Author Archives: Joanne Guidoccio

Book Blast: Me, Mom & The Monster

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Corinne Brown. Today, Corinne shares her memoir, Me, Mom & The Monster.

Blurb

“The results of your predictive testing are here, and they show that you did inherit the gene for Huntington’s disease.”

Those words, delivered by the neurologist to 57-year-old Mae Brown, forever changed her life and the lives of her family. Me, Mom & the Monster is a soul-stirring memoir that follows the path of this farming wife, businesswoman, mother and grandmother who lived a life with a monster of a disease. Interwoven with Mae’s story is that of her third child, Corinne, whose life is intrinsically connected to her mother’s diagnosis. Told from alternating voices of Corinne and her mother, this is a candid account of the harrowing effects of living with a fatal, genetic disease. Me, Mom & the Monster captures the authenticity and vulnerability of a mother and daughter who find themselves entwined in a long dance with a neurodegenerative disease.

Excerpt

MOM

“The results of your predictive testing are here, and they show that you did inherit the gene for Huntington’s disease.”

When the neurologist says those words to me and my husband, my heart drops to my feet, and I feel my breath leave my body. Although I had tried to be hopeful throughout this whole process, I am not entirely surprised by the outcome. Still, I immediately feel defeated and devastated. My shoulders slump, and I suddenly feel much older than my fifty-seven years. I look at my husband, sixty-eight years old. This is going to tarnish his golden years.

In the distance, I can faintly hear the doctor say some other words. I can hear a clock ticking, which seems loud to me. My husband is asking questions, but all I can focus on is the irrepressible image of my life unravelling. I wonder what the months and years will bring. When will it start? How severe will my symptoms be? How will my family cope? The annihilating assault of questions press non-stop in my brain.

The words are out there now; there is no going back. That one devastating sentence will change the trajectory of my life. My first thoughts are of my children—three daughters and a son—not only that they will have to watch the disease progress in their mother, but that they also might have the malicious gene. The guilt is immense, and I feel its monumental heaviness instantly. Please, I pray, don’t let any of them have this. How can I live with the weight of the guilt that they will now be at risk because of my genes?

Author Bio and Links

Corinne was 10 when she told her teacher that, when she grew up, she would be an author. A few decades may have passed since then, but the author dream was realized with the publication of her debut novel, Me, Mom & the Monster in the summer of 2026.

Corinne, a native Newfoundlander, grew up surrounded by books, newspapers and magazines. Her environment must have had some impact since she graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland with a Bachelor of Arts and then went on to pursue a Journalism diploma at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta.

Although her initial intention was to write fiction, Corinne says the story of Me, Mom & the Monster needed to be told first. She says sharing the intimate story of being part of a Huntington’s disease family opened the space for other ideas.

When she isn’t creating characters, and envisioning scenes and scenarios, she finds comfort in being outside. She lives in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada where she is continuously adding to her To Be Read stack and where she is currently writing her second book.

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon Buy Link

Giveaway

Corinne Brown will award a $10 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly selected winner. Find out more here.

Follow Corinne on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.

Interview with Jon Ketzer

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Jon Ketzner. Today, Jon shares his creative journey and new release, Coincidence.

Interview

What was your inspiration for this book?

Like many American Baby Boomers, I have always been drawn to the particulars of the assassination of President Kennedy. The actual cast of real characters involved in the decades long journey to that sad day in Dallas are almost unbelievably bigger-than-life. I had written and published a few short stories that tangentially touched on the Kennedy saga…so using them as building blocks, I constructed my meta-fiction overlay on the well-known historical events.

What is the best part of being an author? The worst?

I was a consulting actuary for 45 years. When I retired, I goofed around for a few years, happy to give the left side of my brain a rest, but didn’t really pursue writing except for the occasional Letter to the Editor. I read a lot and knew that I had some writing skills, and a snarky voice that I find amusing (unlike, say, my poor wife). I had a friend who is a small independent publisher to whom I wrote, inquiring if he might consider publishing another friend’s book…my publisher friend said no to that, but said he’d love to publish a book by me.

So I wrote a series of short stories, just stretching my authoring legs, and published an anthology. It was enjoyable and gave me something more productive to do than goofing off. Another short-story anthology followed, and now two novels…one book per year since 2023. I enjoy taking an almost tropey narrative and sexing it up with odd ball characters and smart ass to witty dialogue. I enjoy the storytelling more than the mechanics of writing, but sometimes I get into a zone and very much enjoy the buzz of the creative process.

