Never Ever Give Up Hope

Doreen Hanna is passionate to fulfill her mission statement. She looks for every opportunity to guide women, of all ages, on a journey to discover their princess within and embrace the life of royalty they have been called to live! As the Founder & President of Treasured Celebrations, she enthusiastically continues to encourage moms and mentors to become influential leaders.  Unwanted by her father, she knew the pain of rejection for 18 years.  Marrying at 19, she wanted to prove to her father she was worthy of love.  However, she quickly discovered that the man of her dreams was an alcoholic.           Life brought many trials for Doreen including a financial crisis, the molestation of her daughter and Doreen's father threatening her husband's life.   How did she survive?   She shares how she turned her PAIN into POWER.     As Founder and President of Treasured Celebrations, she introduced an international program to empower woman of all ages. Her greatest passion is that part of the program equipping parents with tools to cultivate strong relationships with their adolescents.

Anita Barney, widow of the former CEO for Wendy's restaurant, is the only child of an alcoholic father, a victim of physical and emotional abuse by her first husband, a breast cancer survivor, and the target of a compulsive gambler and criminal predator.  Anita's honest messages of hope, forgiveness, and second chances will connect with you on many levels. Anita is a woman who traveled in the 'best' circles.  She had been engaged to Henry Mancini and Perry Como was her neighbor.  She was not an ignorant woman but easy prey. When I saw Anita on the Dr. Phil show, I wanted her to be my guest on Never Ever Give Up Hope. Her story needs to be told.   Even as cancer claimed her husband's life, Bob ensured his wife was financially secure and left her with chilling advice, “Don’t let a man take all of your money.” There are vultures who seek out the elderly and widows, in particular.  Anita was victimized by a successful football player, Art Schlichter.   She also borrowed money from friends, believing it was a solid investment and would earn them a good return.   She was unaware that Art was a compulsive gambler, using her money to nurture his habit.  By the time she realized what Art was doing, he began to threaten her if she would not comply with his constant requests for more money. She became part of an FBI sting to catch him in the act.  As a result. he is now serving a prison term. But her story does not end there.  She was left penniless and even worse, almost friendless.  Her accusers are demanding justice and hoping for revenge.  She was a victim, in every sense.  By sharing her story and selling her memoir, she is determined to pay back every dime she 'borrowed' from friends. The assumptions and charges, the testimony and sentences have been splashed across newspapers, discussed on talk shows, and written about on websites too numerous to list. If you want to hear any version of the truth, you can find what you're searching for in her book. In 1980 her ten-year-old son, Alan nearly died in a horrific plane crash.  In November 2009, she connected with former Ohio State University star quarterback Art Schlichter to thank him for changing the course of her son's life.   She had every reason to TRUST him.    

Ben Amos' story will motivate you to break free from negative thinking, depression, and anxiety. When Ben was two years old, he was run over by a drunk driver.  Among many injuries, he suffered a popped lung, broken bones, ruptured spleen and multiple surgeries. This is the second time I have interviewed Ben Amos.  The first interview, you can also listen to below, was Ben's story from his memoir How To Break Free From Depression, Fear and Anxiety in 30 days - Using Ancient Secrets.      After Ben's accident, he suffered from seizures, brain damage and bullying by kids for fun.  Depression and suicidal attempts were part of Ben's life until he was able to break free and learn to reprogram his brain.   Ben is now a successful businessman who is involved in the arts; dance, music and theater.  He has also served in various ministerial capacities.     In his second interview, Ben shares how "the mind was designed to be programmed - every day, all day. The problem is that few of us realize it. Bob Proctor says habits are not broken; they are replaced. Traditional thinking has been that we break a habit by not doing it over a certain period of time, normally 21 to 30 days, which is the same amount of time it takes to develop a habit. That is only half the truth. If a habit is not to replace with a higher habit the likelihood of falling back into that destructive or non-productive behavior is almost guaranteed. To truly overcome a habit we must invoke what’s known as the Law of Displacement."

