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Look What's Been Published!  It happened a bit earlier than expected. I was aiming for early May, but on the morning of April 22, I hopped onto Amazon to create my Author Profile, a task my publisher had given me, and boom! There she was, in all her "Available Now" glory. After a quick back-and-forth with my publisher, who said it was likely a self-correcting glitch that would revert to "pre-order" status soon, I decided to roll with it. We all know I'm a sucker for signs from the Universe, and this felt like a big one for a few different reasons. April 22 is Earth Day, a day special to me because of Katie Brandt (my college roommate and BFF who died in a car crash many years ago); it is also my parents' anniversary ("This is the best anniversary gift EVER!" my mom exclaimed when I shared the news) and my Great Aunt Jessie's birthday, another soul who is long gone from her physical form. If you went through this experience with me, or you've already read the book, you may recall that birthdays played a not-insignificant role. For example, trial was originally scheduled to start on my birthday in November, but got moved to my maternal Grandmother's birthday in April instead. I also had a big court date on the birthday that my maternal Grandfather and paternal Grandmother had shared. So running with the April 22 date felt symbolic somehow, like both Katie Brandt and Great Aunt Jessie got to be a part of the celebration. What is the book about?Straight from the back of the book: "Alex Kuisis was a happily married early-childhood-educator-turned-health coach, living what a beautifully fulfilling life in Denver, Colorado when the doorbell rang on September 1, 2016. It was the police, there to arrest her for seven felony crimes she did not commit. Truth Matters, Love Wins is both an astounding account of fighting false accusations in a slanted criminal justice system, and an uplifting testament to choosing integrity and introspection when responding to staggering levels of betrayal. Alex’s dedication to surviving her darkest hour through faith, love, and personal growth will captivate and inspire you. A must-read for anyone curious about how to handle the pain and anger that accompanies life’s most devastating curveballs, Truth Matters, Love Wins showcases the power of keeping love close when you know you have the truth on your side." *** While it’s not a how-to book in the traditional sense, it *is* threaded with the ways I allowed love to be my guiding light, even when navigating difficult circumstances like heart-shattering betrayal and unwarranted felony charges. You’ll travel with me to Colorado, Hawaii, Wisconsin, and California, exploring themes of friendship, forgiveness, family dynamics, spirituality, childhood trauma, and of course, the importance of taking beautiful, gentle care of yourself in a myriad of ways. You'll get a peek into our country's criminal justice system, and even go through a criminal trial with me. You might laugh. You might cry. You might say, “Are you freakin’ KIDDING ME?” (You might say that more than once.) You might not be able to put the book down. Or you might not do any of those things. You might have an entirely different reaction and that's absolutely okay. Your experience gets to be yours and yours alone. It sounds like a movie!From your mouth to god's ears, my friend. (Netflix, call me!) Are you doing a Book Tour?There are not definitive plans for that as of yet. But! I am doing an Author Q&A Virtual Happy Hour on Saturday, May 15 at 6pmEDT (that's 5pmCDT/4pmMDT/3pmPDT), and you're invited! My friend Emily (aka Amelia in the book) and I will be meeting online for a Truth Matters, Love Wins conversation, during which I'll answer questions about the story, the book, the aftermath, and whatever else you might want to know. You can submit questions ahead of time - email them to me here - or join us live on the Soul Fitness Coaching Facebook page on May 15! Who should read the book?As far as I'm concerned, as many people as possible. :) I've been asked if it's appropriate for high schoolers to read, and I believe it is. While there are curse words and references to marijuana throughout, I don't think that sort of thing is shocking to teenagers, you know what I mean? And the messages of telling the truth and prioritizing the way we love, care for, and respect ourselves is important for them to hear. Where is the book being distributed?Ok, this is sort of exciting. Check this out! Amazon