The worst part of writing is, no surprise, when you find you’ve painted your narrative into a corner with no way out except a ridiculous plot device like in a bad soap opera, or going far enough back to re-write and create a plausible new journey for your story. I don’t like writing tiresome expository explanations and often, maybe too often, count on my readers to use their own brains and imaginations to connect the dots of my plotting.

Describe your writing space.

Not sure what you’re looking for here. I physically do most of my writing in public…a bookstore where I am the artist in residence, and coffee shops and saloons. I like the energy of passers-by checking in with me, sometimes challenging me but always making me feel like a literary busker working at my craft and like a ham head, showing off. If by space you mean genre or whatever, I only write fiction. I like writing dialogue; the snappier, the better, so that probably condemns me to writing action/mystery and historical novels like my most recent “Coincidence.”

Which authors have inspired you?

“Inspired” is probably too strong a verb to describe the effect other authors have had on me. Authors who I have read and enjoyed and wished I could ape in my writing are Henry Fielding, Joseph Heller, Gregory MacDonald, Gore Vidal, Christopher Buckley, E.L. Doctorow, Carl Hiasson, Elmore Leonard, Robert Crais and Tim Dorsey. Distinctive, funny characters and snappy dialogue carry their narratives. Agatha Christie types and ponderous John Irving types glaze over my brain.

Besides writing and reading, what are some of your hobbies?

I enjoy hiking, skiing, golf and bs-ing in bars and coffee shops. My wife loves traveling and drags me along in full curmudgeon mode…But I actually enjoy traveling too. I am a great admirer of the skill and mind-boggling cleverness of old to ancient infrastructure…buildings, roads, canals, railroads, tunnels, aqueducts, etc. and traveling allows me to admire that skill of those long dead builders much more intimately than just watching someone else’s YouTube visit.

Any advice for aspiring writers?

I have little to offer non-fiction writers other than the obvious…sit down, begin, write and realize when you are done. Finding an audience for whatever you have written is a challenge…it might cost you some money. But get it written first and have some folks you respect read and honestly review your work.

For fiction writers, have a compelling story to tell…worry about plausible plot twists, interesting characters and entertaining dialogue before worrying about flowery, obtuse, and annoying prose.

Tell the damn story.

What are you working on next?

I have a beginning about a rock-and-roll groupy who is impregnated by a member of the “27 Club.” Her child grows to become a Police Detective in the Philadelphia Police Department who, when his mother finally reveals his birth father, looks into his father’s death and then stumbles onto something hinky and oddly similar about the deaths of the members of the “27 Club.” The detective’s name is GK Hardace, whose nickname within the PPD is “Hardass,” which is the working title of my novel.

Blurb

On the eve of President John F. Kennedy’s final trip to Dallas, an irreverent narrator from the Ether begins to reveal the hidden chain of events that history never recorded. Spanning decades and weaving together Hollywood legends, political dynasties, secret affairs, and forgotten tragedies, Coincidence imagines how seemingly unrelated lives become entangled in the most infamous assassination of the twentieth century. From Joseph P. Kennedy and Gloria Swanson to Jackie Kennedy, Mary Pinchot Meyer, and the young Lee Harvey Oswald, every choice, passion, and betrayal sends ripples through time. Behind every headline lies another story, and every story hides a secret long buried. As the strands converge on November 22, 1963, the line between fate and accident begins to blur. Rich in historical detail and provocative speculation, Coincidence asks: was it really coincidence at all?

Excerpt

President Kennedy huddled with Dave Powers and Kenneth O’Donnell in the sixth-floor small conference room. Secret Service agents circled unobtrusively among the men. Vice President Lyndon Johnson orbited the group, along with miscellaneous officials and politicians.

At 8:45, the assembled high muckety-mucks elevatored to the lobby and strolled into the light rain. A large crowd had assembled in the parking lot. A flatbed truck served as a makeshift stage.

After unremarkable remarks by two of the locals, President Kennedy climbed onto the flatbed with a steroid enabled limber, made more uncomfortable by his back brace. He wore no protection against the rain. He spoke without notes.

“There are no faint hearts in Fort Worth, and I appreciate you being here this morning. Mrs. Kennedy is organizing herself. It takes longer, but, of course, she looks better than we do when she does it.”

