You’re Apologizing Too Much

Posted on October 18, 2023 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.

In her book, Let It Be Easy: Simple Ways to Stop Stressing & Start Living, life coach Susie Moore shares insightful gems. Here’s one of my favorites:

Have you ever noticed the overuse of the word sorry, especially by women? We overapologize like crazy! Here are some easy replacements:

Instead of saying, “So sorry I’m a couple of minutes late,” you can say, “Thank you for waiting.”

Instead of saying, “Sorry I messed up,” you can say, “I’ll fix that right now, thanks for pointing it out.”

Instead of saying, “Sorry to bother you,” you can say, “Hey, do you have a moment?”

Saying “sorry” is often a reflex, but it doesn’t have to be. You’re meant to take up space in this world! There’s no prize for being small or unbothersome. Words have power. And so do you.

Source: Let It Be Easy, p. 268

Blurb Blitz: If the Sun Spares Us

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author and community activist Brenda Marie Smith. Today, Brenda shares her new release, If the Sun Spares Us.

Blurb

Two years ago, a solar pulse destroyed modern life. Bea Crenshaw organized her starving, suburban neighbors into a farming community. But now Bea’s gone, and her grandchildren must carry her legacy forward.

In the post-apocalyptic pressure cooker of Austin, Texas, 19-year-old Keno and his younger cousins struggle to ensure their community’s survival even as they’re forced to relocate to safer grounds. Northern Lights that don’t belong this far south grow increasingly intense, making Keno fear what harm the sun will cause next.

Even worse, a marauding militia called the Raiders is closing in, led by a deranged woman who preys on teenage boys. Despite Keno’s debilitating flashbacks from a firefight, he and his wife have a new baby to protect. Though Bea is dead, her spirit desperately searches for ways to shield her grandkids. When Raiders target two neighborhood members, the only hope lies in the community’s strength, Keno’s ingenuity, and the family’s fierce love for one another.

Excerpt

In the next second, thick neon bands of green light shoot into the sky like they’re spewing straight out of the earth at the horizon, the aurora pulsing and soaring hundreds of feet into the air toward the stratosphere. This is nothing like the tame Northern Lights we’ve had off and on over the past year, but crazy-bright and thick and enormous. None of it belongs in Texas. I stare at the lights, getting dizzy from their movement and intensity.

The guys out on the street whistle and shout… I close my eyes to get my bearings.

Residual streaks of light burn my eyeballs and flash across my eyelids, then mutate into the recurring, overly-vivid memories I can’t shake: flaming, screaming boys, falling fiery trees, bursting Molotov cocktails, strafing assault rifles—a hand slaps across my mouth and covers my nose, and Richie’s behind me, yanking me to the ground, hissing, “Shhh! Shhh! Don’t scream.”

“The End of Days is upon us, and we’ve got work to do!” shouts the woman from the street. “Head back north.” The feet start tramping around. “Jonesie, north’s the other way.”

Richie’s pressing so hard on my mouth and nose he’s gonna suffocate me. My tears run over his hand. Flaming bodies still flash before my eyes while green lights burn in the sky overhead…

I grab his hand to yank it off, but he presses harder. I panic. Dude’s gonna kill me.

Buy Links for the Braving the Light Series

IF DARKNESS TAKES US (Book One)

IF THE LIGHT ESCAPES (Book Two)

IF THE SUN SPARES US (Book Three)

Author Bio and Links

BRENDA MARIE SMITH is attracted to stories where everyday characters transcend their limitations to find their inner heroism. She lived off the grid for years in a farming collective where her sons were delivered by midwives. A lifelong community activist, Brenda has managed student co-op housing, produced concerts, and raised a small herd of boys. She and her husband live in Kyle, Texas. They have more grown kids and grandkids than they can count.

Website | Blog | Twitter | YouTube

Giveaway

The author will be awarding a $50 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Find out more here.

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

Book Blast: Balancing Entropy

Posted on October 13, 2023 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author M.H. Cali. Today, she shares her new release, Balancing Entropy

Blurb

When life catches up with young and brilliant investment banker Lucas Blake in the form of anonymous threats, his existence is exactly what he always wished it could be.

Or is it really?

He can barely remember what his true aspirations looked like a decade ago. All he knows now is that everything he worked so hard to build could crash down in a split second if whoever is blackmailing him decides to act on it.

To make matters more complicated, the team he ends up hiring to silently find the culprit of those menaces includes Raven Collins. A woman Lucas lost touch with, but who he still can’t get out of his head completely even years after having met her.

As the race to keep him out of harm’s ways unfolds, he enters a journey of self-discovery that might very well make him question the core of his life choices.

When greed, power, and old ideals pair together within a perfect storm is it possible to come out of it unscathed?

Can one’s principles thrive in a system that seems to bend even the strongest minded to its will?

Lucas and Raven are about to find out for themselves.

Excerpt

“Some people do tend to become other versions of themselves when they are away from home.” He presses their foreheads together while dropping his tone to a murmur. “I don’t do that. What you saw is all me.”

She doesn’t miss a beat. “Likewise.”

“We could’ve been a phenomenal match, Rae.”

A breath catches in her throat. His voice is laced with sincerity. It sends her mind spinning.

He dangerously feels as if he could fit in her routine. His personality is magnificently complex, and strangely both fits with and complements her own. She hasn’t had that sentiment toward anyone in her life up to this point.

But she’s only in her early twenties. She has her whole life in front of her. Her future is actively being written. Whatever happened between them here was definitely a fling.

A beautifully intense, and delightfully intoxicating fling.

She has to remember their pledge. This is insignificant.

She relishes in the cool seaside breeze and Lucas’ applying entrancing pressure on her lower back vertebrae for a moment.

Existence is full of fleeting instants and inconsequential events while some others open doors to infinite possibilities. She willingly classified this hook up in the former category as soon as they first kissed.

They’ll go back to their occupations, to their social circles, and to constructing their destinies. This ephemeral liaison will become a distant memory. It was solely a bridge between phases of their respective purposes.

This is what counts.

This is what she has to keep in mind.

However, she still can’t shake the thought that they could’ve been legendary together totally out of her brain, so she offers him the closest truth she can think of.

“Maybe in another life, Luke,” she whispers against his lips.

Author Bio and Links

M.H. Cali is my pen name. From as long as I can remember, writing has been my biggest creative outlet. There are tales that take hold in my brain, and I have to write them. Which means that when it happens, I sit down and do just that.

The world is complex and flawed, and so are the characters inhabiting the universes I build. In my fiction novels, I thrive fleshing out stories that explore multiple themes within. If you ever read any of my works, you’ll notice that I love writing layered characters, having a diverse cast, and that to me quiet moments are just as important—if not more—than action-packed ones.

Storytelling is all about balance in the emotions and events throughout the narrative. It’s my motto.

If I manage to make you feel what the characters are going through, live the events with them, and wonder what is going to happen, then I succeeded.

If you ever give my stories a chance, I hope you enjoy!

Giveaway

M.H. Cali will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC plus a special edition paperback copy of the book (which includes a physical copy of the novel, an exclusive signed and numbered bookplate, an original sketch inside the book by Laurie Ya, the artist who made the cover, and drew the interior illustrations, and assorted merchandise including coasters, stickers, a tote bag, and more) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour (INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY). Find out more here.

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

Go Ahead and Do It

Posted on October 11, 2023 by Joanne Guidoccio

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

Do you put off doing things you do not enjoy? Perhaps it’s a maintenance appointment for the car, an unpleasant conversation, a mound of paperwork, paying bills, or a housekeeping chore you find especially laborious. When these things must be done, I encourage you to go ahead and do them. Get them over with. Do them early in the day when your energy level is highest, so you can focus on them and finish them.

Life comes with certain responsibilities. I think the best approach to life is to endeavor to enjoy absolutely everything we do, but when we need to do something we don’t enjoy, procrastinating accomplishes nothing. The longer you put off doing what needs to be done, the longer you will be tempted to dread doing it, and dread will drain your strength and your enjoyment of the present moment.

What have you delayed doing recently? Do your best to accomplish it today so that next time you think about it, you will not have to say, “I dread that.” Instead, you can say, “I did that!”

Source: Strength for Each Day by Joyce Meyer

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted on October 9, 2023 by Joanne Guidoccio

10 Best Things About Writing Short Fiction

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome back award-winning author M. H. Callway. Today, Madeleine shares interesting facts about short fiction and her new release,
Snake Oil and Other Tales.

Here’s Madeleine!

1. Short stories are easier to write

Writing short fiction for me is the difference between training for a 5 km race and a marathon. Both require a lot of work, but work of a different kind. And the marathon/novel is a whole other kind of scary beast!

Perhaps because I started out writing short stories – and had my first professional publication that way – I find them fairly easy to write. Also, I’m an inveterate “pantser” rather than a plotter. I’ve started many novels and gotten hopelessly lost in the middle. Fortunately, some of these misadventures have turned into some of my favorite stories, like “The Seeker”, the last story in Snake Oil and Other Tales.

2. Short fiction allows me to create many new worlds

One wonderful advantage of writing short fiction is that I’ve been able to create many different characters and many weird and wonderful worlds for them to live in. The downside is that I have to leave these characters and their worlds behind when I reach the end of the story.

Belatedly, I’ve realized that Sherlock Holmes was the hero of many short stories and only a handful of novels. Why not follow my friends’ suggestions and write a series of stories with the same hero? That’s how I came to write the novella, Amdur’s Ghost, which was a follow-up to my comic mystery, Amdur’s Cat, starring beleaguered civil servant, Dr. Benjamin Amdur.

3. Short fiction is easier to get published

Short fiction offers many opportunities to get published. There are some well-established crime fiction markets like Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Mystery Magazine as well as many calls for anthologies, not to mention writing contests. Many leading crime fiction conferences like Bouchercon, Malice Domestic and Left Coast Crime publish an annual anthology of short stories every year.

4. Short fiction reaches readers more quickly

Every novelist knows that it takes a long time to write a novel and even longer to get it published. Even after the publisher accepts your manuscript, it can be several months, even years, before your book becomes available to readers.

It took me an entire year, working full-time, to finish my first and only novel, Windigo Fire and more than three years after that before it was published and released by Seraphim Editions. By contrast, short stories are usually accepted or rejected within a few weeks and appear in print or on-line after two to three months.

5. Short fiction has a great writers’ community

One of the best things about being a short fiction author is the wonderfully supportive community. The Short Fiction Mystery Society is a free on-line group that welcomes both Canadian and American writers. Together we writers share and discuss many issues facing us today. Serious ones like the use of AI and warnings about scams and more positively, new markets for short fiction. SMFS also has regular Zoom meetings and at major conferences, we always meet up for lunch, dinner or drinks in the real world. It’s a great way to meet some truly interesting and creative people.

6. Short fiction allows me to explore new genres

All authors have an idea that sits in the mind like a sliver. The idea bothers you until you get it out on paper. When my husband and I visited Vancouver a few years ago, we walked past the apartment building where I’d lived as a graduate student. To my enormous surprise, we discovered that the bakery where I’d grab breakfast on the way to the university, was still there. It had the same kind of baked goods on sale and even the same tables and chairs for customers. That got me thinking: what if a bakery stayed constant in time and place? That idea led me to write my speculative fiction story, “The Eternal Bakery of the Fractal Mind”.

7. Short fiction can still surprise you

At a recent When Words Collide conference, I was asked to join a panel on horror fiction. Horror fiction? I knew that some of my stories are noir, but horror? I don’t read much horror fiction and stay away from scary movies. That said, I did write Snake Oil, a novella about snakes and unscrupulous sales people. After a Noir at the Bar reading, this tough-looking tattooed “bro” approached me and told me I was a scary lady. Me? I thought. Turned out he had a snake phobia. So there are some benefits!

Turns out, your writing can stray into another genre without you even being aware of it, if you simply follow your muse.

8. Short fiction can help to get your writing get recognized

In my talk, How to Get Published, I always tell emerging writers, that their goal should be to get their manuscript to move to the top of the publisher’s slush pile. One great way is to show that they’ve been published already. One or more published stories can help build your credibility as a writer and may encourage the publisher to take a closer look at your submission.

9. Short fiction builds confidence in your writing

Getting a story published really helps to build your confidence in your writing. It’s not easy pursuing this isolating creative activity. It can be easy to get discouraged. A new publication, even better an award nomination or win, helps to keep going in this mad activity!

10. In the end, short fiction can become a book!

When I put my 10 most recently published stories and novellas together, I realized that had a big enough word count to make a book. That’s how Snake Oil and Other Tales came to be. This way my readers can find all my work in one place. And my family, including my grandchildren, know that I have put my retirement to good purpose!

Blurb

Welcome to the second collection of my published short fiction. These dark tales include strange guardians, mysterious bakeries, faithful dogs and yes, the slithery reptiles that strike fear in even the toughest bro’s heart. Many were finalists for the Crime Writers of Canada Awards for Excellence. They stretch from traditional mysteries to thrillers to speculative fiction and even to horror. What unites them are the characters struggling for justice – or their own warped perception thereof.

Danny Bluestone and Corazon Amorsolo, the protagonists of my novel, Windigo Fire, return in the thriller, Last Island. And Dr. Benjamin Amdur, the hero of Amdur’s Cat, has a second adventure in Amdur’s Ghost, a finalist for the 2023 CWC Best Novella Award.

Buy Links

Amazon CA | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU

About the Author

Margaret Cannon, crime fiction reviewer for the Globe and Mail, called M. H. Callway “a writer to watch”.

Many of Madeleine’s stories and novellas have won or been short-listed for leading awards, including the Bony Pete, the Derringer and the Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence. In 2023, her work was nominated in two CWC categories (Best Short Story and Best Novella), the first time for a Canadian crime writer since the late Peter Robinson.

Her novel, Windigo Fire (Seraphim Editions, 2014) was a finalist for the 2015 CWC Award for Best First Novel and was a Huffington Post “Book for Book Clubs” selection. Under different titles it was a runner-up for the Debut Dagger and the CWC Award for Best Unpublished Manuscript.

In 2013, Madeleine co-founded the Mesdames and Messieurs of Mayhem collective, with Donna Carrick, author and head of Carrick Publishing. Today the Mesdames number 25 crime writers, publishers, editors, film makers and bookstore owners. They are the subject of the CBC documentary, The Mesdames of Mayhem, which you may view on GEM and YouTube.

Website | Twitter

Commitment and Courage

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Joanne Guidoccio

Here’s an inspiring excerpt from Mary Morrissey’s recent release, Brave Thinking:

William H. Murray was a highly respected Scottish mountain climber who knew something about commitment—and courage. As a young man, he climbed some of the world’s tallest mountains.

As a soldier in World War II, he was captured and spent three years in prisoner of war camps. While in a German prison camp, using the only things he could find—rough toilet paper—he wrote a philosophical book about mountain climbing. The Gestapo discovered his manuscript and promptly destroyed it. When Murray began to write the book a second time, again on toilet paper, his fellow prisoners were amazed. The odds of his succeeding were almost nil. Murray’s health had deteriorated because of near starvation. He didn’t know if he would ever be strong enough to climb again. And should the Nazis find his second manuscript, he knew they would destroy it in an instant. And yet, both Murray and his book survived.

Emaciated after the war, Murray spent two years rebuilding his strength. Mountaineering in Scotland was published in 1947, rekindling national interest in mountain climbing. Murray himself went on to complete three landmark Himalayan expeditions, including the one that paved the way for Sir Edmund Hillary’s milestone ascent of Mount Everest in 1954.

Murray spent his later years as an environmentalist, determined to protect the Scottish Highlands that so inspired him.

Source: Brave Thinking, p. 153

Interview with Katie Groom

Posted on October 2, 2023 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Katie Groom. Today, Katie shares interesting facts about her creative journey and new release, Gibbous Moon.

Interview

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

I love music. I’m a clarinet player, though I do admit that I’ve been a little far removed from playing for a bit. I miss it. But I do plan to learn how to play the viola starting in 2024.

I also enjoy collecting teddy bears. I have so many unique ones — even one that is a one-of-a-kind from a small shop in Paisley, Scotland.

Additionally, I love pretending that I’m a good cook (I’m not, but it’s edible); painting (stick figures don’t even look good when I draw them); and doing onewoman-shows of my favorite movies (I should let the actors do their jobs, instead of speaking over them, but I do all the voices).

Any advice for aspiring writers?

I get this question a lot from friends, and my advice is always the same: Do it! The more you write, the more you will improve your craft. One of my favorite things to do is watch Bob Ross, and he always says that more than the tools or the paint, what really will help anyone improve is practice. He says that anyone can paint; they just need to practice. I believe that anyone can write; they just need to practice.

What is your favorite quote?

My favorite quote is actually a song lyric. It’s from “Saturday” by Fall Out Boy. “I read about the afterlife but I never really lived.” It just reminds me to just live my life on my own terms instead of comparing myself to others and trying to get to their own goals instead of mine.

Which authors have inspired you?

I’m inspired by soooo many authors. I would particularly like to give a shout out to Rebecca Crunden. She writes incredible stories — and she’s constantly writing. On top of that, she’s always supporting other indie authors and artists. Like ALWAYS. I’ve never seen anyone more supportive than her. And, on top of that, she really stands against bullies. I appreciate that in a person.

What are you working on next?

I’m currently working on the third book of the Cardinal Moon Saga’s main trilogy. I’m in the editing phase of that. Afterwards, I will start working on the duology that Cade will star in.

Blurb

Werewolf and professor of literature Hugh spent nearly 200 years to find his soulmate, Zoie, but others betrayed him, working with rivals to take her away in only an instant. Revenge was swift and unsatisfying. More people need to pay for what was stolen from Hugh.

Zoie’s death had been orchestrated by powerful beings in the supernatural world. Exacting revenge will require precision and planning.

Biding his time before acting, Hugh reverts to the patterns that finding true love had disrupted. Walking through life in a fog, he does his best to appear as if he is moving forward, though nothing feels the same.

As Hugh tries to start the next chapter in his life with Rosalie, he is haunted by the memory of Zoie. The literature professor cringes every time he’s reminded that Rosalie doesn’t like to read, but he tells himself that opposites should attract. That Rosalie can patch the hole left in his heart when Zoie died. His revenge will take time, and wallowing in grief won’t help.

Just as Hugh is still focused on revenge, his enemies are still plotting to harm Hugh further. It’s dangerous to oppose a bereaved werewolf, but even werewolves can be hurt.

Excerpt

Zoie quickly flew down closer, taking in everything that was going on around her. Hugh had a death grip on her body, and a terrified crowd of hotel employees had gathered in the lobby. One of them was on the phone—undoubtedly calling for emergency help. Not only was it obvious to Zoie that she was dead, but Hugh had literally crashed through a wall of glass to get to her. One police car was not going to cover this.

Stevie and Hugh’s best friend Cade were trying to convince Hugh to leave. They tried to plea from every angle—any excuse to get him to comply. “No!” Zoie cried. “Don’t leave me.” She couldn’t imagine that Hugh would even consider leaving her there.

“You need to leave her, and you need to go,” Cayden stated as they knelt down in front of Hugh. Their face was so full of genuine concern. It became obvious to Zoie that this was the best choice.

Zoie placed her feet on the pool deck and walked over to Hugh—despite everything going on, she noticed that her shoes didn’t make that strange squelching sound that they should have. So her guess was right, then; she was dead.

Hugh ignored Cade’s pleas, but Zoie inched closer and put her hand on his shoulder. She lied, “It’s okay, Hugh. Go.” It was in his best interest and in the best interest of their world for Hugh to leave.

Author Bio and Links

Katie Groom grew up in rural Pennsylvania, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Business Management from PITT and her master’s in Employment and Labor Relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In 2016, she decided to move to Alabama in order to avoid as much snow as possible (and to advance her career in Human Resources).

When she isn’t working, Katie enjoys reading, writing, jokingly critiquing movies and TV, and campaigning that the plural of moose should be meese. She also loves to take in live music (especially Hanson) and traveling, with the goal of reaching each of the continents. Katie’s favorite pastime, however, is spending time with her beloved Shih tzu, Delta.

Website | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page | Amazon Buy Link

Giveaway

Katie Groom will be awarding a $10 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

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

New Release: The Perfect Breasts by Cara Bertoia

Posted on September 29, 2023 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome back author Cara Bertoia. Today, Cara is sharing her new release, The Perfect Breasts, a short story written for Breast Awareness Month.

Blurb

Hannah Clein will always remember the day she went to a department store with her mother to buy her first bra as her last best day, “B.C.” before the cancer. She considered herself an ordinary child who loved challah bread, reading, and her family – often in that order.

With a normal life in the rear-view mirror, we follow Hannah over three decades, as she navigates the tricky transition from girlhood to womanhood. All her life, she just wants to belong. Be normal.

In a tale that explores a women’s complicated relationships with her body, and the love of her life, we learn the psyche is a funny thing. What are the perfect breasts? And how does the loss of a loved one affect those left behind?

The Perfect Breasts mixes family lore with imagination in a compelling tale of loss, longing, and love.

I have published it on Amazon Kindle for breast cancer awareness month, and all the profits will be donated to cancer research.

Buy Links

Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon AU

Editorial Reviews of The Perfect Breasts

Brilliantly written, The Perfect Breasts is a riveting tale that chronicles the lifelong impact that breast cancer has on every aspect of the lives of each member of the Clein family. Author Cara Bertoia has penned a tautly emotional plot driven by love, loss, trust, family ties, and the inner strength one must summon to face adversity created by both human fallibility and fate rather than turning away.

The story moves at a comfortable pace with flawed, but believable characters who drive the plot. Readers find themselves rooting for the protagonists from the beginning to the end of the story. The characters evoke strong emotions in readers right from page one. This reader found herself wanting to hug Hannah on one page and throttle her on the next.

The Perfect Breasts is a book that should be required reading for every woman because it does not soft-soap the emotional effect of a life-threatening disease and forces readers to face a hard truth: The ultimate symbol of femininity and womanhood can either be a source of great strength and pride or when lost, a weapon to destroy one’s faith in life and one’s self.

Reviewer: Susie Black author of The Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series

The Perfect Breasts is a heartfelt story about breast cancer and how it affects all of our lives. Because, yes, almost everyone knows someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

In this story we follow, Hannah, a Jewish girl through three decades, from the death of her beloved mother from breast cancer to becoming a self-sufficient woman. Cancer itself becomes a character burrowing into Hannah’s psyche. Knowing oneself is difficult enough, but with this added fear, Hannah struggles to find happiness.

Cara Bertoia handles the issue with sensitivity and compassion. She takes us on Hannah’s journey. leaving us with hope and a promise for a good future. This is a story which should be read by everyone.

Reviewer: Janie Emaus author of Latkes for Santa Claus

Author Bio and Links

Cara Bertoia grew up in a strait-laced Southern family, but she was always fascinated with casinos. In her twenties on a summer hiatus from teaching in North Carolina, she drove to California and became a dealer at Caesars in Lake Tahoe. She discovered that after teaching high school, handling an unruly gambler was a piece of cake. Her mother highly disapproved of her working in a casino, “a place so bad it has ‘sin’ in the middle.”

Eventually, she succumbed to pressure from the family and returned east to take a hi-tech job in Boston. She also began working on her MFA in writing at Emerson. Her goal was to write the first realistic novel about casino life from the perspective of an experienced table games dealer. She is always amazed that normal and sometimes quite intelligent players become absolutely clueless in the casino. They repeat superstitious nonsense and no amount of logic can change their position, maybe her novel will.

While in Boston she was offered the opportunity to join Princess Cruises as a croupier. Jumping at the chance, she spent the next five years circling the globe. Sometimes life exceeds your dreams. She was awed by the wonders of Venice, the fjords of Norway, and the Northern Lights in St. Petersburg.

Cara returned from ships with a very special souvenir, her Scottish husband Ray. They went to work at the Spa Casino in Palm Springs, and now live in Hollywood, Florida, where she writes about her casino years while wistfully gazing out at the ocean.

She loves to connect with her readers. Please send her a picture with any or her work. She will post those pictures to social media.

HAPPY RELEASE DAY!

Everything Will Change Again Soon

Posted on September 27, 2023 by Joanne Guidoccio

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 blog post:

Embrace change and realize that, although messy, in many ways it’s necessary. It won’t always be obvious at first, but in the end most forms of change are worthwhile because they force us to grow. So keep yourself in check right now…

What you have today may become what you had by tomorrow. You never know. Things change, often spontaneously. People and circumstances come and go. Life doesn’t stop for anybody. It moves rapidly and rushes from calm to chaos in a matter of seconds, and happens like this to people every day. It’s likely happening to someone nearby right now.

Sometimes the shortest split second in time changes the direction of our lives. A seemingly innocuous decision rattles our whole world like a meteorite striking Earth. Entire lives have been swiveled and flipped upside down, for better or worse, on the strength of an unpredictable event.

And these events are always happening — like all the senseless violence and drama we see in our world today.

So just remember, however good or bad a situation is now, it will change. That’s the one thing you can count on. Accept it. Breathe. Be where you are. You’re where you need to be right now. There’s a time and place for everything, and every hard step is necessary. Just keep doing your best, and don’t force what’s not yet supposed to fit into your life. When it’s meant to be, it will be.

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