Train Your Brain, Claim Your Power

A personal trainer specializing in serving pregnant women, Dawn Weyand decided to share her expertise with a wider audience through her book "Natal Health: Pregnancy Fitness and Wellness Guide" in 2013.  At that point, life took a turn.  While completing a law degree, Dawn's interest in pregnant women took her to the American prisons where she uncovered some questionable practices.  The result is a documentary "Pregnant Prisoner."  The subject has become her calling and she is actively fundraising to improve women's lives in the prison environment.  For more information, she can be contacted at [email protected].  

When Tracy Smith lost her father, she'd been thinking of writing about him and that urge kept growing.  The process itself became a way of overcoming grief.  The title - Li'l Bits of Buford: Overcoming Sadness by Finding "Bits" of Beauty in Everyday Life" -- is a tribute to her dad who was known as "Little Bits" in their community.  The book itself is written as a journal, each month a chapter.  Tracy herself is an artist - a prophetic artist.  Each piece starts with scribbling and then turns into a message that she may not see herself.  The person who views the piece shares its meaning.  

Ksevin Sorbo enjoyed life as half god - half man in the top hit series "Hercules: The Legendary Journey."  Returning to the States, Kevin and his wife Sam faced many personal challenges, yet thankfully their faith gave them the support they needed to face them.  Their first book together, "True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal - and How Nearly Dying Saved My Life" was followed by "True Faith: Embracing Adversity in God's Light."  Kevin's views on religion and politics were controversial in Hollywood.  He and Sam chose to homeschool their children and live a life of faith.  Thus, he found his place working on Christian films.  Today, he has his own production company, is an author and motivational speaker and takes on the tough topics with grace.  To follow his work, go to SorboStudios.com or on Twitter @ksorbs.   

Dr. Samuel Adwenti Bentum discusses two books, "Chiefdom: The Women's World" and "The Root You Left Behind."  Sculptor, painter and anthropologist, Dr. Bentum studies how African art forms express social, secular, political, economic and environmental influences.  There are messages in the roots that have been discarded by society.  In "Chiefdom," he explores elevating women to roles as chieftains.  Ghana is not a society that has done this in the past. Males have dominated society, and in a polygamous society have abandoned women routinely.  As a young man, Dr. Bentum observed that women focus on rearing children; men don't.  Only women support the children as men have occupational romances.  When the men move on, the women are ditched. He sees that women are good supports to families, and when they are educated, they take on needed roles of leadership.  Not all women will choose to do this, but with the help of those who do, society will be able to move forward.  To receive his thoughts in full, with fewer technological challenges, the books are available online through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and elsewhere.  

Skip Press is a writer, educator, and media consultant.  He has written several books and courses on scriptwriting - from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Screenwriting, The Ultimate Writer's Guide to Hollywood and From Novel to Screenplay.  He's also a major contributor to Ask A Screenwriter on Quora.  He shares some basic tips as well as some sage advice for writers who want to break through into Hollywood. 

Don Swenson has been a professor of theology, specializing on the sociology of religion.  In this work: "A History of Judaism and Christianity: Towards Healing of the Original Wound of Division," Swenson explores how the historical tension between Jews and Gentiles has continued as a rift to this day.  He believes it isn't possible to understand the last book of the Bible, Revelations, unless you are rooted in the Jewish faith.  Since Vatican Council II, we have made headway in healing:  understanding, remembering, repenting, restoring and reconciling.  Today, councils are forming to go through this process.  

Derek Doepker is a bestselling author.  He didn't start out that way.  He had to learn what makes authors successful.  Now he writes and coaches other writers on what they can do for their own success.  He has cited 17 mistakes authors make that explain "Why Authors Fail."  He is a huge proponent of research as a tool to marketing success and recommends the ASPIRE method as the key ways to promote your work that will yield the results you'd love.  

Bryan Barton first began finding comfort in writing as a child.  Later, he found comfort writing again while in the trenches under mortar attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The comfort comes from the fantasy world of Kannekin where an interspecies has been keeping watch over the people of earth since the time of cave men.  They are watchers who have formed many worlds.  The first book in the series, "Man of War" introduces us to Darkleich.  He's tough, loving and loyal, a soldier with PTSD suffering from flashbacks and anger issues.  So far, there are 5 books in this series.  

William Weatherman was raised in a dysfunctional family.  His dad was a violent drinker who abused his mother and sister, and made William's life a fear filled, angry reality.  Once out of that household, William gravitated to places where Christian leaders gathered and ultimately, he was moved to be baptized.  Today, his life is completely different.  He reconciled with his dad and was able to see him baptized as well.  William's message:  We experience trials in life, however, help is always available.  

This novel is set in the historical west with an eye to discuss the social ills of the time.  Life was changing as we moved from an agricultural to an industrial society.  In the west, there was an often inconvenient confluence of Native Americans, U.S. Army and industrialists.  Surprisingly, the characters are dealing with some of the same issues we do today:  cocaine, morphine, remnants of war conflicts, gunfighters, genocide and  unsavory methods to access valuable mineral rights.