Blog Archives
Dust in the Wind
Michael Triska’s Dust in the Wind is a deeply personal memoir that recounts a life lived on the edge of hardship, heartbreak, and resilience. At its core, it’s the story of Katherine, the author’s wife, a talented and vibrant woman whose life was forever altered by a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis at the age of eighteen. Triska doesn’t just chart her medical decline; he details their love, their marriage, and their lifelong battle against poverty, prejudice, and abandonment. What unfolds is not just a chronicle of illness, but a testament to love, loyalty, and surviving in a world that too often looks away.
I was moved by the honesty in Triska’s writing. He doesn’t pretend to be perfect. He owns his fears, failures, and frustrations. That vulnerability gave the story its power. His pain seeps through the pages, but so does his love for Katherine. The depiction of Katherine’s strength, her passion for music, and her indomitable spirit even in the face of such suffering is inspiring and heartbreaking all at once. But more than anything, what got me was the anger. The unfairness. Watching family vanish when things got hard. Seeing a woman slowly robbed of her identity while society either mocked, ignored, or pitied her. It made me furious, and it made me care.
The writing is raw, and sometimes repetitive, but it pulls no punches. There’s no sugar-coating, no elegant prose, no grand metaphors. Triska tells it like it is. Some might find the tone intense or the sadness unrelenting. But that’s also what makes the book work. It doesn’t try to romanticize suffering. It tells the truth: about chronic illness, about poverty, about caregiving, and about the thin line between holding it together and falling apart.
I’d recommend Dust in the Wind to anyone who has ever been a caregiver, battled illness, or just needed to believe that love can survive even the darkest nights. It’s not a feel-good story, but it’s a real one. And sometimes, that’s even more important. Bring tissues because this one will leave a mark.
Pages: 70 | ASI N: B0DRDM49V6
Inspire a Whole New Generation
Nurse Florence, What is Multiple Sclerosis? follows a young girl with a cousin who has MS and goes to her favorite school nurse to learn more about the condition. Why was this an important topic for you to write on?
The Nurse Florence® series will address all diseases, so this was eventually going to be written. The illustrator said MS affects her family, so we decided to go ahead and do this book with Angel. I try to assign topics to illustrators which affect them personally so that there is more motivation and inspiration for them while completing the illustrations.
Your book offers a comprehensive yet accessible exploration of multiple sclerosis, covering its definition, impact, and symptoms. What is the most important thing you want young readers to know about living with Multiple Sclerosis?
We attempt to be very thorough with every disease book in the Nurse Florence series so that the disease book will be the only needed book by a family to purchase in order to inform and educate all family members. With every book I write, I also get educated about something I did not know. From my research, I found out that an increase in body temperature can trigger an MS episode. Also, people with low levels of vitamin D have an increased risk to develop the disease, so this stresses the importance of people eating a balanced diet so that they get all of their vitamins and minerals they need for a healthy life.
As an author, what has been your favorite memory or experience in sharing the Nurse Florence® series with children?
At the Tucson Festival of Books in March 2023, we had our first fan come up to the table. The mom walked over with her child and told her, “Look there’s Nurse Florence!” After talking with them, they have been checking out every Nurse Florence® title they could get from the local library. We hope to inspire a whole new generation of kids into the health science professions.
Who has been the biggest supporter of your writing?
My wife, Perla. She believes completely in the project and has allowed me to get the family into some debt to help launch the series. She is also the Latin American Spanish translator for the series. I could not do this without her love and support. I’m a lucky man!
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | YouTube | Harvard Bookstore | Amazon
Knowledge Is Power
The Power of Your Spine: How Back Strength and Posture Pilots the Entire Body explains to readers the vital function of back muscles and the spine and how to care for this important area of the body. Why was this an important book for you to write?
One reason this book was important for me to write, which is the core of all my books, is to help educate people to help them heal, support, maintain, and exercise their bodies safely. I often say, “Knowledge is power.” I wanted to teach the power of this spine.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
In this book I share illustrations of muscles that we all have. In order for me to teach the “Power” of the spine, readers need the visuals in these illustrations for better learning and understanding.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about back pain?
I find a big misconception about back care and muscles is the “cliche” of what the core muscles are. In social media we often see posts and videos with strong titles like “3 best exercises for your core” or “number one exercise everyone should do for their core” etc. The “core” also includes the many deep muscles in the spine.
These deeper muscles play essential roles in walking, standing, posture, balance, stabilization, and movement. If they are weak and/or ignored the larger muscles try to do the smaller muscles jobs and this causes malfunction, injury, and pain.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your book?
A gain of knowledge. Once the knowledge shared in this book is known, this can help the reader find a knowledgeable trainer, chiropractor, physical therapist, and more. If professionals helping me heal or in therapy do not know the purpose of all the muscles and how they work together as a team, they cannot help to the extent most people need. For example, if someone is going to a personal trainer, physical therapist, or massage therapist for back care (posture, pain, strengthening, etc.), these professionals should know all the muscles in this book.
Also, many professionals hand a patient/client a piece of paper with exercises to go home and do. Well, the paper is usually the same for every person with back pain. Its usually not based on the individual’s personal situation. This leaves people unable to heal or get more injured.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Instagram
Tracy L. Markley details the vital function of back muscles and bones as key powerhouses to your physical wellness. While back pain is a common complaint among people for various reasons, you don’t need to suffer chronic distress.
Learn how different body parts work together and, if not cared for, work against each other to nourish or diminish your quality of life. You’ll also discover the importance of taking care of your core—how to do it effectively—and discover comprehensive ways to better your posture and promote spinal stabilization so that issues like sciatica are controlled for good.
Whether you’re healthy, suffering from an injury, or seeking to ease the impacts of aging and lifestyle on your body, this dual anatomy and reference resource literally has your back.
The Power of Your Spine book is available it two paperback editions. One is in a colored edition and one is a black and white edition. The kindle edition is always in color.
The Power of Your Spine: How Back Strength and Posture Pilots the Entire Body
The Power of Your Spine: How Back Strength and Posture Pilots the Entire Body by Tracy L. Markley is an exceptionally enlightening and valuable book that takes readers on a profound exploration of our physical beings. Tracy’s motivation to write this book stems from her interactions with individuals, aiming to foster an understanding of our bodies’ fundamental composition: bones and muscles. She emphasizes that comprehending the intricate workings of each muscle, both independently and in synergy with others, holds the key to cultivating a healthy and pain-free physique. By prioritizing good posture, exercise, and providing our bodies with proper care, we can significantly enhance our physical well-being, thus elevating our overall quality of life.
The book’s composition showcases Tracy’s masterful craftsmanship, characterized by an amiable yet highly informative tone that resonates with readers of all backgrounds. One notable example is Tracy’s inclusion of anatomical terms. The author thoughtfully incorporates illustrations throughout the book, facilitating clear comprehension of muscle identification and function. Consequently, readers can grasp the knowledge imparted by the book and overcome the challenges associated with anatomical terminology.
While the author acknowledges the relevance of the book to individuals in recovery or older age groups, I firmly believe that its usefulness extends to people of all demographics. In our contemporary society, where rapid-paced living and technological advancements dominate, many of us find ourselves bound to chairs or computer screens for prolonged periods. Moreover, poor posture, although an individual concern, affects a substantial portion of the population. Understanding the root causes of bodily discomfort and equipping ourselves with the knowledge to alleviate such pain becomes imperative for leading a pain-free existence.
The Power of Your Spine: How Back Strength and Posture Pilots the Entire Body by Tracy L. Markley is a book that should be embraced by everyone, as it empowers individuals to alleviate existing pain and prevent future discomfort. Personally, I intend to return to this invaluable resource repeatedly, employing it as an essential tool to guide my exercise routines and self-care practices.
Pages: 114 | ASIN : B07XDC3FMR
It’s Not All About Me
Chris Tatevosian Author Interview
Life Interrupted: It’s Not All About Me is a memoir about your life and the challenges dealing with Multiple Sclerosis. Why was this an important book for you to write?
