self-help

My Book Cover Revealed: “Through Frankie’s Eyes”–Let’s Celebrate with a Giveaway!

Posted by Barbara Techel

I’m so excited to share this with all of you! After months of giving thought to the best and right decision, I finally chose this cover for my book, Through Frankie’s Eyes: One Woman’s Journey to Her Authentic Self, and the Dog on Wheels Who Led the Way coming February 2013.  Thank you to Derek Murphy of Creative Indie for working with me and answering my oodles of questions until I felt comfortable with this final choice.  In tomorrow’s post I’ll share my reasons for choosing this as my cover and how “analysis paralysis” almost stopped me from picking one at all!

But now it is time to celebrate!!

I’ve got a wonderful giveaway to celebrate the release of my book cover. I hope you will take part, as well as share with your family and friends to not only help me spread the good news about my soon to be book, but also so they have a chance to take part in this awesome giveaway.

To enter the giveaway all you need to do is take part in answering the question below. You can answer in the comment section below, or head on over to my Facebook page and leave a comment on the post about my book cover giveaway.  On November 21st I will pick a winner at random with Random.org.  So here is the question:

What is the biggest lesson your pet has taught you and how has that helped you to grow or evolve in your life? (if you don’t have a pet, perhaps a previous pet you had or another pet that may not personally be yours is one that has helped you).

I’m really excited about hearing what all of you have to say about this question, so please do participate!

Now For the Exiting Giveaway Details:

~A signed copy of Through Frankie’s Eyes: One Woman’s Journey to Her Authentic Self, and the Dog on Wheels Who Led the Way plus one signed copy for ten friends.  The winner and their ten friends will also receive a one hour book discussion with me via phone or Skype (or in person if you would happen to be in my neck of the woods).  This will take place once my book is released and you and your friends have had enough time to read the book.

~An animal communication reading for the pet of your choice from animal communicator, Dawn Baumann Brunke.

Signed copies of the following books:

A Dog Named Leaf: The Hero from Heave Who Saved My Life by Allen Anderson with Linda Anderson

A Dog Named Boo: How One Dog and One Woman Rescued Each Other– and the Lives They Saved Along the Way by Lisa J. Edwards

 Heart to Heart Hand in Paw: How One Woman Finds Faith and Hope through the Healing Love of Animals by Peggy Frezon

Purrs of Wisdom: Conscious Living, Feline Style by Ingrid King (this is an ebook)

 Dancing Dogs Stories by Jon Katz

 The Animal Anthology Project: True Tails by Christine Catlin

All copies of the books with the exception of Dancing Dogs will be mailed to winner by respective author (Dancing Dogs will be mailed by me to winner).  Purrs of Wisdom is an ebook and winner’s name will be given to author, Ingrid King to get that to winner. A huge thank you to each and every author for their participation in my special giveaway! Also a special thank you to Dawn Baumann Brunke for the animal communication donation.

This giveaway is open to US residents only. When you leave a comment below in the post please be sure I have a way in which I can get a hold of you by email if you are the winner.  If I don’t have that information, I will need to pick another winner. If you answer the question on Facebook I will message you through Facebook if you are the winner.

The winner will have seven days to notify me they received the email stating they are the winner. If I don’t hear from winner in seven days, another name will be drawn and declared winner.

If you wish to be notified when my book is launched and available for purchase please consider signing up for my newsletter (left hand upper corner of this page) or following me on Twitter, Facebook or my blog (you can sign up for post updates on left hand side.  Scroll down until you see sign up box).

Embrace Change

Posted by Barbara Techel


It is not often that I will re-read a book I’ve already read.  In fact, I think maybe I might have done it once before, but that would be it. For some reason A Walk by the Sea and The Second Journey, both by Joan Anderson called me back to read both of them.  I kept trying to shake the feeling, thinking, na, I read those already.  But it wouldn’t leave my mind, so I “gave in” and read both books in the past two weeks.

When I began delving into searching for what I wanted in life about 5-years ago I ran across Joan’s books.  I remember reading them and never wanting them to end.  Joan set out on a journey to figure out what she wanted, not knowing what it would be or what would happen.  She set out for her cottage on Cape Cod for a whole year to herself… and yes, without her husband. She learned alot about herself that year, and continues to learn.

I’m so glad I went back and read these two books because it reminded me that we can choose a path, and that path may change, and that is okay.  To not be afraid of change.  To embrace it.  I have learned more about change through my dogs than anything, but books like Joan’s help me to read it in words and from another woman’s point of view.  I had been struggling recently with letting go of some things that I felt were not serving my purpose and my mission and trying not to feel guilty as I made those changes. As I finished reading The Second Journey, Joan ended with these thoughts below in her book, which brought it all full circle for me about embracing change once again.  I was especially struck by the line, “Strive to go deeper, rather than forward” as that what seems so appealing to me right now…to go deeper.  And when we let go of what is not serving us any longer, it is fun to watch what we allow to then come in.

Embrace change- knowing that life is always being reconfigured.

Befriend the person you are striving to become.

Welcome new paths.  Enjoy the detours.

Strive to go deeper rather than just forward

Know that most unnecessary demands come from the unfinished parts of self.

Beware of speed.  It is often one’s undoing.

Wholehearted is the way.  Half-hearted will kill you.

Harness your evolvement.    Let god of what is outlived to make room for the unlived.

-Joan Anderson, The Second Journey