Publisher: Artistic Origins (April 30, 2017) Category: Memoir, Adventure, Inspirational Tour dates: Oct-Nov, 2017 ISBN: 978-1-940385-05-1 ASIN: B071YRHTY4 Available in Print & ebook, 181 pages
The true story of a simple man who has spent his life working amidst the quiet embrace of nature and her animals. Despite the happy normalcy, his soul calls out to him through a series of visions urging him to search for the higher design in his life. His inner voice beckons him out into the wilderness, away from all that he knows and understands, to find the higher meaning of himself.
After nearly a decade of stubborn denial, he removes his self-imposed blindfolds to embark on what is to become his personal journey into the unknown.What he finds will forever change his life.
Instead of meaning, he finds a tempest. Finding courage through his animals he forges onward in search of his own truth. Is there a greater universal design for each of us? Or is there only chaos and confusion? Your answer lies within, if only you dare to take the journey.
A Journey Within highlights the duality between both the physical and the spiritual. It carries a message of courage and inspiration to connect with life and the inner-self, taking the road less traveled, and living authentically.
My Thoughts Journey Within by J. Mitchel Baker
Mitchel Baker is a rancher in San Antonio, Texas. He loves the ranching life but like most of us, wondered what else there is to life? Why do bad things happen to good people? With those questions in mind he embarks on a journey into nature and into himself.
He goes on his journey on horseback, into New Mexico. Nature there can be unforgiving but he somehow gains the courage and goes along the Continental Divide with few supplies. Besides his horse, he brings his dog and three men. They encounter much danger but lots of time for self reflection as well. As their journey continued, he kept learning more and more about himself. He learned from his spiritual journey that most answers lie deep within himself.
A Journey Within is a beautiful and moving account of both nature and self discovery. Baker’s writing makes me feel as if I am right there with him. His descriptions of nature are breath taking. At times it reminded me of Henry David Thoreau and at other of the book ‘Wild’ by Cheryl Strayed. If you enjoy books about nature and/or self discover, you are sure to love ‘A Journey Within’! I highly recommend it!
5/5
I received the ebook for my honest review.
About J. Mitchel Baker
Mitchel Baker is a graduate of Texas A&M University, living in San Antonio with his family. He has dedicated his life to ranching and managing natural resources, and continues to be a student of all things visceral. He is currently working on his sequel to A Journey Within as he stumbles awkwardly toward a higher consciousness.
This giveaway is for the choice of print or ebook however, print is available to the U.S. Only and ebook is open worldwide. This giveaway ends on November 30, 2017 midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.
Publisher: Artistic Origins (April 30, 2017) Category: Memoir, Adventure, Inspirational Tour dates: Oct-Nov, 2017 ISBN: 978-1-940385-05-1 ASIN: B071YRHTY4 Available in Print & ebook, 181 pages
The true story of a simple man who has spent his life working amidst the quiet embrace of nature and her animals. Despite the happy normalcy, his soul calls out to him through a series of visions urging him to search for the higher design in his life. His inner voice beckons him out into the wilderness, away from all that he knows and understands, to find the higher meaning of himself.
After nearly a decade of stubborn denial, he removes his self-imposed blindfolds to embark on what is to become his personal journey into the unknown.What he finds will forever change his life.
Instead of meaning, he finds a tempest. Finding courage through his animals he forges onward in search of his own truth. Is there a greater universal design for each of us? Or is there only chaos and confusion? Your answer lies within, if only you dare to take the journey.
A Journey Within highlights the duality between both the physical and the spiritual. It carries a message of courage and inspiration to connect with life and the inner-self, taking the road less traveled, and living authentically.
Praise Journey Within by J. Mitchel Baker
“A good book. A REALLY good book. The author has a way with words. He has you thinking you are right there with him. I enjoyed the adventure Mr. Baker. Thank you! It reminded me somewhat of “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed. It all goes back to, or starts with, “Why do bad things happen to Good People”? I’ve been trying to figure that out myself. I’ve read so many books in an effort to find an answer that I agree with. Some ideas make sense, some do not. I truly hope Mr. Bakers’ journey (s) help him find the answer.”-Kindle Customer
Interview With J. Mitchel Baker
TR: Please tell us something about ‘The Journey Within’ that is not in the summary. (About the book, character you particularly enjoyed writing etc.)
