Their Story Matters PAST shows

TSM25-11. Pamela Blake’s Tribute to her Husband

Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

Their Story Matters with Sara Troy and her guest Pamela Blake, on air March


Collection of 5 Novels Published Posthumously as a Tribute to her husband by Pamela Blake who Receives Critical Acclaim

Pamela talks about:

Grief and the journey of finding the best way to honor a loved one who has passed is a profound theme explored in his work. Each of his books presents intriguing storylines and themes that captivate readers, making them relevant even decades after being written. His coming-of-age novel, A Map of the Edge, set in 1969, delivers a powerful message about self-discovery and transformation. Looking ahead, his dystopian novel Tomorrowville imagines what the world might look like in 2088, offering a thought-provoking glimpse into the future. Blending mysticism with mystery, Things Unseen adds a unique twist to the murder-mystery genre. Notably, the cover of Things Unseen received recognition, winning the BIBA 2024 Fiction Book Cover Award.

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Pamela Blake, PhD, is the CEO of Utamatzi Inc, an independent publishing imprint dedicated to bringing creative, high-quality fiction to readers in the global marketplace. 

Prior to forming Utamatzi several years ago, Dr. Blake was a Technical Fellow with The Boeing Company, from which she retired in 2020, after twenty years of employment. She is an expert in quantified performance assessment of imaging sensors and in the development and application of algorithms that exploit the underlying physics and phenomenology for automated feature and object recognition.

She holds a BA in Physics from Willamette University in Salem, OR, and MS and PhD degrees in Geology/Geophysics from the University of Hawaii, Manoa. Dr. Blake resides in Huntington Beach, California.

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AND HERE

https://utamatzi.com

https://Pamelalblake.com

https://www.facebook.com/DavidTIsaak

https://www.facebook.com/drplblake

https://www.facebook.com/UtamatziInc

https://www.instagram.com/drplblake

https://www.instagram.com/utamatziinc

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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 Seniors anthology and help to bring this book to awareness.

TSM24-48. Amina Mohamed, Cameras For Girls

Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

Their Story Matters with Sara Troy and her guest Amina Mohamed, on air from November 26th

My family and I came to Canada as refugees from Uganda when I was just three years old, fleeing the violence and uncertainty of Idi Amin’s regime. Growing up in Canada gave me opportunities and freedoms I’ll always be grateful for, and those experiences shaped my desire to give back to my home country.

I founded Cameras For Girls as a way to empower young women in Africa through photography and storytelling, giving them a voice and a means to step into media roles traditionally dominated by men. I’ve seen firsthand how these tools can break down barriers and open doors, enabling these young women to overcome cultural and gender biases and make an impact in their communities.

My “Why” is rooted in resilience, generosity, and social justice—values Canada gave to me and that I carry into this work. Through Cameras For Girls, I want to ensure that every young woman has the chance to realize her potential, regardless of her background. It’s about creating pathways to opportunity, breaking cycles of poverty, and showing that even the smallest gestures of support can transform lives.

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Amina Mohamed, founder of Cameras For Girls, empowers young women across East Africa with photography and business skills, helping them secure jobs in male-dominated media. Her initiative provides cameras and a year-long curriculum, fostering ethical storytelling. Amina, a coveted speaker, champions gender equality and amplifies women’s voices.


https://www.camerasforgirls.org

Donation page at

 https://frame-her-future.raiselysite.com

amina@camerasforgirls.org

https://www.facebook.com/CamerasForGirls

https://www.instagram.com/camerasforgirls

www.linkedin.com/company/cameras-for-girls

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aminamohamedphotography

https://www.youtube.com/channel

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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.

TSM24-45. Elizabeth Mehren The Immigrant Story.

Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

Their Story Matters, with Sara troy and her guest Elizabeth Mehren, on air from November 5th

Elizabeth’s volunteer work with The Immigrant Story, a small nonprofit in Portland, Oregon, inspired her to write I Lived to Tell the World. Through her involvement, she heard powerful stories of resilience and hope from immigrants and refugees who had overcome incredible challenges. These experiences deepened her appreciation for the courage and strength it takes to start anew in a foreign country and motivated her to honor these narratives. Her book serves as a testament to these remarkable individuals, capturing their enduring spirit and the invaluable lessons they impart.

