DR. MEL'S MESSAGE - From my novels to my other projects, no telling what you will read. This is the only place you will get to read about how I developed a screenplay into a novel and what is the driving force. I will talk about many things from films to books to acting to producing. It really will depend on where my mind takes me. I hope you will join me on this journey.
🌟 Five-Star Review for Confidently Chill by Dr. Mel 🌟
Are you a young adult navigating the complexities of anxiety in today's fast-paced world? Confidently Chill: An Anxiety Workbook for New Adults is here to guide you through the storm. This two-part set, blending medical expertise with stunning graphic novel artistry, is a game-changer. The authors—Duygu, Yener, and Nadir Balan—take you on an empowering journey, offering evidence-based strategies to tackle anxiety from every angle: societal, familial, and personal.
I can confidently say this workbook is a must-read. The fusion of clinical insight with creative storytelling makes it both informative and enjoyable. Whether you're looking to understand your own anxiety or help someone else, Confidently Chill is an invaluable resource.
Take the first step towards healing—grab your copy today and start your journey to a more confident, chill life. You won't regret it!
Confidently Chill is a groundbreaking two-book set comprising an evidence-based medical workbook and a captivating graphic novel.
Delving into anxiety's societal, familial, and individual dimensions, this unique resource offers practical strategies rooted in empirical research, clinical methodologies, and psychological theory.
Seamlessly blending medical expertise with award-winning artistry, Confidently Chill promises a holistic journey towards identity formation and lasting healing amidst today's unprecedented challenges.
Duygu Balan, LPCC is a psychotherapist, certified trauma
professional and author of the best-selling Re-Write: A Trauma Workbook of
Creative Writing and Recovery in Our New Normal (2023, Routledge). She
lives and practices bi-coastally in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York
City.
Yener Balan, MD, DFAPA, is
a board-certified psychiatrist and the vice president of behavioral health for
a major health-care organization. He is the author of a series of critically
acclaimed books that have advanced the field.
Nadir Balan is an award-winning
illustrator who has been working in the field for two decades. His work has
spanned many genres from pop-culture to history to science.
Some lessons in life we can learn by studying articles, doing our research, reading books, and even attending workshops. Others are learned through experience, by getting hurt or bruised by what life throws at us. Everybody is different and finds their teachings in different formats, different mediums, and in different phases of life. It doesn’t matter at all where you find the help and support, the advice and guidance you need. The only thing that matters is that you do go out and find it when you are ready to change your present and future. What this book shares is the life lessons of someone who has spent many years in the dark cloud of depression, anxiety, and elevated stress levels. It was a life of disempowerment, of thriving on the victim mentality, and of endless suffering without purpose. It was also a time of bondage, of bad memories stored away right in the top drawer of the memory bank, ready to be flipped open and shared whenever possible, ready to disempower whenever it could.
It is, however, also a story of hope, one that started when fears were faced head-on. When you opt to run from your fears, you will always be chased. Hence, the advice, tips, guidance, and practical examples shared in this book are from a life of overcoming victimization and the freedom you, too, can enjoy when you take responsibility for your life. The hope is to help you find the wisdom, courage, motivation, and inspiration you need to move from darkness and into the light. My question to you is, Why Suffer Alone??
PLUS, WE’LL TAKE A DEEP DIVE ON Freedom and What it Truly Means to be freeThere are several practical steps, real life examples, tips and stories to help with different learning styles, grab your copy of Why Suffer Alone today! Take back control of your lifeIf you are ready for change? Click the "BUY NOW" button!
Today I am introducing my readers to "Mangoes in the Rain: No one can take away your Imaginations" by Chinaemelum Menakaya. Based on the author's life, she tells of her struggles as she confronts her traumatic upbringing. Menakaya says, "My book was therapeutic for me write and I hope that others can be helped in the process of healing." This is a remarkable story that demonstrates that we do not have to be confined by our past, rather, we can define ourselves to heal. I hope you enjoy learning about the book and the author.
In 2002, fifteen-year-old Chinaemelum leaves America, to go to Nigeria for summer break. Months later, she fights for her life against malaria. Summer is over and her father refuses to give her back her passport to return to America with her mother. She is kept in Nigeria against her will, he puts her in a all girls boarding school, where she struggles to adapt to life, in a 3rd world country.
Two and a half years later, she and her siblings escape out of their fathers house to the American Embassy in Lagos for hopes of leaving Nigeria. She is adamant about expressing her trauma of abandonment, abuse, and her survival mechanism then and now. Out of this tragedy, she's able to overcome and be of a success today. She voices the portrayals of her childhood and teen years growing up Nigerian American in America to Nigerian parents.
Raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, by a Christian Pastor and wife, life is portrayed in public as a God fearing couple, but behind close doors Chinaemelum witness her father often beating her mother. He eventually begins to abuse Chinaemelum, by calling her a hoar and a prostitute at age thirteen. Chinaemelum had high hopes when she heard she was going to Nigeria for the summer. She had no idea the gravity of the horrific adventure about to take place. Chinaemelum has been writing for more than twelve years.
Chinaemelum Menakaya
Author of "Mangoes in The Rain"
Tell your readers a little about yourself,
where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc. Let them
get to know the personal you.
I grew up in the suburbs of Silversprings,
Maryland. I went to mostly private schools growing up, Capital Christian
Academy in Maryland is where I went to middle school. I currently reside in
Alexandria, Virginia. I make a living as a professional organizer and I am a
new author.
What inspired you to
author this book?
My traumatic upbringing as
a child by my parents. I’ve loved writing since I was a pre-teen but as I got
older, I couldn’t find a more therapeutic way of healing then writing my story
to share with others and hopefully during the process helping others who are in
pain.
Where did you get the
inspiration for your book’s cover?
I lived in Nigeria for two
years and there was a mango tree in front of the house we lived in. Being a
picky eater, the mangoes never disappointed me, they were so good to eat, rain
or shine I would sit on the ground near the tree and eat mangoes allot, it was
a happy place for me.
Who has been the most
significant influence on you personally and as a writer?
My uncle has been a
significant influence on me. He always builds me up when I feel low, he’s compassionate
and listens to me.
What were your struggles
or obstacles you had to overcome to get this book written?
My struggles with writing
this book was reliving some hurtful times I had in my life in which I had to
write about. I got emotional at specific areas writing this book. I had to
overcome my mental state in regard to feeling a bit depressed and being anxious
writing this book. I had to decide if my story would upset family members or
disappoint family friends who had no idea about what I was choosing to write. I
had to think should I just try to forget all what happened, or do I tell my
story?
Tell your readers about
your book.
“Mangoes in the Rain” is
about growing up in a household where in the public we were like a perfect
happy church going family, but behind closed doors there was violence toward my
mother and to my siblings and I from our father who was a pastor. I would be
physical and emotionally abused, by my father, at the age of thirteen, my
father would call me a whore and a prostitute to the point I began to believe
him. At fifteen years old, our father and mother took us to Nigeria for the
summer trip, after summer was over, despite my father knowing, I wanted to
return to America. He kept me in Nigeria against my will. He enrolled me into an
all girls private school, and I had to shave my head and learn how to live in a
3rd world country. I got malaria a few times and almost died. I eventually
snuck out of the house to the embassy two years later to live back in America.
This book is about survival.
Young adults, girls,
women, mothers, fathers, children.
What do you consider your
greatest success in life?
I never thought I’d live
up to thirty, I am thirty-four now. My
greatest success is being alive (never giving up) and realizing how far I’ve
come, despite the process of how I raised and what I went through. When I say I
didn’t think I’d live up to thirty it sounds crazy, but the struggles, the
abuse, emotional and physically makes
anyone not one to live so I’m happy for winning and be appreciative of my life
today.
What one unique thing sets
you apart from other writers in your genre?
It’s personal, raw and
straightforward, I don’t leave anything out.
Today is the day for Thanksgiving and I pray that all who are traveling to visit family and friends make a safe journey and return home filled with thanksgiving and gratitude in their hearts. When I think of Thanksgiving, I am reminded of family, our traditions, and the love we share. For the last 36 years I hosted Thanksgiving and on some years had has many as 50 people come and as low as twelve. It isn't the size of the crowd that counts; it's what you do with the time. Spend talking with the elders in the room. They have so much to offer. Encourage the littles to put down the phones or Ipads and ask their grandparents questions about their lives.
One of the traditions we have is immediately after dinner we go person to person and each one says what they are thankful for this year. At the end, we have a family prayer. I hope that whatever traditions your family has that you cherish them and cherish the family members present and those that couldn't be there for this special celebration.
Best Regards,
Dr. Mel
AUTHOR OF THE DAY
It isn't by coincidence that I chose THE FEAR OF THE LORD by Bukky Ekine-Ogunlana as the Author of the Day. As we approach the holiday season, I think it is important for us to keep our focus on the meaning of Christmas and why we celebrate it. For those who practice a different religion, I support that and this time of year then becomes a celebration for your beliefs. We live in troubled times; earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, riots, sex trafficking and more. So, when a book comes across my desk that holds potential to help us confront and find solutions to life's most difficult problems so that we may become better adults, I support that and that is my holiday wish for all. Today's interview with Bukky is quite revealing as is her book. Enjoy!