JB: The telling of this story is, and has been, an intensely uncomfortable moment for me. It all began easily enough with the wilderness experience practically writing itself, with the constant traumatic replay seared into my visual and emotional memory. But then my editor said “no”. “Not enough.” “Go deeper.” She wanted the reader to know me, to experience the adventure through my lens.
Therein lies my paradox – I am a quiet, introspective observer of life, yet at the same time shouting out to the universe revealing all things highly personal to me. She was right; the story could not be told well without linking the person behind the adventure. But the discomfort remains.
TR: Describe the room you are sitting in as though it was a scene in one of your books.
JB: Slow, stealthy footsteps creep silently across the tile floor. The sun barely sheds light through the windows. The only sounds to be heard in the house are the clock on the wall, the coffee brewing, and the early birds chirping outside. Morning is my alone time. A time to focus. A time to write. Slowly I pull the wooden chair from beneath the table. The long deep moan of the chair echoes loudly throughout the house. I pause with a grimace until silence again settles in. No movement is heard. Quickly sitting, I find myself uncomfortably far from the table. Yet I dare not move the chair closer for fear of waking the family. I am ready. Let the work begin.
My mind has taken me back to that moment: remembering, experiencing, re-living. My words flow freely onto the page.
“Good morning”.
Startled, I look up to find my wife peaking around the corner into my inner-sanctum – the dining room.
“Whatcha doin?”
“I’m writing” I reply.
“Oh. I’m sorry” she says. “I’ll leave you alone.”
My mind tries to go back to that place from where I came as the sounds of pots and pans clatter in the next room. With a great deal of focus, despite the background noise, I’m finally back in my mind once again: visually in the moment, feeling the pain, and again finding my words.
“Are you gonna mow the lawn today?”
Slowly I close my laptop.
TR: Using only adverbs, describe the writing process for you.
JB: Lightly but deeply; almost always playfully, sometimes sadly, but certainly powerfully.
TR: What writers have you drawn inspiration from? What other inspirations do you draw from?
JB: Having avoided mandatory reading through school as much as possible, I began reading consistently as a young adult, drawn to stories of intrigue from writers such as Uris, Ludlum, and Clancy. They took me to foreign lands and introduced me to dangerous lives. From there, I broadened into stories of Americana from McMurtry, Hillerman, Grisham, and L’Amour. But I found the truly great writers in the classics; of Hemingway, of Steinbeck, of Emerson, of Twain, of Buck, of Tolstoy – powerful writers who seemed to break all the literary rules.
But in the end, great stories don’t need to be only from authors notable in name. As a reader, I simply want the storyteller, any storyteller, to fully take me with them into the story.
TR: How long did it take you to complete ‘The Journey Within’?
JB: 4 months. Most of which was dedicated to wrapping my head around the emotions and thought processes that needed to be shared with the readers. Because my story is based on actual events, I could move forward at a breakneck pace through simple regurgitation.
TR: Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?
JB: Sam Elliot represents the iconic American cowboy. One could only wish he might choose to play a role that is me.
TR: Tell us about your cover. Did you design it yourself?
JB: Designed by Brandon White.
Admittedly, so much marketing emphasis is placed on the cover. This is what initially draws attention to a book. But I’m a rancher first and foremost, learning as I go about the publication industry, and never having travelled this road before, I clearly understand I’m an infant in the field. What I do know is that my budget is limited. I get nervous about potential costs.
So, thinking ahead to the cover, my idea was simply to have a contemplative pose over a campfire, hoping it might appeal to the cowboy/cowgirl in all of us. I told my wife what I was looking for and she took the pictures.
When it came time for cover design, I forwarded nearly every electronic photo I had to my publisher and she chose what I had hoped for – the photo from my early idea – something already paid for.
TR: If you could be somebody else for a day who would you choose and why?
JB: Almost anybody else as long as they were outside. I love the outdoors. That is where I draw my strength. That is where I feel connected to the earth.
TR: What are you currently working on?
