Courage and Croissants, Inspiring Joyful Living

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Time has moved on, but our original book published in 2010 is even more relevant today in time’s of massive change. After ten years of persistence, patience, and hope we have finally moved to the south of France permanently in our forever home. This book, written 10 years ago was a labor of love for ourselves and something we hoped would bring great inspiration to others. As you read the book and gain ideas from the guidebook portion, remember time will move forward no matter what, so take the time to ensure your dreams are included. Please reach out to us to help you think through new ways to pursue your dream .

2011 Benjamin Franklin Award Top 3 Finalist for Self-Help Category

Available at all on-line bookstores now and in Kindle format and for IPad 

Bloggers: If you write a blog post on the book, we will send you a free E-Lifestyle Planning Book. Just let us know and Thank you.

Read below on how the book is affecting people's lives 

Growing up we were told we could have it all, the American Dream—challenging careers, a rewarding marriage, financial success, increasing amounts of leisure time and even children if we wanted.

Much has changed since 1931 when "The American Dream" was first coined by James Turslow Adams in his book, The Epic of America. Over the past 40 years, the American Dream slowly evolved into devoting your life to your work at all costs. By 2005, the catalyst organization reported that 83% of households had two working adults earning income outside the home and approximately half of those households have children under 18, a 63% increase since 1950. This shift in lifestyle alone has drastically changed how Americans spend their time. Life has become about developing one’s career, living and breathing work, and doing household chores.

 Courage and Croissants is the story and a life guidebook of a mid-life, dual-career couple with a young daughter who took the risk to go in search of what was truly important to them. At its heart is a love of family and the desire for a better quality of life. It is a story for anyone who has ever wondered—is there more to life? It's a story and a guidebook about knowing when it is time to compose a different life experience, having the courage to make dreams happen, embracing the simple joys of living, and focusing on what is important in life. It is about learning the French secret to living with Joie de Vivre wherever you might be.

Courage and Croissants begins with the couple’s search for balance, and clarity in a hectic modern world. Reeling from the stress of life as a dual career couple with a young daughter, they decided to give up a life that was full of status but lacking in sanity. They left the housecleaner and gardener behind, along with the SUVs, moving instead to a small village in the South of France. They would take time to live simply, reassess, learn and grow as a family, be invigorated for the next phase of life and learn from the French what Joie de Vivre really looks like. 

Courage and Croissants reads like a novel and includes a focused guidebook on how to create the life you want to live. The sections include; Part I: Old Ways, Part II: Transition, Part III: New Ways; Healthy Living, Sensuality, Art and Creativity, Travel and Adventure, Part IV: Life Lessons and Moving Forward, and Part V: Guidebook - 14 key Tips. Through their stories, the reader finds themselves transported to a place in which they can begin to find small and big ways to live with greater joy and balance.

Courage and Croissants is for everyone from 35-65, who is thinking that life needs to shift—whether they need a break from the stresses of modern living, are nearing retirement, yearn for time with their family, want to make some simple choices to bring back more joy in their life or are just tired of the rat race. Not only does it take the reader on the journey of one family’s in-depth look at what living with Joie de Vivre really means, it provides guided tips, inspiration and education for those looking to make small and big changes in their lives. It is a narrative guidebook appealing to career professionals who love to grow and learn, adventuress parents, pre-retirees and retirees, armchair travelers, and those who love to travel and experience a different side of life.

St. Remy Press  - Info@stremypress.com

ISBN 978-0-9826909-0-1

$14.95

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The authors, Suzanne Saxe-Roux Ed.D and Jean Roux MFT, Ph.D., are successful entrepreneurs who have spent the past twenty-five years educating and developing corporate America. Their life work focuses on helping people to develop personally and professionally. Suzanne is founder and past-president of Advance Consulting, Inc, a management consulting and training company and coauthor of The Consultative Approach: Partnering for Results! published by Jossey-Bass, a contributor to Building Bridges, From Writers to Readers, and a SF Examiner.com columnist. Not only are they experts in helping other people through life transitions and transformations and experienced public speakers, they have first hand experience of successfully navigating that process themselves and millions of stories to tell.

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Like, Why French Women Don't get Fat and Eat Pray Love, this book inspires all of us to reexamine how we are living and how we want to live in order to regain balance, good health, and joy. Suzanne and Jean bring to us ideas, how-to's and a fantastic story on how busy urban families can make simple choices on how to live their lives. As a result, stress is reduced, mental and physical health improves, leisure time is truly leisurely and life becomes enjoyable again.

