Spotlight On: Author Tara LaDue

I first met author Tara LaDue on Instagram. She is a beautiful, positive soul, and watching her make her book come to life, has been incredibly inspiring. Came To Believe, A Journey of Trust, Faith and Perseverance is Tara's spiritual memoir and is currently our Book of the Week! Enjoy getting to know Tara with my interview below:

SG (Suitable Gifts): This is your first book, congratulations on such a wonderful accomplishment! When did you first realize you wanted to write?  

Tara (Tara LaDue): I always loved writing back in school.  I talk about this in the book.  Writing was my outlet, and my escape. 

SG: Why did you decide to write this book?

Tara: I wrote to help me in my healing journey initially.  I wanted to tell my truth with no edits as a way to release pain and shame.  Then as I was writing it and telling people about it, I was made aware of how much this book will help others.

SG: Tell us about your book.

Tara: Came to Believe is a Journey of Trust, Faith and Perseverance.  It is my spiritual memoir of how I had a shift in perception about my life.  It is my healing journey from growing up in a fatherless home, being a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, living with the disease of alcoholism, and the unconditional love between a mother and daughter.  By trusting in a power outside of myself, putting my faith in the Angels and the Universe I persevered.  This memoir is how I Came to Believe in the power of manifestation and miracles.

SG: Why did you decide to self publish?

Tara: Well, I didn’t win the Hay House writer’s course contract, but I didn’t want that to stop me.  I knew my story was important, and realized that publishing a book through a big publisher isn’t the only way.  Also, I have learned that through self-publishing you have more control.

SG: Tell us about you.

Tara: Where do I start?  I am a Kundalini Yoga Teacher, Sprit Junkie, the best dog mom ever, an Auntie, an awesome daughter, a wonderful friend, a go-getter and I love working on my spiritual development.

SG: Tell us about your social media business.

Tara: I coach spiritual entrepreneurs how to build their social media platforms with integrity and authenticity, I also manage accounts and I wrote a Social Media Guidebook for Spiritual Entrepreneurs of all my tips and tricks that is pretty inexpensive! It can be purchased at gum.co/kwRm

SG: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Tara: Kundalini Yoga, walking, Social Media, playing with Chester, my adorable shih tzu.

SG: What was one of the most surprising things you learned creating your book (about the writing process)? 

Tara: It brings up a lot of emotions.  Also, I learned that I needed to remove distractions!  I love to write, but my mind would often wander to other things.  

SG: What was one of the most surprising things you learned creating your book (about yourself)? 

Tara: I have accomplished a lot!  And, I should be very proud of myself.

SG: What is the writing process like?

Tara: I remember Doreen say to write at least 1 page a day. I tried this, but for me I would be on a roll for 3 months and bang out 5 chapters, then I would have to take a break and come back to it.  Also, I felt I needed to get things done fast, I learned mid-way through to slow it down!  Don’t rush, so I can write from the heart.

SG: What advice do you have for other writers? 

Tara: Begin.  Start now!  Slow and steady wins the race after you begin. Be gentle on yourself, and remember self-care as you write.  A lot of stuff comes up so it important to have a support system.

SG: Who inspires you?

Tara: So many people! Going through my Instagram newsfeed and seeing what everyone has accomplished.  My mom inspired this book.  I wanted to tell a story of healing between a mother and daughter.  Gabby Bernstein has been a big influence on my journey.  My Spirit Junkie sisters and brothers.

SG: I watched you on Instagram manifest this book, can you share a little bit about how? 

Tara: I am a big manifestor and this book has a lot of manifesting stories and ways to manifest in it!  So, I’ll let everyone read it to find out! 

SG: How did writing your story heal you?  

Tara: As I put my thoughts to paper, the tears shed, the shame dissipated.  As I put my stories to paper, I smiled and laughed and realized I accomplished a lot of amazing stuff!  It was all healing.

SG: Do you view writing as a type of spiritual practice?

Tara: Yes, In Alanon I was suggested to write 5 things I was grateful for a day.  This causes a complete shift in energy.  This is when I first realized writing caused spiritual growth.

SG: Do you have a ritual or spiritual practice before you write?

Tara: I ask my Higher Power to write through me.   I have my larimar crystal that helps to write from the heart and my moonstone crystals near me.  I burn incense and meditate first.

SG: Did you feel that you were divinely supported while you were writing your book?  

Tara: Absolutely.  My angels held my hand and hugged my little girl all along the way.

SG: What was the most challenging part of your book to write about?

Tara: The chapter where I talk about my childhood trauma of being a survivor of incest.  It was the hardest for me to begin, but once I put my fingers to the keyboard it just flowed out of me.

SG: What was the most joyful part of your book to write about?

Tara: The healing with my Mom and I, but also the idea of finding your tribe and how I did it. 

