Blog Archives
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.
Demystify Wealth Building
Beginner’s Guide to Growing Wealth and Investing is a metaphor-rich roadmap that teaches readers to cultivate long-term financial habits by becoming the intentional “CIO” of their own money. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Beginner’s Guide to Growing Wealth and Investing is important to me because of who inspired it. I wanted to leave an instructional manual for my little sister, my son, and my daughter, the kind of manual I wish I had at their age. My family, like most families, don’t have real conversations about money, investing, or wealth. They definitely don’t talk about the mindset, identity, and emotional strength it takes to build wealth consistently.
I wanted to demystify wealth building and pull back the curtain. People think the process is complicated or reserved for the rich, when the truth is that wealth is simple. It’s not always easy, but it is simple when you understand how money works and, more importantly, how you work. So I wrote a book that speaks to the whole person: their thoughts, emotions, habits, fears, and dreams. Those internal drivers matter just as much as the practical steps of investing.
Too often, financial books focus on what you have to do, while completely ignoring who you have to be. You can’t build wealth as a passive participant in your own life. You have to accept responsibility, step into leadership, and design your financial future with intention. That’s where the CIO metaphor comes in. Becoming the Chief Investment Officer of your life means recognizing that your decisions – not your income – build wealth, and that you need to run your financial life with the same intention and structure as a business.
And the gardening metaphor reminds readers that wealth is a process. It starts with small seeds, tiny decisions with huge potential, and when nurtured over time, those seeds grow and produce fruit season after season. I want people to stop believing that wealth is impossible and start believing “I’m possible.” Building wealth is ultimately about choosing yourself and choosing the life you want to design.
That’s why this book exists. It’s the manual I needed. And it’s the manual I want to leave behind for my loved ones and others.
How do you balance encouraging mindset shifts with giving readers practical, step-by-step financial tools?
When people talk about “balancing” mindset and financial tools, they’re already thinking about it the wrong way. Mindset and tools don’t sit on two sides of a scale, they depend on each other. You can’t build habits without the right beliefs, and you can’t direct your beliefs without the right structure. That’s the key, and honestly, that’s the difference between information that inspires people and information that transforms them. This is why I don’t separate them; I integrate them into one system.
That’s the real differentiator of my book. I’m not giving readers scattered tips, I’m giving them a system that reinforces the behavior change they need. I teach through metaphors and simple frameworks because they help readers understand complex shifts without feeling overwhelmed. Those frameworks create structure and when your financial life has structure, your decisions get clearer, your emotions settle, and consistency becomes easier. Most beginners don’t fail because they’re incapable; they fail because they don’t have a system protecting them from old habits while they grow into new ones.
That’s why the Stackers Wealth Cycle matters. Mindset shifts and tools don’t have to be balanced, they need to be woven into a system. When those are woven into one process, transformation becomes inevitable.
Were there any specific emotional hurdles you noticed beginners facing that shaped how you wrote the more supportive sections?
The biggest barriers for beginners start in the mind, and they come down to three forces: beliefs, desires, and expectations. To be successful, all three have to work together, so let’s use a heating and cooling system to explain it.
Beliefs are your heating and cooling equipment. If you don’t believe you can grow wealth, it’s like having a completely broken HVAC unit. You can want the room warmer or cooler all day, but equipment that doesn’t work can’t respond. A broken belief system blocks every financial upgrade.
Desire is your thermostat in that it allows you to set the temperature you want for your life. If you desire freedom, your behavior moves one way. If you desire approval or status, it moves another. But a thermostat only shows what you want, it doesn’t make the change by itself.
Expectations are the electricity powering the whole system. If you expect success, the system turns on. If you expect failure, nothing runs. That’s why two people with the same desires get completely different results, their expectations either activate the system or shut it down.
When belief (system), desire (thermostat), and expectation (power) line up, the system will reach the temperature you set. In people, that’s when behavior starts aligning almost automatically and wealth-building becomes possible instead of frustrating.
