BUY BOOK

October 19th | 2pm CST

Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want | Maria Baltazzi

We kindly request that if you would like your book signed, it must be purchased at Barbara’s Bookstore. To ensure a smooth and efficient signing process, please present your receipt as proof of purchase.

ABOUT THE BOOK

National Indie Excellence Wellbeing Book Award Winner and Finalist for Personal Growth
Nautilus Book Silver Award Winner for Creativity & Innovation Holistic Life’s Best Personal Development Book of the Year 2024

Take a Shot at Happiness will teach you how to change your perspective and better your mind. In taking charge of your own life, you can learn to become your own writer, director, and producer.

On a steamy jungle island in the middle of the South China Sea, a new television show is about to come to its shocking conclusion. A small television stage lit by tiki torches illuminates a show host, a jury of seven contestants sitting on tree stumps, and the final two runners-up for a million dollars. It was season one of CBS’s competition show, Survivor, a show that will become one of the longest-running unscripted series—and one of the most beloved. Maria Baltazzi was one of the original supervising producers.

Survivor strips its contestants of everything but their wits while they battle it out to see who will be the winner of a life-changing prize. In watching this, Maria realized that the contestants learned things about themselves that they might never have known before. During the production of this show, Maria realized that she could not be her true self until she stripped back the negativity that was clouding her life and made more self-affirming actions that would lead her to what she truly wanted.

This book is Maria’s insights about being happy learned from her time in the entertainment industry, observing people and events, traveling, and studying wellbeing. Within these pages is a practical guide for a creative path to happiness through taking photographs with your camera phone, journaling about things that matter, and being part of a supportive community.

You can create a healthier state of being and have fun doing it. Even when your world turns upside down, you can still be the writer, director, and producer of the life you want.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Happiness Explorer Maria Baltazzi empowers individuals to discover what truly makes them happier through her eight critically acclaimed Happiness Essentials. Drawing from familiar movies, world events, and her extensive experience in the entertainment industry, Maria combines practical advice with a unique approach that integrates camera phone photography, journaling prompts, and her Take a Shot at Happiness app. These tools offer invaluable guidance to those seeking to enrich their lives and track their progress on their happiness and wholebeing journey (mind, body, and spirit).

Maria’s debut book, Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want, has garnered numerous prestigious accolades. It won the Wellbeing category at both the NYC Big Book Award and the National Indie Excellence Awards, where it was also a finalist in Personal Growth. The book received the Nautilus Book Silver Award for Creativity & Innovation, which honors works promoting spiritual growth, conscious living, and high-level awareness. Additionally, it was recognized as a Runner-Up in the How-To category at the Paris Book Festival. Maria’s book also earned an honorable mention from the Hollywood Book Festival, traditionally focused on screen-adaptable works, and was named “Best Personal Development Book for the Year 2024” by Best Holistic Life magazine, with over 1.5 million subscribers.

She has shared her insights on CBS’s The Talk, KTLA’s Sunday Morning News, and numerous podcasts and stages. Additionally, Maria consults on scripts and writes a monthly wellbeing blog for creatives on Stage 32, an entertainment industry writer’s platform with over a million subscribers. 

The U.S. Review of Books praises Maria’s “dynamic treatise,” noting:

“Baltazzi’s recollections—her early frustrations, her aspirations, her impressive career trajectory, and her life-changing discoveries—are deftly interwoven into this dynamic treatise…[Her] foray into the world of words and wisdom will doubtless find a large base of grateful followers whose efforts will be rewarded with the promise of new, exhilarating life directions.”

As an accomplished television producer and original contributor to CBS’s hit show Survivor, Maria’s journey spans all seven continents. She has walked over 9,000 miles for charity, summited Kilimanjaro twice, and trekked to Everest Base Camp, reflecting her commitment to creating a positive global impact. Today, she leads transformational travel experiences through her Sojourn Explorers company, where participants embark on life-changing journeys that integrate her wholebeing teachings.

Maria’s Ph.D. in Conscious-Centered Living and MFA in film uniquely equip her to guide others on their own journeys toward greater happiness and personal fulfillment. She distills her experiences and expertise into practical, transformative steps, empowering learners to apply her proven Happiness Essentials to their everyday lives. Whether you seek to build soft skills, deepen personal growth, or embark on a holistic wholebeing journey, Maria will inspire and equip you with the tools needed to thrive in both your career and life.