MSI Press Blog

  The following note/post came from Julia Aziz, author of  Lessons of Labor: One Woman's Self-Discovery through Birth , in response to Mother's Day. Every May I think to myself, "I want to send something out for Mother's Day," but there's two reasons I usually don't: (1) In my own home life, this time of year tends to feel like a parenting marathon, without much room for extra writing. And (2) I am sensitive to the reality that many of my readers are grieving on this day, whether that be for their mothers or for children they've lost or didn't have. A simple "Happy Mother's Day" message never feels right. But I gave it more space and decided to send something this year because I think we could all use some deeper acknowledgement. If you're a mom having a hard time staying centered, perhaps without enough room for true self-care,  please see my most recent  blog post with free gifts for moms.  There you'll find links to a recor

  The following post is shared by Julia Aziz, author of  Lessons of Labor: One Woman's Self-Discovery through Birth , for Mothers' Day:  If you’ve been raising kids through the craziness of this world, you are a hero whether you feel like one or not. To be a mom is to risk your heart, forever unprepared and courageous as you follow a winding path you’ve never navigated before. I don’t want to create more martyrdom in the mother role by waving the hero flag too high though. The standards we expect moms to live up to are inflated enough already!  I love my children fiercely, and I am already feeling all the feels of my oldest leaving home this summer. It doesn’t mean that every day I’m basking in the glow of family though. Like you, I am my own person with my own emotional bandwidth, daily multi-tasking the mundane. Instead of heroism, I’d like to celebrate and elevate our humanity this year. Here are a couple Mother’s Day gifts in this spirit: Read the full post:  For the Mamas,

  WHEN A MOTHER DIES YOUNG   By   Joanna Charnas   My mother died thirty years ago this week, eight days after her forty-ninth birthday, and she’s been on my mind as the anniversary of her death approaches. Mom’s cause of death was probably avoidable. Her will stated she didn’t want an autopsy, but because she died at home and had not been under the care of a doctor, the law required she have one. Her autopsy revealed her primary cause of death as pneumonia. Mom feared hospitals for reasons she never disclosed. She’d had a couple knee surgeries, and perhaps her hospitalizations after the operations traumatized her. About six months prior to her death, my brother and I discussed her frail health, which included diabetes, small airway disease, a bad back and knee, a bladder issue, and other ailments too numerous to list. I told him she would rather die at home if living meant a hospitalization. I had no idea then how prophetic this statement would be. In addition to her o

Happy Mother's Day! It is always important and gratifying to find a reason for joy in the midst of troubled times! And, if you have some reading time, here are some books written especially for mothers: 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mama s by Julie Gentile Mama, do you find yourself too busy to take good care of yourself? Whatever your situation, you deserve spectacular health and wellness. With Julie M. Gentile as your personal wellness mentor, this book coaches you along your own authentic self-care path. Using 108 writing prompts and self-care practices, including yoga poses, meditations, and breathing exercises, Julie shows you practical ways to live well that only a mama modern would understand. Become the self-care goddess you truly want to be—you’re worth it! How to Be a Good Mother When You're Sick: A Guide to Motherhood with Chronic Illness by Dr. Emily Graves Soon after receiving her Bachelor’s Degree, Emily Graves was diagnosed w

Farewell to Mother  Reading Dr. Alexander’s book about his near-death experience, I was immediately struck by the experience I’d had when my mother was in a coma. It was so vivid I can remember how it felt to this day, though it was now 29 years ago. My mother was a very healthy woman. In her 70s, she swam every day, worked on her writing and maintained a busy social life with the local garden club and other organizations. When my father died, Mom was 75 and her abilities were undiminished. After two years, sShe seemed to be rebounding nicely from Dad’s deathafter two years, yet something may have been missing that I wasn’t aware of. Or perhaps, as a neighbor hinted, she’d met a new man… One night I was awakened by a phone call around 1 a.m. “You’d better come down to Florida,” an unfamiliar voice said. “Your mother’s in a coma.” I was astonished. Just four days earlier I had talked to my mother and she’d told me she was on her way to Miami to see the Pope, who was visiting

