Indie Spotlight: January 2023

In this month’s thematic roundup of BookLife titles, we’re ushering in 2023 with indie self-help and growth-focused books. Want to see your book featured? Check out the Indie Spotlight calendar at booklife.com/indiespotlight.

 

Financial & Professional Advice

From Money Disaster to Prosperity: The Breakthrough Formula

Larry Faulkner and Michelle Bohls

ASIN B09MYVXLPW

Author statement: “From Money Disaster to Prosperity utilizes a psychological approach to overcoming persistent money problems. Just like common emotional problems, money is linked to your past history and the perspective that history gave you. Much of the impetus for this book is from my [Larry’s] work inside jails teaching prisoners how to rebuild their financial lives upon release. Although this is an extreme example, it became clear how our past—and the perspective it provides us—so often derails our best financial intentions.”

The Innovator’s Handbook: A Short Guide to Unleashing Your Creative Mindset

Hussain Almossawi

ISBN 978-1-73785-080-9

Author statement: “I started writing this book as a collection of my insights after having the opportunity to work with some of the world’s most innovative companies. I started by sharing my ideas in talks that I gave at design and innovation conferences, as well as workshops and classes that I taught at different universities. Seeing how engaged the audience was, I decided to put all these thoughts into one place, while referencing personal and industry stories.”

The Promotability Gap: The Real Reasons You’re Not Advancing in Your Career and What You Can Do About It

Laura Darrell

ASIN B0BQ5996N2

Author statement: “I spent my entire career leading people and teams and investing in their personal and professional development to help them advance their careers. This book captures the very best of that professional development experience, aims to help others figure out why they aren’t advancing in their careers, and gives specific development advice and tools to help them close those gaps.”

 

Self-Actualization & Self-Help

The Answer: How to Get the Best Answers to Your Life’s Biggest Questions

Jane Lee

ISBN 978-1-77819-310-1

Author statement: “The Answer will help you tune into the ever-present inner wisdom and intuition we all have as a means to determine the best answers for all your life’s critical questions. At 38 years old, while I was pursuing fertility treatments, I was unexpectedly diagnosed with colon cancer. That very same day, I was also offered my ‘dream job.’ In that moment, I felt like the universe was asking me, ‘What are you going to choose—your health or your career?’ While I didn’t know it then, that was the start of my journey to writing The Answer.”

Best’s Practices: Encouraging Confidence and Relationship Building 

Bianca Clark

ASIN B0BNGR7NVL

Author statement: “After graduating college, I was in the company of a lot of seasoned professionals who assumed I knew things such as proper dining etiquette, or how to utilize soft skills. I found myself taking crash courses to prepare and save myself embarrassment. These ‘life’ crash courses were helpful for the moment but I found that when I dedicated ample time to thoroughly understand and train myself for these moments, my confidence was built. I was motivated to write an inspirational book for preteens, teens, and young adults because of my personal experiences navigating throughout professional spaces while developing my career.”

Happiness to the 10th Power

T. Calvin Ward

ISBN 978-1-977254-01-6

Author statement: “I wanted to develop a book on happiness everybody would find beneficial. No pie-in-the-sky ideas or abstract concepts here. Thousands of hours of research and interviews are incorporated into the pages of Happiness to the 10th Power.”

 

Relationships & Self-Care

Abundant Paths: Beyond Either/Or Thinking to Fulfilling Same-Sex Relationships That Last

Karl W. Beckstrand

ISBN 978-1-951599-18-8

Author statement: “Regardless of marital status or sexual orientation, every person has legitimate needs for love and true union, including with those of one’s own sex. There are more kinds of connection, deeper than we know. Real love isn’t about wanting, but wanting the best for someone. When true needs are met generous feelings can replace discouragement, isolation, even infidelity. I wrote this book to share what I’ve learned about establishing lasting, deep same-sex bonds.”

Personal Boundaries for Highly Sensitive People: A Simple Practice for Self-Care in Moments of Conflict

Grace Kerina

ASIN B0BQZMCMC6

Author statement: “This handy guide offers a system for developing personal boundary skills so they pop to the surface like a life preserver in the moments they’re needed. For years I worked to move beyond feeling like I could either be my authentic self or interact with people, but not do both at once. When friends and clients began to compliment my boundaries and ask me for help with their own, I took a closer look at the process I’d organically developed. The result is the system offered in this book.”

Slow Down and Lighten Up: Letting Go of Stress and Tension

Bob Van Oosterhout

ISBN 978-0-9707781-1-6

Author statement: “I was a high-stress type-A guy in my early 20s. As a psychologist I realized I needed to get my own act together in order to help other people. A former professor whom I had kept in touch with for 20 years continually challenged me to discern the core, essential principles of what was effective in my work. I was asked to develop a course in stress management for the nursing program at the college where I worked, and taught the class for 38 years. As I wrote Slow Down and Lighten Up, I tried to use clear, simple terms to describe the essential components of what was consistently helpful not only to me, but to the clients, students, and workshop participants I have been honored to serve over the past 50 years.”

 

Memoirs

Burnout Diaries: How Work Stress Almost Killed Me

Janna Donovan

ISBN 978-1-73757-651-8

Author statement: “I wrote this book to show how we survive tough times and dark periods brought on by work. It goes much deeper into my life than I ever planned. I was ashamed that readers would see my desperation, my hidden fear that I was cracking apart, and the doubts I had about whether I would even survive the experience. After 15 years of reflection, obtaining my master’s in counseling psychology, and the realization that my story might help someone else, I was ready to tell my personal, painful voyage.”

Construction Tales, Vol. I: A Woman’s Journey to Become an Electrician

Leslie M. Jasper

ASIN B00FBJ9GVE

Author statement: “Strap on your work boots and put on your hard hat.  Let me take you on a sheetrock-dusted journey to see what it is like to work within the construction industry. The work is hard, the environment is unforgiving, and the jobsite can be either extremely hot or cold. Over 29 years ago, I stepped foot into a male-dominated work environment. Despite the lack of a warm embrace, I pushed my way into this world to learn the trade. This book encourages women and minorities to push past any doubt and go for exactly what they want in life.”

The Struggle: 10 Years Later

Brian Storm

ASIN B0BGSRNDMX

Author statement: “As a recovering addict and alcoholic, I learned that helping others is what helps me to stay clean and sober. So I wrote this story to try to help other addicts and alcoholics. However, I wanted to take it a step further and write it in a way that could also help non-addicts understand why addicts behave the way that they do.”

 

Fiction

Holy Parrot

Angel A.

ISBN 978-0-9876222-5-9

Author statement: “This novel is the product of decades of research on the topic of personal growth or awakening as explored through science and spirituality. The two are often portrayed as being in conflict. Holy Parrot brings the disciplines together in a harmonious vision for the emerging Age of Aquarius.”

Bethany Gano

ISBN 978-1-73614-726-9

Author statement: “Lulu tries to be a typical beaver, but her dream of being an artist is getting out! Despite her friends’ encouragement, Lulu’s struggle with fear and self-doubt has led her into a pattern of destroying her artwork—until an unexpected encounter changes Lulu, and the forest, for good. The truth is, Lulu is me. I had been creating art and design for over 20 years, but never shared it publicly before launching Lulu’s crowdfunding campaign (Kickstarter). Lulu’s story helps kids to reframe their thinking—that who they are and what they have to share matters. A lot.”