Kennedy spoke extemporaneously for five minutes congratulating Fort Worth for its contributions to America’s defense and Texas’ efforts on behalf of the Space program. His youth and easy confidence stood in stark contrast to the buttoned-up, old farts who surrounded him atop the flatbed.

The parking lot crowd applauded with, as JFK might say, great vigor. The President smiled, waved and, with Dave Power’s discreet assistance, eased down from the flatbed. Still on schedule, the posse of politicians, assistants and security strode to the large ballroom of the Texas Hotel for breakfast.

Author Bio

Jon Ketzner was born in Cumberland, Maryland in the lovely Appalachian foothills. He grew up in Baltimore then graduated from Towson University with a degree in mathematics and went on to a long career as a consulting actuary. For many years, Jon and his family lived in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania before moving back to Cumberland in 1990.

As a recovering actuary and inspired by the Maryland Writers Association’s “Notable Authors” monthly challenges, Jon decided to try his hand at writing and give his left-brain side a rest. He cites as influences: Henry Fielding, Joseph Heller, Gregory McDonald, and Tim Dorsey.

Goodreads

Giveaway

Jon Ketzner will be awarding a $25 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.

Follow Jon on the rest of his Goddess Fish tour here.

Spotlight on Murder on the Menu

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome back author Joanna Vander Vlugt. Today, Today, Joanna shares the release of her anthology, Murder on the Menu, along with a short essay reflecting on the journey that brought it to life—the lessons learned, the unexpected turns, and what the experience revealed about writing, perseverance, and her mini-Schnauzers.

Here’s Ozzy!

Walk Out the Door First

How did I teach Ozzy, my ten-year-old mini-Schnauzer, to become an alpha? That memory from three years ago resurfaced when I pursued creating an anthology of short mystery stories. My spouse and I were getting a new puppy, also a mini-Schnauzer, and the breeder told me, if Ozzy and the pup were to get along, the pup needed to know who’s the boss. So, when the dogs were fed, Ozzy’s bowl was put down first, then the pup’s. When I took the dogs for a walk, Ozzy trotted out the door first, then the pup. Those two dogs got along great.

In January 2026, instead of making a New Year’s resolution I wouldn’t keep, I decided I’d publish an anthology. I contacted Winona Kent, former Chair of the Crime Writers of Canada. Winona has extensive writing experience and multiple novels published, including The Jason Davey Mystery Series. When I returned to writing after a ten year absence, Winona was the first writer I met. She agreed to be a guest on my podcast. She believed in me, and sometimes that’s all it takes.

For the stories, I decided on a 5000-word count and a theme encompassing food, cafés, diners, bakeries, and desserts. I had never published an anthology before and instead of soliciting stories, I approached writers. Two stories in Murder on the Menu were previously published in U.S. anthologies. The writers had their rights back, and I thought let’s bring those stories home.

Lesson one learned: Just because a short story has been published, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s ready for publication in another anthology. That story was written with a different demographic in mind. I also had four to six unpublished stories. Published or not, each story was edited. Winona and I fell into a system. I’d work with the writer through various drafts, then, when the writer and I believed the story was solid, it was bumped upstairs to Winona.

When I realized we would benefit from a meeting, I organized a Zoom call. Back to Ozzy. He was content to be one of the pack, as am I. The realization that I was leading this venture hit me, when during our first meeting, four eager writers (our pack), looked at me for direction. I was tempted to turn around to see who they were looking at.

Throughout the months I shared insights, asked questions, noted feedback, and asked for assistance when needed. As the Second-Act Sleuths, we pooled our strengths, be it social media posts, proofreading, or promotion. I never wanted a writer to feel pressured to do more. Writing is one facet in our complicated lives. My heart warmed when one writer, unbeknownst to us, reached out to her media contacts. The next thing we knew, she was scheduling us interviews on Radio Sidney and in the local paper. When Vicki Delany, the recipient of the 2019 Derrick Murdoch Award for contributions to Canadian crime writing, advised that she enjoyed the anthology and would write the Foreword, we were ecstatic!

We learned about each other. One writer is a medal-winning tri-athlete; two really love chocolate; the fourth can write in the voice of a UK citizen; and the fifth can write in the voice of a Greek male.

