self-love

I first encountered the wonderful Mal Duane on Twitter several weeks ago and was immediately intrigued by her bio and her forthcoming book Alpha Chick: Five steps for moving from pain to power.

Since then I’ve had an opportunity to read and review Mal’s simultaneously uplifting, heart-wrenching and triumphant memoir, which is also complemented by a free action guide you can download at the Alpha Chick site. Described by the author as a “self-love letter for women” Alpha Chick: Five steps for moving from pain to power will be available for purchase on — appropriately enough — Valentine’s Day 2012.

I had the luxury of 24 hours to myself on a recent train trip so I settled in for the long ride with Mal’s book, not knowing I’d get so caught up in it I’d actually finish it in a matter of a few hours! But between her easy, conversational tone and her compelling real-life story I was unable to stop turning the pages as she bravely shared the details of her life’s hardships and insecurities, from the early days of her father’s alcoholism and the cruel taunts of classmates over her looks to the devastating loss of her beloved niece and her own descent into alcoholic addiction.

But this book is not just for women struggling to abstain from taking that next drink. It’s for every woman who has ever dealt with addiction of any kind — whether it be an addiction to negative thinking or to self-defeating attitudes. It’s for every woman who longs to lead a more fulfilling life, filled with meaningful relationships, rewarding and lucrative work, good health, the ability to give back to others and a stronger connection their faith and/or spirituality. Whether you’re dealing with devastating financial issues, health challenges, business difficulties, unsatisfying relationships or anything else that may be blocking you from experiencing the richness of life and fulfilling your own life’s purpose, Mal’s book will not only inspire you to take action, it will guide you every step of the way in becoming an Alpha Chick:

So what is an “Alpha Chick,” you may wonder? An Alpha Chick is a spiritual being who has worked to deepen her connection with and faith in the Divine Presence within in order to meet life’s challenges with purpose and strength. She is empowered to live a joyful life at her true and fullest potential. I thought of the term Alpha Chick several years ago as an appropriate way to describe my four closest friends. We all had experienced dark times in our lives and pushed through them to live with purpose and passion. We were fulfilled and happy with ourselves, and our lives were rich and joyful.

I am telling my painful personal story in this book so you will know that I am similar to you—the symbolic girl next door. My story is a woman’s story. I am just an ordinary woman, not a movie star and not fabulously wealthy. I am considered intelligent but certainly no genius, and my formal education was limited, as I left college in my first year. You and I may share many of the experiences that I reveal in this book; some of them we may have been too ashamed to reveal to anyone else. Yet I put my story on paper so you can see for yourself how I survived. And not only have I survived, I now have the most exquisite life and I am married to the man of my dreams. I am an ordinary woman living an extraordinary life.

Look for Alpha Chick on Valentine’s Day 2012 — and give yourself the gift of self-love!