Sally Ember's Blog, page 6
July 28, 2023
3 more days for JULY SALE! #Smashwords “The Spanners Series'” #ebooks 25-50% off through 7/31/23!
3 more days for JULY SALE! #Smashwords The Spanners Series’ #ebooks 25-50% off through 7/31/23!
The discounts will automatically apply to your shopping cart at checkout. There’s no need for you to enter or remember coupon codes!
Many other authors’ ebooks on Smashwords also on sale! VISIT THIS WEEK!
The Spanners Series’ first three Volumes of utopian science-fiction/romance by Sally Ember, Ed.D. are on sale NOW!
The Spanners Series‘ cover art and logo by WillowRaven: http://www.willowraven-illustration.blogspot.com/
Smashwords is STILL having its annual July Summer/Winter Sale and The Spanners Series‘ ebooks in every format (reader’s choice) are either free (Volume I) or only $1.99 or $2.99 (usually $3.99) for the entire month of July! See below for info! And, go browse on Smashwords for other great discounts and sales!
Three more days!
Whether you’re sweating, freezing, smoked-out, flooded, rained or snowed on or anywhere in between, there is still time to READ!
Give books for gifts for birthdays, graduations, holidays, anniversaries, vacations: any time!
The paperbacks of all three Volumes are available on Amazon. Check out the KINDLEMATCH program for deals when you buy both ebooks and paperbacks of the same volume at the same time.
This Changes Everything, Vol. I, The Spanners Series
Dr. Clara Ackerman Branon, 58, begins having secret visits from holographic representations of beings from the Many Worlds Collective, a consortium of planet and star systems in the multiverse. When Earth is invited to join the consortium, the secret visits are made public. Now Earthers must adjust their beliefs and ideas about life, religion, culture, identity and everything they think and are.
Clara is selected to be the liaison between Earth and the Many Worlds Collective and she chooses Esperanza Enlaces to be the Chief Media Contact. They team up to provide information to stave off riots and uncertainty. The Many Worlds Collective holos train Clara and the Psi-Warriors for the Psi Wars with the rebelling Psi-Defiers, communicate effectively with many species on Earth and off-planet, eliminate ordinary, elected governments and political boundaries, convene a new group of Global Leaders, and deal with family’s and friends’ reactions.
In what multiple timelines of the ever-expanding multiverse do Clara and her long-time love, Epifanio Dang, get to be together and which leave Clara alone and lonely as the leader of Earth?
This Changes Everything spans the 30-year story of Clara’s term as Earth’s first Chief Communicator, continuing in nine more Volumes of The Spanners Series.
Are YOU ready for the changes?
Volume I, This Changes Everything:
Ebooks are PERMAFREE on Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/376197
and Amazon: http://www.amzn.com/B00HFELTG8
This Changes My Family and My Life Forever, Vol. II, The Spanners Series
Intrigued by multiple timelines, aliens, psi skills, romance and planetary change? Clara and the alien “Band” are back in Volume II, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever.
Now as Chief Communicator, Clara leads the way for interspecies communication on- and off-planet. Fighting these changes are the Psi-Defiers, led by one of the oldest friends of the Chief of the Psi-Warriors, its reluctant leader, Rabbi Moran Ackerman. Stories from younger Spanners about the first five years of The Transition fill Volume II.
How would YOU do with the changes?
Volume II, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever:
EBOOKS now $2.99, 25% off the regular price of $3.99, on Smashwords, any ebook format (reader’s choice): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/424969
Paperbacks and ebooks are on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/This-Changes-Family-Forever-Spanners/dp/0996999817
This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Vol. III, The Spanners Series
Clara, Moran, Espe, Epifanio and the alien Band of holos are back in This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Volume III of The Spanners Series. Psi-Defiers launch increasingly violent protests during this five-year Transition, attempting to block Earth’s membership into the Many Worlds Collective. Earth’s nations and borders must dissolve and Psi-Warriors must strengthen in their battle against the rebels.
Clara, as Earth’s first Chief Communicator, also juggles family conflicts and danger while creating psi skills training Campuses to help Earth through the Psi Wars. Clara timults alternate versions of their futures as the leaders’ duties and consciences force them to make difficult choices across multiple timelines, continuing to train and fight.
Will the Psi-Warriors’ and other leaders’ increasing psi skills, interspecies collaborations and budding alien alliances be enough for Earth to make it through The Transition intact? If there is no clear path for Clara’s and Epifanio’s love, does she partner with Steve or go it alone?
What do YOU do with wanted/unwanted changes?
Volume III, This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change:
EBOOKS now $1.99, 50% off the regular price of $3.99, on Smashwords, any ebook format (reader’s choice): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/588331
Paperbacks and ebooks are on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/This-Want-Things-Change-Spanners/dp/0996999825/
The Spanners Series‘ three paperbacks on Amazon
Print editions and ebooks published under Timult Books
REVIEWERS: Ask for FREE Ebook coupon codes for Volumes II and III on Smashwords any time: sallyember AT yahoo DOT com
For more information about Sally Ember, Ed.D., her bio, books, blog, video talk show (CHANGES conversations between authors), guest blog posts and guidelines, links to author interviews, book trailers, proofreading/editing services and more: http://www.sallyember.com
July 25, 2023
Going Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free and Healthier: Never a Better Time than Now!
Going Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free and Healthier: Never a Better Time than Now!
disclaimer: I NEITHER WORK FOR, BENEFIT FROM, NOR EARN MONEY FROM PROMOTING ANY PRODUCTS AND THIS BLOG DOES NOT ACCEPT ADS.
Got migraines? Eczema? Suffer from allergies that cause rhinitis (runny nose), itchy eyes and nose, chronic coughs or sinus infections? What about weird rashes, bloating, weight gain, high glucose levels (called “pre-diabetic” by medical peeps), high cholesterol (the “bad” kind), trouble sleeping, sleep apnea and/or drowsiness?
If you eat a “usual American diet,” have you tried radically changing what you eat and drink to mitigate or alleviate these symptoms or conditions? If not, please read on: I think you’ll become convinced that dietary changes are worth trying.
