Welcome to the last episode of the Big, Better, Best Books podcast. We are saying goodbye as Katarina takes a break from the amazing world of books and goes on some other wonderful adventures. Thank you to everyone who has listened, sent emails, and recommended Big, Better, Best Books to one of your friends. To listen to any of the episodes, you will continue to be able to find them at bigbetterbestbooks.com or katarinawalletin.com

Do you have the magical capacity of awareness? Today’s guest is Diva Diaz, author of the book Magia and the Feelings That Flew...Away. Key takeaways The traditional form of rhyming: a melodious journey The difference between sensitivity and awareness? Getting back to the core of who we were before we learned to be scared The capacity behind the behavior A door for children labeled with autism, ADHD, and other “disabilities” Asking questions that empower your children The next Magia book

What is one of your best book experiences? Key takeaways: Choosing the best book is impossible Opening up whole new worlds of possibilities with books Different books give us different things at different times of our lives What is one of your best book experiences? Characters who choose something greater It’s not always about how well-written a book is, it’s about a sense of something greater When the experience is over, what next?

What is erotic literature? What draws us to it and makes it so exciting? Listen to learn about exploring your fantasies through erotic fiction and how the things that turn you on can be empowering, fun, and guilt-free. Key takeaways Erotica versus porn: what’s the difference? Fantasies don’t have to mean anything about you Why do women write erotic fiction? The seduction and flirtation of build up and anticipation in erotica What if this topic didn’t have to have a stigma attached to it?

If you have a manuscript in a drawer that wants to get out, this episode is full of tips and inspiration for you to get started again. Listen to hear Jan Bertoft's journey to publication. Key takeaways Why did the book go into the drawer? How one book led to another Feedback from the publisher: having a good editor and receiving criticism Creating the time to write What it’s like co-creating a book Choosing a publishing company Advice for taking your book out of the drawer

How can you receive a book in different ways? Join us as we explore what gets created and what happens when we listen to audiobooks and when we record them. If you have never listened to an audiobook, it may be time! Key takeaways Being the voice of a book changes you Getting the energy of the words Listening to a book is a different experience from reading a book When authors read their own book Preparation and feedback for narrators Including your body in a different way when you listen

What is being you to you? Today is a special storytelling episode, as we talk about a book called “The Very Greatest Adventure is You Truly Being You,” a compilation of stories and quotes from people all over the world about what it really means to be you. Key takeaways: Being you is something you create Storytelling with the authors Are you going to a party? Coloring outside the lines Why don’t they get it? No need to hide Being you, changing the world

What if being happy in this reality was just a choice? Today’s guest is a multi-talented, multi-tasking artist, Rüdrani Devi, who has written a book called “Choosing Happiness.” Key takeaways Why did she choose to write the book? Rüdrani shares her journey of changing her perspective The circumstances surrounding her other books Rüdrani highlights her favåorite tools from Choosing Happiness What is her writing process? Her personal life and her writing

How do you live beyond a tragedy? My guest today is Vladica Djordjevic, who shares her experiences and the process of writing her beautiful book “You are the Power: Choose to Create the Life You Desire.” Key takeaways Writing this book was a healing process What it means to be empowered to go beyond a tragedy Being grateful is a practice Tools for choosing to live after tragedy Vladica wants to help others use their powers and capacities to generate their lives in a totally different way

What is a ghostwriter? Join us to learn about what a ghostwriter does, what it’s like to be a ghostwriter, how they find the right voice, and the skill of grasping the essence of how a person expresses him or herself. Key takeaways Ghostwriters: how do they work? Tricks for getting unstuck The ghostwriting market Writing autobiographies for other people Advice for those interested in the profession Ghostwriting opens your eyes to look at the world in a different way

What is your voice and how do you find it? Your voice actually extends so far beyond what you think it is. What do you want people to hear? How can your voice create a greater future on the planet for all? Key takeaways What’s my voice today? The success trap and stardom vs fame Getting clear on what you want to create and how to invite that into being Have fun and stop trying to get it right What if everything in your life was an expression of you and your voice?

