MSI Press Blog

Frederic Craigie Jr., Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, consultant, educator, speaker, and writer. His passions and areas of expertise include spirituality in health and health care, healing relationships, clinician well-being, and resiliency and positive mental health. Fred attended Dartmouth College during the tumultuous Vietnam War era and completed his doctorate at the University of Utah.  He served internships in the VA system in clinical psychology and in substance abuse rehabilitation.  Following his training, he began what was to become a 37-year full-time faculty role at the Maine -Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency in Augusta, Maine, where he coordinated behavioral health teaching for residents and students and provided behavioral health care to a largely underserved primary care population. He serves as Visiting Associate Professor at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine (AWCIM) at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, and held an appointment as Associa

What follows is a guest post from Dr. Elizabeth Mahlou, from her blog, Clan of Mahlou. I cannot resist. I am going to post something that came to me in email. I think all parents (and grandparents) can relate. Here it is: GOD CREATED CHILDREN (AND IN THE PROCESS GRANDCHILDREN) To those of us who have children in our lives, whether they are our own, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or students... here is something to make you chuckle. Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children. After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was "DON'T!" "Don't what?" Adam replied. "Don't eat the forbidden fruit," God said. "Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey, Eve! We have forbidden fruit!" "No way!" "Yes, way!" "Do NOT eat the fruit," said God. "Why?" "Bec

  Dr. Liz Bayardelle holds a PhD in business psychology with a strong footing in the practical application psychological research. She serves as a digital consultant. She has written two books published by MSI Press:  Clean Your Plate! 13 Things Good Parents Say That Ruins Kids’ Lives  and (forthcoming)  Parenting in a Pademic . In her own words, Dr. Bayardelle, as a busy, educated, multitasking mother, “runs a household with a teenage stepdaughter, a toddlernado, a newborn baby, two dogs totaling over 200 pounds of poor behavior, and a rabbit the size of a large housecat. She also runs a successful parenting blog ( theStaySaneMom.com ) that has an avid following of mothers who want to be smart, engaged, and thoughtful parents. For more posts about Liz Bayardelle and her work, click HERE .

  Patti Trombly has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in the Teaching of Reading.  Even after 20 years of teaching in elementary school, middle school and college, she still looks for teachable moments in everyday life and for new ways to help children learn. She is a parent of two, a teacher and a business owner.  With Cindy McKinley Alder, she co-authored two books:         365 Teacher Secrets for Parents: Fun Ways to Help Your Child Succeed in Elementary School . 10 Quick Homework Tips  (one of the books in our pandemic series) Check out the 365 Teacher Secrets  website  for more "fun ways" to help learners -- and get a workbook that goes with it. For more posts about Patti and her books, click  HERE .

  Michael Tosto is a theological and spiritual writer and a former leader in the Christian church. A graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in history, he spent ten years researching the history and evolution of humanity’s theological consciousness.  Joshuanism   is a culmination of that research; a work of theology and spirituality, his book details an alternative to the current manifestations of Christianity yet still rooted in the same Son of God. For more posts on Michael and his book, click HERE .

Everyone has at least one story to tell; Alfred Stites has a lifetime’s worth. Candid, humorous, thought provoking and interesting, his writings delight both young and old. Writing is a passion for Alfred… he writes because he loves to tell a story. If you’re fortunate enough to sit in his presence whilst he weaves a tale or two, blue eyes a’ twinkle, you’ll not forget neither the story told nor the storyteller. His book,   Forget the Goal, the Journey Counts…71 jobs Later , relates a lifetime of interesting meetings, unusual endeavors, and tales worth relating and reading.  Update 2016: Alfred passed away on on April 11, 2016 after living a very long and full life. Just read his book, “Forget the Goal, the Journey Counts…71 Jobs Later,” and that will be clear. He worked with some rather famous people, like JFK and others of equal fame. He had quite a zest for life. For 94 years he fully enjoyed every day of it. Indeed,  a long, full life.  RIP, Alfred. We have enjoyed your stories--an

  Joshua Shea is a recovering pornography addict and the author of   The Addiction Nobody Will Talk About: How I Let My Pornography Addiction Hurt People and Destroy Relationships.  He has appeared on over 50 podcasts, television and radio shows. Prior to admitting his addiction, Joshua was a prominent magazine publisher, award-winning journalist, film festival founder and politician in central Maine He is co-author of   He’s a Porn Addict…Now What?    and  Porn and the Pandemic. For more information about Joshua and his books, click HERE .

