Author Penny Blue North is a songwriter, poet, author, playwright, and creator. She has composed more than a thousand songs and authored the novel “Fic-tio-nary,” the musical “Diva(s)!” several children’s books, and numerous nonfiction works. She also invented the board games “The Most” and “Don’t Miss the Bus!” Penny earned a BSGS in English from Northwestern University and an MFA in creative writing from National University. Penny lives in Iowa with her creations, her daughter, “Dan/Phil,” and “Merry Christmas.”

At the lowest point of her life, Penny Blue North decided to give up. She gave up trying to control all the circumstances of her life, to do everything with perfection, to stave off pain, entropy, and death. Without a deity or mythology to count on, she spread her plea to the wider universe: “Send me a message. I don’t care what or how.”

She awoke in the middle of the night, sitting straight up in bed, with these words before her: “The message is love.” Everything changed after that, and this book is the message.

North writes, “I’m not famous or brilliant. My training is in writing, not in psychology or philosophy. I am a regular middle-aged mom living in a small town, an evolving human mix of gifts and faults, studying existence through my own experience. At least that’s what I did for the first half of my life. Now it’s more like I am studying experience through my own existence. I wrote this book for my daughter as a guide for her spirit as she opens the door to college and the larger world beyond. As her most influential teacher, I would say she has earned an A in self-sufficiency, and she will function well in the world. She could run the place. As she leaves home, though, I find I have not finished teaching her how to know her soul. I’ve barely begun. I had to learn for myself, first, and it’s been an amazing, if belated, journey.”

Published by Newman Springs Publishing, Penny Blue North’s raw story shares her personal experiences in a way that helps readers feel less alone, offering a reminder that they, too, can persevere.

Readers who wish to experience this encouraging work can purchase “The Message is Love” at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iBooks Store, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Newman Springs Publishing at 732-243-8512.

About Newman Springs Publishing:

Newman Springs Publishing is a full-service publishing house for serious authors. Each title produced by Newman Springs Publishing undergoes every step of the professional publishing process, including editing, layout, cover design, circulation, distribution, and publicity. All titles are made available in both eBook and print formats. Newman Springs Publishing distributes to tens of thousands of retail outlets throughout North America and internationally. All manuscripts in any genre are welcome to be submitted for review; If the manuscript meets the necessary criteria and is accepted for publication, Newman Springs Publishing will work closely with the author to bring the book to the retail market for a relatively inexpensive initial investment.