He is a sought-after keynote speaker, bestselling author, and marketing maven. Mark’s credentials include a lifetime of entrepreneurial success and an extensive academic background. He is a prolific writer with many bestselling books, such as The One-Minute Millionaire, Cracking the Millionaire Code, How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life, The Power of Focus, The Aladdin Factor, and Dare to Win, in addition to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Mark has made a profound influence through his library of audios, videos, and articles in the areas of big thinking, sales achievement, wealth building, publishing success, and personal and professional development.

  Mark is the founder of the MEGA Seminar Series. MEGA Book Marketing University and Building Your MEGA Speaking Empire are annual conferences where Mark coaches and teaches new and aspiring authors, speakers, and experts on building lucrative publishing and speaking careers. Other MEGA events include MEGA Info-Marketing and My MEGA Life.

  As a philanthropist and humanitarian, Mark works tirelessly for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, March of Dimes, Childhelp USA, and many others. He is the recipient of numerous awards that honor his entrepreneurial spirit, philanthropic heart, and business acumen. He is a lifetime member of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, an organization that honored Mark with the prestigious Horatio Alger Award for his extraordinary life achievements.

  Mark Victor Hansen is an enthusiastic crusader of what’s possible and is driven to make the world a better place.

  Mark Victor Hansen & Associates, Inc.

  P.O. Box 7665 • Newport Beach, CA 92658

  phone: 949-764-2640 • fax: 949-722-6912

  www.markvictorhansen.com

  Who Is Patty Aubery?

  As the president of Chicken Soup for the Soul Enterprises and a #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor, Patty Aubery knows what it’s like to juggle work, family, and social obligations—along with the responsibility of developing and marketing the more than 80 million Chicken Soup books and licensed goods worldwide.

  She knows because she’s been with Jack Canfield’s organization since the early days—before Chicken Soup took the country by storm. Jack was still telling these heartwarming stories then, in his training programs, workshops, and keynote presentations, and it was Patty who directed the labor of love that went into compiling and editing the original 101 Chicken Soup stories. Later, she supported the daunting marketing effort and steadfast optimism required to bring it to millions of readers worldwide.

  Today, Patty is the mother of two active boys—J. T. and Chandler— exemplifying that special combination of commitment, organization, and life balance all working women want to have. She’s been known to finish at the gym by 6:00 AM, guest-host a radio show at 6:30, catch a flight by 9:00 to close a deal—and be back in time for soccer with the kids. But perhaps the most notable accolade for this special working woman is the admiration and love her friends, family, staff, and peers hold for her.

  Of her part in the Chicken Soup family, Patty says, “I’m always encouraged, amazed, and humbled by the storytellers I meet when working on any Chicken Soup book, but by far the most poignant have been those stories of women in the working world, overcoming incredible odds and—in the face of all challenges—excelling as only women could do.”

  Patty is also the coauthor of several other bestselling titles: Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul, Christian Family Soul, and Christian Woman’s Soul, Chicken Soup for the Expectant Mother’s Soul, Chicken Soup for the Sister’s Soul, and Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul.

  She is married to a successful international entrepreneur, Jeff Aubery, and together with J. T. and Chandler, they make their home in Santa Barbara, California. Patty can be reached at:

  Self-Esteem Seminars

  P.O. Box 30880

  Santa Barbara, CA 93130

  Phone: 805-563-2935

  Fax: 805-563-2945

  Who Is Peter Vegso?

  Peter Vegso arrived in South Florida from Canada and founded the publishing company Health Communications, Inc., in 1976. HCI’s first New York Times bestseller, Adult Children of Alcoholics (Woititz), appeared on the list in 1985 and has been followed by dozens more self-help and inspirational titles, including Healing the Shame That Binds You (Bradshaw), A Child Called It and The Lost Boy (Pelzer), and many titles in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Recognized twice by Publishers Weekly as the #1 Self-Help Publisher, HCI is guided in its publishing program by its mission statement, “Making a difference in the lives of our readers and the people they come in contact with.”

  Peter’s other business interests include a professional publishing and conference company that provides training, licensing, and certification for members of the mental health community, a custom design and architectural elements manufacturer, and real estate development.

  Peter enjoys his 140-acre farm in Ocala, Florida, where he continues to expand his successful thoroughbred breeding and training facility. Daily operations are handled by the hardest-working manager in the world, Chuck Patton, who shares Peter’s intention to not only win the Kentucky Derby but also the Triple Crown before their spirits leave this planet.

  Peter Vegso

  Health Communications, Inc.

  3201 SW 15th Street

  Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

  phone: 954-360-0909 • fax: 954-360-0034

  website: www.hcibooks.com

  Contributors

  Elena Aitken is a freelance writer with her own copywriting business, Ink Blot Communications, in Calgary, Alberta. She keeps busy parenting her four-year-old boy/girl twins, volunteering in the community, and writing when she finds the time. You can contact Elena at leenie [email protected] or on her new website at www.inkblotcommunications.ca, which is coming soon!

  Janice Alonso enjoys being with her family, inspirational writing, and traveling. Her work has appeared in Grit, Lutheran Digest, Standard, Palo Alto Review, and Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul II. Please visit her at www.janicealonso.com and leave her a message.

  Paula F. Blevins and her husband, David, live in southern Ohio with three wonderful kids and their pets. She is the author of the For Hymn mystery series and a variety of Chicken Soup stories, and she enjoys writing for children as well as adults. Contact Paula through her web-site at www.paulafblevins.com.

  Arthur Bowler, a U.S./Swiss citizen and graduate of Harvard Divinity School, is a writer and speaker in English and German. His work has appeared in several bestselling anthologies and in bestselling books in Switzerland. Look for his book, A Prayer and a Swear. Visit his website at www.arthurbowler.ch.

  Julie Callas is a homemaker and mother of three inspiring children. She is a freelance poet and magazine writer who enjoys the Bible, the beach, and writing. She plans on publishing her first volume of poetry in the next year. Please e-mail her at [email protected]

  Anne Carter, a native New Yorker and freelance writer, dedicates this story to her two grandsons, Daniel and Dylan Delacruz, in memory of their beloved mother, Donna. May her amazing spirit always be with you. Anne’s inspirational stories have appeared in major publications. Contact anne at [email protected]

  Emily ParkeChase writes for teens on relationship issues. Her first book was Why Say No When My Hormones Say Go? which was followed by You, Me, and WHO? 5-Minute Devotionals for You and Your Date. She speaks hundreds of times each year in schools and conferences on these topics.

  JoAnn Clark was the founding editor and writer for her church newsletter.

  Sally Clark and her husband live in the Texas Hill Country, but they love retreating to the sea. Sally has published humor, greeting cards, children’s stories, and award-winning poetry, most recently in the 2007 Texas Poetry Calendar and Relief: A Quarterly Christian Expression Journal. E-mail her at [email protected]

  Lisa Ricard Claro enjoys writing personal essays, women’s and children’s fiction, and short stories in every genre. She has recently c
ompleted her first women’s fiction novel. In addition to writing, Lisa’s loves include her husband, their three children, reading, and beaches everywhere. Please e-mail her at [email protected]

  Helen Colella is a freelance writer from Colorado. Her work includes educational materials, articles, and stories for adults and children. She operates AssitWrite as a consultant for self-publishers and writing coaches. E-mail her at [email protected]

  Margaret P. Cunningham lives on Alabama’s beautiful Gulf Coast with her husband, Tom. She enjoys reading, writing, and “beaching it” with family and friends. Her stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, including several Chicken Soup for the Soul books. She is currently working on a novel. Please e-mail her at [email protected]

  Susan Allsbrook Darke has been in human resources management for more than thirty years. Currently living in northern Virginia, Susan and her husband plan to relocate to the Outer Banks in North Carolina in the near future. Susan enjoys reading, singing, dancing, writing, and spending time with family. E-mail her at [email protected]

  Bonnie Walsh Davidson, M.Ed., of Marion, Massachussetts, is the author of Breast Friends. Davidson has turned her breast cancer experience into an avocation, publishing numerous pieces on breast cancer in several national magazines as well as Chicken Soup for Every Mom’s Soul (March 2005) and Chicken Soup for the Sister’s Soul (October 2006). Her husband, Paul, encouraged her to spread her wings with a website, PinkRibbon.com, in the hopes of assisting other women diagnosed with breast cancer. Davidson is a mother of three and a full-time real estate associate for Jack Conway & Company, Inc., in Mattapoisett, Massachussets, and chairperson of the Relay for Life in her community.

  Sue Diaz is an essayist, author, and writing teacher whose work has appeared in numerous regional and national publications, including Newsweek, Family Circle, Christian Science Monitor, Woman’s Day, and Reader’s Digest. She is also a frequent on-air essayist on National Public Radio. She can be reached via her website: www.suediaz.com.

  Judy DiGregorio, a freelance writer from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, has published more than one hundred humorous poems and essays, including columns in the Writer and the Army-Navy Times. She was recently nominated by the Tennessee Arts Commission to their online registry (www.SouthernArtistry.com) as an outstanding southern writer.

  Avis Drucker retired to Cape Cod with husband Al as “washashores” in 2001. Her memoirs and poetry have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul Life Lessons for Women; Chicken Soup for the Shopper’s Soul; World of Water, World of Sand anthology; The Philosophical Mother; The Aurorean; Primetime; and in syndication with King Features Syndicate. She has two daughers, Leslie and Vicki.

  Stefanie Durham is a freelance writer living in Florida with her husband and three amazing daughters. She captured a love for writing while attending East Tennessee State University and is currently working on her first novel. She can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]

  Karen Falk grew up on Long Island in New York. She received her degrees from SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Oneonta, and CUNY Queens College. She is married and lives in Las Vegas. She is currently teaching third grade. This piece was written to model the writing process for her students. Karen vacations at any beach. She has wonderful memories of her family growing up at the beach club.

  Carolyn Mott Ford lives near the ocean and enjoys walking along the beach. She writes poetry, essays, and stories, as well as early learners for children, and her work has been published in general, juvenile, and literary magazines, as well as anthologies.

  Sally Friedman spent her summers growing up at the New Jersey seashore, where her mother taught her to love the ocean. She has transmitted that legacy to her own children and grandchldren. A longtime freelance writer, Sally has shared many of her reflections with readers of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. E-mail her at [email protected]

  Paula Gunter-Best received her bachelor of arts with high honors from Eckerd College. Her hobbies include showing and breeding rabbits. She combines her love for children and for rabbits into a ministry providing practical messages of pet ownership with messages of divine love and acceptance for all God’s beings.

  Pamela Hackett Hobson (Peggy’s daughter!) is the author of two novels: The Bronxville Book Club and The Silent Auction. Pam’s debut novel, The Bronxville Book Club, was featured in the New York Times. To learn more about the author and her writing projects, visit www.pamelahobson.com or send an e-mail to [email protected]

  Patrick Hardin is a freelance cartoonist whose work appears in a variety of books and periodicals. He may be reached by phone at 810-234-7452.

  Roberta Beach Jacobson considers herself a free spirit. At age twenty-one, she left Chicagoland to explore Europe. After more than two decades of wandering, she settled on the Greek island of Karpathos, where she spins words and feeds cats. Her website can be found at http://www.travelwriters.com/Roberta.

  Karen R. Kilby resides in Kingwood, Texas, with her husband, David. She is a certified personality trainer with CLASServices, Inc., and a speaker for Stonecroft Ministries. Karen has had several short stories published and can be reached at [email protected]

  Betty King is an author of three books, a freelance writer, and a lifestyle and devotional newspaper columnist and speaker who lives with the disease multiple sclerosis. Visit her website at www.bettyking.net or e-mail her at [email protected]

  Dolores Kozielski is a certified Feng Shui practitioner in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She is an author and award-winning poet, published with major publishing houses including HarperCollins. Dolores is a contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living/Stress and Chicken Soup for the Soul Sister’s Soul 2. She may be reached at www.FengShuiWrite.com.

  Jaye Lewis is an award-winning writer who, at age sixty, finds the trials of life, and its lessons, the best way to find out who you are. You can read more of Jaye’s inspirational stories on her website at www.entertainingangels.org or e-mail Jaye at [email protected]

  Heather Cook Lindsay received her bachelor’s from Mount Holyoke College and her master’s from Harvard University. Heather is writing a memoir about her highly unusual life. She grew up in an oxygen tent, was disabled by thirty, and can usually be found writing or laughing with her husband. E-mail her at [email protected]

  Andrea MacEachern currently resides in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where she works from home as a freelance writer and volunteers with a local cable station as a camera person. She enjoys photography, swimming, and walking.

  Audrey D. Mark is an award-winning writer and graduate of Northwestern University. Her humorous columns appear in the Raleigh News & Observer and other publications. She has three great kids and an adoring husband, who thinks that even her grocery lists are cleverly written. Please e-mail her at [email protected]

  Janet Matthews is a writer, editor, professional speaker, and coauthor of the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Canadian Soul. She has a new book entitled The Navy’s Baby, for which she is currently seeking a publisher, and she is working on another book entitled Discovering Your Spiritual Purpose. To learn more about Janet or contact her, go to www.janetmatthews.ca, or call 905-726-8000, or e-mail [email protected]

  Patrick McDonnell is a teacher living in Gilbert, Arizona. He received his M.Ed. from Nothern Arizona University and his undergraduate from St. John’s (New York). He lives with his wife, Trish, and son, Thomas. He is also a high school football official. He can be reached at [email protected]

  Sharon Melnicer is a writer, artist, and teacher in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She frequently broadcasts the “Slice of Life” pieces that she pens on CBC radio. A retired high-school English teacher, she continues to teach life-story writing to adults and is a recognized artist who shows and sells throughout North America.

  George H. Moffett lives a short distance from the beach. His essays have appeared in newspapers and Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul Daily Inspirations. Georg
e has been a surfer, U.S. Marine, municipal councilman, active church member, and now in his seventies is a writer. E-mail George at [email protected]

  Dee Montalbano is a teacher, a teacher of teachers, a communication consultant, and a writer. She is mom to two grown daughters and grandma to three great kids. When she’s not hiking, she cooks great soups, enjoys music and film, and spends as much time as possible in Tuscany. You can reach her at [email protected]

  Amy Ammons Mullis lives with her husband and two teenaged sons in South Carolina in a town the size of a starlet’s bikini. She works as a church secretary, but is retired from taking family vacations. Her muses are a pile of wet towels and a sand-filled swimsuit.

  Linda O’Connell, an early childhood educator for thirty years, leaves St. Louis each June and heads to the beach with her husband. She also enjoys camping. Water and the great outdoors inspire her to write. She has been published in numerous anthologies, literary journals, and newspapers. Contact her at [email protected]

  Colette O’Connor is a beach-based travel and lifestyle writer who is either working hard or hardly working around the Monterey Bay, California, area. When working hard she is editor-in-chief of Flying Adventures, a travel and lifestyle magazine for aviators. Her features, interviews, and essays have appeared in newspapers from the Los Angeles Times to the Washington Post, in magazines from France to World Traveling, and in the nonfiction travel anthologies Travelers’ Tales, Paris edition (1997), Sand in My Bra & Other Misadventures: Funny Women Write from the Road (2003), and Best Women’s Travel Writing (2006). She loves receiving e-mail at [email protected]

  Maryann Pasqualone is retired from real estate and serves on the board of the Garden State chapter of the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation. Maryann lives by the Jersey Shore and organizes a fundraiser on the boardwalk each September for myasthenia gravis. Please e-mail her at [email protected]