That’s why people tell me this book feels different and more supportive, it’s more than an investing manual. It’s a “how you work” manual. We aren’t born understanding our beliefs, desires, and expectations, and most of us are never taught how they connect. That’s why my approach leans so heavily into mindset and internal wiring. If you don’t understand the system on the inside, nothing you try on the outside will stick.
If readers could adopt only one habit from the book to start their financial journey, which would you choose and why?
If readers could adopt only one habit, I’d actually split it into two: one financial and one mindset, because they work together.
The financial habit is automating the process of paying yourself 10% first. And I’ll cheat a little by adding the monthly clean sweep into that. Most people spend whatever they see in their bank account. Automation protects you from yourself. It guarantees you’re saving for the future whether you feel disciplined or not. Think about it this way: the government takes their taxes first for a reason, you should too. And the clean sweep at the end of the month keeps your checking account from becoming a slush fund, subject to unconscious spending. The moment your next paycheck hits, you move the leftover dollars into savings so they can’t be spent. This one habit alone is life-changing.
The mindset habit is your beliefs. Beliefs determine everything, what you think is possible, what risks you take, and how consistently you follow through. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet, and beliefs are what give your decisions clarity and conviction. Weak beliefs lead to weak behaviors. Strong beliefs lead to strong habits, actions, and results. Most people are held back by the belief that they can’t succeed. You have to replace that little voice inside you that tries to convince you that you can’t succeed. Change the belief, and everything else follows.
Author Links: Youtube | Facebook | Amazon | Instagram | GoodReads | Website
Unlike books that overwhelm you with jargon or push “get-rich-quick” schemes, this guide focuses on clarity, mindset, and simple systems that actually work.
You’ll learn through two powerful frameworks:
The CIO Mindset — step into the role of Chief Investment Officer of your life and start making decisions like a leader, not a follower.
The Gardener’s Path — discover how wealth grows like seeds planted with patience, intention, and care over time.
Together, these frameworks show you how to balance the psychology of money with the practical strategies of investing—without fear, confusion, or hype.
Inside, you’ll discover how to move from the Working Poor Cycle into the Stackers Wealth Cycle™, a simple system for growing your money automatically, aligned with your values and life goals.
Written with the voice of a coach, professor, and wise uncle rolled into one, Dr. Stacker breaks down complex ideas into clear, actionable steps that anyone can follow. Whether you’re just starting out or refining your strategy, this guide will help you:
Build confidence as an investor
Create systems that grow your wealth automatically
Align your money with your mission, vision, and values
Plant the seeds that grow into lifelong financial freedom
If you’ve ever thought, “I wish someone would just explain this in plain English,” this is that book.
Plant your seeds. Grow your riches. Build your legacy.
Nurse Dorothea® presents Healthy Relationships
Healthy Relationships presents a thoughtful and approachable exploration of what helps relationships thrive. The book is framed as a guided workshop led by Nurse Dorothea, who walks readers through the core ingredients of healthy connection, communication, boundaries, empathy, responsibility, and self-awareness. Although the tone is gentle and accessible, the book is wide in scope, touching on friendships, family ties, romantic partnerships, and online relationships. Its structure blends direct instruction, reflective prompts, and short personal stories in a way that encourages readers to slow down and consider how they relate to others.
The classroom-style format works particularly well. Early in the book, readers are invited to pause, write, and reflect, which creates a sense of active participation. Simple metaphors, like caring for relationships as one would tend a garden, and the recurring reminders that everyone faces challenges, offer a steady, grounding presence throughout the text. At times, the tone can feel overly earnest, but that sincerity reinforces the author’s intention: to encourage readers to approach their relationships with clarity and kindness.
The many student stories woven into the book add depth and texture. Accounts from individuals describing supportive parents, patient partners, meaningful friendships, or online connections create an authentic emotional thread. These examples are used to highlight specific principles such as trust, cooperation, and mutual respect, and they break up the instructional sections in a way that feels natural. The book does not shy away from discussing difficult dynamics either. Its explanations of imbalance, dishonesty, control, and disrespect are concise and direct, making the warnings easy to understand without sensationalism.