Marissa Pendlebury is a public health researcher with degrees in nutrition, health sciences (BSc), and psychology (MSs).     Through her website, Nourishing Routes, she helps individuals develop a positive and compassionate relationships with themselves, with food and exercise, and with other people.   But Marissa's journey was a rocky road of serious eating disorders, anxiety, and deep depression. When all hope was gone and she had nowhere to turn for help, she discovered how compassion for others could help her heal herself.   In her interview, she gives practical, solid tips on how to change your perception of yourself, and how your view of food and eating habits can change your life.   On her website, she gives the 10 Elements of Nourishing Routes and explains them in detail. They are: Compassion for yourself and others Nourishment - not numbers Health at every size Creative expression Mindfulness Gratitude Connecting with others and sharing stories Freedom and Autonomy Pleasurable movement Empowerment Listen to her challenging interview and share it with your friends who may benefit from the practical tips she gives

Marion M. Pyle's drive for excellence, artistic creativity, and leadership development have been the life forces propelling her through award-winning ventures in film, television and theater. She has an accomplished career in advertising and public relations as well. Marion is a media and communications professional. award-winning scriptwriter, producer, director, and television host. Marion is also a noted seminar leader and university professor of business communication and public speaking.   In her book, Healed, Healthy & Whole, How We Beat Cancer With Integrative Therapies & Essential Healing Strategies, she recounts the race against time to find a cure for her husband's deadly form of cancer. Her true story is a profound journey of faith that ultimately leads to healing and wholeness. Healed, Healthy and Whole is filled with hope, practical advice, proven resources, and wisdom for anyone at a crossroads with a life-threatening condition. This exceptional page-turner is a journey of discovery full of faith and hope that leads to the world of integrative therapies and alternative treatments.  Packed with resources, lessons, and recommendations, the book is a must read for anyone fighting cancer and other chronic conditions.  

You will find that Pamela Christian's books are very different from what you might expect.  In the first book of the series, she dissects the top five major world religions and New Age. This is to help readers learn the origin and beliefs for each religion to make an educated choice. Pamela explains that "the world is broken" but what's needed to repair it does exists and is accessible if we are willing to do what it takes. We must agree that governments, marriage and family, jobs, big business, and real estate markets have failed, including the Church. BUT real and certain hope in life exists.   Depression, suicide thoughts, chemical/alcohol abuse, worry, fear, anxiety can touch each of our lives in some way.  People are starved for hope and truth.  Pamela's book series can offer much to those seeking to understand this entire subject of truth and faith. In an article by ABC News, Americans Surprisingly Flexible About Religious Faiths, we learn that people are mixing different tenets of different religious beliefs to create a "faith" of their own preference. After doing extensive research, Pamela has written a three-book series called Faith to Live By which includes subjects such as finding truth in a world of lies, providing arguments about truth vs. relativism and she explores syncretism (an attempt to blend all religions.) She has written objectively to help the reader draw their own conclusions. Pamela shares how important it is to have your faith firmly in place BEFORE a crisis comes. She discusses the Three Proof Tests of Truth and how truth is a process of discovery.   During her interview, I asked many of the questions that may be on your mind -- just click on the arrow to hear this challenging interview:

Allison Hill is an active blogger at AccidentallyAllison. Allison's story is one that many people can relate to-- love lost.  She shares about her quest for a long lastingrelationship which became a disaster -- more thanonce.Shewants women to understand relationships and how they affect ourself-image and perception. Listeningto her story in the podcast below, one has to applaud her forovercoming many defeats; yet she has an attitude ofvictory. Allisonhas been proposed to seven times, married twice and divorced bothtimes.  Her blog is a glimpse into a world thathas consistent, unimaginable pain but shows that even in the faceof love lost and the shredding of the heart, there can STILL behappiness, hope, and love.   After her daughter was in a near-fatal car accident, hersignificant other cleaned out the bank accounts and...........well, this story will grip your heart.  Failure isNever an Option - Falling Down is But Getting Back Up is aNecessity Herstory is one of Love, Marriage, Divorce, Single Parenthood,Homelessness, Penniless, Tragedy, and Teenage MentalIllness.  Sheshares her story to help people understand that they are not alone. No matter what happens, you can overcome just about anythingand find a way to laugh in the process.Forsome laughs, some insight and certainly some encouraging words --click on the arrow below to listen to her inspiring interview:  

