Never Ever Give Up Hope

Nancie Schipper is a 15-year-old singer and songwriter.  She started playing music at six years old, performing at the age of nine and was playing pubs at 13 years old.   She writes songs from her personal experiences and what she observes is happening in the world at large -- from a teenager's perspective.   As a shy person, she shares how she overcame the fear of performing in front of large groups of people and that when we face our fears, we can do whatever we want to accomplish!  

Author Darcy Leech was born to Jo Lyn Bartz, who genetically carried myotonic muscular dystrophy. Darcy's brother, Dustin, was born with the same disease. He had a high enough frequency of protein repeat mutations that of his thirteen years of life, every day defied prior medical knowledge!  He lived far beyond what anyone expected.  Darcy shares how inner strength, a strong love of family and God sustained him.   Darcy's mother lived ten years after Dustin passed and Jo Lyn was the strongest woman Darcy ever will meet. The life lessons she taught Darcy will be passed on to future generations.  This story will touch your soul.   Her memoir, From My Mother, is a moving narration of loss and the deep resilience of the human spirit as the body weakens.   Although a cure looks promising, more funding is needed. If you would like to donate please click here  to help stop this life-threatening disease.   Riveting, soulful, and courageously told, From My Mother is a meditation on grief, family, genetic disease and also a deeply personal account of the narrator’s coming-of-age amid medical crisis and tragedy to carry on the lessons from her mother to raise her young son. A story of loss, From My Mother is full of life, a story of beginnings as much as endings, a moving book that transforms suffering into art and inspiration.    Here is Darcy's interview that I guarantee you will not soon forget       

Monica Perrett lives in Australia and is the mother of six children.  She is currently writing a book on changing the law giving more rights for parents of teenage runaways.   Monica won the Mother of the Year award.  While she was out of town, receiving the award, her three-month-old son died.     Because Monica's foster son died at home, she was stripped of her rights as a parent and not allowed to attend his funeral.     With anger and determination, she single-handedly was able to get that LAW CHANGED.   No amount of bullying by any government branch could stop her!  She now intends to take her cause GLOBALLY.  She is fighting for the rights of foster parents and......for those elderly people who are being abused in nursing homes.   We need to applaud Monica and support her efforts because her cause can affect each and every one of us.   You will stand up and cheer for Monica when you listen to her heart-wrenching story and how she is making a difference in the entire world!  

Jon Stolpe is an author and active blogger. Jon Stolpe's Stretched is focused on "stretching" and challenging others to get out of their comfort zones.        He has a passion for family, leadership development, missions, and personal growth. Jon's organization, H.O.P.E. Helping Other People Everywhere, is doing just that.  In his interview he shared how we can all pay it forward.  As a construction engineer, Jon has helped build homes in Guatemala for those widows with children who were homeless.  On his blog he gives each of us the opportunity to be involved with this mission. During the interview, Jon shared the results of a survey Dr. Anthony Campolo, speaker, author, sociologist took of people who were over the age of 95.  He asked them if they could live their lives over...."What would you do differently?" The response was basically the same: REFLECT MORE -- Take time to listen RISK MORE  DO MORE TO LEAVE A LEGACY Do you ever feel like your life is off track?  If your answer is yes, then Jon's blog and book are for you.  In his book On Track – Life Lessons from the Track & Field, Jon provides practical life lessons anyone can embrace. Jon Stolpe shares his own experiences on and off the track as an athlete, a spectator, and active participant in life You Do Not want to miss this heartwarming and challenging interview    

Deborah Carroll, former educator and educational publisher has written a book on a subject that is not easy for families to discuss.  The subject is death of aging parents.  Her book, Tales from the Family Crypt:  When Aging Parents Die, Sibling Rivalry Lives is a must read! There is nothing that can tear families apart faster or uglier than estate issues. In many families there are difficult, dysfunctional and even despicable siblings who want to grab money and power at a time when they should be communicating and pulling together as a unit. Deborah shares how her siblings would stop at nothing, even if it meant breaking the law, to take advantage of the dying parents.  We can't predict how our siblings will react when the time comes.  Deborah's book offers suggestions and tips to communicate long before the funeral, as disputes over eldercare and inheritances can be astronomically distressing.  Tales from the Family Crypt:  When Aging Parents Die, Sibling Rivalry Lives  is available on Amazon by clicking here.  Deborah has written two other books including Raising Amazing Children, A practical guide to parenting.          And another MUST READ:  Real Grands:  From A to Z, Everything a Grandparent Can Be.  This book is for Boomers to give to their grand children as it depicts what "real" grandparents look like.  Most books show them as white haired, hunched over "old" people using a cane to get around while baking cookies all day. Guaranteed to be an enjoyable read with your grand kids.    Listen to her funny and......not so funny interview dealing with a subject we tend to shy away from but need to be informed         

