Burn On, Not Out

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

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

Here’s one of my Go-To excerpts from today’s devotional in Trusting God Day by Day (Joyce Meyer):

Are you saying “yes” with your mouth while your heart is screaming “no”? If so, you will eventually be stressed-out, burned-out, and possibly sick. We just cannot go on like that forever without ultimately breaking down under the strain.

No matter how many people you please, there will always be someone who will not be pleased. Learn that you can enjoy your life even if everyone does not think you are wonderful. Don’t be addicted to approval from people; if God approves, that is all that really matters.

Being committed is very good, but being overcommitted is very dangerous. Know your limits and don’t hesitate to say “no” if you know that you need to. God has assigned a life span to each of us, and although we don’t know exactly how long we have on earth, we should certainly desire to live out the fullness of our years. We want to burn on, not burn out. We should live with passion and zeal, not with exhaustion; we should be good examples to others.

Source: Trusting God Day By Day, pp. 392-393

Movie Review: The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Jessica Chastain inhabits the character of Tammy Faye Bakker, providing us with an intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall, and redemption of the televangelist.

The first act follows Tammy’s childhood fascination with religion to her courtship with Bible College student Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield) to their meteoric rise in the PTL (Praise the Lord) network.

Naïve and impressionable, Tammy is dazzled by Jim’s outspoken and progressive views about Christianity. During a student preacher seminar, he proclaims: “God does not want us to be poor; he will gift the faithful with eternal wealth.”

After a quick marriage, they drop out of Bible College and become roving evangelists. A twist of fate brings them into contact with the Christian Broadcasting Network in Virginia. Established televangelist Pat Robertson (Gabriel Olds) hires them to host a children’s show with bible stories and puppets.

Charismatic and entertaining, Jim and Tammy pioneer the feel-good variety shows that hypnotize (and often guilt) fans into pledging their hard-earned money. As their fame and wealth increase, the couple experiences turbulence in their relationship.

Beneath the pleasant demeanor of Jim Bakker lurks a voracious greed. He prefaces those desires with “God told me he wants…” Jim also wants to act on his passions, which include his attraction to men.

When Jim talks about his “God-connection,” Tammy retorts, “Well, He told me I have to speak up.”

Tammy undergoes a transformation from a baby-voiced puppeteer to a bored housewife to a Christian feminist who demands a seat at the table. My favorite scene…At a party, Tammy (holding her infant daughter) sits at a table populated by several Christian superstars, among them Jerry Falwell (well played by Vincent D’Onofrio). Ignoring the blatant disapproval of the older men, Tammy shares her beliefs about acceptance and homosexuality. Later in her career, she invites an AIDS patient to share his story on the air.

When Jim falls from grace in 1989, Tammy is shocked by the allegations of fraud and the subsequent conviction. A bit of a stretch to believe she was still that naïve.

While she was inherently good and had the best of intentions, Tammy Faye Bakker craved the spotlight and enjoyed all the trappings of wealth. Throughout the film, her mother (Cherry Jones) asks pointed questions that are dismissed or ignored. I believe that Tammy may have suspected fraudulent and inappropriate behavior, but she chose not to delve too deeply into those turbulent waters.

A thought-provoking film that provides new insights into a decades-old scandal.

Book Blast: Spell Sweeper

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Lee Edward Födi. Today, Lee shares his latest release, Spell Sweeper.

Blurb

There’s nothing magical about wizard school
. . . at least, not for Cara Moone.

Most wizard kids spend their days practicing spells and wielding wands, but Cara? She’s on the fast track to becoming a MOP (a.k.a. Magical Occurrence Purger). You see, when a real wizard casts a spell, it leaves behind a residue called spell dust—which, if not disposed of properly, can cause absolute chaos in the nonmagical world. It’s a MOP’s job to clean up the mess.

And no one makes more of a mess than Harlee Wu. Believed to be the Chosen One, destined to save the magical world, Harlee makes magic look easy. Which makes her Cara’s sworn nemesis. Or she would be, if she even knew Cara existed.