Lesson two learned: Passionate as I am about writing and wanting to put the best story forward, there is a fine line editors walk. They shouldn’t project their vision of the story onto the writer. There was an instance when I overstepped in communicating with a writer. I apologized, and I wish I had communicated better. I reminded myself of my own critiquing advice: address the issue, explain, make suggestions, and hopefully we can come to an agreement. I’m working towards my Simon Fraser University editing certificate. I have completed the Stylistic Editing and Structural Editing courses. In the Proofreading course, which I’m now taking, that lesson is emphasized.

With this anthology, I wanted to “pay it forward” and publish a story from a writer who hadn’t been previously published. I remembered hearing Judee Fong at an open-mic night, reading her story, which involved a dark-chocolate-loving detective. Her story made me laugh. She joined the Second-Act Sleuths. I’ve lost track the number of times I’ve wanted a dark chocolate cherry bomb after reading Judee’s story.

When I found myself short a story, Winona said something along the lines of, “Give me three weeks, and I’ll have one for you.”

Did she deliver. Her story Angostura Bitters came in around 12,000 words. She edited it, and brought it in around 9000. It is the longest story in the anthology; however, the reader doesn’t register that. Winona seamlessly pulls the reader into Bertie Caroway’s 19th century manor with her humour and sarcasm—two ingredients which can be found in all the stories.

Word of our anthology has spread across provinces. I’ve been contacted by a writer requesting to be considered for the next one, and there will be a second one. The theme has been chosen but that’s top secret. The current Second-Act Sleuths want to be contributors, which tells me, despite my mistakes, I’ve also done a few things right. In September 2027, I’ll be putting out a call for short stories. I look forward to welcoming new writers into the Second-Act Sleuths fold.

Lesson three learned: I forgot how much I love book design.

During the creation of Murder on the Menu, Ozzy crossed over the rainbow bridge. Eight weeks ago, Ozzy Imprint became a registered book production proprietorship with its own business number and seal. My eyes still brim with tears when I think about teaching my old mini-schnauzer how to become an alpha. Ozzy was a sweet dog, who waited near the kitchen island as I made my mocha, then traipsed down the hall with me into the office. Ozzy taught me how to walk out the door first.

Blurb

Murder on the Menu begins with Winona Kent’s short story, Between Stations, which whisks readers back to 1973 and seventeen-year old Lucy, who moves to London in need of adventure, and does she ever find it. In CJ Papoutsis’s, Murder at the Acropolis, Nick “The Bookie,” the owner of a Greek café in a sleazy part of Victoria finds a body outside his back door. In Winging It, Zosia, a Polish immigrant living in Sacramento, drops out of college when her older brother is shot and killed during a convenience store robbery. She buys a food truck and sells chicken wings to support herself but making ends meet is a challenge. Angry when a customer appears to be conducting criminal activity at one of the tables, Zosia decides to investigate. Why would a killer poison his victim, steal his ugly ornament and leave a piece of decadent dark chocolate beside the body? Soon-to-be-retired Detective Newton Figby is hot on the trail in Death with Chocolate. The concluding story, The Lady in Pink, touches upon a cold case file involving a senator’s son, and three teenage girls, who may, or may not have committed murder.

These are a few of the entertaining stories that can be read in Murder on the Menu. Available on October 6, 2026, at your favourite book retailer or through the following universal link https://books2read.com/u/3GyNVa

Contributors

WINONA KENT
Between Stations
Angostura Bitters

DEBRA HENRY – Winging It

C.J. PAPOUTSIS
Murder at the Acropolis
Mother Always Kept a Gun

JUDEE FONG – Death with Chocolate

JOANNA VANDER VLUGT
Mr. Buffed and Buttered
The Lady in Pink

Biography (Joanna Vander Vlugt)

Joanna Vander Vlugt is an author and illustrator. As a child she hated to read, and it wasn’t until she read Enid Blyton’s adventure series, The Famous Five, that Joanna’s world changed. Joanna’s short mysteries have been published in a variety of mystery anthologies. She draws upon her 13 years’ experience working in the prosecutor’s office and 10 years working in the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner for inspiration for her Jade & Sage Thriller Series. She has taken SFU’s Structural Editing, and Stylistic Editing courses, and she is continuing her editing education this Fall.

Nudged Out of the Nest

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

Here’s a thought-provoking reflection from international speaker and bestselling author Joyce Meyer:

Baby eagles spend the first three months of their lives in the comfortable nest their parents have prepared. But eaglets get a big surprise when they are about twelve weeks old. Their mother suddenly begins throwing all their toys out of the nest.

