Maturation: The Adult Paradigm (The Map) by Skipi Lundquist Smoot, PhD

Maturation: The Adult Paradigm (The Map) clarifies the vague Boundary between Adolescent and Adult Development

In the pages of this enlightening new book, Author Skipi Lundquist Smoot, PhD, reveals significant scientific evidence concerning the Adult stage of Psychological Development

“The guide provides a fresh perspective on its subject, framing a majority of Adult Emotional Distress and Anxiety to fall on the continuum of Ego & Cognitive Immaturity/Maturity vs Neurosis/Wellness. In this way, Dr. Smoot breaks from many of her contemporaries, offering a holistic approach that advocates personal exploration instead of pharmacology or fad therapies. Dr. Smoot is no stranger to mental anguish herself; this book was greatly informed by the tragic deaths of three of her sons, and she effectively weaves her own grief and confusion into the book while managing to make her advice seem personal and applicable to everyone. Dr. Smoot also skillfully and engagingly blends the spiritual and the scientific, highlighting spirituality’s therapeutic benefits in conjunction with conventional therapies.

A comprehensive, helpful guide to the troubled mind.”

-Kirkus

We are Born with a Mission– to explore our own path. Most of us begin our Journey “dancing” with abandon to intense emotional rhythms. Only later…often in great pain, do some of us recognize the outstretched hand of Objective Reality and learn to Dance to the Music of the Universe (Laws of Cause & Effect.}.

Irvine, CA – From author Skipi Lundquist Smoot, PhD, comes a revealing definition of the Adult Developmental Stage of Psychological Maturation, which serves as the necessary “Missing Link” for development of Unique Personal Potential, comfort with emotional and personal separation, and ability to live in harmony with the Essence of both one’s “Real” self and that of significant others.

This book targets different audiences and aims to help these groups in their respective self-development needs. For Adult Readers who are searching for a resolution of psychological and relationship problems, this acts as a Self-Help book that teaches a clear, logical method for resolving conflicts, coping with stress, and making successful decisions in both personal and relationships with important others. For Mental Health Professionals, this serves as a guide to treatment of Adult Symbiotic Attachment, a model for use in Marriage And Family Psychotherapy, and a help to parents dealing with problematic older adolescents. For Colleges and Universities, this book acts as educational resources for both teaching and learning up-to-date information concerning the science of Psychology. For psychological Organizations, this reading is an insightful guide for presentations at professional meetings.

The author hopes that readers will follow The “MAP” and learn to dance to the Music of Reality, to enable them discover and to be comfortable with their “Real” self.

This book is available online and can be purchased at www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com.

About the Author

Skipi Lundquist Smoot, PhD is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Business Consultant with Offices at 10 McLaren, Suite–D - Irvine, Ca. 92618. Dr. Smoot is the former owner-operator of 3 successful McDonald's Restaurants in California and Virginia. Dr. Smoot is shown here with Ronald McDonald and Uncle, Ray Kroc (McDonald's Founder) at the opening of her McDonald's Restaurant on Richmond Road in Williamsburg, VA (1976).

Dr. Smoot's education includes a PhD in Clinical Psychology from California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego, California, a MA in Marriage, Family, Child Clinical Services from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California and a BA in Psychology from The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA (Christopher Newport Campus). In Private Practice for over 25years, Dr. Smoot has a weekly caseload of private clients in Addition to supervising Masters and Doctoral Level interns in the areas of Psychotherapy and administration and interpretation of a specialized battery of Psychological Clinical and Vocational tests. She is listed in Who's Who in American Women and Who's Who in America.

Author Skipi Lundquist Smoot, PhD, has also released The “MAP” Workbook for use with Maturation: The Adult Paradigm to help readers examine their path closely for clues. Her upcoming books: The Murder of Blake – Will the “Real” Bad Guys please stand up, and On the Couch – A collection of Vignettes and Visualization concerning Psychotherapy.

Wild Child and Good Son: A Parable for Fathers and Their Sons by Dr. Owen Fleming Jr.

We all know how the loving Father accepted the Prodigal Son back into his home. But do you ever wonder what happened to the two sons after? Find out as author Billy Owen Fleming continues with the story in this sequel to the parable of the prodigal son.

Follow the generations of the family for two generations in Wild Child and Good Son: A Parable for Fathers and Their Sons.

About the Book

“My son, I love you…” And so the loving Father welcomes back his prodigal son to his home with love and a party. But does this story end here?

Looks like it doesn’t… This sequel continues Jesus’ greatest parable of the Prodigal Son.

Accompany the two sons as they grow to manhood. Each one tries and fails to be the perfect father. But out of their failure emerges hope and redemption. Together, they will learn the heartbreak and wonder of parenthood. Be inspired and learn from them…

About the Author

Dr. Billy Owen Fleming Jr. is a pastor, teacher, writer, and storyteller living in Waxhaw, North Carolina. He has published a book of poetry, Echoes of the Inner Mountains (D/N Publications, 2008), and a book on the Psalms, Mapping the Christian Life (RevPress, 2009). He has three children and two grandchildren, who were sometimes good, often wild, and always wonderful.

IMPRESSIONS AND REFLECTIONS and HAVING THE TIME OF MY LIFE by Peter Chapel

An nonagenarian shares his life through literature…

His Impressions and Reflections captures his life journey through song lyrics and short stories.

Having the Time of My Life is his engaging memoir that showcases photos, letters, personal vignettes, and life lessons.


ABOUT THE BOOK

IMPRESSIONS AND REFLECTIONS
Evoking emotions from deep within himself, author Peter Chapel pens down his life journey in poetic verses in Impressions and Reflections. This collection of elegant song lyrics and short stories will take you on an intimate journey of the author’s personal life. He writes with a stunning depth of emotion and candor, unafraid to lay bare his feelings. He combines his poetic eye and ear for a tune to offer a rhapsodic collection in this book. His lyrics are highly rhythmic and evocative, yet exude a subtle simplicity of language and style. The poetry and stories are so very personal and nice – and at times humorously recalled.

His song lyrics were a consequence of being a captive in his automobile twice a month from 1978 to 1981 while driving eight hours at a stretch, mostly at night. As the words formed phrases and sentences, they fell into a rhythm and evolved into melodies that became his form of self-expression for about two years.

Writing in the first person singular seemed the easiest way to go… and so he did. Because he had no musical training, he depended on a friend to transcribe the songs from tape to lead sheet form and piano accompaniment.

HAVING THE TIME OF MY LIFE
From a man who has seen so much of life and has felt so deeply through the decades, comes a truly remarkable autobiography, Having the Time of My Life. Filled with raw and real emotions, many readers can easily relate to some conversations, situations, mishaps, adventures, and sentiments in this memoir. Author Peter Chapel opens himself through the pages of this book. In a conversational and personable tone, readers will find themselves brought in to the interesting times and memorable moments of the author’s past. He also tells stories and reveals about people, places, and events of America’s past. His vignettes of both his and America’s past create a history that most Americans his age can remember and understand – and which young Americans can learn from. His memoir is packed with letters, photos, and original song lyrics that exude love of family, lifelong friends, young people, adults, country and life. These mementos of the author’s past share a story about American culture after World War II, representing important lessons and lasting wisdom.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Peter Chapel was born in Manitoba, Canada, and moved to New York City at age 18. He served 4 years in the U.S. Army during World War II, with two years overseas in the Persian Gulf Transport Command. He attended UCLA under the GI bill of Rights, and since 1951 has been a resident of Santa Monica, California. Home improvement and landscaping have been his main hobbies, primarily, of necessity. He has been happily married for 40 years. He continued to drive to his Santa Cruz mountain work retreat for a weekend, and later a week, each month for 45 years. All the work in planning and labor in construction and landscaping on the seven acres of redwood jungle and a rickety little cabin was his own until the earthquake of 1989.

At this stage in his life, in the second half of his nonagenarian decade – he’s now 94 years old. He has embarked on reliving the highlights and the lows of his long life in tranquility by writing his “memoirs of an average man in our blessed land of the free, encountered and recorded, in brief, with documentation.”

R & R: Relationship and Religion by Ricky Sanderson

Why do relationships fall apart?
Why do couples break each other’s hearts?
How can one have lasting, healthy, and fulfilling relationships?

Learn from these short stories of individuals and their good and not-so-good life events and struggles.
Restore your relationships with a little R&R.

About the Book

Author Ricky Sanderson is tired of seeing couples destroyed because of relationships that went south. So, in his book, R&R Relationship and Religion, he centers into an important basic theme: restoration of relationships.

