PROMO: Connecting Goals to Impacts and Outcomes

 

Harnessing Structured Conversations for Customer-Driven Value Delivery

 

Non-Fiction (Business, Strategy, Product Management, Agile)

Date Published: January 26, 2026

 

You’ve been in that Agile planning session.

Everyone agrees on goals like “improve customer experience” or “increase engagement.” The roadmap looks aligned. The OKRs are approved. But when the sprint ends, no one can clearly explain what success actually means—or why customers should care.

Months later, your product team ships a feature. Customers don’t use it. Stakeholders ask uncomfortable questions. Someone says, “I thought we were building something different.”

This isn’t a delivery problem. It’s a conversation problem.

Across Agile teams, product management organizations, and enterprise transformations, teams work hard, follow the process, and deliver on time—yet still struggle to create real customer and business value. The gap isn’t execution. It’s how goals, assumptions, and decisions are discussed.

Structured Conversations is a practical toolkit for closing that gap.

This book shows product leaders, Agile coaches, and delivery teams how to use clear language and visual thinking to align strategy, product decisions, and day‑to‑day work around measurable outcomes.

 

In this book, you’ll learn how to:

 

* Write clear, outcome‑focused goals using VERB + NOUN syntax that eliminate ambiguity

* Connect customer needs to business impact using Empathy Mapping, Customer Journey Mapping, and Impact Mapping

* Align product roadmaps and delivery plans with OKRs that drive accountability and learning

* Validate assumptions early using Hypothesis‑Driven Development and Example Mapping

* Facilitate cross‑functional Agile conversations where disagreements become productive

* Turn vague requirements into clear, executable user stories that teams interpret the same way

 

Drawing on experience across startups, financial services, and large‑scale Agile transformations, Structured Conversations bridges the gap between product strategy and value delivery with techniques that work in real‑world environments.

The approaches are modular. Start with the technique that addresses your biggest challenge today. Each chapter includes step‑by‑step guidance, real examples, and “Try This Right Now” exercises you can apply immediately.

Whether you work in product management, Agile delivery, or organizational change, this book helps you turn good intentions into measurable outcomes.

 

 

About the Authors

Claude Hanhart is a Product Strategist and Agile Coach with 10+ years of leadership experience in driving groundbreaking product strategies and agile transformations. His approach centers on fostering innovation rooted in business objectives, customer experience, and market leadership through tools such as Generative AI, OKRs, and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD).

Claude's unique academic background - with an MA in Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and Languages from the University of Berne in Switzerland and an MA in Geography from the University of Minnesota - brings an interdisciplinary perspective to modern product challenges. His multilingual abilities in German, Swiss German, and French have proven invaluable in international collaborations.

Structured Conversations represents Claude's commitment to bridging strategic thinking with practical implementation. Currently based in New Jersey with his wife, Claude finds that their three energetic dogs serve as daily reminders about the importance of clear communication and patient guidance - principles that translate beautifully into his professional coaching work.

Rachel is a seasoned business‑strategy professional whose career has been built around turning complex challenges into clear, actionable solutions. With a track record of guiding organizations toward measurable impact, she blends rigorous, data‑driven analysis with a human‑centric mindset - always asking how people, processes, and technology can work together more effectively. Her practical, results‑focused approach has helped teams align goals, streamline actions, and translate those actions into lasting outcomes.

Structured Conversations marks Rachel's first full‑length publication, and she feels especially honored to have been invited by Claude to co‑create this work. Rachel lives in North Carolina with her husband and their four rambunctious cats. When she isn't untangling business puzzles, you'll find her exploring the local arts scene, hiking and mountain biking, or enjoying a quiet evening of reading with her feline companions.

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Blog Tour: Operation Cast Lead: The Case

 

Nonfiction

Date Published: 08-28-2025

Publisher: Tellwell

Ambiguity has been the story of our era since Operation Cast Lead. The author found herself in the middle of ambiguous theme, dialogue, plot, and portrayal while engaging with a love story on General Hospital in 2008/2009. There was the question mark about the female character: Was she going to be humiliated?

Operation Cast Lead ensued as a mechanism to decide the fate and resolution of this question. The author was conflicted as her tendency to humiliate herself in her fantasies interfered with how she interpreted the story and how she responded to it while Operation Cast Lead unfolded, a war that took place between Hamas and IDF at the climax of the story of Sonny and Kate.

What was the truth of this connection? Why has Gaza been held hostage to this story ever since? What’s the way forward for Israelis and Palestinians? What’s the way forward for humanity?

