GULP! VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08

Join Gabriella Goddard, author of the the self help/personal development book, Gulp! The 7 Day Crash Course to Master Fear and Break Through Any Challenge (Bantam Dell, December '08), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in April on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion! As a highly successful international marketing director Gabriella Goddard enjoyed an 18 year career spanning the globe including working in Mexico, Brazil, Japan, UK, France and New Zealand for companies like A.C. Nielsen and MCI/Worldcom. She thought her life was on track until one day a big change was forced upon her. The dot.com bubble burst and the start-up broadband company she worked for went bankrupt. Overnight she was left without a job, an income and all the symbols of success that go with being a high flyer, including the expense account, swanky leather chair and big corner office. This twist of fate was shortly followed by the devastating experience of a breast cancer scare. It forced Gabriella to take stock of her priorities and re-evaluate what was truly important in her life. And that’s when she realized that the ladder she’d been so enthusiastically climbing had been leaning against the wrong wall! She realized that true success comes from within. It comes from unlocking the innate talents and gifts we all have and allowing them to simply shine through. It comes from choosing to live our greatest life, one full of potential and possibility, rather than mediocrity. And it comes from knowing that we can make a difference, in our special own way. So in 2001 Gabriella started Goddard International Ltd, a leadership development company dedicated to helping people to “leapfrog” to a completely new level of self awareness, professional growth and personal success by making fundament shifts in how they think, what they feel and what they do. All it takes is a strong dose of inner clarity, vision, commitment and self belief. And Gabriella’s books, movie clips, coaching services and speaking topics are all aimed at catalyzing this shift. Originally from New Zealand, Gabriella now lives a free spirited lifestyle with bases in London, New York and Spain. You can visit her website at http://www.gulptime.com/ or her blog at http://www.gulpblog.com/. Gulp! Synopsis: What’s your dream? Your yearning? Your calling? When Gabriella found a lump in her breast it was a real wake up call. Faced with her own mortality, she was forced to take a good hard look at her life. And that’s when she reconnected to her childhood dream of being a writer. She asked herself, “If not now…then when?” Gulp! is the realisation of that dream and Gabriella’s message is clear; Give Up Living Passively! Drawing on cutting-edge coaching techniques and blending together Eastern and Western philosophies, she has created a 7 day crash course that offers a new way for people make powerful changes that really matter in their life – without waiting for the wake up call! So, if you want to change your job, then start now. If you dream of setting up your own business, then start now. If you’ve always yearned of climbing Machu Pichu, then start now. If it’s time to leave a dysfunctional relationship, then start now. If you've dreamed of writing a children's book, then start now. Or if it’s time to deal with a health crisis, then start now.Here is a sample of the secrets you’ll find in Gulp!:- How to recognize your “pivot point” and say yes to change – effortlessly.- The Fear Cycle - and how you can break it in an instant.- Five powerful ways to cultivate inner calm – so you stay strong even in the midst of chaos.- Eight “sparks” to ignite your imagination – and do things you never thought possible. - The five step plan that beats procrastination – and actually turns your idea into action.- How to hone your intuition and instinct – and why it's your secret weapon.- Four easy techniques to stay focused – without losing momentum.Gulp! is a practical, effective everyday guide designed to inspire real people to make real changes. So whether you want to achieve results in seven days or take your time and do it over several months Gulp! will inspire you to kick start your change and help keep you on track to see it through to the end. Read the Excerpt! The Gulp! philosophy is simple. Challenges are good. They’re an opportunity to learn and grow. They give us a reason to stop and reflect upon what’s really important to us. They open us to new ideas and opportunities. And they provide us with the impetus to make quantum shifts in our life. One of my personal quirks is that I’ve long been fascinated by martial arts movies. One great influence was the 1970’s television series called “Kung Fu” starring David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine, a young, orphaned Shaolin monk and an expert in the ancient Chinese art of Kung Fu. His guide and mentor, an old blind Shaolin priest named Master Po, referred to him as “ah…grasshopper” and taught him about the nature of being and universal harmony. Caine himself, was a softly spoken and gentle character, except of course when he needed to defend himself from a vicious bounty hunter or Chinese assassin. Waiting patiently with all senses alert, he would turn calmly and swiftly taking on an approaching assailant with little fanfare, and dealing with them artfully and gracefully. More modern day movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon also display some exquisite examples of graceful and flowing Chinese martial arts scenes that blend stillness and alertness with the ability to act swiftly and elegantly. Gulp! Wisdom An attitude of alertness and inner calm is a most powerful weapon. Takuan Soho, 15th century Samurai Gulp Time When faced with challenges in life, wouldn’t it be great to be able to deal with them in the same way? Swiftly and elegantly! Wouldn’t it be great to be so centred in yourself that the action you take is swift and right on target. Wouldn’t it be reassuring to know that when you step outside your comfort zone and into the void of the unknown, you’ll be able to deal with whatever comes up quickly and gracefully, because you are poised and balanced? And wouldn’t it be fabulous to build a sense of inner calm so strong that it gives you the inner power to face even bigger gulps in your life. That’s why at the heart of the Gulp! philosophy is the importance of being able to calm the mind and build a strong inner core. True inner power comes from your mind and body being aligned and in synch with your soul. In the face of any challenge, this combination is formidable. To help you face your challenge, I’ve created a 7 day program with one simple aim – that when you step up to your challenge, you can approach it calmly, courageously and confidently, that you can move through it swiftly and gracefully, and that you land on the other side poised and balanced with both feet on the ground. Day 1: Dare & Defy The challenge is there, whether you like it or not. So what are you going to do about it? If you’re not going to step up to it now, when will you? Day 1 is all about facing your challenge head on, exploring the deeper meaning beneath it, understand the root of any pain or suffering and making the ultimate choice of “go, or no go.” Day 2: Breakdown & Breakthrough The biggest thing holding you back is fear; fear of the unknown, fear of failure and the list of fears goes on. The aim of Day 2 is to master this fear. We’ll break it down and put it under the microscope so you can see it for what it really is. Then we’ll explore ways that you can transform fear from a brake that slows you down, into a propeller that moves you forward. Day 3: Center & Connect Being connected to your center and inner core is the fundamental foundation of the Gulp! philosophy. Only when you can silence your thoughts, can you connect to your deeper wisdom. Here there is no fear. Here there is only what is aligned to your true essence and what feels right. In Day 3 you’ll learn different ways to calm your mind and build a strong inner core. This will this help you make better choices and decisions, and remain centered and strong when the pressure hits. Day 4: Imagine & Invent When you shut up the chit chat and fears that plague your mind, you create “space” for new ideas and insights to emerge. What if this challenge is actually a catalyst? A once in a life time chance for you to make a quantum shift in your life? The aim of Day 4 is to expand your mind and get you thinking outside. We’ll get you brainstorming new ideas and looking at your challenge completely new perspectives. Day 5: Plan & Prepare After stirring up this creativity, it’s now time to chart your course and start to move forward. Day 5 is about defining where you’re heading and what do you need to do to get there. We’ll look at what you know, what you don’t know and what you need to find out. Then we’ll identify clear and targeted actions to take to get you there swiftly and gracefully. And finally we’ll explore ways that you can prepare yourself physically to keep your energy high as you head towards your Gulp Day 6: Focus & Flow As you step forward you move into the uncertainty of the unknown. Day 5 is all about encouraging you to let go of control and learn how to simply “be in the flow” as you walk down that path. Today, we’ll explore how intention, intuition and instinct can be powerful signposts to guide you. We’ll also look at what you need to let go of in order to stay light and agile. And you’ll learn how to alchemize any fear that might flare up in the moment. Day 7: Gulp! & Go By now, you’ll realise that there’s no turning back. You’re moving forward. You’re on the right path. And in many ways it might feel that the path is actually leading you. It’s Gulp! time. The aim of Day 7 is to inspire you to make that final leap. We’ll tie up any loose ends and then hear the stories of three people who, like you, have bitten the bullet, stepped up to the challenge and transformed their life in the process. Epilogue So…if you can make this Gulp!...what else is possible? ******* GULP! VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on April 1, 2008 and continue all month. If you would like to follow Gabriella's tour, visit http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in April. Leave a comment on her blog stops and become eligible to win a free copy at the end of her tour! One lucky winner will be announced at www.virtualbooktoursforauthors.blogspot.com on April 30! ******* Gabriella's virtual book tour is brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours at http://www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com/ and choreographed by Dorothy Thompson. If you are interested in hosting Gabriella on your blog during April, send us an email at thewriterslife(at)yahoo.com. Please put "I want to host Gabriella" in your subject line. All hosts have a chance of winning our "Host of the Month" Award and receive a free book tour for any month of their choice where space is permitted.

Automatic Social Bookmarking