Blog Archives
Dorm to Doorstep – Tips, Tidbits & Tales Every Young Woman Will Want to Read
Dorm to Doorstep is a lively mix of advice, stories, and straight talk aimed at young women stepping into adulthood. Author Hilary Afshary blends motivational tips, cautionary tales, and personal lessons into a bright, fast-moving guide. The book moves through themes of confidence, safety, health, relationships, and self-discovery, and it uses short chapters, bold reminders, and striking visuals to keep the messages clear and easy to absorb.
Reading this book felt like sitting with someone who genuinely wants you to do well. I found myself surprised by how open the writing is. Some moments made me smile, and others stopped me cold, especially the tougher stories about fear, loss, and mistakes. The honesty worked for me because it made the advice feel earned. I also loved how often Afshary circles back to choice. She keeps reminding the reader that you control you. That simple idea hit harder than I expected. The writing is plain spoken and warm, and at times I felt like she was nudging me gently in the ribs and telling me to get my act together in the kindest way possible.
There were moments when the book felt more like a pep talk. Still, the personal stories kept things grounded. The camping mishap, the chipped tooth saga, the warnings about safety and substances, the fashion flubs that turn into life lessons. They all gave the book texture. I appreciated how she admits flaws openly. I found myself trusting her more because of that. The mix of humor, vulnerability, and big sister energy kept me turning the pages even when the advice was something I had heard before. It felt fresh because it was hers.
I would recommend Dorm to Doorstep to young women heading into college or early adulthood and to anyone who wants a boost of clarity and confidence. It is quick to read and full of heart. It would also be a great pick for parents who want something positive to hand off to their daughters. The advice is simple and actionable and delivered with a mix of love, caution, and cheer that makes it easy to take in.
Pages: 282 | ASIN: B0F5HYW9CD
The Leader Connection
The Leader Connection lays out a clear and heartfelt blueprint for what leadership can look like when connection sits at the center. The book moves through personal stories, reflections, and structured explanations of leadership styles, communication, emotional intelligence, inclusivity, and the daily habits that shape teams. It blends storytelling with guidance in a way that feels both instructional and personal. The author returns again and again to one central idea that leadership is not about authority. Leadership is about people, relationships, and the courage to show up with empathy and clarity.
The writing has an honesty that makes the lessons easier to take in. It feels like sitting with someone who has lived through the highs and lows of leadership and wants to save you a few hard knocks. Some sections moved quickly and carried a lot of detail. Still, the personal moments resonated with me. The porch conversations with family, the reflections on being only “30 percent” at times, and the admission that leadership is a lifelong balancing act. These parts made the book feel warm, real, and grounded. I appreciated that it did not pretend that leadership is neat or simple. It showed the mess. It showed the growth. It showed the heart behind the concepts.
The breakdown of the eight leadership styles was one of my favorite pieces. The explanations were straightforward and avoided the kind of buzzwords that often bog down leadership books. The author talked about transformational leadership in a way that made me feel energized. Then he moved to servant leadership and cracked it open through lived experience rather than textbook definitions. I also liked how he admitted the limitations of each style. Nothing was presented as perfect. Everything had a cost and a reward. That honesty added weight to the guidance. At times, I wished for more story and fewer lists, but even then, the content stayed practical and easy to follow. The tone felt approachable, like a mentor showing you notes from a career full of lessons, some earned the hard way.
I feel that this book would be a meaningful fit for new leaders, seasoned managers who want to reconnect with their purpose, and anyone who feels the weight of responsibility and wants a clearer path forward. It is especially fitting for people who lead with heart, or who want to. The book’s message is simple. If you focus on people, if you stay honest, if you listen, if you stay willing to grow, you can make a real difference.
pages: 186 | ASIN: B0FN1VV122
The Northern Light Within: Bloom in Winter Shine in Every Season
The Northern Light Within is a warm and steady guide that weaves science, story, ritual, and reflection into a gentle roadmap for moving through the hard seasons of life. It walks through ideas of acceptance, openness, nourishment, breathwork, affirmations, gratitude, and community, all wrapped in metaphors of winter and light. The book’s rhythm feels slow and deliberate. Each chapter reads like a small lantern, lit for anyone navigating inner or outer cold.
