Elements of the Soul anthology by Twin Trinity Media

Paperback: 260 pages
Publisher: Twin Trinity Media, LLC; First edition (August 24, 2009)
ISBN-10: 0984209506

Let me preface this review by saying that I am also one of the authors and poets featured in Elements of the Soul. In fact, it was the first book in which my work was published. The anthology, Accentuate Writer’s Forum, Twin Trinity Media (especially its owner and editor Michelle Devon), and the other writers featured in this book all hold special places in my heart. However, the following review is not based on my feelings or association with the book but on my personal opinion as a reader.

The frustration I find with a lot of themed anthologies is that the storylines and characters are too similar, the themes are kind of in-your-face, and all the stories start to sound the same. There’s nothing like experiencing Déjà vu at the beginning of each new short story to turn me off and make me stop reading. I can honestly say I did not find that to be the case with Elements of the Soul. Even though the short stories and poems included in the anthology are the winning submissions for four separate themed contests, they are as varied as the authors themselves.

Readers are taken on a journey filled with love, hatred, despair, reconciliation, inspiration, revenge and more. The characters run the gamut from pets, to lovers, to children, all the way to zombies. The stories in Elements of the Soul truly are the best of the best and have went through a rigorous judging and editing process to gain inclusion. The poetry included in the anthology is not simply filler material you find in many books. Each poem is also a prize-winning entry and equally worthy of publication. There is truly a story or poem for everyone in this book!

That being said, I will warn readers that if you’re purchasing the anthology because you’re a fan of a particular author or poet, you may find that not all of the works included will suit your tastes. The language and content in a few of the stories may not be suitable for younger children. If this is a concern for you, I have good news. Twin Trinity Media is currently working on creating digital downloads of the individual stories, so readers will have the option of purchasing the entire book or select stories from their favorite authors. Stay tuned, because they’ll be available soon on TTM’s digital download page.

Visit Twin Trinity Media’s bookstore to purchase your copy of Elements of the Soul.

Short stories featured in this book:

“Jasper” by Lucinda Gunnin
“The Fire” by Jennifer Walker
“Last Caress” by Steven Thor Gunnin
“Love & Loss” by Lindsay Maddox
“Healing Scars” by Jo Brielyn
“Troy Spencer” by George Kramer
“Flood of Tears” by M. Lori Motley
“Purgatory” by Steven Thor Gunnin
“Summer Heat” by M. Lori Motley
“Love Burns” by Lucinda Gunnin
“The Darkest Night” by Susan Sosbe
“The Assignment” by Jennifer Walker
“Kleio” by Laurie Darroch-Meekis
“Fly” by Rissa Watkins

Poetry included in the anthology:

“Cicada Song” by Randy Barefoot
“Flames of Love” by Susan Sosbe
“Rise” by Laurie Darroch-Meekis
“The Voice of Violence” by Angel Sharum
“Autumnal Reverie” by Laurie Darroch-Meekis
“Heat from the Road” by Felicity Tillack
“When the Rain Comes” by Jo Brielyn
“Guilty Pleasure” by Angel Sharum
“Earthbound” by Laurie Darroch-Meekis
“Mahingun” by Laurie Darroch-Meekis

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Photo courtesy of: Jennifer Walker

* Paperback: 240 pages
* Publisher: Windswept Destiny Publishing (January 15, 2010)
* ISBN-10: 0984209581
* ISBN-13: 978-0984209583

Bubba Goes National, the debut novel of Jennifer Walker, is a compelling story about a girl, her horse, and the journey they embark on together. Although the book is written primarily for preteen and teen readers, the storyline will appeal to horse lovers both young and old. Anyone who has ever dreamed of owning a horse or ever loved a pet, will feel an instant connection with Leslie, the main character of Bubba.

Thirteen-year-old Leslie Clark loves horses and longs for a horse of her own. Unfortunately, since the death of her mother over three years ago, Leslie and her widowed father cannot afford such luxuries. In order to feed her desire to be around horses and to continue her riding lessons, Leslie strikes a deal with the owner of Green Meadow Training Stables, Helen. She works at the stable mucking stalls, grooming horses, and generally performing many of the chores that Green Meadow’s wealthier students would not think of doing – especially the bratty Kate Wellesley. In exchange, Leslie continues to train with Helen and earns a small amount of spending cash, which she saves with the plan of some day buying her own horse.

Leslie is thrilled when her dream of showing a horse becomes a reality when Mr. and Mrs. Brown, the owners of a horse she regularly exercises at the stable, offer to let her show Charlie – and pay all of her show fees. Those hopes are soon dashed when the trouble-causing, Kate, interferes and convinces her parents to buy him out from under Leslie. She is crushed… that is, until she lays eyes on a special horse at Farmer Bob’s auction. Leslie looks beyond the less then stellar appearance of the neglected Arabian, falls instantly in love, and knows she must save him and make him her own. Imagine her delight when she wins the auction and purchases Lucky (playfully dubbed Bubba by her dad) for only $100! Will Leslie be able to train Lucky in time to compete? Will they qualify at nationals? What will happen when Leslie meets the new boy at the stables, Alex? What havoc will Kate Wellesley wreak next?

The insightful and talented Jennifer Walker manages to get inside of the mind of a 13-year-old with the skill of a seasoned professional. The result is a novel packed full of adventure, drama, interesting horse facts, important lessons, and believable characters. Through Leslie’s example, young readers are reminded that anything is possible if you want it enough and are willing to work hard for it. Jennifer cleverly weaves in accurate details about horse care and competitions, teaching young readers while telling an entertaining and realistic story. The conclusion leaves her readers wondering what will happen next and longing for more adventures with the kids at Green Stables.

Bubba Goes National is worthy of a blue ribbon in this reviewer’s winner’s circle!

About Author Jennifer Walker:

Photo courtesy of: Jennifer Walker

Jennifer is the author of Bubba Goes National and Budget Horse-Keeping for the New Horse Owner. Her work has been published in several horse magazines, including Arabian Horse World, Modern Arabian Horse and Sierra Style. Ms. Walker also has short stories that appear in the anthologies, Elements of the Soul and The Ultimate Horse Lover. She is a freelance writer and editor, who also works in a dressage barn in California and is the proud owner of two Arabian horses.

Fans will be happy to know that Jennifer is already working on two sequels to Bubba Goes National, part of the Riders of Green Meadow series. To read more about Jennifer Walker and her current projects, please visit her at Jennifer Walker Writing Services. You can also read more of what Jennifer has to say on her blog, Jennifer Gets Bloggy.

Bubba Goes National is available for purchase on Jennifer’s website. Click here to order your autographed copy from the author. Bubba can also be bought through Twin Trinity Media (Windswept Destiny is an imprint) and is available on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and booksamillion.com.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION:
The book reviewer is a friend and colleague of Jennifer Walker, the author of Bubba Goes National. An author-provided copy of the book was provided for the review.

Photo courtesy of: Dr. Ingrid Schweiger

* Paperback: 132 pages
* Publisher: AuthorHouse (September 18, 2008)
* ISBN-10: 1434372251
* ISBN-13: 978-1434372253

Self-Esteem For A Lifetime: Raising A Successful Child From The Inside Out, by Dr. Ingrid Schweiger, is an excellent book choice for parents, family members and educators of children of all ages.

The self-esteem of children molds and affects every facet of their lives – how they cope socially, emotionally and mentally. Raising kids with higher self-esteem creates happier and healthier individuals and helps set them up for success in their lives. What parent or educator doesn’t wish that for the children they love?

The question for most adults isn’t whether or not they want the children in their lives to be healthy, successful and confident individuals. The true question is: How do you help them?

Fortunately, that is where Dr. Ingrid Schweiger, with her thirty years of experience as a psychotherapist, comes in to provide answers. It is also what makes Self-Esteem For A Lifetime such an invaluable resource for parents and educators.

In her book, Dr. Ingrid offers practical, easy-to-understand guidance for building the self-esteem of a child. By drawing on her own experiences as a mother and psychotherapist, as well as real families and individuals who she has worked with in her private practice and community programs, she provides an interesting and thorough guide book. The book broaches important subjects like high and low self-esteem messages children receive, true communication and listening skills, tips for dealing with anger and stress and much more. Across the pages of Self-Esteem For A Lifetime, Dr. Schweiger reiterates a simple, yet very important, message to parents – “There are no perfect parents!”

Also peppered throughout the book are carefully created journal pages and exercises for readers to personalize and apply the new-found knowledge to their own families and children. These pages help parents form a clearer picture and plan for building strong and health parent-child relationships.

Self-Esteem For A Lifetime: Raising A Successful Child From The Inside Out will prove to be a quick reference and well-used resource for families. Purchase your copy now at Amazon.com.

About Dr. Ingrid Schweiger:

Photo courtesy of: Dr. Ingrid Schweiger

Dr. Ingrid Schweiger is a respected psychotherapist who is internationally known for her work with families. She has been recognized by The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy for her family education programs used in communities throughout the world.

Dr. Schweiger maintains her private practice in New York City and facilitates seminars and teleconferences on family related subjects such as communication for couples, divorce recovery, building self-esteem, and creating a successful marriage.

Visit DrIngridSchweiger.com to read more about Dr. Ingrid Schweiger and her work or to register for an upcoming seminar.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION:
An author-provided copy of the book was provided for the review.

*Paperback: 260 pages
*Publisher: Twin Trinity Media; First edition (August 24, 2009)
*ISBN-10: 0984209506
*ISBN-13: 978-0984209507

Well, if a picture is really worth a thousand words, then this video made by Twin Trinity Media to promote their Elements of the Soul anthology should be worth several thousand of them! And it is – 260 pages worth of beautiful words to be exact.

The authors and poets whose works are published in Elements of the Soul all gained their spots in the anthology by competing and placing in the Accentuate Writers Short Story Anthology Contests. The authors with short stories in the book are: Steven Thor Gunnin, Jennifer Walker, Rissa Watkins, Lindsay Maddox, George Kramer, Lucinda Gunnin, Jo Brielyn, M. Lori Motley, Susan Sosbe, and Laurie Darroch-Meekis. Also included in the anthology is winning poetry from featured poet, Laurie Darroch-Meekis, as well as: Randy Barefoot, Jo Brielyn, Susan Sosbe, Angel Sharum, and Felicity Tillack.

Elements of the Soul, the first anthology in the Elements series, is available for purchase directly through Twin Trinity Media, Amazon, Books-A-Million, and Barnes & Noble. The book may also be ordered through local bookstores.

Check it out the video, and then go buy your own copy: