In Speechless (Lasavia Publishing, October 2025), New Zealand novelist and poet Mike Johnson delivers a book that deserves to be read. It is a coming-of-age narrative infused with magical realism and prose so rich and emotive that it clings to the reader’s imagination. What binds the story together is love, not only between two people, but between a man and the power of language itself. As a child, Michael Paewai Meer encounters the enigmatic and otherworldly ‘Word Bringer’. This visionary experience awakens in him a lifelong obsession with the symbolic power of words. From that moment, language shapes and shadows his journey to adulthood. Words become the life-force of his emotions, the key to his connection with both fantasy and reality, until he reaches a final, transcendent silence that is both inevitable and liberating. Johnson writes with a lyricism that unsettles and consoles in equal measure. His prose shifts effortlessly fr...
Today marks the end of New Zealand’s Mental Health Awareness Week 2025, but for me, mental health isn’t something to focus on once a year — it’s an everyday practice. Over the years, I’ve battled with stress, anxiety, and negative thought patterns. Like many, I’ve learned the hard way that managing your mind is just as important as looking after your body. That’s why I’ve created a free booklet called THE POWER OF TEN – Mastering Calm and Control with Simple Breathing and Mindfulness Methods . It’s based on my own journey and the simple, evidence-based techniques that helped me regain calm and control — things like mindful breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and cognitive reframing. Here’s what you’ll learn: • How to use breathing techniques to calm your mind and body in stressful moments • Simple steps to manage negative thoughts and build emotional resilience • CBT-based tools to break anxiety cycles • A practical action plan you can use every day I’m sharing this resource t...