Welcome To An Author's Look At Life - Resources To Inform, Inspire, Encourage

CONTENTS / SITE MAP BELOW

Hi, my name’s Mel Menzies (Ming-iss) and my aim, as an Author and Speaker, is to offer you free resources to inform, inspire, and encourage you - whether you’re an Aspiring Author; a member of a Book Club; would like to take a Free Personality Test; want help with your Relationships; need advice on Bereavement, Debt, Stepfamilies - and much, much more.

An Author’s Look At Life - is about YOUR needs!

So what's available and how can you get the best out of the site?

INDEX. Click on numbered subtitles below to take you, where relevant, to all articles in that Category. Or go to:
SITE MAPS. Click on Site Maps in side bar for specific Categories. Or try:
TABLE OF CONTENTS. At the bottom of this page there is a fuller description, where you may wish to pick out some of the individual posts I’ve selected. Or move to:
BLOG. Click on Categories and Tags at top of Blog page.

Many of my articles - where indicated - may be reproduced, subject to certain conditions. Please respect my wishes for those which may not.

INDEX

Article Writing & Blogging: Site Map - Listings of all posts on this topic.
Author: Read how personality profiling, character, circumstances and conflict led me into writing – it may help you to understand where you’re coming from.
Bereavement: Practical articles, plus bereavement poetry on coping with grief and loss.
Books: my fiction and non-fiction books for your entertainment, self-help, or information on personal growth.
Book Reviews: resources for Book Clubs, and how to start a Reader Group, plus new Online Book Club.
Creative Writing: Site Map: - Listings of all posts on this topic. For practical aspects of writing and publishing a book, see No. 17 below.
Dear Mel - Readers' Letters: Write in for specific advice on any topic on this website. Includes Online Agony Aunt.
Debt Management & Finance: Articles on how to manage your finances if you’re in debt.
Diary & Events: Articles and details pertaining to events, including BBC iPod links (where still available) for radio shows on which I've been invited to speak.
Family & Parenting: Includes articles on stepfamilies and other topical issues.
Newsletter: Mel's News, Views & Muse is my monthly Newsletter. Click the subtitle to request a free subscription.
Free Personality Test: Take a free personality test to discover the Real You - as person, partner and parent. And, of course, as an author.
Self-help, Personal Growth & Relationships: Includes inspirational pieces which are encouraging and empowering.
Speaking: Need a Speaker for Conferences & Events:? Details of my speaking experience and how to book me for your event.
Stepfamilies: Support and advice on step-parenting.
Useful Links: Support-agencies and other websites mentioned on this site, including the charities I support.
Writing And Publishing: For inspiration and information on all aspects of creative writing see No. 6 above. Tips on writing and publishing a book, including details of the Seven Plot Lines.

February 2010: Nearly 21,000 readers - and Wikio ranking puts Mel Menzies Blog at No. 9,265 out of 196,475. That makes it in the top 5%. Isn't that a good reason to SUBSCRIBE? (Click button on right, below).

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SUBSCRIBE?

Thought For The Day: God doesn't call the equipped; he equips the called. Anon.

1. ARTICLE WRITING & BLOGGING:

Posts on this topic include a six part series on Article Writing. Where specified, and subject to the conditions shown, some of these posts may be reproduced, free of charge. See details with Site Map listings in Index above.

Featured Posts:

For regular updates, click on the SUBSCRIBE button top right. It's *FREE*

Do, please, leave your comments at the end of each post. They provide linkbacks for you; help others; and encourage me! Also, please send to a friend.

2. AUTHOR - ABOUT ME:

It was only in adulthood that I realised that my father thought he saw in me a mirror-image of himself - as lacking the discipline to follow through on any of the myriad pursuits which grabbed our interest. Fortunately, however, what my mother lacked in academic prowess, she more than made up for with crucial lessons in self-discipline. The liberal dispensation of a slipper applied to my bottom taught me all I needed to know about determination and the strength of mind to complete a job.

Read on to learn more of Mel's journey in becoming an author.
Or, if you're an aspiring author, take a look at this article: What Drives You? to focus your mind.

Connect on LinkedIn;

3. BEREAVEMENT:

Coping with loss is something that will almost certainly affect each one of us at some time or other. This section contains articles specifically aimed at those dealing with grief and death. Some of the poetry, particularly, has in mind those trying to come to terms with the death of a child.

