Raising Your Gifted Children with Sara Troy and her guest Tina Feigal, on air from August 12th
Nationally acclaimed parent coach and trainer Tina Feigal returns with this revised edition of her book, formerly titled The Pocket Coach for Parents. With new content on trauma-effective parenting,Present Moment Parenting: Your Guide to a Peaceful Life with Your Intense Child will help you: — Understand the connection between the child’s heart and brain — Recognize how the brain responds to stress and trauma — Learn effective parenting strategies to decrease intensity and create peace at home
There are many reasons a child doesn’t respond to typical parenting techniques–a mental health diagnosis (such as ADHD or ODD), a life challenge (such as divorce or removal from home), autism, attachment issues, giftedness, physical or emotional trauma–or simply being ”hard to handle.” Whatever the root cause of the intensity, Present Moment Parenting will give you the tools you need to create a peaceful life.
After raising my 3 beautiful sons, I returned to university to finish my bachelor’s and then master’s degree in School Psychology. I then worked in schools for a few years and later decided to attend a weekend training to become a life coach. Walking out of the training, I had this inspirational thought: “I’m a parent coach!” Since this was in 2000, there were no other parent coaches, so I set out to create the role. I’ve now certified over 850 parent coaches worldwide, and also helped a treatment foster care organization to build a team of 24 parent coaches to help kids stay put in their homes instead of being moved from home to home because of their behavior. They’ve been highly successful while using my Present Moment Parenting methods. I wrote a book by the same title, and also the “Healing the Heart of Your Traumatized Child” e-book. My TEDx Talk is “How to Stop Kids’ Meltdowns and Gain Their Cooperation.”
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Our Global Veterans with Sara Troy and her guest Dr Josh McConkey, on air from July 1st
It is critical to highlight a growing crisis that’s often underreported and often ignored: the decline of strong, engaged fatherhood, and its impact on the future of our nation.
Dr. Josh McConkey, candidate for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina, combat veteran, emergency physician, author, and dad of three kids, argues that restoring fatherhood is essential to reverse rising youth anxiety, fractured families, and weakened communities. His new book, ‘Be the Weight Behind the Spear, calls on men to re-embrace their role as present, purposeful fathers and leaders, both at home and in society.
Dr. McConkey brings a unique, boots-on-the-ground perspective. With experience leading soldiers in war zones and caring for patients on the front lines, Dr. McConkey is uniquely suited to provide a perspective on resilience and leadership. He’s seen what happens when young people lack guidance, and the impact when military dads come home from the battlefield to raise kids with discipline, resilience, and heart. He believes America’s healing starts with men who lead their families with strength, honor, and emotional presence. “Fatherhood is not optional — it’s foundational,” believes Dr. McConkey.
Be the Weight Behind the Spear is more than a book—it’s a mission to restore character, courage, and conviction in today’s fathers, sons, and mentors.
Military dads have a unique perspective on leadership that extends far beyond the battlefield. Their experiences teach us valuable lessons about leading with integrity, purpose, and calm under pressure — qualities that are just as vital at home as they are in combat. Communities can play a powerful role in supporting and inspiring men to show up with courage and compassion, creating spaces where vulnerability and strength walk hand in hand. By embracing practical steps to rekindle the American spirit of fatherhood — from active presence to emotional resilience — we strengthen not just our families, but the very fabric of our nation. There is a deep and undeniable link between fatherhood and national resilience; when fathers are empowered, connected, and engaged, the ripple effect is felt across generations. The battlefield may be far away, but the mission at home is just as vital, and the lessons learned in the service can guide us all toward stronger, more loving families.
Dr. McConkey’s credentials include:
Commander, 459th Aeromedical Staging Squadron at Andrews Air Force Base
Combat flight surgeon with 340+ flight hours (90 in combat zones)
Author of the award-winning book “Be the Weight Behind the Spear,” recently nominated for a Pulitzer Prize
Founder of The Weight Behind the Spear Foundation
Recently announced candidate for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
All of our shows/interviews are done by donation; if you enjoyed this show, please support us here with either a one-time donation or subscribe and support. Thank you. Please support Our Forgotten Seniorsanthology and help to bring this book to awareness.
