With the help of the publisher, Shelf Awareness introduces HarperElixir, a new line of mind, body, spirit books dedicated to the modern seeker from HarperOne, the HarperCollins division with headquarters in San Francisco.

In San Francisco, the twined forces of innovation and spiritual inspiration have long incubated the fresh thinking that influences national culture and imagination. Into this dynamic environment, comes HarperOne's new line, HarperElixir, which seeks to deliver a fresh perspective about the very essence of the human spirit from ancient wisdom to modern life. Contributing to what the publisher calls a new "vibrant and growing conscious living movement," HarperElixir's books bring together the best of today's new thinking for transforming oneself, others and the times in which we live.

"Forming HarperElixir is an effort to zero in on a distinct category that has long been one of the cornerstones of our business," said HarperOne senior v-p and publisher Mark Tauber. The line will draw on HarperOne's publishing and marketing team and its 39 years of experience publishing such spiritual luminaries as Paulo Coelho, Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra, Ram Dass, Jean Houston, Gary Zukav and James Van Praagh. "Body, mind, and spirit books have been and continue to be a growing area in the U.S. and overseas, and we feel it is time to sharpen our focus," Tauber said.

Industry veteran Claudia Riemer Boutote is leading HarperElixir as senior v-p and publisher. Tauber said he had to look no further than down the hall to find the right publisher for the new line: for the past 11 years, Boutote has headed HarperOne's marketing initiatives, from behind a desk graced with crystals. "Claudia's publishing experience as well as her personal passion for this category made her the natural choice to lead the line."

"We've seen a huge sea change at the interconnection of culture, wellness, fashion, transformation and new thought from retailers to retreat centers, across gender and generation," Boutote said. "We call it hippie meets hipster--people who see themselves as spiritual, mindful, compassionate, curious who prefer the artisanal to the machine-made, who want to find truth, meaning, miracles." The name Elixir, from the Arabic word aliksir, was chosen because it is a magical substance that both heals and offers universal secrets--it is the root word of alchemy, intention, the philosophers' stone and the mysteries of life.

HarperElixir titles will have a modern, artisan's approach in both content and package geared towards this sophisticated seeker audience. Its first list features The Toltec Art of Life and Death by the spiritual leader and bestselling author Don Miguel Ruiz and Barbara Emrys; Persephone Rising by Carol Pearson, which some are calling a modern Women Who Run with the Wolves; Turn Your Mate into Your Soulmate by bestselling author Arielle Ford; and two adult "Coloring Books for the Soul," Sacred Symbols and Sacred Nature, both illustrated by Lydia Hess. (For more about the first list of five titles, see below.)

Libby Edelson, formerly of Ecco, has joined HarperElixir as senior editor and will draw on her background in literary fiction, narrative nonfiction and cookbooks to find the books that fit the HarperElixir vision of being "unusual in their step-by-step, intention-driven execution." Already Boutote and Edelson have signed up 18 titles. Future lists will feature works that explore therapeutic spirituality, the intersection where science meets soul, modern takes on classic divination systems such as astrology and tarot, "Now Age" style, and holistic, ancient beauty and wellness practices from essential oils to kundalini yoga.

Boutote called it "a rare privilege to begin a new venture in publishing," and said it is "a very great honor to launch HarperElixir with The Toltec Art of Life and Death by Don Miguel Ruiz and Barbara Emrys. Our motto at HarperElixir is 'Past, Present, Possible,' and Don Miguel Ruiz's life and work, as do the rest of our authors, reflects that spirit. Our hope is that readers of all of our books will be transported and transformed."

The Toltec Art of Life and Death by Don Miguel Ruiz with Barbara Emrys ($25.99, 9780062390929)
Don Miguel first introduced readers to Toltec wisdom in The Four Agreements, which has sold more than 5.2 million copies and spent seven years on the New York Times bestseller list, and later in three other books, which have sold a combined seven million copies.

"In his previous books, Don Miguel distilled ancient Toltec wisdom to simple practices and principles. Now, in The Toltec Art of Life and Death, he offers the master class, revealing the deeper teachings he has  shared only with his personal students in courses and lectures and at sacred sites in Mexico and South America," said publisher Claudia Boutote.

In 2002, Don Miguel suffered a near-fatal heart attack that left him in a coma. During the nine weeks he was suspended in this dream state between life and death, he went on a mystical journey of self-discovery as his spirit encountered the people, events and ideas that shaped him and his life's work. Now for the first time, Ruiz shares the story of that journey and the lessons he learned. Through his journey, we also learn about the nature of our own life's calling, that we are often seduced by knowledge that blocks us from truth, but that ultimately we are all filled with endless potential to change, grow, and love and to take control and to shape our own destiny.

Don Miguel (photo: Noel Cianci)

Over 10 years in the making, The Toltec Art of Life and Death is the culmination of a lifetime's learning. Written with the help of his long-time student, Barbara Emrys, the book is mystical, compelling, profound and offers a rare look into the spiritual formation of this master teacher.

"Another classic that will bring joy and enlightenment to the world." --Deepak Chopra, author of The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

"Once again, Miguel Ruiz delivers the deepest truths in the most relevant ways. In The Toltec Art of Life and Death, his poetry, his wisdom, and his depth are as profound as ever." --Marianne Williamson, author of  Return to Love and A Year of Miracles

"Love, death, tragedy, pyramids, shamans and an unforgettable spiritual journey... you will remember the new lens by which you see your own world after reading this amazing story." --Dr. Joe Dispenza, author of You Are the Placebo

Persephone Rising: Awakening the Heroine Within by Carol S. Pearson ($26.99, 9780062318923)
Carol Pearson is the bestselling author of Awakening The Heroes Within and The Hero Within, which sold more than 250,000 copies and established Pearson as an expert on personal growth.

"The Hero Within was a life-changing book for me and my well-thumbed and underlined copy remains on my bookshelf. Now, many years in the making, it gives me great personal joy to publish Persephone Rising," said Boutote.

"It is at once a modern manifesto and a wisdom book that speaks to the heroine in every woman," said the book's editor, Libby Edelson.

Pearson's most powerful book to date, Persephone Rising draws upon the archetypes present in the ancient Greek myth of Persephone and Demeter to offer fresh vision for contemporary women to create deeper, more expansive, more heroic stories for their lives than can happen by merely choosing to lean in or out. Pearson shows today's women a new way to unlock potential within each of them, as only she can. Steeped in the enduring power of myth and archetypes to ignite real personal transformation, Pearson reveals effective strategies to accessing the archetypes of Persephone and Demeter to examine our own lives, using the archetypes' strengths as well as their shadow side as inspirations to create a better path not only for ourselves but for those around us. Taking the reader on a journey of self-discovery, Pearson shows how each of us can locate and harness the unique potential within ourselves to be happier, more fulfilled and to live our own heroic life story.

Carol Pearson

Not since Women Who Run with the Wolves has myth, wisdom and self-help been applied to the modern reader's life in such a meaningful and magical way.

"Persephone Rising spoke to my bone marrow--its truths resonating with clarity and power. A beautiful retelling and updating of these ancient archetypes--so relevant today." --Christiane Northrup, M.D., author of the New York Times bestsellers Goddesses Never Age; Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom;  and The Wisdom of Menopause.

"Pearson writes with an eye toward empowering women, not by disparaging men, but by pointing us in the direction of our lost history.... Her work has always been an exploration of the flowers that bloom through the cracks in the sidewalk. It would appear that those flowers, and Pearson herself, are now positioned for a spectacular moment in the sun. --Anna Jedrziewski, Retailing Insight

Sacred Nature ($9.99, 9780062434388) and Sacred Symbols by Lydia Hess ($9.99, 9780062434258)
HarperElixir's Coloring Books for the Soul offer two adult coloring books specifically for the spirituality market, Sacred Nature and Sacred Symbols.

Coloring Books for the Soul give "wisdom to color by" through combining mystical and magical imagery by graphic artist/illustrator Lydia Hess and special words of great power and wisdom, inviting the contemporary colorist to unleash creativity and connect with spirit.

"Coloring Books for the Soul are a unique addition to the rapidly growing adult coloring book category," said Claudia Boutote. "Bringing together the sacred elements of nature and mystical symbols beautifully illustrated in Lydia Hess's unique scratchboard-montage style as well as the positive words throughout feels like a joyous and a soul nourishing experience."

Sacred Nature: Coloring Experiences for the Mystical and Magical and Sacred Symbols are filled with images ranging from mandalas to sacred geometry or flora and fauna. Both titles also include inspiring words of wisdom, carefully selected as companions to every illustration, encouraging colorists to focus their positive intent into the act of coloring and on the general well being of themselves and others.

"Colorists will appreciate the care taken in choosing the stock and the binding," said the book's editor, Libby Edelson. "Each title includes 38 black and white colorable illustrations, printed on paper suitable for framing after being completed."

Lydia Hess is a graphic designer/illustrator and former president of the Portland chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, a designer trade association, whose work has appeared on the covers of published books and in national and regional design publications.

The marketing plan for the books include local "color-ins," blog coverage and a unique time-lapse video in which sample pages emerge from black and white to color. Download your own page to color from Sacred Nature and Sacred Symbols.

Turn Your Mate into Your Soulmate: A Practical Guide to Happily Ever After by Arielle Ford ($25.99, 9780062405548)
Arielle Ford has been one of the pioneers of the conscious living movement, first behind the scenes as publicist and brand advisor to luminaries from Deepak Chopra to Jack Canfield and her sister, Debbie Ford, and then as an author and visionary in her own right. Her first book published by HarperOne, The Soulmate Secret, was an international bestseller. "Since that time, Arielle has gone on to lecture on the subject at jam-packed workshops around the globe and on the website evolvingwisdom.com, and she now has 52,000 followers on Twitter," said Claudia Boutote.

In Turn Your Mate into Your Soulmate, Ford moves beyond The Soulmate Secret to offer new wisdom and insight about one of the most important relationships that lift and fulfill the human spirit. She explains that once we have manifested our soulmate, the journey together doesn't stop at the wedding (as myths and fairytale movies imply); in fact, that it is only the beginning. Filled with personal stories gleaned from more than 100 interviews about love and marriage as well as advice from experts from Harville Hendrix to John Gray, Neale Donald Walsh, Marianne Williamson and more, the book offers practical tools, techniques and actionable steps to dismantle barriers to harmony and happiness and to build a life with your significant other that moves from "annoyed" to "enjoyed."

Arielle Ford

Written with warmth, humor and sense of wonder, Turn Your Mate into Your Soulmate reveals that the recipe for a healthy relationship takes purpose and work, a sacred contract with your beloved, as well as a dash of the magic power of three (you, your mate and the divine), the ability to continually transform your story and ultimately the healing power of love. 

"Turn Your Mate into Your Soulmate is a must-read for all couples. The book is a profound guide towards true love, deep connection and soul partnership." --Gabrielle Bernstein, New York Times bestselling author of Miracles Now

"Arielle Ford helps readers find their own happy ending.... Her hands-on approach to love ever-lasting inspires readers to create the kind of relationship with their partners that they have always wanted, desired and so deeply deserve to have." --Katherine Woodward Thomas, author of Conscious Uncoupling

"Arielle Ford reveals the secrets to creating legendary love in this beautifully written and highly prescriptive book." --Marci Shimoff, author of Happy for No Reason

"Arielle's brilliant, absolutely profound wisdom on love teaches, inspires and proves to us all that no matter the circumstances, the most amazing love is attainable, right now." --Kailen Rosenberg, Celebrity Love Architect, author, TV/podcast host