Having lost my daughter some years ago, I do understand the pain involved, and hope that visitors will find some solace in knowing, as you read these pieces, that you have my utmost sympathy. Some of this material - where specified, and subect to the conditions shown - may be reproduced, free of charge.

Bereavement Rituals And The Effects Of Grief
Dealing With The Death Of A Loved One
Bereavement Poetry: Death Is But A Door
Poetry for Loss & Bereavement: Weep For A While
A Painful Post Mortem: A novel, inspired by the death of my daughter, this book has been endorsed by the Bereaved Parents Network - a grief support agency - and will be promoted at all their events.

4. BOOKS:

Many of the non-fiction books I have written over the past twenty-five years or more are now, sadly, out of print. However, those shown on my website should be available from any good bookshop, or from online stores such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others. If you have any problem sourcing them, do let me know as I keep some in stock and, with the addition of post and packaging costs, will happily send them to you. They include:

Fiction
Self-help
Biographical
Contemporary issues

PRICE CUT: HURRY WHILE STOCKS LAST! ,

A Painful Post Mortem, the latest novel, is a story of love, loss and triumph. If you enjoyed Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper, you’ll love this, too.

BUY NOW: ALL PROCEEDS FROM SALES OF THIS BOOK ARE FOR CHARITIES BENEFITING KIDS!

See Links for charity details.

Readers’ Reviews: "It has everything... humour, pain, characterisation, existential angst..." said one reader.

"I’m not normally a reader; however, I could not put this book down," said another.

"After reading your book, we felt it would be good to add it to the Bereaved Parents' Network library, which is a resource we have at all the events we run for bereaved parents, which many find very helpful. It includes a wide variety of books relevant to bereaved parents, and we have produced a catalogue containing a brief synopsis of each. The way it works is not that people borrow books, but that they take a look at them and note the ISBN number of any that they are interested in so that they can buy it from Amazon or similar.

"We make sure that one of the team has read every book that we display - I read yours. I am sure that you are well-aware of the great number of books about children who have died - parents often write them as a memorial to their child and perhaps also as a way of working through their own grief. Yours is very (and refreshingly) different - writing it as a novel makes it so easy to read. And it is very well written too."

Mike Coulson
Bereaved Parents' Network Co-ordinators
www.careforthefamily.org.uk/bpn

5. BOOK REVIEWS FOR BOOK CLUBS & READER GROUPS:

December, 2009: I have just launched an Online Book Club / Reader Group to run in conjunction with my real time one. Do hope you’ll join and participate.

Do you lead, or are you part of, a Book Club? If not, and you’d like to, see Setting Up A Book Group: Twenty Tips.

Feel free to use the Book Review, Questions and Discussion Summary on any of the books listed, which were compiled for the group I lead. They may be reproduced, freely, on your website, blog or in print.

Please ensure that links are provided to my home page www.melmenzies.co.uk and show that it is 'Used By Permission'.

Special discounts available on my books for Book Clubs: e-mail for details.

6. CREATIVE WRITING:

Are you in need of inspiration? Or practical advice for creative writing techniques, tips on how to craft fiction and the structure of a novel?

In addition to several complete series of articles on Creative Writing (which may not be duplicated) this category includes many other articles which may be freely reproduced, under certain conditions.

For regular updates, click on the SUBSCRIBE button top right. It's *FREE*

Not sure? Read: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SUBSCRIBE?

Featured Posts:

7. DEAR MEL - READERS' LETTERS:

Readers of this website write in for specific advice on areas of Personal Growth, Personality Test Results or Relationship matters; Article Writing, Blogging, Creative Writing and Publishing a Book, or any other topic on this website. Includes Online Agony Aunt.

From her experience as author, speaker, and (with her husband) a leader of Family Forums and Marriage Enrichment Classes, Mel offers tips and advice. Send Letters to Dear Mel

8. DEBT MANAGEMENT & FINANCE:

Twenty-one years ago, in February 1988, I was commissioned to write a series of articles on debt for a regular monthly magazine. I never thought the insights of those pieces would be relevant again in 2009!

As with all this Index, clicking on the numbered section title above will take you to those updated articles. They include:

Ten Tips To Get Rid of Debt
Ten Tips To Stay Free of Debt

9. DIARY & EVENTS:

Speaking engagements, book signings and radio chat show 'appearances' are presented in My Diary pages. See also No. 5 above for Book Club resources - downloadable Book Reviews, Questions & Discussion Summaries. These are treated as an 'event' because of the Readers' Group I lead.