SG: How long did it take you to write your book?  

Tara: The writing took a year and a half, but I started my social media platform for it 2 years ago.

SG: Did you write every day? For how long?

Tara: Not every day. I wrote when I felt moved to write and I wrote for as long as I knew it was coming from my heart.

SG: What authors do you like to read?  

Tara: My girl, Gabby Bernstein.  Marianne Williamson.  Wayne Dyer.  Caroline Myss.   

SG: What books have had a strong influence on you or your writing? 

Tara: All of Gabby Bernstein’s books.  Also, Rebecca Campbell’s books.  Doreen Virtue is really who made me feel like I could do it!

SG: What’s next? 

Tara: Wow! I really want to enjoy the accomplishment of this book, Came to Believe.   I already have my second book which will be titled, “You Are Only As Sick As Your Secrets,” which will be about my healing journey from childhood sexual abuse through Alanon, Kundalini Yoga, therapy, EMDR and EFT.  


Thank you Tara for taking the time to share about your new book, your writing process, and your life. It is an honor to know you, and I am so thrilled that so many others will get to know you too, and will be helped by your book!

For more information:
To buy Tara's book or Kindle version: Came To Believe
Tara's website: http://www.taraladue.com
Alanon – 12 step program from the friends and family of alcoholics www.al-anon.org
EFT, Emotional Freedom Technique www.thetappingsolution.com
EMDR, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing www.emdr.com

In Gratitude & Love,

Kerri Mulhern
www.suitablegifts.com

Book Review: Percolate by Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino

I was first introduced to Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino through social media. She is intelligent and beautiful (inside & out) with business savvy and an endless supply of energy. She is also a mom to four sons, and her love for them and her husband is palpable. She is a go-getter as the CEO and Founder of The Best Ever You Network, The Best Ever You Show, Best Main Life, Best Ever You Books, Food Allergy Zone, and top it all off, she is a Hay House author! 

When I was writing my notes for this blog, one of the first descriptions of Elizabeth I jotted down was "perky." It is quite fitting that the name of her book is Percolate! She radiates joy, and after reading her book, and learning about her life, I have an even bigger admiration for her contagious enthusiasm. 

Percolate - Let Your Best Self Filter Through is a 9-step guide to making changes, empowering yourself and living your best life.The coffee theme is cleverly weaved throughout the book, accentuating each chapter. In order to effect positive change in our lives, Elizabeth thoughtfully guides us through self-evaluation of our beliefs, values, and desires. She provides questions to journal, along with positive steps for positive growth and change. Each chapter ends with a "Coffee Break" discussion with Elizabeth and Dr. Katie Eastman. Along with Elizabeth's delicious humor, tales of a hamster, an aardvark, and a platypus, I was completely hooked by the time I reached the section of her book entitled What Would Betty White Do? 

What stands out for me the most, is Elizabeth's authenticity. She walks the talk. This book dives deep into her life, and she truly lives through example. Not everything has been a cup of tea (er, coffee I mean) for her. She writes of several harrowing life-threatening experiences to herself and family that would have fractured most. Yet, no matter what has happened, she chooses to live her best life. And the most beautiful thing is, she wants to share what she learns with everyone. She wants us all to rise and be the best that we can be. 

I highly recommend this book. Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino doesn't just live her best life, she gives it too. This quote, generally attributed to Picasso, rings true for Elizabeth: "The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away." Thank you Elizabeth, for sharing your gift through Percolate and everything you do.

You can find Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino and her work at:
Book: Percolate
Website: http://www.elizabethguarino.com/
The Best Ever You: http://www.besteveryou.com/
Best Maine Life: https://www.bestmainelife.com/
Best Ever You Books: http://www.besteveryoubooks.com/
Food Allergy Zone: https://www.foodallergyzone.com/
The Best Ever You Show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/besteveryou

In Gratitude & Love,

Kerri Mulhern
www.suitablegifts.com

Book Review: The Mastery Of Self by don Miguel Ruiz Jr.

"The human journey is a process of the Divine becoming aware of itself." 

- don Miguel Ruiz Jr.

This May I had the honor to attend an evening with don Miguel Ruiz and don Miguel Ruiz Jr.  It was a magical night as you can read about in my May 19th blog. That night I purchased don Miguel Ruiz Jr.'s latest book The Mastery of Self - A Toltec Guide To Personal Freedom. I was thrilled to have him sign the book that night. There is energy everwhere, and along with the energy of the book, there is energy in his signature. And from what I felt in the church that evening, his energy is pure love.

I was very excited to read this book. It looks like a small, quick read, but it is packed and overflowing with wisdom. I really took my time with this one because he provided exercises in each chapter, and I wanted to do everything. As you can probably tell by now, one of my passions is self-improvement and learning to be my best self. What I learned through don Miguel Ruiz Jr.'s book, is that my Authentic Self is already perfect. I just need to let go of the masks and unconditional love for myself and others (and a few other very important things, but you'll read about it in the book yourself!).