Then one of Harlee’s spells leaves something downright dangerous behind it: a rift in the fabric of magic itself. And when more rifts start to appear around the school, all in places Harlee has recently used magic, Cara is pretty sure the so-called “Chosen One” isn’t going to save the world. She’s going to destroy it.

It will take more than magic to clean up a mess this big. Fortunately, messes are kind of Cara’s thing.

Excerpt

* * *
There’s nothing magical about a broom
* * *

It’s one of my earliest memories, vivid as a full moon. I’m only four or five, and Su is walking me to school like any good big sister. We stop at the crosswalk and I see an old woman sweeping the pavement, just a few feet away. She wears a frayed sweater, grimy jeans, and maybe a secondhand pair of sneakers. Her broom is wisps of straw, the handle fashioned from a twisted stick of wood. Everything about her is ordinary. Mundane. But as I watch her, the morning sun catches her just right, and for an instant she ignites with a golden luster, frozen in a perfect moment of magic—a fairy sweeping away the shadows of the night.

Then she vanishes. Maybe it’s a trick of the light, maybe my childish frame of mind, but I’m convinced she’s a witch, that she has leapt upon her broomstick and taken to the clouds. When I tell Su this, she doesn’t laugh or chide me for having an overactive imagination. Instead, her eyes dance with wonder.

“Well, there is magic in the world, Cara. That’s what Dad always says. Right?”

I nod dramatically in agreement.

Of course, that was a long time ago. A lot of things have changed since then—with me, with my sister, with everything.

I know now that you can’t fly away on a broomstick. It’s not that I grew up and stopped believing in magic—actually, I believe in it more, which is what happens when you’re chosen to attend one of the most prestigious wizard schools in the world. But here’s the thing: when I was given my own broom, it wasn’t so that I could soar across the skies, read prophecies in the stars, or fight dragons in wand-to-fang combat.

It was because I’m a failure.

Trust me. It doesn’t matter if you’re some old lady on a street corner or a kid with a whisper of magic in her blood—a broom is for one thing and one thing only: sweeping.

Yay, me. I’m going to wizard school.

And it’s terrible.

Author Bio and Links

Lee Edward Födi is an author, illustrator, and specialized arts educator—or, as he likes to think of himself, a daydreaming expert. He is the author of several books for children, including The Secret of Zoone and the Kendra Kandlestar series. He is a co-founder of the Creative Writing for Children Society (CWC), a not-for-profit program that helps kids write their own books. He has the joy of leading workshops for kids in Canada, the US, Korea, China, Thailand, and other places here and there. Lee lives in Vancouver, where he shares a creative life with his wife Marcie and son Hiro.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Purchase Links

Giveaway

Lee Edward Födi will be awarding a Spell Sweeper prize pack: Hand-made miniature broom, hand-made magical creature egg, spell bottle, and bookmarks to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

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

Edit with Murder on Your Mind

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

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

I highly recommend reading The Memoir Project by Marion Roach Smith. In this insightful guidebook, Marion urges us to write with intent. Here’s her take on editing:

The goal of a good edit is for the piece to read like a sleigh ride: smooth and fast. It can, if not a word is extra, not a phrase is flabby. Here’s the razor-sharp rule: If you find yourself skimming a sentence or paragraph, thinking the reader will enjoy herself later, forget it. That’s not how readers work, and never how editors read. They don’t say, “I bet this will get good soon, so I’ll keep plowing.” If editors and readers have one thing in common, it’s that they bail out at the first sign of trouble, when the writing appears to be out of control.

And who can blame them? There is always something else to read.

The most basic rule of editing is that if you can’t bear to read it, no one else can either. So, when you find yourself skimming, commit murder.

Source: The Memoir Project by Marion Roach Smith, p. 109

Virtual Book Tour: The House on Crow Mountain

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Rebecca Lee Smith. Today, Rebecca shares fascinating facts about crows and her new release, The House on Crow Mountain.

Ten Fascinating Facts About Crows

1. A group of three or more crows is called a Murder.

2. Crows can recognize human faces. (Researchers had to disguise themselves by wearing rubber face masks to keep the crows from considering them their enemies.)

