Blog Tour with Excerpt: Mind Matters: Self Help by Tanya j. Miller

Mind Matters Self-Help by Tanya J. Miller

DESCRIPTION

Do you ever get lost in the maze of your mind? When your thoughts start spiraling in a continuous loop—positive or negative—it can seem impossible to consider a different idea or even catch your breath.

If the way you think greatly influences the way you live, then it’s important to know how to manage your thoughts and channel their power to improve your life, rather than hinder it.

Mind Matters explores practical ways you can bring balance to your thought life, from replacing anxious thoughts with hopeful ones to curbing unnecessary thinking altogether. It also points out traps that keep you stuck, like “clearing your mind” by airing your thoughts on Facebook.

As you learn the art of controlling your thoughts, you will be able to focus on what you can do in the present to experience the life you want in the future. Whether you struggle with anxious thoughts or just need a few tips to better manage your mind, this easy-to-read guide provides you with simple instructions you can immediately put into practice.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Tanya J. Miller is a certified life coach with over eighteen years’ experience working with youth, young adults, and women throughout the community and in ministry to pursue purpose, passion and destiny.

Tanya holds a BBA in finance and business management from Northwood University and an MBA from Regent University and is also certified as a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Scrum Master.

Her lifelong passion for writing eventually led her to start the blog Talking with Tanya in 2005. Mind Matters is her debut book. Tanya is married and currently lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

Don't Forget About the Mind Matters Journal!

Your thoughts are powerful, which means what you are thinking matters. However, it’s easy to get trapped in your mind whether by blissful daydreams or anxiety spirals and held back in your life.

In Mind Matters the book, it taught you simple steps that will enable you to keep your thoughts in check so you can focus on and improve your present reality. You will now need to ensure that you will do what it takes to stay out of your head and be a part of life.

With the Get Your Mind Right journal, you will have a way to talk through those tough times or hard situations that you may face or go through in life. Those unfortunate moments, those devastating memories, those challenging problems - they won’t own you. You will have the tools in this guide, and you will be able to put in the work necessary to take care of your mind matters.

Live well. Live life alive, on purpose, and out loud!

Excerpt from Tanya J. Miller’s Mind Matters: Get Out of Your Head, and Jump Into Life

Chapter 4:

Control what you can control – your thoughts – and leave the rest alone. You have no power or authority to do anything but that. If you didn’t know, know this: who you are at your core begins with your thoughts. What do you think about yourself really?

You need to realize that deep down inside, in your centermost thoughts, lies what you could be.  A core is defined as the essential, basis, root, foundation, and bottom line. This means that the very makeup of who you are, what you are about, and where you want to go all come from your thought life. So whatever you think, so shall you be. It’ll come into fruition.  It’ll become your real life.

What do you want your real life to look like?  Do you want to allow yourself to be overwhelmed, bogged down, caught up in your feelings, going every which way but right? Or do you want it to be better, to be balanced, with you caring about the matters of your mind? If you want to jump back into life, you need to do the work. Get ahold of yourself, and make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. You can’t do this for anybody but yourself. You have to want this for you.

If there’s something in your control that you can change,

 don’t be afraid to do something about that!

THIS TOUR IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY WORLDWIND VIRTUAL BOOK TOURS

Early Book Review: Luck Is No Lady (Fallen Ladies, #1) by Amy Sandas

Luck Is No Lady is the first installment in the new Fallen Ladies series of historical romances by Amy Sandas. It is currently scheduled for release on April 5 2016. Gently bred Emma Chadwick always assumed she'd live and die the daughter of a gentleman. But when her father's death reveals a world of staggering debt and dangerous moneylenders, she must risk her good name and put her talent for mathematics to use, taking a position as bookkeeper at London's most notorious gambling hell. Surrounded by vice and corruption on all sides, it is imperative no one discovers Emma's shameful secret or her reputation-and her life-will be ruined. But Roderick Bentley, the hell's sinfully wealthy owner, awakens a hunger Emma cannot deny. Drawn deep into an underworld of high stakes gambling and reckless overindulgence, she soon discovers that in order to win the love of a ruthless scoundrel, she will have to play the game.

