This latest review for Saltwater Taffy by Dr. Karen P, a reviewer from Readers Favorite who has spent a lifetime working with children and families, dissects the purpose of Saltwater Taffy down to a SAWEET “T” –

I am always thrilled when a reviewer really “gets” the purpose of this Middle Grade Adventure Novel.  Any author wants to entertain their readers, but imagine inspiring a young mind to KNOW THEY CAN GO AFTER anything in life as long as they believe in themselves!

Glad you enjoyed the adventure Karen!  You can read her review of Saltwater Taffy on the Readers Favorite website and hey, if you love books, you can become a reviewer or follow them on Facebook!

The Nautilus Awards recognizes books that promote spiritual growth, conscious living & positive social change, while at the same time they stimulate the “imagination” and offer the reader “new possibilities” for a better life and a better world.  Past winning authors include Deepak Chopra, Lynn Twist, Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith, Eckhart Tolle, and Thich Nhat Hanh.

Why are we so afraid of change? Is it because we are worried about what other people might think of us if we change and let go of our ‘old self?’  Change, which can also be referred to as GROWING UP, can be a road block or a path to greatness.  What happens next is up to each and every one of us.Let us not forget that in order for us to capture our innermost desires and dreams, we must indeed change.  Let us not forget that change is good because when we ‘change’ where are giving into the power of our own greatness and essentially ‘growing up’ in the process.

“I’ve never written a children’s book before, what makes me think I can do it now?”

When I first sat down to write Saltwater Taffy, my ego tried to trick me into a fear of change, even though I have always had a dream of writing an adventure novel that might inspire kids to leave behind the fear, doubt and worry of growing up.

How did I get out of this mental roadblock and actually find the power to write a children’s book like Saltwater Taffy?  I did it by listening to my thoughts which told me I could do it and NOT my thoughts of self-defeat or fear of change.

Why is it easier for us to believe a self-defeating thought than it is for us to believe in a thought where we are not only going after our dreams, but capturing those dreams as well?  I have always dreamed of making a movie about kids on a treasure hunt and now that dream is one step closer with writing the book version of Saltwater Taffy.

Have you ever noticed how you feel when you’re on vacation…or on a picnic with friends/family…or maybe when you were on a hike where you were filled with the possibilities of what you cold do and not disabilities of what you couldn’t do?  These unstoppable feelings are the feelings we need to use whenever we feel we can’t do something or when we are afraid to change.

Fate is what happens to us, but our destiny is what we do when life presents the possibility to change and become more of the person we are meant to be.

We should never allow our destiny to become muddled down with bad mental habits that trick us into remaining the same.  The very meaning of life is to change and grow! This is why we are to celebrate our greatness by following our heart’s desire.  When we do that, we are actually LIVING our dreams, not DREAMING about our dreams.

Eric DelaBarre is an award-winning filmmaker and author of the tween adventure novel, Saltwater Taffy.  Copyright May 7, 2012

We are proud to announce that Saltwater Taffy has been named a Benjamin Franklin Book Award Finalist for our amazing cover by R.C. Nason.  Rob Nason is a veteran of Hollywood animation having worked on films like All Dogs Go To Heaven, Anastasia and Thumbelina.  The Benjamin Franklin Award is presented by the Independent Book Publisher’s Association.  The Awards Gala will be held on June 4, 2012 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York and kick off Book Expo America 2012.

7 Diet Secrets for Tweens was created when I learned one in three American kids suffer from obesity.  That is NOT a good number you guys, so let’s talk quickly about nutrition and losing weight at your age.  Fact is, America is fat and only getting fatter.

As a tween, you shouldn’t have to worry about losing weight.  The thought of dieting for a kid is crazy, but the statistics show us that something needs to change.  Baby fat goes away, but if you eat more candy bars than you eat apples, you might have the beginnings of a problem that only grows over time.