3. Crows have the same brain-to-body ratio as a chimpanzee, which makes them one of the smartest birds in the world.

4. American crows use scraps of food as bait to catch fish.

5. Crows have funerals. Not only to mourn, but to find out what killed their fellow crow, then they band together and chase the predator.

6. They make and use tools (usually some kind of twig) to dig insects out of sidewalk cracks for food.

7. Crows build decoy nests if they think another predator bird is watching them.

8. They enjoy playing games while flying. (Tag, maybe?)

9. American crows like to party. They will stand on anthills and rub the ants into their feathers, which causes them to get drunk from the formic acid.

10. Crows can live up to fourteen years. (And I bet they have fun doing it.)

Blurb

When her aunt suffers a stroke, New York portrait artist Emory Austen returns home to the North Carolina mountains to mend fences and deal with the guilt over her husband’s senseless death. But that won’t be as easy as she hoped.

Someone in the quirky little town doesn’t like Emory. Is it the sexy architect who needs the Austen land to redeem himself? The untrustworthy matriarch? The grudge-bearing local bad boy? Or the teenage bombshell who has raised snooping to an art form? Even the local evangelist has something to hide. Who wrote the cryptic note warning her to “Give it back or you’ll be dead?” And what is ‘it’? As the clues pile up and secrets are exposed, Emory must discover what her family has that someone would kill for.

Excerpt

Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly.

“Fat chance of that.” I glanced up from the tiny sticker someone had stuck to the dashboard of my rental car and focused on the narrow winding road. I’d kept the little Ford Fiesta ten miles under the speed limit all the way in from the airport, and the drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains had still been one mini-adrenaline rush after another.

I pulled into a foggy scenic overlook, bemoaning the fact there was zero cell service, and grabbed the map I’d picked up at the North Carolina Welcome Center. I reached for the bag of candy I used to keep myself calm and selected a dark chocolate square, perilously warm from sitting too near the heating vent. With two miles and six switchbacks to go, I risked the inevitable mess it would cause and tore the foil open with my teeth.

One single drop of dark raspberry chocolate dripped onto the center of the map. One tiny dark red dot. Just like the one that had been sitting in the middle of Kent’s forehead when the coroner rolled him over on his back.

I shoved the memory out of my head—something I had gotten decidedly better at in the last two months—and tossed the map on the seat.

It had been a long day.

And it was about to get longer.

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

Author Bio and Links

Rebecca lives with her husband and a dog named Wilbur in the beautiful, misty mountains of East Tennessee, where the people are charming, soulful, and just a little bit crazy. She’s been everything from a tax collector to a stay-at-home-mom to an award-winning professional actor and director. She loves to travel the world (pre-pandemic) because it makes coming home so sweet. Her Southern roots and the affectionate appreciation she has for the rural towns she lives near inspire the settings and characters she writes about.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway

Rebecca Lee Smith will be awarding a $25 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

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

10 Life Lessons from Jarrett Brandt, the Hero from A Hero’s Heart

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome back multi-published author, Amber Daulton. Today, Amber shares ten life lessons learned by the protagonist of her latest release, A Hero’s Heart.

Here’s Amber!

DEA Special Agent Jarrett Brandt has made a lot of mistakes in his life. Though he’s doing his best to move on and do better, what exactly has he learned?

1. Youth is wasted on the young. — His wild teenage years led him on a path of destruction, but…

2. Hitting rock bottom is a good thing. — Faced with prison time and a hard reality check, he finally realized what kind of man he wanted to be, and he was nowhere close to becoming it.

3. Redemption is hard but worth it. — He’s pushed down his regret for so long while ignoring his pain and plastering a smile on his face. Now it’s time to do what he fears most—make amends.

4. Pride isn’t everything. — For some men, it’s all they have. That’s true for Jarrett. But he needs so much more, so he casts aside his ego for what his heart truly desires.

5. Goodbye isn’t always forever. — He’d left home with no intention of returning, but fate has a will of its own.

6. True love never dies. — He’s only ever loved one woman, and it’s never too late to win her back.

7. Family is forever. — Though he and his overbearing father rarely get along, he learns the hard way that his dad loves him.

