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The Willingness to Redefine Ourselves
Buried Treasure follows two women navigating pivotal crossroads in their lives who attend a mystical retreat, embarking on a journey of self-discovery and healing. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I felt inspired to write a story embracing Practical Spirituality in a way that encouraged waking up. But pondered how to share this in a wise, loving, and non-judgmental way. Finally, the idea took root to bring an older and younger woman together and then what better place to have them meet than at an Angelic Retreat. Bringing the characters together in this way allowed me to use the tools of conversation and reflection to weave the story. Interestingly the book didn’t follow the format I had originally envisaged. Yes, meeting at the retreat was always going to be the beginning. But then Buried Treasure evolved and took me along on the journey as well. And a memory of my own surfaced and was fulfilled. I had always wanted to write a story where the character ends up in another dimension. Couldn’t perceive how that would happen. But it did happen with ease, great delight, and joy.
Both Cassie and Stella undergo transformative journeys, each in their own way, in your book. What were some of the emotional and moral guidelines you followed when developing your characters?
Both women are seeking to live lives in alignment with their own truth and clarity about their individual life paths. To be able to step out of confusion and the need to please others without voicing their own needs. They both find that doing so requires them to draw on their inner strengths to stand firm in order to discover what is best for themselves. While also understanding and without standing in judgment of another, that what may be true for each of them may not be true for another. They also both come to understand that they need to trust themselves and that they do have the ability to recognise and overcome the challenges that can hinder their journeys of transformation.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Firstly, something important for me is to get the message across that when we make choices that don’t work. We haven’t done anything wrong, and rather than stand in wrongness, use what you have learned to choose again.
Secondly, journeys of self-discovery take courage, then the willingness to redefine ourselves, and of course then trust the path we are taking on this journey.
Thirdly, the theme of remembering is very important for me. To remember that even though our minds and experiences might wish to prove otherwise. We are love and light beings. The saying we are here on earth as ‘spiritual beings having a human experience‘ is well worth remembering. And to move from focusing so much on past mistakes and regrets and begin to focus more on love.
And finally to remember that our core, or our essence, or our Soul–whatever name one gives to it, is our true self. Again, Stella says it often throughout the book. Because that is true for me it doesn’t mean it needs to be true for you.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
At present, I am working on a couple of projects, while slow will come together. One is developing wisdom cards. Especially focused on my love of acronyms. A wee bit quirky. And weaving story and poetry together. Unsure when this will be accomplished.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
Billion Dollar Communication Skills
John A. Brink’s Billion Dollar Communication Skills is part memoir, part how-to guide, and part deep dive into the mechanics and power of human communication. The book opens with Brink’s harrowing journey from war-scarred Holland to the lumberyards of British Columbia, setting the stage for his transformation from a non-English-speaking dropout with undiagnosed learning disabilities to a successful entrepreneur and compelling public speaker. Each chapter explores a different facet of communication—its history, its pitfalls, its digital evolution—while Brink laces in personal anecdotes and practical tips to help readers speak better, listen harder, and connect more meaningfully, whether in the boardroom or on a Zoom call.
Reading this book made me feel like I was being mentored by someone who’s been through it all and has no interest in whitewashing the struggle. Brink’s writing is plainspoken but deeply felt. He doesn’t just preach the importance of communication; he bears the scars of someone who failed at it. His account of freezing up in front of government officials was crushing and real. But what struck me wasn’t just the failure—it was the climb afterward. Toastmasters saved him, but he also saved himself, one terrifying speech at a time. That slow build toward confidence was something I think a lot of readers will find both hopeful and moving.
What surprised me most was how much ground the book covers beyond speaking. There are smart, sharp chapters about digital communication, misinformation, and even the etiquette of running meetings. Brink doesn’t just talk about what to say—he’s obsessed with how it lands. The Gladstone vs. Disraeli anecdote about listening blew my mind. And then there’s his voice: part business vet, part earnest grandpa, part no-nonsense Dutch-Canadian straight shooter. At times, the tone swings wide—funny in one section, dead serious in the next—but somehow it all works. The text meanders occasionally, but that meandering often leads to little gems that feel earned.
Billion Dollar Communication Skills isn’t just for people who want to be better speakers. It’s for anyone who wants to be heard—and who wants to hear others more clearly. I’d recommend this book to young professionals trying to find their voice, to entrepreneurs building their brand, and to anyone who’s ever felt like they had something to say but didn’t know how to say it. This book might not make you a billionaire, but it will make you braver.
ASIN : B0F8XSCBLJ
LITERARY TITAN 