Get Your Book Seen and Sold by author Claudine Wolk

It is easier than ever to publish a book, but many authors find out too late about the actual work-the book marketing-that needs to be done to achieve sizable book sales. Instead of embracing the opportunities to promote their books, authors are intimidated and shut down. Those days are over. This is the book authors MUST HAVE to give their books the best chance to be seen and sold.  

In this essential, easy-to-read, and easy-to-understand guide, the author will work through the graphs, examples, and exercises in the book and learn:

• The fundamentals of book marketing: Message, Audience, and Hook 
• How the book marketing fundamentals effortlessly feed into every aspect of book marketing
• The breadth of book marketing options and how book marketing works, with examples
• How book distribution IS a crucial part of book marketing 
• To develop an elevator pitch and a formal pitch to media contacts
• To develop with a doable book marketing plan
• To develop media kit items for their book publicity efforts: Press Release, Author Bio, etc.
• The types of book reviews and how to get them
• To create a list of media contacts and how to use them
• To organize their new entrepreneurial business as book marketer/author
• Ideas to “shake their tree” to develop unique book marketing opportunities 
• To examine the best social media channels to promote their books
• Where to put their book promotion dollars
• Most importantly, authors will learn something priceless...the correct starting point!

Authors, You CAN do right by your book! Go on and reach the book buyers that you had in mind when wrote your treasured manuscript and Get Your Book Seen and Sold today. Purchase your copy on Amazon, Bookshop.org, or Barnes and Noble. Make sure you add it to your GoodReads list too.

 

Media Contacts and How To Use Them

What is a media contact?

A “media contact” is any entity or person from tv, radio, podcasting, newspaper, magazine, or online outlet whom an author decides to pitch. For example, the editor of Writers Digest is a media contact.

What will you do with a media contact? 

1.   Create a pitch and then,

2.   Send the pitch with selected media kit items, i.e., a press release

What do you want from the pitch?

You are pitching a media contact for a review, interview or mention

o   Review: a book review, of course!

o   Interview: an interview of you about your book or the subject of your book

o   Mention: the media contact simply writes about you and your book or your message without a formal interview. It’s simply a mention!

How to Pitch to Media Contacts

The first step is to take the time to identify media contacts.  Internet searches are the best way to come up with media contact names.  There are also books that collect media contact names by industry.  One book, Writer’s Market, is one such resource. Another great website to find publications by industry or genre is webwire.com.  Finally, you can simply pick up a magazine and look at the masthead for the names of the editors. The next step after you have done your research for media contact names and emails is to come up with a pitch to send to them.  Finally, you need to send your pitch via email or snail mail, follow up, and hopefully provide what the media contact desires for a review, mention or interview.

One Media Contact at a Time

One: Keep your goal in mind.  When you pitch to a media contact you are hoping for a book review, an interview about your topic, or a mention of your book.  Those three things are always your goal. 

Two: Mass emailing equals mass rejection.  I know it is tempting to write a generic pitch and to send it through Mail Chimp, et al or to a string of every email in your contact list but this is idea is bad form for a couple of reasons.  First, putting media contacts in a constant contact database is a no-no.  You technically have to have the permission of the contact to add it to Constant Contact, et al.  Second, media contacts can spot a blanket pitch from a mile away and they will ignore it. 

Three:  You will be pitching your book for years to come.  Take a minute and a deep breath.  I acknowledge that the pitch process is overwhelming.  When I was promoting my first book and pitching to media contacts, I can remember panicking at the sight of the grocery store magazine racks.  Every magazine was a potential media contact…how was I going to pitch to them all?  The answer is: one media contact at a time. 

Tips to Pitch to Your Media Contact

1.              Be sincere!  Take the time to read the media contact’s website to get to know them a bit before you put them on your list and pitch to them.  Sincerity ALWAYS wins the day.  Every successful hit I have ever had has included a sincere and well-considered pitch.  The key when pitching to a media contact is quality over quantity.

2.             Write a pitch that makes it easy for the media contact to say yes to a review, interview or mention. 

3.             Gently follow-up with the media contact.

When you take the time to create a list of media contacts as well as creative, thoughtful pitches you give your book the best chance to be seen and sold.  

