<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Higher Ground Books & Media]]></title><description><![CDATA[HGBM is an independent publisher specializing in helping people tell their stories!]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2026 15:04:10 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Digging In: An HGBM Contributing Author Spotlight]]></title><description><![CDATA[Healing from Trauma: Lessons Learned from Surviving Something That Changed You (Part Two) by HGBM Contributing Author, Terri Kozlowski Faith Often Changes Before It Deepens For many survivors, trauma disrupts faith before it strengthens it. Beliefs that once felt solid may no longer hold. Questions arise that feel dangerous to voice: Where was God? Why did this happen? Why wasn’t I protected? These questions are not signs of weak faith. They are signs of an honest one. Trauma often strips...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/digging-in-an-hgbm-contributing-author-spotlight-1</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699a035c33aebccb48672cff</guid><pubDate>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 12:45:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5782d8_17e8c7bad8154cf5a1d52b88fd6549dc~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_800,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Digging In: An HGBM Contributing Author Spotlight]]></title><description><![CDATA[Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about healing as perspective and purpose. But before we rush ahead, it’s important to pause and look more closely at what trauma actually teaches us. In this week’s edition of Digging In , Terri Kozlowski, Contributing Author, offers a thoughtful exploration of what survival changes, how faith matures in the aftermath, and what real healing looks like when it unfolds slowly and honestly. Healing from Trauma: Lessons Learned from Surviving Something That...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/digging-in-an-hgbm-contributing-author-spotlight</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6999fe848133563068c48178</guid><pubDate>Sun, 22 Feb 2026 12:45:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5782d8_17e8c7bad8154cf5a1d52b88fd6549dc~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_800,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[It's Not Just the Healing]]></title><description><![CDATA[It often seems like the end goal in our journey is finally reaching a place where we feel healed. But really, that’s just the beginning. We can become so focused on solving the problem that once it feels resolved, we aren’t quite sure what comes next. The reality is that when the problem is no longer running our lives, we are free to embark on something brand new. This is where we can take a step forward and begin doing the things we once thought were out of reach. The question isn’t whether...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/it-s-not-just-the-healing</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6990cebce46957565bf9acd6</guid><pubDate>Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:30:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_d74c0ec8414d4b579be9f3b23d4d101c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When Healing Doesn't Look Like a Valentine...]]></title><description><![CDATA[Valentine's Day has never been my favorite holiday. My history has given me many reasons not to celebrate what many see as the most romantic day of the year. I'm not big on romance. I'm big on survival. The most romantic thing I’ve ever done was get married—and that didn’t turn out so well, as it happens. But for a few years, it really was good. For a little while, I knew what it felt like to be loved. And being part of a couple suited me well at that time of my life. Then things took a turn...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/when-healing-doesn-t-look-like-a-valentine</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6987817403c01be20d3273a8</guid><pubDate>Sun, 08 Feb 2026 13:00:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_f5c47c86872a427aa1d0ac1761968ffd~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What Belongs in Your Next Chapter?]]></title><description><![CDATA[by Rebecca Benston, HGBM Owner &#38; Publisher January was tiring. And although exhausting, it seems to have flown by. New challenges, new obstacles, new things to worry about. Why would we carry our old baggage when each day brings new challenges of its own? Our year started off fine, we were relieved to have made it through the holidays, but then both of my parents ended up in the hospital. To top it off, my daughter and I were sick and couldn’t go to visit either one of them. So, I just had to...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/what-belongs-in-your-next-chapter</link><guid isPermaLink="false">697e6580e735e801117bf732</guid><pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:30:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a78151f0e1dc4128a5f8ffbef54ad59a.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Overcoming the Spirit of Heaviness through Faith (Part Two)]]></title><description><![CDATA[By HGBM Contributing Author, Terra Kern (Continued) That’s when I did it. That’s when I realized I really needed a good father, that I needed the God I had learned about in my childhood. It was the night I realized I could not do life all on my own. I cried out to Him that night and He heard my prayer. Jesus showed up right there in my bedroom and told me not to fear, that He would help me and would take care of all of those things I was burdened with, and my faith skyrocketed. I believed!...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/overcoming-the-spirit-of-heaviness-through-faith-part-two</link><guid isPermaLink="false">697541f116ee2e05645dc867</guid><pubDate>Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:11:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5782d8_b9f0982e0df946d48ecf9b0026d11854~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Overcoming the Spirit of Heaviness through Faith (Part One)]]></title><description><![CDATA[by HGBM Contributing Author, Terra Kern I understand the spirit of heaviness, but I also know it’s life changing when it’s exchanged for the garment of praise, so please let me encourage you. It’s very difficult when your father, the one who is supposed to be your protector, your safety net, your provider, and nurturer watching over and establishing your emotional wellbeing, hurts you. It can leave you traumatized with deep emotional scars, and this my soul knows very well, for I had a father...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/overcoming-the-spirit-of-heaviness-through-faith-part-one</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6975400ed43586da50c2cc89</guid><pubDate>Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:03:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5782d8_b9f0982e0df946d48ecf9b0026d11854~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Introducing Our Contributing Authors]]></title><description><![CDATA[Faith-Tested Voices Rooted in Real Healing At Higher Ground Books &#38; Media, we believe faith is not formed in theory — it is forged in lived experience. In the places where life wounds us, where trust is broken, and where healing becomes not just spiritual language, but a real and necessary need. That belief led us to create our Contributing Author  initiative. Our Contributing Authors are writers who speak from places they’ve actually lived — places shaped by trauma, loss, endurance,...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/introducing-our-contributing-authors</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69753cae79c2933a1ec5b229</guid><pubDate>Sun, 25 Jan 2026 11:54:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/81dab3962ad54f4a83e0657ccbba7999.