Lonnie and Sandy Phillips are the parents of Jessica Ghawi who was murdered in the massacre at the midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” in the Summer of 2012 in Aurora, Colorado. Their grief and rage could not be measured and the loss of their beloved daughter was unimaginable. They made two life-changing decisions in the midst of their grief: they’d cling to one another, keeping their marriage intact as so many survivors had not, and they’d turn their heartbreak into action to prevent the tragedy of gun violence for other families.

After surviving cancer and suicide loss, Marianne Ingheim rebuilds her life by learning to banish both her inner and outer voices of criticism. In her book, Out of Love: Finding Your Way Back to Self-Compassion, she describes how the practice of self-compassion changed her life in ways big and small--inspiring readers to unlearn self-critical patterns in their own lives and live a happier, more courageous life.

In her memoir, Heart of This Family: Lessons in Down Syndrome and Love, Linda Morrow chronicle’s her son’s remarkable 49 years, sharing the innocent wisdom that he had to share. In Steve’s unbreakable spirit, Linda Morrow found her own.

Molly-Ann Leikin came to California from Canada with her baritone ukulele to become a songwriter in Hollywood at a time when women were rare in the

field. She was told that nobody listens to lyrics. She was told she wasn’t beautiful, so no one would want her. But she refused to leave. Her determination led her to life as an award-winning songwriter for pop and country music stars, TV, and film. Her determination story is about always singing to her own tune.

E.B. Wexler has been a clinical social worker for nearly 30 years. She has recently started sharing publicly about living with Complex PTSD, from her early childhood. Her mission and purpose in going public is to use both her own story and her professional experience to help shape a new conversation about trauma in our society, where it carries a great stigma.

When Jo Ivester and her husband learned that one of their four beloved children identified as trans, they knew they needed to use that love to and to expand their understanding of what their son would face. Jeremy Ivester kept a video journal for much of his transition. Those recordings became the basis for the book his mother wrote: Once a Girl, Always a Boy.

Coming from the business and nonprofit world, Donna Cameron found herself awed by kindness and its power to transform. In her book award-winning memoir, A Year of Living Kindly, she chronicles her experience of that transformation and shares the discoveries she made—lessons in patience, understanding, and humor.

Michael Lazarin never set out to be an advocate and activist. But when he became an “erased” alienated father of his beloved daughter, Audrie Pott, when she was seven years old, he had no choice but to fight for his child, and later in her memory. How has he found joy and happiness alongside this fight? That’s the story he shares with us.

At age twenty-six, Anne Reeder Heck was brutally raped by a stranger. Years later, still seeking to heal from this trauma, Anne stands alone in her living room and claims her desired belief aloud: “This is my year of strength.” Her clear intention results in a phone call notifying her that her rapist has been identified—fourteen years after the crime. Anne’s gripping and uplifting story is one that has sparked national interest, has been shared on the TEDx stage, and is told in her memoir A Fierce Belief in Miracles.

As a literary agent, Elizabeth Kracht creates a bridge between art and commerce for her authors and the lessons she’s learned apply not only to writers, but to anyone pursuing their passions. She strives to bring her spiritual self to all of her relationships, including her business associations and has learned an important lesson about rejection: Don’t take it personally. Liz is the author of The Author’s Checklist: An Agent’s Guide to Developing and Editing Your Manuscript.