Mindfulness Mandalas! An Adult Coloring Book by Kimberly-Ann Debling

Mindfulness Mandalas

Art therapy to reduce stress, remain calm, truly relax & create art. Adult Colouring Books have recently become popular for good reason - they allow us to take a moment to be calm, still and relaxed. In today's stressful world this is more important than ever! Mandalas have long been used as a method of meditation and as a symbol of wholeness. They are pleasingly symmetrical and contain both complex and simple shapes to focus on. In Mindfulness Mandalas! An Adult Colouring Book there are 12 mandalas paired with little phrases to help you focus on yourself and your life. Each page is blank on the back and has room to cut the page from the spine so that you can frame your completed artwork. Remember... You don't have to stay within the lines!

Available from Amazon

About Kimberly-Ann Debling

1. I'm currently 37 weeks pregnant and during my pregnancy, I was diagnosed with cancer. I realised that even though I'm now in a hugely stressful situation I had been more stressed and anxious in the past under less 'socially valid' reasons!

It made me really think about the way we deal with stress and how creativity helps so much. I feel that any creative pursuit is sometimes hard unless we're naturally good at it, or have practiced since childhood. Don't sing unless you have a good voice, don't paint unless you're an artist, don't woodwork unless you create sellable items, don't play an instrument unless you're stage-worthy! At what age do we tell kids that its not right to do creative things unless they're already a pro?! 

I've always been interested in stress-relieving activities due to my previous life as an Air Traffic Controller, so I wanted to combine a few things that I've always loved to bring myself calmness - art and mindfulness. 

2. My art journey has always tended towards the 'design' end of the spectrum. I'm passionate about packaging design (someone has to be)! But a lot of my joy was creating surface pattern and computer-drawn vector designs to include within the graphical elements. I just love how a beautiful pattern in combination with great typography, a barcode, and an ingredients list can become a real physical item that gets on shelves and in customers' hands! 

3. My book is deliberately simple, but the things that make it a little different from your average adult colouring book are: 

     - it is not too thick that it is overwhelming - there's actually a good chance that you will finish all the pages. I always feel a sense of waste when I see too many un-coloured pages! 

     - it is printed on one side only so that if you use pens the bleed through doesn't ruin the next page, my medium of choice for colouring is often alcohol based pens so this was a huge factor for me. 

     - each page consists of a mandala plus a mindful phrase or saying to focus on. I wanted there to be a definite focus so that the 'mindful' part of the colouring has a special place for each page. 

4. I'm obviously in awe of some of the more famous colouring book artists, but I also love Lichtenstein, Mucha and Dali. Mucha is probably my most obvious influence. I'm working on another book which will be a coulour-in diary but this time hand-drawn, I can see lots of Mucha-inspired elements creeping in! 

5. I have a Midori style notebook/diary system and one of my inserts is devoted to notes and sketches. I sketch all the time but often away from home so most of my sketches are in biro! I rarely refine the sketches as I work directly on the computer either in vector or bitmap form. I love that if something doesn't work I can shift around elements to play with different arrangements. I get very obsessive so I often have to tell myself to just stop! I love working with clients and I make it clear to them that all feedback is positive. I usually love the finished design after feedback much more than the initial drafts. 

6. How has the cancer affected your life? Actually, I really feel that being diagnosed with cancer has improved my life dramatically. It sounds crazy I know. For 5 weeks or so I had no details so became really introspective about so many things. My own mortality, the way I feel about life, how I feel about my husband, the kind of parent I want(ed) to be to my child. I was put into the very best care and when the doctor told my husband and I that my prognosis was excellent and that I would be treated with light therapy (essentially I have fancy sunbed sessions twice a week) we felt like we'd won the lottery. Before all this I was your standard person who had ups and downs and rushed through life either doing too much or wasting time. Now I really do enjoy every moment and no longer tell myself that its 'rushed' or 'wasted'. My husband and I are so much stronger in our relationship. I work with clients better. Even my designs seem better to me now that I don't critique myself so much! I'm so much happier now that I could cry - those 'silver linings' really do exist. 

