Light Up Your Life: A Girl-to-Girl Guide to Being a Changemaker A Divas That Care Collection #3 by Candace Gish Genre: Teen/YA Inspirational, Girl Power

 

It’s your time to shine! 

Light Up Your Life: A Girl-to-Girl Guide to Being a Changemaker

A Divas That Care Collection #3

by Candace Gish

Genre: Teen/YA Inspirational, Girl Power

 

Ready to find your inner spark? This book celebrates the spirit of teen girls who have faced challenges and turned them into opportunities to uplift others. Each story is a glimpse into the life of a girl who saw a need, found her voice, and took action to make a difference — whether through a small act of kindness or a bold initiative reaching thousands. Mixed in with the personal stories, you’ll find fun activities and prompts to help you discover your passion. Dive in, meet these incredible young women, and discover how you can be a changemaker, too!

 

Absolute Love Publishing

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My parents and my sister were preparing for a trip to Boston. My mother was to receive an award at an event. I was not to attend, so I was staying with my grandparents in Northern Michigan. On a hot and sticky Monday night, a tornado struck and severely damaged our home at 1:30 a.m.

My sister does not wear her hearing aids to bed which made her very difficult to awaken. Precious seconds were wasted and, as a result, my mother and sister barely avoided harm. They just made it to the basement stairway as the tornado struck. Where they had been standing literally one second prior was destroyed. One second could have meant the difference between life and death. One second. It was overwhelming for me. I felt helpless. My whole family could have been killed and I wasn’t there to help, and when I thought about it, I couldn’t have done anything anyway.

Candace Gish is a connector, mentor, and the visionary founder of the Divas That Care network and global podcast. Dedicated to helping women realize their full potential, Candace uses her platform to amplify inspiring stories and facilitate life-changing connections. She has expanded this impact through the Young Divas initiative, empowering the next generation of female leaders to lead with purpose and confidence.

A tireless advocate for collaborative mentorship, Candace believes that when women of all ages converge, they create an unstoppable ripple effect of change. Her mission is deeply personal, fueled by the daily inspiration of her husband and her four daughters.

 

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Just Look at Those Boots

 

Children's Western

Date Published: 02-26-2026

Publisher: Solander Press

A.J. is so excited about his new cowboy boots. He wears them on the first day of the school year. Mom said it was for only one day and then back to his regular boots or sneakers. During recess, A.J. plays in an exciting game of kickball. His boots get very messy during the game.

When he gets home, Jon, the farm hand, see the boots and tells him to clean them up then get into his work boots. Jon tells him to give Lady Star a ride because she’s waited all day for him.

On the ride, A.J. heads to the shallow pond out in one field. While A.J. daydreams, Lady Star sees the pond and decides to get there fast. A.J. loses control of Lady Star and finds himself thrown into the pond. Daydreaming on the ride means A.J. has additional chores when he returns to the barn.

In this second book, Sherry Roberts continues to tell stories inspired by her father’s childhood during the 1930s and 1940s in Northeast Oklahoma. For those who enjoy stores of the American West, as well as history, Just Look At Those Boots, is a must-read. 

Excerpt

“Hi, Benji. Ready for a new school year?” I ask as I sit beside him on the bus. 

“I like summer better.” He shrugs as he lets me know his feelings. It’s the first day, and Benji looks like he just got out of bed. Of course, Benji always looks like he just got out of bed. His hair is going every which way, and his shirt is wrinkled like he slept in it. He probably did. “Why are you late?” 

“Been one of those mornings when everything was going wrong. Sadie made a mess while I was milking her, and I had to change clothes. 

Then Jon saw me daydreaming as I was walking to the bus. Of course, Lady Star was at the rails with him. I had to go over to give her a nose rub. So, yeah, I guess I was daydreaming a bit.” I shrug my shoulders. 

 Benji laughs. “You’re always daydreaming. What was it about this time?” 

“I was thinking about the first day of school. I want it to be a good year. Also, I was looking at my new boots.” 

“Wow, I didn’t notice. Those are great. When did you get them? Won’t they hurt if you wear them all day? You haven’t really worn them in yet.” 

Benji talks like this. He asks questions but forgets to give you time to answer any of them. 

“Benji, stop.” 

Benji takes a breath. I look at my boots again. “I got them on Saturday. I wore them all Saturday and Sunday while working around the farm. 

They don’t hurt. They’re still stiff but it’ll get better. I like wearing them, and Mom said it was okay to wear them today but maybe not every day.”

 

About the Author

 

 Sherry Roberts is an award-winning children’s book author. She holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Louisville. She has written multiple award-winning fiction picture books such as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas…A First for Gus, Hello, Can I Bug You?, Gabriel and the Special Memorial Day, What’s Wrong with Barnaby, and The Best Reading Buddy. She also has written two non-fiction award-winning picture books, Sonnet, Sonnet, What’s in Your Bonnet? and A Visit Through the Wetlands. These two were illustrated with her photography. Sherry’s newest picture book, Amica Helps Zoe, was featured in Kirkus e-newsletter June 2025 as Indie Pick and received a Get It: Recommend review.

