Fabulous and Brunette: #PersonalGrowth

Showing posts with label #PersonalGrowth. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

The Joy of Spirit: Spiritual Living to Discover Wonderful You by Tania Kiaizadeh - Book Tour - Blurb Blitz - Book Sale - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hi, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host Tania Kiaizadeh and her new book, “The Joy of Spirit: Spiritual Living to Discover Wonderful You,” here on FAB!! For other stops on her 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 $15 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Tania and to increase your chances of winning!!

This eBook is on SALE for ONLY $0.99 during the book tour!!! See below for more details.

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

The Joy of Spirit:

Spiritual Living to Discover Wonderful You

by Tania Kiaizadeh

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GENRE: Body, Mind & Spirit / Inspiration & Personal Growth

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BOOK BLURB:

“Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul."

~ Walt Whitman

Care to reclaim your authentic, pure self?

This book will show you how to find your inner balance in life, by connecting to mindful moments to reclaim your true nature.

This book:

- is transformative in nature,

- will teach you to depend on yourself, as you hold a wealth of magic,

- will teach you how to shift perspective,

- is riddled with warm anecdotes to inspire you,

- will teach you how to live mindfully outside of yoga and meditation,

- will remind you that intention setting is key,

- will help you connect to your own spirit guides and the Angelic realm regardless of religious beliefs,

- will show you how to connect to your multidimensional self,

- will remind you that belief is at the core of spiritual realm,

- will have you connect to the frequency of love where actual magic begins.

In essence, shift your perspective to tap into this spiritual realm while on earth.

Quotes:

Becoming your own number one choice in life is walking the spiritual path successfully.

It is time to trim your existence from all the self-imposed drama. Your perception plays an important role in releasing yourself from all this commotion.

You are divinity in motion.

Walking this earth with a curious mind, willing to learn, to be challenged and to grow is the purpose of every soul...

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EXCERPT THREE:

Spirit has been teaching me about oneness. As humans, we are all one. I guess one is not the loneliest number, after all. What if I told you this extends to far greater than humanity. All sentient beings are one. All living things are one. The intersection of all three groups represents oneness. With that in mind, it becomes that much more important to be aware of your surroundings and all involved parties.

As you discover yourself, your needs, your boundaries, your strengths and your limitless ways, it becomes that much more important to be sensitive to all sentient beings and all living things on Earth. The notion of protection of all is relevant. The notion of lending a hand to elevate another is meaningful and involves your heart’s frequency. We are all interconnected. I would go as far as to say, this extends to the afterlife as well. I suspect it also extends to anything moving about in the great universe and beyond. Your soul is far from being on a solo journey while you are looking to expand, evolve, learn and experience. It’s all right to complete the soul’s long list of wishes, but it is imperative to do so while keeping the greater good of others in mind too.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Tania Kiaizadeh (Kia) was born in Teheran, Iran but in 1977, at the age of nine, she moved to Montreal with her family in order to avoid the political rumblings which gave way to the Iranian Coup d’état. With new beginnings in Montreal, adaptations to be made, she carved a life in North America. She received her Bachelor and Master of Education in Educational and Counselling Psychology, at McGill University. Since 1991, she has been working with her students in classrooms and in private practice, teaching them French as a second language, literature, history, as well executive functioning skills, while reminding them that they are limitless beings with gifts and capabilities that extend far beyond their imagination. It all starts with setting an intention and implicitly believing in yourself. Education, knowledge, self-improvement and self-empowerment paired with curiosity and her favourite aphorism, “leave no stone unturned,” define the fabric of her life. With Spirit nestled in stereo, she now has access to a crisp means of learning, which involves a great deal of hands-on, experiential learning.

She began writing her debut, prescriptive non-fiction, a spiritual self-help, after delving into the study of transformation, spirituality, intuition and manifestation. When she is not busy editing her second novel, a narrative memoir, she can be found walking in nature, connecting to her students, embracing her limitations in yoga, deeply breathing, having insightful exchanges with her family and friends, and just being. Since the summer of 2021, she has been sending free, monthly, distant energy healing to those in need, especially during this worldwide pandemic, where people are suffering in many different ways. Even with energy medicine, she proves to be most effective helping children. She continues to live in Montreal, Canada, and she can be found sharing her insight on Instagram @tania.kiaizadeh.