Read an excerpt from Touretters by Chris Mason & Members of the TS Community

Touretters

Tourette’s Syndrome is a hereditary condition that causes acute, uncontrollable muscle spasm (ticcing) and uncontrollable verbal outbursts in more than 250,000 people in North America. It is one of the least known, least understood, most undiagnosed and misdiagnosed conditions in North America today. It affects all races and ethnicities. There is no known cure, though therapies and some medications have been known to lessen its affects. Some conditions lessen as people age and some worsen.

Here for the first time is a collection of short stories written by members of the Tourette’s community –Touretters- People living with it and their family members who support them. This collection was the idea of Chris Mason, who collected the stories and who also has Tourette’s. Many of the authors have chosen to remain anonymous. Sensitivity to TS has lagged behind the perception of those with other debilitating conditions. The stories are touching, powerful, maddening, and filled with enough lessons to begin to enlighten us all about Tourette’s Syndrome.

Available on Amazon

Read an excerpt:

With The Blink Of An Eye

I came into this world by way of c-section, as an eight pound baby boy, after my mom had endured twenty difficult hours of labor. The doctor who delivered me left a scar on my temple, when he accidentally squeezed the forceps that he used to pry me from my mother’s womb, too tightly. It is a mark that has not gone away. Neither have the two disorders that have plagued me for most of my life.

I had never heard of Tourette Syndrome when I was diagnosed at age twenty. I started having symptoms of it at the age of six. For the fourteen years in between I wondered what was wrong with me and why I wasn’t like other people. When I was diagnosed I now I knew why I shrugged my shoulders, blinked my eyes many times in a row over and over, swallowed, jutted my arms out to the sides, grinded my teeth, bit my fingernails so far down until they bled, bit the insides of my cheeks until they bled, cleared my throat, grunted, stuttered, scrunched up my face, coughed forcefully, etc. Tourettes was the reason. I didn’t want to do these things, but my mind made me.

I had never been very good at studying before, but I had always been able to when I really put my mind to it. During junior year that was even impossible. The first time I sat down at my desk to do homework that year I absolutely could not do it. It started with me becoming distracted by everything in and around my desk each time I sat down to do homework. I tried doing it at different times and in different parts of the house, but nothing worked.

About a month later I also began having horrible symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. OCD first showed itself in me in the form of making me think about making lists and being obsessed with certain numbers. When it began, an idea would pop into my head. Then, I would spend the next two or three hours writing down everything I could think of that was related to that subject. If I started thinking about cars, for instance, I would get out a piece of paper and write down every make and model of every car I could think of. If I started thinking about professional basketball teams, I would jot the names of every team and players on them, until I couldn’t think of anymore. No topic was off limits. Whatever came into my mind would be written down on paper and consume my thoughts for hours.

Later on I became obsessed with numbers. I started counting up to whatever number was my new favorite each time I did a daily activity. Most people would do things, like brushing their hair, until they thought it looked good. I had to brush mine well past that. Even if my hair looked good, I had to continue on. I would get stuck on a number for months. Then, all of a sudden, I would become obsessed with another number for several months. The numbers were always odd and consisted of having the same number multiple times. The numbers 77, 111, and 333 were some of my favorites. If the number that I was stuck on was 111, for example, I would make sure I did every daily activity I did during that time, no less and no more than 111 times each time I did them. Things like brushing my teeth, brushing my hair, and running my hands through my hair while shampooing it, each had to be done exactly 111 times. It had to add up to exactly 111, or it didn’t feel right. If I ever miscounted I had to start over and count again. I knew that it wasn’t normal and that it would have sounded crazy to anyone I told, but I couldn’t help it. I didn’t know why I was doing these things, but I had to do them. My mind made me.

