Bookburger warns us about a new outfit called Thank God I… Enterprises that aims to publish thematic collections of inspirational stories following the Chicken Soup for the Soul model. That sounds reasonable enough at first, but then you start looking at some of their planned titles…
- Thank God my Husband Cheated on Me
- Thank God My Parent/s Beat Me
- Thank God I Have A Home Based Business
- Thank God I Was Raped
- Thank God I Was Incested (is that even a word?)
- Thank God I Have A Small Penis
- Thank God I’m Suicidal
- Thank God I Am Crippled
…well, you get the point. If the titles aren’t creepy enough, co-publishers John Castagnini and Amanda Kroetsch want all would-be contributors to shell out $299 to register their stories—and you’d better hurry, because next week the fee’s going up to $399. But wait, as they say, there’s more: In order for them to take your story seriously, Castagnini and Kroetsch would really appreciate it if you took their “three-month thankfulness course,” so that “once you have reached a state of unconditional love & gratitude for WHATEVER it is that you believe is getting in your way, we will then work with you on sharing your personal story with our readers.”
So who are these people? According to the Thank God I… website, “John Castagnini is a renowned published author, poet, musician, producer, speaker and consultant who has developed tools to help you Live Your Dreams.” The books include Seven Secrets to Successful Network Marketing; the tools he doles out in workshops at $499 a head. Kroetsch, meanwhile, is “an accomplished writer, professional actress, classically trained jazz singer, and consultant who is dedicated to helping raise the collective consciousness of the planet.” She’s also the co-leader of the $400 Sun Soul Solutions Transformation Experience, which appears to involve colon cleansing as well as spiritual renewal, and, unless I make my guess, an occasional model with a willingness to do “artistic nudes and body doubling.”