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CONNECT WITH TANIA:

Website:

https://taniakiaizadeh.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090621264804

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/tania.kiaizadeh

LinkedIn:

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

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/30457994.Tania_Kiaizadeh

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/175733385-the-joy-of-spirit

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/483xowo

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BOOK BUY LINKS & BOOK SALE INFO:

** The Joy of Spirit: Spiritual Living to Discover Wonderful You eBook is on SALE for ONLY $0.99 during the book tour!!!**

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/4824NYk

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/419A4q4

Amazon US Hardcover:

https://amzn.to/4a7drX2

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Joy-Spirit-Spiritual-Discover-Wonderful-ebook/dp/B0C15XJLCC

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Joy-Spirit-Spiritual-Discover-Wonderful/dp/0228886783

Amazon CA Hardcover:

https://www.amazon.ca/Joy-Spirit-Spiritual-Discover-Wonderful/dp/0228886791

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-joy-of-spirit-tania-kiaizadeh/1143323652?ean=2940166043955

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-joy-of-spirit-tania-kiaizadeh/1143323652?ean=9780228886785

Barnes and Noble Hardcover:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-joy-of-spirit-tania-kiaizadeh/1143323652?ean=9780228886792

Kobo US eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-joy-of-spirit

Kobo CA eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-joy-of-spirit

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Tania will be awarding a $15 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) 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.

Thursday, June 1, 2023

Excellence Through Mental Strength: A Step-By-Step Guide to Reaching Your Highest Level of Performance by Lionel Baugh - Book Tour - Blurb Blitz - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hi, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host Lionel Baugh and his new book, “Excellence Through Mental Strength: A Step-By-Step Guide to Reaching Your Highest Level of Performance,” 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 $20 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Lionel and to increase your chances of winning!!

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

Excellence Through Mental Strength:

A Step-By-Step Guide to Reaching Your Highest Level of Performance

by Lionel Baugh

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GENRE: Self-Help / Personal Development

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BOOK BLURB:

Have you ever felt like your weaknesses were holding you back from opportunities in life? Or feared you don't have the skill set to tackle new experiences? Perhaps you've even worried about just not being as naturally talented as the people around you?

Excellence Through Mental Strength will not only dispel your concerns but will also teach you how to reframe your perception of self. You're already more capable than you realize, and this step-by-step guide will show you how to recognize the true power of your strengths-so you can 'make the shift' into a growth mindset and take back control of your future.

Never let your perceived 'weakness' into the driver's seat of your life again. Bolster your mental strengths instead and pave the road you want to travel with grounded confidence in who you are, where you're going, and what you bring to the table.

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EXCERPT ONE:

How you manage your attention is at the heart of mental strength. Like everything you learn, your ability to do so improves with practice. Imagine the following: Katrina was having a lively conversation with friends at the office. She wanted to buy a new car. One of her friends, Charles, always opinionated, made a strongly worded recommendation: ‘Katrina, based on your profile and personality, there’s only one car for you—A VW Golf!’ On the way home, a curious thing happened. Generally uninterested in cars, Katrina began to notice VW Golf ’s in the traffic. The traffic was slow. It was as if all the other vehicles were just vehicles. Cars, vans, SUVs blurred into a mass of noisy movement. This was the mass migration of rush-hour. However, VW Golfs kept showing up, on her left, in front, just a little to the right, in her rear-view mirror. Gray ones, blue ones, old models, new ones. The traffic steadily seemed to become a river full of 25 VW Golfs. She even noticed one parked at a strip mall, another getting its gas refilled. As she arrived at her driveway, she noticed that even her next door neighbor had a VW Golf. Previously, it had been just a ‘car’. She took this as an omen and bought one the next Saturday. ; Katrina was amazed by what happened because she’s not aware of how the brain works. The brain is largely a giant filtering machine. It maintains focus by eliminating what you don’t want to notice so you can focus on what you do. If this wasn’t so, we’d live in a state of perpetual confusion.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Lionel Baugh Born: 5/25/53 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Nationality: British/US Citizen Education: Trinity College, Dublin University Lives in: Solis, Uruguay Speak: Both English and Spanish, without preference. I’m an executive coach. In 2009, I completed a long career in financial services and made a life changing and comprehensive career shift. My banking career had a lot of diversity to it. I enjoyed assignments in New York, Lima, Manila, Hong Kong, Oslo, San Antonio-Texas, and Miami. Professionally that took me through commercial banking to capital markets and eventually to wealth management. In 2008, I left Merrill Lynch, and by early 2009, I was certified as a business coach. This opened up a whole new world, unleashing a passionate desire to help people grow and a fascination with what works in life. As my coaching career advanced, I moved from business coaching to executive coaching, where most of my existing practice lies. The fundamental difference is that executive coaching focuses more on 143 behavior and mindset than on entrepreneurialism. Behavior and mindset are where my passion lies. (Having said that, most entrepreneurial success is also about mindset, but you do spend time on things like the marketing strategy and the cash-flow forecast.) I became a sponge for learning and have obtained certifications in Emotional Intelligence and in the Red2Blue mindset model. I have read too many books to number or list, and the subjects range from psychology to therapy to emotional intelligence, agility, and self-awareness to mindfulness, stoicism, and more recently, anything I can learn about performance under pressure. My ‘why’ is sustained by a strong belief that everyone has excellence in them. I’m curious to discover each person’s unique ‘hidden genius’. I’m very motivated to help identify that excellence, polish it, and display it to the world in all its splendor. I have clients throughout the Americas and the UK whom I coach via Zoom. I also do frequent webinars and in-person workshops.