Halfway through that school year, after having had the horrible obsessive thoughts, where I made lists and obsessed over numbers, another variance of OCD appeared. Up until then I had either made lists or obsessed over numbers. I had done one or the other and had never done both of them at the same time. During the middle of the school year both of them combined to make to make my life a living hell. I would begin by getting a thought in my head, just like I had done before. I would then start making a list and I would not stop thinking about that topic until I had written down as many items as the number that I was obsessed with at the time. It was easy to think of more than the number I was obsessed with, especially when that number was low. When the number I was obsessed with was a high number and a topic that I did not know much about entered my brain, I was in deep trouble. Many times, when that happened, I would be up until the early morning hours, trying to think of enough things to write down on my paper. If I thought of them I would go to bed. If I couldn’t think of them I would stay up until I did, sometimes all night. If I just tried to forget about my list and go to sleep, thoughts about the list would overwhelm me. At that point I would have to get up out of bed and work on the list until I was finished or until it was time to go to school. There were many times, after staying up all night, where my brain would be so exhausted that it would just shut off. That was the only time I ever got a decent amount of sleep for three years straight. I would usually forget about making the lists while I was at school or when I was doing things that I enjoyed. I pretty much only made lists when I was bored, alone, or doing something I didn’t enjoy. I made lists and obsessed over numbers in the same way, every time I was in any of those three situations, every day for three years. I was constantly having obsessive thoughts, or thinking about having obsessive thoughts.

I am now taking medication for both disorders. I will probably be on medication for life. The medication gets rid of the tics, but it also has many side effects. I am constantly tired and groggy and I can’t think straight. The best way to describe being on this medication is that it is like having a bad hangover. I have had that hangover every second of every day for the past twenty-three years. When I tell people what it was like before I started taking medication and what my life is like now almost everyone tells me that it sounds like being on medication is worse than not being on it. Those people cannot possibly comprehend what it was like have thoughts and feelings of doing things I didn’t want to do and thinking about things I didn’t want to think about every waking second of every day. Unless those people have lived as I have lived and walked in my shoes there is no way they can come close to understanding what I have been through and what I go through every day.

Even though I have had a very hard life I still have hope. I have a lot of hobbies. I have taken singing lessons with a few different instructors and they have each told me that I show promise. I have also come up with a number of inventions, that I know have never been thought of before. I have been told promising things about many of them too. I have also written the lyrics to a number of songs, which have been recorded by a professional, although, not well-known, musician. I have also been told that I am good at writing stories and poetry.

Even if none of my hobbies ever make any money or if I never have a great job, I will be okay with the way my life has turned out. I have been a swim coach and swim instructor for over twenty years. That means that I have taught over two thousand children how to swim or swim better. I have been a volunteer soccer coach for twelve years, which means that I have taught over two hundred children how to play soccer or play it better. I may be being naïve, but that’s well over two thousand kids whose lives I have had a chance to influence, and teach things that they will always remember. I don’t care what anyone else thinks except me and I think that is priceless.

About Chris Mason

My name is Chris Mason. I live in San Francisco, CA. I have Tourette syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This is a new edition of my first book. My first book (Touretties) was published in 2011. It is an anthology that includes twenty-one true short stories, including my own, about people who have or have a family member who has Tourette syndrome and its associated disorders. My autobiograpy (What Makes Me Tic: Living With Tourette Syndrome) was published as an ebook in 2013. I have also written a children’s picture book that includes four stories, written in the authors’ own words, about what is like having Tourette syndrome as a child, which will be published later this year. I have also written a full-length non-fiction book about my experiences coaching youth soccer, which will also be published later this year. I am currently working on two other children’s picture books and my first work of fiction, which I am hoping to have published next year.

Meet Emil Toth, author of the Love Series

Click on a cover to read more about it on Amazon

Meet Author Emil Toth

Emil’s lifelong profession was in the field of Information Technology as a computer programmer and analyst.

