Creating Sparks That Last & All Things Relationships

And New Releases from Well-Loved Authors This month I want to share with you, the delights I have discovered from new, and new-to-me, authors. Welcome to July's Bookish Edition of Creating Sparks that Last Elora Canne Up and Coming Authors: So much has happened in the book world this month, I have much to share:  ARC reads  Beta reads  Book endorsements Online interviews  Podcast interviews  In-person, Aussie author, book launch events Bookish start-up event launching this month   To say I am pumped would be an understatement! Right! Onto the Big Reveal: Author’s Showcase Mitos Ming Suson , author of several emotive memoirs herself, approached me for an author feature on her blog, after reading my memoir, En Route . It was such a thrill! Her fun and informative interview reveals all the juicy bits  which you can read about, here:  Author's Showcase   - click through to 'Read full interview here.' If you'd like the chance for an Author's Show...

  Treat others like you want to be treated https://unsplash.com/@isthatbrock As I have traversed through this maze of uncertainty, blindly forging my way ahead without being able to see the way forward, I found many forms of growth and awakening processes along the way.            En Route: The best is yet to be by Elora Canne As I have matured and supposedly wizened up and been open to the teachings of the universe, it has dawned on me that maxims such as ‘treat others like you want to be treated’ cannot be directly translated, just like many foreign languages cannot be directly translated.  🙊 Treat others like you want to be treated  actually works by default. For example, although in my mid-adult years I have focused on being very literal and positive with my words (mostly) when speaking with other people, this certainly does not always come back to me directly, but in a roundabout way instead. 🙉 Say what you mean and mean what you say ...

How to Change Conversation Blockers https://unsplash.com/@jonathanborba One thing is for sure: Marriage and relationships take a lot of work; a lot of honesty with ourselves and our partners. Michelle Obama speaks openly on her anniversary with Barack. [This will be the last of our 4-part mini series on effective communication in relationships.  Keep a look out for our new series next week!]  Honesty with ourselves: Let's begin there If our partner says things that make us feel uncomfortable, we have to first examine what it feels like inside of us in order to understand why we feel that way. For example, "Are you going to dinner dressed like that?" A seemingly innocent question right? WRONG. It's an accusatory question and it makes you feel defensive. Great! Now you can start to understand why it makes you feel that way. You might have any number of reasons - they'll be personal to you as we're all so very different. When you've discovered why you feel a ...

How to Handle Difficult Conversations I have been told so many times that I'm too sensitive. I've started responding with, "You say that like it's a bad thing." Honestly though, we are not too much of anything. There are sensitive people and there are not-so-sensitive people. We are simply that which makes us, us. https://unsplash.com/@css Thank you to everyone who has responded with suggestions for our new series on the blog. We'll start with communication, specifically with highly sensitive people through difficult conversations. New Blog Series Highly Sensitive People – How to handle difficult conversations Difficult conversations are part of all relationships. They are awkward, uncomfortable and confronting, but they need to be had. If one, or both, of you is highly sensitive, the conversation is that much more difficult to navigate. If one, or both, of you is hot-headed, the conversation falls to pieces too quickly. Mark Twain Quote: I can live for tw...

The Way to a Man’s Heart Image credit to Unsplash by Raissa Lara Lütolf Armed with a glass of velvety smooth Merlot and James with an ice cold beer we joined the hustle of talking, laughing guests standing around bar tables with our behinds perched on wire barstools. While it was fun to blend in with the loud and raucous customers around us, James and I longed for a space to sit comfortably where we could talk to each other instead of shouting at each other, albeit kindly. “Should we find somewhere else to have dinner?” James yelled at me. “Sure,” I screamed back into his ear. So much fun. Leaving the warmth of those cozy blankets behind, James and I headed for a restaurant with a water view on Darling Harbour. One of our favourites is Bungalow 8 and to our delight, they had revamped their eatery into private booth spaces.  Ours was particularly intimate with a sign that implored, “Please, no sledding.” Let me emphasize that the courtyard in question was no more than a two metre sq...