Luck Is No Lady is full of great characters and the resulting banter. The heat and wit that flies between Emma and Roderick is first class. Both characters have multiple layers, and reasons for their behavior and emotions that are not apparent to outsiders. I like how they react to each other, and both balance the shoulds and wants in their lives. Emma's position and strengths make her a particularly interesting heroine, and I hope to see more of her and her sisters in the future installments. (I have not researched the titles or subjects of the rest of the series- because I want to be surprised.) Roderick is a perfect blend of honor bound gentleman and rogue. He cares deeply about those he trusts, and expects the trust and care he offers to those in his inner circle in return. The developing care, and mutual blindness of the pair, make the story interesting and I found it so much less frustrating than the stories that have a misunderstanding keep the pair apart rather than real issues, like what this pair face. My only complaint is that there were certain action points that felt familiar. While it might have been from previous books from the same author, I do not think so. They were small bits of de ja vu, rather than anything really troublesome.

Luck Is No Lady is a fun and entertaining read, and I am interested in following up with where the future stories take us. While there are definitely some tense moments, the banter and humor in the character's personalities and writing style make the book hard to put down.

Early Book Review: The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks

The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks is a middle grade to young adult graphic novel that is currently scheduled for release on April 5th 2016. Every nation that invades the City gives it a new name. But before long, new invaders arrive and the City changes hands once again. The natives don't let themselves get caught up in the unending wars. To them, their home is the Nameless City, and those who try to name it are forever outsiders. Kaidu is one such outsider. He's a Dao born and bred, a member of the latest occupying nation. Rat is a native of the Nameless City. At first, she hates Kai for everything he stands for, but his love of his new home may be the one thing that can bring these two unlikely friends together. Let's hope so, because the fate of the Nameless City rests in their hands.

The Nameless City is another great graphic novel from Hicks. There are a couple layers to this book, and exploring either would male the book good, but she steps it up a notch. Kaidu has come to the city to meet his father, and to become part of his nation’s army. However, he does not like fighting, he would much rather read. While exploring the city he encounters Rat, a girl around his age that has always lived there. Her life is hard, and she seems to be as well. On the surface the story is about these two people from very different worlds coming together and coming to understand each other. Kaidu also comes to love the city in the process. It is a coming of age story, a story about courage, and about overcoming stereotypes and cultural limitations. It is about human nature and the instinct we all seem to have to mistrust anything or anyone that is other, while putting up boundaries between all the variations of ‘us’ and ’them’ without understanding that everyone else is doing the exact same thing. Topping this multi-layer novel with plenty of deep thinking, there is also action, humor, and beautiful artwork. It is a win all around.

The Nameless City is a wonderful graphic novel for the middle grade and older set. There are heavy aspects of the story, but there is also humor and a great sense of how real these characters, and the city, are despite the fact that it is fiction. I highly recommend this graphic novel. 

Early Book Review: Squirrel Me Timbers by Louise Pigott

Squirrel Me Timbers by Louise Pigott is a picturebook which is currently scheduled for release on April 1 2016. A young squirrel has always dreamed of sailing the seas as a pirate. So when he finds a treasure map, he can t believe his luck! An X marks the spot of 100,000 NUTS! He sets off on an adventure to follow the map and find the treasure.

Squirrel Me Timbers is a cute picture book about a young squirrel that has always dreamed of more. When he sets off on his adventure he discovers that things are not as much fun as he expects, and that excitement is not always enjoyable. A few scares and dangerous situations have him thrilled to reach his destination, only to discover the treasure does not look quite like he expected. I think the story is good fun, but not fantastic. My favorite part is the very end, when the squirrel’s treasure rains on him from above, rather than digging up buried nots. I like the subtle bit about the nature of planting nuts and how trees grow, but wonder if all the readers will catch it on the first read. 

Squirrel Me Timbers is a fun little book. I think it is fun, and will be appreciated for a couple reads. I would recommend borrowing from a library rather than adding to the home collection. While it is a entertaining read I do not think it will become one of the constantly reread picture books that frequent bedtime routines.  

Book Review: Diary of a Mad Brownie by Bruce Coville

Diary of a Mad Brownie by Bruce Coville is a children's chapterbook including diary entries and other documents (like notes from teachers). It is part of the Enchanted Files series, which includes a number of fantasy books that can all be read as stand alones. I listened to the audiobook with my children, which is delightfully done in full cast audio. Angus is a brownie, a tiny magical creature that loves to do chores. Angus has just “inherited” a new human girl, Alex. To say that Alex is messy would be an understatement. She’s a total hurricane-like disaster—and she likes it that way! Living with each other isn’t easy but Angus and Alex soon learn there is a curse that binds them. What’s worse, it threatens Alex’s family! Working together, Angus and Alex will set out to break the curse, without killing each other first, hopefully.