Betty Shaw and her daughter, Liz, travel throughout the United States to bring awareness about the dangers of distracted driving.  She lives in Easton, Maryland with her family and their dog, Quintin. Her book with Dave Brown,  One Simple Text…The Liz Marks Story ,  is a poignant tale of the drama that Liz and her family suffered as a result of her nearly dying from an accident that resulted from texting while driving. For more information about Betty's book, click HERE .

  Born in Israel, raised in Canada, and now living in the US, Irit Schaffer works  in her physical therapy practice in California, where her “good blood” background and her extensive educational training has allowed her a unique perspective on the mind-body-spirit connection. For more posts about Irit and her book, click HERE .

In honor of Caturday, we are sharing photos of the cats who own MSI Press authors, starting with Sula, pictured above, who is herself an MSI Press author. Click HERE  to see Sula's works. Simon is owned by Joanna Charnas, author of chronic illness support books and A Movie Lover's Search for  Romance , who says he is her "foster failure." Click HERE to see Joanna's works. Jeremy Feig was owned by Shelly. He wrote a book about her, How My Cat Made Me a Better Man , that won a book of the year award. Click HERE   to read about Shelly, including excerpts from the book. Carl and Betty Lou Leaver are owned by Intrepid about whom they wrote a book, stuffed with illustrations, and five other cats. Click HERE to see Intrepid . In the picture, Happy (black & white) and Murjan (red & white) share a cat bed. Cindy McKinley Alder is owned by Watson, shown here wrapped in a ribbon. So cute! Click HERE to see Cindy's contributions to the field of teaching, parenting

  A practicing architect since 1983, Yasr (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania; M. S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; B.S., University of Jordan) is an international consultant in architectural design and planning, who has won top awards in several design competitions.  He is currently an urban development strategist leading multi-disciplinary teams of international consultants in the urban re-development of the central area of the Holy City of  Makka, KSA. Previously, he was assistant professor at the Department of Architecture at the Jordan and Petra Universities and a visiting scholar at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and the American Archaeological School in Jerusalem. Professor Sakr has lectured and published widely on architectural education, design theory, and history. For posts about Yasir and his book, click HERE . Several years ago, Dr. Betty Lou Leaver, Managing Editor of MSI Press, visited Jordan on a business trip and visited with Yasir at his home on

Dr. Amir Sabzevary holds two Master’s degrees and a PhD; his dissertation is entitled Choiceless Awareness: Psychological Freedom in the Philosophy of Jiddu Krishnamurti. Dr. Sabzevary has taught religion and philosophy for over 30 years at a variety of colleges and universities in the Bay Area and is currently the Chair of Philosophy and Humanities at Laney College in Oakland, CA. For more posts on Dr. Sabzevary and his award-winning book, click HERE .

Richard is a veterans, who wrote the book,  Noah’s New Puppy , loosely based on his life and the wonderful help he received from his own service dog, Abby. Several years ago, Richard became a licensed service dog trainer, living with his family in Germany. Founder of K9s for Veterans Abroad, he is completing his MA in Social Work and plans to continue to combine his talent for dog training with his skills as a therapist to help veterans deal with their trauma. For more posts about Richard and his book, Noah's New Puppy, click HERE .

