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Books by JoAnne Culley


JoAnne Culley was born in Newark, New Jersey but raised in East Orange, NJ. She is the youngest of 4 sisters. She started writing poetry at 9 years old , using an escape from the abuse of her family, school bullying, and living in poverty.Her father had a stroke when she was 13 years old, in which she had to give up writing in order to take care of him while her mom was working.

She graduated from East Orange Campus High School in 2005, when she was 17. She instantly got a job as a school bus attendant for three years. When she was 18 years old, she visited Florida, Puerto Rico, Washington, Georgia, and Canada. She also worked as a caregiver for the elderly while being employed at a Child Day Care. She began writing mini love stories and poetry again. At the age of 23, She became a Certified Nurse Assistant. Caring for others is a Life long passion of hers.

She currently wrote and self published Stanley's Cocoa Office Goddess and Love in Black And White: Bernice's Diary of a Scorned Family Curse and a White Christmas from Above, both of these books are series...

She writes with the purpose of inspiring and motivating people.

Books bij JoAnne Culley:
www.amazon.com/-/e/B00AXPPVEW

Soul Recovery – 12 Keys to Healing Addiction

 
 

About the Author

Ester Nicholson, a celebrated vocalist formerly with Bette Midler and Rod Stewart, is a gifted speaker, teacher, spiritual therapist and former addict who has developed a unique and powerful 12-Step-informed,complimentary program for healing addiction and dependence. The program is the result of more than a decade of work, refining a unique combination of spiritual practice and the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. The program has been organized into a 12-week process in Ms. Nicholson's new book, "Soul Recovery - 12 Keysto Healing Addiction," which will be released by Agape Media and Hay House on June 7,2013.

Ester's life story sketches a path from humble beginnings: as the youngest child born to a Baptist minister father, growing up on Long Island (NY) then moving to Los Angeles -where she honed her addiction to crack cocaine and later found her redemption from it.Showing unusual talent in music as a child, she began  her love of singing in school and church 2 performances, and standing in her
backyard with faux microphone in hand. It would seem unbelievable to her at the time, that one day she would stand on the stage at Madison Square Garden in front of screaming fans as she sang with Rod Stewart, Bette Midler, Faith Hill, Beyoncé, Barbra Streisand and so many more. But this life of extremes also had a dark side.


Introduced to snorting cocaine and having a baby while still in her middle teens, Ester was setting herself up for a life denied. Out on her own, surviving by whatever means, she descended into the hell of addiction, nurturing her anger and resentment and bouncing between relationships both temporary and frightening. By the early 1980's, Ester was a "functional" addict, doing office work part time, freebasing when the money was there, and finding any means to feed her various addictions. Music was long forgotten.Finally, her child was removed from her custody when it was clear she could no longer care for her - functional or not.

As so often happens, tragedy created the perfect incentive. Slowly climbing out of desperation, Ester found her way to 12 Step meetings. At first only seeing them as a continuing venue for her disease, she later was inspired to do the hard work of declaring her powerlessness in the face of the addiction. From these tentative beginnings, she worked her way forward. One, two, five, ten days; then two weeks, then 90 days clean, this was progress that counts. But relapses happened. It wasn't clear why.

What was the underpinning that drove the addiction in the first place? It couldn't be purely medical. And it couldn't be purely psychological. As Ester later discovered addiction, dependence, obsession and compulsion are related, yet entangled challenges. They require unraveling because the dysfunction becomes a part of the identity. In point of fact, they are identity diseases. But for Ester to discover that, she needed a state-change in her awareness - a non-linear jump. For her, that came in the form of a spiritual teaching that redefined what her personal identity was. She had to "find God" but a God redefined beyond the 2 dimensional view of an angry, withholding and anthropomorphic God. And very likely, a God that would be unrecognizable to her Baptist roots.

She had hit a wall with the 12 Steps. In the early 1990's, two years sober - Ester attended an unusual church service with a gifted "spiritual director" named Michael Bernard Beckwith. Beckwith later was recognized as a "teacher" featured in the pop, spiritual-light movie, "The Secret." But the essential teaching that Beckwith expounded was one of re-identification of the self in terms of spiritual unity - essentially a "one-ness" with a redefined Divine Presence. This was a key moment for Ester, because it addressed the root identity issues that had caused so much difficulty in her life.