The book argues that Operation Cast Lead was a design, and attempts to place the case within the current framework of international law while acknowledging that there are fundamental flaws in this framework and that there should be transformation at the foundation of international law for humanity to have a breakthrough and realize true freedom.

This book reveals a secret about history. A secret that would explain why the conflict in the Middle East has not met its resolution. As well as the conflict at the core of humanity.

Excerpt 

Introduction

 

In 2008-2009, I was a witness to the story of Sonny and Kate. The story arc that began in June of 2008 had woven into it the legacy of the character of Stone.

Stone was a young man who worked and lived on the streets and to whom Sonny gave refuge. As he used drugs, he eventually became infected with HIV. His health was deteriorating and Sonny and Robin celebrated Christmas for him on Thanksgiving that year. This was written in the 1990s.

The story of Stone was revisited in 2007-2009 embedded within the story of Sonny and Kate, although not explicitly mentioned in all its details. The Thanksgiving story of 2008 was written in the memory of Stone.

However, narration and dialogue were ambiguous and the structure of the story suggested that the Kate character could be humiliated.

How the story was interpreted was key; given the inherent ambiguity, the story “could go either way”. The many sides involved in that circumstance attempted to influence how the story would be written and this translated into many “suggestions”, “hints” and “rumors” in soap magazines and on soap message boards.

In the midst of chaos, my own tendencies and conflicts entered the scene. A few months before, the thought of Kate being humiliated may have been a fear of mine. However, everything contains its contradiction, and it was the case that a conflicting tendency was present as well. I had humiliating fantasies about myself since a very young age. At some juncture in the story of Sonny and Kate, I began to channel those thoughts on to Kate. There may have been hints of this in the summer of 2008, but these thoughts intensified later that year and into 2009.

 

This situation led to Operation Cast Lead where all the elements mentioned above came together leading to tragedy.

I kept part of this tale a secret for years until I eventually confessed to my own motives in that encounter. In 2023, I published a memoir on Substack explaining my choices in relation to the story and the war.

Many are aware of the circumstances around Cast Lead. However, my hope in writing the memoir was the possibility of a breakthrough. The breakthrough did not come about because of the events of October 7, 2023, and the war that ensued. It’s been the history of humankind, that when a truth is about to be revealed, a war emerges.

This book provides the details of the story and makes an argument to establish its connection to the war. It attempts to place this case within the current framework of international law and it argues that there are deficiencies in this framework that have left humankind prone to the design of a system that uses implicit coercion and ambiguity to achieve its aims. For humanity to break free, there needs to be transformation at the foundation of international law.

 

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PROMO: I Made it Home

 

Children's Book

Date Published: December 6, 2025

I Made It Home is a heartwarming story that captures the essence of courage, kindness, and friends who flutter into our lives when we need them most. When a change of plans leaves young Aubrey finding her own way home, she embarks on an unexpected adventure with her cheerful companions, a butterfly, a bluebird, and a ladybug. Sometimes the smallest friends lead us the furthest. Along the way, she and a frightened little boy learn valuable lessons about courage, friendship, and the magic of kindness. This enchanting tale will delight readers of all ages and remind them that every kind gesture brings us closer to where we belong.

 

About the Author

 

 Debra I. Thomas shares her excitement about her children's picture books, hoping they will inspire joy and adventure in young readers. She is also working on more imaginative stories that reflect her love for children and pets, inviting readers to explore the magic of storytelling together.

 

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Blog Tour: Inside USAID - An Odyssey of Foreign Assistance

 

Current Events/Politics

Date Published: September 26, 2025

Publisher: MindStir Media

This book gives needed context for the current controversy about the US foreign aid agency, USAID. One evaluation described it as "an eye-opening, sharply insightful, and often humorous look into the inner workings of USAID and the broader world of US foreign assistance. Blending memoir, policy analysis, and rich storytelling, the book delivers a compelling behind-the-scenes portrait of what it means to work in international development, from the surreal bureaucracy to the life-threatening assignments abroad."

Inside USAID is an insider's view of some of the sillier aspects of government bureaucracy, revealing the adventurous, often risky life of diplomatic staff posted in third-world countries as well as some of the waste in the system. It also takes readers through some fascinating and dangerous events in the author's own twenty-seven-year career with USAID, peeling the curtain on nearly three decades of diplomatic service across seven countries, sharing war-zone experiences, absurd government acronyms, failed aid attempts, and moments of genuine impact.