USA, UK, Germany, Austria, Leichtenstein, Switzerland, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Andorra, Monaco, Belgium, Italy, Vatican City, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Australia + New Zealand + surrounding islands, Canada, Netherlands, India Apple iBooks Store Australia, Austria, Argentina, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, (Republic of) Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Suriname, UK, USA, Uruguay, Venezuela Barnes & Noble eBooks United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, The Netherlands, Belgium Kobo Store Canada, USA, India, South Africa, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, Brazil, Mexico, (and all other countries, although they may not have all the same features like VIP or certain subscriptions) Google Play Store AR, AS, AT, AU, BE, BG, BO, BR, BY, CA, CH, CL, CO, CR, CZ, DE, DK, DO, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, GT, GU, HK, HN, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KG, KR, KZ, LT, LU, LV, MH, MP, MX, MY, NI, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PR, PT, PW, PY, RO, RU, SE, SG, SI, SK, SV, TH, TR, TT, TW, UA, US, UY, UZ, VE, VI, VN, ZA. Global Print Edition Outlets We make books available and ship worldwide with the exception of the following embargoed countries: Cuba, Iran, Korea, Syria I mean, wow, right?! Will your book be in libraries or Independent Bookstores?Yes, if there is a demand! Please ask your local library and/or favorite Independent Bookstore to carry it - it's been made available to all of them throughout the United States, but often times they won't pick up a first-time author without reason. Patrons asking is a reason! What's the feedback been like?So far, so good. You can read some of the reviews here on my website, and more besides on the Amazon page here. Lots of people are reading it FAST, like in a day or two, although there is no expectation on my part of how quickly someone gets through it. In fact, I even started responding with "looking forward to your thoughts!" instead of "can't wait to hear what you think!" I can wait. Take your time. The story can be a lot to digest. More than one person mentioned that they took notes, highlighted passages, and/or dog-eared pages for future reference. I do that with books, too, so that feels nice to hear. I bought the paperback version. Will you sign it?There has been more demand for this than I anticipated. (Mostly because I didn't actually anticipate this at all.) Since a book tour in the traditional sense isn't happening at the present moment, and mailing actual books back and forth would be an expensive logistical challenge, I'll be offering signed book plate packages for only $5. I'll share all the details at the Author Q&A Virtual Happy Hour. Will you come to our Book Club?Yes! If your Book Club reads Truth Matters, Love Wins (and scheduling permits), I would be happy to virtually pop in for a bit of your meeting to share related stories, and answer questions. Email me and let's set it up! Will you be on my podcast to talk about your experience?Yes! If you have a podcast about truth, self-care, self-awareness, self-worth, self-love, the importance of mindset, the law of attraction, the criminal justice system, the dynamics of friendship, rising to life's challenges, navigating betrayal, choosing faith over fear, or anything else related to this incredible tale? I'd love to be on it! Email me and let's set it up! Are you going to write another book?Yes, but not a memoir. Next, I'll be working on a self-care guide with accompanying workbooks based on the principles and practices I talked about in Truth Matters, Love Wins (and a few that I didn't!) that helped get me through that hellish experience. One last thing - did I hear something about your book being an Amazon Best Seller?Why yes, yes you sure did. The way it was explained to me, books are considered Amazon best sellers if they break the top 100 in any of their categories. My book was assigned five categories: True Crime, Stress Management, Personal Transformation, Spiritual Healing, and Spiritual Growth. On publication day, I broke the top 100 in FOUR of those categories (coming as close as 123 in Personal Transformation.) The standings change day-to-day (and sometimes hour-to-hour) but for the first 48 hours my book was out, it sat pretty on those charts. We celebrated with champagne and tacos. Ok, my friends, that's a wrap for today. THANK YOU for your support, your enthusiasm, and your continued awesomeness. 
