by Tara Mackey | Blogroll, Book, Giveaway
After that heavy post last week I had to hit you with some super cute puppy pictures of our new adopted baby Ruca. Can you truly blame me? Ruca has been in our family for 3 incredible weeks and my heart has grown to the moon and back! She is TOO much and definitely making these last few weeks a little easier on the heart. I didn’t know I could love something so very much. Sweet little Ruca Bear is a pit/lab/rottie mix. She’s a future service dog. 12lbs at 7 weeks old when we brought her home. Ruca Bear: tiny little monster. I’m loving every second of puppy mamahood. I remember when Raelie was little it went by so, so fast. I’m trying to soak up every second with this one.
ANYWAY… I’ll be gushing about Ruca in another post. This post is about my new book!
If you’ve been following my instagram or twitter lately, you may have taken note that I’ve been working extremely hard on Book #2. In fact, I remember taking a bath on the night that I first turned in Cured by Nature almost two years ago, and laughing at myself because my first thought after the immense accomplishment of finishing my first book in three months, at the age of twenty-seven, in the same year my Dad had passed away from brain cancer was, “…I really want to start writing my next book!”
I am so excited to announce that I have signed my second book deal!!
My new publisher is unique and if you know me, you know they are a perfect fit. They only publish about two dozen books a year and work very closely with their small group of select authors. The CEO’s experience is beyond impressive: a nine year role as a Vice President and Publisher at Bantam/Doubleday/Dell, a Supervisor at McGraw Hill and three years as a Vice President and Publisher at Random House. Their publication model is streamlined and their authors are true leaders in their fields (science, spirituality and business). I feel very honored and inspired to be amongst them.
I am with Select Books! My new book we are working on is along the same vein of Cured by Nature: packed with brand new mind-strengthening techniques, health advice, food, supplement and nutrition recommendations – plus just the right amount of personal backstory. I am so excited to reveal the title, publication date and context!! Oooo guys I am TRULY excited about this one, for more than one reason.
It feels like home. I went to the same school from Pre-K to 8th grade with the same 10 kids in my class. Then, I went to one of the smallest colleges in the country, Bennington College, which had a total undergrad population of just 550 when I attended. I’ve mostly signed with boutique agencies and I live for working one-on-one with clients. Let’s just say I work really well in small groups.
I’ll keep you guys updated! In the meantime, to celebrate signing with Select, I am doing a giveaway! Today, you can get a signed copy of my first book, Cured by Nature!! All you have to do is sign up for our newsletter. Yup. Seriously. That’s it. I’ll be picking FIVE emails out of our new subscribers this week and contacting you for your copy. If you’re already signed up, just add another email on there! I’ll announce the winners next Monday!
I am so thrilled to be able to share this very special news with you today. I love you all and I can’t thank you enough for all of your support. But trust me – you’ll be spoiled rotten with this new book!
Don’t forget to grab your 8+ hours of bonus material for Cured by Nature this week and get to being your most badass, healthy self!
Love + Health,
Tara
by Tara Mackey | Blogroll, Book
So excited about this bonus today, you guys! It means so much to me to be able to do things like this!
I have been overwhelmed with Cured by Nature love lately. It seems like every day I open my inbox to another soul touched and another life not just changed – but cured – with simple lifestyle changes inspired from reading these pages. It’s been so amazing to hear all of your reactions and a-ha moments gained from this book. I am filled with so much love and gratitude and I have been seeking a way to say thank you. THANK YOU. Each and every one of you. So, so very much.
I wanted to give each and every reader an amazing bonus, so here’s all you have to do. It’s super simple – I promise!
If you order my bestselling book, you automatically get a free month of The Organic Life Membership as a healthy bonus!!
Here’s how:
Step 1: Pick up your copy at one of these retailers:
Step 2: Copy Your Receipt #
Step 3: Enter your order information + e-mail:
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I am REALLY excited to offer The Organic Life Membership as a healthy bonus because ONE MONTH COULD CHANGE YOUR WHOLE LIFE!
Your life is about to get a bold makeover! One that will have you experiencing happiness, feeling confident, and attracting real love. A life that is manageable, inspired and gratifying.
I LOVE YOU GUYS SO SO MUCH!!!