The stories balance critical reflection with a deep appreciation for the ideals behind U.S. foreign aid. The book is both a tribute to the unsung heroes of development work and a critique of the system's inefficiencies, political intrusions, and sudden dismantling. It contextualizes the countries historically, politically, and economically, off ering readers a nuanced understanding of how aid shapes (and sometimes fails) entire nations. The book also is both a eulogy and a call to action for rebuilding what the author sees as one of the U.S.'s most effective foreign policy tools.

Witty, wise, and often sobering, Inside USAID is a must-read for policymakers, development professionals, historians, and anyone who wants to understand the real stories behind America's global influence through foreign aid.

 

Excerpt

 

CHAPTER 2:  WHAT IS (OR WAS) USAID?

 

Before getting to my own stories, here’s a short description of USAID and a bit of commentary about foreign aid generally.

 

Examples of US foreign aid can be found that predate the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe following World War II, but they are few and far between. Congress appropriated $50,000 to help survivors of the earthquake that destroyed Caracas, Venezuela, in 1812. After World War I, the US provided $387 million to the Committee for Relief in Belgium to help feed the hungry. Before he was president, Herbert Hoover, as the head of the American Relief Administration, led a large relief effort to address famine in Soviet Russia from 1921 to 1923. There were some others, but the modern version of our foreign aid program, most of which has gone through USAID, dates from a 1961 Executive Order by President Kennedy and the Foreign Assistance Act enacted the same year.

 

There was never a consensus about how to say the Agency’s name. Some pronounce each letter—you ess ay eye dee—while others say yoose aid, accent on the yoose. Earlier it had been called simply “AID,” a clever acronym that officially meant, not “aid” in the sense of assistance, but rather “Agency for International Development.” They could have said “for economic development,” which would have been more accurate and understandable, but then the acronym would not have been a cute pun.

 

A word about the many other acronyms used throughout the foreign aid world: These show, in small part, the great variety of targets USAID was asked to deal with, for which we often went to great effort to develop meaningful project names. Some examples:

 

• SUPER (Support for Uganda Primary Education Reform)

• PEACE (Programming Effectively Against Conflict and Extremism)

• ASPIRE (Achieving Sustainable Partnerships for Innovation, Research, and Entrepreneurship)

• BRIDGE (Building Research and Innovation for Development, Generating Evidence)

 

To lighten the bureaucratic grind, I once half-jokingly suggested one for a project I still seriously think could be used to combat the rampant sexual violence in so much of Africa: EMAJO (Encouraging the Men of Africa to Jerk Off).

 

About the Author

Clifford Brown is a retired Senior U.S. Foreign Service Officer who served for 27 years with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), including roles as Mission Director, Deputy Mission Director, and Regional Legal Advisor. His work took him to postings in Kenya, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, Guinea, Peru, and Washington, DC, with regional responsibilities spanning numerous additional USAID missions.

Before joining USAID, Brown practiced commercial law for eleven years in Los Angeles as a partner at Ervin, Cohen & Jessup in Beverly Hills, California. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Whitman College, where he was also a Thomas Watson Fellow, spending a year conducting independent research in Latin America. He earned his Juris Doctor from UCLA School of Law, where he served as Managing Editor of the UCLA Law Review.

Brown is the author of Dilettante: Tales of How a Small-Town Boy Became a Diplomat Managing U.S. Foreign Assistance (2021), a collection of stories tracing his path from early work on farms, railroads, and tugboats in Eastern Washington to a career in international law and diplomacy. He is retired in Maryland.

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PROMO: Ink Magic - Legacy of the Flower

 

Historical Fantasy

Date Published: 02-26-2026

Publisher: Sword and Thistle LLC

In World War 1, it’s not the tanks or soldiers that will determine the victors, it’s the magical tattoo ink.

The Mages who can bear that ink have special weapon and beast tattoos that can come to life.

Jack is an infamous Mage, called into a covert mission to rescue a missing scientist. If he can do this, he will ensure the balance of power with the magical ink distribution is not stolen by other countries who look to gain the upper hand during the war.

As he searches for the renowned Nikola Tesla, Jack assembles a team of Mages and soldiers as they scramble against time and powerful Russian enemies, who also have their own magical tattoos. Their enemies will use those powers not only to win the war but take over the city where all magical ink is created and distributed, thus ensuring global domination.

But Jack has a personal vendetta against one of those enemies, payback for the death of his father and other loved ones. If Jack can use his ink magic and overcome the insurmountable odds to succeed, he just might keep the ink safe, maintain the balance of power, and defeat the men who have plagued his family for decades.

This action-packed alternate history novel will keep readers on the edge of their seats! If you love the Pale Rider Second Chance series by Michael Roberts, you will love his new Ink Magic series!

