Two Chicks with Big Books Blog

Gratitude...

02/20/2012 15:30:00

I was at a function in November and a boy (about 14) and his mom introduced themselves to me. The boy said Bellwether's Message about God (my children's picture book) changed his life. He said reading it over and over gain helped form him into the strong, happy and confident young man he is today. It was quite an overwhelming and awe-inspiring moment and revived my love of the written word.

To write a book. To publish a book. To sell those books and to change lives, simply doesn't happen every day and it isn't easy. On the contrary, it pushed me, made me question my faith, my sanity, my strength and most of all my belief in my talent and capabilities. But it's really one of the most wonderful experiences I have ever had.

I love letters. ♥ And letters strung together to make words that inspire moves me...it's my joy. At the book launch we had for Dismissed on Saturday, I got to appreciate and revel in the power that words have to inspire incredible change, one more time. I was deeply moved hearing a story of a VLT addict who, after reading Gisele's book Dismissed was able to free himself from the urge to play VLTs. An addiction he was engulfed in for over 10 years. He said it was the first time in 10 years that he cashed and kept his paycheque! Simply after reading one book. One powerful and amazing book... Dismissed.

So today and since Saturday I feel grateful for the power the written word has to inspire change and to connect us all through our experiences. And I also feel extremely grateful for women like Gisele who go the distance and put their struggles, successes and stories out there for us to learn and grow from. The world is indeed a better place with people like Gisele who are willing to share their stories.

Holiday Giveaway

12/06/2011 14:42:00

It's the NEVER GIVE UP! $500 Holiday Giveaway from ADIGI Books.

We're so proud to launch our first author, Gisele Jubinville. She's got a fire like Erin Brokovich and she will not be DISMISSED.

Despite losing $400,000, being lied to and shot down she refuses to GIVE UP! Now she's doing everything in her power to be HEARD. She's a woman on a mission and we want to help her change lives.

When you purchase a copy of Dismissed: How one woman's intution ended her addiction and exposed a government cover-up, you'll automatically be entered to WIN $500Holiday Spending CASH (we'll mail out a cheque to you on December 23, 2011. The FINE PRINT: The contest requires 1000 purchases of Dismissed to be made by December 22 before we can declare a winner. The winner will be announed on this blog.)

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE BOOK AND ENTER THE CONTEST

Dismissed is an unforgettable TRUE STORY.If you felt proud when Secretariat crossed the finish line and Diane Lane flashed her told-you-so look to all the naysayers, you'll LOVE how Gisele overcomes the seemingly unconquerable.

If you loved the way Erin Brokovich stood up to a corporate giant, you'll be gripped when you read how Gisele becomes a irresistable force and confronts her bullies in The Showdown (chapter ten).

If you've been married for longer than a decade and you know how hard it is to keep the flame alive, your heart will melt when, after 39 years of marriage, Gisele falls in love all over again.

AND

If you love how Michael Moore goes on fact-finding, illusion-busting missions and exposes the lies and corruptions, you'll love how Gisele serendipitously lands upon some very interesting information that busts through her naive idea that her government is here to serve and protect.

This memoir is a GREAT GIFT IDEA. If you have an avid reader on your list, why not purchase a book AND enter to WIN$500 at the same time.

Purchase the book AND automatically be entered to WIN. Click HERE.

GOOD LUCK!!

In The Hot Seat

11/30/2011 14:58:00

Wow! I have a whole new respect for our St. Albert MLA, Ken Allred. I wish everyone could have sat in on the public accounts committee meeting the ADIGI team attended today. It was gripping. Members of AGLC were brought in to answer questions posed by various MLAs. Ken Allred, in particular, posed some very interesting questions, not unlike the questions Gisele has been asking AGLC for 9 years now.

A moment that demonstrated AGLC’s classic ability to produce vague answers happened when Ken posed a question about AGLC’s reporting method.In 1999, AGLC changed their reporting method to include all credits played in the machines. Ken asked them why they did this. What was their reason for changing the way they report the figures? In her book, Gisele expresses why she believes they chose to do this. She shows clearly how it benefits them and she explains why we as Albertans should be extremely concerned about this. Their answer was, of course, vague. They stated they wanted to ‘show credits played’but they didn’t say why this was helpful (which, to Albertans it is not. In my opinion, it helps AGLC to create an illusion but it doesn’t serve the public.)

Another issue that came up had to do with the new machines AGLC purchased in 2003. Research was requested by concerned officials and in 1998 a public report was produced and one of the conclusions drawn was that gaming machines should be slowed down. Faster play equals greater losses. When Gisele searched for this report, she was told it could no longer be located.Worse than this, the new machines AGLC brought in 2003 were FASTER not slower.They completely disregarded measures that have been proven to help problem gamblers. And it’s not hard to figure out why. Faster machines = more profit. AGLC is bringing in new machines once again. They stated that their reasons for this were because they have a difficulty finding parts for the current machines, machines have a lifespan of 7 years and players are looking for new games. That was such an interesting response. I would love to ask them who these players are. Show me these requests please.

