Confessions of a Time Traveler by Erin Sands @TheDunesBook #AmReading #Relationships

Confessions of a Time Traveler

What if you had a chance to do it over again? By “it”, I mean your life. What if you could go back in time and make a different choice? Right a wrong. Say “yes” instead of saying “no” or vice versa. Would you do it? I’m not offering, I don’t really have a time machine; just a very vivid imagination and a wisdom born from lessons learned the hard way. So indulge me for a moment while I take a ride back in time, ten years ago to be exact and find that younger version of me, sit her down and give myself the advice only the future me could provide.

Eat Better

As cliché as it may sound, the first thing I would tell myself is, “You’ve got to eat more vegetables, preferably raw. I know, I know, you’re in a season where you can eat a cheeseburger everyday, three times a day and it has no affect whatsoever on your weight or immediate well-being but trust me it will. Ten years from now when your hormones change and things slow down you will wish like heck that you started eating healthier sooner. So take my advice and do it today”.

Save Money

Ten years ago, a great pair of shoes had just as much importance as my rent. Ten years later, I know better. The second thing I would tell myself is to save money. “No matter how hard it seems, no matter what budget you may be on at the moment, each week, every pay check, put away some money. Gaining discipline over your finances will be an immeasurable help to you in the future and for years to come”.

Be Fearless

The lesson that I would absolutely impart to my younger self is to never let fear motivate any of my decisions. “Don’t say “yes” to something just because you’re afraid you will never get the chance again. Don’t say “no” just because you’re afraid of what might happen. Follow your joy and let peace be your guide. When you pursue your passion and walk in your purpose, you will not go wrong”.

Seize the Day

Ten years ago my goal was to be fluent in Spanish. Ten years later, I still have that same goal. The reason why I’m not fluent in Spanish is because I kept putting it off for some day. Some day I will have more time, some day I will find the perfect teacher. Some day never came. I would tell my younger self that “some day” is not a day of the week and anything that is worth experiencing is worth making time for. Seize the day!

Then I would give myself a hug and say, “Hey, even though you’re learning some lessons the hard way, your future is bright. You married a great guy, you wrote an awesome book and that was just the beginning…”

http://bit.ly/1pwryZK

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in the Bay Area of Northern California, Erin grew up with an innate love for dance, theatre and the written word. A graduate of Loyola Marymount University, Erin began her career in the arts as an actress and choreographer. After booking several notable roles in television and film, Erin began to use her gift of writing in blogs featuring political and social commentary, as well as developing content for theatrical use.

Although The Dunes, is a divine departure from Erin’s previous writings it is by far her most cherished work to date. “I wrote The Dunes initially as self therapy because I needed to release some painful experiences and disappointments from my past. I had this thirst to walk in the complete fullness of life with joy as my constant companion. I had no idea what effect it would have on other people. But when I saw people read it and be released from fears that had held them back for years…when I saw people forgive and be able to walk in the freedom forgiveness brings…when I saw people commit and serve and how those things opened up new opportunities in their life, I was just humbled. Humbled by the awesome power of God and humbled that I had been allowed to go along for the ride”.

When asked why she writes, Erin pauses and reflects on the truth of her heart. “I write because although I am only now beginning to truly love the process, I have always loved the outcome. Like a composer, words become my notes. I string them together in song eliciting the response of my reader, grafting a picture of my soul. Where besides the written word can you effect change so utterly and so succinctly? What besides the written word can pierce the universal collective mind? Everything begins with a thought, but it isn’t until that thought is articulated in written word and those words passed down can life changing movement happen. It must be written, it must be expressed on tablet, and when it is, we all become greater, whether the writing be genius or fatuity, it has evoked thought and debate. Why wouldn’t I want to be apart of that phenomenon? Why wouldn’t I want to share my story, give my testimony…add my paradigm to the mix? Whether it is a novel, a poem, an essay or an article, it is humanity visited. An insight into a new or sometimes shared truth. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God. And with that I live my life”.

If there was a journey that could masterfully change your life in seven revelations...would you take it? 

In life, sometimes the kernels of wisdom and the richness of revelation can be found in the most innocent of stories; and so it is with The Dunes. Join one man and one woman in an exquisitely simple yet remarkably profound journey as you discover with them that the mountain you must climb in order to live the abundant life of your dreams is located squarely within your heart. 

Illuminated in seven revelations; The Dunes carries the reader on a journey to not only examine the obstacles that are holding them back in life but to conquer and over come them as well. With each revelation The Dunes intimately calls on the reader as the journey companion to face a challenge…a dare if you will that requires an uncompromising commitment to change. In the family of faith-based self help books, The Dunes stands alone, simultaneously taking the reader from fiction to life and back again, equipped with a tailor made journal for the readers inner most secrets and reflections. The Dunes is part allegory, part testimony and part journal, but the best part is the healing it offers your heart. When you’re ready to step out of your comfort zone and step into the miracle of your life…The Dunes awaits. 