As I read, I felt a softness in the writing that was almost disarming. The author’s voice feels close, like a calm friend talking through the dark with you. The honesty and the mix of science and story made the messages stick. I liked how the book never pretends winter is easy. It lets heaviness be heaviness, and that made the hopeful parts feel real. The metaphors sometimes repeated, but oddly enough they didn’t lose their shine. They created a mood. A whole season you could step into.
What really stayed with me was the tone of companionship. I felt moved. I felt like someone was quietly rooting for me to breathe, to shed, to soften. The practices felt doable, which I appreciated. No giant life overhauls. Just tiny moves that feel doable. A candle lit in the evening. A few honest sentences on paper. A small yes where I usually shut the door. Some moments got a bit poetic, yet I still found myself reading slowly and pausing often because the gentleness worked on me.
In the end, I walked away feeling lighter. I’d recommend this book to anyone going through a rough patch or anyone who tends to shut down when life gets heavy. It’s perfect for people who want guidance that feels kind instead of pushy. People who like reflection more than rules. People who want a companion rather than a lecture. If you’re looking for a soft place to land during any kind of winter, this book will meet you there.
Pages: 247 | ASIN: B0G1L6VMDW
Most Talented and Most Misunderstood
Thriving in the Modern Workplace is an empowering guide that helps young professionals, particularly Gen Z, navigate real-world challenges with practical tools, relatable stories, and updated career strategies designed for today’s changing world. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Gen Z is one of the most talented and most misunderstood generations we’ve ever seen. Every generation comes with its own style and challenges, but theirs have been amplified by everything they’ve had to face: a pandemic that disrupted their lives and education, a mental health crisis that few were prepared for, and the pressure to adapt to AI and constant change before even finding their footing.
As both a parent and a professional, I saw this disconnect up close. Many parents, educators, and employers want to support Gen Z but simply don’t know how to meet them where they are. The communication gap between generations is real, and it’s costing us trust, connection, and opportunity.
That’s why I wrote Thriving in the Modern Workplace. It’s a guide to help Gen Z navigate the realities of today’s world with confidence and clarity, and just as importantly, it gives the adults who teach, hire, and lead them the insight they need to truly understand and empower this generation.
As the parent of two Gen Z young adults, I found this a refreshing take on how to help them navigate this changing world. What are some key ideas you felt were important to cover to grab this generation’s attention and make your book stand out from other career guides on the market?
I am also a parent of two Gen Z young adults, and this book came straight from the heart. I wasn’t writing from a distance. I was writing as someone who’s watched this generation struggle, grow, push boundaries, and ask for things many of us were never taught to ask for. I wanted this book to feel like real guidance, not another lecture.
At the core of Thriving in the Modern Workplace are three foundational ideas: mindset, confidence, and purpose.
Those three themes shape almost every challenge Gen Z faces.
- Mindset, because the world they’re entering moves fast, and how they think determines how they adapt.
- Confidence, because they’re talented but often second-guess themselves in environments that don’t always see or understand them.
- Purpose, because this generation won’t stay anywhere they can’t find meaning and I believe that’s a strength, not a flaw.
By grounding the book in these essentials, I wanted to give Gen Z something relatable, practical, and empowering… and give the adults around them a clearer window into who they are and what they need to thrive.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were younger?
I wish someone had told me to believe in myself first before waiting for anyone else to validate me. Confidence isn’t something you earn from the world; it’s something you choose to build from within. When you don’t trust your own voice, you dim your potential before it even has a chance to grow.
