Little Elara: A Story for Brave Little Hearts


Let's be honest...
Writing a book is one of the few jobs where you're expected to be an author, editor, proofreader, marketer, social media manager, graphic designer, accountant, customer service representative, website developer, public speaker, podcaster, email marketer, and somehow still find time to actually write.
If you've ever thought, "I wish I had eight arms," congratulations...
You're officially an author.
That's exactly why the Author Octopus Shirt exists.
Many people think an author's job ends when they type "The End."
Experienced authors know that's actually when the real work begins.
Now you need to:
One pair of hands suddenly feels wildly inadequate.
Enter...
The Author Octopus.
The best shirts don't just make people smile.
They make people nod their heads and say,
"That's me."
Every author understands the daily juggling act of wearing multiple hats.
The octopus perfectly captures that reality.
Eight arms.
Twenty-seven projects.
Coffee in one hand.
Laptop in another.
Marketing plan over here.
Manuscript over there.
It's basically a documentary.
Authors love talking about books.
Readers love meeting authors.
This shirt creates conversations everywhere.
Wear it to:
Don't be surprised if someone stops you and asks:
"So...what do you write?"
That's not just a compliment.
That's an opportunity.
Click here to get your Author Octopus Shirt
Marketing can be exhausting.
But your shirt can do some of the work for you.
People notice bold, funny designs.
They read them.
They smile.
They ask questions.
Every conversation becomes a chance to mention your books.
Not in a pushy way.
Just naturally.
Sometimes your best marketing tool isn't another Facebook ad.
Sometimes it's simply wearing something that makes people curious.
Authors spend months—or years—bringing stories into the world.
That's something worth celebrating.
The Author Octopus Shirt says:
"I create."
"I write."
"I keep going."
"I'm proud of what I do."
And that's something every writer should wear with confidence.
There's something special that happens when writers meet other writers.
You instantly have something in common.
Shared struggles.
Shared victories.
Shared frustrations over formatting issues.
This shirt acts almost like a secret handshake.
It lets other creatives know:
"You're one of us."
Know someone who's publishing their first novel?
Finished NaNoWriMo?
Launching a new series?
Celebrating a bestseller?
Instead of another notebook...
Give them something they'll actually wear proudly.
It's thoughtful.
It's practical.
And it's guaranteed to earn a laugh.
There's something powerful about wearing clothing that reflects who you are.
Every time you pull on the Author Octopus Shirt, you're making a statement—not just to the world, but to yourself.
You're reminding yourself that you're a creator.
A storyteller.
Someone willing to put ideas onto paper and share them with others.
When you wear something that represents your passion, you naturally carry yourself differently.
You stand a little taller.
Smile a little more.
Talk about your work a little more confidently.
Sometimes confidence begins with something as simple as putting on the right shirt.
The Author Octopus Shirt isn't just cotton and ink.
It's a badge of honor.
It's a celebration of creativity.
It's a reminder that authors wear more hats than almost anyone else on the planet.
And yes...
Sometimes it really does feel like we need eight arms.
So wear it proudly.
Wear it at your next signing.
Wear it while writing your next bestseller.
Wear it to your favorite coffee shop.
Or wear it simply because another author might see you, smile, and say,
"I totally get it."
Because they do.
And if you're an author...
You probably do too.
Now, if someone could invent a coffee mug with eight handles...
We'd really be getting somewhere.
Click here to get your Author Octopus Shirt
There are approximately 47 billion podcasts in the world.
Okay, I made that number up.
But some days it certainly feels like it.
So why should you add the Make Peace With Life Podcast to your listening list?
Because we're trying to do something a little different. We aren't here to convince you that your life is completely screwed up and that you need seventeen steps, nine supplements, three seminars, and a retreat on a mountain to fix yourself.
Our message starts somewhere much simpler:
You are not broken.
You might be confused sometimes. You might be stressed. You might make questionable decisions. You may occasionally walk into a room and completely forget why you're there.
Welcome to being human.
And that's exactly what we talk about.
The Make Peace With Life Podcast explores the strange, wonderful, frustrating, funny, spiritual, energetic, and occasionally completely ridiculous adventure of being alive.
We talk about metaphysics, happiness, energy, relationships, spirituality, personal growth, music, travel, mysteries, everyday observations, and those weird little things about life that make you stop and think:
"Wait... why DO we do that?"
One episode might have us talking about positive energy and finding happiness.
Another might take us into Crystal Skulls, Bigfoot, national parks, the energy of crowds, or why relaxing can somehow become exhausting.
That's the beauty of Making Peace With Life.
Everything is connected.
And sometimes the deepest spiritual revelation arrives while you're stuck in traffic, standing in the slowest grocery-store checkout line, listening to a song you haven't heard in twenty years, or staring at a lava lamp.
Enlightenment apparently has a strange sense of humor.
Perfect lives sound incredibly boring.
We'd rather help you find the extraordinary energy already hiding inside your imperfect life.
The Make Peace With Life philosophy isn't about eliminating every problem.
It's about changing your relationship with life.
Laugh more.
Explore more.
Question things.
Be curious.
Notice energy.
Stop comparing yourself to everybody else.
Find the things that make you feel alive.
And maybe become a little more comfortable with the beautifully weird person you already are.
If you finish an episode feeling a little happier, thinking about something differently, or laughing about something you hadn't considered before...
We've done our job.
Here's where you become part of this.
We want to grow the Make Peace With Life community and get this message in front of as many people as possible.
And one of the easiest ways you can help is completely FREE.
Subscribe to the Make Peace With Life Podcast on YouTube.
Subscribe to the Make Peace With Life Podcast on YouTube
Every new subscriber helps us reach another person.
And another.
And another.
That's how energy spreads.
One person shares something with another person, who shares it with someone else, and suddenly a little idea becomes a movement.
We'd like to see just how big we can make this thing.
We're also adding a little incentive.
Because apparently positive metaphysical energy is even better when you're wearing it.
When you subscribe to our YouTube podcast channel, you're automatically entered for a chance to win a Make Peace With Life shirt.
And this isn't just one giveaway.
Every time we reach another 100 subscribers, we're giving away another shirt!
100 subscribers?
Shirt.
200?
Another shirt.
300?
You guessed it.
Another shirt.
As this community grows, we want the giveaways to grow right along with it.
So subscribe, stick around, enjoy the podcast, and you might eventually be walking around spreading Make Peace With Life energy directly from your chest.
That's metaphysical advertising right there.
Authors, we've got something extra for you.
Make Peace With Life works alongside our book-promotion company, Book Promotion Library, and we want to help our fellow authors while growing the podcast community.
So we're offering FREE BOOK PROMOTION to authors who subscribe to the Make Peace With Life Podcast.
Yes.
FREE.
Because authors already spend enough money trying to convince the world that the book they spent months—or years—writing actually exists.
Here's how to participate:
That's it.
No metaphysical scavenger hunt.
No secret password.
No need to align your chakras while holding your book toward the full moon.
Subscribe. Send us your information. We'll take it from there.
Ultimately, the Make Peace With Life Podcast isn't just about building subscriber numbers.
It's about building connection.
We want people who believe life can be meaningful without always being serious.
People who are willing to explore spirituality without pretending they have every answer.
People who believe laughter has energy.
People who enjoy asking strange questions.
People who want more happiness, adventure, connection, curiosity, and fun in their lives.
And especially people who occasionally need someone to remind them:
You are not broken.
You are living.
You are learning.
You are changing.
You are figuring things out like the rest of us.
So come listen.
Come laugh.
Come think.
Come get a little metaphysical with us.
Subscribe. Share the podcast with your friends. Help us spread the message. And let's see just how big we can make this community.
Because maybe the world doesn't need another podcast telling everyone what's wrong with them.
Maybe it needs one reminding them how much is already right.
Make Peace With Life Podcast on YouTube
Subscribe. Enter to win a shirt. Authors can grab some free book promotion. And most importantly... come hang out with us and find your own way to Make Peace With Life.
“A haunting story of rescue, survival, and the moment a woman begins to remember who she was before the world renamed her.” Based on true events, Elara is the story of a woman rescued in Miami Beach after years of losing herself to survival, duty, and the belief that sacrifice was the only way to love her family. Told through the voice of Michael Evans, Elara follows one unforgettable night of rescue and the long road that follows, from Dr. Chen’s office in Florida to a safe house in Washington, D.C. Along the way, Elara begins to tell the truth about North Korea, China, America, and the quiet ways a person can disappear long before anyone notices. Created as part of a mother-daughter healing project for women and girls, Elara is accompanied by a 90-minute cinematic story experience featuring narration by Michael Evans, voices and music from Asian performing artists, and the emotional figure skating of Polina Korobova. Featuring voices and music by: Dia (Performing Artist, South Korea); Seunghee (Performing Artist, South Korea); Kim’s Note Family (Performing Artist, South Korea); Ruby (Performing Artist, Vietnam); and the emotional figure skating of Polina Korobova (Figure Skater, Ukraine). With contributions by Brian Fitzgibbons, a nationally renowned missing person investigator who has dedicated his life to finding and rescuing missing girls alongside Michael Evans through Kingsman, their charitable private security and intelligence contracting organization. With real-world guidance from Eunhee Park, North Korean defector and author of The Courage to Die, and Zhang Miaomiao, Voice Artist, China, this project grows from the mission that built a community of more than 3 million female subscribers through The REAL Matrix Reloaded: A Map for Escaping the Prison You Can’t See. FOR EVERY WOMAN WHO BECAME WHAT OTHERS NEEDED AND FORGOT WHO SHE WAS, ELARA IS THE ROAD BACK HOME.
Everyone thinks an integration means instant traffic. It doesn't.
You ship the integration, post the announcement, and wait for the flood of users. Nothing comes. Then a newer app pushes your listing down the partner's directory and even the trickle dries up.
Here's the truth almost nobody operationalizes: an integration isn't a feature you ship — it's a channel you operate. Run it right and it's the cheapest, stickiest growth channel you have. Customers who connect your product to their other tools churn dramatically less, and every integration a customer adopts is another root a competitor has to rip out.
Impossible to Say No is the execution manual for Integration-Led Growth (ILG) — written from the chair of the smaller vendor who thinks it's presumptuous to ask a bigger platform to promote them. (It isn't. You just have to do the homework.) Inside:
Part strategy, part field manual, part wake-up call — for founders, PLG operators, and partnership leaders who want the cheapest leads and the stickiest customers they'll ever get.
Stop shipping integrations and hoping. Start running the channel.

Did the capital create real enterprise value — or did the round just create a higher number on paper?
The startup world worships the mega-round: raise as much as you can, as early as you can, at the highest valuation, from the biggest names. The Perpetual Raise is the opposite discipline — a capital operating system for founders who want to keep control and actually reward the people who backed them.
The sequence is simple and ruthless: Raise. Deploy. Prove. Report. Reprice. Repeat. Exit. Raise the smallest meaningful amount that funds the next milestone. Deploy it fast into the highest-confidence use. Prove the result. Then — and only then — reopen at better terms.
Justin Smith built Contractor+ on under $750,000 raised from the crowd and zero venture capital. In this book he shows founders, operators, and everyday investors how the new rules of capital actually work:
This isn't hype. It's a field manual — hand-drawn diagrams, honest numbers, and a doctrine you can run this quarter.
Investors don't get paid from screenshots. They get paid from cash. Go earn your next round.