The section on meaningful apologies stands out for its emphasis on responsibility and repair rather than defensiveness. Later discussions on reconnecting with others and choosing high-quality relationships are practical and encouraging. The message is consistent and clear: healthy relationships are intentional, vulnerable, and sustained through ongoing care.
Nurse Dorothea® presents Healthy Relationships offers a steady, compassionate guide for readers of all ages. It would be especially valuable for educators, counselors, families, and anyone seeking a straightforward framework for understanding relational well-being. Its warmth, clarity, and practicality make it a supportive companion for those hoping to build stronger and more thoughtful connections.
Pages: 239 | ISBN : 978-1-968690-00-7
The World Is Craving Connection
The Backyard Peace Project is a thought-provoking and inspirational anthology of real-life stories collected from individuals who turned their challenges into a journey of self-discovery, healing, growth, and purpose. Why was this an important book for you to write?
The Backyard Peace Project was born from a deep knowing that the world is craving connection, compassion, and realness. For years, I’ve witnessed people carry their pain in silence, high achievers, parents, leaders, community members, all doing their best while battling private storms. I’ve learned through my own journey that peace begins in our own backyard. It starts with one human being willing to tell the truth about their experience.
This book felt important because it gathers those truths. It gives people permission to be human. It shows that even in the darkest chapters, there is possibility, purpose, and a pathway forward. Creating a space where ordinary people could share extraordinary stories of resilience felt like a powerful antidote to the disconnection and overwhelm so many are struggling with today.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
I wanted this anthology to highlight several core ideas:
• Your story matters, even if you think it doesn’t.
• Healing isn’t linear, and there is no “right way” to grow.
• We are stronger in community than we are on our own.
• Trauma can become purpose, not by denying the pain but by transforming it.
• Small acts of peace ripple outwards, changing families, workplaces, and communities.
At its heart, the book reinforces the message that every human being is capable of rewriting their inner narrative and becoming a force for good in their world. You don’t have to be perfect to create impact. You just have to be willing.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in putting together this collection of personal stories?
The biggest challenge was holding the emotional weight of so many deeply personal, often painful stories. Each author entrusted me with chapters of their life that they had sometimes never said aloud before. My role was to honour their truth, protect their voice, and create a safe container for them to share vulnerably without feeling exposed.
Another challenge was weaving the stories together into a cohesive tapestry – ensuring each voice was celebrated individually while still contributing to a collective message of hope, resilience, and peace. It required delicate balance, sensitivity, and immense respect for every contributor.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from The Backyard Peace Project?
I hope readers walk away knowing, deep in their bones, that they are not alone. That their struggles do not diminish them. That peace is not something they have to find “out there” — it is something they can cultivate within themselves, moment by moment.
If even one reader feels seen, held, or inspired to take the next step in their healing or leadership journey, then this project has done exactly what it was meant to do. I hope that every person who turns these pages feels more empowered, more connected, and more hopeful than when they began.
Author Links: https://linktr.ee/cathydomoney
Launching World Peace Day 2025 (Sept 21st)
The Backyard Peace Project Anthology: Sharing Stories, Inspiring the World!
Finding Peace Through Struggle:
An Anthology of Hope, Healing & Human Resilience:
What if the very struggles you face hold the key to your greatest peace?
Finding Peace Through Struggle is a powerful anthology of real-life stories from extraordinary individuals who turned their deepest challenges into stepping stones for healing, growth, and purpose. These pages shine a light on the resilience of the human spirit and remind us that even in our darkest nights, peace is possible.
Confidence Transformation
Girl Game: Balls Out is a blend of memoir, psychology, and empowerment, and is a call for women to reclaim their power, stop people-pleasing, and rise unapologetically into their full selves. Why was this an important book for you to write?