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
- Every month you’ll receive e-mails jam packed with ways to embrace a happier, healthier life.
- Personal videos, strategies, deals and discounts from me, custom-made for you.
- Monthly tools to help you stay consistent on your wellness path.
- Stay connected to me + The Organic Life team on a one-to-one basis with any questions, coaching needs or comments.
- New podcasts, guided meditations, videos and recordings of some of my greatest talks.
- Tips and tricks to get cured by nature – for good!
As a new member, here’s what you get:
- *One never before heard single of mine. Not familiar with my music? Now you are. 🙂 I make music to transform you, energize and evolve you.
- *One never before heard interview podcast from me and some of the top podcasters. Topics include my life journey, how to live a better, healthier life, and more sustainable options for business owners and entrepreneurs.
- *One inspirational video from The Organic Life that will teach you how to transform your life, overcome your struggles and face your fears.
- *One fitness plan from me! San Diego Living on the CW has called my fitness plans “the best way to become your own personal trainer!”
- *An advanced chapter of my bestselling book, Cured by Nature.
- *One coupon code for one of my Pick of the Month. Always an organic, natural, green product that will help you on your health journey!
- *Special deals and bonus discounts – as a member of The Organic Life you’ll receive a 40% discount on digital programs + inspiring bonus content throughout the year.
Really excited to make this available to the public and thank you all for your support! Love love love you all! xx
by Tara Mackey | Blogroll
This last week has been one of the most surreal of my life.
On Monday I attended an after-party for the 58th Grammy Awards that also served as a cool fundraiser thrown by City Gala at The Playboy Mansion. It was hosted by P. Diddy with guest speakers Richard Branson and Buzz Aldrin (two of my personal heroes), who I ended up meeting and speaking to. So I’ve pretty much been to the moon, you guys.
Just a day later, I woke up to very exciting news: my book had hit #1 Bestseller on Amazon! I jumped around my house and cried and held it close to my heart before sharing it with my nearest and dearest. I kept the news close to me for a few blissful, beautiful hours before sharing it publicly. Still totally, totally surreal!
Thursday, I went on San Diego Living on The CW to talk about my book, Cured by Nature. As the host introduced me as “ an entrepreneur, motivational speaker and bestselling author of Cured by Nature, Tara Mackey…” it finally hit me. I.am.really.doing this.
(watch the full video here)
Yesterday was the 2 year anniversary of my Dad’s passing.
The timeline of my life since I watched him take his last breath has been nothing short of miraculous.
Within 6 months I had my book deal in my hands, was cast in my first major music video (with many more featuring the likes of Selena Gomez and Snoop Dogg to follow) and was soon figuring out how I was going to balance a major film role with writing my book.
As I reflected on all of this – how much I’ve accomplished in just the last 2 years alone – a bittersweet feeling came over me.
Gosh, I wish Dad were here to see this.
It was followed very quickly by another feeling. A feeling I’ve become quite familiar with since I started my whole journey and even as I put the last flower on my Dad’s casket 2 years ago.
I felt nothing but complete, utter and total gratitude.
I felt nothing but absolute certainty that my entire life has unfolded exactly the way it should. From the crazy shit I dealt with as a child, to my biological parents drug addictions, to my adoptive parents, to my own addictions and brushes with death, every class I sat it, every fight I’ve had, every lonely late night or beautiful, cheery morning. It all had an amazing, incredible, powerful purpose.
And it has brought me right here.
As painful as it was to watch Dad fight and suffer for 2 and a half years before cancer ultimately won the battle, it would have been even more painful if I had tried to run, cover up or fight my feelings, instead of throwing myself into my health, my art, my creative work and ultimately, into facing my fears.
To deal, I created a healthy mission that’s only grown, expanded and filled my heart over time.
I felt him and I felt myself growing. I saw myself at 40 and 60 and 70. I allowed myself to be proud of how I’ve handled things, from the perspective of my future self. I talk to 70 year old me all the time.
And she talks to me, too.
She’s always saying stuff like, “Gosh we took really good care of our skin in our 20’s, didn’t we Tara?”
and, “It was really sad we lost our Dad so young, but MAN did we make up for it!”
I know Dad is still here.