Elizabeth’s mission is to spark a national dialogue on immigration and honor the lessons taught by survivors of the Holocaust, genocide, and war about overcoming unimaginable adversity. Her work celebrates the democracy many take for granted, emphasizing that each survivor in her book, I Lived to Tell the World, treasures every day of freedom. She carefully chose over 50 survivors from diverse global conflicts to capture a broad perspective, and each story resonates with hope, resilience, courage, faith, humor (even dark humor), and a profound gratitude for the opportunities they found in America. Though these individuals now live in the Pacific Northwest, their experiences are universal, reminding us of the enduring impact of hope and resilience. With a growing focus on Holocaust and genocide education and the pressing issues surrounding immigration, racial justice, and refugees, I Lived to Tell the World shines a light on lives shaped by strength and purpose despite painful pasts.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Elizabeth Mehren is a writer, editor, and educator based in Portland, Oregon. After working at The Washington Post, she became a national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and later spent a decade on the faculty at Boston University. Mehren earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at UC Berkeley and has written for national magazines, appeared on television and radio, and received awards for teaching and journalism. I Lived to Tell the World is her fifth book.

Stories from Survivors of Holocaust, Genocide, and the Atrocities of War  

“Machetes were for the poor. You had to pay to be shot. Can you imagine paying someone to shoot you?” 

Emmanuel Turaturanye, recalling the bloody irony of the genocidal massacres in his native Rwanda  

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https://www.elizabethmehren.com

www.theimmigrantstory.org

elizabethmehrenauthor@gmail.com

FIND MORE SHOWS OF ILLUMINATION HERE

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BE OUR GUEST AND SHARE THE WISDOM

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.

TSM24-27. Tracie Eaton Art & Sex Trafficking’s

Sara Troy

Their Story Matter with Sara Troy and her guest Tracie Eaton, on air from July 2nd

Tracie Eaton is an Internationally-renowned & award-winning Australian artist with an artistic career spanning over 17 years. Tracie’s studio is located on the Gold Coast, QLD, Australia. Tracie’s specialises in creating original acrylic & mixed media artworks for the luxury art sector.

Tracie has also established the Art for Rescue initiative, an approved fundraiser for the Charity Destiny Rescue, established to eradicate sex trafficking and exploitation of children. MORE HERE

Tracie is often referred to as a ‘Celebrity Artist’ following her exclusive 3-year commission (2019-2021) to create bespoke artwork for Oscar’s nominees & winners, with an impressive list of Hollywood A-listers, such as Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bradley Cooper, Tom Hanks, Anthony Hopkins and Charlize Theron (to name a few) owning a Tracie Eaton Artwork. Tracie has was again commissioned for another 3-year term (2023-2025) as the exclusive artist to create product for Oscar nominees, to celebrate their creative success.

Recent highlights so far for Tracie in 2024 include winning the international Masterful Minds award by Circle Foundation. She has also been recognised as International Acrylic Artist of the Year Award (Australia) by Lux Life).

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In 2023 Tracie was awarded the Best Acrylic Artist – Asia-Pacific by APAC.  Additionally, Tracie was the only international artist invited, and participate in a joint digital exhibition in ToDA(Dubai).

In 2022, she was published by Lux Life as the Leading Luxury Art Company – Australia and has been awarded the Leonardo Da Vinci International Artist Award for Outstanding Artistic Merit for her acrylic & mixed media piece ‘Flowers In Bloom’, curated and judged by curators Dr Salavore Russo and Dr Francesco Saverio Russo.  Additionally, 2022 saw Tracie been recognised by APAC Best Original Painting & Art Studio QLD & Most Creative Australian Arts & Painting Company.  

