A Novel of Adventure, Reflection, and Second Chances
Emily and Jake embark on a six-month journey to Port Isabel, Texas, seeking a break from their routine lives. They quickly become part of a close-knit community of Winter Texans, spending their days on the sunlit beaches of South Padre Island and their evenings enjoying local gatherings. Read More
As they immerse themselves in this new environment, they confront unresolved personal challenges, including strained family relationships and past grief. Through meaningful interactions with local veterans and the discovery of a mysterious journal from the 1960s, Emily and Jake are prompted to reflect deeply on their future. Ultimately, they must decide whether to return to their former lives or embrace the possibility of a fresh start in this welcoming community.
A Warrior’s Last Words follows the extraordinary life of Nakano Takeko, a warrior bound by honor, duty, and an unwavering commitment to the samurai way. Born into the Aizu Domain in 1847, Takeko defies societal expectations, mastering the naginata and embracing the teachings of Bushidō under the guidance of her father and the finest samurai sensei. From childhood, her relentless determination carves a place for herself in a world dominated by men. Read More
As the Boshin War erupts, Takeko gathers a battalion of women warriors to defend Aizu against advancing imperial forces. Facing insurmountable odds, she launches a rebellion against the ruthless warlord Matsunaga, leading daring raids and forging alliances that turn her warriors into a symbol of defiance.
Her journey culminates in a final confrontation within a burning fortress, where Takeko faces Matsunaga in a duel that will decide the fate of her people. Even in victory, she understands that the burden of war never fades. As the smoke clears, she reflects on the warriors she has lost, the battles she has won, and the sacrifices that shaped her. The novel closes with a haunting final poem, echoing the legacy of a warrior who fought not for conquest, but for the right to exist on her own terms.
You remember the harsh words you said once in anger.
The birthday you missed.
The moments you wish you could redo.
But what if the story you’ve been telling yourself is wrong?
In Be Careful What You Believe, bestselling author Keith Thorn invites you to step back from the guilt-soaked narratives we so often carry—especially as parents, partners, or imperfect people trying to get it right. Through honest reflections, tender stories, and powerful reframing, this book reveals a truth many miss: you probably did better than you think. Read More
You’ll discover:
How internalized guilt often distorts your legacy
What children actually remember—and why it’s not what you regret
How to reframe your story with truth, grace, and quiet strength
The healing power of presence, even when perfection was out of reach
This is not a book about excuses. It’s a guide to reclaiming the truth about who you are, what you gave, and the love that truly lasted.
It’s time to stop believing the lies that steal your peace.
You were never meant to carry them.
Big Enough Now is not a book about becoming more. It’s a book about realizing you already are.
For years, many of us live as if life is a proving ground—waiting to be chosen, approved, healed, forgiven, or finally “ready.” We measure ourselves against timelines that were never ours, carrying old beliefs about who we should have been by now. Read More
This book gently dismantles that illusion.
Through personal reflection, lived experience, and hard-won clarity, Big Enough Now explores what happens when you stop chasing worth and start standing in it. It is about releasing the quiet shame of feeling behind. About recognizing how past wounds, expectations, and comparisons quietly shape our decisions. And about discovering that growth doesn’t come from becoming someone else—but from removing what no longer belongs.
With honesty and calm wisdom, Keith Thorn invites the reader to examine the stories they’ve carried, the standards they’ve absorbed, and the permission they’ve been waiting for. Each chapter offers insight into identity, capacity, regret, resilience, and the freedom that comes when you stop asking whether you’re enough.
This is a book for those in the second half of life—or anyone who has ever wondered if they missed their moment.
You didn’t.
You were never late.
You were becoming.
And now, you are big enough to live from who you are—not who you were told to be.
The Security Guard’s Aikido Journey to Mastering Ki
Inspired by the principle: “Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness, and just be happy.”
This book blends narrative storytelling with deep philosophical exploration of Ki-Aikido, centering on a security guard’s real-world journey of self-mastery, conflict resolution, and the true meaning of power.Read More
The protagonist (you) starts as a skilled martial artist but struggles to reconcile his training with real-world situations. Through experiences at work, personal growth, and lessons from his dojo (STLKI), he discovers that true strength isn’t about control but about presence, connection, and extending Ki.