"As a Master of Self, the way out is to remind yourself that you are perfect in this moment and you don't need to do or achieve anything in order to be complete."

- don Miguel Ruiz Jr.

The biggest challenge in my life has been forgiveness. It is the biggest obstacle I have been avoiding. However, I knew that I would have to face it eventually if I wanted to live my best life possible. It's amazing how life works when you tune in and see how everything is really guiding you home to your true nature. I recently had a really heartfelt conversation with my bestie. I was telling her about a pivotal, heartbreaking moment in my life. She said she felt like this was the final piece, the one thing I needed to let go of to be free and to essentially live the life I was intended here for. Our conversation was just after I read Chapter 4: Unconditional Love For Others. The exercises in this chapter put me on the path to freedom in this area. I don't want to give the book away, but I will say the first part involved writing a letter (something I've talked about doing for awhile) to the person that caused that "thing", that "moment" that feels like changed everything, and not for the better. I had been avoiding the letter. But I did it this time, I saw it through. For the first time I got it all out, I told my story from the perspective of the young girl I was. It wasn't as difficult or frightening as I thought it would be. The next two parts of the exercise are what set me free. Thank you don Miguel!

The other huge thing that this book helped me with is weight loss. This is yet another struggle that I just wrote about in my last blog. Again, I was just thinking about my struggle with losing weight, and there comes Chapter 8: Goal Setting. This chapter taught me that I am perfect already and I need to love myself as I am whether I achieve my goals or not. This chapter provided a beautiful approach to setting goals in a positive and healthy way. It's been of immeasurable use. Thank you again don Miguel!

As I've mentioned, there is so much packed into this book. I wanted to give a couple of examples of how it helped me, but there is so much more. There are grounding exercises, mantras, reflections on our attachments, the roles we play, the projections we put onto others and more. 

I know for everyone reading The Mastery of Self, it will hit at the core of something in your life that really needs to be brought to the surface and released. It will give you an awareness into something profound in your life, and will give you a new perspective. It will reveal the truth and give concrete steps to awareness and freedom. And above all, this is all done with love. Obviously I highly recommend this book! I also highly recommend checking out don Miguel Ruiz Jr.'s book signing schedule and events. 

You can click on the links in the blog or click here for more information:
To order The Master of Self: click here
For don Miguel Ruiz Jr.'s Book Signings & Events: click here

In Gratitude & Love,

Kerri Mulhern
www.suitablegifts.com

Mr. Martin And The Dragonfly - A Reading With Karen Kubicko

Buckle up everyone, this one is going to be quite a ride!

I believe with all my heart that what you think about will appear in your life. When I meditate in the morning, one of my intentions is to be able to see, hear and feel my angels and spirit guides. So, of course, a beautiful Earth angel named Karen Kubicko came onto my path to get me closer to them.

I had the honor of being introduced to the author of Life Is Just Another Class through social media. I am currently reading her amazing book about her journey through past life regression. It's fascinating to hear about the variety of lives she's led and what lessons she's learned from them. I am pretty riveted to this book and will be posting a blog review soon. 

My interest was peaked into past life regression after hearing Dr. Brian Weiss speak at an HayHouse I Can Do It! event in Austin in 2013. He's written Many Lives, Many Masters among others and also has many regression CD's available. Karen was actually regressed on stage by him at one of his events!

So along with her journey through regression, Karen can also see angels and spirit guides. She offered to do a reading for me and I could hardly contain my excitement! Such a wonderful opportunity! I have never had a reading before, but as books, people and opportunities keep showing up, they seem to be guiding me towards the next step on this exhilarating spiritual journey, and I say yes fearlessly.

After we scheduled a time to talk, a million questions to ask ran through my head: business, family, finances and more. Then I thought of everything I have ever done wrong: that tired and old "I'm not worthy" reel I play in my head sometimes. Then I realized the angels are loving and they wouldn't see me as harshly as I do. Many, many thoughts continued to circle. Finally I prayed and meditated on it. I asked for the reading to reveal what is in the highest good for myself and everyone. Expectation and self-bashing were released so I could be fully present in this upcoming experience.

Just before our call, I sat on the floor in my office, lit an Archangel Michael candle and said a prayer. I placed a rose that my son had picked for me next to it, along with some heart-shaped precious stones. I had a notebook and pen in hand and made my call to Karen. She was so lovely over the phone, just as our Instagram conversations had been. She told me I was bright (as in light) and it made me feel very happy. My goal is to radiate light, love, joy, peace and kindness. I am a work in progress, but that is where I'm headed. 

