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A journey to authenticity: 72 months and counting

It’s been 72 months and counting, and Finding Maria may not have launched a thousand ships, but it did inspire a series, publishing company, and a journey that continues to unfold. Nov. 24, 2016 was the sixth anniversary of the launch of our first book. So fitting that our anniversary fell on American Thanksgiving this year, because there are so many people to thank for this. An author may write a book, but it’s a global village that helps polish, produce, market and appreciate the effort involved. All of that investment, however, is paid forward in the ability to write more books, and in our case, publish books by other authors, helping them realize some reward for their dreams and hard work in the process.

To whom am I grateful? Family and friends, of course. They continue to be my first line of defence, support, hugs, encouragement, kick-ass pep talks and wine. In a class by himself is my business partner, with the thankless job of also being my muse. It is his story that is at the root of the Finding Maria series, and it was at his insistence that my simple gift of a short story for him become a book for everyone to see. Neither one of us were prepared for the world of authorship and self-publishing, running purely on curiosity and blind faith, but this very private person has huing in there while his story, currently in the form of four novels, makes the rounds of bookstores, street fairs, libraries and social media. He’s still hanging in there, even as the conpany sprouted new branches. In addition to our books, we have now published books for two new authors and have offered our editorial and management services to self-publishing authors as well. We are working with local artists and suppliers, have built and donated a Little Free Library to our hometown, and worked with school groups, seniors groups, writing groups, book clubs, and basically anyone wanting to share love for the printed word. t’s all been possible because of you the readers, who buy, borrow, and read our books, then share valuable word-of-mouth praise via conversations and social media. You keep authors and publishers employed. No question.

I’ve been asked often: who is Maria? All will be revealed in the stories. On a larger scale, FInding Maria is not just a story, a book title, or a domain name. It is a journey, into ourselves, in search of the authentic in each of us. So far, it’s taken me here, celebrating my sixth anniversary as an author and publisher, and so ready for more. Where could it take you? For starters, thanks for being here.

– Jennifer

Jennifer Hatt is author of the Finding Maria series and partner in Marechal Media Inc. See more at www.FindingMaria.com

My video post:

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30 days to feeling better, Day One

I was supposed to be releasing a new book this month. I’m not. I could blame my schedule, my business partner, global economics and the consistent lack of spring in our Nova Scotia weather and believe me, I have. All it gave me was heartburn and more fatigue. I need spring all right, but spring in my step is the real thing lacking in my life, and while all of the above are contributing factors, the cause lies firmly with me and my choices. According to the charts, I am in the throes of burnout. In the words of my naturopath: my adrenals are ‘shot.’ I need to fix this now. I know that. I also know that my insurance company will not pay for six months in the south of France. The added wrinkle: I am a lousy patient. I lack discipline for daily gym visits and embrace my nightly couch-potato stance as a sacred ritual. But I am also tired of my own excuses for being, well, tired. So I’m launching an experiment, a give-myself-a-KISS a day program, changing the acronym a bit to replace the negative with a positive. Are there little things I can add to my routine each day to help my body heal? I’m giving myself 30 days to find out. Each day, I’ll post one thing I’m adding or changing in my day. Each week, I’ll recap and post any noticeable results. Will it work? Who knows, but it beats sitting here whining about my lack of energy and all the things I haven’t done.

Okay, then. Here we go, Day One of my 30-day Keep It Super Simple challenge to feeling better.

My addition for Day One: add a glass of water to every meal. Sure, I drink water, but I may not be drinking enough. My indoor air is dry, especially in these damp chilly days when my hot-air furnace is working overtime. Headache, fatigue, hunger, and brain fog can all be caused or aggravated by a lack of water. A few glasses of water a day should help that and if not, my body can get rid of it easily enough. There, done.

Thanks for reading. See you tomorrow.