In 1977, Emil became a Silva Mind Control instructor. He founded and facilitated a meditation class, which was ongoing for over a decade. He facilitated various esoteric classes for over twenty years and also spearheaded and had been a part of several spiritual support and study groups. He formed a spiritual support group, which existed for two decades.

Late in the 1980’s, Emil was inspired to write his first novel, Batu: The Transformation, and it was published in 2002.

In 1999, Emil made a spiritual pilgrimage to India, with several friends and was initiated by his guru, Mother Bandana. Filled with spiritual fervor, he and two of the ladies from the pilgrimage founded the Sacred Waters Spiritual Center located in Mishawaka, Indiana. He was the center’s director, programs facilitator and live-in caretaker for a number of years. The center continues to flourish and provides an atmosphere where people can share their particular skills and acquire philosophical and spiritual knowledge regardless of their belief system.

Since 2000, he has recorded his thoughts and emotions through poetry. In 2003, the poem, Imprisioned, was published in a compilation of poems called The Colors of Life. In 2005, another of his poems, End My Yearning, was published in a compilation of poems entitled, Labours of Love.

In 2002, Emil’s first novel, Batu: The Transformation, was published. To publicize the book, he had a twenty minute interview on the local PBS television station to promote his book. Closely following that event, he was interviewed on a local radio talk show for fifteen minutes.

Emil’s most controversial novel is an inspiring, dramatic and spiritual novel, Seven Souls on a Cross. Paul, the main character after much anguish builds a cross and climbs upon it in hopes of ridding himself of anger. During his stay on the cross, six people become intimately involved with Paul. The sequel novel, Release from the Cross, follows the lives of all seven souls after Paul has reached his goal.

The five book Love Series, which includes Love’s Transformation, mirrors the deep cultural and religious prejudices against women in many countries that subject them to inhumane, if not life-threatening, treatment. Despite large-scale awareness spurred by social media and globalization, these biases still exist in our midst—and Batu and Kaathi’s stories shows us what they look like. Far from being preachy, Batu and Kaathi’s stories are written as is, subtly bringing to fore this “invisible” oppressive world into our mindset preoccupied with consumerism and material want. The Love Series of books elicit our empathy, not sympathy, that reading tomorrow’s news about a mother, wife, or daughter subjected to cultural or religious oppression suddenly has a face: that of Batu and Kaathi’s. The other Love Series books are: Love’s Sacrifice, Love’s Wisdom, Love’s Ancients & Love’s Courage.

A prolific self-published author, Toth has no difficulty using literary tools to shape the characters, juxtapose conflicts and resolutions, and build up suspense to hook his readers. That the struggle of an ostracized woman who is evidently living in an eastern culture is told with philosophical depth by a retired computer programmer analyst from South Bend, IN, provides an interesting back story to the book series.

Emil Toth, however, is no stranger to spiritual and dramatic stories, having authored seven books in the genre. Likewise, he has been actively involved in spiritual support groups, yoga, and writing workshops as a participant or resource person.

Connect with him online:

Website: emiltoth.com

Email: emiltoth@comcast.net

Twitter: Twitter.com/EmilToth

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Click on a cover to read more about it on Amazon:

Devoted Defender (Danger in the Deep South) by Rachel Dylan

Devoted Defender

Personal Chef Annie Thomas thought she’d finally found a safe haven from her past. But when her boss is shot in cold blood leaving her as the only witness, she’s forced to go on the run—again. And this time there is an even bigger target on her back.

Navy SEAL turned small town police chief Caleb Winters doesn’t like that danger has come to Maxwell, Georgia. But he vows to protect the innocent woman seeking refuge from an organized crime network that he knows will stop at nothing to tie up loose ends. 

When hiding is no longer an option and threats surround them, will Caleb be the devoted defender Annie needs with her life on the line?

Available on Amazon

Amazon / iTunes / Barnes & Noble

Read an excerpt on Amazon.

Find out more about Book 1 here.