*********
I had had migraines from about age 15 and terrible respiratory and skin-reaction allergies all my life into young adulthood. At 22, I had become disillusioned with public education classroom teaching and schools (after being in my third one by then) and sought a change in my teaching situations (large, public schools, upper elementary and middle school students, up to 125 students/day).
I took a job teaching 14 kindergarten-first graders in a parent cooperative elementary school in Tiverton, Rhode Island (no longer exists, but was called The Learning Tree School). The school had a total of 45 students in three groups; I headed the Youngers. I loved it. The school room had a piano! The building had been a boat house for a defunct Catholic convent, and was right on a beach on Long Island Sound! Fabulous.
I also went from living in a traditional apartment (alone or with one housemate) to living in my first of many collective households with three or more adults and one or more children. This one was made of a newly developed group of people affiliated with Learning Tree, and was in Westport Point, Massachusetts (one town over, actually).
The somewhat older adults (late twenties and early thirties) in it were mostly vegetarians (new to me), mildly macrobiotic (as opposed to some later places’ housemates, whom I labeled “macroneurotic” or “macropsychotic,” depending on how zealous they were). I quickly learned that these people were much healthier eaters than I had ever encountered and knew about many things I had never known existed.
This was 1977 and I was 23.
I had grown up in the middle-class parts of predominantly Jewish sections of the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, with a Louisville, Kentucky-born mother. I had had four known (mostly Yiddish-speaking) and four deceased great-grandparents on both sides who had lived in Eastern Europe. They had all emigrated to the USA in the late 1800s to escape being killed, robbed or raped by the Cossacks in pogroms.
The only “exotic” food I had eaten before 1977 had been what was made or bought for Jewish holidays and from Jewish delis (my father’s mother’s family had owned a deli in St. Louis). Otherwise, I ate Miracle Whip for mayonnaise, rye or white bread, bagels, a lot of meat and dairy, canned soups, canned fruit and some fresh, lots of white sugar and refined flour products, and only a few vegetables. My experiences of “foreign” foods were via Chinese restaurants and Italian-ish sources. I cooked, but the way I cooked was so limited.
My ignorance of other cuisines and any kind of healthy eating was deep.
I didn’t know how to go about identifying or using most herbs, spices or natural flavoring choices. I knew Morton’s table salt, ground black pepper, garlic salt, paprika, Lawry’s seasoning mix and Italian seasoning mix.
I had never heard of kale, collards or chard, never seen or eaten an artichoke (except on The Three Stooges!), or most cooked or raw green, yellow or orange vegetables. Sweet peppers only came in green. I couldn’t have identified a Brussels sprout if you paid me. I had never heard of whole grains or whole grain products. I had never used honey or maple syrup (except for special occasions). I couldn’t have begun to create a vegetarian meal, knew next-to-nothing about nutrition and couldn’t name what foods went into which food groups if it wasn’t pictured on the chart. I had never gardened, didn’t know food had “seasons,” and couldn’t name the regions ANY of the foods originated.
I also had never heard there was more than one kind of grain (besides white, short-grain rice), or tasted millet, bulgur, quinoa, spelt, or so many kinds of brown rice. I certainly didn’t know how to shop for or prepare any of these items.
I didn’t know a thing about “health foods”: whole grains vs. processed grains; food additives, preservatives or coloring; cooking rice from a bag or jar (vs. Minute rice); alternatives to white sugar; soy-based foods, like tofu, tempeh, soy milk; other dried beans, to be cooked for soups, salads, main dishes. I was unable to create a menu for a “balanced” meal with healthy foods. I could only follow the most simple and shortest recipes and still don’t know what some cooking terms mean, to this day (2023).
Before 1977, I had never “bought in bulk,” gone to a health-food store (in my defense, there were hardly any back then), or intentionally eschewed meat, wheat or dairy.
The next 21 years (through 1998) were quite a journey, with housemates in each location (Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine) and many friends who taught me so much about improving health through diet, planning and cooking balanced meals, tailoring meals to honor EVERY need and preference, and living better through healthier eating.
I am so grateful to all of them (too many to list here).
I am sharing in this post, below, some of what I’ve learned to improve my health from 1977-1998 in New England (I lived in every state!), and in the last 25 years from years living in southwestern New Mexico, the San Francisco Bay area of California and after returning to St. Louis, Missouri. I have learned through the internet, experimentation, family and friends.
Perhaps reading this will help you get on or keep going on your own path of healthier eating.
*********
First, here are my chosen changes and the most important outcomes/results:
In 1977: by quitting eating most cow’s milk dairy products (still eat butter, a little because margarine was, until very recently, so GROSS, and the only alternative besides olive oil, which I don’t like plain) , I stopped having migraines and most rashes.Starting in 1977: by removing most foods with additives, colorings, and preservatives and eating mostly organic options for all foods as soon as I could (not all organic produce items are/were available), I have reduced most digestive health concerns to almost zero (indigestion, bloating, gas, irritable bowel, diarrhea).
Starting March, 2022: By eliminating wheat (eating mostly gluten-free products, since that is the easiest way to avoid wheat), I brought my A1C numbers down to 4.7% from over 6%, which is below “pre-diabetic” (“A normal A1C level is below 5.7%, a level of 5.7% to 6.4% indicates prediabetes, and a level of 6.5% or more indicates diabetes. Within the 5.7% to 6.4% prediabetes range, the higher your A1C, the greater your risk is for developing type 2 diabetes”), lowered my cholesterol, reduced my respiratory and rash-based allergic symptoms (no more eczema!), sleep better and feel better.
Starting April, 1986: By reducing or eliminating oil and fat from my diet almost completely for months or years at a time, and using acupuncture, prescribed Chinese herbs, exercise, meditation and hot castor oil packs, I was able to postpone gall bladder surgery for 36 years.
**********
How can a person make these changes? When you’re ready, be careful!
Some warnings:
—It’s important to check with your doctor and pharmacist before making radical changes in your diet because you need to FIRST make sure those change would be compatible with whatever else is going on for you and whatever medications or supplements you’re already taking.