It was important to write for several reasons none of which was more important than the next. When I started out writing Life Interrupted, It’s Not All About Me, it was my intention to help one person, myself. You see, when I was divorcing my ex-wife to be’s lawyer had embellished much of the petty jousting that often goes on between individuals in the process of divorcing, but he really made me out to be a calculating monster, which I was not.
I wanted to share the truth with family members, in-laws and friends , but I believe God intervened and said, Chris, you can help one person, yourself, or you can help thousands of chronically ill and disabled individuals in the middle of their own desperate, downward spiral into the abyss of depression by helping them to avoid making the same relationship destroying mistakes that I once made.
In summary the two main reasons for writing my memoir were one, to save face and two, to help others with chronic illness avoid falling into the self – sabotaging, dismal, depressing downward spiral of the relationship destroying poor me attitude.
I enjoyed how you shared both the good and bad times and it felt like you held nothing back. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
The hardest thing for me to have shared was my insidious anger and the fact that it was misdirected anger made it that much worse. I was out of control and in the midst of the worst I found God and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone gave you when you were diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis?
The best piece of advice anyone could have given to me when I was first diagnosed with MS would have been, never stop living your best life. If I had given into my initial thought that life was over, I would have missed one of the most fabulous lifetimes full of unimaginable things, loves, wonders and experiences. I have lived and continued to live the most exciting joyous life with not a single regret.
The book is very emotional but also inspirational. What do you hope readers take away from your book?
My hope is that readers will look at what I have gone through and recognize that through hardship and misery comes purpose and direction. In my life it was God who saved me, when I thought I was not worth saving. Take a couple of moments to invite God into your life, asking Him to reveal Himself to you.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
Life Interrupted: It’s Not all about Me, is a candid and humble memoir about one young man’s diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis and how his ‘poor-me’ attitude cost him his marriage. Chris hopes others might learn from his mistakes to communicate more effectively and not allow disability and low self-worth to destroy relationships. Chris also writes about his faith in God, and his new wife, Jane, who he married in April of 2007.
Life Interrupted: It’s Not All About Me
Dealing with a disability or other debilitating disease is hard to begin with. When you don’t get the help that you need to deal with the changes your life is taking, it can cause irreversible harm to your relationships. Self-care is important; and is a burden that should not be placed on the people you love. It is alright to ask for help, but ultimately you are responsible for your own actions, how you deal with your situation, and making sure the people you love know you care about them. Chris Tatevosian gives readers an honest look into his life with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and how he let his attitude destroy his marriage. He shares his insights into what went wrong with his “it’s all about me” mentality; and how he learned to overcome that and build healthy relationships in life.
Life Interrupted, It’s Not All About Me by Chris M. Tatevosian is a short read of less than 150 pages. It is however, filled with deep topics covering depression, anxiety, abuse and recovery. That is a lot of emotional energy packed into a few pages. Chris Tatevosian’s purpose in writing this book is to help others avoid the mistakes he made. He is very honest about the mistakes he made and offers the reader ideas on how to avoid making the same mistakes. There is a good mix of positive and humorous stories mixed in with the challenges, so it is not an all-out depressing book. He talks about the good times and bad with his ex-wife. Hearing about the struggles to get disability and social security is relatable to many with disabilities of all kinds and he explains how the stress impacts both the people in the relationship, not just the one with the disability.
At times the book feels like it is a personal journal where Chris is just writing out bits and pieces of his memories. I feel this is important though to the reader because you see him before MS took away his independence. You see him as he was, and it helps to understand why he became so bitter and fell into the “poor me” attitude that eventually ruined his marriage. Letting others see this makes it more real and relatable. In the end this book is not just about him complaining about all he lost due to MS, it is about how he learned to adapt and how he learned from his mistakes. This is a good book for people that are struggling and feel alone and feel that they can’t ever change the situation they are in. You may not be able to change your disability or disease, but you can change your attitude and how you relate to the people in your life to make your situation a little better.
Pages: 148 | ISBN: 1606045636
LITERARY TITAN 