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22 Artscene opinion I value and I asked them to rate the stories," she said. "It didn't really work that way as there weren't enough that people didn't want in the book, so I had to spend the summer deciding objectively what to include." She said she feels it is her mission in life to help turn a frown upside down. "I believe it is my gift and it is my responsibility to do something with it," she said. "I love having the opportunity to change to mood of someone. A lot of people don't have the opportunity in any given day to smile, let alone laugh out loud. I hope to achieve that." While it is easier said than done, Luciani said she has techniques she uses to maintain a positive outlook on life. "We all deal with challenges on a daily basis, what I monitor is how quickly I recover," she said. "I am as Sign up now for guitar, bass, drums, and piano OAKVILLE'S MUSIC STORE · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2009 Mood-ivational speaker releases debut book By Tina Depko OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF "I love having the opportunity to change the mood of someone." C arole Bertuzzi Luciani likes to make people smile. In fact, she likes it so much that she has made it her job. Luciani is a motivational speaker, or a mood-ivational speaker, as she prefers to call herself. She has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people across the country during her long motivational speaker career that spans back to 1980. She's hoping to touch a few more lives with her first book, I Have a Story for You... Musings of the Moodivator. The book is a collection of true short stories from throughout her life. She recalls situations that have been challenging, thought-provoking, embarrassing, and for the most part, humorous. "The idea is that I want the stories to evoke some sort of feeling," she said. "They will touch readers in different ways. You may cringe with embarrassment or you may cry or you may laugh out loud." Luciani has had the collection of stories for some time, but only decided earlier this year to amass them into a book, which will officially be released Nov. 1. "The book has been in my computer for more than 20 years. I've been writing in a journal since I was 18, and when I learned computer skills, I started writing out stories," she said. "Every time I speak, people ask if I have a book, and I tell them I have one on my computer. It was just a case of buckling down and doing it." Luciani likens the book to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, but with a local twist. "I think it has general appeal like a Chicken Soup book would," said Luciani, who gives motivational presentations 40-50 times per year. "But I think the thing that people will find amusing is that it is so local, from Niagara through to Etobicoke, because if I'm talking about high school, I name it. If I talk about relatives, I talk about them living in Hamilton." Luciani wanted to ensure her book would resonate with readers, so she enlisted the help of several family members and friends to narrow down the 97 possible stories to 65. "I put it in the hands of 10 people whose Carole Bertuzzi Luciani Motivational speaker and author RIZIERO VERTOLLI / OAKVILLE BEAVER TURNING FROWNS UPSIDE DOWN: Carole Bertuzzi Luciani is releasing her first book, I Have a Story for You.... affected as the next person, it is just a matter of how resilient you are. Within 24 hours, I aim to look at a situation differently." The author said she hopes the book will not only entertain, but also inspire a new batch of writers. "I want them to finish the book and close it with a smile on their face and think, `I should write down some of my own stories, because I have lots of stories, too'," she said. "Everyone has these stories in them." Luciani has lived in Oakville with her husband, Joe, for 30 years. She has three adult children -- Dante, 24, Vincent, 22, and Alena, 19. She said her family, especially Joe, has been very supportive of her writing endeavour. "There are some stories in there about them, but they don't mind," she said. "There's lots of stories about Joe, but he doesn't mind. He loved the book." The book will be available at select locations throughout Oakville, which will be listed on her website in early November. Luciani said she is planning to start small, as she wants a connection with the reader. "I put the book together for people who know me or will know me through my speaking," she said. "I'm looking for the familiarity factor. I want people to hear my voice while they are reading this." Luciani has ordered 5,000 prints of her book. Sales of those copies will determine if a second book will be on its way. "In my computer right now, I have enough stories to do another book," she said. "If I sell 5,000 copies, I'll do another book." A book signing for I Have a Story for You... will be held Sunday, Nov. 1 from 1-4 p.m. at Artisano Bakery Café, 353 Iroquois Shore Rd. The book sells for $18.95, plus GST. It will also be available in an e-book version. For information or to order a book, visit www.carolebertuzziluciani.com or www.moodivator.ca.