About the author:

Rachel Dylan writes Christian fiction including inspirational romantic suspense for Love Inspired Suspense and the Windy Ridge Legal Thriller series. Rachel has practiced law for almost a decade and enjoys weaving together legal and suspenseful stories. She lives in Michigan with her husband and five furkids--two dogs and three cats. Rachel loves to connect with readers. You can find Rachel at www.racheldylan.com.

Pug Passion: An Everyday Guide for Pug People by Samual Adams

Pug Passion

Meet the PUG

Quirky, charming and oh so loveable,
The unique clever clown of the dog world…

With its entertaining and gentle character, the PUG will capture your heart and has the perfect temperament for anyone wanting to bring a dog into their family.

This book provides a complete guide to providing the perfect environment for this extraordinary and easily trainable breed.

Contains no-nonsense facts, tips and advice including: -

• History and origin
• Puppy to adulthood guide
• The PUG personality
• Diseases and treatment
• Training and socialization
• Breeding practices
• Behaviour and personality
• Food and nutrition
• Vaccinations

This is a complete and easy to read resource for anyone passionate about keeping PUGS as pets. In an easy to read fashion this book will answer all your questions, including those you never knew you had.

Available from Amazon

#FREE 8/7 Becoming Quetzalcoatl by G.B. Brulte

Becoming Quetzalcoatl

A drunken kite-boarder, Cody Catanzaro, falls harder for Dr. Amanda Knoxville than he fell from the sky while trying to jump the Mobile, Alabama pier. A mysterious implant is found in his gluteus maximus during an MRI, and the implant turns out to be an exact replica of a crop-circle that had appeared in England in the year 2007. That crop-circle pointed to a two-week period in 2012. A two-week period that many paranormal experts believed would have something to do with the return of Quetzalcoatl, the ancient Mayan god.

Cody had inexplicably gone missing during those two weeks, and has no recollection of his lost time.

Did Quetzalcoatl actually return? Bizarre happenings suggest that maybe he did. 

As more and more weirdness begins to follow the clueless kite-boarder, Cody decides he wants to change for Amanda Knoxville. He has no idea of how much change is in his future, and how much the future of the world will depend upon his change.

Available on Amazon

FREE 8/7

#99cent Sale Trust My Love (The Toussaints) by Iona Findley

Trust My Love

When a cop's family is threatened, nothing will stop him — not even a strange and secretive woman.

An innocent in jeopardy…

As the eldest son of New Orleans’ most prominent family and one of NOPD’s top Missing Persons detectives, Philippe Toussaint is no stranger to pressure. But when his only niece is abducted, he'll do anything to secure her safe return. With few clues and limited time, he seeks answers from every resource, no matter how far-fetched. Even going so far as to question the enigmatic and beautiful so-called psychic who shows up out of nowhere, shaking up not only the case but his feelings, as well.

An excruciating dilemma…

Artist Claire Davenport escaped to New Orleans to outrun the pain and humiliation of her childhood, keeping to herself and never letting anyone too close, but when a frightened teen girl shows up in her dreams and her most recent paintings, she knows she can no longer hide. With her psychic ability now out in the open, Claire fears the ramifications. But it’s not only her secret in jeopardy, the influential and gorgeous detective on the case stirs things within her she never thought to feel and endangers her reclusive way of life.

An unforgivable betrayal…

Passions ignite between the two, but doubts on both sides threaten their relationship, and the case is only the beginning of their problems.

Philippe must protect the woman he’s falling for while convincing Claire that she can fit into his elite society life. All before betrayal and fear destroy their dreams of love.

Want a Contemporary Romance series which blends heartwarming love with family fun, suspense, and just a hint of paranormal. Read TRUST MY LOVE on Kindle Unlimited or buy it on sale now, and meet the Toussaints.

Available on Amazon

Read an excerpt here.

About Iona Findley

After long years spent disguised as a nerd girl techie superhero, Iona Findley, author of the popular Hero's Heart series, decided to let her wicked creative side loose.