By the end, a powerful moment—akin to the classic Aikido subway story—demonstrates how true power lies not in fighting but in harmonizing with the energy of others.
Join Keith and Melody on a thrilling road trip from St. Louis to the tropical warmth of Port Isabel and South Padre Island. Leaving behind the Midwest’s first frost, they embark on an 80-day adventure, navigating highways, meeting unforgettable people, and journaling their transition into life as Winter Texans.Read More
Told in a journal format, this book captures their daily experiences—sunrise departures, roadside discoveries, island sunsets, and the joy of settling into their winter retreat. From the first stretch of highway to the sandy shores of the Gulf Coast, this travelogue invites you to experience the magic, beauty, and unexpected moments that come with chasing the sun.
Filled with personal reflections, vivid storytelling, and firsthand experiences, “Escape to Port Isabel” is a must-read for wanderers, dreamers, and anyone considering a seasonal escape of their own.
Faith isn’t proven in sermons. It’s proven in scars.
In Faith Made Real, Keith Thorn doesn’t write from the pulpit. He writes from the trenches—where faith was tested, broken, and rebuilt.
This isn’t a book of easy answers. It’s the story of what happens when life falls apart, criticism cuts deep, prayers go unanswered, and miracles seem impossible. And yet—grace keeps showing up. Read More
With raw honesty and quiet hope, Keith shares:
The hardest lessons faith taught him (and why they stuck).
Why you don’t have to explain God—you only have to trust Him.
How small miracles can grow big faith.
What real grace looks like in seasons of loss, doubt, and love.
If you’ve ever stumbled, doubted, or wondered whether faith can survive the weight of real life—this book is for you.
Because faith doesn’t need to be perfect to be powerful.
“No Grapes in Grateful” is a 200-page journey of perspective-shifting wisdom, rooted in the raw truth that life doesn’t always go as planned—and that’s the point. Inspired by the mindset of Good (Jocko Willink), this book challenges the reader to abandon bitterness, excuse-making, and regret in favor of acceptance, action, and quiet thankfulness. Read More
Author Keith Thorn weaves real-world experience, practical insight, and soul-deep honesty into meditations on loss, resilience, faith, and how gratitude isn’t just a reaction to good things—but a discipline forged in hardship. This isn’t about denial. It’s about defiance. It’s about choosing to grow anyway.
The lotus flower rises from the deepest mud—its beauty not in spite of the mess, but because of it.
In this honest, soulful journey through life’s most difficult terrain, author Keith Thorn shares timeless truths about pain, resilience, and transformation. Whether you’re grieving a loss, rebuilding your life, or simply searching for deeper meaning, No Mud. No Lotus offers powerful reflections and practical wisdom for turning suffering into strength.
With raw stories, gentle guidance, and grounded hope, this book reminds us:
You are not broken. You are becoming.
What if you could finally stop punishing yourself for the life you’ve already lived?
In No Regrets, Keith Thorn invites you into a deeply personal exploration of forgiveness — not the kind you ask for, but the kind you give yourself.
From a childhood marked by pain and silence to decades of striving, fighting, and failing forward, Thorn’s story reveals that peace doesn’t come from getting everything right. It comes from finally letting grace in. Written with the same raw honesty that shaped Faith Made Real and The Unwelcome Task, this book is for anyone who’s tired of carrying old weight — anyone ready to stop running from their past and start walking with it in peace. Read More
“You don’t heal by forgetting.
You heal by forgiving the one person you’ve blamed the longest — yourself.”
Come discover the freedom that waits beyond what can’t be changed.
A Wake-Up Call for Anyone Who Thinks They’re the Only One Paying the Price
We rarely see the full impact of our decisions while we’re making them. In the moment, we justify. We defend. We act out of emotion, fear, pride, or pain. We think we’re only hurting ourselves—or we don’t think at all. But somewhere down the line, after the dust settles, we start to notice the quieter casualties. The friend who went silent. The child who stopped trusting. The partner who stayed, but stopped hoping. This book is not about reliving shame. It’s about finally seeing what we couldn’t before—and choosing to grow from it. Read More
I’ve made more mistakes than I care to admit. Not just the obvious ones, but the subtle choices that damaged others in ways I didn’t recognize until years later. This is not a confession. It’s a confrontation with truth. If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve felt the weight of a decision that didn’t just cost you something—it cost someone else something they didn’t deserve to lose. Maybe it was their peace. Their trust. Their ability to feel safe around you. This book is for the person who’s ready to stop minimizing that pain and start owning it.
