The Spiritus Team
Spiritus (Latin): breath, life, inspiration
At Spiritus Books, we know the publishing industry can seem overwhelming, maybe even a little scary.
We make the process of writing your book as simple and smooth as possible; we obsess over the details, so that you don’t have to. Through ghostwriting, editing, and author coaching, we help authors write difficult, therapeutic stories—or books that build their businesses.
Scott Carbonara
CEO
Ghostwriter • Author Coach• Speaker
Scott is an award-winning author, ghostwriter, keynote speaker, and executive consultant who brings authentic leadership to life from the boardroom to the family room. He’s been called The Leadership Therapist due to his credentials. First, he served as a crisis counselor, earning Family Therapist of the Year for the State of Michigan. Then in corporate America, he led as executive director of strategic communications and change management. Eventually he assumed the role of chief-of-staff of internal operations for a multi-billion-dollar healthcare company.
Scott is the author of multiple books–including two on employee engagement (McGraw-Hill and Wiley and Sons) and another on self-leadership (Business Expert Press). Scott’s deep creativity shines in his unique, memorable presentations, video production projects, and writing.
Jocelyn Carbonara
President & COO
Editor • Ghostwriter • Author Coach
As an editor and writer for more than 25 years, Jocelyn passionately crafts books that make a difference—in business and life. After writing and editing for international magazines—where she interviewed Dr. Maya Angelou, Coach Tony Dungy, as well as prominent physicians, scientists, and leaders—she became a go-to editor in memoir, business/leadership, health/well-being, social justice, and spirituality/inspiration. Her experience as a leadership consultant certified in change management helps her guide executives, entrepreneurs, and speakers in crafting books to support their vision. And she is driven to excavate and elevate the stories of authors who have endured physical or emotional trauma. While keeping an author’s “voice” intact, Jocelyn obsesses over finding the perfect words to reflect her clients’ vision.
Our unique combined background—including crisis counseling, executive leadership, writing, executive coaching, organizational consulting, and professional keynote speaking—allows us to adapt to authors from diverse backgrounds. We aren’t afraid to tackle complex topics and traumatic stories.
Who are our clients? We’ve worked with TV personalities, pro athletes, medical doctors, professors, executive leaders, entrepreneurs, professional speakers, consultants, and those who have struggled with and/or overcome addiction, abuse, illness, severe injury, grief, family tragedies, or mental health challenges. Our clients include leaders from Google, Wal-Mart, AT&T Global, and the federal government—as well as those who simply want to tell their story or market their platform or business model. Our authors come from every continent except Antarctica (if you know someone there who needs help with a book, hook us up).
Several of our authors have won major awards for the books we helped them craft. We’ve helped them earn endorsements from prominent voices such as NFL coach Mike Ditka, TV psychologist Dr. Drew, Hollywood actress and supermodel Jennifer Gimenez, and NYT bestselling authors Jack Canfield, Gary Chapman, and Jon Acuff. One was recently signed for a major motion picture.
Our clients consistently refer us to others; we’d love to show you why. Reach out today to see if we might be a fit for your editing, ghostwriting, or author coaching needs.
Our Values
Authenticity—We are clear and consistent in who we are, and we respect each client for their unique voice, strengths, and history.
Purpose-Driven—We prioritize work that heals, inspires, builds resilience, and fosters positive change at home, at work, and throughout the world.
Passion—We take full ownership to maximize a client’s message, immersing ourselves in each project with the aim of building their legacy.
Creativity—We harness all of our skills to craft the most memorable story and principles, using our client’s voice as the vehicle.
“I couldn’t be happier with my choice of using Spiritus Books for writing/editing my memoir about my decade in the NFL. Scott dove in with insightful and probing questions, and then he captured the most engaging story arc I could imagine. Jocelyn provided details to make the book shine. They then connected me to other professionals to help me publish. I quickly became a bestseller, with reviewers saying they ‘couldn’t put it down.’ Best of all, the book has helped many people. Spiritus exceeded any expectations.”
“Jocelyn and her husband, Scott, were an absolute pleasure to work with. With their experience, intellect and work ethic, It’s hard to imagine that you can find anyone better for the job of editing and ghostwriting. We will be working with both Jocelyn and Scott again in the near future!”
“‘Thorough’ doesn’t begin to describe how thorough Jocelyn is with her work. She is vested in your success.”