1. ASK FOR HELP – Talk to your parents and inform your doctor before you think about going on a diet at your age.
2. SUGAR — Candy Bars, Junk Food and SODAS!!!!  Hate to break it to you, but these things have NO nutritional value at all.  The number one ingredient in most candy is High Fructose Corn Syrup.  The problem with HFCS is that it tricks the body into thinking that it needs to store fat.  SHUTING DOWN THE ENGINE (your metabolism) is a bad thing.  It doesn’t sound fun, but if you want to shed the pounds, reach for fruits and veggies.
3. SLOW DOWN HOMEY — First things we all need to do is slow down and take smaller portions.  When you do this, your stomach is able to send a message to your brain: “OKAY, I’M FULL.”  When you eat fast (I know this because I’m faster than anyone I know, other than my brother Gary), you overeat.  Slow down and chew your food.
4. EXERCISE – If you aren’t playing sports, you need to find a hobby.  Ride your bike.  Jog.  Swim.  Heck, I’d even suggest giving Yoga a try, but you MUST DO SOMETHING.  Trust your Uncle E, when you exercise you will feel much better afterwards.  It’s a chemical thing, so get up and get busy.
5. EASE INTO IT — When you begin this process of letting go of sugary foods and exercising, start with baby steps.  Nobody expects you to suddenly run 15 miles a day.  Start small.  Try 5 push-ups.  Go on a long walk.  Then jog around the block.
6. EMOTIONAL EATING — Some people find comfort when they eat.  In times of stress, don’t reach for the candy or other sugary foods.   If you aren’t hungry, DO NOT EAT.  Drink water.  Chew gum.  Go for a run.  Exercise.  Listen to your body, not your mind.
7. WATER — This is HUGE.  Water is essential in changing your eating habits.  Always have a bottle in your backpack.  When you get a craving for something sweet, fill your stomach with water and eat a piece of fruit.

Eric “Uncle E” DelaBarre is an award-winning filmmaker and the author of Saltwater Taffy, the middle grade fiction novel endorsed by 12 Teachers of the Year.  Copyright April 30, 2012

Before we get to the 7 Simple Steps – How to Handle Peer Pressure, let’s talk about the super-secret ideal for anyone dealing with Peer Pressure: Stop worrying about being cool.

Being cool is the biggest waste of time there is.  The kid who is ‘too cool for school’ is the kid who is the unhappiest kid of all.  He or she is unhappy because when they are busy ‘being cool’ and worrying about what other people think of them and how cool they are, they are crippled with the thought of losing their ‘cool’ status.  As a result, they don’t try anything new and they certainly don’t risk anything where failure is part of the equation.

Instead of trying to be cool (a big waste of time and energy) watch who you spend your time with and watch what you worry about.  Are you worried your friends won’t think you’re cool if you don’t do something that ‘everyone’s doing?’  That’s not your problem, that’s their problem.  If your friends pressure you to do something that you know is either wrong, or ‘not your cup of tea’ then find new friends.

Try hanging out with people who are smarter than you, not cooler than you.  When you surround yourself with people who are smarter than you (an essential part of your TEAM building) you elevate your thinking AND you elevate your mental habits of confidence.  By elevating your thoughts about who you are, you are able to resist comparing yourself to anyone else as well as resist any pressure from your peers.  If you sense peer pressure, try these 7 simple steps on How to Handling Peer Pressure.

HOW TO HANDLE PEER PRESSURE

1. Stand up straight – This might sound funny, but standing up straight lets others know you aren’t willing to give into their pressure.  Standing up straight shows self-confidence, and bullies like to pick on someone who stands with rounded shoulders and isn’t sure of themselves.
2. Make Eye Contact – When someone pressures you into doing something, it usually means they aren’t sure of themselves or what they are choosing to do.  By looking them dead in the eye, you are letting them know you mean business.
3. Don’t Make Excuses – Say “no” with authority.  If you don’t want to do something.  Don’t.  There’s a million ways to say no; “No thanks, I’m not into that, I don’t need it, I’m good, Thanks anyway.”
4. Suggest Something Else To Do – Find something else to do with someone else.  There are many fish and friends in the sea, so again…pick your friends wisely.
5. Walk Away – You might get teased for walking away, but teasing never killed anyone.
6. Stand Up For Others – There is power in numbers.  When you stand shoulder to shoulder with another person, you become a team and it is harder to bully a team than a person standing alone.
7. Remember Who You Are – This may sound weird, I know, but remember who you are and what YOU believe in.  Remember the qualities you LOVE about yourself and stop worrying about what you don’t like about yourself.  Don’t like something?  Change it.  Focus on your confidence and GET BUSY BEING AN AMAZING YOU.

Eric “Uncle E” DelaBarre is an award-winning filmmaker and the author of Saltwater Taffy, the middle grade fiction novel endorsed by 12 Teachers of the Year.   Copyright April 28, 2012.