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CONNECT WITH LIONEL:

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/29788292.Lionel_Baugh

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123315178-excellence-through-mental-strength

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/42a5WcN

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/3WCAPFK

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Excellence-through-Mental-Strength-Step-ebook/dp/B0BZDJGMYJ

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Excellence-through-Mental-Strength-Lionel/dp/B0BY4CR8LY

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/excellence-through-mental-strength-lionel-baugh/1143197923

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Lionel will be awarding a $20 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

AhHa...Guide to the Golden Age: How to Prepare for Very Big Changes on Our Very Tiny Planet by D N D - Book Tour - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

AhHa...Guide to the Golden Age:

How to Prepare for Very Big Changes on Our Very Tiny Planet

by D N D

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GENRE: Body, Mind & Spirit / Inspiration & Personal Growth

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BOOK BLURB:

This Ahha...Guide to the Golden Age with the secondary title How to Prepare for Very Big Changes on our Very Tiny Planet is a mythic journey and a joy ride of discovery based on its foundational 3 Law and 10 Step vertical structure, with each level describing a rising level of consciousness. It’s actually exactly what the two titles express. Like any good story (though it’s a non fiction, it still remains the unfolding story of the universe and Us...here on mother Earth), it has its ‘good guys and bad guys’ and naturally ascends to its climax, with its minor 'AhHa' moments as well as major ‘AhHa’ moments, leading to perhaps scintillating insights and even an epiphany or two (depending on the prevailing winds), along with quite few very bad jokes and anecdotes, triggering mild chuckles or even more serious laughter on its journey...”To The Stars”….

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EXCERPT ONE:

“Maybe the whales would be ok staying in the water”

How to begin? Since this is only my second book I can only guarantee one thing, it will definitely not hit the NY Times best seller list anytime soon,(ok let's not jinx it just in case). In fact I don’t know if this will even make it into a bookstore, but it should do well in the streets and the flea markets and the alleys, well maybe not there. I have no clue where it will end up. But it doesn’t matter. After my life of 70 years this is my legacy, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. I also have no highly respected, eloquent and world known personality to write this forward for me. I’m stuck with me. And I’m still not sure how to begin it. Maybe I’m experiencing ‘writer’s block’ or maybe I just can’t write. That’s it, I'm not a writer. What do you expect? I'm only a hippy philosopher. Thank God I got that off my chest.