—For example, if you have thyroid problems, you aren’t supposed to eat a lot of soy products (soy interferes with the medication for hypothyroidism).
—If you take blood thinners or stains, there are some foods to avoid all together because foods high in vitamin K (a lot of green veggies!) can counteract the blood-thinning effects: https://www.guthrie.org/blog/dont-eat-these-foods-if-you-take-blood-thinners-or-statins .
—Gluten-free is not for everyone, especially if you do it very strictly. “If you cut all gluten out of your diet, there’s a risk that you could miss out on nutritious whole grains, fiber and micronutrients. Getting enough whole grains in your diet is especially important if you’re at risk for heart disease or diabetes.” https://www.goodforyouglutenfree.com/dangers-associated-with-gluten-free-diet/
—Seriously: don’t do these kinds of changes on your own if you have “conditions” that need tending or if you are new to understanding alternatives and nutrition. Registered dieticians, nutritional consultants, chefs, food co-op and health food stores’ staff, and many home cooks could help you: ASK!
—Biggest problems I have found are: many GF products add sugar, salt and/or fat to compensate for the differences or to better fool our palates/imitate the originals. Many DF products also add fat, salt and sugar for the same reasons. READ LABLES! It is far too easy to gain weight while eating less wheat or dairy, believe me!
*********
Here are some brands, types of food, and choices my mom and I have explored and some we even like. Most stores (even Walmart, Costco, Aldi’s and regular grocery stores) now have many of these options. You can also buy most online.
Check prices, go for coupons, wait for specials: this stuff is EXPENSIVE!
From the above, we prefer:
Daiya GF & DF fire-roasted veggie pizza,
Canyon Bakehouse whole grain bread,
Kite Hill and Mikonos “cream cheeses,”
Schar baguettes,
Oatly frozen fudge bars,
SO Delicious frozen mocha nut bars and vanilla “yoghurt,”
Kodiak baking mixes,
any brand of almond milk chocolate puddings (hard to find, though),
Blue Diamond crackers, especially the almond nut thins, and
Snyder’s GF (and fat free) pretzels.
*********
RECIPE BREAK:
I created a coating for fish or chicken as well as veggies that can be used to imitate tempura (without deep frying) and “parmesan-encrusted” foods (if you can have parmesan, or pecorino/romano if non-dairy is preferred) to make entrees and side dishes that my mom LOVES!
HOW: I use tapioca, oat, almond or rice flour for the first coating.
Then, dredge each piece in a mixture of beaten eggs with lemon juice and water.
Then mix several flours together with some corn meal and baking powder with spices you like (my mom likes granulated and/or roasted granulated garlic, onion powder, black pepper, dried parsley flakes, smoked or regular red paprika, Italian mixed herbs [back to my roots!], possibly others), plus grated cheese, for the final coating.
Spray glass baking dishes or whatever you have with olive or coconut oil (but DO NOT USE flat, unrimmed cookie sheets! Coated foods can ooze and drip).
Bake at 375F for about 20 – 30 minutes.
Freezes well if you let it all drain and cool. Then, wrap each piece in parchment or waxed paper and put into a LABELED freezer bag.
Reheat defrosted or refrigerated pieces by frying or in a broiler oven (turning halfway through in both cases).
Enjoy!
*******
Other Important Information
For going dairy-free or limiting dairy products in your diet:
The USA dairy lobby is well-funded and powerful. They prevailed to get all feta cheese made from cows’ milk to be the ONLY cheese sold in the USA allowed to be labeled “feta,” while the original Greek feta (made from sheep’s and/or goats’ milk) has to be labeled “sheep feta” or “goat feta.” Be warned!
That lobby has also tried (and failed, so far) to get all liquids called “milk” to be required to have animals’ milk in them. Jerks.
If you are lactose intolerant, you probably can’t eat ANY animals’ milk without taking supplements.
But, if you just want to get rid of dairy products, focus only on scouting out and eliminating cows’ at first (see list, below), then add in goats’ or sheep’s products, one at a time, and see how you do. I can eat/drink those just fine. I can’t even tell the difference between grated parmesan and percorino/romano blends, anyway. Goat brie, herbed goat, and other cheeses are AMAZING!
Unless you’re specifically allergic to the source(s), you’ll do fine with all plant-based “dairy” products and most have good textures and are quite tasty, these days. Some even melt!
Cow’s milk dairy-laced ingredients to avoid
(READ LABLES!)
[from: https://www.verywellfamily.com/hidden-dairy-ingredients-for-babies-with-milk-allergies-284300]
*********
It’s easier now than it’s ever been to find and use great ingredients and even packaged foods that are wheat-and dairy-free, organic, low sugar, low fat, and additive-free. You’re LUCKY!
If you find any of this interesting or helpful, please share, and please comment, here: http://www.sallyember.com/blog
July 23, 2023
One More Week for JULY SALE! #Smashwords “The Spanners Series'” #ebooks 25-50% off through 7/31/23!
One More Week for JULY SALE! #Smashwords The Spanners Series’ #ebooks 25-50% off through 7/31/23!
The discounts will automatically apply to your shopping cart at checkout. There’s no need for you to enter or remember coupon codes!
Many other authors’ ebooks on Smashwords also on sale! VISIT THIS WEEK!
The Spanners Series’ first three Volumes of utopian science-fiction/romance by Sally Ember, Ed.D. are on sale NOW!
The Spanners Series‘ cover art and logo by WillowRaven: http://www.willowraven-illustration.blogspot.com/
Smashwords is STILL having its annual July Summer/Winter Sale and The Spanners Series‘ ebooks in every format (reader’s choice) are either free (Volume I) or only $1.99 or $2.99 (usually $3.99) for the entire month of July! See below for info! And, go browse on Smashwords for other great discounts and sales!
Three more days!
Whether you’re sweating, freezing, smoked-out, flooded, rained or snowed on or anywhere in between, there is still time to READ!
Give books for gifts for birthdays, graduations, holidays, anniversaries, vacations: any time!