Diary of a Mad Brownie was a fun listen in the car, and the full cast audio certainly added dynamics to the story. I have never listened to full cast before, and will be looking for more in the future. The story itself met my expectations for the author. The characters are realistic, not perfectly good or bad. The humor is well done, sometimes silly and sometimes more for the older kids and parents that might be reading or listening aloud. There are some dramatic moments, nothing that would really scare either of my kids but dramatic enough to keep them both engaged. I really enjoyed the world building and combination of legends from a few different cultures. While none of the creatures of legends were new to me, they were new to me children and I enjoyed having the chance to explain and expand on them further after the book was over.

Diary of a Mad Brownie is a fun story that had my kids talking about what was happening in the audio book even when we are not in the car, which rarely happens. I think readers that enjoy fantasy, humor, and adventure all wrapped up together will enjoy the read.

Book Review: Glory the Lion Cub and the Dunnos by Marianne Parry

Glory the Lion Cub and the Dunnos by Marianne Parry is a collection of three fables for children. In the first story there is Glory, an inquisitive lion cub who would like to have his fur patterned like the cheetah, the zebra and the snake as he meets each one. He also wants to know their names but he is amazed to find that each share the same one – ‘Dunno’! When Glory meets a young elephant with the same name, but with two ‘tails’, he is even more intrigued. He quickly discovers that mud baths are not suitable for lions but it is many years before he realizes what ‘Dunno’ means. 

In the second tale there is Magnus, a young elephant who decides that he would like to be a doctor. As he comes across sick or injured animals, he tries to make them better using methods he has seen other creatures use. The patients pretend to be very grateful and Magnus is happy with himself. Gradually, however, he learns that each animal has their own type of medicine and when a young cow elephant catches his eye, he decides he just wants to be a grown-up elephant. 

Lastly, there is Benedict. This dark brown bear from North America who is amazed to learn that other bears are white and he listens eagerly to how polar bears can travel across ice. When he tries to tell his family, they laugh at him and he wonders if he has been dreaming. 

Glory the Lion Cub and the Dunnos is a great book for helping teach about fables. It was nice to read some that I have not already encountered. I think young children will enjoy hearing, or reading, these tales. The stories are nothing groundbreaking, but they are good fun and offer the moral lessons as one expects in a classic fable. Those that are animal mad (like my daughter) will particularly enjoy this book. I think readers that enjoy hearing new fables and lessons from around the world will also appreciate the book. I am going to share this book with my children’s school, because their theme for the year is stories from around the world, and this would be a perfect book for use in the lower grades. 

Book Review: Hotter Than Helltown (Preternatural Affairs #3) by S.M. Reine

Hotter Than Helltown is the third book in the Preternatural Affairs series by S.M. Reine. The audiobook version was read by Jeffrey Kafer. This series does have major plot points that build upon each other. I do not recommend skipping ahead. If this sounds book interesting to you, I would start at the beginning with Witch Hunt and then Silver Bullet. Knowing who everyone is, and the intricacies of their connections, is key to fully understanding and enjoying the read.

A killer is mutilating bodies in Los Angeles. Agent Cèsar Hawke is on the case, but the murderer is ahead of him. Wiping the memories of the dead so that the team's necrocognitive can't talk to them? Done. Preventing magical reconstruction of the crime scenes? Oh yeah. And the murders keep getting more brutal while Cèsar struggles to catch up. The best way to heat up a cold case is to go to Helltown, where Los Angeles's most powerful evil hides out, but even those demons are afraid of the murderer. Their fear adds one more question to the growing pile of unknowns. What kind of bad guy is too hot for Helltown?

Hotter Than Helltown is just as fast paced and gritty as the previous books in this series. I feel like we get less of a glimpse into some of the characters, but we get a much deeper look at Fritz and even Cèsar than we have previously. They both push themselves farther than they have had to in the past, but they have never been up against such high stakes before. The Vice President Janet, who already is less than fond of Fritz and Cèsar, is in the office as Cèsar studies up for the most important test of his life. Meanwhile a big bad that has Helltown afraid is killing and mutilating its unlucky victims. The odds against them are high, but so is Cèsar's determination to get out of this alive and with his memory intact. High action and some gore keep the tension high and attention riveted to the pages. Some of the aspects of this book might offend some religious readers, but I think most people that have read this far into the series can handle it.