So let's try again. Let this be my guiding thought as I work my way through this thing.... that I will call a book.(who reads books anymore anyways?) Truth is I am a nobody. Yes I have been a hippy/artist most of my adult life, maybe at times even a hipster, but that’s just merely a very hip hippy. I have not accomplished a lot in life, in fact I haven’t accomplished anything, and may not succeed in finishing this book either. But though I am a nobody, I am definitely beginning to realize that this ‘nobody’ is really everybody. Everybody means every being, like “everything...all of it”, and I know no one will believe me, but I’m saying it anyway, so there. Some people call it the universe. I don’t think I have a big enough ego to compare myself to the universe. Then again the truth is, that’s exactly what I am, and this includes you all too. Some people even use that dreaded... G.. word. My tiny little individual self is all selves, as significant and insignificant as every other being in the world. This is the whole premise of this writing. All us little beings from the tiniest quarks and leprechauns (whoops leptons) to humans and super galaxies are all One Vast Being.... Us...Now... Here. So yes I am, in reality indeed the universe, and I should have an ego the same size in order to believe it. It’s called the Law of One which I will get into in Chapter 1. I am still stuck in this forward and it kind of feels like I am going more backwards, then forward, but never mind, forwards or backwards we keep on keeping on.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Deva Neall Depodesta has been a student of life and the arts for many decades. Born in 1949 in Montreal, Quebec he has been on a life journey of the arts from initial studies at Concordia University - BA communication arts, courses in music, 2 years. further studies in music, acting, theatre and production. This was followed over the years with further studies in music, video/film production, media, education, music technology at Capilano College,Vancouver Community College,Institute of Communication Arts.There was also ongoing personal study in many aspects of music, theory, harmony, composition, instruments/voice. He has worked in the following arts :, music, performing, acting, theatre, film, radio and video/film.in many different roles as performer, composer, writer, actor, voiceover .This web site is basically his more integral vision of life as understood at this time in his life 2017. It includes his many interests in the arts specifically music, acting, theatre, video etc. acting promos, written music etc and video/photos in various productions .But it is the integral vision perspective that he is most focused on. It is explained in the three blogs he has written and will add to in the near future.

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CONNECT WITH D N D:

Website:

https://starship7oneness.com

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/guidetothegoldenage

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22758837.Deva_Neil_Dee_Podesta

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62234237-ahha-guide-to-the-golden-age

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/426dk8W

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/43GbYmT

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Ahha-Guide-Golden-Age-Prepare-ebook/dp/B0BQ5B6Q64

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Ahha-Guide-Golden-Age-Prepare/dp/0228874726

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ahha-guide-to-the-golden-age-dnd/1142113541

Indigo Chapters CA Paperback:

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/ahha-guide-to-the-golden/9780228874720-item.html

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

D N D will be awarding a $15 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Compassion for Life by Philip W Mason - Book Tour - Exclusive Excerpt - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hello, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host Philip W Mason and his new book, “Compassion for Life,” 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 $15 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Philip and to increase your chances of winning!!

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

Compassion for Life

by Philip W Mason

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GENRE: Self-Help, Non-Fiction

{as in (Body, Mind & Spirit / Inspiration & Personal Growth)}

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BLURB:

During life, everyone experiences difficult struggles and pain. The relief from this pain can come when either we recognize that we are only human and make an appropriate change for the better or when another person helps us recognize it and encourages us to make that change. These two phenomena are called self compassion and compassion and are great powers that people possess to make life better. They are the first steps to take towards a healing process that results in one being able to enjoy and share all the wondrous experiences that life has to offer.

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EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT:

Mom and I met Lee in Greensboro, North Carolina, on December 31, 2019. We were at a stoplight waiting for it to turn green, and he sauntered past us on the sidewalk, and I quickly gave Mom a twenty-dollar bill to give to him. She hurriedly got out of the car and ran after him. They ended up a hundred feet behind me on the sidewalk. I held up traffic for one full cycle of the stoplight. At the next green light, I became frustrated that she was not returning, and I yelled to myself about her waiting too long with him. I drove through the light and pulled into the next parking lot. I waited for a few minutes, leaning on my car as they continued to talk. I saw Mom give him a hug. He had dirty old clothes, typical of a homeless person, and his head bent strongly to his right-hand side. I walked the two hundred feet to where they were standing and introduced myself to Lee.

After talking for about a half hour with Lee, he explained he was on his way to “fly a sign” (i.e., panhandle) on a certain street corner to get money for groceries and take them back to an apartment where he spent rainy nights, to help feed four guys. Mom offered to buy him some groceries. We drove to Aldi’s where Mom shopped with him while I shopped for mom and myself. When I finished, I went to them and Lee’s shopping cart was full of all kinds of healthy foods. We encouraged him to get everything he needed, and he went back and picked up some other items. Mom paid for Lee’s groceries, and I paid for ours. We checked out and drove Lee to an apartment of a friend of his. His friend came out to carry in the groceries. I wanted to talk with Lee some more, so we agreed to meet at nine thirty the next morning back where we had first met. Mom and I then left to go home.