  From Julie Gentile -  May Is the Month for Moms to Begin Prioritizing Self-Care May is an important month for moms. In honor of Mother's Day, Mental Health Awareness Month and National Women's Health Week, May 14 to May 20, there are many reasons to start an exercise routine you've been thinking about to help you energize, or to spend an afternoon at your local bookstore to restore and reset.  As a yoga teacher, author and full-time working mom, I've learned over and over again that there is no such thing as a perfect schedule. Juggling multiple responsibilities is all about the art of prioritizing what needs your attention now. I structure my day by prioritizing what matters most, and self-care is at the top of my list.  I wrote my first book,  108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas ,  during the evenings when my youngest child was a baby. When my second book,  How to Stay Calm in Chaos: An Everyday Self-Care Guide , was published a year and a half later, we

  We do have books that make great Mother's Day gifts. Here are some of them: Girl, You've Got This! Transitioning to motherhood is hard. Along with it comes a lot of fear, anxiety and responsibility. You want to provide everything for your new child, and it is all too easy to let other things – like self-care – slide. How do new moms stay on top of finances, a healthy diet, housework, a fitness routine, work, and other personal needs? Combining her expertise as a personal trainer and successful entrepreneur with her life as a wife and mother who is pregnant with her second child, Brittany Renz helps readers find balance as new moms by preparing and establishing routines throughout the nine months of pregnancy. She encourages expectant mothers to set themselves up for success as mothers, spouses and working professionals – and she knows what she is talking about. How to Be a Good Mommy When You're Sick Soon after receiving her Bachelor’s Degree, Emily Graves was diagnosed w

San Juan Books is the hybrid division of MSI Press LLC. It allows first-time writers to become published in a traditional way through the reduction of risk by sharing publication costs. All other publishing features are traditional in nature, and most SJB authors go on to be offered traditional contracts for their subsequent books. SJB publications are available as paperback, hard cover, and e-book versions. SJB authors' books very much hold their own against their contemporaries in the traditional publishing division. Indeed, a number of them have outsold their traditional compatriots. Today, San Juan Books presents author Dr. Liz Bayardelle. Liz published Clean Your Plate! 13 Things Good Parents Say That Ruin Kid's Lives . Her book has earned 5-star reviews and won a gold award from Titan Reviews and a finalist position in the Readers' Favorites competition. Subsequently, Liz was offered a traditional contract for her much-needed book, Parenting in a Pandemic . To see mor

Joanna's books are beloved by her fans. This book is no different. Read more about the book HERE . Read more posts about Joanna and her books, excluding excerpts HERE .

  Binge eating and overeating can be a problem for almost anyone over the holidays. Author Dr. Christina Fisanick Greer knows all about unhealthy relationships with food. Her book, The Optimistic Food Addict, brings insight and support for those suffering from binge eating disorder but also for anyone who at times eats too much  Chapter Eighteen: Dancing with the Dragon              The fever started the day after Christmas, and by December 28, I was out of commission entirely—struck down by the flu. I could barely sleep, but that’s all I wanted to do. My throat hurt, my head hurt, my back hurt. My entire body was alive with peculiar aches and painful spasms.              By the time I started feeling somewhat functional, I still had no appetite and, worse yet, no sense of smell or taste. This predicament gave me a good opportunity to put to rest a curiosity that had plagued me for decades: what role does taste and smell play in bingeing?              We know from recent research and

Joanna Charnas’s  latest book,  100 Tips and Tools for Managing Chronic Illness,  recently came to my attention. This book is short and filled with tips and ideas.  Library Journal  calls it, “An excellent resource worthy of multiple reads. For those with a determined spirit during discouraging times.” Actually, after reading through the book, I think that most of us are “chronically human” and can benefit from most, if not all, of the suggestions. It would even by a nice Mother’s Day or birthday gift. Joanna has personal experience with chronic illness, have been ill for seventeen years before she learned it was a condition that had no cure. Following the publication of her first book, Joanna spent two years as a  Huffington Post blogger, and she currently writes articles for an international health website. Her first book,  Living Well With Chronic Illness,  was an American Book Fest Finalist in the “Health: General” category of the 2017 Best Book Awards. I like the siz