Raising Our Gifted Children with Sara Troy and her guest Liliane Fortna, on air from December 17th
The Four Santas. Celebrate this Christmas season with this heartwarming new take on Santa Claus.
Dive into this delightful Christmas picture book to discover his magical origin, his reason for spreading joy and love to children throughout the world, and how he is able to make all those deliveries in only one night!
This holiday season, experience the magic of Christmas with author and award-winning writer Liliane Fortna. Her latest book, ‘The Four Santas’, is a beautifully illustrated Christmas tale that explores the origin of Santa Claus, his mission to spread joy and love, and the secret behind delivering gifts to children worldwide in just one night. Perfect for children aged 5-9—or anyone who believes in holiday magic—The Four Santas is a must-have for your Christmas collection and a heartfelt gift for young readers.
Liliane also celebrates the season with her breathtaking Winter Wonderland holiday display in her home featuring a sparkling lake, faraway villages, Santa’s workshop, and countless other festive scenes. This awe-inspiring creation will captivate visitors of all ages and immerse them in the spirit of the season. Everyone is invited to enjoy this magical holiday display.
“As much as I love writing about Santa and his magical world, I also love bringing that world to life for others to enjoy,” says Fortna. “Come in and explore the Winter Wonderland, and let’s celebrate the joy of Christmas together!”
Don’t miss this special opportunity to meet Liliane Fortna, get your copy of The Four Santas personally signed, and enjoy the holiday magic her Winter Wonderland has to offer. For more information about the event, click here.
Liliane Fortna is an internationally recognized, multi-award-winning author, best known for her ability to bring the magic of storytelling to life. Her latest book, The Four Santas, offers a heartwarming and imaginative new take on the beloved figure of Santa Claus, capturing the spirit of Christmas for both children and adults alike.
Born in Hanoi, Vietnam, Liliane is of French-Vietnamese descent. She grew up in France and has since lived in various parts of Europe, Asia, and the United States. In 2016, she became a U.S. citizen. Fluent in both French and English, she holds a degree in English Literature.
Now based in Charlottesville, VA, Liliane has become a bestselling author and gold-medal award winner. In addition to her writing, she is known for creating a breathtaking Winter Wonderland holiday display at her home, complete with a sparkling lake, distant villages, Santa’s workshop, and countless festive scenes, further bringing the magic of the season to life. Visit her online at Liliane Fortna.
All of our shows/interviews are done by donation, if you enjoyed this show please support us here with either a one-time donation or subscribe and support, thank you. and please support Our Forgotten Children’s anthology and help to bring this book in to awareness.
Raising Our Gifted Children with Sara Troy and her guest Amy Meislin Pollack, on air from November 9th
Coming-Of-Age Book Series Helps Middle-Graders Navigate The Challenges Of Growing Up
Amy Meislin Pollack, author of The Adventures of Jelly Bean series? Ever since she was in fourth grade – back in 1960 – Amy Meislin Pollack was writing and telling stories about a character named Jelly Bean. She never stopped telling those stories, sharing them with her students over a teaching career that spanned 40+ years. She shared them with her three children when they were younger – and then with her seven grandchildren. Now her stories have been made available to everyone with the recent publishing of two coming-of-age books intended for middle-graders.
“My books touch upon topics of friendship, popularity, death, race, drugs, alcohol, feeling neglected, family issues, and the types of things many kids today are confronting as they look to find their way in an ever-changing world,” says Pollack.
Retired Teacher & Grandparent Amy Meislin Pollack
The Adventures of Jelly Bean and The Further Adventures of Jelly Bean are the stories of a fourth-grader who faces challenges that just about all children her age can recognize. Her parents don’t approve of her favorite friend in the whole world. She has trouble getting along with the brother who is closest in age to her. The uncle she loves so much is about to marry the most awful woman she could ever imagine, and the girl who used to be her best friend has turned on her. Jelly Bean faces these and other stumbling blocks, including: the difficulties in achieving and maintaining popularity and how important having certain friends should be to her; difficulties inherent in relationships with various friends and family members; and learning how to make decisions on her own. In these first two books of my middle-grade series, Jelly Bean comes to understand that much of life is trial and error, and that the only constant in life is that it is always changing.