Studying under Beckwith - who also penned the Foreword for Soul Recovery - familiarized Ester with the metaphysical principles she 2 would later turn into the Soul Recovery teaching. But it was the inspiration of joining and uniting these teachings with the 12 Step process itself, that revealed the answer and finally turned the tables on the addictions she had suffered from for so long. Sometimes, an internal realignment changes the conditions outside. Ester had just started singing at church after nearly 10 years of "not even singing in the shower," when she got a call from Bette Midler's manager asking if she would be interested in background singing on Bette's next tour. Appearances on Oprah, Ellen and other shows followed. Then toward the end of the tour, Ester got a phone call from Rod Stewart asking if she wanted to do his next world tour. One thing led to another, and soon Ester was to be seen on Good Morning America, back on Oprah and Ellen, and widely considered a top, background vocalist call in the most competitive music market in the world.

But Ester had an even higher calling: to be of service to the communities of people who could use what she had learned the hard way. "We don't have to do this the hard way anymore," Ester declared to a workshop she gave several years ago. "What we have to do is engage both the heart and mind to address this serious personal issue that spills over into our families and communities. And it’s deeper than just substance dependence." She recognized the disease for what it was, an affliction of the identity. Ester Nicholson has spent the last 7 years traveling the nation, giving keynote speeches, facilitating workshops and teaching a curriculum for the healing of dependence and dependence-related conditions. During that time, her work has been to optimize the best practices to heal the underlying causes of these conditions.

“My life demonstrates that it’s possible to permanently heal addiction. I know that’s a controversial stand, but it is possible. I know it is possible, and I’m committed to helping others find their healing in this. It’s just too important to do otherwise.”
 


About the Book

What is Soul Recovery?
Soul Recovery is a process by which we uncover the essential truth that each of us are whole and complete expressions of Life – no matter what our history or experience might suggest. As we grow up and learn the lessons of our parents, friends and communities, there are coded messages that embed into the development of our personalities. Some of these are very positive - others less so. Because the human brain is capable of taking seed ideas and turning them into full fledged belief systems and life patterns - it is vital that we revisit some of these ideas to insure that they accurately resonate with the lives we are attempting to build for ourselves. For example, most of us grow up with completely rational fears that serve to protect us during early stages of development. But there comes a time when many of these fear-based ideas become impediments to our highest creative functioning and spiritual development.

That is what Soul Recovery was crafted to address. In a step-by-step incremental process, Soul Recovery's 12 Keys are designed to resolve dependence, childhood trauma, issues of unworthiness, abandonment, shame, rejection, not-enough-ness, guilt and any other influence that is incongruent with your essential wholeness as a spiritual being having a human incarnation. By addressing these impediments, you free yourself to reveal your highest potential in all areas of life – be they personal, professional or spiritual. Soul Recovery is a 12 Week process that walks the reader through the necessary steps to address patterns of dysfunction that may have become entangled with your sense of self.

Because the work is done at the level of one’s identity,many challenges – from dependence and obsessive behaviors to relationship and prosperity issues - can be resolved for good.

More about Ester Nicholson:
www.soulrecovery.org

New-York-A-Tude



About the Author

As any lyricist will attest, transforming introspection into a written piece—subsequently creating an exposĂ© of self—takes an immense amount of fervor and delicacy. As premeditated as a crime, yet as authentic as innocence itself, the perplexity of a poet is like that of a puzzle.

Alexzenia Davis is this; an enigma of sorts: penning her life without ever quite wanting to tell on herself, open, vulnerable, honest, but yet mysterious and guarded. All of these characteristics can prove to be a possible testament to her Brooklyn, NY upbringing, or even the learned sly maneuvering of her journalism background. Either way, one thing is for sure: she is baring pieces of her soul one poem at a time; and she is inviting you to come along.

Davis published her first book, “Would You Love Me?” in 2011. The book—a poetic piece—contains one poem, of the same title, and is broken only by illustrations. Delving into her inner emotions, Davis ultimately presses the idea of true and undeniable love; even under unfavorable circumstances. Past the initial interrogation, she explores the possibilities of a limitless love.
Davis, who has been writing creatively since childhood, began posting YouTube videos upon entering college. The videos—edited with music and stylized to fit the feel of each individual poem—provide a backlog into the journey of the young poet.
 
The topic of love is one of the many Davis revisits throughout her body of work. Those very thoughts helped garner her recognition on a wider scale with her most recent collaboration. The viral release of the short film, “Make Me a Doorway” (directed/edited by Jesse Russell Brooks; written/narrated by Alexzenia Davis), caused a buzz throughout both poetry and film communities, earning the film several screenings at festivals throughout the United States and Canada.

In addition to love, her poetic portfolio speaks to politics, activism, religion, and more recently, breaking the chains of mental enslavement. Her views speak to an intense maturity—persistently questioning, yet remaining consistent in her emotional and analytical processes.