Martha Ashwell worked as a childcare officer, administrator and support tutor in university education and a counselor.  She is also a member of the long-established writer's group, Manchester Irish Writers.   Her memoir, Celia's Secret: A Journey towards Reconciliation, helped her to analyze and evaluate her life experiences to work through a process of reconciliation.  Broken relationships.   Her story shares the impact family secrets can have on your life.   Are you struggling with the dynamics of a family secret or with broken relationships?   Never give up hope of reconciliation.    If you are determined to resolve a broken relationship, it is possible to move through a process of reconciliation and have the satisfaction of knowing that you have done everything that is humanly possible to heal the relationship. The process involves: reflecting, analyzing, understanding and forgiving. For Martha, as a Christian, it also involves God’s loving hand in the process. We can have a profound love for one another despite great pain and loss.   Listen to her stimulating interview about a subject many may not want to discuss but it is necessary 

Rebecca Owens has been a writer since she was a little girl.  After 298 rejections from literary agents, she never gave up.  In 2013, she was able to successfully fulfill her dream and publish her first novel.  She is now a member of the Romance Writers of America.   Her stories are inspired by her Native American southern American roots.   In her interview, she shares tips on the steps to take to fulfill your dream of becoming a romance novelist.   Here is a snippet from A Sister's Love   Two North Carolinian sisters, Flo and Priscilla Oxendine are entangled in a web of betrayal, grief, and loss that has spanned over the time of ten years. The entanglement started when the sisters become estranged after Priscilla did the unthinkable and betrayed Flo. Nine months later, Priscilla dropped another bombshell or two after Flo had begun to rebuild her life.   Jack Winston, Priscilla's New York attorney, and friend has been given the chore of calling her family late one autumn night with sad news of her accident. In search of Priscilla's family contact information, he finds a forgotten two-year-old letter asking him to agree to an arrangement with Flo that knocks him off his feet.   You can purchase A Sister's Love here   Rebecca was a delight to interview and hear her achievements on the road to becoming a Romance Novelist                    

Warren Rodwell: former soldier, university teacher, hostage survivor, speaker and songwriter, is the longest held Australian captive outside war. For more than fifteen (15) months, Warren was hidden and starved in island mangrove jungles with the constant threat of beheading if the terrorists’ original ransom demand for $US2 million was not paid.   When asked how he ever survived he responded with "resilience, adaptability, versatility, pragmatism, perseverance, and a dry sense of humor"   From Wikipedia:   "Warren Richard Rodwell (born 16 June 1958[74] Homebush NSW)[75] a former soldier[76] in the Australian Army, and university English teacher,[77] grew up in Tamworth NSW[78] He was shot through the right hand when seized[79] from his home at Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines on 5 December 2011[80] by Abu Sayyaf (ASG) militants.[81] Rodwell later had to have a finger amputated.[82] The ASG threatened to behead Rodwell[83] if the original ransom demand for $US2 million was not paid.[84] Both the Philippine and Australian governments had strict policies of refusing to pay ransoms.[85] Australia formed a multi-agency task force to assist the Philippine authorities, and liaise with Rodwell's family.[86] A news blackout was imposed.[87] Filipino politicians helped negotiate the release.[88] After the payment of $AUD94,000[89] for "board and lodging" expenses[90] by his siblings, Rodwell was released 472 days later on 23 March 2013.[91] The incumbent Australian prime minister praised the Philippines government for securing Rodwell's release. Tribute was also made to Australian officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Australian Federal Police and Defence.[92] Rodwell subsequently returned to Australia.[93]"   You can listen here to his story of how he escaped what he thought was certain death and how he stayed sane!