What “Follow Your Dreams” Misses
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.
An inspirational commencement speech from math educator Grant Sanderson:
Excerpt Tour: I Have a Story
I’m happy to welcome author Colleen L. Donnelly. Today, Colleen shares her new release I Have a Story.
Blurb
Jim Turner writes crime but doesn’t live it. He respects his grandfather’s tales of heroes but doesn’t believe them. When his failing grandfather sends him to a remote peninsula to write the end of his own heroic love story, Jim includes a war criminal interview to maintain his edge.
Chastity is an anomaly, a misfit in pre-WWII culture as well as in Jim’s life. Her spritely charm and endearing features turn Jim’s world upside down, especially when she reveals his grandfather’s peninsula as the site of her upcoming wedding.
Do good journalists flee when their interviewee is murdered? Do heroes write fiancés out of another’s story and themselves in? “The End” become the hardest words for Jim to write.
Excerpt
Author’s Note: Boy meets Girl. A commitment that lasts forever.
“I want you there with me.” She gazed down.
“I would love to stand up there with you,” I said with far too much honesty in my voice. “If I can’t be the groom, I can at least be a brides-man instead of a bridesmaid.”
Warmth shone in her eyes when she looked up. “You will always be my brides-man, Jim. Always and forever.” She squeezed my hands.
We both stared at our clasped hands, her naked ring finger amidst her other heavily ringed ones almost shouting, “I am waiting for Dwayne, for his promise—I am keeping myself for him only.”
I touched the empty place where a diamond should be. If Chastity was my girl, she would be sporting a rock so big guys like me would stay away from her.
“No wedding or engagement rings,” Chastity said. “I assume that is what you are wondering. Dwane suggested we get tattoos. I will have a D on my ring finger, and he is having a C tattooed onto his.”
“You’re what?” I practically bellowed, fascinated and horrified at the same time. “You can’t do that. I mean, are you sure?” What would her parents think?
Her cheeks tinged pink as she stared at her stark finger.
Surely, I could come up with a word less discourteous than “outrageous.” Some writer I was. “It’s just that a tattoo is pretty bold.” Unless you were a sailor. “If something happens to Dwayne, you will have to wear gloves the rest of your life.” My dark and slimy side didn’t have to suggest that I buy her a pair as a wedding gift. White gloves with a tiny pearl button at the wrist. It was purely my idea, and even if I carried the wrapped gloves with me the rest of my life, I would buy them.
Buy Links
Author Bio and Links
Colleen L Donnelly put her science education to use for years and then put it behind her to pursue other passions. Her first love is writing and her second is hunting—hunting for that next good story, hunting for relics and antiques, hunting for the next good author to read. An avid believer in work hard/play hard, Colleen splits her time between indoors and out, always busy at something.
Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Amazon | Twitter | BookBub
Giveaway
Colleen L Donnelly will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.
Follow Colleen on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.
Embrace Your Other Passions
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 a recent post on the Writer Unboxed blog, award-winning author Julie Carrick Dalton shared several examples of creative cross-pollination. Here’s an excerpt from that post:
I’ve always admired writers who abide by the butt-in-chair ethos. You know who I’m talking about, the writers who get up every day at 5 am, or who dedicate themselves to a regular writing practice that sustains them.
But this article is for the rest of us, all of us other writers who can’t always adhere to a regular writing discipline, because we crave creativity in other places – in the kitchen, art studio, dance floor, or garden.
Consider this your creative hall pass: step away from the laptop, embrace your other passions, and know that every pursuit—whether it’s painting, dancing, or growing herbs—can supercharge your writing and nourish your spirit.
I spend a lot of time in my garden where I grow dozens of herbs, flowers, and fruits that I harvest, dehydrate, and blend into teas. Some of my best writing ideas arrive when I’m elbow-deep in chamomile, or when I’m blending up the perfect balance of mint, lemon balm, lemon verbena, and bee balm to settle a loved one’s upset stomach.
I often indulge my tea-blending hobby when I’m having a tough time writing. I used to think of it as a distraction, a form of procrastination—but I’ve decided to reframe it as creative cross-pollination. Sometimes, the boldest move for our writing is a strategic retreat—leaning into a new kind of making, so ideas can sprout in unexpected places.
10 Fun Facts About My Protagonists
I’m happy to welcome back award-winning author and journalist donalee Moulton. Today, donalee shares interesting facts about the characters who populate her new release, Melt.
Here’s donalee!
My new book Melt is a mystery. It’s also a story about friendship. Melt is what happens when three yogis with a penchant for solving crime are asked to help prevent a seventeen-year-old boy from going to jail for the rest of his life. It requires more than a downward dog.
Welcome to Melt. Here are 10 fun facts about the people who populate these pages.
1. There is power in numbers. In my previous books, there was a main character. In this book, there are three. Someone asked me which of the triad was the most important. The answer: no one. Each woman—Charlene, Lexie, and Woo Woo—is equally significant and plays a key role. They also, as friends, become greater than the individual sum of their parts.
2. There is power in PPT. When you write a book, characters develop personality quirks you hadn’t anticipated. One character has a penchant for PowerPoint. Hint: It’s the auditor.
3. There is power in professionalism. I did not do a detailed backstory for the three protagonists when they were first introduced in Bind. Much of how the characters evolved was organic. They seemed to tell me who they were—and what they did for a living. Can you guess who is the auditor, the comedian, the reflexologist?
4. There is power in having a puppy. This is my first cast of characters that features a pet. Madoff is the auditor’s dog, but he becomes everyone’s favorite ball of fur, and everyone is active in his life: walking him, rubbing his belly, giving him well-deserved treats, and tucking him in bed when he stays up past his bedtime.
5. There is power in pasta. As with the first book, food plays a central role in Melt. It brings the women and their friends together for pleasure—and for less-pleasurable activities. The food that is dished up also serves as a way of introducing readers to some favorite restaurants, bakeries, and delis in Halifax.
6. There is power in the pub. In the first book, the two detectives meet for beer, burgers, and business in a pub. Pubs are part of the fabric of life in Nova Scotia. They are places to unwind, eat good food at good prices, and sip something hoppy (or otherwise). In Melt, the detectives continue to gather at the Dry Dock. In some cases, they’re joined by the three women who have also become part of the fabric of their lives.
7. There is power in a punchline. To my surprise, and perhaps my chagrin, Melt is funny. I should be neither surprised nor chagrined by this because my writing often has an edge to it. I just didn’t see it turning up here. The characters knew better.
8. There is power in place. I grew up and live in Nova Scotia. It made sense to locate Charlene, Lexie, Woo Woo, and their friends here. What I didn’t realize was how knowing a place well would transfer to the page. Many readers have told me how much they enjoy seeing where they live come to life. Many of those who don’t live here have told me they feel like they have come to know Nova Scotia as locals know it.
9. There is power in poetry. For the first time, poetry makes its way into one of my mystery books. It’s an inside joke admittedly, but it is also a reminder that poetry isn’t something we learn in high school and leave behind. If we’re lucky, it’s something we take with us as life unfolds.
10. There is power in a provocative first line. The first line for Melt came to me quickly. It made me chuckle, and it set the scene for the opening chapter. I second guessed myself though wondering if the line was too much. In the end, I ended up where I started. Happily. Let me know what you think—you can read the first page below.
The first page
Luke’s balls are itchy.
His left hand, casually resting on his left thigh, is mere inches from his testicles. He could surreptitiously edge his hand forward and find relief.
“Surreptitiously” is not a word in Luke’s usual vocabulary. It has nothing to do with IQ. Indeed, Luke is smart enough to read the room before he moves his hand a nanometer. He scans the beige walls, the brown tables, the black gowns, the onyx gavel. A courtroom, he concludes, is not the best place to scratch your scrotum. Luke clenches his legs together to stop the itching. Now he has to piss.
Luke looks up to see the judge looking down at him. “I want to confirm your plea. You understand by pleading guilty to trafficking a schedule one drug you could spend 25 years in a federal prison.”
This is not news to Luke. It is not good news, certainly, but it is not a surprise. It is what he has signed on for. Luke’s lawyer nudges him. Luke stands up. He returns the judge’s gaze without malice or defiance. “Yes, your honor, I understand.”
The associate chief justice of the supreme court of Nova Scotia quickly and efficiently takes in Luke’s demeanor, his clarity of voice. She takes in his blue suit, at least one size too large; his tartan tie, with Value Village written all over it; his left hand, which seems to have a small twitch. She looks into Luke Castle’s eyes. She sees what she often sees: fear. What she does not see is hope.
About the author
donalee Moulton’s first mystery book Hung out to Die was published in 2023. A historical mystery, Conflagration!, was published in 2024. It won the 2024 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense (Historical Fiction). donalee has two new books out in 2025, Bind and Melt, the first in a new series, the Lotus Detective Agency.
A short story “Swan Song” was one of 21 selected for publication in Cold Canadian Crime. It was shortlisted for an Award of Excellence. Other short stories have been published in numerous anthologies and magazines. donalee’s short story “Troubled Water” was shortlisted for a 2024 Derringer Award and a 2024 Award of Excellence from the Crime Writers of Canada.
donalee is an award-winning freelance journalist. She has written articles for print and online publications across North America including The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, Lawyer’s Daily, National Post,, and Canadian Business. As well, donalee is the author of The Thong Principle: Saying What You Mean and Meaning What You Say and co-authored the new book Better Policy | Better Performance: The Who, Why, and What of Organizational Policy.
Social media | Online info
Website | Amazon Author URL | Facebook | Goodreads | LinkedIn | Bluesky | Instagram
Spotlight on The Rebellious Countess
I’m happy to welcome award-winning author Helene Matheson. Today, Helene shares her new release, The Rebellious Countess.
Blurb
Society may be run by the men of the ton, but six scandalous sisters are determined to take it by storm one gentleman at a time.
Máira Blair married for love, her honeymoon trip with the Earl of Dorset is a dream come true—until reality turns it into a nightmare. Máira wakes up to discover her husband isn’t an earl, but the captain of a pirate ship and what was supposed to be her honeymoon, is a voyage bound for war-torn France. If that isn’t enough to disparage her husband’s character, he abandons her in the middle of a French port where she must find a way to survive as she defends her virtue and her life. Just when she’s convinced of what kind of rogue she married, the pirate transforms into a hero on a quest to save her and the missing Earl of Astley.
Sir Elias Drake married for convenience, he needed a Scottish bride to complete his mission. He can resist his desire for his beautiful wife, especially after she discovers his true identity. Except Máira Blair was more than he bargained for. He needs her skills, cherishes her compassion, and is tormented by her passion, which only makes him want her and the life their marriage represents more.
It will require both of their talents to rescue the Earl of Astley, and it will take more than a war to defeat their hard-won love—if they can escape.
Excerpt
Her Scottish blood began to simmer. The mettle of her ancestors wronged by backstabbing, licentious English bastards was rising to a call so deeply ingrained in her soul, she wanted to fight. It didn’t matter her mother was English, she was a Scottish bastard through and through as far as the ton was concerned. One of the scandalous sisters. Even Iseabail’s marriage to a duke hadn’t been able to stop the label from spreading. Máira’s good-for-nothing husband had just added to her family’s ruination by making her a walking, talking scandal of the worst kind.
It was Ellison. There was no doubt. It didn’t matter that he wore clothes she didn’t recognize, or that a hat sat low over his brow hiding most of his features. It didn’t matter that the sun was going down and the only light in town was coming from the windows of The Happy Hag. It didn’t matter that she’d somehow slept the night and day away probably due to the bump on her head.