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Are You Confusing Endurance with Obedience?]]></title><description><![CDATA[For many of us—especially those shaped by faith, responsibility, leadership, or trauma— endurance has been praised as virtue . We stayed. We pushed through. We carried what hurt us. And we told ourselves it was obedience. But what if it wasn’t? What if what we’ve been calling faithfulness was actually fear—fear of letting go, fear of disappointing others, fear of stepping out of alignment with what we were taught was “right”? This question matters, because endurance and obedience are not the...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/are-you-confusing-endurance-with-obedience</link><guid isPermaLink="false">696af4de3e23fce29374401c</guid><pubDate>Sun, 18 Jan 2026 13:37:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/54e5b921fdf54a1db3802e905a8c53f6.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_853,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A New Chapter at Higher Ground Books &#38; Media]]></title><description><![CDATA[For more than a decade, Higher Ground Books &#38; Media has had the privilege of traditionally publishing healing-centered, faith-driven books by authors whose stories matter deeply. Those books—and the voices behind them—have shaped our catalog, our mission, and the work we are proud to steward. As we move into our next chapter, we want to share an important update about how Higher Ground Books &#38; Media will be operating going forward. Moving to a Hybrid-First Publishing Model Higher Ground Books...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/a-new-chapter-at-higher-ground-books-media</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69598f5613d20d5a3d039dc2</guid><pubDate>Mon, 05 Jan 2026 13:14:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_7c4939c605af4871b4de08d06f63c3b0~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Most Wonderful Time ...]]></title><description><![CDATA[It's been a little while since I posted here. I'll write more about that later. But right now, I wanted to be sure to stop in and remind you that Higher Ground Books &#38; Media  publishes stories of hope and healing. And those things are never more needed than at this time of year. We hope you will stop by and pick up some inspiration in the HGBM Shop! Right now, we're offering free shipping on all orders placed between now and Christmas Day! (Sorry, but this offer doesn't apply to our author...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/the-most-wonderful-time</link><guid isPermaLink="false">694201e06f57f0549cdcfbf2</guid><pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2025 01:34:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_23704ece0af54eeeaad5998d7b2017d5~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Benefits of Manuscript Critiques]]></title><description><![CDATA[Writing a manuscript is a rewarding yet challenging journey. Whether you are crafting a novel, memoir, or nonfiction work, the process...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/the-benefits-of-manuscript-critiques</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68da8ae5e3cbf48a987181e8</guid><pubDate>Mon, 29 Sep 2025 13:58:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5782d8_2519b781e1b646c99ae337d8083143de~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Showing Up When No One Else Does...]]></title><description><![CDATA[Imagine this...you've prepared for months, gotten all of the details in order, sent out the invitations, and now...it's here. The big...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/showing-up-when-no-one-else-does</link><guid isPermaLink="false">687be4341c88fb1454da7604</guid><pubDate>Sat, 19 Jul 2025 19:33:01 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to Improve Your Manuscript with Professional Feedback]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you're an aspiring author, you've likely poured your heart and soul into your manuscript. It's a labor of love, but every great...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/how-to-improve-your-manuscript-with-professional-feedback</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6874fdbeedf86ee386be099a</guid><pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:34:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5782d8_71e3d4b56250439ea626d688f2749f86~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Did you know...]]></title><description><![CDATA[the Higher Ground Books &#38; Media has over 60 titles available on Audible? If you're an avid audiobook listener, go over to Audible.com ...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/did-you-know</link><guid isPermaLink="false">686c62b66e4eab8118008079</guid><pubDate>Tue, 08 Jul 2025 00:37:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_c14e19206bbf49f1a117c1010c351224~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[It’s that time again!]]></title><description><![CDATA[Every year in June, two things happen:  HGBM celebrates 30 Days of Hope  and I take a thirty-day break so that I can recharge and prepare...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/it-s-that-time-again</link><guid isPermaLink="false">683c7155aa7033acec4631df</guid><pubDate>Sun, 01 Jun 2025 16:23:21 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Features in the HGBM Shop!]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you've been waiting for something awesome to happen, here it is! We've recently switched our payment app in the HGBM Shop and we now...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/new-features-in-the-hgbm-shop</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68336581d575207f4917b84f</guid><pubDate>Sun, 25 May 2025 18:58:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5782d8_bd9ad3c1fbc944e6bc98b425380df79e~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_530,h_366,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Submitting Your Manuscript: A Step-by-Step Guide]]></title><description><![CDATA[Submitting your manuscript can feel overwhelming, especially for first-time authors. Each publishing company has its own specific...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/submitting-your-manuscript-a-step-by-step-guide</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6821ec41aff4fe1f7730a34e</guid><pubDate>Tue, 13 May 2025 20:20:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5782d8_af78d391bc994953ad51f53929e040f8~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Recognizing (and using) Our Blessings]]></title><description><![CDATA[The story of the widow who gathered jars for oil is one of my favorite stories from the Bible. It reminds us of how God is always pouring...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/recognizing-and-using-our-blessings</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6820b778fc6d50b61a8d3f17</guid><pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2025 15:03:24 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How Workshops Can Elevate Your Writing Career]]></title><description><![CDATA[When it comes to advancing your writing career, few opportunities are as valuable as participating in author workshops. These immersive...]]></description><link>https://www.highergroundbooksandmedia.com/post/how-workshops-can-elevate-your-writing-career</link><guid isPermaLink="false">681b68db063de19bc6c60cb2</guid><pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2025 14:20:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5782d8_144bcf91e3c94279b751b5f9f5885975~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>HGBM</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>