The next morning, I went to the agreed meeting place. After fifteen minutes of waiting, Lee had not shown up. I drove back to the apartment, and Lee’s friend said he was headed to meet me. I drove back, and still no Lee. I drove around a little looking for him and went back to the apartment. His friend said he had left his apartment at eight that morning. Getting frustrated, I drove to Target and bought a cellphone on my account. I drove back to the apartment and asked his friend to give it and a nice sweatshirt to Lee. I drove home.

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AUTHOR BIO:

I grew up on small family farm in rural Gorham, Maine in the 1970’s. Farm life instilled in me a strong sense of values, including resilience, responsibility, and the necessity of team-work. When I graduated high school, I attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, starting off in mechanical engineering before switching to physics, and graduating with a Bachelor of Science in 1991. From there, I went to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, earning my masters and finally a PhD in physics in 1998 with my dissertation “An Optically Detected Magnetic Resonance Study of Point Defects in Wide Band-gap Semiconductors.” I have, over the course of my career, put those degrees to good use at various high-tech companies including a five year stint at the Bell Labs Division of Lucent Technologies.

And for many of the last fifteen years, I have suffered with serious mental health issues.

I have had numerous in-patient and out-patient treatment sessions and have learned about human frailty and gained a better understanding of the human condition. This has taught me to have more compassion for the world. I have also come to learn that my mental illness is not my fault, for there was nothing I could have done to prevent it. I have come to accept it, have received medical care for it, and am now going through the process of healing from it. It is a very emotional recovery at times, and I now have hope for a much brighter future.

I am now able to love who I am and want to share that sense of hope and love with the rest of the world.

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CONNECT WITH PHILIP:

Website:

https://philipwmason.com

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20263271.Philip_W_Mason

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53329158-compassion-for-life

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/3NsT3E6

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/39a16a5

Amazon US Hardcover:

https://amzn.to/3Nsc7m4

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Compassion-Life-Philip-W-Mason-ebook/dp/B0977QBTK2

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Compassion-Life-Philip-W-Mason/dp/022882673X

Amazon CA Hardcover:

https://www.amazon.ca/Compassion-Life-Philip-W-Mason/dp/0228826721

Book Depository Paperback:

https://www.bookdepository.com/Compassion-for-Life-Philip-W-Mason/9780228826736

Book Depository Hardcover:

https://www.bookdepository.com/Compassion-for-Life-Philip-W-Mason/9780228826729

Smashwords eBook:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/notPublished/1018386

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Philip will be awarding a $15 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

The Light in the Darkness: Musings on Living With Cancer by Jo St Leon - Book Tour - Book Donation Info - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hi, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host Jo St Leon and her new book, “The Light in the Darkness: Musings on Living With Cancer,” here on FAB!! For other stops on her 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 $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Jo and to increase your chances of winning!!

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

Also, I would like to point out that Jo is generously donating $1.00 from each copy of the featured book sold to Cancer Research!!! As if there wasn’t already a fabulous reason to buy this book – now $1.00 of your purchase will be going directly to help prevent and cure cancer through research!!! Together we can work toward defeating cancer!!! See below for more details.

The Light in the Darkness:

Musings on Living With Cancer

by Jo St Leon

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GENRE: Body, Mind, Spirit / Inspiration & Personal Growth

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BLURB:

The Light in the Darkness is a must-have companion for anyone living with a serious illness, or caring for a loved one with such an illness.

With this collection of reflections and personal essays, Jo St Leon shares her experiences, her darkest moments and her greatest joys. She tells of the journey from fear and denial to acceptance and a determination to live her best life. She shares her deepest thoughts and feelings, always with her characteristic blend of wry humour and wisdom.

The Light in the Darkness is the book Jo wishes she could have found when she first received her cancer diagnosis.

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EXCERPT ONE:

I was diagnosed with Sézary syndrome (a rare blood cancer) in 2016. It is notoriously difficult to diagnose, and at that point I estimated that I had had it for about 11 years. At least, that was when the itch began.

I was living in London and had a touring job: as principal viola with English National Ballet I spent four or five months each year on the road. I imagined little piles of skin and blood on bedlinen all over the country as I manically scratched night after night with no idea what ailed me. Once, the itch gave me two days respite, and I spent hours wondering what could have changed and how I could repeat that blissful itchless experience. I experimented with everything, but, of course, nothing worked. You cannot cure cancer by changing your washing powder.