Hotter Than Helltown is just what I have come to expect from this series. My only issue is that I just realized how far behind I am in this series, four more books to go, and how much I want to explore the author's other works at this point. This is only a problem because of the size of my to be read pile already. 

Early Book Review: Science Comics: Coral Reefs: Cities of the Ocean by Maris Wicks

Science Comics: Coral Reefs: Cities of the Ocean by Maris Wicks is part of a series that uses the graphic novel format to engage children in science. This volume: in Coral Reefs, we learn all about the tiny sea animals that are our coral reefs. This absorbing look at ocean science covers the biology of coral reefs as well as their ecological importance. There is an entertaining and informative combination of serious cuteness and in-depth science.

Coral Reefs is a cute and informative graphic novel that will fascinate readers that love cute graphic novels, non fiction about science, and information about animals or the environment. I think this combination of science and cuteness will keep a wide audience interested and reading about science. The illustrations are very detailed and help in the information gathering by readers, while keeping them amused. The informative text alternates between very in depth and tidbits of information that will recapture the attention of any readers starting to drift.

Coral Reefs is a good resource for capturing the attention of a wide variety of readers and getting them excited by science, informed, and hopefully curious to learn more.

Early Book Review: Far Out Fairy Tales by Louise Simonson, Otis Frampton, Benjamin Harper, Joey Comeau, and Sean Tulien

Far Out Fairy Tales by Louise Simonson, Otis Frampton, Benjamin Harper, Joey Comeau, and Sean Tulien is a graphic novel which is currently scheduled for release on April 1 2016. This middle grade graphic explores what Snow White would be like if she were raised by robots and how Cinderella's story plays out when she walks the path of the ninja. Readers can play along when three billy goats named Gruff get stuck inside a video game, and chase down the Big Bad Wolf with the help of a superpowered Red Riding Hood! Each fairy tale revision holds true to the spirit of the original while adding a modern twist to the classic tales.

Far Out Fairy Tales is a wonderful collection of new looks at classic stories. I think the book opens with the best of the stories, Cinderella as a ninja. She does not want to marry the prince, she wants to sword train with him. The ending made me particularly happy. Red Ridinghood with super powers granted by an alien hood was an interesting story, but just fell a little flat for me after how much I liked the Cinderella tale. It was still good, but not my favorite. The Billy Goats Gruff in a video game like story made me smile, particularly when the brothers split up and you got the three stories at once on each page. Snow White in a futuristic world with robots and poisoned chocolate rather than an apple was well done, with a neat twist on the tale. Hansel & Gretel & Zombies was unexpected and a twist that was a little sweeter than I expected. Together the graphic collection was great fun, and I thought the illustrations were particularly wonderful. It is a great pick all around.

Far Out Fairy Tales is a fun, bright, and engaging new look at some old favorites. This is a delightful pick for just about everyone, from elementary school right on up- including adults. 

Book Review: Sock Monster by Stacey R. Campbell

Sock Monster is a picturebook by Stacey R. Campbell. Billy is in the midst of a fun game when his mother tells him that it is time to clean up and get ready for bed. The only trouble is Billy does not want to waste time cleaning his room, so instead of cleaning his room he hides the mess. A bedtime story about the sock monster, made up of clothes not put away where they belong, keeps Billy up until he gives up and cleans up correctly. A cute story with a little twist at the end that just might lead to cleaner rooms in your house.

Sock Monster is a fun and cute story about a little boy that avoids cleaning his room. I really liked the story line, the resolution, and especially the little twist at the end when the mom starts to hear sock monster like noises herself and asks dad whether HE picked up his socks. The illustrations were fairly simple and cute. There was little in the way of background and additional details, but they conveyed the meaning and story well.

Sock Monster is a good story for bedtime reading by caregivers and parents dealing with the struggle to have a child pick up after themselves, particularly in the laundry department. It is not the only, or the best, book on the subject that I have read. However, it is fun and would make a good addition to the storytime reading pile.