In 2021 Tracie Eaton was recognised by GAA as one of the Leading & Investable Contemporary Artists worldwide and included in their Curated publication for distribution to galleries, collectors, art museums & art fairs around the world.  Additionally she was listed by Herrington Publications as one of the top 25 Global Woman Change Makers of the year.

The high demand for Tracie’s art has led to a wait list for both commissions, and to attend her sell-out, invitation-only events, exhibitions & releases of new artwork series.  The last five years has seen Tracie involved in over 20 live art performances, solo or joint exhibitions.

Tracie is a self-taught artist with a painting style that is expressive & unique, with her creativity knowing no bounds.  Her luxurious artworks are bold, textured with loose form & brush strokes, and has been described by curators as ‘passion-art’ – “everyone who sees it loves it”.

Tracie began working with colour following her training in Occupational Therapy and Colour Psychology, working with art therapy with her clients.

She has been supporting the charity Destiny Rescue for years, and founded Art for Rescue to continue to raise awareness and funds to eradicate sex trafficking and sexual exploitation of children.

We will need to know more about your background than what you do now. Please tell us where you started and what led you to the place you are at today; this is what we will speak to in unraveling your story on the show. Please do a short, concise bio for the posting for the host to refer to.

https://www.tracieeaton.com  

https://artforrescue.com.au

tracie@tracieeaton.com

https://www.facebook.com/TracieEatonArtist

https://www.instagram.com/tracieeaton

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracieeaton

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BE OUR GUEST AND SHARE THE WISDOM

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.

TSM24-15. Ona Gritz “Everywhere I Look” 

Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

Their Story Matters with Sara Troy and her guest Ona Gritz, on air from April 9th

 Ona Gritz, author of the beautifully written memoir, Everywhere I Look ? With an investigator’s determination, Gritz unravels the mystery and tragedy of the murder of her sister, Andrea Susan Gritz, also known as Angie Boggs, while sharing her own awakening to loss, grief, guilt, and the truth. Her story is testament to the idea that grief can be transformative, and that the truth can truly set us free.

On January 11, 1982, Angie Boggs was brutally murdered in her home, along with her husband, Ray, and their eleven-month-old son. She was twenty-five and pregnant with their second child. Six weeks later, Angie’s body was found, stuffed in the crawlspace of the apartment she had shared with her family and her murderers.

When Angie was just a little girl called Andra, she was the first person Ona remembers loving. Gritz was nineteen when she learned of her sister’s murder. “Well, she’s dead,” their mom announced, with a crisscross slap of her hands, later remarking: “A social worker told us years ago that, with the way Andra lived her life, she wouldn’t make it to thirty.” That made Gritz angry, but she wasn’t grief stricken either. After all, she was used to being without Angie. For many years after losing her, all she felt was numb.

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When Ona Gritz was in her late forties and the only survivor of her immediate family, a succession of small events began to bring Angie back to her.  Suddenly, she was filled with questions about the disparaging view of Angie that, despite her love, she had internalized from her parents. “She’s a runaway.” Growing up, that’s what Ona would answer whenever someone asked, “Where’s your sister?” But what was Angie running from? And why did her parents keep shutting her out and sending her away?

Everywhere I Look book jacket.jpg

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Ona Gritz holds a Master of Arts in poetry from the creative writing program at New York University. She is the author of August Or Forever, a Reader’s Choice and Wishing Shelf finalist in middle grade fiction. Her nonfiction has appeared in Brevity, The Guardian, The New York Times, River Teeth, The Rumpus, The Utne Reader, and been named Notable in The Best American Essays and Best of the Year in Salon. Her earlier books include On the Whole: A Story of Mothering and Disability and Geode, a finalist for the Main Street Rag Poetry Book Award. She won the Poetry Archive Now Worldview 2020 Competition and has received many other honors for her poems, which have been widely anthologized. Ona lives with her husband, writer Daniel Simpson, near Philadelphia.

 https://www.onagritz.com

 https://www.instagram.com/onagritz

FIND MORE SHOWS OF ILLUMINATION HERE

Discover the sites we share on linktr.ee/saratroy

BE OUR GUEST AND SHARE THE WISDOM

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.