She now writes fast-paced, light contemporary romance: the kind that leave you hopeful and happy, the kind that are a little steamy and a lot adventurous, the kind about characters you want to cheer for as they make their own path to love.

Iona is the eldest of six siblings and the World's Greatest Auntie (it says so on her coffee mug). When she isn't writing she is the servant... er... mom of several bossy cats.

Iona loves to explore new places, and she draws upon her experience as a serial traveler for many of the settings in her books. When she can’t fit in an international trip, you might find her in New Orleans, soaking up the eclectic historical atmosphere of the French Quarter and writing her newest series, The Toussaints.

Social Media:

Twitter: @IonaFindley

Facebook: IonaFindleyAuthor

Email Iona: Iona@IonaFindley.com

Get a free Series Starter at: IonaFindley.com/freebook/

She Could Be the Girl Next Door: The Jihadi Bride by Renee Uzma Matthew

She Could Be the Girl Next Door

Two American girls, one Christian the other a recent convert to Islam, make a life-changing decision to leave the Western world and travel to another land. They encounter adventures and challenges on their journey. They eventually arrive to join the ranks of the Islamic state in a place called The Land. There, they marry jihadists and lead lives of purpose and love despite their dangerous predicament. In that, they are inextricably linked with others in the human desire for love, salvation, and the meaning of life.

Available on Amazon

About Renee Uzma Matthew

Writes under the pen name Renee Uzma Matthew. She is a student of theology, graduate of Bible school, Bible teacher, chaplain, educator, and writer/author. She lives as a missionary in Puerto Rico.

Fuck You Very Much Bad Boss: A Funny Adult Coloring Book To Calm You Down by A.L. Wolf

Fuck You Very Much Bad Boss

A beautiful adult coloring book for all enthusiasts but if you have ever worked (or presently working) for a BAD BOSS, you'll definitely relate to it very well. Working for a BAD BOSS is never easy. It takes a lot of energy. It zaps the hell out of our sanity. It's not good to the nervous system. Been there, done that. This contains "endearing and colorful" words you've been wanting to tell in your BAD BOSS's face. This is a perfect way to calm down, diffuse and release the steam off your system. So relax and switch off from the daily stress.

Destress yourself with a copy from Amazon

Ports of Romance by Katie O'Clare

Ports of Romance

It was supposed to be a year-long internship aboard the most luxurious cruise ship in the world.

For Kelsey, it was going to be a year abroad, interning in the dance studio on Aurora. Only four students were chosen for this prestigious honor, and she was thrilled to be one of them. She certainly had no intentions of falling for one of her fellow interns.

Ryker is a little cocky, incredibly attractive, and to her surprise, funny and kind.

The only bad part?

He has a girlfriend.

Other obstacles stand in the way of her having the greatest year of her life.

Her internship director hates her.

Her unrequited crush for Ryker is put to the test when his girlfriend comes onto the ship for a week.

And just when Kelsey finally decides to put her crush out of mind and pursue Bailey, the intern with a crush on her, she only manages to make things worse for herself.

Over the course of the year, Kelsey makes great friendships.

She has her heart broken.

She gets to see the world in ways she never imagined.

But through it all, she holds out hope that she and Ryker will end up together.

Ports of Romance is a standalone novel with a guaranteed HEA and no cliffhanger.

Available on Amazon

About Katie O'Clare

Even though she a degree in Chemistry, Katie O’Clare’s interests lie beyond lab work and science. In her spare time, she enjoys crafting hot, steamy romances that showcase gorgeous couples finding their relationship and the heat that comes along with it.

Katie likes to write about muscular men, quirky women, bad boys, strong ladies, hot athletes, sexy businesswomen, and the fireworks that result when two of them meet.

She also plans to write some paranormal romance soon. She is always working on her next book, and she welcomes feedback from readers at katieoclare@snowmuse.com.