CAUTION: Readers of this book are subject to significant changes for the better. Side effects may include frequent smiling and enjoying life in every season.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Non-fiction

Rating – G

More details about the author

Connect with Erin Sands on Facebook & Twitter

Website www.thedunesbook.com

@CarinKilbyClark Shares Her Thoughts on the Importance of Mentors #NonFiction #WriteTip

If you were to interview someone who is successful – in any field – there’s a really great chance they will mention a mentor. Someone who supported them on their path and showed them how to replicate the success they’ve experienced in their own endeavors.

Before I had a mentor, I didn’t know how important mentoring was. I really didn’t see the point at first. I was determined to figure it all out on my own and thought it may be better that way. And that I’d learn more through hands-on, rather than listening to someone else tell me how they did this or that.

I first became associated with my mentor, Natalie MacNeil, in late 2013. I had followed her work for some time and was really moved by her philosophy, ethic, and vision for women entrepreneurs. When she opened applications for her founding Concord mastermind group, I jumped right in.

Why Mentors Are Important

Mentorship means not doing this alone. It means having someone to show you the ropes  – and someone who will be there to cheer you on. Once I started working with my mentor, she was the perfect person who I could bounce my ideas off of. She gave me valuable feedback, and helped me to develop my plans. When I told her that I wanted to write a book she was the first person who said YES, you should. And she showed me how to plan my book proposal and query letter, and how to research agents and publishers. My mentor’s advice has been critical to my success as a writer, and as a business owner.

When you work with a mentor, their industry knowledge is at your disposal. You benefit from their years of training or information gathering. You are put on the fast track by being able to avoid the pitfalls and curve balls that they experienced. Mentors are important because they help you replicate what works, so that you can be successful in what you do.

If you are considering a mentor, here are a few thoughts to help you make the right choice.

• Look for someone who has in-depth expertise in your industry
• Find a mentor that has actually accomplished what you are looking to do
• Personality is important – find a person who you click with
• You want a mentor you respect, and who you can admire and look up to
• Look for a mentor who is humble and has a deep respect for all people
• Find someone that you feel is relatable and approachable

Carin Kilby Clark is the author of the ebook, Time Management Made Easy for Busy Moms: 5 Simple Tips on How to Control Your Time and Get Things Done (April 2014, Clue Consulting, LLC). If you want to learn how to finally put time on your side, then this book has the goods that you need – and for less than the cost of a cup of coffee. Buy your copy today!

Do any of these excuses sound familiar?

I’m just too busy

I have too much on my plate

There’s never enough time

I have to do it all

I don’t know how to manage it all

If you answered yes, then prepare to put an end to the overwhelm once and for all. In Time Management Made Easy for Busy Moms, Carin Kilby Clark shares five simple tips that moms can implement right away to improve how they control their time and get things done.

Time Management Made Easy for Busy Moms offers insight into the one major block that prevents us from maximizing our time, gives readers practical information that is easily applied to everyday life, and helps you along the path to your “aha” moments about how and why you’ve been ineffective in managing your time; and how to to finally put time in its rightful place {on your side, of course!}.

As the mother of three very active children who also works full-time, runs a business in her “spare” time, publishes a lifestyle & parenting site, manages a growing motherhood community, and regularly contributes parenting advice to many popular sites in the parenting/family life niche, Carin’s advice is solid; based on methods that she has successfully implemented in controlling her time and getting things done.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Parenting, Relationships

Rating – G

More details about the author

Connect with Carin Kilby Clark on Facebook & Twitter

@KentBurden on What to Write About #AmWriting #NonFiction #Wellness

I often get the question “how do you decide what you’re going to write about?” it’s a pretty valid question, unlike someone who writes fiction I don’t have to come up with a story or a plot I just have to come up with a subject, but what subject? As a health and wellness expert my choices are endless, exercise, stress reduction, weight loss, nutrition and all the sub categories that go along with healthy living. But how do you decide what to spend your valuable time and energy writing when we all know that some books will sell and some won’t. How to chose a topic that people will want to buy and will be something I want to delve deeply into. I’ve written 7 books (and counting) and I’ve chosen subjects based on key word searches, surveys, market research and a coin flip. But sometimes a topic just chooses you.

 A few years ago while working at a high end California spa,  I was sitting at my desk in my office reading a popular men’s magazine (I was on my break– I swear) when I came across an article that said new research proved that sitting for extended periods of time increased your risk of getting diseases like diabetes, heart disease obesity and certain forms of cancer and that doing 30-60 minutes of exercise a day wasn’t enough to counteract the damage that sitting did. The article even claimed that as far as negative health effects were concerned, sitting was just as bad as smoking! To top it off it stated that people who sat more during the day were heavier than people who moved around and spent more time standing during the day regardless of how much they exercised.

