Paternity Test

June 14, 2017 by Mara Purl
My father let us see that love really is reciprocal. I helped him walk when he was ninety-nine, reassured him his journey made sense, made a difference, and had value greater than the gold of kings. When it came to the real paternity test, he passed with flying colors. Read more
Posted in about issues of the heart, Acting, AHA Moments, Art and Entertainment, BBC Radio, Family, family history and genealogy, Family values, Heart and head connection in books, Integrating lifes purpose through art, Japan, life's purpose, Mara Purl, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, Mother, Writing | 5 Comments

If It’s Not One Thing It’s Your Mother

May 29, 2017 by Mara Purl
I could have chosen to believe I had a mean-spirited mother who’d rather hurt than help her daughter. Yet, when I scratched the surface of the complex relationship with my mother, I never failed to discover her heart of gold. Her only motive in saying anything critical was to help me, improve my life, remove an obstacle, deliver me to my best opportunities. Read more
Posted in Family, Family values, Gratitude, Head & Heart, Heart, Mara Purl, Mothers & Daughters, self-growth | 5 Comments

Crowdfunding for books has moved from fad to trend

August 26, 2015 by Mara Purl

#‎Crowdfunding is an #author trend, not a fad!

Those who are serious about funding their book projects are making #‎crowdfunding no longer a fad, but a trend. That doesn’t mean it’s easy! A great way to get up to speed quickly on all the how-tos to fund your book project is to grab Judith Briles’s The CrowdFunding Guide for ‪Authors & Writers: Get FREE Money to Finance Your Book today on Amazon.

Joel Friedlander says, “Judith Briles does it again, providing exactly the resource indie authors need to make their way through the crowdfunding jungle. From planning to platforms to real-world strategies, this is the go-to guide that I’ll be recommending.”… Read more

Posted in Authors, Publishing | Leave a comment

Ancestors in the Mountains

July 5, 2015 by Mara Purl
In my memories, honeysuckle twined itself densely through the framework along one wall of the wrap-around porch, sweetening the air. In the cool of the cellar, I reached high to grasp one of the scores of jars of applesauce my grandmother had made. My little legs pumped hard to make the rope swing go higher. I sat on my granddaddy’s lap and asked for the hundredth time to listen to his “tick-tock”—his gold pocket watch. The aroma of biscuits wafted out from the kitchen.
Posted in about issues of the heart, AHA Moments, Bellekeep Books, familial history, Family, family history and genealogy, head and heart connection, involvement in issues near and dear to heart, Live Your Best Life, Mara Purl, Nurturing the soul, self-growth, Travel | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Cousins Reunion

May 11, 2015 by Mara Purl
I came away with the impression that most of the greats and grands of the family were quite heroic in their way, surviving the Great Depression, serving in the Great War, and coming home to tend their farms and care for their families.
Posted in about issues of the heart, Authors, Bellekeep Books, familial history, Family, family history and genealogy, Family values, Finding treasures of the heart in books, head and heart connection, Heart and head connection in books, Integrating lifes purpose through art, Live Your Best Life, Mara Purl, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, Novel series, Nurturing the soul, self-growth, Small Town Fiction, Travel | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Dresses from Mom

July 14, 2014 by Mara Purl
For her final birthday, we planned a unique performance. Mom designed a dress for me to wear, and had her wonderful seamstress make it. A dazzling green organza confection, it made me feel as if I was wearing jade sliced as thin as clouds—and then she gave me her jade jewels to go with it. I knew this would be the last dress she’d ever give me.
Posted in Art and Entertainment, authors and entertainment world, Family, family history and genealogy, head and heart connection, Heart and head connection in books, Integrating lifes purpose through art, Intuition, Life in Baby Boomer years for Women, Logical Thinking, Magical moments, Mara Purl, Mother, Nurturing the soul, parenting girls, Power of Universe, Uncategorized, Women authors | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

January Handsel

January 3, 2014 by Mara Purl
Handsel: a gift given at the beginning of something, especially a new year. Though it’s hard not to keep thinking to myself “this time last year, Mom was here,” what I try to do when these thoughts recur is shift from grief to celebration, from loss to gratitude, from past to present. This is a new year, a perfect opportunity for new beginnings. Perhaps I can let the universe help me move forward, instead of tackling the forward momentum all on my own. Read more
Posted in about issues of the heart, Connecting through books, Finding treasures of the heart in books, Head & Heart, Heart, Heart and head connection in books, ideas for books, inspiring through fiction novels, involvement in issues near and dear to heart, Love of Books, Mara Purl, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, mission and core purpose in life, Nurturing the soul, Opening up to New Worlds, parenting girls, self-growth, transformation through AHA moments, Women authors | Leave a comment

The After Days

August 19, 2013 by Mara Purl
Projects have always been a way of life for the Purls. Sometimes a bane, sometimes a boon, projects define our time and express our various core purposes. That’s what I’ll miss the most, I think—that I won’t get to do the next project with Mom.
Posted in about issues of the heart, AHA Moments, Authors, Bellekeep Books, Creativity, familial history, Family, family history and genealogy, Family values, flow of life, head and heart connection, head and heart connection, Heart, Integrating lifes purpose through art, involvement in issues near and dear to heart, life's purpose, Love, Magical moments, Mara Purl, mission and core purpose in life, Mother, Mothers & Daughters, Nurturing the soul, Personal Essays, power of the universe, relationships, self-growth, sychronicity of life, synchronicity, Transformation, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A Year for Mom: The Big Day

July 14, 2013 by Mara Purl
The Purl Family “A Year for Mom” are posts written the year of my mother’s illness and her passing. It had started as one of Mom’s bright ideas. Though she and Pere had been unable to fly to California to see my sister Linda perform the remarkable one-woman show The Year of Magical Thinking, she imagined that, somehow, the show could come to her. Read more
Posted in Acting, Art and Entertainment, authors and entertainment world, Family, family history and genealogy, Family values, Heart, Integrating lifes purpose through art, involvement in issues near and dear to heart, life's purpose, Magical moments, Mara Purl, Mara Purl, mission and core purpose in life, Nurturing the soul, Personal Essays, Public Speaking, Transformation, Women authors | Leave a comment

A Year for Mom: Preparing for the Big Day

July 14, 2013 by Mara Purl
Mom in Captain Hero's arms“A Year for Mom” are posts written the year of my mother’s illness and her passing. Some of the most heartfelt and extraordinary communications I've sent or received took place during this challenging year. This post shares the experience of celebrating her 90th birthday. Read more
Posted in about issues of the heart, energy, Family, Family values, Gratitude, Head & Heart, Heart, joy, Mara Purl, mission and core purpose in life, Mother, Nurturing the soul | Leave a comment