Splinter: My Personal Journey through My Sister's Mental Illness

We have all encountered people with mental illness in school, the workplace, among our friends, and in our families. If the emotional or mental distress is mild or non-threatening, empathy and compassion go a long way. Dealing with someone who has a personality disorder is another matter.

When Charlotte Yardley’s sister moved to her town after they had communicated mostly by phone for 40 years, she found herself ill-equipped to interact with someone whose behavior alternated between tears, depression, anger, blow-ups, and outright cruelty. She had thought they were close, but now she was being blamed for everything her sister believed was going wrong in her life. As Yardley dipped into co-dependence and depression of her own, she sought therapy.

Through journal excerpts, summaries of concepts from books she read, excerpts of her sister’s emails and therapy sessions, even a teacher-like handout, she invites the reader to join her in her journey toward acceptance of the kind of relationship she can and cannot have with her sister. Though the subject is dark, there is some humor, and there’s a section of quick tips at the end for those facing similar relationship struggles.

St. Damon's Hall

This Young Adult novel takes place in a small New England town and is a coming of age story for Frankie Folinari and his friends. While all of these friends are special in their own way, Frankie’s many trials and tribulations tell the story of a particularly special young man. Frankie is not just the leader of the group, he’s an emerging 21^st century hero trying to understand and control his emerging powers.  This gripping novel tells the story of 6 friends whose lives were forever changed and their paths altered by their chance meeting. This adventurous tale takes many twists and turns as this group hunts for justice while some even find love along the way.

Terms of Estrangement

After almost 50 years of battling an unwanted sexual identity that had promised him an afterlife in hell, Greg made the decision to give up the fight in 2019. Decades of depression and aversion/reparative “ex-gay” therapy – which consisted of sniffing dog feces while thumbing through cologne magazine ads and participating in awkward “gay men’s basketball” bonding sessions – had landed Greg in two separate mental hospitals, leaving him disillusioned and suicidal and with a choice that had to be made.

However, ‘coming out’ had its costs.

The Bus Trip

In the heart-wrenching memoir, The Bus Trip, a mother revisits the poignant journey of love, strength, and indomitable spirit as she navigates the most devastating loss of her life – the passing of her vibrant daughter, Susu. From the exuberant days of Susu’s childhood, filled with laughter, teenager years filled happiness and togetherness, college years and blossoming into a young adult with a future so bright, the incredible bond of a mother and daughter, the universal tunes of Barney, to the heartbreak of a leukemia diagnosis in her early 20s, this tale paints an intimate portrait of a family bound together by unbreakable bonds. 

  

Through every hospital visit, every lab report, and every tear-shed moment, the memory of Susu – adventurous, witty, and ever-loving – stands as a testament to the power of love that transcends life and death. As the pages unfold, readers are invited to bear witness to the transformative journey of grief and remembrance. A mother filled with inspiration from her daughter and a family clinging to the love to guide them through this unimaginable journey.

  

For every parent, sibling, and individual who has loved deeply, The Bus Trip is a deeply moving story which serves as a profound reflection on the beauty of life, the pain of loss, and the eternal nature of love.

The Coming Singularity

As we approach 2050, it is projected that human consciousness will encounter a superior intelligence for the very first time: artificial machine intelligence. It is important for us to understand the evolutionary impact of this event, but also that we are being altered from the inside out for the singularity to arise.

Are we ready?

Will we be adaptive?

How will we change?

The Coming Singularity explores the psychological impact of the changes coming our way and the many adaptations we will have to make.

We are transitioning to a world of one degree of separation, with only the illusion of privacy, autonomy and anonymity. All of us are undergoing a transition to an electronic identity, one that can reach back and change the real you. The question going forward will be, who is the real you?

A cluster of psychological symptoms are evolving from our technology interface––Identity Diffusion. Its key feature is the de-realization of life.

Direct brain-to-technology interfaces will soon render our brains an open-source forum. We need to discuss who is in there and why!

The impact of e-technology on human identity will be profound, but it is also a prerequisite for machine intelligence to arise. We need to discuss this.

We humans reside in complex, dynamical networks. The goal of artificial intelligence will be to evolve and stabilize these networks. And we may not be the priority.

The Connection Value

The Connection Value is a book that delves into the psychological value necessary to foster inner harmony, allowing the heart to manifest the divine energy of unconditional love through the mind. This is a contemporary interpretation of what was traditionally referred to as “The Holy Spirit”. It is the physical transformation brought about by the Kundalini Awakening, which balances energy within and initiates a profound connection activation within the self.

Through The Connection Value, readers are invited to let go of past traumas and release themselves from the burdens of conditioning, personal struggles, and generational trauma that weigh on their souls. The book encourages readers to turn inward and seek their own inner peace, rather than seeking salvation or rewards outside of themselves.