Professionally, she has also worked to leave an imprint. Davis began her career as a freelance journalist spotlighting up-and-coming artists and entrepreneurs. With aspirations to mesh her love for music with her passion for writing, she eventually amassed a diverse background by pursuing jobs that complement both desires. Working for companies such as SOTAC Magazine, Nitram Knarf Magazine, Creative Loafing (Charlotte, NC), Y2 Management and Interscope Records, her work has been highlighted in various mediums including online, print, and television.

Davis is a graduate of the renowned LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. She graduated summa cum laude from Johnson C. Smith University with a bachelor's degree in communication arts/journalism. Currently working in entertainment in Los Angeles, California, Davis plans to release her second book of poetry in late 2012.Her life experiences continue to fuel her drive. Her desire for betterment continues to dictate her journey. And her love of poetry continues to write what will certainly be her legacy.


About the Book

New-York-A-Tude is a compilation of the poetry Davis has written over the years. Choosing poems most representative of her feelings and attitude while growing up in the city, not only is her collection a beautiful book, it is sincere. It is poetry that Davis personally believes many people can appreciate — from avid poetry-lovers to romantics. It is thought-provoking and blunt, yet sophisticated and smooth, much like the titular city itself. It is a fantastic display of the multidimensional and dynamic characteristics that New Yorkers are not shy to show.

“I want readers to have an all-around experience when reading my poetry. From the font to the photography, I want everyone to be moved by the words… and I want them to be visually stunned,” Davis shares.Through her work, Davis invites readers to dive into their emotions. New-York-A-Tude gives them a rare chance to wade through the thoughts and feelings of a life-long resident of one of the greatest metropolis in the world, an exploration of the wide range of emotions that come with having lived in the city that never sleeps.
For more information on this book, interested parties may log on to www.alexzeniadavis.com or www.Xlibris.com.

Love Lust or Lies



 

Love lust or lies is a southern urban fiction book of romance by Jacksonville’s own Monya Williams. See how the entanglement of the hearts want, desires, and needs captivates you reeling you into the pleasures of the mind, body and soul. Feel the passion for one’s aspiration to love and be loved, the longing to be touched and the choices that have been made in order for these events to take place. The knowing when to let seasonal things past in order to make way for lifetime embraces.


Monya Williams explores the false realities of the misunderstanding of relationships as she personifies the truths about life and love. Taking blinders off our eyes in order for us to see what truly is and not just what we want them to be. Let go and become captured in the journey of love lust or lies as she draws you in as if it were your story being told.

Love lust or lies by Monya Williams go out and get your copy www.createspace.com/3636211 you will be glad you did.

God, Give Me Strength



About the Author

My name is Pearl Lilly and I am native of Michigan. I am a educator, child abuse advocate, poetry, spiritual person. I enjoy reading and writing. I currently live in Pine Bluff, Arkansas; attending University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, Arkansas. I lived here for just a little over a year now and enjoying the different cultures here. I enjoyed spending time with family and friends, traveling, and more. I have written these books out of healing within myself.


About the Book

"God, Give Me Strength"- is based on the challenges that I had dealt with court cases and being tortured a child.

A New Life: Delivered from Lesbianism



About the Author

Linda Carter, a born again, ex-lesbian, She spent 15 years of her life living as a Lesbian. In 1995, God saved and delivered her from lesbianism. Today, she is a born again woman of God, mother and author. My desire is to see all who are bound by homosexuality and lesbianism set free. She has a heart, for those who are bound by homosexuality and lesbianism. Her favorite scripture is Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".

Linda Carter’s mission is to see God save and deliver, those who are bound by their sexual identity and share my personal testimony on how God supernaturally delivered me from Lesbianism. To educate Pastors, Youths and all those who are willing to listen.

Linda Carter, God has blessed her to share her testimony by way of TV, Conferences, Churches, Blog talk radio, Charisma magazine and She Blog’s for Christian Post. Member and Team Leader for Overcomers Network. She is a member of Goodwill Church Ministries International, where Apostle Jeffery & Prophetess Sandra Thrash is her Pastor.

Linda Carter is the author of “A New Life: Delivered from Lesbianism” a book that takes us on her personal story and journey through lesbianism and how God freed her from bondage. Her summations to the word of God and her story makes great for comprehension and understanding.




About the Book

Linda Carter is a living example of the mercy, grace and power of God. having lived as a lesbian for 15 years, she was saved and set free by Jesus Christ at age 33. She is no longer gay, has no desire to return to her former life, and offers that when an authentic Christian conversion take place, a gay person will completely renounce that lifestyle. Delve into first hand account regarding one of life's most controversial subject matters, and find out how her choice to serve God dramatically transformed her life.

More about Linda Carter:
www.restorationministrymobile.org