NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
Mid-Year Blessings with a Nice Touch of Fun Time! by JOHNNY TAN
Happy July, Everyone! Besides serving as a reminder that summer is here, this month also marks the midpoint, where we can celebrate what we have accomplished thus far this year, while giving us a chance to regroup, refocus, and look ahead at the coming months with a refreshing new perspective.
As for me, since my heart-centered and passiondriven book,“ From My Mama’ s Kitchen ~ food for the soul, recipes for living” honoring my 9 Moms won the Mom’ s Choice Award in 2010, I had the opportunity to share the recently released“ The 15th Anniversary Special Edition ~ My 9 MOMS- Conversations about Life, Love, and Laughter” with attendees of the American Library Association( ALA) Annual National Conference in Philadelphia the last weekend of June and on July 1st. The four-day experience was a delight, filled with blessed moments and a nice touch of fun time!
I was humbled and honored to be interviewed by Burke Allen, owner of Allen Media Strategies, who is also known as the“ Director Of Fun” for his Podcast, at the ALA Annual National Conference. Burke’ s company is one of Washington, DC’ s premier media, marketing, and PR consultation and strategy firms serving authors, entertainers, subject matter experts, and thought leaders.
I also participated in a couple of book signings, one at the Headline Books booth and the other at the Author Autographing station. It brought
back wonderful memories of my trip to the Book Expo America( BEA) Annual Convention in New York 15 years ago, where I had the opportunity to connect with readers.
To further enhance my presence at the ALA Annual National Conference, I did a Keynote presentation on the“ What’ s Cooking Stage.” I spoke about how I met my 9 moms and the various kitchen table conversations we had over the years, which contributed to my life’ s journey in becoming the person I am today. Someone who is on a mission to leave a legacy of love by sharing my knowledge and wisdom about“ Personal Success Begins at Home” and“ Living and Performing in Our Genius Zone!”
Coming full circle, the reason for all these opportunities is because of one special lady, Cathy Teets, Founder and CEO of Headline
4 | Inspirations for Better Living • July 2025