The paperbacks of all three Volumes are available on Amazon. Check out the KINDLEMATCH program for deals when you buy both ebooks and paperbacks of the same volume at the same time.
This Changes Everything, Vol. I, The Spanners Series
Dr. Clara Ackerman Branon, 58, begins having secret visits from holographic representations of beings from the Many Worlds Collective, a consortium of planet and star systems in the multiverse. When Earth is invited to join the consortium, the secret visits are made public. Now Earthers must adjust their beliefs and ideas about life, religion, culture, identity and everything they think and are.
Clara is selected to be the liaison between Earth and the Many Worlds Collective and she chooses Esperanza Enlaces to be the Chief Media Contact. They team up to provide information to stave off riots and uncertainty. The Many Worlds Collective holos train Clara and the Psi-Warriors for the Psi Wars with the rebelling Psi-Defiers, communicate effectively with many species on Earth and off-planet, eliminate ordinary, elected governments and political boundaries, convene a new group of Global Leaders, and deal with family’s and friends’ reactions.
In what multiple timelines of the ever-expanding multiverse do Clara and her long-time love, Epifanio Dang, get to be together and which leave Clara alone and lonely as the leader of Earth?
This Changes Everything spans the 30-year story of Clara’s term as Earth’s first Chief Communicator, continuing in nine more Volumes of The Spanners Series.
Are YOU ready for the changes?
Volume I, This Changes Everything:
Ebooks are PERMAFREE on Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/376197
and Amazon: http://www.amzn.com/B00HFELTG8
This Changes My Family and My Life Forever, Vol. II, The Spanners Series
Intrigued by multiple timelines, aliens, psi skills, romance and planetary change? Clara and the alien “Band” are back in Volume II, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever.
Now as Chief Communicator, Clara leads the way for interspecies communication on- and off-planet. Fighting these changes are the Psi-Defiers, led by one of the oldest friends of the Chief of the Psi-Warriors, its reluctant leader, Rabbi Moran Ackerman. Stories from younger Spanners about the first five years of The Transition fill Volume II.
How would YOU do with the changes?
Volume II, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever:
EBOOKS now $2.99, 25% off the regular price of $3.99, on Smashwords, any ebook format (reader’s choice): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/424969
Paperbacks and ebooks are on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/This-Changes-Family-Forever-Spanners/dp/0996999817
This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Vol. III, The Spanners Series
Clara, Moran, Espe, Epifanio and the alien Band of holos are back in This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Volume III of The Spanners Series. Psi-Defiers launch increasingly violent protests during this five-year Transition, attempting to block Earth’s membership into the Many Worlds Collective. Earth’s nations and borders must dissolve and Psi-Warriors must strengthen in their battle against the rebels.
Clara, as Earth’s first Chief Communicator, also juggles family conflicts and danger while creating psi skills training Campuses to help Earth through the Psi Wars. Clara timults alternate versions of their futures as the leaders’ duties and consciences force them to make difficult choices across multiple timelines, continuing to train and fight.
Will the Psi-Warriors’ and other leaders’ increasing psi skills, interspecies collaborations and budding alien alliances be enough for Earth to make it through The Transition intact? If there is no clear path for Clara’s and Epifanio’s love, does she partner with Steve or go it alone?
What do YOU do with wanted/unwanted changes?
Volume III, This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change:
EBOOKS now $1.99, 50% off the regular price of $3.99, on Smashwords, any ebook format (reader’s choice): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/588331
Paperbacks and ebooks are on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/This-Want-Things-Change-Spanners/dp/0996999825/
The Spanners Series‘ three paperbacks on Amazon
Print editions and ebooks published under Timult Books
REVIEWERS: Ask for FREE Ebook coupon codes for Volumes II and III on Smashwords any time: sallyember AT yahoo DOT com
For more information about Sally Ember, Ed.D., her bio, books, blog, video talk show (CHANGES conversations between authors), guest blog posts and guidelines, links to author interviews, book trailers, proofreading/editing services and more: http://www.sallyember.com
July 17, 2023
What, Who and When is YOUR Anagnorisis?
What, Who and When is YOUR Anagnorisis?
Let’s talk about personal epiphanies. Imagine (and we all do, don’t we?) that your life IS a novel, play, film, etc.: What, Who and When is YOUR Anagnorisis?
Don’t know? Never considered this?
Know, but haven’t yet shared?
We are the protagonists of our own stories, so consider your real-life anagnorisis/es:
A) insight in a story’s plot in which a key character shifts from ignorance to awareness, and/or
B) making a critical realization, leading to a dramatic turn in the plot.
Sally Ember, EdD, author’s excerpt reading, from This Changes Everything, Volume I of The Spanners Series, bookstore (now closed), Newark, California, 2013.
—Could you detail your most significant moments of self-awareness/insightful knowledge?
—Did psychotherapy lead you to recognize your most damaging/challenging life patterns and your responsibility to change them
—How have meditation, yoga, prayer, martial arts, Continuum, massage, Polarity, Reiki, Feldenkrais, body work of other kinds, and/or other spiritual/religious practices and experiences led to profound understandings about your self and your life?
Here is a lengthy and very informative post that leads you to develop insight, understand and utilize what your learn to alter your own behavior patterns: https://mantracare.org/therapy/self-care/patterns-behavior/ “Patterns Behavior: Signs And Steps.”
OR: Consider the times that someone “fooled” you: they “showed their true colors” MORE THAN ONCE, but you failed to act on the first demonstration. When we’re HONEST with ourselves, we can review our interactions with that person and recognize that we saw but ignored the signs for far too long.
We may have had “good reasons” for downplaying these flaws or temporarily decided that “the good outweighed the bad. That means that we allowed ourselves to be swayed by other emotions, priorities, desires, and/or needs, overriding the appropriate responses to the “red flags” that we did see.
We HAD A CHOICE and chose incorrectly.
THIS insight allows us to stop feeling so “betrayed” and end viewing ourselves as “the victim.”
Then, we can take responsibility for our choices and choose different paths in the future.
