags when he's not behind his keyboard.

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CONNECT WITH DAVID:

Represented by The Knight Agency

Website:

https://davidamerland.com

Email:

davidamerland@gmail.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/david.amerland

Twitter:

https://www.twitter.com/DavidAmerland

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/david_amerland

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidAmerland

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidamerland

Medium:

https://davidamerland.medium.com

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1697177.David_Amerland

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57701508-intentional

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/2XRGWvW

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/3bd5e6H

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/3Bnne8W

Amazon US Hardcover:

https://amzn.to/3Go7Eh3

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Intentional-Live-Love-Work-Meaningfully-ebook/dp/B09GDNZPZN

Amazon CA Hardcover:

https://www.amazon.ca/Intentional-Live-Love-Work-Meaningfully/dp/1844811697

Amazon CA Hardcover:

https://www.amazon.ca/Intentional-Live-Love-Work-Meaningfully/dp/184481176X

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/intentional-david-amerland/1139173890?ean=9781844811755

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/intentional-david-amerland/1139173890?ean=9781844811694

Barnes and Noble Hardcover:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/intentional-david-amerland/1139173890?ean=9781844811762

The Book Depository Paperback:

https://www.bookdepository.com/Intentional-David-Amerland/9781844811694

The Book Depository Hardcover:

https://www.bookdepository.com/Intentional-David-Amerland/9781844811762

BAM! Books-A-Million Paperback:

https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Intentional/David-Amerland/9781844811694

BAM! Books-A-Million Hardcover:

https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Intentional/David-Amerland/9781844811762

The Bookshop Paperback:

https://bookshop.org/books/intentional-how-to-live-love-work-and-play-meaningfully/9781844811694

The Bookshop Hardcover:

https://bookshop.org/books/intentional-how-to-live-love-work-and-play-meaningfully-9781844811762/9781844811762

Google Play eBook:

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/David_Amerland_Intentional?id=_PFJEAAAQBAJ

Kobo US eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/intentional-5

Kobo CA eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/intentional-5

Want to Check Out What Readers Are Saying About “Intentional: How To Live, Love, Work and Play Meaningfully,” on Goodreads Book Reviews??  What to Explore Additional Bookstore Buy Links??

Click Below for More Info:

https://davidamerland.com/seo-blog/1429-where-you-can-buy-a-copy-of-intentional-how-to-live-love-work-and-play-meaningfully.html

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

David will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

8 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for hosting this.

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    Replies
    1. David ~ Good morning!! Welcome to FAB!! Yes, absolutely, glad to have you here!! Congrats on your new book and good luck on the book tour!!

      P.S. ~ Sorry, I am not able to include all the guest posts you wrote. I originally just posted the top one. However, I felt bad, since you probably spent hours writing them. Technically, a guest post tour should only have one guest post. Occasionally an author will submit two (when they can't decide between topics), but that only happens every once in a while. However, if a book is co-authored by two writers, then each writer may turn in a post. I try to provide a large array of guest post topics (hence the long list) so author's can easily choose one that they find intriguing/appealing and/or relating to them or their book. So, I edited your post to include five of the shorter guest posts you submitted. I'm not sure if I'm technically allowed to post that many, as I don't know what is in book tour contract with GFP. So, for now, they're posted, but if I am contacted that I'm not allowed to exceed guest posting limits, I will have re-edit accordingly.

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  2. I think it is interesting to read about an author's experiences and background.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for the great excerpt! The book sounds very interesting.

    ReplyDelete