She knew it was Ellison by the tune he whistled and poetical way he performed it. He’d whistled that same tune the night of their wedding. How she remembered that she wasn’t certain, but it was him, of that there was no doubt. He could whistle like no one she’d ever heard in her life. Melodic, and sorrowful, his song spoke of love found and lost. It spoke to her soul, and she wanted to punch those sinful lips for making her feel anything but hatred.
Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books a Million
Author Bio and Links
Helene Matheson writes steamy Regency historical romance novels with intelligent, unstoppable heroines who don’t require an alpha male to save them—having one in their bed is another story.
Helene moved south for fun in the sun after she retired from public service and began pursuing her life-long dream of writing. She wrote the Amazon best-selling mystery series The Book Barn Mysteries for Lyrical Press and has written multiple award-winning romantic suspense novels under Kym Roberts.
In her spare time she can be found woodcarving by the pool or blogging for The Cozy Corner on Fresh Fiction. To contact her on social media, you can find her under KymRoberts911 on FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Her books can also be found on her websites: HeleneMatheson.com or KymRoberts.com
Giveaway
Helene Matheson will be awarding a $10 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.
Follow Helene on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.
Book Blast: The Passenger
I’m happy to welcome award-winning author Joie Lesin. Today, Joie shares her new release, The Passenger.
Blurb
She’s a 1940s ghost whisperer.
Burdened with her empathic gift, Elizabeth Reilly wants to be free of it and fit in with normal people. Nevertheless, when the spirit of an old man asks for her help, she travels across the country to help him return home.
He’s the son of a ghost.
Gio Clemente is still angry with his father who abandoned him as a child. To help the father pass on, Elizabeth must persuade Gio to let go of his anger. Though he resents her intrusion, they are both stunned to find themselves fighting a profound attraction.
Elizabeth can accept his headstrong brand of love, but can Gio accept her gift—and believe in her?
The Passenger, a 1940s ghost story set in the California wine country, tells a tale of family connections, life-changing choices, and love—lost and found.
Excerpt
Elizabeth’s stomach churned in nervous knots. She squirmed on the cloth seat, and her foot twitched. If he heard her erratic heartbeat, he’d realize how frantic she was—and hot. Perspiration built up on her forehead. Grabbing the metal handle, she rolled down the squeaking window, and inhaled the pure air. The fragrances of the forest filled her senses—the resinous scent of pine, the earthiness of soil, and damp detritus of fallen branches and decaying leaves. The surrounding land was alive, vibrant, and something more she couldn’t quite identify. Somehow, the vehicle they drove in and the path it traveled seemed out of place.
Gravel on the uneven road crunched and ground under the truck’s tires. Elizabeth sat straight in her seat and stole stiff, awkward glimpses at Giovanni. A frown marked his lips. His lean, well-defined face held soulful eyes bringing to her mind images of the sad little boy he must have been.
A thin red scar stretched down his right cheek and she itched to run a finger along the faded edges. She’d caress his stubble-shadowed chin and tell him how terribly his father missed him.
Instead, she stared out the truck window.
Buy Links
The Wild Rose Press Book Page | Amazon | Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Author Bio and Links
Award-winning, Minnesota-based author, Joie Lesin is a life-long fiction writer and poet. She is most recently the author of The Passenger (The Wild Rose Press, 2024) and her work is also featured in Scribeworth Magazine. She has long been fascinated by anything otherworldly including mermaids and ghosts. Joie writes character-driven, emotional, atmospheric tales about heartache and hope.
Website | Bluesky | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Goodreads Book Page
Giveaway
Joie Lesin will be awarding a $25 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.
Follow Joie on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.