Next, she pulls out all the comfortable material in the nest—the feathers and the animal fur—and leaves the babies sitting on thorns and sticks. This is what the Bible means when it mentions that the mother eagle “stirs up her nest.” The reason she stirs the nest is that she wants her babies to get out and fly.

Before long, the mother eagle nudges them out of the nest. The little eaglets, who have no idea how to fly, fall through the sky, probably very frightened. Soon, though, they hear a “whooooooosh” as the mother eagle swoops up under them to catch them. At that point, the mother eagle takes the babies right back up to the nest and then nudges them out again. She keep repeating the process, over and over again, until they finally understand that they have no choice but to fly.

The mother eagle does this because she loves them and wants them to have the best lives they can possibly have. Most eaglets won’t get out of the nest without this push. Similarly, most of us will also choose comfort over challenge unless we have no choice at all.

Do you feel God is working in your life the same way the mother eagle does with her young? Has he been pulling some of the padding out of your nest so you find yourself sitting on prickly branches? Is he saying to you, “Come on, it’s time to fly”? If so, remember the mother eagle’s intentions and know that you can trust God’s good intentions for you.

Source: Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer

Spotlight on Unladylike by Regina Louise

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome poet Regina Louise. Today, Regina shares her writing journey and debut poetry collection, Spotlight on Unladylike.

Here’s Regina!

What was your inspiration for this book?

Unladylike: A Mythopoetic Reclamation of Love is my answer to leaving a toxic relationship. After I left, I began recognizing the pattern and disengaging from it. But I also wanted to put something back into my life. To understand what that could be, I needed to understand what I was taking out.

What had I taken in as love? What toxic love language had I learned to speak, accept, and organize my life around?

This book became the provocateur. Poetry allowed me to question that language, to name what I was purging, and to imagine what I wanted to create in its place. I wanted a language of love in which I could remain present, whole, and recognizable to myself.

The poems became coordinates that would lead me back to myself again and again and again.

Unladylike: A Mythopoetic Reclamation of Love also grew from a question I could no longer postpone: What would it mean to stop waiting for someone else to prove that I was worthy of love?

I know how to make things work. I know how to survive, adapt, and find possibility in difficult circumstances. But I began to wonder what it would feel like for love to hold me, too. Writing these poems gave me a place to hear my own longing without abandoning myself to it.

The book became an act of self-mothering. Through image, rhythm, and memory, I began reclaiming parts of myself that had learned to go quiet. Each poem (again) became a coordinate back to me.

What is the best part of being an author? The worst?

The best part is when something deeply personal finds a home in another person. A reader recognizes herself in a sentence, and suddenly an experience she thought was hers alone has language. That connection means a great deal to me.

The hardest part is releasing work that matters to me and accepting that I cannot govern how it will be received. I can be careful, honest, and devoted to the writing, and someone may still misunderstand it. There is vulnerability in that. I’m learning to let the work have its life while continuing to live mine.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

I would want to help people see themselves before they learned to believe they were unworthy.

I think about the child who begins arranging herself around someone else’s inability to love her. I would want to reach her in that moment and say, “You get to remain yourself. Their inability to recognize your worth does not erase it.”

Perhaps writing is one way I keep reaching for that superpower.

Any advice for aspiring writers?

Pay attention to the language you use when you aren’t trying to sound like a writer. Your voice may already be there—in the way you tell a story, ask a question, or name something that everyone else walks past.

Give yourself permission to write before you understand everything you’re writing about. Sometimes the image arrives before the meaning. Stay curious long enough to discover what it holds.

Then return and do the work of shaping it. Read aloud. Listen. Revise. Your experience deserves care, and so does the reader who will meet it on the page.

What are you working on next?

I’m developing workshops that invite people to write their wounds into myth.
This grows directly from my experience of writing Unladylike . Poetry helped me stay in relationship with myself through change and loss. I want to create spaces where others can explore that possibility, too.

The question guiding me is: How can writing help us remain ourselves while our lives are changing?

Blurb

Unladylike: A Mythopoetic Reclamation of Love is a lyrical collection of poetry and prose exploring love, survival, embodiment, and the journey of returning to the self. Blending literary poetry with personal reflection, Regina Louise examines relationships, identity, trauma, healing, and the process of reclaiming one’s voice after loss and betrayal.