8. Enemies lurk around every corner. — As an undercover agent, he’s met a lot of unscrupulous people, but the most dangerous foes are often the ones pretending to be his friend.

9. Allies come from unexpected sources. — At the darkest hour, truths are revealed, and the friends he never knew he had stand with him.

10. Second chances are rare. — With love and family welcoming him with open arms, he finds the courage to accept it and becomes the man he always wanted to be.

Blurb

Lies. Betrayal. A million-dollar bounty.

After an undercover mission goes awry, DEA agent Jarrett Brandt hides out in the last place he wants to be—his hometown. Now he’s stuck with his judgmental parents and the memory of his perfect brother hanging over his head. His one bright light? Marissa Reinn Brandt—his high school sweetheart and former sister-in-law.

Marissa lost Jarrett once before. No way will she let him back in; then her son offers him their guestroom. His wicked charm and smoldering stares are hard to resist, but she’ll make him work to reclaim his spot in her bed.

When his enemies close in, how will Jarrett keep Marissa and her son safe, or will he lose his shot at redemption?

– Triggers: drug use (discussed) and a brief assault of the heroine
– A Hero’s Heart is a smoking hot second chance, romantic suspense novella. No cheating. HEA guaranteed.
– Second edition. Newly revised and edited.

Tagline

Rekindling the flames of love has never burned so hot.

Excerpt

“You can trust me, Jarrett. I won’t tell your parents anything you don’t want me to.” She sighed and stood as well. “You used to tell me everything. We never kept secrets.”

Jarrett paced between the coffee table and fireplace. “My parents’ opinion doesn’t matter. Dad would still throw up my juvie record or the fact that I’m not a cop, even if I was a model citizen. I’m not that lost, angry kid anymore. I know who I am now, and it’s not someone you’d want to know.”

“I disagree.”

“God, you don’t understand. Marissa, I’ve missed you so damn much. I’ve laid awake so many nights wondering what my life would’ve been like if I’d stayed here.” When he made love to other women, he imagined Marissa beneath him or above him, panting his name. When the nightmares of blood and gore faded, he dreamed of her. Those bittersweet memories and what if scenarios were almost worse than the nightmares. “I’ve done things I’m not proud of.”

“I hated you after you left, but I’ve gotten over it. Everyone feels regret and guilt over something. It’s all about being human.” She dashed away her tears. “I told you mine last night. Will you please show me the same courtesy?”

“I can’t.”

“At least tell me what you did last Christmas. Jason made it crystal clear that he didn’t want you alone. He wants you to have a tree.” She pointed at the Douglas fir. “Well, there you go. What did you do last year?”

Jarrett licked his dry lips, heat swelling in his cheeks.

He’d joined the Consuelo gang last December and spent the holiday in a slummy apartment with five thugs who sold cocaine on the streets of Albuquerque. Living around his drug of choice had nearly destroyed him.

“What about your last birthday?” Marissa blocked his path and braced her hands on her hips. “Did you have cake or go out with a bunch of buddies and get drunk? Did something horrible happen? Why won’t you tell me anything?”

He shoved a hand through his hair. “Damn it, Marissa. Yeah, I got drunk. A few of us went to a strip club where I fucked two dancers in a backroom. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

Her eyes widened as she stepped back.

Way to go, you fucking idiot. He brushed his shaky hands on his button-down shirt to steady them. “Marissa—”

She strode past him with a high head and left the room.

Her cold shoulder skewered him, but he didn’t deserve better.

Add to Goodreads – https://bit.ly/aherosheartgoodreads

Check it out on BookBub – https://bit.ly/aherosheartbookbub

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Apple | Kobo | Google Play

About the Author

Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through Daulton Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.

She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats.

Universal link – https://linktr.ee/AmberDaulton

Only a Minute Away

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

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

Bestselling author Bob Goff shares a unique perspective on a historical event in his recent release, Dream Big:

On December 17, 1903, after years of tinkering and experimenting, two brothers named Wilbur and Orville Wright changed history by making a successful powered flight over the sands of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

The precise moment in time when Orville and Wilbur pulled away from the earth was 10:35 in the morning. It was the moment we knew sustained flight was possible. Before that minute, no one knew what would happen. Nearly everyone doubted that it could be done. I’ve always wondered to myself what Orville and Wilbur were thinking a minute before they launched at 10:34. We all wonder the same thing about our ambitions at some point. Will our ambitions fly, or will they crash and burn?