Later in the meeting, Ken Allred brought back the question about the reporting method. Again he asked why they chose to change their reporting methods. This time AGLC gave a different answer. They said that actually, they had no idea why that change in accounting was made and that in fact, the new auditor general has been investigating this also. They stated that they are currently researching this question and since none of them were there during the year it was changed, they have no idea why the reporting method is now different.

Ken Allred also fired a question about payout percentage and asked whether or not it is true that the machines are programmed to pay back $0.69 on every dollar. He of course received the same robotic response Gisele has received for 9 years. (insert robot voice here) Player behaviour is to blame for this discrepancy. We are not responsible for this inconsistency.

And the piece de resistance...Ken asked AGLC if they would provide the CASH IN and CASH OUT figures for VLTs and slot machines for years 1994 –present.

AGLC said YES!!!

Say what? Gisele has been asking for those figures for 9 years and they finally agreed to give them?

Now the waiting game begins. Time will only tell whether or not they will follow through with that promise.

Stay tuned my friends.

When is it okay to give the finger?

11/26/2011 10:12:00

On my way to the local newspaper, I got lost and ended updriving past AGLC’s building. I had to turn around and as I did, I noticed two flags blowing proudly in the wind; a Canadian flag and the flag of Alberta. I putmy van in park and sat still for a moment. The flag poles were so tall they looked like kings standing proud and pleased, facing forward with honour.

I am a sentimental person. In the past, watching flags rippling with the wind would have reminded me how proud I am of my home. But today was different. Something caught me off guard. Instead of feeling nostalgic and proud, I felt angry. I wasn’t expecting this feeling. In fact, I did something completely out of character. I put my van in drive, raised my left hand and gave AGLC the finger as I drove past.

I’m not saying I’m a saint and I have been known to swear but I try really hard to be a compassionate and forgiving person. I am deeply committed to taking responsibility for my own feelings. I believe in kindness and trust everything happens for a reason. I believe love, not war, is the answer to our problems.

I worked with Gisele for over a year on Dismissed. I know her story inside and out and not once did I feel angry. I listened as she recounted her pain. I took notes as I forced her to dig deep and share with me how her relationship affected and was affected by her addiction. I hugged her when she broke down in tears recalling what it was like to sit in front of the machines. I cried when she shared with me the details about the evening she attempted suicide. I sat on the edge of my seat when she told me what went down at the AGLC headquarters. I watched as she was ignored, put down and I watched her fight for answers every Albertan has a right to know and never once did I feel angry. I heard the tragedy my own mother suffered but I felt removed somehow, as if it was somebody else’s story. But today, of all days, three days after the books arrived from the printers,my emotions decided to surface and there I was in front of AGLC headquarters filled with anger. And truthfully, anger to that degree is rare for me. But there it was - raw, seething, bitter anger.

Because I counsel people on their emotions and how to master them (www.theadigiapproach.com), I’m familiar with the fact that anger is often a secondary emotion and what usually lies right beneath it is hurt. I came home and asked myself why I was feeling angry. I realized I felt like I wanted to stick up for my mom –which, if you read the chapter called The Showdown in the book, you’ll see is really not something she needs. She’s pretty good at standing up for herself thank you very much. But in my anger, I wanted somebody to acknowledge what they had done. I wanted something to be done. I felt like I didn’t want to know what I now know. I wanted to pretend my government was the innocent protectors I used to believe they were. I didn’t want my bubble burst. I’m a classic optimist. I want heroes and honour and knights with principles and morals. I want the good guy to win. Instead, I now see clever villains masquerading as noblemen. And today I hate them. I hate the way they lie and sneak. I hate their hidden agendas. I hate the way they wearmasks. I hate the way they don’t care. I hate the judgments. I hate their selfishness. I hate their greed.

Like I said, what I am feeling today isn’t pretty. I know it will pass. I will transcend these feelings. I won’t stay in this garbage. But today, that is how I feel. I’ll wake up soon and remember forgiveness. But for the moment, I’m choosing to allow myself to feel whatever it is I need to feel.Obviously, I was affected by my mom’s experience far more than I realized. I’m looking back on how I gave a good ol’ #@% YOU! to AGLC as I drove past today and I’m thinking that maybe sometimes it’s okay to give the finger.

The Books Have ARRIVED.