ABOUT THE BOOK
The Fear Of The Lord: Finding Peace and a Pathway to Heaven by Obeying God
“She explains God, not as a concept, but as the ‘Eternal Being’ we can safely relate with and love.” – Apostle John-Paul Okwok, President of City of Life Ministries
In The Fear of the Lord, author Bukky Ekine-Ogunlana draws on fourteen years of Christian faith-based experience working with children, teenagers and adults and personal devotion to God’s word to offer Christians inspirational guidance, so that anyone can find peace by fearing God and living through Jesus.
Perhaps most valuable to Christians who yearn to walk God’s path, the author offers valuable Bible interpretation and uses popular Holy Bible events to help illustrate how Christian youths and adults can overcome temptations in potential pitfalls in today’s world.
In this book, you will learn how fearing God and living according to God’s example can help teens and adults deal with even the most difficult of life’s problems:
Understanding God and following Jesus – powerful tips for hearing God
The importance of obeying God and being a God-fearing Christian
How to overcome fear and live your life to the fullest
Proven parenting skills reinforced by Scripture and living in God’s image
The strength provided by Christian prayer and fasting
Is the Bible true? Understanding common misinterpretations of the Bible and having confidence in the truth of Scripture, almost 2,000 years after the first Bible was written
Defining sin and identifying evil – how to avoid them
How to avoid the temptations of adultery and seduction – the pleasures of sin are fleeting, and God is all-knowing
The Fear of the Lord is a manual for victorious Christian living in today’s world written by an author with a heart for the young. Youths and adults as well, will find particularly helpful tips here not only because the writer draws illustrations from their world, but more so because a saved child or youth is worth more for God’s Kingdom. If you are keen on being a true Christian, or on living the life of Christ, and you want to find heaven as your final resting place, then this inspirational Christian book is a highly recommended read.
Tell your readers a little
about yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school
etc. Let them get to know the personal you.
I attended the University of Lagos and attained first degree in Estate Management,
following this with a master's degree in Management and Education from the
University of Greenwich UK, solely for the sheer passion and love I have for children. I live in the UK with my
family. What inspired you to
author this book?
The fear of the
Lord is the ABC of the Christian life, if the foundation is absent underneath,
the whole building collapses. I have received help in knowing this and will
like to share with others.
What do you consider your
greatest success in life?
Knowing God
What one unique thing sets
you apart from other writers in your genre?
I have shared
experiences that changed my life.
The Fear of the Lord looks like a great Christian self-help
and growth book. What will readers get out of your book?
In this book,
you will learn that the fear of the Lord isn’t something to be scared of but
how it brings you into the promise of a new life. It is within this life that
the solutions tolife’s most difficult
problems become known for both teens and adults. The book talks about:
·Understanding God and following Jesus – powerful
tips for hearing God
·The importance of obeying God and being a
God-fearing Christian
·How to overcome fear and live your life to the
fullest
·Proven parenting skills reinforced by Scripture and
living in God’s image
·The strength provided by Christian prayer and fasting
·Is the Bible true? Understanding common
misinterpretations of the Bible and having confidence in the truth of
Scripture, almost 2,000 years after the first Bible was written
·Defining sin and identifying evil – how to avoid
them
·How to avoid the temptations of adultery and
seduction – the pleasures of sin are fleeting, and God is all-knowing
How did you come up with the ideas in The
Fear of the Lord?
The book came about from various lessons
and experiences in my life over the years, that not only did I want to pass
onto my children to given them a head start on understanding but anyone and
everyone, because we all ask ourselves a lot of the same questions. Repentance
removes hindrance to walking in the power of God.
What inspired you when writing The
Fear of the Lord?
The Fear of the Lord is the ABC of wisdom and it the most
essential thing to have and build upon.
When did you decide to become a writer?
I have always wanted to put my thoughts into writing, but the real
take-off was in 2004 when I started putting the ideas together. I am a teacher
by career, and I love to understand things honestly, and I love it even more
when I can pass that on my students having practiced it, and they can go from a
lack of understanding to an increase in knowing the truth, and that is the
power of expressive thoughts. I wanted to be able to share that with a broader
audience, and I have been significantly impacted by many different authors from
across the globe many in which I have never met and may never meet. We all have
the same privilege to share with others what has impacted us so that the body
of Christ can be built.
What do you like to do when not writing?
I devote much of my spare time to reading, loving family, and people. I
love to find myself in the company of people, what better pool of knowledge is
there than from many people with different experiences cultures lessons, etc.,
all combined into one mind.