JB: I am working on the second book of this story. The story told by ‘A Journey Within’ only tells of the life-altering event that had the power to change the course and direction of my life. I have since then wandered farther into the wilderness to see where that direction leads me. Wouldn’t you like to know what happened?
TR: What book/s are you reading at present?
JB: ‘Spider Woman’s Daughter’ by Anne Hillerman. I miss the Navajo stories once told by Tony Hillerman. But happily his daughter carries the torch now.
About J. Mitchel Baker
Mitchel Baker is a graduate of Texas A&M University, living in San Antonio with his family. He has dedicated his life to ranching and managing natural resources, and continues to be a student of all things visceral. He is currently working on his sequel to A Journey Within as he stumbles awkwardly toward a higher consciousness.
This giveaway is for the choice of print or ebook however, print is available to the U.S. Only and ebook is open worldwide. This giveaway ends on November 30, 2017 midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.
Play Like A Girl: How A Soccer School In Kenya’s Slums Started A Revolution by Ellie Roscher
Thanks to Allyson Fields of Viva Editions, I am giving away one print copy of Play Like A Girl: How A Soccer School In Kenya’s Slums Started A Revolution by Ellie Roscher.
Description of Play Like A Girl by Ellie Roscher
Growing up and living in Kibera, Kenya, Abdul Kassim was well aware of the disproportionate number of challenges faced by women due to the extreme gender inequalities that persist in the slums. After being raised by his aunts, mother, and grandmother and having a daughter himself, he felt that he needed to make a difference.
In 2002, Abdul started a soccer team for girls called Girls Soccer in Kibera (GSK), with the hope of fostering a supportive community and providing emotional and mental support for the young women in the town. The soccer program was a success, but the looming dangers of slum life persisted, and the young women continued to fall victim to the worst kinds of human atrocities. Indeed, it was the unyielding injustice of these conditions that led Abdul to the conclusion that soccer alone was not enough to create the necessary systemic change.
In 2006, after much work, the Kibera Girls Soccer Academy (KGSA) was established with their first class of 11 girls and 2 volunteer teachers. Today, KGSA is composed of 20 full-time staff, provides a host of artistic and athletic programs for more than 130 students annually, and continues to expand. By providing academics inside and outside of the classroom along with artistic and athletic opportunities, KGSA inspires the young women of Kibera to become advocates for change within their own communities and for Kenya as a whole.
Play Like a Girl tells the KGSA story through Abdul s voice and vision and the stories of key staff and students. It is written by Ellie Roscher who spent 2 summers doing research at KGSA and several years writing this book.
Praise for Play Like A Girl by Ellie Roscher
” Through these stories, we come to recognize how the human spirit will prevail. We owe a great debt to people like Abdul Kassim and his colleagues who have turned vision into reality.”-Brooks Goddard, TEAA President
“The inhabitants of Africa’s largest urban slum are often depicted with broad, incomplete brush strokes but Play Like a Girl gives us history and nuance instead. We learn the history of Kibera, its position within the larger Nairobi ecosystem, the complex list of issues that affect a girl’s ability to stay in school and about each of the students and teachers who gave so much to make KGSA a reality.”- Dani Zacarias, Director of Content at Worldreader
“Books For Africa applauds the brave girls of Kibera who used their voices and their bodies to advocate for their needs and pursue their dreams. They will be writing the story of the next generation of African youth, with all of their promise and power. We all recognize and encourage their inherent capabilities and possibilities.”- Carole Patrikakos, Deputy Director of Books For Africa
About Ellie Roscher
Ellie Roscher is an educator, writer and speaker. Her work has taken her to places like Kenya, El Salvador and Uruguay, but she currently lives in Minneapolis with her spouse and sons. She has a MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and a MA in Theology from Luther Seminary. For more information, please visit her website:www.ellieroscher.com or follow her on Twitter: @ellieroscher.
Giveaway of Play Like A Girl by Ellie Roscher
This giveaway is open worldwide and ends on September 15, 2017 midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.
Journey Within by J. Mitchel Baker
Play Like A Girl: How A Soccer School In Kenya’s Slums Started A Revolution by Ellie Roscher