A Cosmic Adventure of Courage and Hope: Why Kids Will Love Martin & the Light Beams of Amalius

 

Award-winning author Dimitri Moraitis invites young readers on a magical journey that celebrates imagination, friendship, and the light within us all.

What if a beam of light appeared in your bedroom one night and offered to take you on an adventure across the universe? For Martin, the young hero of Martin & the Light Beams of Amalius by Dimitri Moraitis, this extraordinary encounter opens the door to a journey filled with wonder, unforgettable characters, and life-changing discoveries.

Written for readers ages 8–12, this imaginative middle-grade fantasy blends cosmic adventure with an uplifting message about courage, compassion, and hope. It encourages children to explore new possibilities, believe in themselves, and discover that even during difficult times, an inner light can help guide the way.

When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn

Martin is a curious boy fascinated by the stars and planets, but his parents’ constant arguments leave him feeling lonely and overwhelmed. Just as he considers running away, a mysterious beam of light named Amalius appears and offers to transform him into a beam of light for an extraordinary cosmic adventure. Along the way, Martin discovers unexpected strengths, learning that even in difficult times, hope, imagination, and courage can help him find his way.

Extraordinary Worlds and Unforgettable Characters

Guided by Amalius, Martin travels to remarkable worlds and meets a colorful cast of light beams, including the fearless General Romaine, the radiant Diva, and the mischievous Rag-a-Muffin. Each character brings a distinct personality to the story, filling Martin's journey with imagination, surprises, and opportunities for discovery. Their different qualities also highlight the importance of individuality, cooperation, and recognizing the unique strengths everyone brings to a team.

Discovering the Light Within

At the heart of Martin & the Light Beams of Amalius is the idea that everyone possesses an inner light—a source of courage, kindness, hope, and personal strength that can shine even during difficult times. Through Martin's experiences, Moraitis presents this idea in an imaginative and accessible way. Light becomes more than a magical element; it symbolizes the qualities that help people move forward when they feel afraid, uncertain, or alone.

The story reminds young readers that believing in themselves does not mean they must face every challenge alone. Friendship, compassion, and cooperation are essential to Martin's success. By helping the inhabitants of Amalius, he discovers that even small acts of courage and kindness can make a meaningful difference.

 

Inspiring Imagination and Reflection

As an award-winning author and internationally respected spiritual teacher, Moraitis brings his interest in spiritual awareness and personal growth to a younger audience. He weaves these themes into a magical narrative rather than presenting them as abstract lessons, making the story accessible to children who enjoy asking big questions about themselves and the world.

The book may also appeal to families looking for stories that encourage reflection and meaningful discussion. Martin & the Light Beams of Amalius is about more than traveling to distant worlds. It is about discovering that imagination opens doors, friendship provides strength, and challenging experiences can reveal unexpected courage.

For children ages 8–12 who love cosmic mysteries, fantastical characters, and stories with heart, Martin's adventure offers an invitation to wonder. For adults sharing the book with young readers, its message is equally meaningful: even when life feels dark, there is always the possibility of finding more light.

About the Book

Martin & the Light Beams of Amalius by Dimitri Moraitis

• Publisher: Spiritual Arts Institute
• Publication date: September 23, 2026
• ISBN: 9781954944114
• Recommended ages: 8–12
• Length: 132 pages
• Price: $9.99

 

Guest Post by Chandra Lynn, M.B.A., Author of Root to Rise & Autographed Book Giveaway

 

Why You Can Have a Good Life and Still Feel Like Something Is Missing

By Chandra Lynn, M.B.A.

This article is for the woman who looks at her life and thinks, I have so much to be grateful for. Why am I not happier?

Maybe the kids are finally asleep. The kitchen is mostly clean. You sit down for the first time all day, and instead of relief there’s a low hum you can’t quite name.

Nothing is wrong. You love your family, you know how lucky you are, and you could list a dozen reasons to be grateful without trying. That’s what makes the feeling so hard to talk about, even with yourself. So you cover it with a little guilt (I should be happy) and keep going.

Maybe you try to fix it from the outside with a new routine, a weekend away, or a bigger goal at work. Sometimes that helps. A lot of the time, though, we’re trimming branches when the part asking for attention is underground, in the roots.

I learned that in my own body.

What I Was Really Building

When my son, Kai, was a baby, I joined a gym. I was working from home, and the gym’s childcare gave me something I hadn’t had since he was born: time that was just mine.

On paper, it was about getting my body back. I had gained more weight than I wanted, my pre-baby clothes didn’t fit, and I didn’t like what I saw in pictures. The harder part was the voice in my head. For years I had called myself “the 10-pound overweight girl,” and after Kai that inner critic got louder. Some days it felt like my body was working against me.