11/21/2011 21:47:00

So the day has finally come. The books arrived in mint condition late this afternoon. We all happened to be at the warehouse so it was perfect timing. We watched the boxes come off the truck and we immediately opened a couple of them to see the finished product. I'd have to say, our book cover artist, Dean Pickup of Dpict Visual Communications www.dpict.ca, is a graphic god. I'm sure he would brush off such praise but it is true. What we love about Dean is we can give him free rein to come up with the cover design and he always hits it out of the park. He has a knack for capturing the essence of a book.

While you're here you might as well pick yourself up a copy. You're going to LOVE it.

As I held a book in my hands, I was reminded of all the people this book could help. Joyce and I chose to publish Gisele's story because we believed so many people could benefit from her experience. I know I've read books that have shifted my perspective, empowered me, relieved my problems and made me feel like I wasn't alone. We believe Gisele's story has the potential to help a a variety of people in these same ways. The most obvious group the will benefit is the VLT and slot machine addicts (or as Gisele likes to call them, the VLT and slot machine victims). There are so many people affected by these machines and the devastation they cause is heartbreaking. When we were at a function a while back, we met a woman whose parents were addicted to the machines. They died and left her with a huge debt she is now forced to pay off. She had to postpone her retirement. Her parents were regular people, like you and me. They weren't the washed up, weak, pathetic human beings a lot of people stereotypically imagine addicts are. Their friends and family were unaware of the destruction that was happening until it was too late. Recently, I attended a networking event held in a meeting room in a casino. It was an evening celebrating women. Of course when I came home I wrote to the host and suggested hosting the event at another location but what struck me that evening was how many older people were sitting in front of a machine all evening long. Now that I know what I know about the addiction, walking into a casino and seeing people tied to the machines is really hard.

But the book will help a lot of people besides addicts. Anyone who adores a great love story will appreciate the relationship twists Len and Gisele experienced along the way. Anyone who loved Erin Brockovich will be at the edge of their seats while reading the chapter called The Showdown. And those who LOVE inspirational movies like Rudy or The Blind Side will love how Gisele faces her bullies, frees herself and becomes a force to be reckoned with.

Here's to you Gisele. Thanks for putting yourself out there all in the name of service.

Order the book here

www.adigibooks.com/Purchase-The-Book-Here.html

Baring Your Soul

11/19/2011 00:45:00

In this fast-paced digital age, it would have been easy for us to publish our new book, Dismissed:How one woman’s intuition ended her addiction and exposed a government cover-up,as an ebook only. Ebook sales are improving at such a fast pace that we could easily concentrate on our virtual community. We are excited to do just that but today we received news from our printer that the softcover books we ordered are on their way to our warehouse. This had me smile from the inside out. Don’t get me wrong. Ebooks are great. Their convenient and instantly accessible but there’s just something about holding a book in your hands.

One of the first things I did when my first book came out was flip through the pages and smell it. I know it sounds weird but I love the smell of a new book. To me, it beats the smell of a new car. Crazy, right? I can’t help it. Books are such a passion of mine and after having diligently committed to a project, there’s nothing like seeing your hard work come to life. Holding our book in my hands is going to send me on a high that even chocolate and exercise can’t compete with.

Our author, Gisele, is as excited about the book coming out as she is nervous. It’s so easy for Joyce and I to feel excited. We don’t have to step out and share intimate details about our life. Gisele bared her soul in this book. That is not an easy thing to do in everyday life never mind in print. She went deep into the private dramas of her life and left no stone unturned. When you read her memoir, you’ll get to see the secrets inside a marriage, the private conversations she had with God and the hidden world of VLT and slot machine players. While she reveals her own secrets, she of course blows the lid on a few government ones. The courage it takes to make the very private public is commendable. What she has taught us is that it is worth it. Baring your soul and being 100% authentic is empowering. It shows you what you are made of and it teaches you to love yourself without conditions. You can’t be honest with the world until you accept yourself just as you are – flaws and all. So here's to baring it all!

Using Intuition to Heal Your Addiction

11/14/2011 10:57:00

"No matter how deep a study you make. What you really have torely on is your own intuition and when it comes down to it, you really don'tknow what's going to happen until you do it."

- Konosuke Matsushita

I love how this quote demonstrates what is so valuable about our new book Dismissed. After reading it, you get to see just how far one woman’s intuition can take her.

Following your intuition isn’t always easy. First of all, you need to learn how to hear it. Secondly, you must value it and follow through with its guidance. When Gisele was severely addicted to VLTs, it wasn’t always easy for her to listen to her intuition. She was riddled with self-loathing(a very common side-effect of addiction, by the way). She woke up every morning determined not to play the machines, only to find herself back in front of a VLT losing her hard-earned money once again. The vicious cycle of regret and self-hatred could have drowned out her internal wisdom…but it didn’t. She would always return home after a binge and ask God for help once again. And she would listen to her inner guidance, even when everything in her life made it seem like she shouldn’t.

It was because of her trust and value in her intuition that information no one had access to fell in her lap. A tiny voice inside her told her something wasn’t right with the machines she was playing and instead of letting that tiny voice die…she listened to it. How many times in your life do you listen to that voice? I know I’m guilty of ignoring it far more often than I would like to. Intuition is a subtle guiding voice. It does not scream at you to make itself heard. It is a quiet nudging. It does not force its will on you.It will not fight for your attention. It patiently waits for you to trust yourself. It seats itself deep within your heart and quietly sends you what it feels you need to know or hear.

I find it interesting how following your intuition requires trust. In order to listen, you have to trust something greater than yourself is capable of guiding your ship. Whether you see that something as your highest self, God or a collective consciousness, in order to follow your intuition you need to relinquish control. You need to surrender and admit you may not know what to do or how to do it but something greater than yourself does. Something greater than your self can see that which you have no way of knowing.

When using intuition to help heal your addiction, remember that something greater than yourself can and will return you to harmony. You are not on your own. The essence that fuels all life is accessible to you and it will lead you back to health. Your only job is to listen and trust. Learn to recognize when your intuition is trying to tell you something. Whether it is through a thought that won’t stop repeating itself, a feeling that overtakes you, a synchronicity or a moment in time that seems to freeze and ask for you to pay attention, your intuition can be one of the most important factors in your healing. As it so clearly demonstrates in Dismissed,there really are no mistakes and your intuition will help you turn chaos into perfection.

If you have any questions about how to use your intuition to help you heal your addiction, don’t hesitate to ask. Our mission is to eradicate the devastation caused by gaming machine addictions so know that we are here for you and we want to help.

You love your mom but do you like her?

11/10/2011 17:06:00

I attended the Edmonton Literary Festival with my mother and author of Dismissed. Lit Fest is such a fantastic event and I truly enjoyed it. As an added bonus, it’s been heart-warming spending time with my mother. I can’t believe how much our relationship has changed. Both events I attended at the festival focused on mother-child relationships: how fitting that Mom joined me.

We co-wrote a book this year and as I compared our writing journey with the authors at the festival, I realized Mom and I have never worked on a project together to this degree before. Truth be known, I wouldn’t have wanted to in the past. Let’s just say, we had ‘issues’. But working through Dismissed together, I feel we’ve crossed some sort of bridge and I now found myself in unknown territory. My mother is quickly becoming one of my best friends. Don’t get me wrong, she still triggers me, as I am sure I do to her, but it is nothing like it was. In the past, the triggers were so strong and uncomfortable they prevented me from fully enjoying her company. I loved her as deeply as I do today but I don’t think I liked her as much as I do now.

Our healing was in part due to the fact that the more I accepted myself, the more I allowed my mother to be who she is, without wishing she was different. I now see how key this is in all relationships but especially mother-daughter ones. Daughters and mothers are notorious for each wishing the other was different. When you can love and accept yourself without conditions, you can value and appreciate everyone around you...including the woman who has a history of pushing ALL your buttons :)

Don't get me wrong. As we worked on Dismissed together,there were heated arguments, dramatic bawling sessions, passionate confessions of regret and hurt. I didn’t know if we would make it to the other side of our shit. But we stuck with it. What I feel now is awe and gratitude. It was worth it after all. Digging up years of crap, learning to love myself and accepting her did make a difference. It redefined our relationship and I am now able to benefit from our ability to persevere. Instead of simply tolerating our time together, I sat beside her at the festival and couldn’t stop feeling how happy I was that she was there. It was a great feeling. Perhaps it’s just what we need to make it through this book selling phase of our journey.

So I'm curious. How have your mother-daughter dynamics affected you? Would you co-write a book with your mother? Do you think we're crazy for choosing to work together?

A Nailbiter's Nightmare

11/06/2011 21:01:00

Our first book, Dismissed: How one woman’s intuition ended her addiction and exposed a government cover-up, was placed in the very capable hands of our printer this week. The energy we’ve been working in has shifted. We’re being forced to move from writing and preparation to stepping out and selling. This has us all on edge. And frankly, all that nervous energy is wreaking havoc on my nails.

We’re relatively new at this publishing gig after all. We’re swimming in a sea of unanswered questions. How do we get people to know our book is available? Do we really have to leave the comfort of our homes and actually tell people what we’ve been working on? Can’t we just stay in our cozy cocoons and expect people to miraculously find out about the book on their own? If we do step out and face our fears, will the book even sell? And if it doesn’t, does that mean we suck? Or does it mean we’re super-genius-forward-thinkers who are ahead of their time and one day in the far-off future, someone will unearth our dusty unsold copies and we will finally be recognized for the brilliant women we are? Yeah, that’s it.

Stay tuned to hear how the selling adventure unfolds because let's face it, things could go either way.