If your School, PTA, Book Club, or School Library is looking for an exciting author visit, here is a glimpse into the style of presentations author Eric DelaBarre delivers. Hear what Chimacum Middle School Principal said about Eric’s recent visit:

“I loved watching my students shower Eric with their love. The excitement and engagement levels were through the roof — I have no doubt that every child in that auditorium will remember the day Eric DelaBarre came to Chimacum. And that is what school should be about: creating powerful, memorable, emotional learning experiences that our children carry with them for a lifetime.”

Whitney E. Meissner, Ed.D.
– Principal
Chimacum High School
Chimacum Middle School
Chimacum Pi Program

After the Mercer Island BOYS READ BOOK CLUB fell in love with Saltwater Taffy, the PTA got together and flew us up for an author visit to Mercer Island.  First up was the famous Lakeridge Elementary School, which is the top book buyer for all schools participating in the Scholastic Book Fairs.

Then it was across the island to West Mercer Elementary School.  It was a fun-filled day of 2, yes…count them 2 school assemblies!!!  Needless to say I was a tired after this amazing day, but the kids were AWESOME, or….as we say here at the Saltwater Taffy Network, “Those kids were SAWEET!”  More videos to come, so stay tuned!

As a new father, and a professional writer, I have to write whenever I can.  It’s 9:12 pm on a Saturday night and the world record lottery jackpot was won in Maryland.  While I intended to sit down at Starbucks to work on the adaptation of Saltwater Taffy, I find myself in the grips of a very important question:

“Did all the dreams of having that much money, how we would spend it, how we would take care of friends and family or even buy that really nice house we’ve always wanted actually……lift the collective vibration of love in our country?”

Of course I bought a couple of tickets.  My wife bought one, because it only “takes one” she said.  I even bought ten tickets for my 10 month-old daughter as well.  I mean, who wouldn’t get caught up in the fantasy of it all, but I now realize my question above feels incomplete.

What if we lived with this feeling of abundance not as a result of a potential lottery win, but as a way of being…moment by moment?

Would more heart-filled dreams be fulfilled in our country if people moved away from thoughts of “getting a new car” or “taking ten trips around the world,” and began to drill down into what it would feel like to do something we loved to do…day in and day out?

I mean, if you had the winning ticket, what would you really do with it?  Russell Simmons, founder of Def Jam Records, once said: “My Rolls Royce is nice, has plusher seats, bigger rims and a really powerful engine, but at the end of the day, it’s still just a car.  A really nice car, but a car, nonetheless.”

After the glow of buying anything you could ever dream of buying, what would you do then?  Go around the world again?  Find the most expensive restaurant for a meal?  Seriously, how many ways can you really cook a steak?

In the fantasy of winning, I actually sat down and wrote a list of things I would do if I won tonight’s jackpot of $640,000,000.  After writing down some twenty things I wanted to do with the money, I realized they were things I am already doing or in the process of doing.

Sure, having this windfall of cash might make the journey of filming Saltwater Taffy a heck of a lot easier, and we would have a much bigger budget where Anthony Hopkins could play Mr. Sheesley and Brad Pitt could be the father to Scooter and Gary, but it doesn’t change the dream I’m currently capturing.

Yes, our house would probably get bigger, but that isn’t a stretch of the imagination because we currently live in two joined apartments in northern Santa Monica, but then again, a three car garage in my hometown of Las Vegas would be bigger than what we have now, so really….why would I have to change my dreams because I won the lottery?

Don’t we all have a responsibility of going after our dreams?  Going after and capturing something we love?  Don’t we owe it to the rest of the world to bring our gifts and talents to the forefront of our lives and not locked away in the basements of our souls because we were afraid of failure?

Why wait for a really big lottery jackpot to change our lives and go after our dreams?  With that kind of money, each and every one of us would run out of things to buy eventually, because in the end, a Rolls Royce is just a car…a really nice car, but still just a car.

Will your dream have to wait until you win the Mega Millions Jackpot or will you live each moment like you have already won?  If you have a dream that comes from deep inside of your heart, guess what…you have already won!   In the end, life is about finding more ways to love.  Loving what we do.  Loving who we are and who we want to be.  Always remember, each moment is another adventure waiting to happen.  Don’t wait.  Start today and let it rip!

Eric “Uncle E” DelaBarre is an award winning filmmaker and the author of Saltwater Taffy, the middle grade fiction novel that has been endorsed by 12 Teachers of the Year.  Copyright March 30, 2012.