Melanie Davis

I began my author and publishing career as a journal writer who processed the great loss of a seven-month-old baby girl to SIDS by writing and sharing my story. I now provide others the same pathway to meaning and purpose in their adversities.

Because of the timing (just when technology made it possible to more easily share our stories), I feel that I actually discovered a NEW FORM of therapy for overcoming grief and trauma. I say this because, in the past, we would create scrapbooks, spending hundreds of dollars and hundreds of hours, and then stick it in a fireproof safe because they’re a one-of-a-kind. But with the new technology, being able to put pictures and stories together, print it and share it in a book that looks like you could have bought it at Barnes and Noble, well, that was something new! There’s great healing power not only in journaling (narrative therapy) but in sharing your story and wisdom with others.

In the 22 years since my daughter died, I have taken on many skills and services to bring light and healing into the world. I will break them down into the following:

AUTHOR: I have compiled numerous anthologies, The Triumph Book Series, which are first-person accounts from people who have overcome great adversities to include The Triumph Book (the first one covers a wide array of tragedies and traumas), HEROES (a collection of first-person stories from veterans spanning the decades of war, from WWII up through our more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan) and Raising Wheels (stories from parents raising children who are differently abled and adults who are living life on wheels.) I have also written a variety of trauma-informed, narrative therapy programs that serve such populations as the bereaved, veterans, the incarcerated, and at-risk youth. They include The Triumph Program and The Triumph Journey, with the first one helping participants to process traumas and the second teaching the elements of storytelling in a way that participants (primarily youth) discover how to become the heroes and authors of their own lives, living with greater direction and purpose. (I can provide greater detail about each of these programs if desired)

PUBLISHER: I am the founder of Triumph Press which is an INDIE PUBLISHER, a revolution in book publishing. Traditional publishing houses often require an agent to even be considered, they maintain most or all creative control and the author is lucky to receive 7% of the profits. Self-publishing can often appear amateur and low-quality without professional attention to detail and support, with very few of the books statistically reaching success.

COACH WRITER and GHOSTWRITER: I have been hired to write numerous books for clients who need help to get their stories told in the most effective way possible. With the latest technology, I now offer to interview clients on video and then use the transcript to develop their book, so they have both video storytelling and a book to go with it.

LEGACY BOOK PUBLISHING: Triumph Press Legacy Books are designed to preserve the lives and wisdom of the authors to specifically strengthen their families and posterity. This is a slightly different approach from commercial book publishing, where the goal isn’t sales and distribution as much as it is to leave a legacy.

TRIUMPH TALKS YouTube Channel Host: Here is the description of the channel: “Discover Stories that Change the World.” Melanie Davis, founder of Triumph Press, interviews authors of important books that inspire, capture history, educate, promote causes, and change the world. Meet new authors, discover great books to add to your reading list, hear encouraging messages, and learn how to write and share your own valuable stories.

H.O.N.O.R. Mentoring Founder: H.O.N.O.R. Mentoring gives incarcerated veterans meaningful opportunities to continue serving our country by mentoring and supporting their prison unit neighbors resulting in improved relations and a more positive culture for all who live or work in units where The Triumph Program and Pathfinder Project curriculum is present. Avenues for giving service provide the sense of purpose and usefulness that is often lacking as veterans return home from war and which becomes more pronounced in the restricted penitentiary environment. H.O.N.O.R. is an acronym for Helping Our Neighbors Overcome and Rebuild and is being used within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Through the H.O.N.O.R. Mentoring program, veterans can set positive examples and lead the way towards growth and development, just as they have gone ahead of us when they protected our country. Through their servant-based leadership, an increase in comradery and positivity unit-wide will lead to a more productive environment in which inmates can serve their time and be prepared to reintegrate back into society.