Fueled By Pain

 

Nonfiction / Self-Esteem / Memoir

Date Published: January 15, 2026

Publisher: MindStir Media

What if your pain wasn’t holding you back… but pushing you forward?

From abuse and neglect to crime, addiction, prison, and crushing debt—Patrick Simiglai’s story is not just about survival. It’s about transformation.

In Fueled By Pain, ultra-endurance athlete and mental performance coach Patrick Simiglai shares how he rebuilt his life from the ground up using discipline, resilience, and 23 powerful mental techniques designed to help you do the same.

This is not a motivational quick fix.

This is a blueprint for real, lasting change.

Inspired by elite forces like the Danish Frogman Corps, Patrick pushed himself through extreme physical challenges—ultramarathons, rope climbs, and marathon swims—discovering that the real battle isn’t in the body… it’s in the mind.

Inside this powerful book, you’ll discover how to:

• Master your inner dialogue and stop self-sabotage

• Build discipline that lasts beyond motivation

• Develop unshakable mental resilience under pressure

• Break free from addiction, fear, and limiting beliefs

• Turn pain, discomfort, and resistance into your greatest advantage

• Create long-term success through integrity and self-trust

Patrick’s journey—from chaos to clarity—proves that no matter where you start, you can rebuild your life. Today, he is a successful entrepreneur, endurance athlete, and mentor helping others unlock their potential and take control of their lives.

His message is simple—but powerful:

You don’t need a new life. You need a new relationship with yourself.

Pain, resistance, and discomfort are not signs that you’re on the wrong path. Often, they are proof that you’re walking in the direction of growth. You don’t have to feel ready. You just have to show up honestly and keep your word to yourself—especially on the days when no one is watching.

 

About the Author

Patrick Simiglai is a Danish ultra-endurance athlete, mental performance coach, and speaker dedicated to helping individuals transform their lives through discipline, resilience, and powerful inner dialogue. As the author of Fueled By Pain, Patrick shares a raw and deeply personal journey of overcoming adversity and building mental strength from the inside out.

Competing in some of the world’s most grueling ultra-endurance races—including 200- and 300-mile events across deserts, mountains, and extreme terrain—Patrick has developed a unique approach to mental toughness rooted in real-world experience. His work bridges the gap between extreme physical performance and everyday personal growth, offering practical tools for leaders, athletes, and teams to perform under pressure with integrity and consistency.

Patrick’s path to success was anything but conventional. Growing up in a childhood marked by abuse and later struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, he understands firsthand the challenges of feeling trapped by your own thoughts. His transformation—from chaos and self-destruction to purpose-driven achievement—forms the foundation of his coaching, speaking, and writing.

Through his work, Patrick emphasizes that true growth begins with mastering your inner dialogue. His philosophy is simple yet powerful: you don’t need a new life—you need a new relationship with yourself. By embracing discomfort, taking responsibility, and committing to disciplined action, he teaches others how to unlock their full potential and create lasting change.

Originally written in Danish and later rewritten in English as a personal challenge, Fueled By Pain reflects Patrick’s belief that growth comes from stepping outside your comfort zone and committing to the process, even when it’s difficult. Drawing from years of journaling, coaching, and extreme endurance experiences, the book delivers 23 mental techniques designed to help readers build resilience, overcome self-doubt, and achieve long-term success.

Today, Patrick Simiglai works with individuals and organizations worldwide, inspiring others to confront their limits, strengthen their mindset, and turn pain into purpose.

"Challenges fuel growth. Courage creates opportunities."

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Ivy Leigh Ever After

 

Middle Grade Fiction

Date Published: Feb 24, 2026

Publisher: Small Circles Press

Ivy Leigh’s a feisty eleven, almost twelve-year-old who could never imagine using a fist to solve a problem. But that was before. Before Momma died. Before her BFFs, Lizzie and Ruthie, started pressuring her to change. Before they told her that Michael, the cutest boy in school, has a crush on her. And, before two jealous bullies—Rachel and Winona teamed up to badger her on the bus and at school. Rachel calls her ‘Poison Ivy.’ Winona shoves her into a crowd at school. Hurt and humiliated, Ivy Leigh, on impulse, fights back. It’s a mistake she instantly regrets.

Ruthie and Lashonna know these bullies. They know their backstories and where they’ve come from. But they’re not the only ones. A cast of quirky characters like Mr. Winters, the wannabe cowboy next door who speaks his advice in the language of old-world slogans. There’s Miss Aurelia, an old hippy, whose eyes don’t work so well anymore, but who has a special kind of wisdom she shares with Ivy Leigh. And there’s Momma’s best friend, Miss Neola, who takes Ivy under her wing, and helps her understand that bullies have struggles too.

In the end, Ivy stands up for herself, not with a fist, but with a heart, walking in the shoes of Rachel and Winona, Lizzie and Ruthie, and even Grandma and her sister, Viv, who all struggle with loss and loneliness and sometimes misunderstanding too. Ivy soon learns that through all of this, she has never been alone, that Momma is still living in her midst, under that strawberry moon they both loved so much.

Excerpt

Chapter One: The Package

“She’s coming for you, Peachy.”

He leaped off the bed and scrambled toward me. Together, we stood at the window, watching. I’d heard the roar of that muffler. The sound of the crash. It all spelled trouble. Up until now, Peachy was unknown to her. But I knew it would never stay that way. Dad was at work. She always knew the perfect time to strike.

“That was Mom’s gnome!” Nat’s shriek pierced the air, and I knew this was going to be bad. I took the stairs two at a time, in boxers and a tank top, with Peachy trailing behind. It was early on a Saturday, Viv was still in bed, and I hadn’t even brushed my teeth. But that never mattered to Grandma. This was a surprise attack; we were in her sights, and she had a total takeover in mind. I tucked Peachy away in his crate and latched him in tight before heading out to the front porch to see what was going on.

And there she was. Bulb shaped and full of bluster, Grandma stood with Nat at her side, staring down at the smashed garden gnome. He was pink-faced with a green hat and a little red jacket. Mom named him ‘Happy.’ He made her laugh just to look at him in the midst of her treatments and trips to and from the hospital. But now Happy was here all smashed up in the garden, and Mom had been gone for almost a whole awful year.

“That is the tackiest thing! People will question the sort of people who live in a house with a thing like that out front!”

Things went quiet for a moment, I don’t think Nat even knew what to say to that.

But I knew this wasn’t going to be about the garden gnome. She’d come about Peachy who we’d hidden from her for a whole two weeks. But I’d had a funny feeling about that lately, Grandma had eyes and ears everywhere.

A minute later, I heard the squeak of metal behind me. And then, to my shock and surprise, the screen door flew open. Within seconds, Peachy bolted out, lunged at Grandma and nearly knocked her off her feet. How on earth did he get out of there, I thought.

“This! she bellowed. “This is exactly why I’m here!” Her face was wrinkled, powdered and puffed, with a coat of bright red lipstick smeared across her lips. Cruella had nothing on her. A true animal hater, she shrieked again at the sight of him.

I came running down the sidewalk then and scooped Peachy up in my arms. “It’s okay, boy,” I said, rubbing his peach-colored fur and holding him close.

“It is not okay! That dog has accosted the neighbors and now he’s attacked me! Always on the loose, with no training and no hope of it at all. Why was I not told about him?”

About the Author

 

 Gael Lynch is a writer and storyteller, a teacher whose love of kids and furry creatures has followed her throughout her life. She now lives in coastal Carolina, a place of sunny beaches and warm breezes with her husband Tom and her rambunctious golden retriever, Wrigley. However, Newtown, Connecticut, with its pastoral beauty and kind-hearted people will always be a place she calls home.

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No Straight Lines to the Stars

  

An Unlikely Journey from Lifeguard Tower to Launchpad

 

Narrative Nonfiction/Inspirational

Date Published: August 4th, 2026

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

No Straight Lines to the Stars is the inspiring true story of a young lifeguard who dared to believe his life could reach far beyond the horizon.

On the beaches of Southern California, Ken Kisco learned that preparation saves lives. From rip-current rescues to split-second emergencies, he discovered that courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to act in spite of it. Those early lessons in resilience and composure pushed Ken to believe he could accomplish anything . . . including his lifelong dream of reaching the stars.

Through relentless perseverance and unwavering faith, Ken rose into the heart of America’s most advanced space and defense programs, contributing to human spaceflight initiatives and supporting groundbreaking technologies. His unusual start as a lifeguard helped advance his career, distinguishing him from his Air Force and Navy peers. Yet, his toughest challenges were personal—he faced deep disappointment when a space mission was canceled and learned lessons about trust and integrity from a romance-turned-ruse.

Ken’s journey reveals that success is rarely linear. Setbacks became launchpads, adversity became refinement, and purpose became a compass. Part memoir, part inspiration, and part behind-the-scenes look at America’s quest for the stars, this is the unforgettable story of a man who proves that bold dreams, combined with grit and heart, can launch an ordinary life into an extraordinary one.

 

About the Author

At ten years old, Ken Kisco dreamed of becoming a rocket scientist, a goal that shaped his life. He earned multiple degrees, including master's degrees from the University of Southern California in systems management and from San Jose State University in industrial psychology.

As an aerospace systems engineer for NASA, Rockwell International, and Boeing, he developed new technologies and earned recognition as an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Fellow.

Ken now shares his passion by mentoring USC engineering students, inspiring them to dream boldly. When not traveling, he and his wife enjoy San Diego's beaches, where they live.

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Navigate Cancer

 

Leadership / Self-Help / Health / Business

Date Published: April 29. 2026

Publisher: Serapis Bey Publishing, Arizona, USA

Coaching for Resilience

 

This empowering book launches the new Cancer Compass; an essential self-leadership resource for people facing cancer. It extends its reach to caregivers, healthcare professionals, and organisations committed to offering meaningful support to anyone in their workforce dealing with cancer. It encourages us to see cancer not solely as a medical challenge, but as a profound moment to honour the resilience of our human spirit, embrace growth, and reclaim control of our lives for a brighter future.

Teresa Ferreiro-Vilariño challenges her readers to shift their perspective, prioritising personal empowerment, connection and purposeful living. Her insights about resilience coaching and each person’s human potential are uplifting. Her book is deeply rooted in practical application, including thoughtful exercises and tools that prompt us to access our inner resources, engage in self-discovery and cultivate our secure bases. These unique gifts guide us to align our decisions with our values and goals, helping us chart a path forward with choice, clarity and confidence.

 

About the Author

Teresa Ferreiro-Vilariño is the Founder and CEO of Kimberlite (https://www.kimberlite.es), an innovative organisation dedicated to providing comprehensive support to people navigating cancer—particularly within corporate settings—through professional coaching. A Master Certified Coach (MCC) accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), Teresa brings more than 20 years of experience working with leaders and organisations worldwide.

At the age of 36, a breast cancer diagnosis marked a turning point in her life, redirecting her focus toward empowering people living with cancer. In the years that followed, she authored her first book, I Have Breast Cancer–What Now?, recognised for its inspirational and practical guidance, embraced motherhood, and founded a charitable initiative supporting young women navigating motherhood after cancer. She later earned a PhD focused on applying professional coaching methodologies to the specific needs of people facing serious health challenges. In recognition of her commitment to patient advocacy, she was honoured with the European Patient Champion Award by EyeforPharma in 2019.

Teresa is also an executive coach and coaches across multiple programs at IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland, including the flagship High-Performance Leadership (HPL) Program, supporting leaders in developing resilience, clarity, and sustainable performance.

 

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Adverse Reactions by Deborah J. Lightfoot Genre: Dystopian Paranormal Suspense

 

When your mind makes you the enemy, either your mind must die, or you will. 

Unless yours is the mind they can’t break.

Adverse Reactions

by Deborah J. Lightfoot

Genre: Dystopian Paranormal Suspense

Purity demands a bullet. Devin brings a reckoning.

Since she was six years old, Devin Perridin has been locked behind the walls of the family home to keep her hidden from those who would kill her. But at sixteen, she is exposed as a "Syke," one of an outlawed minority who possess extraordinary powers of mind over matter. Snatched from hiding, she escapes the firing squad, but only to be imprisoned in a house of horrors: the Peaceful Hills Sanatorium and Rehabilitation Center for the Treatment of Persistent Mental Disorders. After an unknown time of torture and "behavior modification," brutally designed to destroy her psychokinetic reflexes, she emerges from the asylum severely damaged in mind and spirit. Her salvation may lie in the series of crimes triggered by her release: first kidnapping, then attempted murder, and then a mustering of forbidden forces to assault the remote pseudo-psychiatric facility where she had been tortured into near-mindlessness.

Drawing upon a strength she had always known was hers but had never before been able to consciously control, Devin defies the authoritarian society with its unjust laws that demand her death. She pushes through pain, isolation, and moral quandaries to seek justice for not only herself, but all members of a maligned and cruelly persecuted minority. A post-apocalyptic, paranormal allegory for the times in which we live.

When your mind makes you the enemy, either your mind must die, or you will. Unless yours is the mind they can't break.

 

“This novel is immediately immersive, with an opening scene that sucks readers in with vivid sensory detail and a great sense of suspense.” —The Black List

“What a story! I was picked up from the first page and you never let me go thereafter. The premise is original … compelling … convincing.” —ARC Reader

“A very enjoyable read. Excellent pacing. Immersive language. Polished, effortless writing. I’d love to see a prequel (or three)!” —ARC Reader

“Relevant to the current situation in the world. Ostracizing others who are different out of fear and ignorance. Cruelty and inhumanity.” —ARC Reader

“Believable and relatable.” —The Black List

“Thematically rich, as Devin faces constant self-doubt but eventually comes to find empowerment in the unique abilities that have made her an outcast.” —The Black List

 

**Get it #OnSale for only $1.99 4/21 – 4/24!**

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Chapter 1

 

VAPORS BILLOWED INTO the chamber in thick masses of orange. Devin choked on the sickly sweet odor.

“Don’t fight it, child,” came the voice—equally cloying—from the darkness beyond the floodlit, glass-walled chamber. “Give yourself up to it.”

The gas surged into Devin’s face, blinding, gagging her. She made it go away. By force of will, a moment’s mental reflex, she flung it back.

Fresh air flooded her nostrils and drove out the syrupy stink. She sucked in a cool, clean breath.

“No!” snapped the voice, crackling with amplified static. “You must not.”

The therapist dropped her with two thousand volts. Devin collapsed to the chamber’s floor, her body jerking, her nerves on fire. The pain was beyond enduring. A pain this intense must be lethal. But she did not die. As she convulsed, her muscles knotted in spasms, she could not scream. No part of her, not even her voice, was under her voluntary control.

“Try it again, child.” Smooth and saccharine once more, her unseen therapist spoke from the concealing shadows as the shock ended and Devin’s pain faded. “Stand up,” the torturer ordered. “And this time, do not fight it. Or your punishment will be the same: swift, sure, and severe.”

Devin struggled upright. She had to brace against the curved glass wall of the gas chamber to keep on her feet. Her muscles had melted from knots into jelly.

An orange cloud flooded the chamber and filled her nose with the stink of rotting fruit.

“Breathe it,” her therapist instructed. “You must.”

But again, Devin reacted by instinct alone. No conscious thought interposed between stimulus and response. The cloud approached; she pushed it away. Pure reflex, action of mind: act of self-preservation. The gas held back, suspended in midair, blocked by the power of her impulse.

On the instant, thousands of volts knocked her to the floor. Pain engulfed Devin, such a pain as must be lethal but wouldn’t do her the service of killing her. She writhed, silent and barely conscious.

Her therapist withdrew the punishment. Devin remained on the floor of the isolation chamber, curled in the fetal position, her long brown hair covering her face. Her body was hers to command once more, but her muscles had no strength to obey.

“You give new meaning to the word persistent, don’t you, girl?” muttered the disembodied voice. Then, more forcefully: “The first step toward healing is to admit you are diseased, Miss Perridin. You have an illness. A mental disorder. I am offering you the cure—in a pleasant aerosol spray that you need only breathe. Once inhaled, the drug acts quickly, and its effects are lasting. But you must take the first step and acknowledge that you want to be cured.”

The voice grew soft, sugary. “Child, for as long as you hold to the notion—the mistaken notion—that your disorder is in some way a strength or a benefit to you, you will continue to fail. And you will suffer the consequences of that failure. We can’t have that, can we?”

Devin gathered the remnants of her strength and rolled onto her back. To stand was impossible; she could barely shape a word.

“No,” she whispered.

She wasn’t speaking to her tormentor.

But: “That’s the spirit!” the therapist responded, sounding genuinely enthused. “Now we try again. Take your medicine like a good girl.”

The orange stink flowed in at the top of the chamber. Devin, lying face up, watched through the curtain of her hair as the cloud descended. She had time to ward it off, to make it go away. But in the soul of her being, nothing sparked. Her reflexes, her instincts, failed to respond. What had been a spontaneous force of mind over matter could offer no resistance.

Devin’s mouth filled with the sickening taste of defeat. The orange cloud enveloped her, a sticky weight, and she choked down lungfuls.

“Wonderful!” her therapist exclaimed. “My dear, I couldn’t be more pleased. This is the tipping point. Your recovery will be much easier from now on, I promise.”

Devin breathed the sickly sweet drug and felt the core of her mind go dead.

Then came the retching. Her body contorted in gut-shredding paroxysms as the drug made her vomit—or attempt to vomit. Her keepers had starved her for so long, her stomach had nothing to bring up. The dry heaves racked her with such violence that she could not breathe. After long moments, unconsciousness brought relief.

Castles in the cornfield provided the setting for Deborah J. Lightfoot’s earliest flights of fancy. On her father’s farm in Texas, she grew up reading tales of adventure and reenacting them behind ramparts of sun-drenched grain. She left the farm to earn a degree in journalism and write award-winning books of history and biography. High on her bucket list was the desire to try her hand at the genre she most admired. The result is Waterspell, a multi-layered fantasy series about a girl and the wizard who suspects her of being so dangerous to his world, he believes he’ll have to kill her … which troubles him, since he’s fallen in love with her.

 

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Trust Issues

Why Traditional Estate Planning Has Failed Us and What To Do About It

Nonfiction, Self-Help

Date Published: December 9, 2025

Publisher: Elite Online Publishing

What do the ultra-wealthy know about protecting their fortunes that most people never learn?

In Trust Issues, veteran estate planning attorney Rick Durfee pulls back the curtain on the legal tools and legacy strategies the affluent quietly use to safeguard their assets, slash taxes, and keep wealth in the family for generations, with control, clarity, and confidence.

This isn’t theory. It’s a field-tested playbook built from decades of helping high-net-worth individuals, business owners, and family offices create dynasty plans that actually work in the real world.

Whether you're a successful entrepreneur, investor, or professional advisor, you’ll discover how to:

• Use trusts to avoid probate and dictate how wealth is used, even long after you’re gone.
• Set up business entities (like LLCs and FLPs) that shield assets from lawsuits and creditors.
• Build a dynasty trust designed to preserve family wealth for 100+ years.
• Legally minimize estate and gift taxes.
• Sidestep the most common (and costly) estate planning mistakes.
• Empower your children and grandchildren with wealth, without fueling entitlement or dependency.

Durfee’s approach is ethical, practical, and grounded in a simple belief: wealth should serve your family’s deepest values, not just their lifestyle.

If you’re serious about protecting what you’ve built, Trust Issues is your roadmap to a lasting legacy, on your terms.

 

 

About the Author

 

Rick Durfee is the founder and senior attorney at Durfee Law Group PLLC, based in Mesa, Arizona. Practicing law since 1988, Rick is nationally recognized for his expertise in estate planning, asset protection, and multi-generational wealth preservation. His firm serves clients across the United States, helping families “Live Well, Leave a Legacy™” through comprehensive and enduring legal strategies.

A frequent speaker at national events and author of Trust Issues: Why Traditional Estate Planning is Failing and What to Do About It, Rick combines deep legal knowledge with a family-centered philosophy rooted in his background as a former professor of world religions. He and his wife are the proud parents of eight children and seventeen grandchildren.

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The Art of War

 

Rewritten and Modernized for Psychological Combat 

Self-help, Psychology

Date Published: April 9, 2026

Manipulation has become a method of warfare. Gaslighting, triangulation, and psychological pressure are now tools of control. This book teaches how to recognize them and remain composed under attack. Written in the style of Sun Tzu’s original work, this book carries the discipline of ancient strategy into the unseen arena of psychological conflict. War has changed its form, not its nature. It no longer arrives only with force, but with influence, distortion, and control. Shuai-jan Change preserves the structure of the original Art of War while directing its essence toward these modern forms of conflict. This work is grounded in lived experience as well as study. Having endured emotional and psychological abuse, the author chose not to be defined by it. Through discipline and deliberate effort, that experience was transformed into survivorship and self-command. Strategy is not used to dominate, but to prevent defeat before it occurs. The aim is to recognize manipulation without surrendering principle, and to maintain control where others seek to take it. This is not a book of open war. It is a practical guide for those who encounter manipulation without warning and intend to remain steady, aware, and unbroken.

 

Also by Shuai-jan Change

The Art of War: Two Traditions: The Original Text by Sun Tzu and a Modern Rendering for Psychological Combat

 

Manipulation has become a method of warfare. Gaslighting, triangulation, and psychological pressure are now tools of control. This volume teaches how to recognize them and remain composed under attack. This edition presents The Art of War in two forms. The first is the original text attributed to Sun Tzu, translated by Lionel Giles and preserved in its classical structure. The second is a modern rendering by Shuai-jan Change, written in the same disciplined style and directed toward the realities of contemporary psychological conflict. War has changed its form, not its nature. It no longer arrives only with force, but with influence, distortion, and control. These days, the adversary advances with toxic thinking, employing tactics such as gaslighting, triangulation, love bombing, character assassination, and calculated victimhood. The modern rendering is grounded in lived experience as well as study. Having endured emotional and psychological abuse, the author chose not to be defined by it. Through discipline and deliberate effort, that experience was transformed into survivorship and self-command. Across both works, the principles of strategy remain constant, but the terrain has shifted. The structure is preserved. The discipline remains. The interpretation adapts. These are not books of aggression. They are studies in recognition, restraint, and self-command. To understand strategy in one age is to recognize it in all others.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Art-War-Traditions-Rendering-Psychological-ebook/dp/B0GX2HWPQN

 

About the Author

My name is Shuai-jan Change. I am the author of The Art of War: Rewritten and Modernized for Psychological Combat, a contemporary rendering of Sun Tzu’s classic focused on the unseen arenas of manipulation, coercion, and mental conflict.

Drawing from the style and structure of the original text, this work reframes ancient strategies for use in modern environments, where conflict unfolds not only through open confrontation but through distortion, pressure, and control of perception. This work is not written from theory alone. It is informed by lived experience. Having endured psychological and emotional abuse, I undertook a process of inner discipline to avoid adopting the same patterns of distortion, blame, and control. The objective was not to remain a victim; it was to avoid becoming what was opposed, to establish self-command, and to transform victimhood into survivorship. These writings are intended for those who seek to maintain composure under pressure, recognize manipulative tactics, and preserve their peace of mind without surrendering principle. The objective is not domination, but self-command. My literary work centers on psychological combat as it unfolds across professional, personal, and digital arenas, offering a disciplined approach to strategy, boundaries, and internal stability in an age of dysfunction and constant chaos.

 

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