There have been many signs that Dad has held my hand the entire time, even after his physical body was gone.
I was filled with immense gratitude for each and every one of you.
Every one of who you tells me what these emails mean to you, that my journey or my book or my blog or my message or a speech I did has somehow touched and encouraged you. Thank you.
To anyone who’s bought, read my book and especially to those who’ve shared it, thank you. When my publishing company told me that we pre-sold more books than people I have legitimately ever met or could possibly know (or maybe ever will!) I think I felt the most gratitude that I have ever felt.
To people who sent me daily emails from around the world – from countries my book is not sold in – telling me how this message has touched them. Thank you.
That’s when I stepped back and realized we’re only two and a half weeks into this thing, and you’re nurturing it all the way.
Because I may have put in the work, but you, my loves, are making this happen.
So, thank you. Thank you for caring about yourself, thank you for listening to yourself and thank you, most of all, for being you.
It’s you who’s proven to me that we’re capable of anything we put our minds to.
It’s you who’s encouraged me.
It’s you who bring dreams to life.
I owe it all to you.
I hope you’re having a beautiful weekend.
Thank you for being on this journey with me.
70 year old me says thank you, too.
With Love,
Tara
by Tara Mackey | Blogroll, Book
As I first sat down to write my book, a few thoughts were inescapable. How, exactly, did I end up here?
6 months after my Dad passed, with a brand spanking new book deal, the challenge to write openly and honestly about my journey and a 3 month deadline to hand in my first draft, I felt a little overwhelmed. To say the least.
Where to start?
A voice spoke up.
Start at the beginning…
That voice whispered at first. I tinkered around a bit. I asked myself again. And again. And again.
Same answer every time.
The voice spoke so loudly I couldn’t ignore it. I ended up debating it for awhile, but when I finally sat down to write…
I did start at the beginning. As far back as I could remember, and then some.
The voice continued.
It continued to direct me and to guide me.
It allowed me to let it all out when I needed to.
It reassured me sometimes that it was okay to cry.
Other times, it bluntly told me to suck it up for a minute so we could get these important things on paper.
The voice got me up early when I had written late into the night, and it dragged my butt outside to write on grey, rainy mornings. It allowed me to write while working a handful of jobs, being on set for a major motion picture, and handling a lot of emotional stuff. It told me to shut out the drama and encouraged the peace. It assured me that I was doing the right thing, and that my words had a purpose in someone’s life. Many, many peoples lives. And it encouraged me.
It encouraged me to break my heart open.
It encouraged me to use this experience as therapy.
It encouraged me to be honest and authentic.
It encouraged me to buy fingerless gloves so that I could seamlessly write no matter what the weather, because I was determined to write my book on the beach. That beach. The beach that plays such an important role in the book.
That voice directed me, protected me and seamlessly affected everything. It guided every word.
Was the voice me?
My intuition? My spirit animal? My psyche? God? A unicorn?
Who knows?
All I know is it woke me up with bolts of inspiration on countless nights. It was the force that picked up the pen and scribbled ideas on my hand. That opened up my phone and frantically hit the record button before I lost the thought. It was the voice that told me I could when all the odds said I couldn’t.
It helped me believe that dreams do come true. That sharing truth is healing. That being open is rewarding. And that someone, someday, was going to be really glad that I did this. Because they’d believe all that truth too. And it would change them like it had changed me.
I know it helped me, steered me and sailed me peacefully along, as I constantly tried not to ask myself, “What the heck am I doing again?”
It’s been a dream of mine to write a book since before I can remember. Ever since I realized that books were written by other people (probably around 4 years old), I’ve wanted to write one.
In fact, I wrote a pretty long 100something page “short story” in sixth grade. It was inspired by 2 poems we read by Shel Silverstein (still one of my favorite authors!) in class. It wasn’t for a project. It wasn’t for an assignment. It wasn’t for anyone but me. I still remember – word for word – how it started. I proof read it so many times.
When I was finished with it, I handed it to my literature teacher and hoped for the best.
She was blown away.
Completely astounded that her 11 year old student had been working on a book. For no reason!
She loved it.
Every time I saw her after that – for years – she asked me if I was still writing.
I think about her a lot these days.
Cured by Nature has been #1 New Release in it’s category on Amazon. It will be available at all of your local bookstores including Barnes and Noble (another dream of mine!) today. It has nothing but honest, wonderful 5 star reviews written by every kind soul who’s taken the time to say their piece on the book. On multiple platforms. We’ve shipped out thousands to you. I’ve received countless messages from men and women in their offices, boss babes on the train, yogis in their studios, beauts getting their manis done, momma and daddies at home with their kids and people just like you, me and maybe even weirder. 🙂
Cured by Nature has affected you, protected you, connected you…. Already! And hopefully, this little book and I have helped guide you a little better on your journey.
And we launch today!
For years I let depression, anxiety and medication run the show. I honestly thought I was powerless over my life. No matter who you are or where you come from, we’ve all felt a little powerless over our emotions, illnesses or circumstances.
It has been a dream of mine to overcome my illnesses and share my story with the world in order to make it easier for someone else.
It feels incredible to be standing on the edge of that.
I am so excited to finally share this with you (my beautiful tribe) today. Please pinch me! It’s so surreal when you have been working on something for years and you finally get to reveal it to the World. Being a Virgo and sometimes-type A personality, it’s hard not to want things to always be perfect.
Today, they are.
Today I am going to take a few moments to be still and to acknowledge myself.
This is a massive goal I’ve always, always wanted to achieve.
My mission is to inspire and support. Bring happiness and intention. Love and triumph. That was my utmost intention I had when writing my book. My wish is for all people to realize how truly divine, beautiful and really magnificent they naturally are. Cured by Nature will help you do exactly that.
Make no mistake: it’s healing to be vulnerable. It’s satisfying to cleanse. It’s totally amazing to face yourself and truly figure out the inner workings of your life. It’s exciting to have a chance to begin again.
I am so proud to finally be able to bring you a sneak peek into my story today and share Cured by Nature with the world! I can’t thank you enough for being on this incredible journey with me.
With Love,
by Tara Mackey | Blogroll
Wow, you guys. Just, wow.
I am blown away by all the love that Cured by Nature has gotten lately!
We are 2 weeks (exactly!!!!) away from book launch, and yesterday, I had to do a double take.
Yesterday, Cured by Nature was #1 in Hot New Releases in it’s category!!! Also, another amazing accomplishment for our book: the Kindle version (which just came out last week) was in the Top 15 books in it’s category as well! This is updated hourly and based on sales, and it was extremely remarkable to me, considering we are still 2 weeks from book launch! WHAT?!?!? Go book, go!
It felt really, really amazing to see that #1 spot, and we’re trying hard to keep it there. Please buy a copy to snuggle up with, get one as a gift for a loved one who needs it and share alike! Barnes and Noble, Booksamillion, Kindle, Indie Bound, Powell’s Books, Booktopia, Nook and more stores have been wonderful enough to put Cured by Nature on their shelves and support the self-love, natural movement whole-heartedly.
As I bathe in the last 2 weeks before my book officially hits shelves, I’ve been rewinding this whole journey.
As you’ll come to read in my book, like most things that happened in my life… my story isn’t typical.
First of all, I had no intention of writing a book. At least not yet.
My publishing company came to me.
It was August, 2014. Exactly 6 months after my Dad died I had decided to take a trip back to my hometown in NYC.
During my first trip back home, I woke up in my hotel room, opened my inbox and read… then astonished, I re-read… a new email.
It said, “Dear Tara,
(short introduction from Skyhorse Publishing)
Have you ever thought about writing a book?”
As an avid reader and book nerd who was raised on Oprah’s talk show, I’ve always found a lot of comfort in other people’s inspirational, overcoming-every-odd stories like my own. Uplifting stories have literally gotten me through my entire life. They’ve always been my favorite genre. As someone who first read Awaken the Giant Within when I was 7, it has been my dream forever to be an author. But not just any author. The kind of author who changed people’s lives.
So of course I said, Yes! Yes! I’d love to write a book!! … Are you for real, though?
They were for real.
The other atypical part of the story?
They asked, Could you write the book in 3 months?
3 months.
SURE! I said, Oh yeah! I can totally write a book about my entire life and health journey in 3 months!! That’s… 13 weeks, right?
And then I gulped. Hard.
Had anyone ever written a non-fiction book in 3 months?
I didn’t dare google it.
I had never written a book before. I had a movie (Ted 2) lined up to work on, and I had absolutely no idea what I was going to be writing about or how long it would take me. I had absolutely no idea if I could really do it.
But I had to try.
I journeyed to the beach every single morning with my laptop, notebook and 3-4 books for inspiration, and I wrote. Every.single.day.
Keep in mind, my Dad had JUST died. I had seen it.
I was still grieving.
I was still going through detox.
I was still going through life.
I wrote through tears.
I wrote through big smiles. I wrote in front of grumpy mom’s and happy strangers.
I wrote on the very beach that had inspired me to move to California to begin with.
I wrote on nice days, hard days, grey days, beautiful days, and every day in between.
I sent countless phone calls to voice mail, declined dozens of social adventures and changed my bedtime based on my inspiration tank. Daily.
I wrote with all my heart, all my soul, and every inch of my being. Sunset to sundown. Late into the night. In the middle of the night when I’d wake up with a brain swimming with inspiration. I wrote on set for Ted 2 and I wrote at dinner. I audio-recorded on my phone when I was grocery shopping. I was constantly e-mailing myself, texting myself and leaving myself little notes. I read (and re-read) all the books I could get my hands on. All the books that had inspired my journey.
It didn’t really occur to me until after I finished and turned in Cured by Nature (exactly 3 months after I signed my contract – January 1, 2015) that it was not only possible that I was writing my first book at 27 years old: something else was happening.
As my editor read it, I realized based on her feedback about the herbs she was taking, the mindful practices she was doing and the beauty products she was switching to that already…
this book was changing someone’s life.
I finally met up with that amazing and adorable editor in NYC just a few months ago, when I went back home to meet with some major magazines about Cured by Nature.
It was the first time I had been back to New York since getting that fateful e-mail and as I unpacked in the same hotel (practically the same room) as where I had gotten the e-mail about writing my book, I constantly pinched myself about why, exactly, I was there.
This time last year, Cured by Nature was just an idea. A title we threw around. After I told my editors a bit about my backstory, they encouraged me to incorporate my own journey into all the knowledge I had gained along the way. Now, most people who read the book come back to me asking about just that – the stories about my life that are shared within it. It’s amazing how far the original idea has come and what an amazing reality it’s turned into.
A year ago, Cured by Nature was a 380something page manuscript that I handed into my publishing company (who took the biggest chance on me – someone who has never been published before) and crossed my fingers that it wouldn’t come back with a bunch of disheartening notes that said, “Girl, you did what now?!”
Instead, my editor and I e-mailed every single day. She openly told me she laughed, cried and felt completely inspired reading my book. She treated me like her own personal project, even with tons of other books to work on. She started changing her beauty habits, starting incorporating herbs and meditation into her life, and our author-editor relationship started to turn into something really special. I could see, hear and feel how this book was changing not just her life – but I could also feel that it had the capacity to change the life of everyone who read it!
I started to get really excited. Not just about having written a book.
I got excited about how that book was already affecting other people’s lives.
It has changed many lives already. As the reviews rolled in, I constantly was left in awe at the super nice, really astonishing things people had to say about how my words had affected them. As I shared some advanced copies, I began to get emails, texts, social media shout outs, DM’s and even many public posts lately about how much this book, this journey and this message has meant to you.
It’s brought me to tears.
It’s brought the light into my life in a way I never, ever thought was possible.
It’s made me feel more inspired to bring a healthy message. Made me more inspired to be self loving, more inspired to be compassionate and teach than ever before.
Now I know this doesn’t just happen. I know that there’s practically no such thing as luck. You either work hard, you hustle or you’ll always be a little bit behind. I get that.
But it does seem like luck. Which, for the history of my life, is crazy.
And this remarkable journey I’ve shared with you today is just the beginning.
STAY TUNED:
We’ll soon be launching a full trailer + an awesome video series to show you how to heal from the inside, out and live a better, happier life!
Don’t forget to grab your pre-order. It’s on sale during this time probably for the last time EVER, and it comes with awesome free gifts, like the first chapter!!
That’s right – pre-order and start reading today!
With love,