I remember sitting there feeling like I had just been kicked in the crotch by Chuck Liddell. This is not what they had taught me in my six years of college. It’s not in the literature they give you for your personal trainer certification and no one was talking about this at fitness conferences. This had to be complete and utter bull s#!t. So I did some research myself and what I found shocked me, and the deeper I dug the more I began to think this new discovery might just have merit. 

The first thing I did was go back through my records. As a trainer you always have clients that trouble you. They work hard in their sessions, say their doing all the things you tell them to do on their own, insist they are sticking to their diet program, but never can get to the goal weight loss they set or they can’t seem to get their blood work numbers were they need to be. I always chalked it up to the “they think they are but there not syndrome”. Many people fool themselves into thinking they are doing things that they aren’t actually doing, you’ve seen it. The person who says they eat healthy but over the course of the day eats 20 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups from the office candy dish and then scarf down half a quart of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey Ice Cream while watching Game Of Thrones just before bed. But maybe I was wrong, maybe they had been doing everything I had been telling them to do but what I was telling them to do just wasn’t enough. Low and behold when I checked all of my trouble clients had jobs like accountant, lawyer, software designer and author all jobs that had them sitting all day long.

I called a couple of the researchers that had been quoted in the article and came away with the distinct feeling that this was big. I mean the-sky-is-falling big. This was when I decided I HAD to write the book. I pulled together all the research I could find, I talked to all the major players in the field. I collected opinions on how best to counteract the deadly effects of prolonged sitting,  then created movements that could be done anywhere (even in the office) so people could discover new ways to be healthy. For me the hardest part was figuring out how to make all these facts and medical research interesting enough to actually read. The bottom line is I was on fire!  I needed to spread the word and get these simple, effective tools into people’s hands. That’s how my book, “Is Your Chair Killing You? A Healthier You in 8 Minutes a Day” was born. No market research, no key word searches and no coin flips. It also happens to be my bestselling book so far. Things that make you go hmmmmm.

Sitting for extended periods of time is as bad for your health as smoking cigarettes. And exercising for 30-60 minutes a day isn’t enough to undo the damage from extended periods of sitting. Is Your Chair Killing You reveals shocking new research showing that sitting for long periods greatly increases your risk of developing obesity, heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer. Our bodies were designed to move constantly over the course of the day, but most of us sit for hours a day at work and at home! Fitness and wellness expert and award-winning author Kent Burden has created brief, simple movements you can incorporate into your daily life to combat the damaging effects of sitting. These simple movements, done standing for 1-5 minutes each hour will burn calories, energize and refresh you, and you won’t even break a sweat; you’ll even improve your back pain. This book is a how-to for weight loss and disease prevention. Read this book–you’ll be healthier in as little as 8 minutes a day.

Nominated for the Dan Poynter Global Ebook Awards and won honorable mention at the Los Angeles Book Festival

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Non-Fiction

Rating – G

More details about the author

Connect with Kent Burden on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.kentburden.com/

Purity #Prayer from Nina Borum's "Praying for Men of P.O.W.E.R. @TrinityGalBlog #Christian #TBR

Father, I thank you today that ____________________ is keeping his way pure. I release a hunger for your word into his heart that he may desire to live according to it. May he seek you with every fiber of his being and thirst for you daily. I rebuke any plans of Satan that would deceive him to stray from your commands. Hide your word in his heart that he may not sin against you. Lord, be slow to anger concerning any idols in his life. Convict him with the areas of his life that he has broken his covenant with you. Open his eyes to see the things, people, opinions, ideas, organizations, etc. that he has put before you. May he be pure in his covenant with you.

You didn't learn these prayers in Sunday school. Put your armor on, and get ready to see God move!

Do you ever get sick of praying? It's okay to admit. We all do. It is emotionally draining to beg God without ceasing. Christians often forget that under Christ's authority, we have the power to command God's promises to be released from heaven to earth and into our lives.

In Praying for Men of P.O.W.E.R., author Nina Elaine Borum challenges readers to stand confidently and command the promises of God for the men in your life. As someone who has struggled with prayer, Nina believes that God does not intend for his children to feel helpless in praying. His Word has instructed us in how to bring the kingdom of heaven to a world where Satan runs freely. We are all in the midst of a vicious spiritual battle, and Nina hopes this book will help you to fight on behalf of Christian men.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Tate Publishing

Genre - Christian non-fiction

Rating – G

More details about the author

Connect with Nina Elaine Borum on Facebook & Twitter