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I'm a big fan of making a Vision Board to start a new year. I find it sets a fresh tone and helps to shake off any residual negativity from the past twelve months. I made my very first one in 2006, the year I lived in Hawaii. I'd been collaging as a creative outlet since childhood but hadn't thought to focus the craft in an intentional way around manifesting my desires until the dots were connected for me on a rare cloudy day in Kona, when I accepted an invitation to cut up magazines and glue the findings haphazardly onto a piece of poster board with four other women, only one of whom I knew, and she only vaguely. This is my board from that year:  I wanted to find true love, I wanted to share my life with a partner in a home we made beautiful, and I wanted to lead a healthy, peaceful life. I never saw any of those women again, but many of those visions have, in good time, become realities in my life (note the little white dog near the top!) and I have done a Vision Board every single year since. Funny how sometimes angels who show up in our lives for just a day can have a positive, lifelong impact. Over the years, vision boarding has become an anchor for me, despite its abstract, sky's-the-limit inherent nature. As a highly visual learner, I use my Vision Boards as a touchstone for generating and emphasizing the way I want to feel about the different areas of my life. So long as I'm in tune with the vibration of my goals, I can trust my action steps to unfold naturally and easily. I choose to begin every Vision Board session with some woo-woo, to clear the channels of communication between my conscious mind and my higher self. A tarot reading, a guided meditation or two, some soft, uplifting music in the background. I used to light a candle and burn some incense, but since our overhaul last year to healthier alternatives in our home, I now diffuse essential oils instead. I spend a brief moment reflecting on where my life is currently at, because while this isn't exactly a reflection exercise, you can't decide where to go if you aren't fully aware of where you already are. Then I ask myself what "ideal" looks like, and it's with those answers in mind that I browse through my pile of magazines, waiting for images and/or phrases to jump out at me, asking to be included. And because I am a sucker for All Things Organization, I like to use a Feng Shui grid called a Begua Map as an invisible overlay for my Vision Board creation.  I find the guidance helpful, but it's definitely not necessary. (If you are already a vision boarder, it can be interesting to look back at past boards with this grid in mind, to see if any unexpected correlations appear. While the point of creating a Vision Board remains consistent, my articulations have varied wildly over the years. One year, I used a canvas as tall as I am. One year, I used three smaller boards that I hung on my wall as a collection. One year, I used fancy paper to frame everything I cut out and arranged it all like a gallery wall. One year, I made a Vision Mobile that hung from a hook on the ceiling of my home office. Some years, I collect pictures and phrases throughout the months, tucking them in a file folder labeled "Vision." Other years (most years,) I cut and collect everything the same day or week that I create the collage. Sometimes, I leave blank spaces on my board to let the Universe have room for magic I haven't imagined yet. Sometimes, I am in no mood for surprises, and pack my board full to the brim. Some years, I vision board with friends. Some years, I fly solo. Historically, I plaster my completed board all over my social media, although in recent years I've felt my vision too delicate and sacred to subject it to other people's projected energy, so I have kept them private. For the past couple, I've found a happy medium. The point is, no matter how you choose to honor your vision, you're doing it right. All that really matters is you can conjure up the feelings you are aiming for when you see and study your finished product. As for me, my 2021 Vision is so big, I don't even have a table that fits it all. This year, I chose to use four base panels, which means I had to spread out on the floor to create it.  This year is less about the literal things I want to do, see, and experience, and more about the way I plan to show up no matter what comes my way. I said it last year and this year it's extra true: this moment in time, both in my personal life and in history as a whole, is a pendulum swing out of a dark season and into the dazzling light. It's sheer volume of potentiality, and it has me positively buzzing with gleeful anticipation. All this life, ready to be lived. It makes me so happy I could scream. Sometimes, I do. I feel calmer, steadier, and definitely readier for adventure and growth than I have in absolutely ages. I feel ready to build my business as a true reflection of my gifts, values, and personal mission. I feel ready to use my voice, my energy, and my resources to make change for my clients and the world at large. I feel ready to roll in financial abundance. I feel ready to dance more, love bigger, and forgive relentlessly. I feel ready to cultivate new friendships and gracefully release the dredges of the leftover stagnant energy. I feel ready to travel to distant lands and interact with interesting strangers. Soon enough. I feel ready to stretch myself energetically, physically, spiritually. I feel ready to create, serve, organize, coach, and flourish. I feel ready to publish my story, to share some truth, to answer some questions. I feel ready for a few pleasant surprises. I feel ready to step right into the sizzling spotlight of my 2021 vision. All four panels of her.  These are the closet doors in my office. What about YOU?I'd love to hear what YOU'RE ready for in 2021 if you're willing to share.
Remember, nothing changes if nothing changes. I love you and I will see you soon! xo, Coach Alex  |
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