Read how the book is affecting people's lives

October 11 2010 was a wonderful day for me because I consumed your book as I travelled from Orange County to Houston. I loved your voice, your wisdom, your honesty, your vulnerability, your realism, your humor. The book is an inspiration to me. I especially enjoyed how you told your story first and then came back with the LifeGuidebook tips. These I plan to work on more slowly. The repositioning of the American Dream is very significant work too: you are a master of reframing!

For me, there’s a real connection between what you talk about in your book and the malaise we experience with our “users”: the honest, hard working, somewhat manic employees who work in Fortune 500 organizations. And our company can also learn from your advice as well! 

Suzanne: thank you again for the gift of your book. After a day so close to you and your family I have to send  you, Jean P and Zoe Pascale my love and gratitude!

Viv Price, Executive Consultant, Forum Corporation

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I just finished your and Jean's book and I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed it

and how much it meant to me. My own discovery of life beyond Huntington Woods, Michigan also began in France.  I traveled there as an exchange student when I was 17 and I came home with the same two feelings I still have every time I travel today:  a sense of

gratitude for having the opportunity to have grown up in America and a sense

of wonder at the wider world beyond.  Since that time in France, where I

acquired my eternal wanderlust, I've been to more than 90 countries and will

keep traveling until I die. 

What I wanted to say to you is that your book made me feel a little more

connected to a kindred spirit in a world where sometimes I feel out of place

because my experiences are not generally run-of-the-mill in this day and age.

When I returned from France I knew that I would always be a global citizen.

How I would manifest that in my life remained to be seen, but I knew I could never go

home again, literally or metaphorically.

Today I am grappling with how to create the life I want--- on my own, i.e.,

how does one feed one's soul without the support of family.  Your stories of

family and the deepening connection you made with each other touched my heart

and I am searching for how one takes this journey without that base of support.

I loved Jean's question on p. 230:  "What makes a life worth living?"  I've

been pondering and exploring that for several years in its various forms:

"What is my life for?"  "Why was I put on this planet earth?"  "What is my

legacy?"  Perhaps there is no answer, but living with the question and

searching its various contexts continues to rejuvenate my spirit.

Sherry Paul, Marketing Consultant 

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I've been telling everyone about your wonderful book.

Your book has made an impact on me with this chapter in my life. I too, have a daughter (going on 4 years) and I just turned 40.I still battle between having another one, or am I at peace with one child. I have conflicts with my career and my search to do "what makes me happy".  Your book has shown me that you 

can

 do what your heart is set to do.

I am very fortunate that I have a wonderful and loving husband who supports me with everything and our journey together has always been exciting.(We've moved from Los Angeles to San Diego. SD to Virginia/DC and back to San Diego. Now because of the crazy hustle and bustle in SD, I am eagerly considering a calmer lifestyle and we are planning to move to Denver in a couple of years where I may just possibly become a yoga instructor-we'll see! Life is exciting when you have a partner who loves to do things with you! :)

I loved hearing your experiences and during a time, when I needed this "inspiration", it showed up perfectly.

C Hoffman, San Diego

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I went home and started the book....finishing it today.  As promised, I found it inspiring, easy to read, and right on track with key questions for personal application.

It's so serendipitous that the day before the book celebration Ted & I explored the possibility of going some place for a year.  Our 3 ∏ years in the UK was so amazing and filled with learning that we have been finding ourselves restless in California.  We came up with an initial list of places to live and work:  Australia, Israel, Greece, Holland, Ireland, China.  We've started researching.  All this came from talking about the power of our London experience and where are we now/what do we want....  Anyway, it's early in the process.  The book articulated a lot of what is driving us and how we're approaching this possible next life phase.

Arlene Scott, OD Consultant

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"Read this book! Whether you seek inspiration to claim the life you have

always dreamed of or just want to savor a well written novel, you will

devour Courage and Croissants.  This real life story evoked powerful new

insights for me in and enchanting and surprising way! Delicious."

Ann Hermann, President and CEO of HBDI

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Your book has changed my life! I’m sure I’m not the first to say (or the last), but it has really awakened in me so many incredible “ah ha” moments.  I have already started putting my plans into place. My first objective was to get my husband to read the book.  He’s accepted my suggestion, so more to come as the plans evolve.

Marianne Doherty, Consultant, wife, and Mom

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