March 2016

Drawing upon both modern science and ancient practices practicing psychotherapist and former Buddhist monk Donald Altman says his book Clearing Emotional Clutter can help the reader to “… heal and move on from pains, insults, traumas, toxic stressors, and emotional clutter from the past and the present — without blaming, shaming, or punishing yourself.”

Christine Hassler left her successful job as a Hollywood agent at 25 to pursue a life she could be passionate about . . . but it did not come easily. After being inspired by her own unexpected challenges and experiences, she realized her journey was indeed her destination. Her newest book Expectation Hangover: Overcoming Disappointment in Work, Love and Life guides readers on how to treat disappointment on the emotional, mental, behavioral and spiritual levels.

Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair airs each Monday at noon Pacific on KKNW 1150AM or 94.9FM HD. Like us on Facebook and follow Vicki on Twitter for exclusive updates and contests!

Donald Altman promises readers of Clearing Emotional Clutter managing emotional clutter begins with managing their brains, and it’s something everyone can do: “While your brain may have initially been shaped by conditions out of your control, the brain is extremely malleable,” he writes. “Neuroscience shows you can reshape the brain’s inner architecture much like an athlete shapes her or his body by going to the gym. Through learning new tools, you become the master programmer capable of rewiring your brain.” Donald is a psychotherapist, award-winning writer, former Buddhist monk, and teacher. He served as adjunct professor at Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling, and is an adjunct faculty member of the Interpersonal Neurobiology program at Portland State University.

When our expectations are met and things go according to plan, we feel accomplished, in control, and on track. But when life does not live up to our expectations, we end up with an “expectation hangover.” Expectation Hangover: Overcoming Disappointment in Work, Love and Life by Christine Hassler guides readers on how to overcome when a desired result is not met, an outcome is achieved but it does not give us the feelings we thought it would, life throws us a curveball, or we simply do not feel we are living up to the expectations placed upon us (by ourselves or others). As a professional speaker, Christine leads seminars and workshops to audiences around the country and has appeared as an expert on The Today Show, CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX, E!, Style and PBS, as well as various local television and radio shows.

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Last year Seattle native Glen Erik Hamilton introduced readers to disillusioned Army Sergeant turned vigilante, Van Shaw in Past Crimes… which has now been nominated for an Edgar Award… and now he’s back in Hard Cold Winter, which just received a starred review from Library Journal: “From the very first page, this thriller is clever, timely, and definitely an attention grabber.” Glen will be appearing at University Bookstore in Seattle with J.A. Jance on 3/16/16 at 6 PM, and at Eagle Harbor Books in Bainbridge Island the next night (3/17/16) at 7:30 PM.

As a neuroscientist, Marjorie Woollacott had no doubt the brain was a purely physical entity controlled by chemicals and electrical pulses. After experimenting with meditation for the first time, however, her view changed. Now, years of meditation have caused her to question the reality she built her career upon, forcing her to ask what human consciousness really is. Infinite Awareness: The Awakening of a Scientific Mind pairs her research as a neuroscientist with her self-revelations about the mind’s spiritual power. Marjorie will be speaking at the Yoga Lodge on Whidbey Island on Sunday, February 28, 2016 and University Bookstore in Seattle on Thursday, March 3, 2016.

Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair airs each Monday at noon Pacific on KKNW 1150AM or 94.9FM HD. Like us on Facebook and follow Vicki on Twitter for exclusive updates and contests!

With Hard Cold Winter, the follow-up to his successful debut novel, Past Crimes, Glen Erik Hamilton proves he’s no one-hit wonder and has quickly become one of the most electrifying new voices in crime writing. Featuring noir overtones, Hard Cold Winter explores just how far one will go to seek justice and the thin line that separates justice from vengeance. A native of Seattle, Glen Erik Hamilton grew up aboard a sailboat, and spent his youth finding trouble around the marinas and commercial docks and islands of the Pacific Northwest. He now lives in California with his family, punctuated by frequent visits to his hometown to soak up the rain.

Between the scientific and spiritual worlds, Marjorie Woollacott‘s Infinite Awareness: The Awakening of a Scientific Mind breaks open the definition of human consciousness to investigate the existence of a non-physical and infinitely powerful mind. It’s both a memoir and an exploration of her experiences, first, as a neuroscientist and professor, but later, as a meditator, with mystical experiences unexplained by scientific understanding describing her discoveries as she worked to meld these two parts of her life together. Marjorie has been a neuroscience professor and director of the Motor Control Lab in the Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Oregon for more than three decades and a meditator for almost four. She has ongoing grants from National Institutes of Health to study balance and falls in older adults and to study balance and control problems in children with Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome.

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