Self-belief shapes how you lead, how you show up, and how boldly you go after the things you want. When you genuinely believe in who you are and what you bring to the table, you don’t just participate in your life, you own it.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Thriving In The Modern Workplace: A Gen Z Guide to Success?
I want every reader whether they’re Gen Z or from another generation to understand that success is personal. It’s not defined by a job title, a milestone, or someone else’s expectations. It’s something you get to shape on your own terms.
And for Gen Z specifically, I hope they walk away knowing this: you don’t need a title to lead. You already have the talent, the perspective, and the potential. What truly matters is your intention: choosing to grow, choosing to show up fully, and choosing to become the best version of yourself every single day.
If you can do that, you’re already winning.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Instagram | Website
Emetophobia and Me
Jess Smith’s Emetophobia & Me is a raw and intimate journey through the often-misunderstood world of anxiety and phobia. In this memoir, she peels back the layers of fear, shame, and isolation that surround emetophobia, the intense fear of vomiting, and shows how it shaped her life from childhood through motherhood. But more than just a story of struggle, it’s a story of transformation. She invites the reader into her inner world, guiding us from the depths of suffering to a place of peace and understanding. Along the way, she shares insights about trauma, anxiety, and healing that are as universal as they are personal.
Jess’s writing is disarmingly honest. She doesn’t hold back. There were times I laughed, times I cried, and more than a few moments when I had to close the book and just sit with the feelings it stirred up. Her voice is authentic and vulnerable without ever becoming self-pitying. What I liked most was how well she captured the way anxiety works. How it loops, how it lies, and how it convinces you that fear is truth. Her childhood stories, especially about lunchtime at school, hit me in the gut. You can feel the weight of that tiny girl’s world. And yet, Jess doesn’t just linger in the pain. She moves forward, one tiny brave step at a time.
As someone who has danced with my own demons, I saw myself in these pages. But even if you haven’t lived with emetophobia, you’ll find something in her story that resonates. Her reflections on control, fear, and trust felt like they were written just for me. And her shift in perspective, learning that fear is just a thought, not a truth, was like flipping on a light switch. I didn’t expect to come away from this book feeling hopeful, but I did. Not because Jess claims to be “cured,” but because she shows what it’s like to live fully even when fear shows up. Her strength isn’t in having no fear. It’s in refusing to let fear make her small.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who struggles with anxiety, panic, phobias, or simply feeling not good enough. It’s also perfect for loved ones who want to understand what it’s really like to live inside a mind that never stops spinning. Therapists, teachers, and parents could gain so much empathy from this book, too.
Pages: 120 | ASIN: B0FLKKBJXT
Nurse Dorothea® presents Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Why Mindfulness is a Key Coping Skill
Nurse Dorothea Presents Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Why Mindfulness Is a Key Coping Skill by Michael Dow is a warm, inviting introduction to mindfulness presented through a fictional after-school class. Nurse Dorothea guides readers through the basics of mental health, the meaning of mindfulness, and the many ways it can improve daily life. The book mixes friendly explanations, real research, and simple activities while also covering Jon Kabat-Zinn’s nine pillars of mindfulness and the three main practices: meditation, body scanning, and mindful yoga. It’s an easygoing, approachable read meant for people of all ages.
The book opens with Dorothea reminding the class that every person is one life event away from facing a mental health challenge, which felt honest and grounding. Throughout the early chapters, she repeats gentle reminders to be patient and nonjudgmental with yourself, and I found those small, warm nudges surprisingly comforting. The writing avoids heavy language and instead feels like someone sitting beside you, calmly talking you through your own thoughts.
I also really enjoyed the student comments woven throughout the book. They make the lessons feel alive and relatable. One student mentions that mindfulness while driving helps keep you safe, and another talks about how multitasking can pull you away from the moment. These small interactions add humor and humanity to the material. They break up the teaching in a way that makes the book feel more like a real class than a traditional self-help guide.