So I made the scary walk over to the free weights. The people there were far kinder and more helpful than I had imagined. I found a 12-week beginner program, followed it all the way through, and learned that consistency mattered more than any one workout. I’ve been on a program of one kind or another ever since.

Somewhere along the way I realized the muscle was the smaller part of it. My self-talk got quieter. What I was really building was trust in myself, and a slowly growing belief that I am worth taking care of. I still notice things in the mirror I’d change, but I’m proud of what I built.

When I reached my goals, I hosted a thank-you dinner for the people who had supported me. I didn’t get there alone, and I wanted them to know it.

That season taught me something I now build my work around. We expect the rise without the roots, and the root work is where the magic happens.

Your Five Roots

In my Root-to-Rise® framework, I picture a life as a tree with five roots: Health, Family, Relationships, Career, and Friends. Everything other people see lives above ground. What holds it up is underneath.

The roots aren’t a ranking, and they won’t all be thriving at the same time. Life moves in seasons. When your kids are little, Family may be getting nearly all the water while Health or Friends go dry for a while. That’s normal. It’s also worth noticing, because a root that stays dry long enough starts to affect the whole tree.

The Hidden Forces Underneath

Below the roots are what I call the Hidden Forces: six human needs that quietly drive our choices. The idea comes from human needs psychology, which traces back to Abraham Maslow and was developed further by Tony Robbins and Cloe Madanes. Root-to-Rise is my adaptation of it.

The six are Security (stability and a sense of safety), Variety (change and fresh experiences), Self (feeling that you matter as you), Intimacy (closeness and belonging), Growth (learning and expanding), and Transcendence (contributing to something bigger than yourself).

We all have all six, and none of them is good or bad. What matters is how we’re meeting them, and what our way of meeting them is costing us.

For a lot of moms, this is where the restlessness comes from. Caring for your children can feed Intimacy and Transcendence in ways nothing else ever has, and running a household can feel a lot like Security. But the same role can crowd out a need without your noticing. You can get so good at meeting everyone else’s needs that Self, the need to feel like a person apart from your roles, gets almost nothing. Or Growth stalls because there’s no room left in the day to learn anything just for you.

When “Something Is Missing” Is Information

That restless feeling is usually a signal, and it’s worth listening to before you decide what it means. Most of the time it doesn’t mean you need to blow up your life. It may mean one root has been dry for a while, or that a need that barely registered five years ago matters much more now.

This comes up often in transitions, when kids start school or leave home, when your body changes, or when your work does. The strategies that carried you through the last season were the right ones for that time. Some of them may not fit the woman you’re becoming.

You can be deeply grateful for your life and still be curious about what it’s asking of you.

Try This Week

The next time the restlessness shows up, don’t rush to fix it. Pause and ask one question: What need am I trying to meet right now?

If the answer is Self, you may not need a whole weekend away. Ten minutes that belong only to you might do more. Pick one small way to feed that need this week, and make it small enough that perfectionism can’t talk you out of it. Then notice what changes.

Root-to-Rise was never about building a perfect life. It’s about building roots strong enough to love the life you have, even when it’s messy, hard, and uncertain.

Discover Your Hidden Force

If you’re curious which of the six needs may be shaping your choices right now, my free Hidden Forces Quiz can help you see it.

TAKE THE FREE HIDDEN FORCES QUIZ 

If you’d rather read first, or want to go deeper after the quiz, download my free Hidden Forces Guide. It walks through all six needs and how they may be showing up in your relationships, health, and everyday decisions.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE HIDDEN FORCES GUIDE 

For the full framework, Root-to-Rise: How to Love Life and its companion, the Root-to-Rise Workbook: Love Life by Design, walk you through strengthening your roots and understanding what drives you. As Deepak Chopra put it, “If you want a simple step-by-step guide for a fulfilled life, THIS is the book.” Readers of this blog get 25% off signed books with RISE25 on my personal store at glowliving.etsy.com.

About Chandra Lynn

Chandra Lynn, M.B.A., is an author, speaker, mom, and Certified Transformation Coach through the Robbins-Madanes Center for Strategic Intervention. She is the founder of Glow Living, creator of the Root-to-Rise® personal growth and self-help system which has earned recognition from Deepak Chopra and Kirkus Reviews, and author of Root-to-Rise: How to Love Life, a Gold Medal winner in the 2026 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards (Non-Fiction – Motivational), and the Root-to-Rise Workbook: Love Life by Design. Through her books, coaching, and talks, she helps people love life, even when it’s messy, hard, and uncertain.