But more than that, this is a book about redemption. Not the kind that pretends it never happened—but the kind that looks pain in the face and says, “You’re not going to win.” Each chapter will invite you to reflect, to feel, and to take small but meaningful steps toward repair. You can’t rewrite the past. But you can stop the damage from continuing. You can become the person they hoped you were, and the one you were meant to be all along. That journey starts here.
A Quiet Journey into Letting Help In, Letting Legacy Out, and Living with Meaning
Some lessons come in whispers. Others in worn tools, folded flags, or the quiet presence of someone who showed up when it mattered most. In Receiving It Forward, Keith Thorn shares heartfelt reflections and real-life stories that invite readers to embrace humility, grace, and the art of accepting help as an act of strength—not weakness. Read More
Through moments of brokenness and restoration, Thorn weaves a tapestry of memory, gratitude, and quiet wisdom passed down from those who made a difference without asking for applause. Whether it’s a neighbor’s ladder, a stepfather’s shovel, or a veteran’s flag, each chapter reminds us that what we inherit isn’t just objects—it’s ways of being in the world.
This is a book about the sacred practice of receiving with grace and giving with purpose. It’s about learning to carry forward what mattered—not just to us, but to those who came before. If you’ve ever struggled with pride, with accepting help, or with understanding how to live a legacy instead of just leaving one, this book will meet you where you are.
Because sometimes the greatest thing we can do is stop pretending we don’t need each other—and start receiving it forward.
They say life is a journey—but it becomes an unforgettable adventure when you find someone who doesnʼt just ride shotgun, but cheers you on at every turn. In Sheʼs Not Just Along for the Ride: A Journey With My Biggest Fan, Keith Thorn invites readers into a heartfelt, humorous, and deeply personal memoir of love rediscovered later in life. Read More
From poolside conversations and campfire dinners to RV mishaps, slow dances under Texas skies, and handwritten memories under the palms of Port Isabel, this is the story of a man and a woman—of second chances, quiet strength, and the kind of love that asks nothing but gives everything.
Itʼs a tribute to Melody—the woman who didnʼt just come along, but believed in the dream, the writer, and the road ahead. A love story for anyone whoʼs ever chased the sun, found peace in small places, or learned that the best journeys are the ones you take side by side.
What if the true reward of training wasn’t promotion—but presence?
In this heartfelt reflection on decades of Ki-Aikido practice, Keith Thorn shares the quiet power of simply showing up. This isn’t a story of titles earned, but of lessons lived—on the mat and beyond. With honesty and humility, he writes about falling, returning, aging, and learning to bow not just with the body, but with the spirit. Read More
Through personal stories and timeless truths, Thorn reveals how martial arts becomes less about recognition and more about relationship—with self, others, and the present moment.
Whether or not the next rank ever comes, he knows now: presence was the point all along.
Stillness in the Storm invites you into a year of grounded presence, quiet strength, and mindful living.
Rooted in the deep traditions of Aikido and enriched by teachings from Zen, Taoism, Buddhism, Indigenous wisdom, Stoicism, African proverbs, and select Christian insights, this 365-day journey is a daily return to center—where calm meets clarity, and action begins in stillness.
Each entry begins with a simple truth: Ki is extended…
What follows is a reflection on life, energy, and spiritual practice—drawn from real experiences, dojo lessons, and timeless wisdom from across cultures and philosophies.Read More
Whether you’re a martial artist, a spiritual seeker, or simply someone navigating a world full of noise, this book offers a quiet companion to help you:
Recognize what cuts off connection
Return to center
Let go of ego, judgment, and fear
Live each day with purpose, softness, and strength
Let this be your daily pause, your breath between moments—your stillness in the storm.
Through highways, back roads, and life’s unexpected detours, The Long Road to Here is a memoir of resilience, self-discovery, and transformation. Set against the backdrop of scenic landscapes and pivotal crossroads, this deeply personal journey weaves together past travels, relationships, and the choices that shaped a new beginning in Port Isabel. Exploring themes of love and loss, family and estrangement, grief and renewal, it reveals how every road—no matter how winding—leads us to exactly where we are meant to be.