New love for pets: Twin Cities author Stacy Lewis, a Twin Cities-based Tellington TTouch® practitioner for companion animals, has written Java: The True Story of a Shelter Dog Who Rescued a Woman (Greenlight publishing). This story takes you on a journey through your mind, heart and spirit, and it shows you how to keep your balance in a life that sometimes spins you off center. Stacy and Java weave a web of love in this story of trial, tribulation and triumph, and they show you the beauty that transpires from the human/animal bond. It is available at Amazon.com or www.DancingPorcupine.com
New stories: Explore different faiths with your child by journeying through Marilynn Hughes’ new book, Teaching Stories of the Prophets in World Religions for Young People (Lulu Press). From the Jataka tales of Buddhism, the stories of the Jewish sages to the parables of Jesus Christ, hear the stories that have been passed down from generation to generation in each of the major world religions. Enter into a new world and walk in the footsteps of other young people of different faiths all over the world. Walk in their shoes, and take a journey into understanding…. The author has experienced, researched, written and taught about Out-of-Body Travel and Mysticism since 1987 and has appeared on innumerable radio and television programs to discuss her experiences. Visit www.outofbodytravel.org.
New inspiration: Awakening Perception (Xlibris Corp.) shares the poetry of self-proclaimed Toltec warrior Laura Barrette Shannon. Having dedicated her life to the Toltec Path to peace, Laura gives us a look into the world of inner peace, what it entails, and how a person can go about finding it. Poets have mystified readers for centuries, and Awakening Perception is as fine a collection of poems as can be found from the burgeoning genre of spiritual poets. The author writes: "I battled my own mortality through a disabling health condition for many years, before a life-saving brain surgery helped ease my physical pain and brought back my mental ability to think clearly. This coincided with the accidental death of my only daughter at age 11, in the fall of 2000. These traumatic experiences provided a climate of deep philosophic introspection of life, spirituality and myself. In the process, I befriended my past, found purpose and began to see life as perfectly beautiful for the first time. Now, I have peace of mind and happiness. I truly enjoy each moment of my being." Visit www.toltecwarrior.us
New pet healing: Elizabeth Fulton and Kathleen Prasad explore the use of Reiki to assist in the healing of all animals. Their book, Animal Reiki: Using Energy to Heal the Animals in Your Life (Ulysses Press) includes step-by-step instructions and photos for treating different kinds of animals, such as dogs, cats, horses, small animals, farm animals, birds, senior and special-needs animals, wild animals, and dying animals. Along the way, the authors relate stories drawn from their years of healing animals to show the power of this holistic energy healing system. Animal Reiki reveals how Reiki treatments make animals active partners in the healing process, how working with animals differs from working with humans, how Reiki helps to develop the practitioner’s intuition, and how Reiki deepens the bond between humans and animals. "While there are many ways for us to teach and to heal other animal beings, this forward-looking book offers an often overlooked hands-on way for us to develop and maintain close social bonds with our animal kin," writes Marc Bekoff, author of Minding Animals: Awareness, Emotions, and Heart, and Animal Passions and Beastly Virtues: Reflections on Redecorating Nature.
New DVD: Inspired by a true story, The Blue Butterfly is about 10-year-old Pete Carlton (Marc Donato) who is diagnosed as terminally ill and his determined mother (Pascale Bussieres) will stop at nothing to ensure her son’s dream. Funny and intelligent, yet somewhat shy, Pete is stoic and incredibly courageous when it comes to his condition. He seeks refuge by observing the miniature world of cocoons and insects that he collects. Given only months to live, Pete has one wish; to catch the most beautiful butterfly on earth, the legendary Blue Morpho…the Mariposa Azul, a magnificent creature found only in the tropical rain forests of Central and South America. He is convinced that this butterfly with the azure wings can reveal the mystery of life to him. Pete’s mother convinces Alan Osborne (William Hurt), a renowned entomologist and Pete’s hero, to take them to the jungle. Alan is a passionate, rugged yet vulnerable man who, due partly to a secret that haunts him, prefers the company of insects over people.