This book is more than just a collection of short stories; the individuals have shared their life events – both the good and bad – and have demonstrated how God can effect change in a relationship when couples place Him first in their lives. It gives a sad but truthful look on the effect of slavery, family torn apart, and no family values.

For far too long, these things have been ignored, that’s why this book examines them and gives suggestion toward healing. God has to play a part… especially if it’s to be a successful relationship.

About the Author

I was born in a little town called Holly Springs, in Mississippi. At the age of two I was abandon by my Biological parents and adopted by Wilson and Olivia Sanderson, who were my Aunt and Uncle. This book is dedicate to them. They showed me what relationships are all about through good and bad times. I wish they were here to enjoy this time. My mom was a Nurse, Hairdresser, mid-wife, and caregiver; She was the best mother any child could have. I never understood many of the things she tried to teach me. Until I left home to joined the NAVY, and later started my own family. She was a strong individual that didn’t mind helping anyone in need. She once told me that in everyone life there will be a time that they could use a helping hand, and if you refuse to lend a hand; than what is your worth? She was an incredible lady. I LOVE YOU MOMMY!

My dad was a rock, he believed in family, I watched him interact with his dad and wanted the same relationship between us. He was close to all the member of the family, he always spent time communicating with them. He told me family relationship has to be strong, because it’s family that you can count on during a crisis. One Memorial Day weekend I was home at his request, to help him around the house. He had gotten up in aged and couldn’t do much. One evening as we sat talking, he leaned over and said, “How do you see me?” I said, “You are my dad, you’re the only father I’ve ever known and I’m proud to be called your son. I love you.” He looked at me and said, I love you too Then he said, if you ever tell anyone I said that I’ll deny it. That was the only time he ever said he loved me, that fall he passed away. I’m glad I got the chance to have him as my father, and if I can be just a bit of the man he was than he did a great job with me, Thank you Daddy.

I’m the father of three wonderful kids Ricky, who is married and has a family of his own. He’s also a musician and song writer, I hope to see his name in lights one day. My Daughter Rachel has a daughter as well, she a great mother. Then there’s my baby boy Ryan, doing his thing very hard working. I have 5 grand kids I am very proud of my kids and I thank God for them. I live in Cape Cod Ma. my life has gone through some changes but I am happy, living in Cape Cod has been an interesting one. I know it was God’s plan that I move here to learn and understand him better. I am an associate minister at one of the local churches, I also teach Sunday school, as well work as a youth advisor for the Greater Fellowship Association of RI and Affiliates. God is truly doing a great work within me so I will be equipped to help someone. I don’t call myself a relationship expert, but I do know what the Bible says about relationships. So I want to share that with others through these short stories. I pray that someone relationship is strengthen by this book. So many negative book on relationships are out and have destroyed marriages and ruin relationships. I hope this book will help restore broken relationships…

Psalm 127:1 Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it:

The Carver Literary Arts Society 2010 Anthology

If you’re looking for something comforting but honest… truthful but healing… thought-provoking but adventurous… funny but soulful… then this book is for you.

Author Antoinette V. Franklin shares an anthology of literary arts with these stories of women dealing with abuse, teen abortion, racial pride, internet dating, culture, change, and more.

In this first African American Anthology written in the city of San Antonio, Texas, the author features 16 African-American writers and one Mexican-American writer, who share words that will fill your heart with joy laced with some sorrow.


About the Book
Immerse yourself in poetry, short stories and essays with The Carver Literary Arts Society Anthology 2010.

What began in April 2009 as an appreciation group of African American Literature has transformed the Literature scene in San Antonio into a new cultural experience. This anthology celebrates seasoned writers as well as the novices that are expressing their talent.

Many areas reflect their muse’s special touch and how they have captured her charm. There’s a young poet who spoke bravely about losing a loved one; there’s a poem about fun in the Jamaican sun and witnessing the transformation yet to come. One poet wrote a stirring poem about the Watts Riot; others penned down spiritually uplifting messages that tell the story without preaching.

Experience freedom of expression with the love of words and hope for tomorrow in this collection that celebrates writing of various cultures and backgrounds with the inner voices’ musings that tell the stories passed down and many stories that were lived through.

Find yourself enwrapped with joy, laughter and so many life lessons in these pages.