Nobody lives at 10:35. You don’t, and I don’t. We all live our lives and execute our ambitions at 10:34. We don’t know how our lives will turn out, much less whether our ideas are going to work out or not. I meet so many people in my travels, good people with great ideas, but many of them never take their ideas out of the hangar. The reason is simple. They’re afraid of what they’ll do if it works or afraid they’ll look bad if it doesn’t.

Perhaps it’s validation that has you stopped a minute early. Maybe you’re concerned about a big public failure, or maybe the thought of an even bigger private failure is keeping you from trying. Somehow the clock became frozen at 10:34 in your life. The good news is this; 10:35 is only a minute away from happening for each of us. That one minute is a small amount of time, but it can represent a huge shift in your life. It just requires a willingness to fail.

Source: Dream Big, pp. 162-163

ABBA’s Amazing Comeback

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

According to the men—Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaenus—there was no elaborate plan to release an album forty years after their extraordinary first run. In a recent interview, Mr. Andersson commented, “What is there to prove? They’ll still play ‘Dancing Queen’ next year.”

To recap…

Between 1973 and 1981, the quartet released eight studio albums that generated 20 hits on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, sold tens of millions of albums, and built a loyal fanbase. That fanbase has continued to grow across all generations and borders. At Colin Powell’s funeral service, the U.S. Army Brass Quintet played ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” a personal favorite of the trailblazing leader and diplomat.

Considered one of Sweden’s top figures in pop music, ABBA has its own permanent museum in Stockholm.

Voyage

Their new album, Voyage, was made in secret and launched on November 5, 2021. As before, the men wrote the songs but left the singing to the ladies—Agnetha Faltskog and Anna-Frid Lyngstad.

Described as “vintage ABBA, on par with their classic 1970s run,” the 10-track CD was definitely worth the wait.

The Swedish septuagenarians have made an amazing comeback, recapturing the spirit and themes of their trademark music: love, betrayal, estrangement, and reunions. In sync with the times, they’ve included an environmental message in “Bumblebees”:

“It’s quite absurd, this summer morning/To think we could be trapped/Inside a world where all is changing/Too fast for bumblebees to adapt.”

I could easily listen to the entire CD without skipping a single track. Right now, I’m leaning toward “When You Danced with Me” as a personal favorite.

Virtual Book Tour: Lady and the Tribe

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Brenda Ridgley. Today, Brenda shares an inspiring message and her new release, Lady and the Tribe.

YOU are #1

Calling all Superheroes!

You know who you are. You are always being of service to others, volunteering to sit on the hump in the middle of the back seat, taking the smallest piece of cake, working from dawn until dusk and putting everyone else’s needs before your own. I am here to say…. STOP IT!

I am the author of Lady and the Tribe, How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles and it is my mission to wake everyone up to the FACT that we thrive on connection! In a world of social media, virtual offices, fitness apps, and on-line dating, people are detached and longing for connection. We need connection to our own spirituality and real relationships with others. We weren’t created to go it alone. Many people unknowingly have removed themselves from their close community, believing they are connected because of the number of social media “friends” they have yet feel empty, and unfulfilled. This longing and need can be fulfilled by re-connection to the self, a few close friends, and community.

So, listen up Superheroes I am talking to you! That tendency you have to always put yourself last has to go! When you continually take care of everyone and everything but yourself, you gradually have less and less to give. If you don’t KILL the martyr within you, you unknowingly will become needy. Right now I am going to remind you (your inner being already knows) that re-connecting to who you really are is easy.

Re-connecting to your essence requires self-care, self-love and getting your needs met. What do you need? What would fill you up and make you feel better? Maybe you are so far gone down the path of service that you can’t even answer this right now. If this is the case, carving out a little “ME” time is important. Take time to sit and be quiet with yourself and the Universe and remember what lights your fire. Think about a time in your life when you were eager and excited. What is it you were doing? Who were you with? Why was it so special? What activities make you joyful? Is it singing or dancing, painting, or writing? Are you doing these things now? You need to!!!! This fills your tank so that you have more to give… which you also love. You are a giver.