In love, I was always had an anxious attachment style, and I genuinely felt like something was medically wrong with me. My insecurities always got the best of me, and I grew up without any confidence or self-esteem. Rejection was my middle name. I was unlucky in love. I had to get to the bottom of this, so I spent 5 years intensively studying attachment theory and childhood emotional neglect, and boy, did my findings revolutionize my life as I know it. That research and my own confidence transformation were the catalyst and backbone of this work.
In Chapter Six, “The Fight of Your Life,” you write about internal battles. How do you personally recognize when you’re in one?
By how I am feeling. All internal states are attached to a feeling, and all feelings are trying to tell us something vital about ourselves.
What do you hope women take away from your message when they’re standing at their own
breaking point?
That they heal “balls out” style. Many people sit in a therapist’s office for years and take medication for decades hoping to numb the pain, but they never really heal HEAD ON. I encourage radical healing through awareness and consciousness, and that requires a full-blown, balls-out exploration of the shadow, or what I call an emotional exorcism, in this book.
You mix faith, psychology, and empowerment in a unique way. How do those three forces coexist in your own healing process?
I am a spiritual person. I do blend faith, spirituality, psychology, and empowerment because of my background in all 3. I refuse to take pills. I don’t go to therapy (but I am a huge fan of it) – I champion healing by facing problems head-on and feeling them fully until healed.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
With over 100 years of research behind it in human psychology, emotion, healing, attachment and relationships, self-worth and identity, this book provides profound insights concerning the realities that shape our existence when we struggle with low self-esteem. Since our subconscious accepts all suggestions as facts, we are met with demons we didn’t create who plague us as mirrors impacting our closest relationships while making rejection become the norm. This happens because of generational trauma passed down from ancestors and the general negativity felt and experienced in the external world. By embracing self-worth from within, the book emphasizes the transformative power it holds in reshaping personal connections and attracting genuine affection. The text prompts introspection on questions of rejection, societal constraints, and the impact of insecurity on personal growth and fulfillment. Encouraging a shift from seeking external validation to embracing inner worth, GIRL GAME: BALLS OUT advocates for empowerment and taking control of one’s narrative. By fostering self-belief and authenticity, individuals can transcend self-doubt, radiate confidence, and magnetize positive interactions.
You can either overcome or come undone… the POWER is yours.
Are you hiding behind that pretty face…
Clip Toenails for a Living: A Unique Path to Success
Clip Toenails for a Living is a blend of memoir, mindset guide, and professional journey that follows Dr. Marcin Vaclaw’s rise from podiatry resident to clinic owner and medical officer. The book lays out a simple idea. Success comes from doing the unglamorous work and doing it well. Dr. Vaclaw uses podiatry, especially the humble act of clipping toenails, as the central image of his philosophy. The book is organized into parts that move from fundamentals to building a personal path to defining success in your own terms. It mixes anecdotes from training, small wins, setbacks, and the slow grind that shaped his career.
I felt pulled in by the author’s plain way of telling stories. Nothing feels sugar-coated. He talks about fungal nails, house calls and residency struggles. That honesty made the bigger ideas easier to trust. I liked how he treated simple work with respect. It made me think about my own habits and how often I overlook basic tasks. Sometimes the writing leaned a little too hard on metaphors about cooking or recipes, but it still kept the tone friendly and down to earth.
I also enjoyed the way the book paced through the lessons. Some chapters focused on grit. Others focused on adjusting your course or finding your niche or learning from discomfort. I felt myself nodding along, especially during the parts describing how success is mostly small steps and small choices that pile up. It felt real. At moments, though, I wanted more detail about his own failures. Even so, the overall effect is motivating. I came away feeling lighter and more willing to take on the boring parts of my own life.
I would recommend this book to people who like personal development stories that feel practical and human. If you are early in your career or trying to rethink your path, it hits the spot. It would also appeal to readers who enjoy memoirs from medical professionals. The lessons are simple, clear, and easy to apply. It left me with the sense that I could do a little better tomorrow.
Pages: 193 | ASIN: B0FT6ZDK3M
LITERARY TITAN 