About the Author

Claudine Wolk and Julie Murkette are experienced in sharing their knowledge of the publishing industry to give books the BEST chance to be sold. Julie is the long-time owner of Satya House Publications, which published and marketed the award-winning I See the Sun series of books, among others. Claudine Wolk is a published author, journalist, podcast host and book marketing consultant. You can find her writing in her weekly newsletter on Substack: Get Your Book Seen and Sold. Her book, It Gets Easier and Other Lies We Tell New Mothers, (Harper Collins) is translated into three languages and was released as an audiobook (Nov. 2022).

Find Claudine online at:

Substack: https://ClaudineWolk.Substack.com

Website: ClaudineWolk.com

Instagram: @ClaudineWolk

Facebook: Facebook.com/ClaudineWolk

Twitter: @help4newmoms

Interview with John Andrew Fredrick, author of The King of Good Intentions III

 

The King of Good Intentions III is lyrical, heartbreaking, discursive/digressive, startlingly as poetic as it is laugh aloud funny… 

Title: The King of Good Intentions III
Author: John Andrew Fredrick
Publisher: Embers Art Press
Publication Date: September 12, 2023
Pages: 457
Genre: Fiction/General Fiction/Humorous/Black Humor

As The Weird Sisters return from their first What-Could-Go-Wrong (spoiler alert – everything) National Tour, bandmates/lovers John and Jenny face their iffy futures together (or apart) as the brilliant and mysterious Katie upends the romantic/artistic balance that’s been precarious-at-best. The unmitigated vanity, the mythopoeic beauty, the megalomania and heartbreak, the exquisite talent and ludicrous hubris – it’s all here in Fredrick’s wonderful, tart-sweet, final installment.   

Buy Link

 

Now that your book has been published, How did you come up with the idea to write your book, The King of Good Intentions III?  

Well, as the King is a set of novels, a series, it was incumbent upon me to see the story through, as it were, and make it come full circle--to the beginning of the first The King of Good Intentions.  For the most part, I write in order to make myself laugh aloud.  It's like what Robert Smith of The Cure said about writing songs: that he makes something in order to have something to listen to!  That's my very purport when it comes to songwriting as well.

To describe your series, people call it "rollicking," "uproarious," and "zany." Is that a correct set of words to describe your book?

It is a comedy, after all.  Notwithstanding the fact that there are some quite sad and tender moments sprinkled throughout the text.  The writers I most admire--Nabokov, Amis, Stella Gibbons--all have a wonderful knack for embracing the absurd.

How hard was it to write a book like this?

Not very difficult in that writing fiction's kind of like trying to master a sport:  the more you do it, the easier and more fun it gets.  I have written seven novels now, five published; and I started my first one when I was fourteen or so.  

What’s one fact about your book that would surprise people?

That it's filled with jeux d'esprit.  That it plays games with the reader's sense of what's real and what's a put-on.  The mere fact that my narrator's are often called "John" is a sort of feint or ruse, for sure.  Just because we share the same first name and are described as tall, blonde, hilarious, and devastatingly charming and handsome, don't think that he's me!

Is there a message that are you trying to get across with your book?

Hard to encapsulate in a single phrase or message, really, but I will try:  it's that the world of indie rock is as heartbreaking as it is enthralling at times.  And that Los Angeles is, paradoxically, the most ridiculous and most wondrous place in the USA.

About the Author

 

John Andrew Fredrick is the author of five novels and one book on the early films of Wes Anderson. He is the principal songwriter/singer of an indie rock band called The Black Watch that has released twenty-two albums to considerable acclaim. As Popmatters.com has observed, he is an accomplished painter. His poems have appeared in The Los Angeles Press, Santa Barbara Magazine, and Artillery, among others. He lives in Los Angeles and London. Visit him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/john.a.fredrick and Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/177676792-the-king-of-good-intentions-part-three.

Book Spotlight: HATCH: A Change Your Life Guide by Jamie Linn Saloff

 

A book for fiercely independent, misfit, square pegs trapped in an unfulfilling life who desire to Hatch a life worth loving…

Title: Hatch: A Change Your Life Guide
Author: Jamie Saloff
Publisher: Sent Books
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Pages: 384
Genre: Self-Help/Motivational, Religion/Spirituality, Personal Growth/Personal Transformation

If you could, how would you change your life?