  Brittany Renz is a successful personal trainer and mother in Hollister, California. A popular trainer with a very large, stable clientele, she trains together with her family, as well as coaching others. After years of people asking her how she does it all, she finally decided to take her experience and share it with the world. Her book,  Girl, You Got This ,  that focuses on fitness for pregnant mothers-to be, has piqued the interest of fitness fans and sports doctors.  Brittany's first book includes pictures of the whole family participating in fitness efforts. Now, she is working on a new book for mothers--and, for sure, it will include, again, the whole family. Watch for it. For more information about Brittany and her book(s), click HERE .

  Author of Harnessing the Power of Grief , J ulie Potter is a certified social worker with experience in health care including home care, hospice, nursing home and hospital settings.  For 20 years, she coordinated a spousal bereavement program and a hospital based wellness program for people 60 and over. To read more posts about Julie and her book, click HERE .

  Tony Overbay is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), who has helped more than 1000 clients. He is, as well, a Certified Mindful Habit Coach, host of the award-winning podcast,  The Virtual Couch , and a popular motivational speaker. He created The Path Back, a faith-based online pornography recovery program that has helped thousands break free from the destructive influences of pornography addiction and compulsive sexual behavior. He is co-author of  He’s a Porn Addict…Now What? For more posts about Tony and his book, click HERE .

  Sula, the parish cat who pens books for MSI Press, has had her cancer return recently. A cancer specialist in Monterey was so kind as to provide treatment for her for free. I suppose that is fair. Sula takes care of the whole parish for free every day. So, once more, for the fourth time, let's all offer prayers for Sula's continuing resiliency and God's continuing care. Read more posts about Sula and her books HERE. And stories about her from newspapers and magazines online HERE .

  Cndy McKinley is a parent, a teacher, and a writer.  She grew up in Milford, Michigan, and has lived there for about 40 years, attending Huron Valley Schools.  Cindy has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in the Teaching of Reading from Eastern Michigan University.  She taught lower elementary for seven years, also in Huron Valley Schools, both at Kurtz Elementary and Country Oaks Elementary.  Her children attended the very same elementary, middle school, and high school as she did! She now tutors children of all ages in the community and teaches English at Oakland Community College in Royal Oak.  She’s been teaching for over 25 years. In 2002 her first book, a children’s book called  One Smile,  was published.  It won the Benjamin Franklin award that year.  In 2013 her second children’s book,  One Voice,  came out. It immediately won the Preferred Choice Award and the Carol Reiser Award.  Both books show how simple random acts of kindness can change th

  Multi-published author and freelance editor, Cynthia MacGregor, has also formerly hosted two TV shows, “Solo Parenting” and “Younger Every Day,” both of which were seen in the South Florida area, where Cyn (as most people call her) has lived since 1984. In addition to the more than 100 books she has published, Cyn also writes plays, both for adults and for kids, and has had all but one of them produced in her community. In addition, one show, for kids, was produced in New York. Cyn works seven days a week at her craft of writing and editing and loves every minute of it. Calling herself “arguably the happiest woman there is,” she says, “There’s no one in the world I’d want to trade lives with.” Cyn’s book,  Everybody’s Little Book of Everyday Prayers , illustrated by Russian artist Zhenya Yanovich, was released in September 2015.

Larry MacDonald has a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology and over 30 years of experience RVing and freelance writing for various magazines, including  MotorHome ,   Trailer Life , and   Canadian RVinglds . His book,  RV Oopsies: 101 Dumb Things That RVers Do!  is a compilation of ten years of research on RV mishaps, rated from “dumb” to “dumbest,” with helpful hints on how they could have been avoided. A “must-read” for all RVers, new and seasoned, wanting to save some grief and cash by learning what  not  to do while RVing. In his subsequent t book, Travels with Elly: Reflections on Canada by an RVer and His Dog , the author travels from coast to coast in a trailer with his wife and pets, including their poodle, Elly, in order to gain a better understanding of his adopted country. An informative read for armchair travelers with a spirit of adventure, for those wanting to learm more about Canada, and for any cross-Canada traveler, especially RVers and dog lovers. Travels with Elly won t