Karen told me her readings usually are 20-45 minutes. It was so nice to actually speak with 
her and we ended up talking for over 2 hours! She is definitely a teacher and I see her on a Hay House stage very soon. She taught me all about how she sees everything. I don't want to give all of that away since you can read it in her book or set up a personal reading with her. Visit her blog for more info at: www.karenkubicko.wordpress.com.

She told me I have 15 spirit guides - quite a team to watch over me, I'd say! She sees them in rows of 5 to the right of me. The first row are my council members and behind me are my angels. There are 5 including Archangel Michael (I hadn't told her about the candle, but I hope he likes it!), but that number can increase or decrease. We can call on them whenever we need them. 

Karen told me that one of my spirit guides is a business man in a brownish-grey tweed suit. He was originally from England. What is interesting about this, is that I have always had an affinity for England. That is something I haven't shared with anyone. It isn't part of my heritage, I'm Irish and Italian. That pull towards England has been there, but I didn't know why. So this businessman from England traveled to the U.S. in the early 1800's to make a life. He met his wife here. I was his daughter. We actually had 5 lifetimes together. He called himself Mr. Martin. He was very proper, Karen told me, and that was probably what I called him, instead of dad. He was wearing a green shirt which represents the heart chakra. He is healing his heart as well as mine. She said I had 3 lifetimes with him in which I passed away under 10. 

She paid particular attention to a lifetime with him that I passed away at 7. She asked me if there was something life threatening that happened to me in this lifetime at 7. I told her I had my appendix taken out at that age. I remember that day, I thought I just had a stomach ache. I remember my mom taking me to see Dr. Williams, my pediatrician (also the son of the poet William Carlos Williams). The next thing I knew, I was being taking to the hospital for emergency surgery. According to Karen, the thing I needed to overcome in this lifetime was feeling love from my parents. That is my lesson. She said if I had not felt loved, I would have died.

Mr. Martin apologized to me through her and said he was sorry for being detached emotionally. Karen next asked if I had a stick pin. The first thing that came to mind, was a dragonfly pin I bought quite a few years ago on a business trip to New York City. I went to my favorite museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and bought it from the gift shop. I always wore it to business meetings and conferences on my suit jackets. She told me it was a gift from him and he has done this for me in previous lifetimes too. I thought it was pretty sweet that I chose to wear it just for business and he was a businessman. 

Mr. Martin told me through Karen, that he loved me through all of the lifetimes. He asked for my forgiveness. I cried through that part of the reading. There has always been a part of me throughout my whole life that felt unloved. It's not that I didn't have loving people in my life, there was something inside of me that never felt worthy, never felt important enough to deserve it, but I didn't know why. Whether you believe in past lives or not, I can tell you this experience has had a profound effect on me. I felt healed from that feeling of being unworthy. I felt loved. And I am extremely grateful to Karen for bringing me such an unexpected message. It was overwhelming on so many levels and I cried several times the rest of the day and next. It wasn't because I was sad, I felt free. Thank you Karen, what a gift!

She also told me to ask for signs of their presence any time. She said I could ask for feathers, numbers and then she hesitated for a moment. They mentioned smiley faces to her! She said we can ask for a sign from our angels, guides and even departed loved ones. She suggested I could ask for dragonflies from Mr. Martin. 

In my last blog I wrote about seeing don Miguel Ruiz and don Miguel Ruiz Jr. at a local church. This was 4 days before I spoke with Karen. The event took place on the day Karen's book arrived in the mail to me. First of all, I switched my original seat before the event started. A woman that ended up doing the same thing sat down next to me. Her name was Karen, and I'm Kerri. We also found out that the two women next to us were named Karen and Kerri. That was quite a coincidence! In the blog I wrote about heading into the church and one of the greeters searching endlessly through a pile of stickers to place on my hand as a sign I was in the preferred seating section. It really stuck out in my mind because she really took awhile to find what she wanted. The day after my reading with Karen, I decided to clean up the papers from my handbag that I had left on my dining room table. I saw the flyer I was handed at the church and was going to read it quick and throw it in the trash. Then I noticed the sticker from my hand that I had placed on it...

For me, those were signs that my angels and spirit guides were around. That evening was magical in many ways that I could not have imagined. Every time that I pray and release expectation, amazing things happen.

After finding the sticker on the flyer, I did my morning meditation and prayer. I asked Mr. Martin if he really was around, to please show me a dragonfly sign. I finished and got in my car and waited for my son to finish getting ready for school and hop in. I looked out the window, and on my neighbor's porch was this...

Thank you dear Karen Kubicko. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you angels, thank you spirit guides, thank you Mr. Martin. 

More to follow on my reading in an upcoming blog! Click on any of the links in the blog to go directly to the websites and books mentioned.

In Gratitude and Love,

Kerri Mulhern
www.suitablegifts.com