The seated meditation instructions are clear and easy to follow, and the emphasis on letting your mind wander without judgment made me feel oddly relieved. The body scan exercise is explained in a simple, calm voice that made me want to try it right away. Even the yoga section feels approachable, especially when the author reassures readers not to judge themselves if they wobble or fall. That moment actually made me smile because it felt so human.
The book is gentle, sincere, and wonderfully beginner-friendly. I’d recommend it to teens, parents, teachers, or anyone who wants a simple and encouraging introduction to mindfulness. If you’re looking for a book that feels like a calm, supportive voice guiding you through stress and distraction, this one fits the bill perfectly.
Pages: 179 | ISBN : 978-1-968690-01-4
It’s Always Been About Purpose
Mental Health Sounds Like This is a heartfelt and deeply personal guide blending science, storytelling, and soul, to explore how music can be used not just as an outlet for emotion but as a structured process for healing and transformation. Why was this an important book for you to write?
As I mention in the book, I began teaching vocals when I was just 17, and in 2019, I expanded my work into what’s now known as Empowerment Through Songwriting Coaching. What’s always fascinated me is that my clients rarely come to me just for music; they come seeking confidence, personal development, and healing. All the while: I was writing and singing my own music of self-actualization, expression and growth. So it made sense that for a long time, people struggled to understand why I chose to both sing and coach. “Why not just focus on becoming famous and using your gift for yourself?” they’d ask. But for me, it’s never been about fame: it’s always been about purpose. From early on, I knew I wanted my music to mean something – to do something. And that’s exactly what this book represents: a reintroduction to who I am, what I do, and why I do it. It’s an invitation for the world to truly understand what Emma G Music is all about.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Good question! I think it goes back to the principles behind my work: The importance of providing safe space for my clients to truly show up, the importance of leading by example, the scientific, cultural, spiritual, and practical reasons behind why music [especially singing and songwriting] are so powerful, and how imperative it is that we seek out proactive approaches for mental, emotional, spiritual, social and even physical well-being.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
It wasn’t necessarily “hard”, but I found myself waking up from dreams about different situations that occurred as a teenager that I’d definitely buried over the years. Writing this forced me to open that can of worms back up, and really analyze some of my experiences, and responses… and the what if’s. I have several catalogs of music documenting those parts of my life, but I hadn’t really looked at those songs in depth for a long time… it was cathartic. Painful at times, but healing.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Mental Health Sounds Like This?
That their voices matter. Their experiences matter. Their truth matters. In fact, that’s where their power lies. By ignoring or suppressing the difficult parts of ourselves; we cut ourselves off from growth, and strength building. I want people to understand that they can sing their pain away, and come out the other side: a whole, healed person. But they need to first lean in, and learn to express themselves authentically.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website
Written by singer-songwriter, TEDx speaker, and vocal empowerment coach Emma G, this book is a creative blueprint for anyone who’s ever struggled to make sense of their emotions, find their voice, or feel seen in a chaotic world.
Blending storytelling, science, and soulful strategy, Emma introduces a revolutionary 5-step framework that uses music and songwriting as tools for healing, resilience, and self-discovery.
Whether you’re navigating grief, burnout, anxiety, or identity challenges, this book invites you to do more than survive—it helps you create your way through it.
Drawing from personal experience, somatic healing, and her work with Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha, Emma shows how singing and songwriting can turn pain into power and help you reclaim your voice—literally and metaphorically.
Inside, you’ll discover:
How emotions live in the body—and how singing can release them
Why songwriting is a form of prayer, reflection, and personal growth
A step-by-step guide to turn your experiences into empowering anthems
Real stories of healing and breakthroughs through music
Prompts, practices, and tools to help you start writing your own story
Whether you’re a seasoned musician or just someone searching for clarity and healing, Mental Health Sounds Like This will meet you where you are—and show you how to sing your way forward.
You are not broken. You are becoming. And your voice has always been the key.
LITERARY TITAN 