Once you know what you need, all you have to do is ASK for it! Guess what? Your friends and family can’t read your mind. They don’t know what you need and can’t help if they don’t understand. Other people also like to be of service, believe it or not. YOU need to be #1 in your own life! Once you do this, be #1….. a leader in your own life… and don’t feel guilty about it. You will be WHOLE. Everyone around you benefits when you are whole.
Thank you for connecting with me today. I encourage you… take the best piece of cake today! You deserve it!

I would love to hear from you about how you feel about this topic, especially if you are a recovering Superhero! Please share with me via email or on my Facebook page Brenda Ridgley Connections.

When three or more gather, we are Tribe.

Blurb

Wives, mothers, and career women—we have all fallen victim to the silent epidemic that is, literally . . . letting ourselves go. Not the makeup free, yoga pants, weight gain routine. Little by little, we have allowed our preferences, interests, and individuality to slip away until we no longer recognize ourselves outside of our role as wives, mothers, or professionals. Who we are has become what we do.

In the process, our friendships have become the casualty of a “busy life” and lack consistency and depth. We have a gaping hole inside us that longs to be filled. How do we reclaim who we really are and fill this empty space that seemed to appear from nowhere? The answer lies in our Tribe. Our best friends see us more clearly than we see ourselves and are representations and extensions of our individuality. They are our companions, cheerleaders, and counselors—always in our corner. They are the branches of our tree of life that lift and support us, so we can flourish. Our Tribe is the family with whom we choose to live our life . . . with no strings attached.

Lady and the Tribe is a blueprint for building deep connections. As you read, you’ll be swept away on a journey of friendship as the author shares her own personal stories and those of other women. In the process, you’ll discover how to find, nurture, and deepen friendships and create a Tribe culture that is unique to you.

We can become whole again through the power of connection.

When three or more gather, we are Tribe.

Buy Links

Amazon | Lady and the Tribe

Excerpt

Loneliness Can Be Lethal

Since we live in this global, socially connected world, how is it possible for anyone to be lonely? Psychologically speaking, loneliness does not necessitate social isolation. Being lonely means feeling detached from others yet having the desire for a connection or a relationship.

Why is loneliness so lethal? As human beings, one of our greatest needs is to be seen, acknowledged, and cared for. We want to belong and be a part of something larger than ourselves. More so than men, women need to maintain close connections. Relationships increase serotonin and oxytocin, the bonding hormone. In times of stress, women don’t just experience the drive toward fight or flight—they also release oxytocin. This hormone surge can compel women to “tend and befriend.”

Research is clear. Close friendships are necessary for optimal health and well-being. A longitudinal study of aging found that strong social networks lengthen survival among older people. Dr. Amir Leving suggests that social connections are the most powerful way for us to regulate our emotional distress and that proximity to someone you are securely attached to is the most effective way to calm yourself.

An article in the New York Times reported that close relationships create positive mental and physical reactions in our body, mind, and heart. We are less likely to experience high levels of loneliness when we feel supported by intimate and close relationships. Strong relationships with close friends or family benefit us greatly and fulfil our social needs.

Author Bio and Links

BRENDA RIDGLEY is an author, speaker, and girlfriend guru who loves helping women connect, find success, and discover joy through friendship. Her mission is to start a movement: women coming together to build thousands of new Lady Tribes around the globe. Through her workshops, vlogs, blogs, and book clubs, Brenda helps women connect and communicate with respect, love, and trust. She holds an MA in human resources and has spent decades cultivating her own Tribe. A Colorado girl at heart, Brenda lives in the Carbon Valley area with her husband, Parker, two kids, Parker Jr. and Gillian, and pooch, Perry. She enjoys hiking and has conquered Longs Peak and several other 14’ers. To connect with Brenda, visit her website at http://www.BrendaRidgley.com.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Podcast

Giveaway

Brenda Billings Ridgley will be awarding a Cape Diablo wrap bracelet and a $25 Amazon Gift Card (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

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