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.

Whenever I feel frustrated or overwhelmed, I reread the following parable:

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She then pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me, what do you see?”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, “What does it mean, Mother?”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity — boiling water — but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

“Which are you?” she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?”

“Are you like the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, wilts and becomes soft?”

“Are you like the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat and acquires a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?”

“Or are you like the coffee bean that actually changes the hot water–the very circumstances that bring the pain? If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you instead of letting it change you.”

Author Unknown

I Have an Amazing Life Ahead of Me!

Posted on December 16, 2019 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome award-winning romance author Peggy Jaeger. Today, Peggy shares her writing journey and new release, Today, Tomorrow, Always.

Here’s Peggy!

Thank you so much, Joanne, for hosting me on your wonderful blog today.

Writing careers are as varied and different and plentiful as there are stars in the night sky. Writers come to the craft from every direction, at every time in life, and through all avenues, myself no different. I was a lifelong diarist and non-fiction writer before I ever got a fiction book published by a traditional publisher. I had a great deal of personal and professional success with published articles on the nursing profession during my time as a registered nurse, a head nurse, and a nursing care coordinator, but nothing in the fiction arena.

From a career in nursing I entered another field in my thirties as an ophthalmic technician and worked as such for over 20 years. In that time frame I also had many trade articles on contact lenses, kids with contact lenses and the elderly wearing contact lenses all published in various journals and magazines of optometry and nursing.

In my fifties, while undergoing severe menopause insomnia, I decided to start writing a story that had been swimming around in my head for several years. That little story, written during the hours of 1 am and 4 am every day for 3 months, became the first book I ever had published.

That was 2015 and four years on, I’ve never looked back. With the release of my two newest books, TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS ( 12.4.19) and A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: RICK (1.13.20) I’m up to 20 published works and all but one are from traditional publishers.

I’m 59 and looking forward to what my life is going to be like in my 60’s. If it’s anything as rewarding as my first 5 decades were, then I have an amazing life ahead of me!

Blurb

Lawyer Cathleen O’Dowd wants to break free from her boring image. Widowed young, she’s toed the good-girl line but now wants a little fun and laughter in her days…and nights. Living in a small town, though, she can’t do anything that would tarnish her professional reputation.

Mac Frayne’s tragic past has turned him into a sullen loner. In town to write a book on the city’s founder, his plan is to get it done, then head home to his solitary existence.

When circumstances force them to work together, their opposing personalities clash, but the sexual attraction between them is palpable.

Can a simple affair with an end date be just the thing to brighten up their lives?

Excerpt

His expression changed from wide-eyed with excitement to something entirely different. Something deep and dark and—gulp—wild.

He repeated my name, and before I could blink, a pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist and a torso I knew was as solid and defined as a redwood tree flattened against the front of me.

He dipped his head, those dreamy eyes dark now with desire, and zeroed in on my own like a laser pointer. Hypnotized by the naked need facing me, I took a breath—a physical and a mental one—and pushed up on my unshod toes until my lips pressed against his.

For a nanosecond, Frayne stilled. The notion that he didn’t want this blew across my mind. A beat later and the thought died as his arms tightened and he pulled me fully against his body.

And then kissed me back.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Dearly Beloved, the first book in the series, I eagerly awaited this installment. From the start, I rooted for Cathy and Mac, the delightfully flawed, older protagonists, who are instantly attracted to each other. The scenes with Nanny Fee and Cathy’s sisters add humor and even more drama to the storyline. Ms. Jaeger excels in the writing of second chance romances and multi-generational tales.

Next, please!

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Apple Books

Bio

Peggy Jaeger is a contemporary romance writer who writes Romantic Comedies about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them. If she can make you cry on one page and bring you out of tears rolling with laughter the next, she’s done her job as a writer!

Family and food play huge roles in Peggy’s stories because she believes there is nothing that holds a family structure together like sharing a meal…or two…or ten. Dotted with humor and characters that are as real as they are loving, she brings all topics of daily life into her stories: life, death, sibling rivalry, illness and the desire for everyone to find their own happily ever after. Growing up the only child of divorced parents she longed for sisters, brothers and a family that vowed to stick together no matter what came their way. Through her books, she’s created the families she wanted as that lonely child.

When she’s not writing Peggy is usually painting, crafting, scrapbooking or decoupaging old steamer trunks she finds at rummage stores and garage sales.

A lifelong and avid romance reader and writer, Peggy is a member of RWA and her local New Hampshire RWA Chapter.

As a lifelong diarist, she caught the blogging bug early on, and you can visit her at peggyjaeger.com where she blogs daily about life, writing, and stuff that makes her go “What??!”

Where to find Peggy…

Spotlight on The Invisibles

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome multi-published author and poet Rachel Dacus. Today, Rachel shares her new release, The Invisibles.

Blurb

Sisters Saffron and Elinor inherit a cottage on the Italian coast from their father, along with its resident ghost and a secret manuscript. Their rivalry explodes through a struggle for control of the inheritance.

Saffron has a genius for creative living, but ever since her judgmental older sister interfered in her love life, Saffron and Elinor haven’t spoken. When death brings them together at their father’s funeral in Rome, the battle re-ignites. It continues as they travel up the Italian coast to take possession of their cottage. Both secretly wish to mend fences, but they have opposite views about the best way to live.

Saffron has always sensed the “Invisibles”, people lingering after their demise. When the spirit who lives in the house predicts one sister might die, she takes it seriously, but can’t convince her practical-minded sister.

As they prepare the house for sale, Italy infuses its magic in food, festivals, and local love interests — until a shocking night changes everything for the sisters and their friends.

A tale of sisterhood and the supernatural, perfect for fans of Mary Ellen Taylor and Barbara O’Neal.

Praise for The Invisibles

Author Dacus does a superb job bringing the village of Lerici to life, from the smells of the sea to the pungency of the local olive oil, and showing how the Italian way of life changes both women. An enjoyable, romantic read. — Suanne Schafer, author of HUNTING THE DEVIL

Excerpt

Saffron glared at her black-suited sister across their father’s grave in Rome’s Protestant Cemetery. It was nearly empty for their father’s funeral, only Elinor, this small bunch of stylish Italians also wearing black, and herself in lavender. Was it worth coming all the way from Berkeley, with her domineering sister, for this ritual? Ellie had written a solemn ceremony, as if Dad would have enjoyed the pomp. Okay, maybe he was enjoying it, but Saffron knew he was hating being dead.

She could tell by the purple glimmers that swarmed over his casket that Dad was disturbed by his situation, but he’d soon grow calm.

Her superior sister, with her perfect pageboy and dark suit, looked embarrassed tossing red rose petals onto the casket. Good, she should. The cheesy petal-tossing idea had been Ellie’s. She was always planning and calculating. She could never do anything spontaneously. It was as if all the energy in Ellie’s body flowed up and gathered in her brain, where it pulsed in constant, bossy motion.

But then Saffron remembered she didn’t want to be critical, especially not with her sister, who had invited her to come. She tried to put on a hopeful expression, to please Ellie—and then she remembered Ellie wouldn’t like to see her smiling at the funeral.

The judgmental vibes were probably flowing from Ellie, who was always embarrassed by something. Often it was by Saffron and her spontaneity, which was, yes, a little messy. And what Elinor dismissively called imaginative. To Ellie, the mix-up with the plane reservations had proved yet again why Saffron wasn’t competent. After Saffron booked the wrong dates, Elinor took over with a flourish. Her sister loved to take charge. Ever since childhood, Ellie had honed her management skills by running Saffron’s life.

Yes, it was true, Saffron needed help. Of course, she wasn’t perfect. Okay, she was about to turn thirty and hadn’t yet begun adulting. But at this moment, she was proud of herself for coming along and trying to mend fences with Ellie—as proud as you could feel with drizzle plastering your hair onto your face, your boot heels sinking into the spongey ground, and your sister frowning at your smile.

Ms. Dacus has an extraordinary gift for making each scene come alive. At times, it felt like I was actually on location, sampling the delicious coastal food, participating in local festivities, and immersing myself in all that Italy has to offer. I found myself rooting for both half-sisters, who have been torn apart by their diverse personalities and rivalry. I hoped they would reconcile and restore their once-close relationship. Introducing ghosts—aka Invisibles—and a treasure hunt for a missing manuscript add elements of suspense to this well-written, character-driven novel.

Author Bio and Links

Rachel Dacus is the author of The Invisibles, a novel of sisterhood with a touch of the supernatural. “An enjoyable, romantic read.” The Renaissance Club is a time travel love story featuring the great 17th century Italian sculptor Gianlorenzo Bernini, who meets and falls for his superfan from future time. “Enchanting, rich and romantic.” Dacus has written four poetry collections: Arabesque, Gods of Water and Air (poetry, prose, and drama), Earth Lessons and Femme au Chapeau. She lives in Northern California with her husband and Silky Terrier. When not writing, she raises funds for good causes.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

Giveaway

Rachel Dacus will be awarding a $40 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

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

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Posted on December 11, 2019 by Joanne Guidoccio

First published in 1989, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey was an instant bestseller. With over 25 million copies sold worldwide in over 40 languages, this book continues to help millions of readers become more effective in both their personal and professional lives. Here’s a brief summary of those essential habits:

Movie Review: Knives Out

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Joanne Guidoccio

Described as a whodunit for the Trump era, Knives Out brims with A-list actors, plot twists, and red herrings.

The film opens with a dead body. Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), a bestselling mystery author, is found with his throat cut in an upstairs den of a large, sprawling Victorian mansion.

The scene quickly shifts to Harlan’s dysfunctional family. Everyone from his realtor daughter Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her unfaithful husband Richard (Don Johnson) to his moody and jealous youngest son Walt (Michael Shannon) to his lifestyle guru daughter-in-law Joni (Toni Collette) to his playboy grandson Ransom (Chris Evans) is a suspect.

From start to finish, I enjoyed watching these schemers and dreamers alternate between grief, guilt, and entitlement with their self-serving lies, black humor, and squabbling.

As for the help…Harlan’s trusted caregiver Marta (Ana de Armas) assumes a central role when flamboyant Louisiana investigator Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) makes Marta his sidekick. An intriguing character, Marta, possesses an unusual propensity for vomiting whenever she utters a falsehood.

In a series of well-placed flashbacks, writer and director Rian Johnson reveals the events that led to Harlan’s untimely death. But there are holes (doughnut holes according to Benoit) in this investigation. Determined to solve the murder, Benoit often says one thing and then does another. When first introduced, he informs the family: “You will find me a quiet, passive observer of the truth.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

This dazzling murder mystery has already garnered three Golden Globe nominations in the Comedy genre: Best Actor (Daniel Craig), Best Actress (Ana de Armas), and Best Motion Picture.

A must-see film!

TCIO Party for Guelph #NaNoWriMo

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Joanne Guidoccio

Yesterday afternoon, I joined nine other NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) participants at Fionn MacCool’s in south Guelph for our TCIO (Thank Chuck It’s Over) party.

A diverse group, we hail from Guelph, Milton, Kitchener, and Wellington County. Our conversation was lively and diverse as we shared our NaNoWriMo journeys and discussed recent movies, careers, Canadian and American politics, and screenwriting.

Thanks to our M.L. Cindy Carroll for organizing and motivating us throughout the month.

My final stats…51,446 words with an average of 1,714 words per day.

De-Stress With Humor

Posted on December 8, 2019 by Joanne Guidoccio

According to one study, adults laugh—on average—seventeen times a day. Pre-school children, on the other hand, can laugh up to 300 times a day.

That discrepancy becomes even more pronounced at this time of the year. With less than three weeks to go before Christmas, many of us are scrambling to buy gifts, finish decorating, plan and prepare that special meal, and a host of other activities on a never-ending To-Do list.

Continue reading on the Soul Mate Authors blog.

Book Blast: Christmas With You

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome USA Today bestselling author Nan Reinhardt. Today, Nan shares her new release, Christmas With You.

Blurb

She’s loved him all her life… but will he be there when she needs him the most?

Disheartened and adrift after being written out of a hit TV show, actor Aidan Flaherty returns to his family’s historic winery, where he’s invested some of the fortune he’s made. As the holidays approach, Aidan becomes intrigued with the old showboat that’s dry-docked just east of town… and even more intrigued with the daughter of his former mentor, who now owns it. He decides to buy the boat and restore it to its former glory.

Single mom Holly Santos is back in River’s Edge after her divorce and she is over men in general and actors in particular. If she could only get rid of her father’s old showboat, a source of fascination for her son, Mateo. She never expects her old crush to walk into her tea shop or the fireworks that happen every time they’re in the same room. Can Aidan convince her that he is determined to restore their shared heritage on the showboat and that he’s home to stay?

Excerpt

“You have beautiful eyes.” Oh, good God. The words were out before he could stop them. Immediately, he backpedaled. “I’m not coming on to you, I swear, it’s just this is the first time I’ve actually seen someone with violet eyes. I-I mean… in person.” Heat rose in his cheeks. Blushing! Holy crap. He didn’t blush anymore—hadn’t in years.

She punched in his purchases. “Come on, rock star. All those Hollywood starlets and groupies and not a single one had eyes the same color as mine?” Her voice dripped sarcasm as she held out her hand for his credit card. “It’s thirteen sixty with tax.”

He fumbled in his wallet for his Amex Black card. “Why do you keep calling me that? I’m an actor, not a rock star.”

“I’m using it generically.” She passed the card back to him with another eye roll. “We don’t take Amex. What else have you got?”

Biting his lip to keep from expelling a frustrated breath, he handed over his VISA, the one where two percent of the money he spent went to save the redwoods. If it impressed her at all, she hid it well as she tapped the card on the screen, thrust it back at him, and turned the screen around so he could sign it with his finger. He hated doing that. His signature always ended up looking like his six-year-old niece, Ali, had written it. “Thanks so much for opening up for me.”

“Don’t expect me to do it again.” She walked swiftly around the counter to the door, twisted the key in the lock, opened it, then stood glaring at him, one hand on her slim hip.

In that moment, Aidan could have sworn they’d met before. “You look really familiar. Do I know you?”

Buy Links

Meant to Be | A Small Town Christmas | Christmas With You

Author Bio and Links

Nan Reinhardt is a USA Today-bestselling author of romantic fiction for women in their prime. Yeah, women still fall in love and have sex, even after 45! Imagine! She is a wife, a mom, a mother-in-law, and a grandmother. Nan has been a copyeditor and proofreader for over 25 years, and currently works on romantic fiction titles for a variety of clients, including Avon Books, St. Martin’s Press, Kensington Books, and Entangled Publishing, as well as for many indie authors.

Although she loves her life as an editor, writing is Nan’s first and most enduring passion. Her latest series, Four Irish Brothers Winery, includes A Small Town Christmas, Meant to Be, and the newly released, Christmas with You, all from Tule Publishing. Nan is busy at work on Book 4 of the series, as well as brewing a cozy mystery idea.

Visit Nan’s website at http://www.nanreinhardt.com, where you’ll find links to all her books as well as blogs about writing, being a Baby Boomer, and aging gracefully…mostly. Nan also blogs every sixth Wednesday at Word Wranglers, sharing the spotlight with five other romance authors and is a frequent contributor the RWA Contemporary Romance blog, and she contributes to the Romance University blog where she writes as Editor Nan.

Word Wranglers | RWA Contemporary Romance Blog | Romance University Blog

Giveaway

Nan Reinhardt will be awarding a set of six handmade wine charms and a $10 Starbucks gift card (US ONLY) to 5 randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

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