Train Your Brain, Claim Your Power

Many people won't realize that the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver has an image problem.  That's why the 2 Paycheques charity was created - to change the bias.  Mihailo Subotic teamed up with Alysha Osborne to provide barber services to the community.  Mihailo photographs the people as it happens and over time, they turned it into a book.  This has been going on for several years and helps raise money for the Downtown Eastside.  

John Quarmby shares the story of a young man he met in Ireland who had suffered abuse for years.  The book came about as therapy for John to discuss the problems he discovered - a ring of sexual abuse that was harming the children of a town.  This book is a painful read and not suitable for survivors of abuse to read as it's too disturbing.  Still, it's an important story to tell.  The children suffered from a range of problems: alcoholism, drugs, bank robberies, prison, prostitution, drunk and disorderly, PTSD.  Yet with care, they were able to move on.  They got married, had children and successful careers.  

Jon Edward Gauthier has worked in the Ronald Reagan White House, with Jack Kemp on Capitol Hill and with Fannie Mae.  Yet his book "Embracing Goodness: How Life Works" has nothing to do with economics.  Rather, it is about life lessons learned when he lost 5 siblings in 4 years due to major traffic accidents.  He sees the book as a first aid kit for emotional wounds.  The book focuses on applications of the principles of St. Therese of Lisieux's book "The Story of a Soul."  She did little things with great love.  

Julie Young has written 44 books to date, all about redemption and the second coming.  She works in the health care industry and is a Reiki Master teacher.  She has experienced the Mother Mary coming through her, Jesus teaching her science and history, showing her what is coming, and both St. Gabriel and St. Michael work with her.  The Catholic Church has all 44 of her books and she has been told that they are waiting to see what happens in this world.   

These 44 titles include: "Miracles Among Chaos," "Into the Fires of Hell," "Evidential Mediumship," "The Tree of Knowledge is Mary's Sweet Vine," and "Book of Dreams." 

Terrence Potter has been a fan of fantasy science fiction since he was a boy.  However, it was hard to find African American heroes.  As he got older, he noticed the lack of diversity in superheroes and began to create the diversity he wasn't seeing.  Underlying message to his readers: Be the change you want to see.  For him, that meant creating heroes that more people can relate to so they can be inspired to make a difference.  

A. W. Cook as written a novel that explores life on the inside of a crime organization after a young couple determine they have to find an exit strategy to get out and live their lives.  Rev. Cook is mindful to avoid offensive language and sexual references in the telling.  Rev. A. Wayne Cook has also written "Live Right to Live Well: The Truth About Prosperous Living."

Observing life as he does, Raymond Brown wants us to notice negative reactions to circumstances and get in the habit of asking ourselves 'what should I have done instead?'  Our interactions reveal signs of problems ahead and the sooner we recognize them, the sooner we can take action to get rid of them.  This is especially true of human relationships.  There are simple 'tells' that we should not ignore.  Raymond is a good speaker, and is brutally honest about things as he sees them.  He would enjoy coming to community events to tell it like it is and hopefully save someone a great deal of heartache and pain in the process.  

Born in the Philippines, Gemma Escolano has lived in Australia with her family for 10 years.  In 2010, a small inner voice urged her to write, however, it was a slow process until her daughter read her writings and encouraged her to write more.  Gemma feels that if her book and touch hearts and cause an awakening, that will be an accomplishment.  Her main message: There is always light at the end of a struggle.  You feel it.  

Marvina Sims has suffered with pain since birth, born with broken bones that the doctor couldn't see.  She was born with brittle bone disease, type 4.   Adding to that pain, she was born in a dysfunctional family and was a victim of abuse until 15 years into her marriage, she realized that she was in an abusive relationship and began the road to healing.  Now she is a domestic abuse advocate and mental illness.  She is a coach, firmly believing that if we're not healed, we will "bleed on" others, a victim of things that "trigger" us.  She is also an author.  Currently, she has written 5 books, "Brittle Never Broken," "All Lives Matter," "Massage Ginny," "Labeling Saga," and her fun book, "Duplex Occurrences."  

Ruth Ann Warren's day job was to come up with marketing promotion ideas for some of the best chocolatiers in the world.  When the pandemic sidelined everyone, Ruth Ann Warren put all that creativity to good use but writing children's books and then designing creative ways to share them.  For her "A Little Chocolate, A Little Dancing, Together They Make Magic," Ruth Ann goes to schools and libraries to read the book and make the story real by eating and dancing with the children.  She has other creative ideas in development including a digital version of her book.  Watch for more from Ruth Ann Warren!