"Smiles N' Moments" is a collection of 200 octet poems that traverse the realm of smiles. It encourages us to give and forgive, to forget, and to find peace. Every octet is a capsule that reminds you to be present at the moment, light up your heart, pause your worries, and rekindle a tender memory. It honours the power of a smile to energise and inspire, whether enjoying the fresh morning happiness of tea or admiring nature's splendour at daybreak. Whether you are a poetry enthusiast or simply seeking a dose of optimism, Smiles N' Moments is a pleasant read that makes you cherish the moment by sending you plenty of smiles, happiness, and connection.

“Smiles N’ Moments- Volume 2” is a collection of 200 octet poems that traverse the realm of smiles. It encourages us to give and forgive, to forget, and to find peace. Every octet is a capsule that reminds you to be present at the moment, light up your heart, pause your worries, and rekindle a tender memory. It honours the power of a smile to energise and inspire, whether enjoying the fresh morning happiness of tea or admiring nature’s splendour at daybreak. Whether you are a poetry enthusiast or simply seeking a dose of optimism, Smiles N’ Moments is a pleasant read that makes you cherish the moment by sending you plenty of smiles, happiness, and connection.

Former bad boy-turned-inspirational messenger Preston Smiles shakes things up in the world of personal development, sharing a uniquely modern, love-based approach on how to live with more excitement, clarity, and confidence. Preston Smiles, born in Compton and raised in Los Angeles, is no stranger to a life of adventure. As a teen he joined a local gang that was first involved in petty theft but later escalated into more dangerous crimes. One night when Preston was fifteen, he was faced with a decision to take a routine ride of mischief with the friends or stay home. Intuition told him not to go. Within an hour, everyone in that car was shot. This tragic event shook him to his core and catapulted him to finding higher purpose for himself. Love Louder presents a positive approach for getting more love and meaning out of life. With the lessons he’s learned through the years, he distills ancient wisdom and new thought teachings into thirty-three timeless tools to living your best life and asks questions such as: -What do you truly believe you deserve? Are your actions reflecting that? -What are you a slave to? Facebook? Twitter? Alcohol? Him? Her? -Do you have the need to be “right” all the time? Love Louder can help you tackle these everyday challenges and teach you how to live with more excitement, productivity, clarity, and confidence. Full of insights and powerful anecdotes, Preston’s motivational story is a heartwarming read for anyone seeking guidance on overall happiness and fulfillment in life.

Smiles and Duct Tape follows the Torreys on their harrowing journey through Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), the rare and cruel disease that forever changed their son's life. It is a powerful and transformative story of a family's courage and willingness to carry on and live their new normal with grace, humor, and incredible strength.

The most successful portraits take us well beyond the surface of how someone looks and show us the inner essence of who someone is. They reveal character, soul, and depth. They uncover hidden hopes and profound truths, revealing that authentic and deeply human light that shines within. And while technical expertise is undoubtedly important, it’s not the light, camera, or pose that creates a great portrait. It’s you, and it’s the connection you create with the subject that makes all the difference. In Authentic Portraits, photographer Chris Orwig teaches you that the secret to creating meaningful portraits is simple: curiosity, empathy, kindness, and soul…plus a bit of technique. While Chris spends significant time on the fundamentals of “getting the shot”—working with natural light, nailing focus, dialing in the correct exposure, effectively posing and directing the subject, intentionally composing the frame—he also passionately discusses the need for personal development, creative collaboration, and connection with the subject. Because who you are directly and deeply affects what you create, and it is only through cultivating your own inner light that you will be able to bring it out in your subjects. Filled with instruction, insight, and inspiration, Authentic Portraits is an honest and personal book about creating better frames. It’s also about becoming your best self. Take the journey, and you’ll learn to find your vision and voice, bring intention to your photography and your life, embrace mystery, and understand the importance of gratitude and empathy. Along the way, you will teach the camera to see in a way that replicates how you feel, and you’ll find you have all you need to create work of lasting significance.

“A mind-expanding and heart-opening book” (Daniel Goleman, author of Social Intelligence) that reveals the value of everyday interactions with people in our communities – and what we lose without them. Our barista, our mechanic, our coworker—they populate our days, but we often take them for granted. Yet these are the people who bring novelty and information into our lives, allow us to exercise different parts of ourselves, and open us up to new opportunities. In their unprecedented examination of people on the periphery, psychologist Karen Fingerman, who coined the term “consequential strangers,” collaborates with journalist Melinda Blau to expand on and make her own groundbreaking research come alive. Drawing as well from Blau’s more than two hundred interviews with specialists in psychology, sociology, marketing, and communication, the book presents compelling stories of individuals and institutions, past and present. A rich portrait of our social landscape—on and off the Internet—it presents the science of casual connection and chronicles the surprising impact that consequential strangers have on business, creativity, the work environment, our physical and mental health, and the strength of our communities.