As a former middle school teacher, Dr. Roberts decided to write her first middle-grade novel (ages 8-13). Her debut novel, The Galaxy According to CeCe, is the first book in a three-book series. It was officially released on February 24, 2024. Book two, The Galaxy According to Cece: The Mysterious Dr. Pruitt, was released August 2024. Book three, The Galaxy According to Cece: The Stars Align, released February 2025.

Sherry’s next venture is a chapter book series (ages 6-8). The first book, Just Call Me Pardner, was released August 1, 2025. The series is about a young boy in the 1930s on a small farm in Northeastern Oklahoma and is inspired by stories of her father’s childhood in the 1930s. Book 2, Just Look at Those Boots, launches in early 2026, with Book 3, Just Don’t Give a Girl a Frog, launching in November 2026.

Dr. Roberts has also written many articles that appear in various academic journals, along with three textbooks. Personal Financial Literacy is in its fourth edition (Pearson). She is an associate professor of Marketing in Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University.

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Connecting Goals to Impacts and Outcomes

 

Harnessing Structured Conversations for Customer-Driven Value Delivery

 

Non-Fiction (Business, Strategy, Product Management, Agile)

Date Published: January 26, 2026

 

You’ve been in that Agile planning session.

Everyone agrees on goals like “improve customer experience” or “increase engagement.” The roadmap looks aligned. The OKRs are approved. But when the sprint ends, no one can clearly explain what success actually means—or why customers should care.

Months later, your product team ships a feature. Customers don’t use it. Stakeholders ask uncomfortable questions. Someone says, “I thought we were building something different.”

This isn’t a delivery problem. It’s a conversation problem.

Across Agile teams, product management organizations, and enterprise transformations, teams work hard, follow the process, and deliver on time—yet still struggle to create real customer and business value. The gap isn’t execution. It’s how goals, assumptions, and decisions are discussed.

Structured Conversations is a practical toolkit for closing that gap.

This book shows product leaders, Agile coaches, and delivery teams how to use clear language and visual thinking to align strategy, product decisions, and day‑to‑day work around measurable outcomes.

 

In this book, you’ll learn how to:

 

* Write clear, outcome‑focused goals using VERB + NOUN syntax that eliminate ambiguity

* Connect customer needs to business impact using Empathy Mapping, Customer Journey Mapping, and Impact Mapping

* Align product roadmaps and delivery plans with OKRs that drive accountability and learning

* Validate assumptions early using Hypothesis‑Driven Development and Example Mapping

* Facilitate cross‑functional Agile conversations where disagreements become productive

* Turn vague requirements into clear, executable user stories that teams interpret the same way

 

Drawing on experience across startups, financial services, and large‑scale Agile transformations, Structured Conversations bridges the gap between product strategy and value delivery with techniques that work in real‑world environments.

The approaches are modular. Start with the technique that addresses your biggest challenge today. Each chapter includes step‑by‑step guidance, real examples, and “Try This Right Now” exercises you can apply immediately.

Whether you work in product management, Agile delivery, or organizational change, this book helps you turn good intentions into measurable outcomes.

 

 

About the Authors

Claude Hanhart is a Product Strategist and Agile Coach with 10+ years of leadership experience in driving groundbreaking product strategies and agile transformations. His approach centers on fostering innovation rooted in business objectives, customer experience, and market leadership through tools such as Generative AI, OKRs, and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD).

Claude's unique academic background - with an MA in Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and Languages from the University of Berne in Switzerland and an MA in Geography from the University of Minnesota - brings an interdisciplinary perspective to modern product challenges. His multilingual abilities in German, Swiss German, and French have proven invaluable in international collaborations.

Structured Conversations represents Claude's commitment to bridging strategic thinking with practical implementation. Currently based in New Jersey with his wife, Claude finds that their three energetic dogs serve as daily reminders about the importance of clear communication and patient guidance - principles that translate beautifully into his professional coaching work.

Rachel is a seasoned business‑strategy professional whose career has been built around turning complex challenges into clear, actionable solutions. With a track record of guiding organizations toward measurable impact, she blends rigorous, data‑driven analysis with a human‑centric mindset - always asking how people, processes, and technology can work together more effectively. Her practical, results‑focused approach has helped teams align goals, streamline actions, and translate those actions into lasting outcomes.

Structured Conversations marks Rachel's first full‑length publication, and she feels especially honored to have been invited by Claude to co‑create this work. Rachel lives in North Carolina with her husband and their four rambunctious cats. When she isn't untangling business puzzles, you'll find her exploring the local arts scene, hiking and mountain biking, or enjoying a quiet evening of reading with her feline companions.