Coming-of-age stories remain essential for children, offering guidance on friendship, popularity, and navigating life’s challenges. Parents may find helpful insights on managing disagreements with their children, raising healthy and successful kids, and supporting them in facing today’s issues. Grandparents, too, play a role in guiding youth through these formative years. One retired teacher and grandmother of seven recently published her middle-grade fiction, a story developed 60 years ago, aiming to inspire meaningful family dialogues and pass down generational wisdom to today’s young readers.
“Because I was a teacher for 40 years,” says the author, “and because I raised three children and am now an active participant in the lives of my seven grandchildren, I have observed and dealt with many different individuals, a potpourri of whom are depicted (and hopefully immortalized!) in my books.
I have been told my Adventures of Jelly Bean and The Further Adventures of Jelly Bean are reminiscent of Judy Blume’s and S.E. Hinton’s books. Many “middle grade” boys and girls – as well as their parents – have found my stories compelling. I hope others will too.”
Amy Meislin Pollack was a teacher for over four decades, raised three children, and loves to play with her seven grandchildren. From her own childhood to the classroom and as a parent and grandparent, she is perfectly positioned to pen her coming-of-age book series.
The Adventures of Jelly Bean, followed by The Further Adventures of Jelly Bean, first came into being when the author’s fourth-grade teacher used to ask her to get up in front of the class and tell the stories about this character she would make up as she went along.
Several years later she started writing these stories down, and would work on them periodically in any free time she had during her teaching career and raising her three children.
Now retired from a 40-year career in teaching – spanning a wide range of subjects and grade levels – she has embarked on a lively writing career. The silver lining of the Covid pandemic for Pollack was that she was more or less forced, after approximately 60 years, to finish her Jelly Bean books. Her books are about a young girl whose life is always changing and how she adapts to these changes. She tries to work out relationships with her friends, her parents, her older brothers, her uncle. Her parents do not want her best friend, who is of mixed race, to visit. Another friend is anorexic. One brother drops out of school. A grandparent dies.
Pollack earned a BA in English from Goucher College in Baltimore and received her Master’s in English from University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. She was certified as a secondary education and reading specialist for grades K-12 and earned a special education teaching degree from NYU, allowing her to teach disabled students. For six years she was a professor of writing, and a teacher in the tutoring center at Montclair State University in NJ. She lives in central New Jersey with her husband and their dog named Bunny.
All of our shows/interviews are done by donation, if you enjoyed this show please support us here with either a one-time donation or subscribe and support, thank you. and please support Our Forgotten Children’s anthology and help to bring this book in to awareness.
Raising Our Gifted Children with Sara Troy and her guest Efrat Shokef, Ph.D. On air from September 24th
Efrat Shokef. Ph.D. Redheaded. Mother of three. A shamanic energy healing practitioner working with children, teens, parents, and families.
Uncover the sacred bonds of parenting in The Promises We Made by Dr. Efrat Shokef. A heartfelt journey into the depths of unconditional love and the spiritual connection between parents and their children. Drawing from her own Near Death Experience, Dr. Shokef unveils three universal soul promises we made to our children, offering profound insights and practical tools for conscious parents to weave spirituality into their lives. Through parables, self-reflections, tools, and exercises, Dr. Shokef offers a roadmap for spiritually aware parents and a path toward rediscovering the sacred relationship with their children.
Efrat Shokef, PhD, received her degree from the Israel Institute of Technology in Social-Organizational Psychology and is a Fulbright Alumni. She was profoundly transformed by a near-fatal car crash and simultaneous Near-Death Experience. Drawing from the profound insights of her ‘after-life’ encounter, she infuses the beauty and wisdom gained into her roles as a mother, writer, teacher, and healer. Guiding both her own family and numerous clients, Dr. Shokef invites parents to rediscover their soul’s purpose and shared agreements. Alongside homeschooling her three intuitive daughters and cherishing moments outdoors with their four-legged companions, Dr. Shokef remains deeply grateful for life’s blessings.
All of our shows/interviews are done by donation, if you enjoyed this show please support us here with either a one-time donation or subscribe and support, thank you. and please support Our Forgotten Children’s anthology and help to bring this book in to awareness.
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