While bravely facing the motherlode of difficult life challenges, you never dreamt the result would be a soul-sucking, heart-crushing existence.    

Although you try to ignore the emptiness, detachment, and feeling that you don’t belong, you rarely make changes. It just seems too impossible for so many reasons. Instead, you silenced your heart’s nagging with self-sacrifice, food stuffing, or by becoming a workaholic.  

Contemplating ending her life, Jamie Saloff chose instead to hatch a new one. She knows how self-doubt and unworthiness can cloud our ability to move forward after the darkness of illness, grief, trauma, or tragedy – because she’s faced it too.    

In Hatch – A Change Your Life Guide, Saloff walks readers through her step-by-step method to:  

• Awaken your soul’s purpose by listening to your heart’s voice   

• Find confidence in your next forward step by hearing your body speak

•See messages of guidance everywhere by learning where to look    

• Uncover your future in your past by examining your ancestral heritage      

• And much, much more…  

“It’s a simple question “Do you wish you could change your life for the better” while the answer is an easy one – do you have any idea of how to accomplish the task? “Hatch – A Change Your Life Guide” gives you a systematic process that will take you on a journey of physical, emotional, and spiritual healing…I highly recommend this wonderful and enlightening book” – Yolanda Renee

Buy Links:

Amazon  | B&N | Kobo | BooksAMillion

Book Excerpt  

As long as I can, remember—though I’m not sure why—I’ve been labeled a misfit—a square peg, a Goonie, an outcast (every generation seems to have its own word for this). 

In kindergarten kids laughed at me saying I had a boy’s name. In elementary school, they said I hadn’t grown up with them, I wasn’t from there. Or maybe it was because even though I have never been outspoken, I decided I wouldn’t tolerate the bigoted French teacher and refused to go back to her class. The principle reprimanded me, called me “a quitter,” but I wasn’t swayed. I don’t think the kids (or the teacher) could quite understand that kind of rebellion from a ten-year-old. 

Another time, the teacher ordered me into the hallway where she told me to repeat to the principal what I’d just told her. I explained my drawing of an aneurysm to him. (Due to cholesterol or other blockage in a vein, a balloon-like area forms expanding the side of the vein. If it would burst, my father would have 45 minutes to live.) My teacher didn’t approve of my mother sharing the details of my father’s illness with a child. The principal only shrugged.

In middle school, I argued with the principal that, due to a highly publicized paper shortage, it was stupid to waste it by writing punishment sentences hundreds of times. I ended up having to run around the gym in front of my class, which did very little for my already degraded social status, but it was a win for my cause.

If you’ve been in this position, you know there is no going back. Once you’re tagged as an outlier, that’s where you stay. As I entered high school, I wasn’t “the right fit” to be one of  the majorettes. They can give whatever reasons they liked, but I’m pretty sure none of them had 60 trophies attesting to their ability and, while they were marching up and down the muddy hometown football field, I performed all over the world, including for servicemen at Pearl Harbor, in the shadow of Scotland’s Edinburgh castle, and other cities across the US and Europe. As they continued buddying up with football players in their cliques, I was privileged to experience foreign cultures and see historic sites firsthand instead of reading about them in a text book.

When we are mistreated or outcast by someone, we may blame ourselves. We falsely wonder, “Am I ugly?” “Fat?” “Horrible?” and all sorts of self-degrading ideas. This self-blame can cause us to slip into isolation because we feel unliked or unloved. 

Eventually, if you give yourself space, you learn that being a misfit is a good thing. It allows you to do things your way without others caring. You may discover you are a bit of a loner, and that’s okay. This is particularly true for creatives and those who have suffered for their uniqueness. Yet it is your uniqueness that can make you great.

It doesn’t matter what labels they put on you. You can’t change their actions. Instead, you must realize that deep down they know you’re somehow different in ways they can’t understand. Whether that means you become a target or are simply ignored, they know there is something special about you, more specifically, you’re not like them—you’re not like “everyone else.” And maybe that scares them a little because they’re afraid to step out of the crowd—and you’re not.