Learn more at chandralynn.com. Find the books at https://glowliving.com/rtrbooks.

The Giveaway

One lucky winner will receive an autographed copy of Root to Rise! To enter, fill out the Giveaway Tools form below.  Do you not meet to be a member to redeem the code. Giveaway ends 11/5/26! Open to the US only.

Entry-Form

Acclaimed Author, Christina H. Wilson, Receives IndieReader Award

Christina H. Wilson’s powerful memoir, Believe: A Memoir in Stories, has been honored with the IndieReader Award in the Non-fiction Inspirational category. This esteemed recognition celebrates the book’s profound impact on readers and its enduring resonance within the literary community. Her book is a profound meditation on overcoming grief and rediscovering life after tragedy. Through honest stories and reflections, she explores resilience, love, hope, self-discovery, and the power of belief. Christina’s dedication to sharing her story and supporting others ensures her legacy as a voice of hope and inspiration for years to come.

As a child, Christina dealt with frequent illnesses and found solace in fairy tales. At twenty-five, she met Jeffery, a Wall Street magnate. The two fell in love, started a family together, and planned to live out their fairytale together. Their idyllic life was shattered after Jeffrey suffers a fatal car accident, leaving Christina alone to pick up the pieces. Naturally, she found solace in storytelling, which served as both a means to keep Jeffery’s memory alive and a channel for Christina to process her grief.

 The memoir began as a personal project for Christina, created to preserve memories for her sons after their father's passing. Yet, her story evolved into a powerful narrative that combines her personal and professional experiences to inspire readers. Wilson's memoir stresses embracing all experiences—good and bad—as vital for self-discovery. She underscores the importance of unconditional love, family, and the belief that everything happens for a reason. Her message is clear: life should be fully experienced without regret, judgment, or expectation.  Christina’s narrative offers comfort and encouragement to others facing adversity, making the memoir a source of inspiration.

In addition to Believe: A Memoir in Stories, Wilson continues to uplift and inspire others as a co-host on the Sisterhood Through Grief podcast. The podcast reaches a global audience and has amassed over 10,000 downloads. Through the Sisterhood Through Grief podcast, Christina extends her support beyond the pages of her book, creating a community for women navigating the challenges of grief. The podcast offers resources, advice, and encouragement, reinforcing the themes that define her memoir and her mission to inspire others. Christina is also the author of the children's book Letters to Heaven, aimed at helping children process grief. Christina’s memoir, her role as a podcast  co-host, and her continued advocacy for resilience and hope have solidified her reputation as an acclaimed author and leader.

Believe: A Memoir in Stories holds a remarkable 4.73 rating on Goodreads and a 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon. The book has been praised by BookLife, a division of Publishers Weekly, for its heartfelt storytelling and universal themes. The audiobook, produced by Deyan Audio and narrated by Jenn Liu, was honored as the Audiobook Reviewers 2025 Best Memoir. Since its debut, Believe: A Memoir in Stories continues to receive recognition and acclaim, affirming Christina H. Wilson’s influence in the literary world. The IndieReader Award and ongoing praise from readers and critics highlight the memoir’s lasting impact. Christina’s dedication to sharing her story and supporting others ensures her legacy as a voice of hope and inspiration for years to come. Believe: A Memoir in Stories is available now at major retailers, including Amazon, Audible, Wordeee.com, Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million. For more information, visit christinahwilson.com.

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Grab a copy of Believe: A Memoir In Stories on Amazon!

Guest Post - From Twins to Narcissism by Dr. Michelle Snyder, The Symbologist

 

From Twins to Narcissism

Dr. Michelle Snyder, The Symbologist

Today, the word narcissism usually means an unhealthy obsession with oneself. The idea comes from the ancient Greek story of Narcissus, a beautiful young man whose name became tied to vanity and self-love.

Most people know the version told by the Roman writer Ovid. In that story, the nymph Echo falls deeply in love with Narcissus. She tries to show him her love, but he rejects her. Heartbroken, she disappears into the woods until only her voice remains. Later, Narcissus comes upon a pool of water and sees his reflection staring back at him. According to the modern version of the myth, he falls in love with his own beauty, unable to look away. In some tellings he wastes away beside the water. In others, he drowns trying to embrace the image. Where he dies, a flower grows, and it is named the narcissus.

Another version adds an interesting detail. A goddess asks the lake why it cries for Narcissus. The lake replies that it mourns him because, in the depths of his eyes, it could see its own beauty reflected back.

Stories change over time. Cultures reshape myths to fit their own values and beliefs. When we look deeper into older versions of the Narcissus story, a very different picture begins to appear.

The Greek writer Pausanias recorded an older tradition in which Narcissus had a twin sister named Narcissa. The two dressed alike, hunted together, and were inseparable. Anyone who has known twins understands how close that bond can become. According to this older account, Narcissus loved his sister deeply. When she died, he was overcome with grief. He would kneel beside the water, staring into it because the reflection reminded him of her. He was not admiring himself. He was mourning someone he had lost.

Over time, Narcissa disappeared from the story and was replaced by Echo. The meaning of the myth changed with her disappearance. What may once have been a tragic story about grief and memory slowly became a warning about vanity and selfishness.

Some ancient versions even suggest that Narcissus and his sister were lovers. To modern readers this may seem shocking, but sibling marriages were not unusual in parts of the ancient world. Myths often preserve fragments of older customs and beliefs that later cultures no longer accepted. As societies changed, stories were rewritten to match new ideas about morality.

This happened in many myths. Characters were transformed, condemned, or rewritten to serve later religious and cultural views. Medusa is another example. The original stories became buried beneath newer versions shaped by fear, morality, and judgment.

The myth of Narcissus also connects symbolically to mirrors, reflection, twins, and the constellation Gemini. Water acted as the first mirror long before polished glass existed. Reflection itself carried symbolic meaning in the ancient world. The story may once have explored memory, identity, grief, and the mysterious bond between twins.

But today the myth is usually reduced to a simple lesson: self-love is dangerous. The older story, however, may have been far more human. Instead of vanity, it may have been about sorrow. Instead of pride, longing. Instead of selfishness, the unbearable pain of losing someone who felt like part of yourself.

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Connect with Dr. Snyder on her Facebook Group. Her website is also coming soon and will be called The Symbolist. 

Guest Post - My Confidence Walked Out the Back Door JJ DiGeronimo

One Spring Saturday morning, I was invited to speak at a women’s event on the East Coast. I was up early reviewing my slides and timing my delivery. I felt nervous, as I do with all my events. Little did I know, I was about to learn a memorable and important lesson on how my ego can sideline my confidence in minutes.

As the women arrived on that brisk morning wearing colored scarfs and light jackets, I felt confident with the content I planned to share. 

Instructed by the sounds of bells, we all moved back to our areas and took our seats. The host kicked off the event, which was followed by a wonderful opening speaker who moved all of us during her time on stage. She shared stories of her childhood and the emotional hurdles of the passing of her mother. With few dry eyes in the room, I could feel a wave of emotion take over my thoughts. Within minutes, I found myself questioning both my presentation and my speaking abilities. How can I follow that? What can I say now that has any importance? 

On the fly, I started reworking my presentation without having any theme or plan. As the audience’s applause faded, the MC started to introduce me. I could feel my nerves and sense my self-doubt grow by each passing second. I was already sweating, and my internal voices were loud and unsupportive. My ego stood front and center, leading me with fear and uncertainty. 

As I stood up to take the stage, I could feel my confidence walk out the back door. As I spoke, I noticed some odd responses from the audience and definite gaps in my thoughts and delivery. I am being very kind to myself when I say, “My presentation was a flop.” I wanted nothing more than to evaporate from that room. 

To this day, I still remember how quickly I sidestepped myself, believing I had nothing worthy of sharing at that moment. I had allowed myself to move off my inner compass as I tried, on the fly, to imitate someone else. The embarrassment was real, and I can still remember how it felt as I approached the stage.

 Key Finding #57 Trusting your gifts in times of doubt takes courage.

Can you think of a time when you gave away your value or did not trust your gifts? What was the event or situation that made you question yourself or your offering? What would you tell yourself now about that situation?

On that brisk Saturday morning, I learned a lesson that I revisit often: No matter how good the speaker, message, or admiration of the audience, I can choose to step into what God or the Universe has given me to be or to do, or I can step away from it within that moment.

 Trying to show up like the speaker before me or acting like an author I admire might be kind or flattering, but it is not authentic. Putting others on a pedestal is a form of admiration, but it is not healthy for your Soul. We are all here with different gifts, knowings, and insights. If you want to make your mark on this world, you must work to show up and share your authentic offerings as God or the Universe has intended. 

I had liked the speaker before me so much that I thought I should deliver my presentation the same way. Well, I tried to be like her, and surprise, I failed. Had I been more aware of these desires and thoughts as I approached that stage, I would have been able to revert my focus and energy toward delivering from my heart and my gifts. 

Instead, I had allowed my mind to take over, and then my ego got the best of me. My ego pushed me into thinking that the only way I would do a good job in that moment was to resemble the awesome speaker ahead of me. This outward focus misled me, and I went down the path of chasing, copying, and imitating. 

So, let me save you the embarrassment of mirroring my experience. In fact, I encourage you to lean away from creating the same type of offering, reaction, or response as another person altogether. 

These are the words I now use to reassure myself:

 I give myself permission to be me. 

What I have to share is unique.

I was hand-selected to harness the gifts granted to me. 

I am honored to share my gifts with the world.

Key Finding #58 The world needs exactly what you came to share.

 JJ is a three-time author with her new book Seeking: 74 Key Findings to Raise Your Energy, Sidestep Your Self-Doubts, and Align with Your Life's Work

About the Author

A woman in tech turned award-winning author shares energy practices and empowering career strategies for women to make their desired impact!

JJ DiGeronimo is an award-winning author of two books that share strategies to advance professional women. She is also the creator of the global group Tech Savvy Women & Together We Seek. With new levels of awareness, JJ shares a more spiritual side of her life that undeniably strengthens her mission to empower women at work and in life.

Guest Post - Deep Water Within: Behind the Story by Author Sandra Lott

Deep Waters Within is about the internal struggle a young man had concerning his faith.  He was close to his father but they had differences regarding their beliefs and those differences came to a head.

The character in the story, Jim Staley, was adamant that he was right and his dad was wrong.  He couldn’t accept it and moved completely across the county!  He moved from Chatham Massachusetts. To Half Moon Bay California.

Sound familiar?  This is sort of a modern-day take on Jonah from the Bible.  Jonah did the same thing and ran into trouble and eventually had to come to terms with the Lord.

Jim made a new life for himself in California and kept ignoring his heart and his conscience tugging at him to call home.  He made new friends and even a love interest, but that didn’t stop his conscience and the bad dreams that kept erupting from ignoring those tugs.

He should have called home, because while he was away his dad developed cancer.  Eventually the dreams took their toll on Jim and his girlfriend and they separated.  This made him look at himself and he finally called home, only to discover the news!  His dad was dying!

The thing I want to convey to everyone in this story, is do not be so adamant that you are right!  Don’t be so headstrong and rigid in your thinking, you just might have the wrong perspective on your beliefs.  Jim wasted so much time because of the rigidity.  How much time do we waste and how many regrets do we leave ourselves in being so close minded and prideful that we think we are always right and everyone else is always wrong.  Maybe just maybe, sometimes our beliefs and our perspectives are wrong.  When our perspectives are wrong, so will our actions and what we say. 

When relationships are involved, they are sometimes affected much like the character in my story.  Why do we want to always be right at the risk of losing out on those most precious to us.

I lost my sixteen-year-old son and I have many regrets and the “I wish I had done’s.” I do not want to live that way anymore.  Is being right all the time worth it?

Today with so many people at odds with their beliefs I feel this book is necessary to help people think about what is really important.  It isn’t being right, it is, “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34)

The Lord did not say to judge and to be right all the time, He said to love one another and to, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4)

I try to live that way and while I have my beliefs, I care not what other people’s beliefs are and how they may differ from mine.  I will share if I am asked but God tells me to love and I try to live that way.  I have others in my family that do not believe the way I do, but I love them with all of my heart.

If mankind would love one another, and not judge and think about others before themself, it would be a better place and we would be true, “Ambassadors of Christ,” and we would not be giving the Lord and the Bible the bad name it has today in the eyes of many.

It is not our place to judge and I do not want that job!  God tells us to love, to love and not hate, to forgive and to bless.

What a difference the world would be if we would humble ourselves and ask, just for a minute, “Is my perspective wrong?”

Why lose out on relationships and precious moments at the risk of being right?  And even if you are right, you do not have to “beat someone over the head,” so to speak with your beliefs.  Just love them as the Lord tells you to do, and pray to the Lord.  Pray for the Lord to show you if you are wrong and to show the other person if they are wrong.

We need to open our hearts and our minds and let the Lord’s will be done.  “Love one another.”

About Author Sandra Lott

Author Sandra Lott was born and raised in Texas and is the author of Ride the Wind, God's Love and My Father's Eyes: Seeing Yourself through the Eyes of Love and more. She has learned about the love and faithfulness of God through the death of her sixteen year old son and many other hardships. Through His love and comfort she has drawn close to the Father's love and has developed a passion for studying the Bible. That deep devotion to God in turn has given her the desire to help others grow in their understanding of the love of God and to grow spiritually.

www.yournewlifeministries.org