 

About the Author

 

 Michael Roberts is a Police Officer in Southern California. He also served in the United States Marine Corps for seven years. This is his first American Historical fiction book, and he drew on much of his previous military experience to write it.

His most recent series, Ink Magic, was just accepted by Spiteful Books.

He lives in California with his family of seven. 

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Fall Back in to Time

PROMO: Just Look at Those Boots

 

 

Children's Western

Date Published: 02-26-2026

Publisher: Solander Press

A.J. is so excited about his new cowboy boots. He wears them on the first day of the school year. Mom said it was for only one day and then back to his regular boots or sneakers. During recess, A.J. plays in an exciting game of kickball. His boots get very messy during the game.

When he gets home, Jon, the farm hand, see the boots and tells him to clean them up then get into his work boots. Jon tells him to give Lady Star a ride because she’s waited all day for him.

On the ride, A.J. heads to the shallow pond out in one field. While A.J. daydreams, Lady Star sees the pond and decides to get there fast. A.J. loses control of Lady Star and finds himself thrown into the pond. Daydreaming on the ride means A.J. has additional chores when he returns to the barn.

In this second book, Sherry Roberts continues to tell stories inspired by her father’s childhood during the 1930s and 1940s in Northeast Oklahoma. For those who enjoy stores of the American West, as well as history, Just Look At Those Boots, is a must-read.

 

About the Author

 

 Sherry Roberts is an award-winning children’s book author. She holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Louisville. She has written multiple award-winning fiction picture books such as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas…A First for Gus, Hello, Can I Bug You?, Gabriel and the Special Memorial Day, What’s Wrong with Barnaby, and The Best Reading Buddy. She also has written two non-fiction award-winning picture books, Sonnet, Sonnet, What’s in Your Bonnet? and A Visit Through the Wetlands. These two were illustrated with her photography. Sherry’s newest picture book, Amica Helps Zoe, was featured in Kirkus e-newsletter June 2025 as Indie Pick and received a Get It: Recommend review.

As a former middle school teacher, Dr. Roberts decided to write her first middle-grade novel (ages 8-13). Her debut novel, The Galaxy According to CeCe, is the first book in a three-book series. It was officially released on February 24, 2024. Book two, The Galaxy According to Cece: The Mysterious Dr. Pruitt, was released August 2024. Book three, The Galaxy According to Cece: The Stars Align, released February 2025.

Sherry’s next venture is a chapter book series (ages 6-8). The first book, Just Call Me Pardner, was released August 1, 2025. The series is about a young boy in the 1930s on a small farm in Northeastern Oklahoma and is inspired by stories of her father’s childhood in the 1930s. Book 2, Just Look at Those Boots, launches in early 2026, with Book 3, Just Don’t Give a Girl a Frog, launching in November 2026.

Dr. Roberts has also written many articles that appear in various academic journals, along with three textbooks. Personal Financial Literacy is in its fourth edition (Pearson). She is an associate professor of Marketing in Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University.

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PROMO: Call in the Dogs

 

Western/Cowboy,  Cherokee, Outlaw

Date Published: 02-26-2026

Publisher: Write the West Press an imprint of Paperback Press, LLC Springfield, Missouri

Levi Kuratowski, better known as “Little Kansas,” only thinks his days of carrying a gun are over. With a trading license approved by the Cherokee Nation he is determined to build a trading post on the banks of Spring Creek. Soon however he must set his hammer aside and take up his colt revolver. Upon receiving word that the outlaw Bill Kirby has escaped custody he prepares to face his old adversary.

Levi’s friend, Cherokee rancher Turon Turtle vows to offer aid and his rifle. Turon’s strong willed sister, Ruth, has a different vow in mind for Levi. Levi soon finds the determined Ruth as challenging as the inevitable showdown that has yet to come.

For the first time since leaving Europe three years earlier his has a sense of home. He finds customers in the neighboring Cherokee and travelers. More importantly he finds friends. Unknown to Levi is the whereabouts of the outlaw Kirby. Can Levi rely on his new friends and community? Will Levi be able to hold on to what he has built and face the man who thinks nothing except for the destruction of Levi and all he holds dear?

 

About the Author

 

 Born and raised on the Ozark Plateau. Charlie Amos grew up in the footsteps of outlaws, cowboys, and woodsmen. He currently lives in Oklahoma with his wife, children, and dog Banjo. When he is not tending cattle and kids he is reading and writing about the American West. Years of working in agriculture, forestry, trucking, and teaching school has laid the foundation of telling our American story through relatable characters. Writing westerns for westerners, and everyone else.

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