Mel on BBC Radio Newcastle Debate on Stepfamilies

11. FAMILY & PARENTING:

In addition to extracts from my book Stepfamilies – to be revised and republished next year – I’ve included topical issues, some of which have been raised in the radio programmes on which I’ve been asked to debate.

These include things like:

But this is by no means all.

Subscribe, free, to receive regular updates by clicking on the button on the right. And / or go to the Newsletter section (above or below here: items are cycled weekly) and subscribe to Mel’s Monthly News, Views & Muse.

12. NEWSLETTER:

Mel's News, Views & Muse is published monthly and is available only to subscribers. Sign up now to read about all the latest resources, which have been created with YOU in mind, and which are FREE for you to use.

If you no longer wish to receive Mel's News, Views & Muse, simply click unsubscribe

13. PERSONALITY TEST:

One of the most liberating experiences of my life was to attend a seminar on psychometric profiling, with a free personality test. As a result, I found that not only was I able to accept myself as I was, but I enjoyed greater self confidence than I had ever known. Feeling valued – for the person I was, rather than the person I thought I should be (or others thought I should be) – also led to an improvement in my general health and well being. And it set me free to see my writing not as an indulgence, but as a valid and worthwhile occupation in the service of others.

So what is psychometric profiling? Read the following article to learn more and, if you are an author, find out not only your own strengths and those areas that need to be built up, but also those of your characters.

The Power Of Positive Thinking Is Unplugged

The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale, has electrified society for over half a century as the means of feeling valued and attaining success in life. Now, it appears, to have been unplugged – or at least to have suffered power failure and fizzled out! Despite an epidemic of positive thinking for the last fifty years, we are, says the World Health Organisation, heading for a pandemic of depression in little more than a decade.

Psychologists have discovered from case studies, that repeating positive thoughts can, actually, be counterproductive – especially for those who are most in need of a psychological boost.

Now read on:

or go straight to the Free Personality Test

14. SELF-HELP, PERSONAL GROWTH & RELATIONSHIPS:

Some of the articles in this section overlap with those in Family & Parenting. Whilst I am a great believer in ‘loving yourself as your neighbour’ – the Real You – part of that is in recognising your frailties. So these articles have been written with that in mind: to inspire you to enlarge your vision and enjoy the abundant life which may be yours as a result of building on your strengths; and to empower you in overcoming the flaws that might, otherwise, hold you back.

They include posts on forgiveness; assertiveness; resolving conflict; happiness and many other topics.

Partner Pleasing: Different Ways Of Communicating In A Relationship

15. SPEAKER FOR CONFERENCES & EVENTS:

The author of a number of books, one a Sunday Times No. 4 Bestseller, Mel Menzies is also an experienced Speaker, and has addressed live audiences of between 20 and 700+ in addition to participating in TV and Radio chat shows, leading Family Forums, Marriage Enrichment, and Writers' Workshops.

That's the by-line today. For further details on the journey from a childhood, in which I knew I was a huge disappointment to my parents, to the point where I came to know the Real Me and have confidence in my own potential, read on.

Details of how to book Mel as a speaker at your conference or event

Book her now for your event

Mel is a member of the Society of Women Writers and Journalists, Activate, and the Association of Christian Writers.

16. STEPFAMILIES:

For articles giving support, understanding and advice for anyone involved in a stepfamily.

My book Stepfamilies, based on lessons learned during my second marriage, plus interviews with many other step parents and step children, has attracted enormous attention from both radio and TV and involved me in numerous broadcasting events.

Successful Stepparenting: If Ozzy Osbourne Can Do It, So Can You!
Successful Step parenting: Three Potential Pitfalls - No. 1 Financial includes links to Parts 2 and 3, Coping With Step children, and Contact With Absent Parent.

17. USEFUL LINKS:

As the title suggests, this page contains links to many helpful organisations offering support and advice, and to other websites in respect of all the topics covered by this site. If you have any further links to suggest, though I don’t promise to include them all, I will certainly consider them.

18. WRITING AND PUBLISHING:

Unlike Creative Writing - No 6 above - this category of articles is more to do with the mechanics of manuscript formatting and the practical applications required for writing and publishing a book.

For regular updates, click on the SUBSCRIBE button top right. It's *FREE*

Not sure? Read: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SUBSCRIBE?

Featured Posts:

Do, please, leave your comments at the end of each post. They provide linkbacks for you; help others; and encourage me! Also, please send to a friend.