This is a compelling and thought-provoking call to action for humanity to pay attention to the transformative power that lies within each of us. The Connection Value is a powerful tool for healing and growth, and an inspiration for those seeking a more connected and fulfilling life.

The Dame with No Name

This book is not for the faint of heart.

Drugs, gangs, and violence form the backdrop of this gripping tale that follows a young girl caught at crossroads of her life. On the cusp of her twenties, with adulthood looming just ahead, she discovers just how much a detour can derail someone’s path. As our heroine faces multiple challenges and navigates through unexpected events at every turn, life unfolds before her eyes in mysterious and unpredictable ways.

Set in the 1990s, when grunge was at its dirtiest and hard rock blackened the ears and clothes of youth, this story follows suit with its own dark and grime soundtrack. Before the age of the internet and fast revolutions, this narrative takes on a much slower pace, sauntering through simpler days. Told as truthfully as possible with much grit and humility, this book is written for the underdogs, for the broken, and for those who get knocked down but never give up; for those who crawled their way out of the belly of Hell and for those we loved so dearly who died trying.

The Dying Art

Join Brya on an extraordinary spiritual journey that takes shape as she grapples with the passing of her loved ones and gains a deeper understanding of life. When we lose someone close to us, it can be difficult to find the words to express the pain we feel. In this emotional and heartwarming book, Brya offers a unique perspective on the subject of death and the afterlife.

Drawing on her personal experiences, Brya explores the idea that death is not an end, but rather a beginning - a transformative experience that offers us a new and fascinating way forward. She believes that the source of life births us anew at the moment of death, and that our departed loved ones are still with us, closer than we might think.

Through her powerful and moving words, Brya encourages readers to open their hearts to this experience of loss, and to embrace the possibility of profound communication and realignment with those who have passed. She shows us that by allowing ourselves to feel the pain of loss and by keeping an open mind, we can discover a boundless, limitless love that transcends death.

In this beautifully written book, Brya shares her journey of spiritual growth and invites us all to explore the depths of our own hearts in order to find peace and understanding in the face of loss.

The Gift of Hope

Life as a survivor is far more than just cancer and treatment, life or death.

It is a battle for your sanity, a search for power, a dedication to hope, and an attempt to live whatever time ends up being allotted without succumbing to fear.

The Gift of Hope is the intersection of that survival with what it means to be a mother and doctor in these challenging and ever-changing times.

Within that journey lies the meaning of perseverance, the worthiness of the fight, and the difference that love makes.

The Lord’s Prayer – Tidbits from Its Extraordinary History

Engross yourself in an intimate exploration of the Gospel and researched details of the relationship between Jesus and His family, especially the startling specificity concerning His mother. Discover how Jesus’ stepbrothers fostered the founding of the new religion. Enjoy learning how Jesus’ heritage, Palestinian lifestyle, and politics influenced His ministry. Get surprised by how prayers from antiquity determined Jesus’ teachings. Become knowledgeable about the religious and personal importance of the terms and phrases in the Lord’s Prayer. See how the prayer remained the same throughout changes in language. Also read how the Jewish Brethren and Gentile Christians struggled to reach agreement on how best to worship under Jesus’ new life instructions. While thousands of interpretations of the Lord’s Prayer and its profound implications for the Christian religion have been published, there has never been a book this unique, or unusual, in its offerings.

The Monster Under My Bed

Could there be a monster living under your bed? Some may say yes and that belief is fed. Others may say no, and that is so. We know there are no real monsters, but there may be spiders and other creepy crawlers. They can be viewed as monsters too, but right now, we are not talking about those kinds of monsters. Even though there may not be a literal monster living under your bed, there could be a monster that you make up in your head. A monster that you feel is real, and no one can tell you anything different. Is that you? What if I told you that it really isn't a monster, but something or someone that you actually love, value and appreciate? What if it is a monster that needs to be discovered? Join me on this discovery to learn about the monster living under the bed.

The National Debt and Our Grandchildren: Should We Worry?

Throughout our history Americans have embraced the myth that our national debt is immoral and destructive.

This deeply rooted belief goes back to our Founding Fathers: Jefferson excoriated debt as “the greatest of dangers to be feared.” Andrew Jackson demonized debt as “a national curse.” Current political leaders continue to endorse this negative view of our national debt. Obama said that incurring debt was “irresponsible” and “unpatriotic.” John McCain condemned it as “generational theft.”

In this book, the prize-winning economics professor Arthur Benavie, demonstrates in clear and non-technical language that belief in this myth has repeatedly blocked our federal government from creating jobs and investing in our children’s future.

Benavie describes the many occasions, including from the administrations of FDR to Obama, where our leaders were faced with severe political retribution at the mere suggestion that their policies would increase the national debt.

Belief in this myth presents a continuing danger to the wellbeing of our children and grandchildren. Benavie examines several ways to disempower it.