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I Made it Home

  

Children's Book

Date Published: December 6, 2025

I Made It Home is a heartwarming story that captures the essence of courage, kindness, and friends who flutter into our lives when we need them most. When a change of plans leaves young Aubrey finding her own way home, she embarks on an unexpected adventure with her cheerful companions, a butterfly, a bluebird, and a ladybug. Sometimes the smallest friends lead us the furthest. Along the way, she and a frightened little boy learn valuable lessons about courage, friendship, and the magic of kindness. This enchanting tale will delight readers of all ages and remind them that every kind gesture brings us closer to where we belong.

 

About the Author

 

 Debra I. Thomas shares her excitement about her children's picture books, hoping they will inspire joy and adventure in young readers. She is also working on more imaginative stories that reflect her love for children and pets, inviting readers to explore the magic of storytelling together.

 

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Just Look at Those Boots

 

 

 

Children's Western

Date Published: 02-26-2026

Publisher: Solander Press

A.J. is so excited about his new cowboy boots. He wears them on the first day of the school year. Mom said it was for only one day and then back to his regular boots or sneakers. During recess, A.J. plays in an exciting game of kickball. His boots get very messy during the game.

When he gets home, Jon, the farm hand, see the boots and tells him to clean them up then get into his work boots. Jon tells him to give Lady Star a ride because she’s waited all day for him.

On the ride, A.J. heads to the shallow pond out in one field. While A.J. daydreams, Lady Star sees the pond and decides to get there fast. A.J. loses control of Lady Star and finds himself thrown into the pond. Daydreaming on the ride means A.J. has additional chores when he returns to the barn.

In this second book, Sherry Roberts continues to tell stories inspired by her father’s childhood during the 1930s and 1940s in Northeast Oklahoma. For those who enjoy stores of the American West, as well as history, Just Look At Those Boots, is a must-read.

 

About the Author

 

 Sherry Roberts is an award-winning children’s book author. She holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Louisville. She has written multiple award-winning fiction picture books such as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas…A First for Gus, Hello, Can I Bug You?, Gabriel and the Special Memorial Day, What’s Wrong with Barnaby, and The Best Reading Buddy. She also has written two non-fiction award-winning picture books, Sonnet, Sonnet, What’s in Your Bonnet? and A Visit Through the Wetlands. These two were illustrated with her photography. Sherry’s newest picture book, Amica Helps Zoe, was featured in Kirkus e-newsletter June 2025 as Indie Pick and received a Get It: Recommend review.

As a former middle school teacher, Dr. Roberts decided to write her first middle-grade novel (ages 8-13). Her debut novel, The Galaxy According to CeCe, is the first book in a three-book series. It was officially released on February 24, 2024. Book two, The Galaxy According to Cece: The Mysterious Dr. Pruitt, was released August 2024. Book three, The Galaxy According to Cece: The Stars Align, released February 2025.

Sherry’s next venture is a chapter book series (ages 6-8). The first book, Just Call Me Pardner, was released August 1, 2025. The series is about a young boy in the 1930s on a small farm in Northeastern Oklahoma and is inspired by stories of her father’s childhood in the 1930s. Book 2, Just Look at Those Boots, launches in early 2026, with Book 3, Just Don’t Give a Girl a Frog, launching in November 2026.

Dr. Roberts has also written many articles that appear in various academic journals, along with three textbooks. Personal Financial Literacy is in its fourth edition (Pearson). She is an associate professor of Marketing in Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Purchase Links

https://mybook.to/JustLookatThoseBoots

Amazon

Call in the Dogs

  

Western/Cowboy,  Cherokee, Outlaw

Date Published: 02-26-2026

Publisher: Write the West Press an imprint of Paperback Press, LLC Springfield, Missouri

Levi Kuratowski, better known as “Little Kansas,” only thinks his days of carrying a gun are over. With a trading license approved by the Cherokee Nation he is determined to build a trading post on the banks of Spring Creek. Soon however he must set his hammer aside and take up his colt revolver. Upon receiving word that the outlaw Bill Kirby has escaped custody he prepares to face his old adversary.

Levi’s friend, Cherokee rancher Turon Turtle vows to offer aid and his rifle. Turon’s strong willed sister, Ruth, has a different vow in mind for Levi. Levi soon finds the determined Ruth as challenging as the inevitable showdown that has yet to come.

For the first time since leaving Europe three years earlier his has a sense of home. He finds customers in the neighboring Cherokee and travelers. More importantly he finds friends. Unknown to Levi is the whereabouts of the outlaw Kirby. Can Levi rely on his new friends and community? Will Levi be able to hold on to what he has built and face the man who thinks nothing except for the destruction of Levi and all he holds dear?

 

About the Author

 

 Born and raised on the Ozark Plateau. Charlie Amos grew up in the footsteps of outlaws, cowboys, and woodsmen. He currently lives in Oklahoma with his wife, children, and dog Banjo. When he is not tending cattle and kids he is reading and writing about the American West. Years of working in agriculture, forestry, trucking, and teaching school has laid the foundation of telling our American story through relatable characters. Writing westerns for westerners, and everyone else.

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