MSI Press Blog

Released today! Noah's New Puppy  was written from veteran Richard Rice's own experience  of post-war PTSD. The almost miraculous effects of his service dog, Abby, saved him and saved his  marriage, bringing him out of hiding. He shares this story with families of small children to help them understand the suffering of their parents  and the  healing effects a dog can bring to the whole family. The Parent's Guide encourages conversations between parents and their children about PTSD, post-deployment issues, or parents and children suffering from depression. Richard's brother, Vincent, another  veteran, is  the illustrator. Available online, at select retailers, and from the MSI Press webstore: www.msipress.com/shop. Use coupon code FF25 for a discount for blog followers.

Joanna Charnas, author of Living Well with Chronic Illness and 100 Tips and Tools for Managing Chronic Illbess, talks in this post about the common everyday things that can become really serious issues for those who are ill. Read her article in yoursnews here . Read more articles from Joanna here , along with her an interview with her.

So, after a bit of hiatus because of that pesky roatotr cuff overuse that made my trainer suggest I leave off some of the more strenu ous arm activity, I returned to yoga. Suerprisingly, yoga requires a good deal of arm strength. (This has been a surprise to me: my arm strength is not good enough to get me easily through a one-hour yoga class, but it is good enough to get me rather easily through a two-hour rock climbing class. Boy, the myths are being vividly revealed as I continu with training.) One of the things I have learned is something I suppose every athlete knows, but, then, I am not and have never been an athlete, so I would not be aware of it. That is the best knowledge (and not really a sexret at all): no matter what it is you want to do, however impossible that seems, just start small and keep on going. That happened with leg presses. I struggled at first, just 18 months ago with 10 pounds, and I stayed around 30-40 pounds for months. Now, surprisingly, I can do 24

Today we are geting ready for a Saturday morning workshop at The Literary Center in San Juan Bautista, CA: Getting Your Book Published: Loweing the Cost and Avoiding Costly Mistakes. Many authors who decide to self-publish invest far more money than necessary for far few services than possible. This workshop aims to help buyers beware and authors to get their books what their books deserve. TLC workshop slides are available for $5 at the MSI webstore -- and they come with the opportunity to ask virtual questions.

Today we are geting ready for a Saturday afternoon workshop at The Literary Center in San Juan Bautista, CA: Organizing Your Life into Memoir. Many great memoirs never get written because potential authors do not know where to start or where to stop. How to turn your life into story, or how to tell the story of your life, requires understanding "what is story" and "how is it organized." These are the topics that get explored during this workshop. Workshop slides are available for $5 at the MSI webstore -- and they come with the opportunity to ask virtual questions.

Congratulations to Pat Young, co-author with Joanna Romer of Life after Losing a Child , for the front-page article on their book in the Volusia News (Daytona Beach, Florida). Pat was interviewed earlier by MSI Blog. Check out her interview to learn more about her. Pat and Joanna's book is available in the MSI Press webstore; use FF25 for 25% dsicount. Click here to get to the book fast.  The book also available at all online retailers and some brick-and-mortar stores. A reasonable number of free review copies can be made available in exchange for writing and posting reviews. Contact editor@msipress.com to express your interest. Truly a helpful book for anyone who has experienced the tragedy of losing a child.

MSI Press Author Joanna Romer has made a unique contribution to the bereavement literature. Interviewing widows and widowers, she has written three books: The Widower's Guide to a New Life . A Book of the Year finalist and receiver of fine reviews. Click on the title to learn more and to access reviews at Library Journey, Foreword Reviews, MidWest Book Review, US Review of Books, Library Thing... Widow: A Surival Guide for the First Year . Click on the lin https://msipressblog.blogspot.com/search?q=bereavement k to read reviews such as those at Midwest Book Review, Goodreads, and US Review of Books. Wudiw: How to Survive -- and Thrive! -- in Your 2d, 3rd, and 4th Years . Click on the link to read more about this book. See more of Joanna's books HERE . Read more about Joanna and her work HERE . See more works on bereavement and grief HERE .