Relationship. Are you sure you want one? Tune in to learn what it means to have a creationship, not relationship, and why you should first have a relationship with yourself before having one with someone else. Key takeaways Different, not differently The book provides both the woman’s and man’s perspective on relationships Giving your partner what they want Creationship, not relationship How can you allow someone to care for you if you don’t care for yourself? The five elements of intimacy

My guest today is Kass Thomas, author of 7 Steps to Flawless Communication. Join us as we discuss the book and how Kass was inspired to write this excellent guide, making a complex topic accessible to anyone. Key takeaways: Why she wrote the book The book is short and simple to understand, yet so powerful Step one: show me the magic Exercises and tools for better communication Expand your zone and reconnect with the universe Your communication is flawless when you are present with it

Have you ever wanted to talk to a professional publisher? Join us to learn some tips for authors who want to work with publishers and the kinds of books Access Consciousness Publishing is looking for. Key takeaways What kind of books do they publish? Things authors should avoid when working with publishing company The evolving publishing industry Creating a dynamic translation How important is the title of a book? A cover that represents the book

Would You Teach a Fish to Climb a Tree? Join us to learn tools for empowering and understanding kids who are a different. Key takeaways: Anne Maxwell, Gary Douglas, and Dr. Dain Heer wrote the book from different professional and experiential perspectives What if there’s nothing wrong with these kids, what if they’re just different? Whatever culture you’re in, there is a universal “fish” Tools for parents to use with their kids What if your job as a parent was to teach your kids to choose?

Reading is fun and entertaining, but it also can be thought provoking and inspiring. My guest today is L.E. Modesitt, Jr. Join us to learn where he gets his inspiration to write so many fantastic stories and what drives him to share these stories with others. Key takeaways Becoming a successful writer didn’t happen overnight His curiosity about how things come to be is a big part of his inspiration He uses stories to inspire people to think Really driven writers write because they have to

Tune in to learn what it takes to be a great translator, how translation is a creative process, and why it’s important to understand the energy of the book and the intention of the author. Key takeaways You need fluency in both languages and an understanding of the cultural context Be true to the author and to the audience A translation isn’t just a commodity, it’s a creation in itself Listening to the rhythm, the sound, the tone of the text When it works and doesn’t work: it’s a gut feeling

Tune in to learn what inspires people to write fan fiction, why people are so passionate about it, and how you can get involved in reading or even writing your own fan fiction online. Key takeaways What is fan fiction exactly? When writing RPF (real person fiction) authors must be careful What’s so fun about writing fan fiction? People often use fan fiction to write in representation they want to see, such as LGBT characters Explaining the different terminology used in fan fiction

What is erotic literature? What draws us to it and makes it so exciting? Listen to learn about exploring your fantasies through erotic fiction and how the things that turn you on can be empowering, fun, and guilt-free. Key takeaways Erotica versus porn: what’s the difference? Fantasies don’t have to mean anything about you Why do women write erotic fiction? The seduction and flirtation of build up and anticipation in erotica What if this topic didn’t have to have a stigma attached to it?

If people stopped ignoring spirits, what would be possible? Shannon O’Hara shares tools for dealing with ghosts, different ways of perceiving entities, and why it isn't complicated or difficult. Key takeaways Shannon co-created her book with entities People who are entity sensitive are not part of the mainstream Shannon is working on a children’s book about entities Dealing with ghosts isn’t scary, complicated, or hard Your consciousness affects the universe, not the other way around

This season is the time to read books. One of the most beautiful things about the holidays is the ability to sit down and throw yourself into the adventure of a book, into another world. What if this holiday, you actually took the time to read a physical book with printed words and pages that you can hold onto? Walk into a real bookstore, see which book you’re drawn to, and buy it. Happy holidays!

What if you can have ease with grief? Dying Happy: The Gift of Choice is a book by Wendy Mulder about looking after someone who is dying. Key takeaways Wendy's experience with her dying mother She made a choice to go through the process with ease Access tools helped her experience each day with gratitude, freshness, and enthusiasm What if you didn’t have to go into sadness? The choice you give your loved one by being with them with no point of view is honoring of them and their life

Bret Rockmore, Rebecca Hulse, and Marilyn Bradford join host Katarina Wallentin to discuss how the characters from the stories and books we love help us by reflecting our own longing to choose something greater and our own ability to change the world. Key takeaways: What the bleep is a hero? There’s a longing in everyone to move out of their comfort zone, and many of the books we love are about unlikely heroes What is stopping us from being heroes? A true hero empowers others to be heroes

What does it mean to be a gentleman in today’s world? Dr. Dain Heer’s powerful new book, Return of the Gentleman, is creating a space for guys with a desire to be both potent and caring, sexual and kind. Key takeaways: Dr. Dain Heer wants to give men the ability to say what's true for them How does the #Metoo movement fit into the idea of being a gentleman? Both men and women desire the same thing: to come together Being a gentleman in the world and how to use consciousness to get there