Read this and view this image, below, for more help: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/victim-mentality/
—When/How did the person(s) you care about FIRST “show you who they are,” and
—How long did it take/what had to happen for you (finally) to acknowledge that some of who they were/are with you was/is unacceptable to you, AND
—What did/does it require for you to begin to take appropriate action?
*********************************
If any of these experiences has occurred for you, what would you share, here (in the comments) about them? I’ll show you mine if you show me yours….
If you have not yet had a flash of your life’s anagnorisis/es, perhaps you could go on a search for that….How would you begin?
What kinds of support and encouragement did/do you need to handle these points of intensity?
What can you offer in the way of support or tips for others facing them right now?
July 15, 2023
Two More Weeks for JULY SALE! #Smashwords “The Spanners Series'” #ebooks 25-50% off through 7/31/23!
Two More Weeks for JULY SALE! #Smashwords The Spanners Series’ #ebooks 25-50% off through 7/31/23!
The discounts will automatically apply to your shopping cart at checkout. There’s no need for you to enter or remember coupon codes!
Many other authors’ ebooks on Smashwords also on sale! VISIT THIS MONTH!
The Spanners Series’ first three Volumes of utopian science-fiction/romance by Sally Ember, Ed.D. are on sale NOW!
The Spanners Series‘ cover art and logo by WillowRaven: http://www.willowraven-illustration.blogspot.com/
Smashwords is STILL having its annual July Summer/Winter Sale and The Spanners Series‘ ebooks in every format (reader’s choice) are either free (Volume I) or only $1.99 or $2.99 (usually $3.99) for the entire month of July! See below for info! And, go browse on Smashwords for other great discounts and sales!
Two More Weeks!
Whether you’re sweating, freezing, smoked-out, flooded, rained or snowed on or anywhere in between, there is still time to READ!
Give books for gifts for birthdays, graduations, holidays, anniversaries, vacations: any time!
The paperbacks of all three Volumes are available on Amazon. Check out the KINDLEMATCH program for deals when you buy both ebooks and paperbacks of the same volume at the same time.
This Changes Everything, Vol. I, The Spanners Series
Dr. Clara Ackerman Branon, 58, begins having secret visits from holographic representations of beings from the Many Worlds Collective, a consortium of planet and star systems in the multiverse. When Earth is invited to join the consortium, the secret visits are made public. Now Earthers must adjust their beliefs and ideas about life, religion, culture, identity and everything they think and are.
Clara is selected to be the liaison between Earth and the Many Worlds Collective and she chooses Esperanza Enlaces to be the Chief Media Contact. They team up to provide information to stave off riots and uncertainty. The Many Worlds Collective holos train Clara and the Psi-Warriors for the Psi Wars with the rebelling Psi-Defiers, communicate effectively with many species on Earth and off-planet, eliminate ordinary, elected governments and political boundaries, convene a new group of Global Leaders, and deal with family’s and friends’ reactions.
In what multiple timelines of the ever-expanding multiverse do Clara and her long-time love, Epifanio Dang, get to be together and which leave Clara alone and lonely as the leader of Earth?
This Changes Everything spans the 30-year story of Clara’s term as Earth’s first Chief Communicator, continuing in nine more Volumes of The Spanners Series.
Are YOU ready for the changes?
Volume I, This Changes Everything:
Ebooks are PERMAFREE on Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/376197
and Amazon: http://www.amzn.com/B00HFELTG8
This Changes My Family and My Life Forever, Vol. II, The Spanners Series
Intrigued by multiple timelines, aliens, psi skills, romance and planetary change? Clara and the alien “Band” are back in Volume II, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever.
Now as Chief Communicator, Clara leads the way for interspecies communication on- and off-planet. Fighting these changes are the Psi-Defiers, led by one of the oldest friends of the Chief of the Psi-Warriors, its reluctant leader, Rabbi Moran Ackerman. Stories from younger Spanners about the first five years of The Transition fill Volume II.
How would YOU do with the changes?
Volume II, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever:
EBOOKS now $2.99, 25% off the regular price of $3.99, on Smashwords, any ebook format (reader’s choice): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/424969
Paperbacks and ebooks are on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/This-Changes-Family-Forever-Spanners/dp/0996999817
This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Vol. III, The Spanners Series
Clara, Moran, Espe, Epifanio and the alien Band of holos are back in This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Volume III of The Spanners Series. Psi-Defiers launch increasingly violent protests during this five-year Transition, attempting to block Earth’s membership into the Many Worlds Collective. Earth’s nations and borders must dissolve and Psi-Warriors must strengthen in their battle against the rebels.
Clara, as Earth’s first Chief Communicator, also juggles family conflicts and danger while creating psi skills training Campuses to help Earth through the Psi Wars. Clara timults alternate versions of their futures as the leaders’ duties and consciences force them to make difficult choices across multiple timelines, continuing to train and fight.
Will the Psi-Warriors’ and other leaders’ increasing psi skills, interspecies collaborations and budding alien alliances be enough for Earth to make it through The Transition intact? If there is no clear path for Clara’s and Epifanio’s love, does she partner with Steve or go it alone?
What do YOU do with wanted/unwanted changes?
Volume III, This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change:
EBOOKS now $1.99, 50% off the regular price of $3.99, on Smashwords, any ebook format (reader’s choice): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/588331
Paperbacks and ebooks are on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/This-Want-Things-Change-Spanners/dp/0996999825/
The Spanners Series‘ three paperbacks on Amazon
Print editions and ebooks published under Timult Books
REVIEWERS: Ask for FREE Ebook coupon codes for Volumes II and III on Smashwords any time: sallyember AT yahoo DOT com
For more information about Sally Ember, Ed.D., her bio, books, blog, video talk show (CHANGES conversations between authors), guest blog posts and guidelines, links to author interviews, book trailers, proofreading/editing services and more: http://www.sallyember.com
July 6, 2023
Three More Weeks for JULY SALE! #Smashwords “The Spanners Series'” #ebooks 25-50% off through 7/31/23!
Three More Weeks for JULY SALE! #Smashwords The Spanners Series’ #ebooks
25-50% off through 7/31/23!
The discounts will automatically apply to your shopping cart at checkout. There’s no need for you to enter or remember coupon codes!
Many other authors’ ebooks on Smashwords also on sale! VISIT THIS MONTH!
The Spanners Series’ first three Volumes of utopian science-fiction/romance by Sally Ember, Ed.D. are on sale NOW!
The Spanners Series‘ cover art and logo by WillowRaven: http://www.willowraven-illustration.blogspot.com/
Smashwords is STILL having its annual July Summer/Winter Sale and The Spanners Series‘ ebooks in every format (reader’s choice) are either free (Volume I) or only $1.99 or $2.99 (usually $3.99) for the entire month of July! See below for info! And, go browse on Smashwords for other great discounts and sales!
Two More Weeks!
Whether you’re sweating, freezing, smoked-out, flooded, rained or snowed on or anywhere in between, there is still time to READ!
Give books for gifts for birthdays, graduations, holidays, anniversaries, vacations: any time!
The paperbacks of all three Volumes are available on Amazon. Check out the KINDLEMATCH program for deals when you buy both ebooks and paperbacks of the same volume at the same time.
This Changes Everything, Vol. I, The Spanners Series
Dr. Clara Ackerman Branon, 58, begins having secret visits from holographic representations of beings from the Many Worlds Collective, a consortium of planet and star systems in the multiverse. When Earth is invited to join the consortium, the secret visits are made public. Now Earthers must adjust their beliefs and ideas about life, religion, culture, identity and everything they think and are.
Clara is selected to be the liaison between Earth and the Many Worlds Collective and she chooses Esperanza Enlaces to be the Chief Media Contact. They team up to provide information to stave off riots and uncertainty. The Many Worlds Collective holos train Clara and the Psi-Warriors for the Psi Wars with the rebelling Psi-Defiers, communicate effectively with many species on Earth and off-planet, eliminate ordinary, elected governments and political boundaries, convene a new group of Global Leaders, and deal with family’s and friends’ reactions.
In what multiple timelines of the ever-expanding multiverse do Clara and her long-time love, Epifanio Dang, get to be together and which leave Clara alone and lonely as the leader of Earth?
This Changes Everything spans the 30-year story of Clara’s term as Earth’s first Chief Communicator, continuing in nine more Volumes of The Spanners Series.
Are YOU ready for the changes?
Volume I, This Changes Everything:
Ebooks are PERMAFREE on Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/376197
and Amazon: http://www.amzn.com/B00HFELTG8
This Changes My Family and My Life Forever, Vol. II, The Spanners Series
Intrigued by multiple timelines, aliens, psi skills, romance and planetary change? Clara and the alien “Band” are back in Volume II, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever.
Now as Chief Communicator, Clara leads the way for interspecies communication on- and off-planet. Fighting these changes are the Psi-Defiers, led by one of the oldest friends of the Chief of the Psi-Warriors, its reluctant leader, Rabbi Moran Ackerman. Stories from younger Spanners about the first five years of The Transition fill Volume II.
How would YOU do with the changes?
Volume II, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever:
EBOOKS now $2.99, 25% off the regular price of $3.99, on Smashwords, any ebook format (reader’s choice): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/424969
Paperbacks and ebooks are on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/This-Changes-Family-Forever-Spanners/dp/0996999817
This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Vol. III, The Spanners Series
Clara, Moran, Espe, Epifanio and the alien Band of holos are back in This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Volume III of The Spanners Series. Psi-Defiers launch increasingly violent protests during this five-year Transition, attempting to block Earth’s membership into the Many Worlds Collective. Earth’s nations and borders must dissolve and Psi-Warriors must strengthen in their battle against the rebels.
Clara, as Earth’s first Chief Communicator, also juggles family conflicts and danger while creating psi skills training Campuses to help Earth through the Psi Wars. Clara timults alternate versions of their futures as the leaders’ duties and consciences force them to make difficult choices across multiple timelines, continuing to train and fight.
Will the Psi-Warriors’ and other leaders’ increasing psi skills, interspecies collaborations and budding alien alliances be enough for Earth to make it through The Transition intact? If there is no clear path for Clara’s and Epifanio’s love, does she partner with Steve or go it alone?
What do YOU do with wanted/unwanted changes?
Volume III, This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change:
EBOOKS now $1.99, 50% off the regular price of $3.99, on Smashwords, any ebook format (reader’s choice): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/588331
Paperbacks and ebooks are on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/This-Want-Things-Change-Spanners/dp/0996999825/
The Spanners Series‘ three paperbacks on Amazon
Print editions and ebooks published under Timult Books
REVIEWERS: Ask for FREE Ebook coupon codes for Volumes II and III on Smashwords any time: sallyember AT yahoo DOT com
For more information about Sally Ember, Ed.D., her bio, books, blog, video talk show (CHANGES conversations between authors), guest blog posts and guidelines, links to author interviews, book trailers, proofreading/editing services and more: http://www.sallyember.com
June 29, 2023
#Ebooks #Smashwords 15th Annual Summer/Winter Sale! “The Spanners Series'” books are #Free, 25-50% off! 7/1—7/31/23
“
#Ebooks #Smashwords 15th Annual Summer/Winter Sale!
The Spanners Series‘ books are #Free, 25-50% off! 7/1—7/31/23
The discounts will automatically apply to your shopping cart at checkout. There’s no need for you to enter or remember coupon codes!
Many other authors’ ebooks on Smashwords also on sale! VISIT TODAY!
The Spanners Series’ first three Volumes of utopian science-fiction/romance by Sally Ember, Ed.D. are on sale NOW!
The Spanners Series‘ cover art and logo by WillowRaven: http://www.willowraven-illustration.blogspot.com/
Smashwords is once again having its annual July Summer/Winter Sale and The Spanners Series‘ ebooks in every format (reader’s choice) are either free (Volume I) or only $1.99 or $2.99 (usually $3.99) for the entire month of July! See below for info! And, go browse on Smashwords for other great discounts and sales!