Glenda Thomas is a relationship and marriage coach who had brain aneurysm surgery May 2015.  In her memoir, The Next Chapter: Glenda's Brain Aneurysm Journey, she shares that journey.   This is a subject that most of us know little about but we need to be made aware.  Here are some facts:   It is estimated that six million people in the USA have an unruptured brain aneurysm - that's one in 50 people.     The annual rate of rupture is approximately 8 - 10 per 100,000 - that is one every 18 minutes.  They are fatal in about 40% of cases.   Of those who survive, about 66% suffer permanent neurological deficit.  Approximately 15% of patients die before reaching the hospital.     Glenda shares the importance of keeping your blood pressure DOWN and taking some precautions.      Glenda's Motto: Do Something You've Never Done Before   In Glenda's book, The Change:  Insights into Self-Empowerment,  she is one of several authors who give life-enhancing realizations that touch every area of your life.  She shares some of these in her interview below. 

Roxanne Fawley went from longing for death to loving life, from debilitating depression to being extremely happy.   In Roxanne's memoir But I Like It...And Other Lies, she shares her experience as a victim of physical, mental, and sexual abuse.  She wrote the book because she knows she is not the only one who believed the insidious lie that a woman likes or wants or even caused her own sexual abuse. She shows us how she has been completely restored to health and freedom that comes from knowing the truth and rejecting all the lies that may hold us captive and hopeless because of abuse. All proceeds from the sale of Roxanne's book goes to a local organization called Kalamazoo Anti-Numan Trafficking Coalition (K.A.H.T.C.)

Shirley Ledlie wrote her memoir, Naked in the Wind -Chemo, Hair loss, and Deceit as a result of an unexpected battle she had to fight. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at 47 and won the battle against the disease. BUT, after her treatment ended Shirley found herself in another seven-year battle with doctors and a drug company. Shirley Ledlie had an unstoppable determination to win her conflict as she uncovered the truth about a little-known side-effect of a cancer treatment drug, Taxotere.   Shirley's memoir is about lies, betrayal and how she became part of a dirty little secret.  It has affected hundreds of women all over the world and is still going on today.  Whistleblowers, irrational behavior and some madness -- it is all in her memoir.  It is humorous and inspiring in part and also desperate in others. Shirley's Motto:  If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.

Teen Idol and pop star Meredith O'Connor is an anti-bullying icon who first rose to fame when her debut single "Celebrity" went viral on Youtube with over two million views the first two months of its release.    It became a radio favorite, bringing her a fan base which became a cult-like following once she had established her anti-bullying platform.   Her song "The Game," has touched the lives of thousands throughout the world, landing her a ten city tour as a headlining act for venues and schools.  Her next hit song "Just The Thing" was released on VEVO and Teen Nick gaining popularity on 17 radio stations in New York and over 400,000 views on VEVO. If you know anyone, especially teens, who have been the victims of bullying they need to connect with Meredith, listen to her gripping interview and download her songs.   Her passion is helping those who suffer from self-hatred or low self-esteem.  She wants you to know YOU ARE NOT ALONE.    

Amy Bovaird is a ghostwriter, an author, educator and inspirational speaker.  She is an animal advocate and rescuer, working with domestic and international animal rescue groups. She has traveled the world teaching English and has been known to rescue camels on the side of the road who were left to die.   Amy suffers from Retinitis Pigmentosa, a hereditary eye disease that progressively steals vision and eventual hearing loss as well.   In her memoirs, Mobility Matters: Stepping Out in Faith and her second book, Cane Confessions:  The Lighter Side to Vision Loss, Amy shares her journey from denial to advocacy, educator, and optimistic motivator. Amy shares her story honestly; it is inspiring to anyone who has suffered loss.  She walks us through each step from denial to being able to help others through their journey to acceptance.  Amy shares how she has learned to laugh her way through trauma and this is clear in her interview and in her memoirs.  You will be encouraged by her story: