Honoring Pope Francis

Posted on April 21, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis became the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13, 2013—marking several historic firsts: the first pope from the Americas, the Southern Hemisphere, and the Jesuit order. He was known globally for his humility, concern for the poor, and progressive views on social and environmental issues.

He advocated for migrants and the marginalized, often symbolizing this commitment through powerful gestures—such as washing refugees’ feet on Holy Thursday and urging global solidarity to address inequality. He reached out to the world’s margins, becoming the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula and traveling to conflict zones like South Sudan, Myanmar, and the Central African Republic to promote peace and reconciliation.

In all he has done, Pope Francis has shown that leadership is as much about presence as policy. Cardinal Dolan of New York observed: “The way he lived and the way he died, he was a great teacher. He taught us at the end by letting us watch him die.”

Earlier today, Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88.

My Favorite Quotations from Pope Francis:

“A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold.”

“The Eucharist is not a prize for the perfect.”

“God never tires of forgiving us.”

“Money must serve, not rule.”

“Love is the measure of faith.”

“Each of us has a vision of good and of evil.”

“Let us care for creation.”

“Reality is greater than ideas.”

“A Church that doesn’t go out, keeps Jesus in.”

“To change the world, we must be good to those who cannot repay us.”

Blurb Blitz: Hall of Shadows

Posted on April 21, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Mariah Stillbrook. Today, Mariah shares her new release, Hall of Shadows.

Blurb

In the quiet life of Tess Moreau lies a remarkable power-her touch revives ashes, defying nature’s laws. When she uncovers a mysterious book linked to her grandmother and a witch’s coven, her journey begins. Guided by a cursed deck of oracle cards, Tess delves into The Hall of Shadows, a realm crafted by her ancestors. With each dimension traversed, she uncovers her true lineage-a descendant of mythical beings. As Tess’s humanity wanes, her destiny beckons. At journey’s end, she faces a choice: preserve or destroy the hall. In a tale of magic and identity, Tess’s odyssey may end, but her legacy is just beginning-a testament to the power within us all.

Excerpt

The woman didn’t seem to breathe or blink as she faced me, and as I took one hesitant step and then another towards the front of the stage, it became clear that this entity wasn’t going to budge an inch.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“You already know that.” In fact, I did. She held out a long, pale hand before her and inspected her nails. “I am the goddess of the witches, and I would assume that if someone summoned me, they very well might understand who they were calling on.” She lifted her eyes to match my somewhat terrified gaze. “However, this is a unique transaction.”

Transaction?

The goddess’s attention shifted to the part of the stage occupying the oracle cards. “You’re on a journey.”

My voice cracked as I replied, “I think I am.”

“You are.” She leaned down into a chair, then folded her hands together and sat them over her lap. “I am here to answer your question; in exchange, I have been given permission to take whatever I want from you.”

I inhaled sharply.

The goddess seemed to be speculating over my entire existence. “You have the eyes of someone kissed by the ghost of a recently deceased star.”

What?

She smiled, but not in the way adults usually smile at kids my age. This was more of a sneer laced with enough sugar to coax her prey into believing she could be trusted.

My spine was rigid—I could tell she was about to pounce, to give me an answer then suck the marrow from my bones as payment. “Wait!” She tilted her head to the side, and I slowly came down from where I’d been balancing over the tips of my toes. “What exactly are you going to require of me after this?”

“I’m afraid I don’t offer previews.”

Author Bio and Links

Mariah Stillbrook is the witchy author of In the Pines, Hall of Shadows, and The Lost Erwain. Originally from Iowa, she lives in Colorado with her white German shepherd, husband, and little girl. She spends most of her days writing, reading, and enjoying the occasional hike. In her late twenties she realized that her writing was missing something, magic. She now focuses her writing on urban fantasy and horror in both adult and young adult genres.

Giveaway

Mariah Stillbook will be awarding a $10 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.

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

Happy Easter!

Posted on April 20, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

Poetry Collection Review: How to Fly (In Ten Thousand Easy Lessons)

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

April is National Poetry Month, a month set aside to celebrate poetry and its vital place in our society. Launched by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, this month-long celebration has attracted millions of readers, students, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and poets.

Each Friday of April, I will share a favorite poetry collection.

Today’s pick is How to Fly (In Ten Thousand Easy Lessons) by Barbara Kingsolver, a collection described as “reflections on the practical, the spiritual, and the wild.”

Having enjoyed reading Kingsolver’s novels, I was delighted to discover that she also writes poetry. In this collection, she explores everyday life with warmth and insight.

The book opens with a series of “how to” poems that range from the intimate—marriage and divorce—to the unexpected, like shearing a sheep or doing nothing at all. Her poem “How to Survive This” was featured in The New York Times during the pandemic.

The second set, “Pellegrinaggio,” follows a family trip to Italy with her mother-in-law. I could easily visualize the following scene in “On the Train to Sicily:”

“In a family compartment we take the long
road south, down the coast and across the channel
to the patria of her father. She is so tired.
We’ve lifted her onto the sill of this urbane clatter,
tucked ourselves in a cupboard of relative
peace, but now her small frame finds no resting
place on the great square seats. We offer
pillows, sips of water. She only says, Don’t worry.”

Next come four sets of poems about making peace (or not) with our families and friends, aging, grief, and mortality. The final set celebrates the natural world–ruthless ants, clever shellfish, coral reefs, haunting deserts, and ghost-flowers. While reading this set, I was reminded of Mary Oliver’s poems.

I recommend taking your time to read and reflect on each poem. Seven sets in seven days—one possibility. Or simply devour them in one or two gulps and then return to the ones that resonate most with you.

One of my favorites:

How to Do Absolutely Nothing

Rent a house near the beach, or a cabin
but: Do not take your walking shoes.
Don’t take any clothes you’d wear
anyplace anyone would see you.
Don’t take your rechargeables.
Take Scrabble if you have to,
but not a dictionary and no
pencils for keeping score.
Don’t take a cookbook
or anything to cook.
A fishing pole, ok
but not the line,
hook, sinker,
leave it all.
Find out
what’s
left.

Lean Into the Darkness

Posted on April 16, 2025 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 his recent release, The Art of Doing, Jesse Lipscombe shares simple and straight-forward tools that can help transform our lives. Here’s an inspiring excerpt:

Sometimes life hands us major opportunities—some people call them problems or obstacles. Whatever you call them, when they show up, we often steer away from the things that bring us joy. Maybe we stopped painting because life got heavy. Maybe we have writer’s block due to stressors in our lives. Whatever the reason, we tend to wait until the dark clouds pass before we get back into doing the things we love. I suggest we do the exact opposite: Lean into the darkness. Reframe those problems and obstacles as opportunities. Make it a habit to look at life through those lenses.

Some people want to wait for inspiration before they start something. They want to wait until they feel motivated or see a spark. Other people do not wait to begin. They do things when they are happy, they do things when they are sad, they do things when they are mad. They do things when they are stressed out, when they feel unmotivated, when they are tired—they do not let their current mood influence they dedication to act.

I think songwriters do it best. Both Beyoncé and Adele have made a living writing about heartache and pain. Most of the country music genre is littered with regret and loss. The Blues expressed the struggles of the time, and rap music offered a vehicle for narrating the hardships of a singer’s life. We celebrate and enjoy the fruits of that labor, the labor of leaning into the darkness.

When I think of some of the hardest times of my life, I know that it’s highly unlikely that I’ll ever be in that exact emotional state again. Those moments were rare, and so are the feelings I was steeped in at the time. I like to ask myself, How can you use those feelings to create something you can be proud of, something that will resonate with everyone who experiences it? When you find yourself running away or avoiding the things you love in the presence of pain, shift and do the opposite. Let painful moments become a beacon of creation. If you perceive greatness in your creations, remind yourself that few people celebrate the achievements of average folks. No one writes about the mundane; no one reveres art that doesn’t evoke real emotion. When you are in an irregular, emotionally charged, dark place, use it, lean into it, and be courageous enough to keep creating through it. Not only will you be proud of what you made, but you’ll find the entire process very therapeutic.

Source: The Art of Doing, pp. 152-153

Interview with Naomi Laeuchli

Posted on April 14, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Naomi Laeuchli. Today, Naomi shares her creative journey and new release, The Schoolmaster’s Daughter.

Here’s Naomi!

What was your inspiration for this book?

I love historical romances, but I also love stories that are centered around deception: people lying about themselves and forced into absurd situations due to the stories they have told. The deeper the hole they dig, the happier I am!

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

The best part is the stories. You can never be bored so long as you have stories in your head.

The worst part: the sense of failure you can feel when you realize you haven’t written anything on your main project in over a month.

Describe your writing space.

My main writing space is my bedroom. My computer is set up by my window with a lovely view out towards a hill that you’ll occasionally see horses or deer crossing. My keyboard is my favorite part of my writing setup: it was a Christmas gift from my sister and brother-in-law and features rabbits on the keys as well as a 3D rabbit as the escape key.

Which authors have inspired you?

Georgette Heyer! Her historical romances are sheer delight. If I can make just one person as happy reading my book as hers have made me, then all the words I’ve used up writing over all the years will be well worth it.

What is your favorite quote?

I’m going to cheat and select two.

“Have courage and be kind.”

And:

“Agnes Repplier, an astute observer of life and writer of elegant essays, once observed that whereas the dark and unpleasant side of this world is often portrayed as the profound one, it really is just the obvious one. The individual who can look into the world and find the lovely, the beautiful and the joyful is the one who has looked into life deeply, truly and well. Discovering happiness and sharing it with others is a gift.”

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

I have three siblings living on three different continents, and dozens of places I’d love to visit. So, the answer is easy: teleportation.

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

I love riding my horse Peshitta (even when she’s not so sure about the whole endeavor), hiking (I hiked 270 miles of the Florida trail this past January), and caving (caves are secret gardens underground).

Any advice for aspiring writers?

Loving writing for writing. Be it for the story or the characters or the very process of writing. Even if no one ever reads another word you write, you need to be able to still find joy in it, or else writing will likely only make you unhappy.

What are you working on next?

I am writing a murder mystery thriller (which is a bit of a pivot from historical romance, but I love all the genres!).

Blurb

Deep in debt and desperate for a solution, Julius Claydon knows that marrying a wealthy woman is his only hope. When he meets the beautiful and rich Clara Haughton in Bath, he believes she could be his salvation, but there’s one obstacle in his path: Lydia Cray, Clara’s sharp-witted and penniless companion.

When Lydia quickly sees through his fortune-hunting motives, Julius proposes an alliance. He will help secure her future if she helps him secure Clara’s heart.

But Lydia is not all she appears to be, and she has a plan of her own: to teach him a lesson he won’t soon forget. But her scheming soon leads to unforeseen consequences for them both.

Can love spring from deception?

Excerpt

He had reached them now and was smiling down at her. “Miss Cray. You look lovely tonight.”

“Thank you.”

She was dimly aware that he was bowing to Clara and greeting her as well. But while he must, in the interests of politeness, have looked away from herself at some point, it didn’t feel like it. It felt as if his eyes never truly left hers. Which made it unmistakable who he was addressing when he asked, “Might I have the pleasure of this dance?”

Later that night she would look back and think it strange that he had asked her to dance before Clara, that he had barely paid Clara more attention than what was demanded by common civility. But now she simply held out her hand to him, beaming at him and nodded, finding words curiously difficult to form.

The music had changed to a waltz as he led her out onto the dance floor. She felt a curious sensation somewhere north of her stomach as his arm wrapped around her waist and he began to lead her.

He truly was graceful, as he smiled down at her and the pair twirled through the steps and the music.

This close, she could see the individual flecks of grey hairs in amongst the dark, which she found strangely endearing. The lines on his face seemed a little deeper under the candlelight and she felt a strange impulse to reach up and run her fingers across them.

His eyes, though, were a clear deep blue, and she suspected they held the exact same youthfulness and brightness that they had had on the day he was born. In some mysterious way, her instincts told her they always would. Those same eyes were smiling down warmly into her own, and she blushed a little but held the gaze steady.

Author Bio and Links

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Naomi Laeuchli has lived overseas in nine different countries on three different continents where her family was posted with the American Foreign Service. In November 2012 she moved from the Democratic Republic of the Congo back to the states and currently lives in Arizona with five horses. She works as a freelance writer and part time at the local library. She has written several interactive stories for Choice of Games, Tales, and Dorian.

Website | Amazon Buy Link

Giveaway

The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.

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

Poetry Collection Review: Instructions for Traveling West

Posted on April 11, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

Today, and for the next two Fridays, I will share my favorite poetry collections.

Today’s selection, Instructions for Traveling West, has been described as “a lush debut collection that examines what happens when we leave home and leap into the unknown.”

A master wordsmith, Joy Sullivan possesses that rare ability to transform life’s most ordinary moments into dazzling poetry that brims with emotion and insight. I was impressed by her vivid imagery, fresh metaphors, and the threads of humor and compassion that run throughout the collection.

Underlying each poem is the importance of listening to our deepest desires and embracing the call to reinvent ourselves. This is something Sullivan understands very well. In the midst of the pandemic, she left the man she planned to marry, sold her house, quit her corporate job, and drove west.

These poems, with their deeply personal and universal relatable themes, will resonate with women at every age and stage of life. A must-read book for anyone seeking clarity, courage, or a spark of reinvention.

Here’s one of my favorite poems:

Giving Notice

One day soon, you’ll rise from your desk or quietly excuse yourself
from the meeting or turn the car around in the middle of the street.
Anything may trigger it. An open window. A sunny day in April.
Daffodils panting in a mason jar. Call it madness. Call it glorious

disappearance. Call it locomotion. Do what you should have done
years ago. Let your body out to pasture. Fill your calendar with
nothing but sky. Surrender to the woods. To cicadas and sap
beetles. To the moths, the color of memory and dream. Wear
dusk like an ancient cloak. Hurry—

there’s still time to creature—to pluck all the wild cloudberries
and carry them home. Even now, you can hear coyotes crying
at the canyon’s edge. Find your first fang. Grow back your hackles
and howl. This was always your chorus, the mother tongue, a feral
hymn you know by heart.

Be As You Are

Posted on April 9, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

In her recent release, Consider This: Reflections for Finding Peace, bestselling author Nedra Glover Tawwab shares inspiring advice for setting boundaries, rising above drama, and expressing ourselves with clarity and integrity. Here’s a thought-provoking reflection:

It’s a lifelong learning process to become acquainted with who you are. After all, you are constantly learning and changing even if you don’t realize it.

On average, I read about forty books a year. I love to read, and books have been my companion since childhood. When I share how many I read, some people say they’d like to read more. But reading for pleasure is not the same as having to read for school. People are uncomfortable acknowledging that they only read for utility purposes. But no one has to read unless they truly enjoy it.

Perhaps you don’t like to try new things as much as you’d like to be seen as someone who wants to try new things.

Perhaps you don’t like being in a group setting despite wanting to be more social.

Perhaps you are not as much of this or that as you’d like.

You are who you are, and you may not fit the ideal of who you’d like to be. But embracing who you are will simplify your journey in life.

Change is possible if it’s what you really want to do. However, accepting yourself is freeing. Sometimes, becoming yourself is about simply allowing yourself to be as you are.

Source: Consider This, p. 258.

Blurb Blitz: Everything You’ve Ever Wanted

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Jess Ames. Today, Jess shares her new release, Everything You’ve Ever Wanted.

Blurb

Jenna Mitchell has spent her adult life under the control of her husband, her dreams of owning her own bakery pushed aside. But at twenty-eight, she’s finally ready to reclaim her life and pursue her passion. Well… almost.

With the unwavering support of the Sensational Six—her close-knit group of friends—Jenna can finally envision a day where she is in charge of her own destiny, a big step forward for her. As she works at her friend’s café, Jenna begins to discover the strength and courage she needs to break free from her past and begin focusing on her future.

But can she quiet the echoes that keep finding their way back to her? Will the doubts they’ve created make it impossible for her to see—and trust—the path forward before her chance at a better life slips through her flour-dusted fingers?

Fans of Rachel Hanna will enjoy this warm and uplifting story about self-discovery, finding the courage to start anew, and the unbreakable bonds of chosen family.

Excerpt

I’d prepared for this moment in therapy. We had role-played and rehearsed for weeks, and as I tilted the phone away from my ear in preparation of what I knew was coming next, I sent up a silent prayer that I could speak with the same resolve I’d finally achieved in my sessions.

“I’m just not so sure about that anymore, Craig. That’s not our home anymore, and for the record, I like it here.”

My therapist’s voice floated through my head. “Good. Very good. Keep going, Jenna. You’ve got this.” I focused on the tension in my shoulders and let them drop from somewhere near my earlobes.

“Oh, I’m sure you do like it there, living it up and doing whatever the hell you want, but you have to know it’ll never last, Jenna. You need me. You’ll never survive on your own. So, go down to the bank and get the money and get me the hell out of here,” he volleyed back. I could almost see his confident sneer as he waited for his words to take shape in my soft, pliable mind.

But what Craig didn’t know, and what I was finally learning, was that my mind could bend to my will, too.

I let the silence stretch long enough to gather up the scraps of my newly found strength, breathe in slowly through my nose, and look around to ground myself in the new life I was willing into existence, one bright white and navy throw pillow at a time. “Craig, I don’t think it’s a great idea for me to come bail you out right now,” I began with all the confidence I could muster, “but I’m sure your attorney will be able to work something out.”

“I don’t have an attorney, Jenna. I have a public defender,” he spit out.

“I know, Craig. But I —”

“Jenna, you’re being ridiculous. Come down here right—”

Taking a page from his own book, I cut him off. Hung up the phone. For the first time, I didn’t feel compelled to listen to him go on and on about all the ways I’d failed him, and all the ways he’d saved me. I no longer needed my subscription to his misguided savior program. It had become painfully clear who had been saving whom in our relationship, and I was no longer compelled to rescue him after what he’d done to land himself in jail. It was embarrassing enough to know that he had destroyed my friend’s home, just as I was starting to get my feet under me and maybe forge my own path to a little bit of independence. I can’t even imagine how Paige had felt to come home and find her kitchen and bedroom destroyed. And then to find out it was my husband who had done it out of anger and jealousy that she was offering me a chance to bake for her retreats—an opportunity to gain some independence (God forbid)… I’d been lucky that Paige was such an understanding friend and didn’t hold Craig’s actions against me.

Author Bio and Links

Jess Ames is knocking on the door of fifty, but has the sense of humor of a twelve-year-old and the body of a fifty-four-year-old (according to her fitness app).

She is “mama” to nine, “mimi” to four, “friend” to all, an adequate wife, and living the dream of the little girl who wanted to be a writer when she grew up.

They are both still waiting for that moment, so she’s writing in the meantime.

Giveaway

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

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

Poetry Collection Review: All Along You Were Blooming

Posted on April 4, 2025 by Joanne Guidoccio

Today, and for the next three Fridays, I will share my favorite poetry collections.

Today’s selection, All Along You Were Blooming, has been described as “a love letter from the poet to your heart, to your soul, and to your body.”

There is so much to like here, starting with the title and subtitle. These initial messages are reassuring, reminding us that we have been blooming for a while and that we can enrich our lives with “thoughts for boundless living.” I was also impressed by the striking colors and illustrations that accompany each piece of poetry and prose.

Morgan Harper Nichols—a multi-talented artist, musician, and poet—does more than create art. She also gives meaning to each season of our lives. Her work gently encourages us to live fully in the present moment and own our unique stories. Her backstory is an intriguing one. An introvert, she didn’t believe she could show up in the world. All that changed on a cold autumn day when Morgan took a deep breath and wrote an Instagram message to her followers. She invited them to share their stories, and one by one, she responded with a personalized poem, forging a deep and authentic connection with her audience.

Beautifully written and aesthetically pleasing, this book is a versatile gift for many occasions. Whether it’s for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, or holidays, this collection will delight the poetry readers in your circle.

One of my favorite poems from the collection:

You find yourself
beneath a canopy of trees
with broken branches,
covered with moss tangled at your knees.

Rest assured
the forest does not crawl on forever,

But you must begin the journey
here.

For this is the time,
this is the time to come alive,
to walk tall with a beating heart
and wide-open midday eyes,
to surrender,
here in the green,
for you are still free
to travel free,
without knowing
everything,
humbly following the traces of daylight,
even though the path is unmarked,
even though this was not a favored start,
this is your only Hope
to make it through
precisely here,
pushing through the land of the unknown
you will find your home
in Hope.