VISIT THIS MONTH!
Whether you’re sweating, freezing, smoked-out, flooded, rained or snowed on or anywhere in between, there is still time to READ!
Give books for gifts for birthdays, graduations, holidays, anniversaries, vacations: any time!
The paperbacks of all three Volumes are available on Amazon. Check out the KINDLEMATCH program for deals when you buy both ebooks and paperbacks of the same volume at the same time.
This Changes Everything, Vol. I, The Spanners Series
Dr. Clara Ackerman Branon, 58, begins having secret visits from holographic representations of beings from the Many Worlds Collective, a consortium of planet and star systems in the multiverse. When Earth is invited to join the consortium, the secret visits are made public. Now Earthers must adjust their beliefs and ideas about life, religion, culture, identity and everything they think and are.
Clara is selected to be the liaison between Earth and the Many Worlds Collective and she chooses Esperanza Enlaces to be the Chief Media Contact. They team up to provide information to stave off riots and uncertainty. The Many Worlds Collective holos train Clara and the Psi-Warriors for the Psi Wars with the rebelling Psi-Defiers, communicate effectively with many species on Earth and off-planet, eliminate ordinary, elected governments and political boundaries, convene a new group of Global Leaders, and deal with family’s and friends’ reactions.
In what multiple timelines of the ever-expanding multiverse do Clara and her long-time love, Epifanio Dang, get to be together and which leave Clara alone and lonely as the leader of Earth?
This Changes Everything spans the 30-year story of Clara’s term as Earth’s first Chief Communicator, continuing in nine more Volumes of The Spanners Series.
Are YOU ready for the changes?
Volume I, This Changes Everything:
Ebooks are PERMAFREE on Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/376197
and Amazon: http://www.amzn.com/B00HFELTG8
This Changes My Family and My Life Forever, Vol. II, The Spanners Series
Intrigued by multiple timelines, aliens, psi skills, romance and planetary change? Clara and the alien “Band” are back in Volume II, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever.
Now as Chief Communicator, Clara leads the way for interspecies communication on- and off-planet. Fighting these changes are the Psi-Defiers, led by one of the oldest friends of the Chief of the Psi-Warriors, its reluctant leader, Rabbi Moran Ackerman. Stories from younger Spanners about the first five years of The Transition fill Volume II.
How would YOU do with the changes?
Volume II, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever:
EBOOKS now $2.99, 25% off the regular price of $3.99, on Smashwords, any ebook format (reader’s choice): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/424969
Paperbacks and ebooks are on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/This-Changes-Family-Forever-Spanners/dp/0996999817
This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Vol. III, The Spanners Series
Clara, Moran, Espe, Epifanio and the alien Band of holos are back in This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Volume III of The Spanners Series. Psi-Defiers launch increasingly violent protests during this five-year Transition, attempting to block Earth’s membership into the Many Worlds Collective. Earth’s nations and borders must dissolve and Psi-Warriors must strengthen in their battle against the rebels.
Clara, as Earth’s first Chief Communicator, also juggles family conflicts and danger while creating psi skills training Campuses to help Earth through the Psi Wars. Clara timults alternate versions of their futures as the leaders’ duties and consciences force them to make difficult choices across multiple timelines, continuing to train and fight.
Will the Psi-Warriors’ and other leaders’ increasing psi skills, interspecies collaborations and budding alien alliances be enough for Earth to make it through The Transition intact? If there is no clear path for Clara’s and Epifanio’s love, does she partner with Steve or go it alone?
What do YOU do with wanted/unwanted changes?
Volume III, This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change:
EBOOKS now $1.99, 50% off the regular price of $3.99, on Smashwords, any ebook format (reader’s choice): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/588331
Paperbacks and ebooks are on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/This-Want-Things-Change-Spanners/dp/0996999825/
The Spanners Series‘ three paperbacks on Amazon
Print editions and ebooks published under Timult Books
REVIEWERS: Ask for FREE Ebook coupon codes for Volumes II and III on Smashwords any time: sallyember AT yahoo DOT com
For more information about Sally Ember, Ed.D., her bio, books, blog, video talk show (CHANGES conversations between authors), guest blog posts and guidelines, links to author interviews, book trailers, proofreading/editing services and more: http://www.sallyember.com
June 3, 2023
13 Lesbian and Queer Women-Owned Brands to Support During Pride (and All Year Long)
Given that buying from them means you’re also raising up female entrepreneurs, you should go ahead and get two of everything
13 Lesbian and Queer Women-Owned Brands to Support During Pride (and All Year Long)
WGA’s Chris Keyser Issues Defiant Call For Solidarity As Strike Enters Second Month; Accuses AMPTP Of Lying & Vows To Fight On Even If DGA & SAG-AFTRA Make Deals
In a defiant clarion call for continued solidarity and endurance as the Writers Guild’s strike enters its second month, WGA negotiating committee co-chair Chris Keyser says in a new video that the guild’s fight for a fair contract is not one that’s being fought for writers alone, but for the entire labor movement. “When you […]
WGA’s Chris Keyser Issues Defiant Call For Solidarity As Strike Enters Second Month; Accuses AMPTP Of Lying & Vows To Fight On Even If DGA & SAG-AFTRA Make Deals
March 8, 2023
#SMASHWORDS is having its 14th Annual “Read An #Ebook Week” NOW! Final Days: March 10 – 11, 2023! Many #sales and #discounts, some #free, #ebookweek23
#SMASHWORDS is having its 14th Annual “Read An #Ebook Week” NOW! Final Days: March 10 – 11, 2023! Many #sales and #discounts, some #free, #ebookweek23Many #sales and #discounts, some #free, #ebookweek23
Get any ebook format you want on Smashwords
The Story Behind “Read an Ebook Week” (RAEW): Read an Ebook Week was created by Canadian Smashwords author, Rita Toews. If you’re interested to learn the story behind her creation of Read an Ebook Week, read the 2010 interview with Rita over at The Huffington Post . Please note that the prior web address mentioned in the interview, www. ebookweek.com, is now controlled by a squatter and is not associated with this promotion, so please don’t link to or promote the old address.
The Smashwords’ RAEW page is: http://smashwords.com/ebookweek or
https://www.smashwords.com/books/category/1/newest/1
The official Read an Ebook Week Facebook page, operated by Rita, is at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Read-an-E-Book-Week/193882590629749
Show your support for RAEW by “Liking” it on Facebook and sharing it.
All three published Volumes of the sci-fi/romance/multiverse/utopian/paranormal (psi) ebooks in The Spanners Series for adults/NA/YA are participating in this great sale! And, if you prefer or want also to have paperbacks, scroll to the end for the Amazon links to utilize Kindle Matchbook discounts to purchase those!
Volume I, This Changes Everything, The Spanners Series, by Sally Ember, Ed.D.
Dr. Clara Ackerman Branon, 58, begins having secret visits from holographic representations of beings from the Many Worlds Collective, a consortium of planet and star systems in the multiverse. When Earth is invited to join the consortium, the secret visits are made public. Now Earthers must adjust their beliefs and ideas about life, religion, culture, identity and everything they think and are. Clara is selected to be the liaison between Earth and the Many Worlds Collective and she chooses Esperanza Enlaces to be the Media Contact. They team up to provide information to stave off riots and uncertainty. The Many Worlds Collective holos train Clara and the Psi-Warriors for the Psi Wars with the rebelling Psi-Defiers, communicate effectively with many species on Earth and off-planet, eliminate ordinary, elected governments and political boundaries, convene a new group of Global Leaders, and deal with family’s and friends’ reactions.
In what multiple timelines of the ever-expanding multiverse do Clara and her long-time love, Epifanio Dang, get to be together and which leave Clara alone and lonely as the leader of Earth? This Changes Everything begins the 30-year story of Clara’s term as Earth’s first Chief Communicator, continuing in nine more Volumes of The Spanners Series. Are you ready for the changes?
Vol I is PERMA-FREE!
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/376197
Volume II, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever, The Spanners Series, by Sally Ember, Ed.D.
COUPON CODE for 25% off is ZF68S
Intrigued by multiple timelines, aliens, psi skills, romance and planetary change? Clara and the alien “Band” are back in Volume II, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever, The Spanners Series. Now as Chief Communicator, Clara leads the way for interspecies communication on- and off-planet. Fighting these changes are the Psi-Defiers, led by one of the oldest friends of the Chief of the Psi-Warriors, its reluctant leader, Rabbi Moran Ackerman. Stories from younger Spanners about the first five years of The Transition fill Volume II. How would you do with the changes?
Usually $3.99; “Read an Ebook Week” Promotional price: $2.99
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/424969
Enter the code prior to completing checkout.
COUPON CODE for Vol II, 25% off is ZF68S
Volume III, This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, The Spanners Series, by Sally Ember, Ed.D.
COUPON CODE for 50% off is ZF68S
Clara, Moran, Espe, Epifanio and the alien Band of holos are back in This Is /Is Not The Way I Want Things to Change of The Spanners Series. Psi-Defiers launch increasingly violent protests during this five-year Transition, attempting to block Earth’s membership into the Many Worlds Collective. To join, Earth’s nations and borders must dissolve and Psi-Warriors must strengthen in their battle against the rebels.
Clara, continuing as Earth’s first Chief Communicator, also juggles family conflicts and danger while creating psi skills training Campuses to help Earth through the Psi-Wars. Clara timults alternate versions of their futures as the leaders’ duties and consciences force them each to make difficult choices across multiple timelines while continuing to train and fight.
Will the Psi-Warriors’ and other leaders’ increasing psi skills, interspecies collaborations and budding alien alliances be enough for Earth to make it through The Transition intact? If there is no clear path for Clara’s and Epifanio’s love, does she partner with Steve or go it alone?
What do you do with wanted/unwanted changes?
Usually $3.99; “Read an Ebook Week” Promotional price, Vol III: $2.00
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/588331
Enter the code prior to completing checkout.
COUPON CODE for 50% off is ZF68S
Cover art and logo for The Spanners Series all by Aidana Willowraven: http://www.willowraven-illustration.blogspot.com/
BOOK TRAILERS for all three volumes, here:
Volume I, This Changes Everything
https://youtu.be/QJDEt1O8yQ8?list=PLPbfKicwk4dE_bsvzZO7X8-IIqqLY15uS
or
https://goo.gl/8OLVSr
AND
https://youtu.be/X_8ZFVY9BMg?list=PLPbfKicwk4dE_bsvzZO7X8-IIqqLY15uS
or
https://goo.gl/MvYFH3
AND
https://youtu.be/WL9lPK8IhRk?list=PLPbfKicwk4dE_bsvzZO7X8-IIqqLY15uS
or
https://goo.gl/APrn9P
Volume II, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever
https://youtu.be/WenvYeasiik?list=PLPbfKicwk4dE_bsvzZO7X8-IIqqLY15uS
or
https://goo.gl/ERqLHY
Volume III, This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change
https://youtu.be/uINdFH0XS18?list=PLPbfKicwk4dE_bsvzZO7X8-IIqqLY15uS
or
https://goo.gl/q9NGsg
AND
Find ALL books participating in the Smashwords’ Read An Ebook Week sale and stock up on your favorite genres, authors and titles OR scout out some new talent! https://www.smashwords.com/books/category/1/newest/1
PAPERBACK LOVERS:
Kindle MatchBook includes all three Volumes of The Spanners Series!
Buy any ebook format and get a discount
on the paperback of the same Volume (or vice-versa).
Amazon’s paperbacks’ links:
Vol I: http://www.amzn.com/B00HFELTG8
Vol II: http://www.amzn.com/B00KU5Q7KC
Vol III: http://www.amzn.com/B0177Z1KRM
Amazon’s ebooks’ pages:
Vol I: http://www.amzn.com/B00HFELTG8
Vol II: http://www.amzn.com/B00KU5Q7KC
Vol III: http://www.amzn.com/B0177Z1KRM
All published by Timult Books
