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Is Believing Enough or Do You Need Hope and Oxygen, Too?

Surviving divorce, raising children and starting over is something Katie Kelley Detmer understands all too well.

San Antonio, TX (USA), September 25, 2015 — Katie Kelley Detmer is an emerging author and speaker looking to touch those around her with a message of faith, family and hope. Detmer always wanted to write, but it wasn’t until after her divorce, the loss of her parents and being a mother of three children that she gained the courage to share her personal story of love, struggles, faith, hope and courage.

In her debut novel Hope & Oxygen, Detmer touches readers and shares her motto of: “It is never as bad as it seems and even though it may be hard, it’s never impossible.” Detmer’s book is geared to women and single mothers, however, fathers will be able to connect to many of the personal journeys Detmer shares such as learning even if something seems dark, impossible, you just need to take the first five minutes…the first step and keep going. Detmer talks about how single parents, wives and husbands need to focus on the first few days, weeks or months and not focus on fives years out from the goal.

“My book covers the seven-year journey I took in getting back into the work force and the dating scene after my divorce as a single mother of three children. It wasn’t easy raising my kids on my own. I had to learn how to balance my life while making sure I kept my focus on myself, my kids and what I wanted to achieve at work,” shared Detmer. “My journey had many ups and downs. I made mistakes, and sometimes people in my life were not honest with me, and I had to protect my kids from it all the best I could.”

Hope & Oxygen is a true story and starts with Katie Kelley Detmer’s earliest memories of a chaotic event that she survived without a blemish. Well, sort of. Detmer’s life has been a series of unexpected events and obstacles that she has had to hurdle. From getting divorced to dating a man sometime after who was trouble but seemed wonderful at the time, and later watching her children go through challenges, including her son being told he wouldn’t be a football player; miraculously, Detmer has always landed on her feet.

“My book isn’t about my ex-husband or why my marriage failed but rather a story about starting over with three kids and traveling down that unchartered path that so many woman travel. I didn’t want this to be a negative or dark book but rather a book of hope laced with plenty of humor even though at the time it may not have seemed funny” said Detmer. “Sharing the trials and tribulations about ‘that guy’ I dated after my divorce was critical to my book as so many woman I have met over the years have ‘that story’. Things don’t always end well in relationships, including marriages. Yes, sometimes an ex can be awful and painful, but my story isn’t about those things. It’s about picking yourself up, dusting off the bad memories and starting over. I want readers to know that things aren’t always that bad and with hope and oxygen, all things are possible.”

Hope & Oxygen takes readers full cycle throughout Detmer’s journey and the tiny opportunities that come along to keep her moving forward through it all.

“Everyone can tell you it is impossible, but it’s not. We do need companionship, be it family, friends or a special person in our lives,” commented Halo Publisher Lisa M. Unima. “I believe it was faith and the importance of her children that helped get Katie through it all. Women email her to share their stories, and that truly shows the inspiration Hope & Oxygen gives readers.”

You can purchase Hope & Oxygen through Halo Publishing’s website (http://halopublishing.com), Amazon and B&N.

Biography:
Katie Kelley Detmer is the proud mother of three children. She grew up in New England, went to college in Boulder, Colorado and currently lives in San Antonio, Texas. She is an outside enthusiast and has traveled the world cultivating lifelong friendships and memories.

Hope & Oxygen by Katie Kelley Detmer, publisher Halo Publishing, Int., ISBN: 9781612443690; Price: $14.95

Press & Media Contact:
Lisa M. Umina, Publisher
Halo Publishing International
1100 NW Loop 410, Suite 700-176
San Antonio, TX 78213 – USA
+1 877-705-9647
contact@halopublishing.com

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New Tool for Working Women Struggling with Society’s Plan to “Have it All”

Feeling overworked and overcommitted? If so you’re not alone. According to a recent survey by Forbes Magazine and Bump.com, 92 percent of working moms say they feel overwhelmed by work, home and parenting responsibilities.

Cleveland, OH, Monday – August 29, 2011 — Feeling overworked and overcommitted? If so you’re not alone. According to a recent survey by Forbes Magazine and Bump.com, 92 percent of working moms say they feel overwhelmed by work, home and parenting responsibilities.

Many women find themselves misguided about the sense of fulfillment they expected after achieving what they thought was expected of them. “Instead of feeling excited and overjoyed by my accomplishments, having it all left me exhausted and detached,” said JJ DiGeronimo, author of The Working Woman’s GPS, a book she wrote to guide women toward a self led plan which often “deviates from society’s plan.”

She interviewed dozens of women while putting The Working Woman’s GPS together. The book showcases a range of struggles, triumphs and evolutions by women, including Leah, a former director of communications who has decided her current profession was not meeting her needs to do something meaningful with a purpose. “At the end of the day, I want to say that I’ve done something for me. I’m contributing to this big picture idea,” said Leah.

She also interviewed Crickett, 59 yrs old, a mother of two who had held many jobs during her working career, then ended up finding fulfillment when she became an entrepreneur. The author weaves the women’s stories throughout the text, using them as examples to illustrate how the reader can rewrite their own plan to “have it ALL.”

The key points DiGeronimo wants people to take away from her book:
1) The importance of taking a personal inventory to determine what you like doing best and who and what you migrate toward;
2) How to examine what is and isn’t working in your life;
3) How to make small changes that give women the energy and confidence they need to make more effective choices once they understand the landscape.
4) How to execute a new plan that makes the most sense.

Maria, 26, a manager in supply chain management said she came to a realization after she took the inventory in the book. She discovered that her “assets, skills, and talents are not aligned” with her current job.

“It made it apparent that sometimes I grasped onto people and jobs because I was scared and often held on too long. These inventories make it so objective. It is now more visible that I need to make use of my special gifts,” she said. Maria made small changes and is now in the process of adjusting existing choices and making new ones to move her life towards one of inspiration.

Sarah, 34, has been in healthcare for the past 13 years. During her interview for the book she was asked if the “Plan to have it All” was working for her. “No,” she said. “I choose to put more of my time and energy into work, whether it be worrying about it or putting time into it. Most of my choices are between family and work and I put less time into myself. I don’t feel balanced with myself.”

“If you too are in a life that leaves you wanting more, making adjustments is critical to your journey, but you can only make those changes if you know what energizes you and thus what direction you should be moving in. The Working Woman’s GPS provides you the roadmap to get from where you are to where you need to go” said DiGeronimo.

This book is already getting the interest of many women’s meetings and diversity programs. DiGeronimo is scheduled to appear at several women’s conferences where she looks forward to sharing stories, exercises and advice with women who have worked towards the “PLAN” to have it All and are now LOST in their own journeys.

For more information about the book, log on to www.purposefulwoman.com. To arrange an interview with JJ DiGeronimo, or to invite her to speak to your organization, contact Lisa M. Umina, Publisher, http://www.halopublishing.com

Press & Media Contact:
Lisa M. Umina, Publisher
Halo Publishing International
5549 Canal Road
Cleveland, OH 44125
877-705-9647
lisa@halopublishing.com

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