About the Author
Antoinete V. Franklin is a sixth generation Texan and began writing at the age of six. She is an educator and creative writng teacher in San Antonio, Texas.

frustrating GOD: How Open Theism Gets God All Wrong By Luis Scott

Discover how to mend your relationship with God and learn the paradox of God’s foreknowledge and human free will…

God sees and knows all things, including every individual’s future. But how does His knowledge of the future impact your free will to live your life any way you want to? Pastor Luis Scott offers a challenge to the assumptions of open theism and provides answers that are both refreshing and new in his book, Frustrating God:How Open Theism Gets God All Wrong.

Theologians and laypeople alike have struggled with the extent God's knowledge, the limitations of human free will, and the practical implications these ideas have for everyday life. They ask these important and honest questions:

• Why doesn't God do something about all the evil in the world? 
• How can God answer prayers if He does not know and may not be able to anticipate the future consequences of those answers? 
• How can the apparent conflict between human freedom and God's overwhelming power be resolved? 

These and so many more questions will be answered in this book.

In this challenge to the theological view of open theism, Pastor Scott offers a radically new alternative to the seemingly tense relationship between God's foreknowledge and human free will.

This is the beginning of a journey to a deeper knowledge of the mysterious God of the Bible, the God who baffles everyone but still loves them enough to lay the penalty of sin upon His beloved Son.

The Names of My Mothers by Dianne Sanders Riordan

ABOUT THE BOOK

In 1942, Elizabeth Bynum Sanders was a young woman who left home under false pretenses and traveled to Our Lady of Victory, a home for unwed mothers in upstate New York. Shortly after surrendering her daughter for adoption, she returned to her life in Johnston County, North Carolina. She never married and never had another child of her own.

Through writing that is both evocative and straight-forward, nuanced and poetic the author carries us into a world of reunion that is both celebration and challenge. Through story, it brings us into the complexity of the adoption world.

The Names of My Mothers is a moving and powerful memoir that tells of the profound need for connection. It is a story about identity, the hunger one feels for a sense of belonging, and the ineffable significance of blood.



REVIEWS

Carol Schaefer, author, The Other Mother

“Just finished reading Dianne’s beautifully written and inspiring book and I highly recommend it. I hope that it especially reaches adoptees who connect with a mother resistant to reunion, for fear of people discovering her “shameful” secret.”

Ann Attayek Carr, George Mason University

“I could not put this book down. It is not only a beautiful story, it is a work of art – an elegantly written heart song. Having grown up nearby, I know the sleepy southern culture of the period. Dianne brings the members of her birth family alive on the page – I can hear their soft voices and see their faces and feel their grace. Her thoughtful description of the small-town rural culture gave me a new appreciation for my own Southern roots as I could see it and appreciate it through her eves. Her loving, intimate portrayal of her experience is better than a prayer. Get ready to fall in love with this family and this author.”

Keith Elkins, actor

“Last night I sat down to read for a few minutes. But I picked the wrong book. I ended up reading Dianne Riordan’s The Names of My Mothers straight through. Knowing a bit about separation from experience, I was deeply moved by the grace and respect with which the author reached out to find, and then establish a caring relationship with, the biological mother who’d given her up for adoption at birth – as well as by the courage with which her mother responded.”

Mary Herbst, co-author, Have Mercy

“From the beginning of this beautifully crafted book, I felt I was a witness to the compelling experience of the author as she searches for and finds her birth mother. With emotional depth and vivid description, Dianne Sanders Riordan allows the reader to be a part of her journey.”



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dianne Sanders Riordan and her husband Frank reside in Buffalo, NY where they resettled after twenty years serving as a Navy family. They have seven children and thirteen grandchildren.

Dianne received a B.A. in English from Rosary Hill College (now Daemen College). She recently retired from the Mental Health Association of Erie County where she worked as a Family Advocate.

As a member of TRIA (Truth and Reconciliation in Adoption), Dianne’s energies now focus on advocating for open records for all adult adoptees, especially for access to their original birth certificates!

For fun, you can find her strolling the beach (any beach will do!), reading or relaxing with her family. She meets weekly with fellow poets, sharing words and wisdom over coffee or tea. A yearly writing retreat at Martha’s Vineyard helps her keep balanced.

Dianne’s poems can be found in “Women of the Vineyard”, Volumes 1 & 2.