Making the Right Decision
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 recent release, Secrets of Adulthood, bestselling author Gretchen Rubin shares witty and thought-provoking reflections. Here’s one of my favorites:
Book Blast: Ghosted
I’m happy to welcome Wild Rose Press author Lori Matsourani. Today, Lori shares her new release, Ghosted.
Blurb
When her fiancé’s infidelity prompts Bethany Hendren to map out a new path forward, her plans are disrupted by an unexpected encounter with Nick Dorsey, who convinces her to help search for the remains of a troubled eighteenth-century ghost. Nick is the handsome summer boyfriend who ghosted her years ago, and now he wants to rekindle their relationship.
Despite her reluctance to trust him, Bethany discovers he’s still the funny, caring person who captured her heart as a teen, but giving him a second chance is risky—it could lead to love and happiness or result in another devastating heartache.
Although Bethany wants a happily ever after with Nick, does she have the courage to trust him with her future?
Excerpt
The fountain that night was magical. Spotlights positioned at the edges of the narrow brick patio lit the cast-iron maiden as she filled her goblet from an urn with a never-ending flow of water.
Nick stopped and retrieved his dime. Bethany fished a penny out of her pocket, and they counted to three before flinging their coins into the pool.
After settling on a nearby bench, he drew her into his arms. Was this it? The moment she’d wondered about, waited for? She looked up into his eyes and inhaled, filling her lungs with the scent of sunscreen and salty air. His scent. Then he leaned down, touched her cheek with his index finger, and brushed his mouth against hers. His lips, spiced with traces of red pepper flakes, were softer than she had imagined. Without thinking, she lifted her face to his, hungrily snatching more kisses until she’d spent her last breath.
“My wish came true,” he’d murmured, tightening his arms around her as his mouth rested on hers.
She’d whispered back, “So did mine.”
The memory dredged up the old ache, now muted by time. Nick thought they were still friends, although he’d been the one who ended their relationship. Was it possible he still thought about her, and his heart still pounded with the chemistry that had pulled them together so long ago?
Buy Links
Books2Read | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple | WildRosePress
Author Bio and Links
Author Lori Matsourani is a romance addict. Give her stories with a touch of heartbreak and a spark of joy, and she’s happy. Throw in characters with a huge helping of heart and soul, and she’s up reading all night in romance heaven! While currently a Texas resident, Lori grew up near Baltimore and often draws on the historical flavor of Annapolis and Maryland’s Eastern Shore to inspire her story settings. She authored her first fiction story at twelve and has been hooked on writing ever since. Early on, her writing career focused on articles for magazines and newspapers before shifting to her first writing love—fiction. For Lori, connecting words to tell a story is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle, and she loves the challenge of creating every piece.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Bluesky | Threads | X | TikTok
*Win a copy of the book at this Goodreads Giveaway. *
Giveaway
Lori Matsourani will be awarding a $20 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.
Follow Lori on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.
Push Forward with Confidence
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 latest book, Dear Writer, New York Times bestselling author Maggie Smith breaks down creativity into ten essential elements. Here’s an uplifting excerpt:
During the four years when I was sending out my second book manuscript, The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison, I did revise it. With each rejection, I made adjustments: added poems, pulled poems out, changed the order, even changed the title more than once. And I did continue to send that manuscript to the same contests every year.
At times it felt like the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. But in publishing, even if you send the same poem or chapbook or book manuscript out again and again to the very same places, it’s actually not the same. The readers and screeners are often different. The editors and final judges are often rotating. The selection of other manuscripts yours is up against changes, too. All of this to say: There are so many variables that go into why a poem or book gets taken, and why others don’t, beyond the quality of the work.
Keep trying, reassessing, and trusting your gut. When it’s time to let go, move on. Push forward with confidence. Know that we need more from you.
And what else do we need? More literary journals and magazines, not fewer. More publishers, not fewer. A wider community, not a narrower one.
Source: Dear Writer by Maggie Smith, p. 212
Joanne Guidoccio 