What they sense is that you carry traits offering you the potential to do great things, even if you don’t realize it or feel like it could ever be possible. As it turns out, some of the worst things that have happened in your past, particularly in your youth, formed the exact survival traits you need to succeed as you trod forward.¹

Despite the obvious definitions of hatch, i.e., “hatching new life from an egg,” “an escape hatch,” or “hatching a plan,” for readers of this book “hatch” means all that and more. It means realizing that no matter what brought you to this point, you have options and choices available to you right now to help you to Hatch a new and better life, one worth loving. And it doesn’t matter if they mark  you as “an outcast,” “a misfit,” or whatever else they want to label you because once you “hatch” it will no longer matter. 

Some of you are what I call the “Endurers.” You are still on the inside of the “egg” feeling trapped and not realizing there is a whole other, much better life waiting for you “out there.” (It’s hard to see through those thick-shelled walls.)

Others of you have potentially “hatched” but are now looking at all the broken pieces of your life. You may be feeling all “Humpty Dumpty” (who couldn’t put it all back together again) and are wondering, “what do I do now?” 

This book is about how I found myself in those positions and hacked my way out with very little guidance or direction. With much angst, I began seeking my way as a young adolescent and continue to machete my way forward as a senior. 

As you read on, in Phase One, you’ll learn how to listen to and follow the longings of your heart. 

Scratch that. If you knew what your heart wanted and how to follow it, you wouldn’t be reading this book. You’d be doing it. Instead, in Phase One you’ll learn how to listen to your body groan and soul weep. I’ll show you how those nagging little aches and pains, illnesses, and even accidental injuries can be translated into Marvelous Messages™ that can help you plan your Hatch. (This is where I had my first real breakthrough in my life.)

In Phase Two, we will circle back to your heart and all it desires. I’ll teach you ways to identify what your heart’s aching for you to do and how it ties into your soul’s purpose. Now, having a clearer idea on what you really desire—(you have known it all along, you’ve simply silenced it)—you can now set goals and a plan to obtain it. We’ll take a “look back to leap forward” to understand how some of the challenges you face today are the result of inherited trials that were never properly resolved in the generations that came before you. Lucky you, it’s now your turn to see if you can make it right. But, you’ll also learn about the gifts implanted within your spiritual DNA to help you along in your soul’s journey. 

In Phase Three, we will dig a little deeper. Having opened up the lines of inner communication, I’ll show you many ways to recognize and follow your intuition. 

In Phase Four, we will talk about the hard stuff—those barriers holding you to where you are now and how to overcome them—fear, mistaken perceptions, and other beliefs that cloud your mind and prevent you from being the “you” you came here to be. 

Lastly, in Phase Five, you’ll see how, once you open these doors to your body and soul, you not only are creating a new and better path for your life, but you can also create a better world. And that is a true transformation. Let’s begin…

 

About the Author

 

Jamie Linn Saloff is passionate about aiding fiercely independent, misfit, square pegs trapped in an unfulfilling life. Author, teacher, story weaver, spiritual counselor, seer of visions, pathfinder, for over thirty years Jamie’s taught how to reignite your heart by listening to your body groan and your soul weep. She is the author of twelve books including Hatch: A Change Your Life Guide and her Marvelous Messages™ series.

Author Links  

Website | Facebook | Facebook Author Page | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | Amazon Profile

Sponsored By:

Book Spotlight: Tropical Scandal by David Myles Robinson

 

A legal thriller about a grandson accused of murdering his grandmother which morphs into a scandal that shakes the very foundations of the Hawaii legal system…

Title: Tropical Scandal
Author: David Myles Robinson
Publisher: Bluewater Press, LLC
Pages: 291
Genre: Legal Thriller/Suspense/Mystery

When Pancho McMartin, Honolulu’s top criminal defense attorney, takes on the case of Dayton Kalama, a young drug dealer accused of murdering his grandmother (tutu), Pancho is faced with a daunting amount of evidence pointing squarely at Dayton. But as Pancho, together with his private investigator, Drew Tulafono, gradually pull back the layers of deceit, they begin to uncover hints at what is beginning to look like the biggest scandal ever to hit Hawaii’s legal community. This book is pure fiction, but is inspired by true, scandalous events which shook Honolulu’s legal community to its core. 

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/3p8vwcvf

Book Excerpt  

I was surprised when my current lover, Padma Dasari, asked me to meet with Isaac Goldblum, a legendary Hawaii trial attorney who, now in his eighties, was an alcoholic still representing clients. I had made known my intolerance for those attorneys who fell prey to addiction 

yet refused help—all while still accepting clients. They were walking malpractice cases who risked everything they’d worked for in their own lives—not to mention the lives of their 

clients—by living and working as functional drunks or addicts. 

Being a trial attorney was stressful. Being a criminal defense trial attorney was particularly stressful. Aside from the relatively rare innocent defendant, our customer base was composed of criminals who, generally speaking, were not the warmest and fuzziest people to deal with day in and day out. 

Whether they were guilty or innocent, their lives were in our hands—a situation only the most jaded and burned-out counsel didn’t find stressful. 

My surprise didn’t arise from the fact that Padma knew Goldblum. She was the former medical examiner for the city and county of Honolulu, and just as I had cross-examined her many times in her capacity as coroner, so had Goldblum. My surprise arose from the fact that Padma knew Goldblum had been one of my early heroes. He was most famous for having won an acquittal for two Hawaiian teenagers who had been charged with the murder of a prominent haole (Caucasian) businessman. The public outcry against the Hawaiian kids had been reminiscent of the uproar in the Deep South when young black men were charged with the rape of white women. It was scary. Goldblum was vilified for taking the case. 

As he later said in an interview for the Honolulu Advertiser, he knew that anything short of proving who the real killer was would fall on deaf ears. His cross-examination of the 

businessman’s administrative assistant, who’d been having an affair with the dead man’s wife and who ultimately confessed to the murder, was nothing short of brilliant. 

I had shared my early hero worship of Goldblum with Padma, but I had also made it clear that I now harbored a healthy dose of contempt for the man, who seemed intent on destroying his own legacy. At the time, Padma had not tried to defend Goldblum. 

We were enjoying a quiet Saturday afternoon at Padma’s Kahala Beach condo when she broached the subject of my meeting with Goldblum. “He lives here, in the next building,” 

she said. “He’s invited us to stop by for a cocktail at about four.” 

I stared out from her oceanfront lanai at the tranquil ocean. 

The palm fronds on the coconut trees fronting the beach barely twitched. One lone puff of a cumulous cloud hovered in the bright blue sky. 

“Why?” I asked. “Why would I want to go have a drink with a drunk who should have put himself on inactive status years ago?” 

Padma stared back at me with her piercing dark eyes. I half expected her to admonish me for being too judgmental—a trait I seemed to have developed in recent years. “Isaac asked to 

meet with you. We know each other from court, and he knows I live in this building, and he knows we’re in a relationship. I think he came to me rather than you because he knows—or at 

least suspects—that you aren’t much of an admirer of his.”

Padma had been born in India and had done volunteer work as a doctor in Bangladesh, but she had lived and worked in the United States for most of her adult life. Nonetheless, she 

still retained the remnants of an accent, which was melodic and soothing. No doubt she was a calming influence on many people grieving the loss of a loved one. She had been instrumental in 

helping my mother in New Mexico get through the early stages of the loss of my father. Just the tone of her voice seemed to take the wind out of my judgmental sails. 

“Okay, but do you know why he wants to meet?” 

She gave a small shake of her head. “Something about a case. That’s all I know.” She paused for a beat. “Look, I know he’s a drunk and you hate the fact that he’s still going to court, but you have to admit: drunk or sober, the man knows the law and probably still has pretty good instincts. I doubt he would ask to meet with you if he didn’t think it was important.” 

I resisted the temptation to make a snide remark and instead looked at my watch. It was three-thirty in the afternoon. “Why’d you wait until now to tell me about this?” 

Padma’s beautiful brown face broke into a mischievous grin. “So you wouldn’t have time to obsess about it.” 

I laughed. “Jesus, Padma. We’re not even married and you play me like a fiddle.” 

“I love the fiddle,” was her only retort. 

 

About the Author

 

David Myles Robinson has always had a passion for writing. During the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, while in college, Robinson worked as a freelance writer for several magazines and was a staff writer for a weekly minority newspaper in Pasadena, California. Upon graduating from San Francisco State University, he attended the University of San Francisco School of Law. It was there that he met his wife, Marcia Waldorf. In 1975 the two moved to Honolulu, Hawaii and began practicing law. Robinson became a trial lawyer and Waldorf eventually became a Circuit Court judge.   

Upon retiring in 2010, Robinson completed his first novel, Unplayable Lie. He has since published eight more novels. 

Website: www.davidmylesrobinson.com    

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DMRobinsonWrite   

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidMylesRobinson  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidmylesrobinson

Sponsored By:

Black Cats: Really Evil or Is it All a Myth? by Raven Howell

It’s the night of Halloween. Spooks, spiders, and skeletons abound, the full moon glows – so who is cheering, “Ho, ho, ho!”? Apparently, Santa Claus has come to town, though it’s the wrong time of year! But what could be a bad situation, is wittily handled with humor, and there’s a new winner at this year’s Halloween parade. For fans of Room on the Broom and The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything. Purchase a copy of Santa’s Slip Up on Amazon, Bookshop.org, or Barnes and Noble. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.

Black Cats: Really Evil or Is it All a Myth?

Our family cat, Lilac, is practically smiling at me, lifting her fuzzy chin as I brush her long ragamuffin black fur. Suddenly, out of the blue, with no prior indication, she becomes a tiger, biting into my palm, green eyes shining, ears pulled back. What happened? I had not done anything out of the norm, there were no sudden movements on my part, or outbursts of any kind to instigate the ravaging. Crazy? Yes. Evil? Well... no. After a decade with our furball, we’ve come to realize that on rare occasions, she just wants to burn off some of that wild animal energy, especially since the days of having our little terrier in the house are over. She lost her pal/nemesis a few years back to cancer and old age, and now it’s just her and the humans. BOOORING!

When I think about it, that tends to be my own pattern as a book reader and literature lover. Here’s what I mean: During spring, interesting non-fiction, and biographies- new information sprouting that I didn’t know about, are on my to-read list. When sunny, warm summer months arrive, I have a whole string of easy-breezy books with gentle story lines that I sink into. Many are light family dramas, some with a touch of romance and humor. In autumn, more mysteries are added to my bookshelf and the tension builds. By December, I usually end up randomly reading the new horror that everyone on Goodreads is talking about. And with that – there I am, deep in the story, ears back in suspense, eyes shining in “oh-my-gosh-what’s-going-to-happen-next”, and ready to pounce or jump in fright if someone (like my black cat) coincidentally brushes my leg or something.

When I set out writing my new children’s book, Santa’s Slip Up, I wanted that quick and sudden pounce to punctuate the end of the story. Hopefully, you’ll get that if you read the book. The text builds a mystery, depicting a sequence of those creepy ghouls that go bump in the night during Halloween. But these creatures and critters are innocent patrons, playing their proper spooky roles, so who’s eerily cheering “Ho-ho-ho!”?

Because of social media connections over the years, a lot of internet peeps know that my family has a black cat. And now, seeing the cover of Santa’s Slip Up which features a black cat, always hastens the question, “Is that your cat on the book cover?” And no matter how I put it (“No”), most of my friends still want to believe my cat inspired the illustration on the cover. Ok, that’s cool with me, but she really didn’t. Illustrator Savannah Horton came up with the images on her own without my suggestions. So, a little myth building begins (“That’s Raven’s cat on the cover of Santa’s Slip Up.”) I love myths. I love black cats. And, no, they are NOT evil.

 

About the Author

Raven Howell writes stories and poetry for children. Having published several award-winning picture books, she enjoys sharing her love of literature by visiting classrooms and libraries. Raven is Creative & Publishing Advisor for Red Clover Reader, Poetry Director for Monster Magnificent, and writes The Book Bug column for Story Monsters Ink magazine. Her poems are found in children’s magazines such as Ladybug, Spider, Highlights for Children, Humpty Dumpty, and Hello Magazine. She’s a Collaborating Author for Reading is Fundamental SoCal and writes storybooks for Reading Gate.

You can find her online at:

https://www.ravenhowell.com

https://twitter.com/atpearthkeeper

https://www.instagram.com/atpearthkeeper/

https://www.facebook.com/raven.howell.75/

https://www.facebook.com/RavenHowellAuthorandPoetPage/

THE SIMPLE LAWS OF LOVE by author Brenda Shoshanna

 The Unshakeable Road to Love (Value Centered Relationships) is based upon Eternal Principles from all world scriptures, including Zen. These tried-and-true Eternal Principles, the Pillars of Love, show how to build foundations for relationships where happiness and well-being are inevitable. And where pain and conflict can dissolve on the spot. A radically different approach to love and psychology, the book offers a completely new perspective on fulfillment and what is truly needed to thrive. For example, one of the Pillars of Love upon which the book is based is: To Be Happy, You Do Not Have to Be Loved, You Have to Learn What It Means to Be Loving. 

The book explores the difference between Real and Counterfeit Love. We discover how all suffering in relationships is due to being caught in the trap of Counterfeit Love. And how easy it is to break free from bondage and leave that trap behind. This is a book of practice, filled with Turning Points, Pillars of Love, Interventions, and many enjoyable exercises so the reader can practice these principles in all their relationships and in their everyday lives. Written by a psychologist, Interfaith Counselor, and long-term Zen practitioner, the book combines the practices and principles of both East and West, helping us to discover and celebrate the best in ourselves and others. Purchase a copy of The Unshakeable Road to Love on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.

 

                                                             THE SIMPLE LAWS OF LOVE

There are simple laws of love, which are infallible. Like the laws of gravity these laws cannot fail. They are natural, enjoyable, and easy to follow.  These laws dissolve upset and confusion and bring everything back on track. If you are confused or upset in your relationship, just turn to one of these laws. See what you may be doing in opposition to them. Even if we’re not aware of it, when we live in opposition to these laws, backlash is inevitable, one way off the next. If we jump off a building and ignore gravity, no matter how good our intentions are, we cannot help but be hurt. The same is true of the law of love. It is a pillar of strength to hold onto, to keep us happy, safe, and well. And to cause our relationships to flourish. If you’re having trouble in your relationship, or living in opposition to one of these laws, it’s an easy matter to make a correction. Just realign yourself.  Review the law of love pertaining to your problem. Digest the law, make friends with it, make it the basis of your actions. It is inevitable then that harmony and newfound clarity will prevail. We’ll go over a few of the basic laws here. There are many others waiting. The more you include these laws in your day, the more delighted you will be. Try it and see.

1)      There is never a lack of love. Love is available every moment, everywhere. When there seems to be a lack of love, it is only that you are keeping it away.

This is a beautiful law. Stop and realize you need never be lonely. There is so much love waiting all around you. And it’s also possible to keep it away. Our hearts may be closed. We may be fearful, angry, lost in the past. Or we may see the worst in everyone. Take a few minutes to dwell upon this. Are you attracting love, welcoming it? Are you seeing the value in everyone? Or are you filled with resentment and blame?

• Love is a choice. Choose to let love into your life.

     If so, turn that around. Give up the blame, open to the beauty and uniqueness of everyone you meet. Love is a choice. Choose to let love into your life.

• Perception is fatal. As you perceive, so shall you live. Are you a love finder or fault finder?

This law of love is powerful. Choose to see through the eyes of love. When people say there is something wrong with everyone they meet, it is simply because that is the way They are perceiving others. They are looking for what’s wrong. And inevitably, they will then see what is wrong in themselves, as well. When we start looking for what is valuable in others, beauty, warmth, kindness and love are a natural outcome. Not only towards others, but towards yourself as well.

Brenda Shoshanna offers talks and workshops based upon The Simple Laws of Love. Contact her at topspeaker@yahoo.com. www.totalrelationshipsnow.com, www.brendashoshanna.com

 

About the Author

Brenda Shoshanna is an award-winning author, psychologist, Interfaith counselor, and long-term Zen practitioner and speaker. Her work is dedicated to integrating the teachings of East and West and making them real in our everyday lives. Brenda has offered over five hundred talks and workshops on all aspects of personal and spiritual development, relationships, and living an authentic, meaningful life.

You can find her online at:

Author Website: http://www.brendashoshanna.com

Book Website: https://www.totalrelationshipsnow.com/

Her Plays: https://www.allmyplays.com/

Her Podcast: https://www.zenwisdomtoday.com/