I left London late in 2006 and returned to Australia to live in Hobart. Eventually, I took my itch to the doctor. She told me to take antihistamines. When I went back to tell her they didn’t work, she advised me to take more. I finally begged her for a referral to a dermatologist. Reluctantly, she agreed. I think her private opinion was that I was making a fuss about nothing, but she couldn’t say so. The dermatologist was not much more helpful, so I just carried on scratching.

Eventually, my feet and ankles became twice their rightful size and were covered in unsightly sores. Unable to wear shoes and desperate for answers, I changed my GP. He ordered blood tests for everything, and eventually Sézary was diagnosed. I didn’t much like the diagnosis, but it was good to know what it was.

It was also good to finally be taken seriously and not treated as an irritating hypochondriac who was taking valuable treatment time away from people who were actually sick. I now had a whole team of doctors who treated my comfort as a priority. They even respected me for managing to carry on working with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (TSO) despite a constant itch that seemed to go right through to the bone. Respect—imagine!

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GUEST POST:

The Story Behind My Book Cover

I provided Tellwell with the calligraphy, the title, and a very vague idea of what I wanted the cover to look like, and their designer created something miraculous. From memory, I said ‘mostly dark, with a few pops of light.’ Imagine my joy when the first draft was sent to me: it was better than I could possibly have imagined. No revisions necessary. Perfection.

First, the calligraphy. Gemma Black, the calligrapher, is a very dear friend. She teaches all over the world and is renowned in her field. I expected her to be very expensive, but it didn’t matter. I wanted my book to be a thing of absolute beauty—people living with cancer, and those that care for them, deserve no less. My wish was that the poetry of Maya Angelou, Garth’s wonderful photographs, and Gemma’s calligraphy would transform my humble words into a gift. I think they do, right from the front cover, which heralds what is to come. In the event, neither Gemma nor Garth was expensive—they both chose to donate their services to a book that they thought would provide solace for many. In an attempt to match their generosity, I have chosen to donate $1 from each book sale to Cancer Research.

When I was first diagnosed, my mind became dark for a while. I didn’t identify this as fear, anxiety or depression; it was just a place that needed to be explored. The front cover of the book captures this more beautifully than I had could have articulated. The mountains, valleys, and waves of various dark tones are a great representation of my inner world. Being there was a choice—there was much to discover. A bit like sitting at home in the dark, knowing that at any time I could switch on some lights: I didn’t feel imprisoned in this darkness, or unhappy in it. Somehow I knew that, as with the light switch, I would be able to find illumination when I wanted it.

Subtly graded towards a heart of brilliance, the cover depicts a light with a never-ending depth, and a person (me?) poised to begin the process of being drawn in. This has been cancer’s gift to me—an ongoing discovery of the light in my inner landscape. It’s not a journey that has an end; rather, the further I go the more wisdom and truth I find within myself. I’m sure this is not everyone’s experience of cancer. Some people are too ill, too drained of energy, too close to death, to be aware of anything except their suffering, and what they have lost. Others seem to be fueled by a superhuman energy, and decide to tick off as many items on their bucket list as they can manage. I have chosen a more contemplative route, and I have been so lucky that my introduction to my own mortality has been relatively gentle.

It is notable, I think, that the darkest of the dark landscape lies behind the figure. Once the darkest reaches of the mind have been explored they will, perhaps, never again be quite so impenetrable.

I’m quite sure that someone idly picking up the book in a bookshop will never read all this into the cover, but I hope there is enough suggestion of it to inspire them to keep reading.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Jo St Leon is a musician and writer living in Hobart, Tasmania. Receiving a cancer diagnosis in 2016 prompted her to transition from being a full-time musician who loved to write to being a full-time writer who loves to sometimes play the viola. She shares her house with two very pampered felines. She loves reading, cooking, swimming and yoga.

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CONNECT WITH JO:

Website:

https://jostleon.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Jo-St-Leon-Writer-2194393090779883

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-st-Leon-351001211

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21791362.Jo_St_Leon

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59571484-the-light-in-the-darkness

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BOOK BUY LINKS & BOOK DONATION INFO:

**Jo is generously donating $1.00 from each copy of the featured book sold to Cancer Research!!! Your purchase at any online or in-store location, including the listings below, will directly benefit Cancer Research. There are no extra fees or steps for you to complete. This donation is directly handled by the author and her team**