Through intimate poems and essays, Unladylike maps the emotional terrain between heartbreak and self-discovery, inviting readers into a deeply human exploration of resilience, self-love, and personal transformation. Her work speaks to readers interested in emotional healing, spiritual growth, women’s voices, and the reclamation of dignity through storytelling and creative expression.

Rooted in mythopoetic inquiry and lived experience, this collection moves through memory, desire, grief, and repair, offering language for those navigating change, recovery, and the search for meaning. Unladylike is both an artistic work and an invitation-to witness oneself honestly and to return to what was always there.

Excerpt

Teeth Jewelry

I didn’t take it lying down—
my legs spread eagle, leaking,
like a broke-back Aphrodite,
or Erzulie Freda dispossessed of her longing.

The way you uninvited me
to the wedding—
I’d planned for two months to attend.

Fresh out of a group home,
I was certain I would arrive.
I showed up at your front door.
My hair set in Jada curls—
edges swooped in,
baby hairs laid down—
two hours under a hot-ass dryer
to get them right.

Your brother answered,
fraudulence jutting from his eyes,
said you weren’t home. Yet.
What about the black and champagne
Bentley in your driveway?
Your hubcapped feet, your only wheels.
It belonged to the girl from Baldwin Hills.
Eyes same color as mine.
Her daddy was a doctor.
Yours ran a dojo.

I took my financial aid money,
got myself a crepe de chine
Norma Kamali mini dress—
on sale, sale, sale at I. Magnin.
Fishnet pantyhose.

My first manicure—
to dig desolation from beneath
my dirty fingernails,
just to look respectable.

In pointed-toe flats,

I kicked and scratched my way
through the door,
two stairs at a time.

I followed my knowing into your lair.
My right hook, a javelin.
I threw a punch at your face—
a black belt trophy, barely missed.
You were fifth degree.

My jaw dislocated instantly
from the butt of your palm.

She ran for her life.
I ran into your fury.
And then—
my skin tore
you bit my face,
my arms,
the tops of my hands,
my wrists
my neck,
my bicep,

my shoulders,
the soles of my hands.

Clad in a blusa campesina,
a peasant shirt, off-the-shoulder,
in technicolor—my flesh on parade
fresh with the imprint of your
Central, lateral incisors.
Canines.

I returned to my social work theory seminar.

I wore your teeth jewelry
like a queen.

A gypsy skirt sashayed my hips.

I wore ankle bracelets
with fake gold coins
and fabricated seashells.

Everyone heard me coming.

I returned from Spring Break
baptized in a pain so exquisite,
one might mistake it
or all of who I was.

No matter.

I got my licks in, too.
Not just for me—
but for Tina Turner.
And all the rest of us
who stayed—
wired to do so.

Author Bio and Links

Regina Louise is a poet, writer, teacher, speaker, executive coach, whose work explores the intersection of memory, belonging, identity, and emotional liberation. The author of three books—two of which have been adapted for film: Somebody’s Someone, Someone Has Led This Child to Believe and Permission Granted: Kick Ass Strategies to Bootstrap your Way to Unconditional Self-Love—she has spent more than three decades helping people transform adversity into authorship through story, self-inquiry, and radical compassion.

A senior teacher with the Hoffman Process, Regina is known for guiding profound conversations about restoring dignity, resilience, attachment, and the art of becoming fully oneself. Whether on stage, in classrooms, behind a microphone, or in intimate workshop settings, she invites audiences to reimagine the stories that have shaped their lives and discover the freedom that awaits beyond them.

Her forthcoming collection, Unladylike: A Mythopoetic Reclamation of Love (September 2026), marks her debut poetry collection. Blending poetry, lyrical prose, and aphoristic reflections, it is a fearless meditation on love, loss, self-possession, and the sacred work of returning home to oneself.

Regina Louise lives in California, where she continues to write, teach, and create work that honors the transformative power of language to restore dignity, deepen connection, and reclaim what has always belonged to us.

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Amazon | Bookshop.org

Giveaway

Regina Louise will be awarding a $25 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.

Follow Regina on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.




Embrace Every Moment

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

A long-time fan of bestselling authors and coaches Marc and Angel Chernoff, I look forward to reading their emails and blog posts. Here’s an excerpt from a recent post:

As we all look forward to the next step in our lives, I know many of us are yearning for a simpler and more selective range of life experiences — the happy days, the normal times, the settings and experiences that make us feel more comfortable. And yet, the full range of our reality often brings something very different. The days ahead will inevitably offer an extensive array of experiences that evoke feelings ranging from sadness and struggle to growth and pride, and more.

So we have a choice starting today. We can revolt against reality — the reality of having to deal with discomfort, cope with uncertainty, and sometimes feel upset. Or we can embrace every experience life gives us, including all our highs and lows — all the blissful moments, frustrating ones, and everything in between. Life is not just happy and comfortable 24/7. It’s well-rounded, and it’s ever-changing.

Embracing the full range of life’s experiences means embracing every moment with our full presence, being open and vulnerable to reality, being gentle with ourselves when moments are tougher than we expected, and practicing sincere gratitude whenever possible…

It means accepting life as it is and accepting ourselves as we are.

It means not expecting the best to happen at every step, but instead accepting what happens at each step and making the best of it.

And it won’t always be easy, of course, but it’s worth remembering and practicing daily so we are prepared when a day comes that’s much harder than we expected.

Note: I highly recommend subscribing to Marc & Angel’s website.

Blurb Blitz: Killer Friends

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome multi-published author Chris Karlsen. Today, Chris shares her new release, Killer Friends.

Blurb

Henrietta Newell stormed into the detective bureau. She claimed her adult son was missing and feared for his safety. The detectives attempted to reassure her that the absence of a bachelor in his thirties, in a city like London, wasn’t extraordinary. Despite their efforts, she insisted an investigation be conducted, reminding them of her political connections.

Detective Rudyard Bloodstone and his partner were told to look into the matter. Their investigation reveals evidence of suspicious and unusual activity but no clues regarding the man’s disappearance. The few leads they develop take them from the world of wealthy families and into the secret society of sexual peculiarities.

The detectives discover the victim didn’t simply disappear. He was murdered. They have the evidence except for one problem, they’re missing the victim’s body.

Excerpt

Coopersmith and Hamblin had waited for Ruddy and Archie to leave Jameson’s office. “Well?” Hamblin asked.

“He wants us to give it two more nights to see if this mystery man Lacey spoke of shows” Ruddy dropped into his desk chair. Frustrated and fed up with the time already wasted at The Prince’s Hat, he thought Jameson would call off the stakeout. Ruddy had argued against it but the superintendent insisted.

Ruddy dreaded telling Newell’s mother they’d done all they could. “The worst is going to be telling Newell’s mum we’re closing the case as unsolved. She’ll forever hope,” Ruddy said, resigned. “Without a body, she’ll take that hope to her grave.”

“As would mine,” Archie said.

Jameson’s decision delayed having that unhappy conversation. Making them spend another two nights in hope of arresting a drunk who may or may be a possible accomplice was like picking at a scab, in Ruddy’s opinion.

“If we are able to bring this man in, I’ll be sorely tempted to resort to violence. Whatever it takes to get to the truth and settle this bloody case,” Arch said, as peeved at the assignment as Ruddy.

Archie rarely threatened to turn violent. The few times he had, Ruddy enjoyed the thrashing. He jumped in when needed, which wasn’t often. A few suspects had underestimated Archie. Grey had begun to streak Arch’s brown hair and crow’s feet had lightly gathered by his eyes but age hadn’t affected his strength. Before he joined the police force, he’d partnered with his father, a stone mason, lifting, and stacking stones all day. He still helped his dad with the heavier stone work. Clothing hid his powerful arms.

“You may get your chance yet,” Ruddy teased. “Let’s crack on and get this pub business over.”

Author Bio and Links

Chris is a Chicago native who grew up with a love of history and books.

Passionate about traveling her travels have taken her Europe, the Near East, and North Africa, in addition to most of the United States.

Chris spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two agencies. Harboring a strong desire to write, upon retiring, Chris decided to pursue her desire. She writes three different series. Her Bloodstone series, which is set in Victorian London, features homicide Detective Rudyard Bloodstone.

She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and four wild and crazy rescue dogs.

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Giveaway

Chris Karlsen will be awarding a $20 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.

Follow Chris on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.

Welcoming Autumn

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Known as the UK’s best-selling living poet, Donna Ashworth first rose to prominence during the 2020 lockdown, when her poem “History Will Remember When the World Stopped” went viral and helped raise funds for the NHS. In the years since, her work has continued to resonate, offering reflections on resilience, connection, and hope.

Here’s one of my favorites…perfect for the season: