A METAPHOR

I've had an anxiety disorder all my life. I recently discovered a type of therapy called "Acceptance and Commitment". It involves accepting your thought and emotions and not trying to control them. I can't really explain it, but you can Google it to get all the details.

It has been the best treatment for my anxiety I've ever found. And I've been looking for help for 18 years. Seriously, if you have any psychological issues, find a therapist who practices Acceptance and Commitment. Daniel is probably the 6th or 7th therapist I've seen. All the ones before gave me advice, but nothing I could grab onto and do something with. Daniel gives me homework and holds me accountable for it. And if I'm contradicting myself or judging myself, he lets me know. It's been an eye-opening experience, and I am so thankful to my friend who recommended Daniel to me.

In this type of therapy, they use a lot of metaphors to help you understand the concepts, and honestly, it took me a month or so really figure out what my therapist was saying...what he truly meant.  Then, one night I had a breakthrough. It all just clicked. So, I wrote my own metaphor and gave it to my therapist. When he read it, he almost cried. He had the look of a proud papa on his face. Eureka! I'd finally understood! He asked if he could share it with his therapist friends. Of course, I told him he could.

Since he is sharing it, I thought I'd share it here. It hasn't been edited, so I apologize if there are typos and redundancy. This is how it came out during my epiphany. IT isn't very long, but it's so personal and powerful to me. Here goes...

A River

I am a riverbed. I am the vessel, the banks through which thoughts and emotions course. I am Earth: dirt, rocks and stones, steadfast though the waters constantly flow. Thoughts drift along my surface likes leaves in a stream. But I am not those leaves, as I am not the thoughts that my mind creates. I watch from below as the leaves float by.  All I must do is observe.  I don't choose to get caught up in the currents of conflict. Rapids, white water, water falls…they are not who I am. I am the riverbed. My waters flow calmly, accepting the leaves with the graciousness of an observer. They are there. I cannot change that. They come and go, and soon others follow suit.

Occasionally, a storm may brew from above.  Dark clouds hang heavy. Ominous. Lightning cracks and thunder roars above me. Branches, bark and trash surge through my waters. Again, I watch them from below.  They are in my vessel, but they are not me. I am the riverbed, and I don't change.

No matter what debris treads across my surface, I remain true. I am the same as I was and always will be.

TO CATCH A SPIRIT AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK!

A psychic who’s afraid of ghosts and a millionaire with a haunted past and a hidden power find that only love can catch a spirit. With love, all things are possible—especially if you need to catch a Spirit.


It's official. To Catch a Spirit is now available in paperback! You can order it from Breathless Press here: http://www.breathlesspress.com/catch-spirit-print


and from Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/To-Catch-Spirit-Carrie-Pulkinen/dp/1771010576/ref=cm_cmu_up_thanks_hdr


I'm so excited to be starting this new chapter in my writing career. Thank you to all my readers who have supported me along the way! 

COMING SOON!

Only 10 more days until the print release of To Catch a Spirit! It will be available to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, etc. I don't know how long it will take the book stores to start carrying it, once it's released. But you can always order it directly from the publisher Breathless Press!

Be sure to get yours on March 30th!

Here's a bit of info on the book:

"To Catch a Spirit is a thrilling paranormal love story that kept me turning the pages, eager for more. I got goosebumps quite a few times while reading this." - Sunflower of Long and Short Reviews

"It's a great love story with a twist. I love it!" - Wanda of Romance Writers Reviews

"I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good, fast read." -Holly at Full Moon Bites

Psychic Allison Gray has a soft spot for Logan Mitchell, even though she’s never met him. All it takes is one encounter for the millionaire’s true emotions to slip through Allison’s shields, and she is intrigued. He needs her help, but Allison soon discovers that the kind of help Logan needs is the kind she isn’t willing to give. Logan has a ghost, and Allison doesn’t work with spirits anymore.

But the ghost is the least of Logan’s problems. Born an empath, Logan is constantly barraged with human emotions. And while his talent has come in handy in the business world, it’s about to drive him insane. Literally. Logan has OCD, and his ability triggers unbearable attacks that have him counting and cleaning until he collapses from exhaustion.

Sex and money. That’s all anyone wants from him. Even worse, he’s plagued with recurring visions of his future wife’s death, so Logan has spent his entire life avoiding love. He’s given up hope of ever having a normal life, until he meets Allison. She’s everything he’s ever dreamed of, and now he has to decide if loving her is worth risking her life.

If she’ll even have him. Allison’s lost too much already – her mother to cancer, her father to suicide. But, Logan is so charming and so real, she can’t help but fall for him. Now she has to overcome her fear of commitment…and ghosts…or face spending the rest of her life alone.

CONTESTS, PRIZES, & FUN!

Be sure to hop on over to The Romance Reviews all this month for lots of games and prizes. There is a Q&A contest going on every day, and a question about one of my books will be up tomorrow, March 5th. Even if you haven't read it, you can still participate (hints are included)!

On March 30th, to celebrate the paperback release of To Catch a Spirit, I'll be doing a chat here. I hope to see you there!

REAWAKENED Coming Soon!

It's official! I just signed the contract with Breathless Press to publish my fourth novel, Reawakened. It's got action, suspense, sex, vampires, and werewolves. The whole package!

I don't have a release date yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I find out. In the meantime, here's what the story is about:

Jules Hume is a 38-year-old single mom living in a world where magic is a myth and supernatural creatures are fiction. She’s smart, sexy, independent, and has her life completely under control. But when she finds out her boyfriend, Ian, is not only a vampire, but a vampire king, her world is turned upside down. Now she must decide whether or not to accept her fate and travel to Scotland to help Ian save the world.


Scottish vampires and American werewolves. What more could a girl ask for?

FOUR LIPS FROM TWOLIPS REVIEWS

Her Guardian Lover got a great review from TwoLips Reviews. This is what they said:

"The ending is completely beautiful and is a must read.  Over all, I really enjoyed Her Guardian Lover and am very glad I got a chance to read this beautiful love story."


Read the entire review HERE.


Buy the book HERE.

Love, Teach: Why Teachers are Complete Psychos

Love this post!

Love, Teach: Why Teachers are Complete Psychos: Ok, other teachers might not be completely psychotic. But we’re all flirting with it. I, in particular, have noticed a steady decline...