Category Archives: Inspiration

Remembering Mr. Hockey

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

gordiehowe1Yesterday, Gordie Howe, a.k.a. “Mr. Hockey,” passed away at the age of 88. Gifted on the ice and humble off it, he’s considered one of the greatest hockey players of all time.

Born in the small farming town of Floral, Saskatchewan, he put on a pair of ice skates at the age of four years. He played in an organized league and had a tryout with the NHL’s New York Rangers at age fifteen but failed to impress. A year later, a Red Wings scout discovered Gordie Howe and two years after that, in October 1946, he scored a goal in his NHL debut in what proved to be the start of one of the game’s most prolific careers.

He went on to become a 23-time All-Star, won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player six times, and led the league in scoring six times.

Over his professional career, Gordie Howe played a remarkable 2,421 games, including playoffs. He is second on the NHL’s all-time goals list with 801, behind Wayne Gretzky with 894, and fourth on the points list with 1,850.

My favorite Gordie Howe quotes…

You’ve got to love what you’re doing. If you love it, you can overcome any handicap or the soreness or all the aches and pains, and continue to play for a long, long time.

I always tell kids, you have two eyes and one mouth. Keep two open and one closed. You never learn anything if you’re the one talking.

There’s always something in the game you wish you would have done different. That’s why players improve, because they learn from what they did before. They might have been guessing before, but now they know.

You find that you have peace of mind and can enjoy yourself, get more sleep, and rest when you know that it was a one hundred percent effort that you gave—win or lose.

Age has nothing to do with it. Heck, I played until I was 52 so I could play with my sons, Mark and Marty. In fact, at 52, I was leading scorer on the team until Christmas before they benched me.

My philosophy is never start talking about ‘if,’ ‘and,’ ‘but’ or the past, because 90 percent of what follows will be negative.

Love this oldie-goldie recorded by Big Bob and The Dollars in 1963:


Spotlight on Sasscer Hill

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to feature author Sasscer Hill’s inspiring journey.

Here’s Sasscer!

Me and a bay horse-1 (2)Back in 1994, I wrote a romantic suspense novel and landed a literary agent. I thought the rest would be a slam dunk! Fast forward sixteen years where, still unpublished, and now two agents later, I’d completed two novels featuring female jockey Nikki Latrelle.

I wrote these books because of my passion for Thoroughbreds and my love for and knowledge of horse racing. One of my mentors suggested I make all my writing like the races I wrote–putting that excitement, that pacing, and those amazing characters that populate this world into every chapter. So I began a third Nikki Latrelle with that in mind, and prayed it would land a New York publisher.

In February of 2010, my favorite author Dick Francis died, I was diagnosed with lymphoma, and my horse farm was hit by the worst blizzard in the history of Maryland. Feeling desperate, I begged a small press owner to look at the first in the Nikki Latrelle series, FULL MORTALITY. He read the manuscript during the blizzard and accepted it the next day.

Miraculously, FULL MORTALITY was published in May of 2010, received rave reviews, and was nominated for both Agatha and Macavity Awards.

The award nominations helped secure a third and better agent with a successful track record. But by the time I finished the third book in the “Nikki Latrelle” series, it was clear that New York publishers weren’t interested in the latest in a series already published by a small press–unless it had humongous sales. A word to the wise: you are unlikely to get humongous sales with a small press.

My new agent told me to start another series. So I did, creating “Fia McKee,” a thirty-two-year-old agent for the real life agency, the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau. I finished the manuscript of FLAMINGO ROAD in 2014 and started the second in the “Fia McKee” series in October that year.

My agent began shopping for publishers in December of 2014. The next spring, we caught the attention of an editor at St. Martins, Minotaur, but she had reservations about readers’ interest in a horse racing novel. I immediately went to work, obtaining statistics on the surprisingly strong popularity of horse racing. Things like NBC’s unprecedented ten-year extension agreement to broadcast rights to the Breeders Cup weekend races as well as the eleven qualifying races that precede that two-day, all-star event. I noted how a recent ESPN poll showed horse racing is the most popular non-team sport, beating out tennis, boxing, and even NASCAR! I sent the report to my agent, who sent it to St. Martins.

Less than a week after this, the Carrie McCray committee gave my in-progress novel, the second in the “Fia McKee” series, their “Best First-Chapter of a Novel” award. Within days, this same novel received a Claymore nomination.

But the brightest star to align that week was a racehorse named American Pharoah. Deep in my heart, I’d believed if the colt could pull off the historical and momentous feat of winning the first Triple Crown in 37 years, it might nudge a publishing offer from St. Martins my way. White knuckled, I watched the final race at Belmont. When American Pharoah blasted around the track on the lead, rocketed down the stretch, and began pulling away from the Belmont field, I almost had a heart attack. When he opened up and won by daylight, I burst into tears. Turning to my husband, I said, “I think FLAMINGO ROAD will get an offer.”

I could feel the bright star that is my love for horses rising over me. Pharoah’s race drew 22 million television viewers, and the subsequent radio, television, and social media attention was phenomenal. Within a week, American Pharoah appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and a day later, I received a two-book offer from St. Martins Minotaur.

But I was surprised to learn that the first Fia McKee novel would not come out until the spring of 2017, a wait of almost two years! My last book had been published in 2013, and I surely hated waiting for so long!

I was aware that some publishers are asking their authors to write novellas and short stories to keep these writers in the public eye during the intervals between their full length novels. The obvious answer for me was a new Nikki Latrelle. But as I was under contract to St. Martins, I knew the time slot was very compressed. A novella seemed like just the thing.

I believed the tale of Nikki’s early years would make a poignant and satisfying read. Imagine a fatherless thirteen-year-old girl whose mother dies suddenly. In a sense, this mother has abandoned her daughter, leaving her in the hands of a lewd, malevolent stepfather. Nikki has no family, and when the stepfather forces his way into her bedroom, she flees. Her best times were spent with her mom at the racetrack, so this is where she runs.

Nikki is forced to steal food, sleep in race horses’ stalls to stay warm, and avoid the police and her stepfather who search for her. But just when things seem to be going right for her, Nikki crosses paths with a young man who makes her stepfather seem like a saint.

The novella is out, it’s selling well, and hopefully St. Martins Press will be pleased to see I produced it. This week, I shall begin the third in the Fia McKee series.

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Bio

sasscer hill photoSasscer Hill, a former Maryland racehorse breeder, trainer, and rider, uses the sport of kings as a backdrop for her mysteries. Her “vivid descriptive” prose about greed, evil, heart, and courage propelled her “Nikki Latrelle” novels to multiple award nominations, including Agatha, Macavity, and the Dr. Tony Ryan Best in Racing Literature awards.

Where to find Sasscer…

Website | Facebook | Amazon


10 Ways to Make It to the Fourth Act

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m thrilled to welcome author D. J. Adamson to the Power of 10 series. Today, D.J. shares advice and insights gleaned from her life journey.

Here’s D.J.!

djadamsonI have passed my second act, and I am on to my fourth. The first act was merely an introduction to get to the twist. I graduated college and taught high school level English for five years. The second act offered momentum, building to the next twist. Moving to California from Oregon, I changed careers from teaching to business. I went into sales and marketing for a commercial publishing firm where I became Manager of Sales and Marketing. Success, however, doesn’t always offer satisfaction. Most audiences expect a resolution to come in the third act. In fact, I returned back to academia, leaving money for treasure, teaching writing to college students. It’s always been about writing, in all my career choices. And now, without the need for an intermission, I have taken the stage for a fourth act.

How grateful I am to get a fourth act. Looking back, the 10 Ways I got here was by:

1. Willing to change. I have found that I don’t control life, life controls me. My greatest successes have come when I let go and went with the flow.

2. Willing to risk. I leave the “What If?” for my protagonists, and instead, whenever I hear the whispered question, I take a breath and answer “Why not?” It’s the beautiful thing about becoming “older.” If not now, when?

3. Willing to set goals. With each book I write, I sit first and write the goals I want to see accomplished at its end. The sale is a minor objective. In fact, I never write the word. Instead, I think of four objectives I want to reach in writing the novel. Four experiences I want to have while writing it. What commitments I am willing to make to get it done. And, this is the most important of the goal writing, the guidelines I am willing to set in order to make sure all prior goals and commitments are reached.

4. Willing to “Act As If”. I never thought I was a good teacher. I never thought I was a good business woman. It didn’t matter whether I held a position or made money. It’s all stinkin’- thinkin’. So moving into this fourth act, I act as if I am a good writer. That I can tell a story. And more importantly for me, I will offer a reader something to relate to or think about that might impact their life. Even if my ultimate goal is to solve a mystery or catch a killer.

5. Willing to learn. I couldn’t be a writer without being a good reader. Stephen King says it best in his book On Writing. And I paraphrase: You need to read to find out what is good. More importantly, you need to read to know what isn’t good, doesn’t work, or left you feeling unsatisfied. Don’t just read a book, deconstruct it.

6. Take the Word TRY Out of Your Vocabulary. Try is really a child’s word. It psychologically gives you an out: But I tried. I’m trying. Either do it or don’t do it. If it wasn’t done well, do it again! Don’t say, I want to write my story or a book. DO IT!

7. Willing to Get Back Up: Many say they don’t like the F-word. I was a girl of the sixties, the F- word was part of my vocabulary. It still is, but I am talking now about a different word F-word: FEAR, FAILURE, FINAL. I needed to quit thinking I was so special, that only I was afraid. Everyone’s afraid of something. Failure has been one of the best steps to take me to success. And Final? Is anything ever really final? Someday, in a technological “salvage” bin, someone is going to find one of my digital books and consider reading it. Just like leaving children behind, my life continues.

8. Willing to stay out of expectations: Life moves toward me as I move into it. Meaning, I don’t want to miss out on the treasure/pleasure because I labeled it as being a bestseller, on television, made into a film, taught as one of the great American Novels. I teach literature and writing. I know most great novelists never thought they would become one…and many died before getting the accolade.

9. Willing to do it for love: Most writing doesn’t pay the bills. I am not saying you won’t make millions, miracles do happen, but again, it’s a long shot. So write because you love to write. Write to say something. Write to offer a new idea or perspective. Write because you love to read. Most importantly, write to be not just a writer, but a GOOD writer.

10. Just BE Willing: It all comes back to risk. Willing to do life differently. Willing to put yourself out there no matter the success or failure. Willing to write down goals, and if not met, critically asking why then writing new ones. Willing to act and say you are a writer, author, even if you still don’t feel like you are. Willing to learn, and learn and learn. Willing to get back up if you fall down. Willing to put yourself out there without expectations. Treasure gratifications. Willing to do what you love to do, and get a day job if needed. Just be willing.

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Blurb

“What did he want to know about me?” “If you were still alive.” Connivers, murder and the international shipment of drugs unites the local PDs and the Federal Government, and drags Lillian Dove into a hailstorm of manipulation and danger; whereby, she is given two choices: Join? Or die trying.


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Bio

D. J. Adamson is the author of the Lillian Dove Mystery series and the Deviation science fiction-suspense trilogy. Suppose, the second in the Lillian series has just been released. She also teaches writing and literature at Los Angeles colleges. And to keep busy when she is not writing or teaching, she is the Membership Director of the Los Angeles Sisters in Crime, Vice President of Central Coast Sisters in Crime and an active member of the Southern California Mystery Writers. Her books can be found and purchased in bookstores and on Amazon.

Where to find D.J.

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads


Honoring Muhammad Ali

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Eloquent. Colorful. Controversial. Inspiring. These are only a handful of descriptors that come to mind when Mohammad Ali’s name is mentioned. Known as “The Greatest,” he reached his peak in the 1970s and was among the most recognizable faces on Earth. This past Friday, the three-time boxing champion died in a Phoenix hospital where he was being treated for a respiratory issue.

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Here are ten of my favorite quotations from Mohammad Ali:

He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.

Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.

It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.

Silence is golden when you can’t think of a good answer.

Don’t count the days, make the days count.

Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.

Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.

The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.

To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you’re not, pretend you are.

The man with no imagination has no wings.


Freedom 53

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

15140870_sIn 1984, London Life Insurance came up with a uniquely Canadian slogan – Freedom 55.

Each time I saw the commercial of the middle-aged couple walking along the beach, enjoying a sunset, or engaging in water sports, I imagined my own retirement: extended holidays as a snowbird, launching a non-profit, starting a counseling practice. A little different but compelling enough to keep me dreaming of my own freedom years.

Why not leave the workforce at age 55 and devote the remaining 25 to 30 years of my life to my passions.

Continue reading on Brenda Whiteside’s blog.


Remembering Dr. Wayne Dyer

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Brilliant. Inspiring. Visionary. Teacher. Speaker. Author.

These are only a handful of descriptors that can be used to describe this pioneer in the personal-development field.

Today would have been Dr. Wayne Dyer’s 76th birthday. I’m honoring his birthday by recalling 10 quotes that have motivated and inspired me for over three decades.

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“Circumstances do not make a man, they reveal him.”

“If you believe it will work out, you’ll see opportunities. If you believe it won’t you will see obstacles.”

“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.”

“Go for it now. The future is promised to no one.”

“When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It’s to enjoy each step along the way.”

“Conflict cannot survive without your participation.”

“Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed.”

“How people treat you is their karma. How you react is yours.”

“When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.”

“It’s never crowded along the extra mile.”

Do you have a favorite quote from Dr. Wayne Dyer?

Own Your Own Life

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have Wild Rose Press author Nina Barrett sharing her inspiring journey and new release, Renegade Heart.

Here’s Nina!

ninabarrett

I always wanted to be a writer, but being shy, it was hard to say so out loud. As a child I made up stories in my head, completed a mystery manuscript in junior high and exchanged stories and poems with a writer friend in high school. After finishing college and surviving a divorce, I began life as a single mother teaching in a small town. I loved teaching, but it wasn’t enough. Teaching was what I did; a writer was what I was.

I wrote stealthily at nights and in the car, waiting on my son to finish his swimming or piano lessons. A newspaper article about the Antioch Writers’ Workshop in Yellow Springs, Ohio sponsoring a scholarship contest piqued my interest. I submitted a piece of writing without anything in the way of expectations. Sometime later a letter in reply arrived. It took more than a few days to open it.

Someone – actually a committee – liked my work. I was privileged to attend the workshop and take a class with the incomparable Sue Grafton. The experience encouraged me to continue writing and submitting to agents and editors.

Unsuccessfully.

I returned to Antioch and took a class with romance writer Jennifer Crusie who is as encouraging and supportive as she is talented.

I grew up relishing the works of such authors as Phyllis Whitney, Mary Stewart, Mignon Eberhart and Daphne du Maurier. I began reading what was currently available in the field of romantic suspense and completed my first romantic suspense manuscript. It failed to find a publisher.

Through my local RWA chapter, I learned of a small e-publisher opening for business and soliciting for manuscripts. To my shock, I received the call and in June 2012 my Western romance Marriage Made in Haven was published by Musa Publishing. Since then my books Return of the Dixie Deb and A Man to Waste Time On have been published by the Wild Rose Press. On April 27th my novel Renegade Heart will be released.

Romance doesn’t always have the respect other genres receive. I write light, contemporary romances meant to entertain, to make someone’s day a little brighter. Romance + mystery + an HEA: I think the world could use more than that and I like trying to provide it.

Advice for anyone pursing a similar dream? Own your own life. At the end of it would you rather say I tried, I tried as hard as I could but I didn’t succeed or I was scared so I didn’t try?

Favorite Quotation: It’s never too late to become what you might have been.
George Eliot

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Blurb

As if Vegas didn’t have excitement enough, December brings the National Finals Rodeo to the city. Heading the Imperial Hotel’s participation as a host hotel, Kerstin Hennepin is rushing to a meeting when a fall sends her tumbling into a stranger’s arms and he’s in no hurry to let her go.

Jake Aaron is a troubleshooter for the rodeo Or maybe he’s just plain trouble. Their attraction is instant and one close encounter leads to another, but Jake comes with plenty of questions. True he’s busy handing the offstage antics of rowdy rodeo contestants, but does his job also include romancing a young barrel rider and carrying a concealed weapon?

With the finale of the Finals approaching, Kerstin needs answers. But when her search for the truth reveals more is going on behind the scenes than on the arena floor, she and Jake are squarely in someone’s cross hairs.

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Where to find Nina…

Amazon | Goodreads

Joanne here!

Nina, Like you I also taught for many years, all the while secretly dreaming of a writing career. I enjoyed learning more about your journey and appreciate the advice given. BTW…George Eliot’s quote is also one of my favorites.

Happy National Teacher Appreciation Day

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

In 1953, Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim National Teachers’ Day. The day was celebrated on March 7th until 1985, when the National PTA established Teacher Appreciation Week as the first full week of May. The first Tuesday of the that week was then designated as National Teacher Appreciation Day, a day to thank all the special teachers in our lives.

Here are ten of my favorite quotes about teachers…

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.
Henry Adams

Those who educate children well are more to be honored than they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well. Aristotle

Teachers, I believe, are the most responsible and important members of society because their professional efforts affect the fate of the earth. Helen Caldicott

If you have to put someone on a pedestal, put teachers. They are society’s heroes.
Guy Kawasaki

Teachers can change lives with just the right mix of chalk and challenges. Joyce Meyer

Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students. Solomon Ortiz

The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called ‘truth’.
Dan Rather

Most of us end up with no more than five or six people who remember us. Teachers have thousands of people who remember them for the rest of their lives. Andy Rooney

They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even when you don’t know it. Nicholas Sparks

Teaching is a calling too. And I’ve always thought that teachers in their way are holy – angels leading their flocks out of the darkness. Jeannette Walls

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At the Transformational Wellness Fair

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

This past Saturday, I attended the Transformational Wellness Fair at Dublin Street United Church in Guelph, Ontario. Over thirty holistic practitioners and vendors set up booths featuring a diverse array of products and services.

I also listened to the following guest speakers:

Jill Hewlett is an internationally recognized speaker, trainer, author, wellness TV personality, and brain fitness expert. In the hour-long session, she shared simple and effective ways to improve cognition.

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Some of Jill’s insights and suggestions…

The brain is the most powerful, complex, and clever technology on the planet.

Make coffee something you enjoy, not a tool to sculpt your brain.

Do things differently and create your own results.

We first work on habits, and then our habits make us.

When you feed your body properly, you will fuel your brain.

Brain at its best: 80% water, 12% fatty lipids, 8% protein.

Be hydrated…If you’re thinking, you’re drinking.

As we move our bodies, we recreate our brains.

If you say “No” too often, you will remain in your comfort zone.

If you’re in your comfort zone, give yourself novelty. If you’re always on the go, give yourself more structure and rest.

Jill showed a trailer of The Croods. This prehistoric comedy adventure follows the world’s first family as they embark on a journey of a lifetime when the cave that has always shielded them from danger is destroyed.

In the next hour, Energy Worker Tina Wright facilitated an interactive session, where we danced, opened and closed sacred spaces, and constructed our own sand paintings. This shamanic practice enables us to remove energy blocks that may be holding us back in our life journeys.Contact Tina at healingstates@gmail.com for more information.

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roxanaIn her session, Naturotherapist Roxana Roshon helped bridge the gap between Western medicine and complementary therapies. After personally experiencing the healing power of alternative medicine, she obtained a Ph.D. in Toxicology and trained in
holistic energy healing (BOS, TBM, Therapeutic Touch, Craniosacral Therapy), with a focus on indigenous healing techniques (Mexica /Toltec). In addition to sharing her own journey, Roxana described breathing techniques and other tips for providing relief. She also guided us through a relaxing meditation.

The afternoon ended with a session on “The Fulfillment Factor” by Russell Scott. A former addictions counselor, Russell now provides one-on-one work and retreats for independent seekers aka mystic misfits. His primary purpose: “Help people awaken and live their best lives.”

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Some of Russell’s insights and suggestions…

It’s not always about being happy–Our aim is to be authentic and real.

What fulfills us is the development of consciousness.

Learn from the insanity.

If you want to change your situation, you need to accept it as it is. Allow for the natural flow of life.

When you don’t accept the situation, resistance will block the natural flow.

If you are struggling with acceptance, start journaling. At the top of a journal page, write “The truth of this situation is…” After several days of journaling, reread your entries and circle anything that stands out.

The best book is the book of yourself.

Purpose of life: To be fully who you are.


Listen to Your Inner Voice

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have Soul Mate author Carole Ann Moleti sharing her first and second acts and new release, Breakwater Beach.

Here’s Carole!

caroleannmoletiBriefly describe your first act.

I decided I wanted to be a nurse the day I turned seven, and though I fantasized like most young children about being a rock star, equestrian, or a ballerina, that resolved never wavered. I doctored up injured creatures I came across, was always fascinated by biology and devoured Cherry Ames books along with Nancy Drew mysteries, Whitman Westerns, and seminal science fiction works like The Andromeda Strain and Arm of the Starfish.

There were horses the Bronx, NYC at that time (believe it or not) but my parents didn’t have the funds for that hobby. I learned enough at Ms. Tessie’s School of Ballet to be in end of the year performances and school, and Girl Scout productions attended by devoted grandparents and parents, but as my father tactfully pointed out, I didn’t have the body of a ballerina (or the talent).

Pragmatism was a trait in my family—and I went with the original plan. I followed the prescribed course of action winning science awards and honors, and studying nursing in college, graduate school, and even obtained a doctorate in nursing practice. I’ve specialized in family health and midwifery, and for twenty of my twenty-eight year career, followed the logical progression of promotions to achieve exactly what I wanted-to take care of people and make a difference in their lives.

What triggered the need for change?

In the early 1980s, health became a business with terms like ‘throughputs’ and ‘outputs’ replacing ‘patients’ and ‘getting better.’ Getting them in and out fast became a measure of ‘provider productivity,’ and ‘outcomes’ became buzzwords prefaced by ‘favorable’ and ‘unfavorable.’ Most doctors and nurses revile this approach to what should be an art and science not a business, but our voices have been drowned out. Spending on actual patient care competes with funds for departments devoted to compliance with laws and regulations, billing and coding, and quality management—all euphemisms for not losing reimbursement because you didn’t follow the rules, maximizing the amount you get for each visit or hospital stay, and tweaking the system when there are too many complications or adverse outcomes occurring.

This transformed my profession into a punching bag. I felt like a wishbone being pulled apart by the resolve to do the best I could for patients while not violating rules, regulations, policies and procedures that do not always make sense at 2 am on Sunday, when a critical situation occurred and I was in charge of taking an action, the consequences of which I’d have to live with for the rest of my life.

Where are you now?

In 2005, I started to explore what I really wanted to do now that I was all grown up. After watching a Star Wars movie, I realized how popular culture insidiously glorifies violence against women. I decided to write a novel that addressed that—and did. It’s still in a trunk and may never be published, but that began my second career writing fantasy and science fiction and creative nonfiction (including two memoirs) that focus on environmental, political and women’s issues. My influences are feminist literature from the 1970s, classic science fiction and fantasy, my grandmother’s hand me down romance novels, and literary classics. I still read (and write) academic papers and research articles but my several part time jobs pay the bills while giving me more flexibility to spend time writing.

In 2006, I started a very cross genre paranormal romance story that turned into the Unfinished Business series. It is not autobiographical, but was strongly influenced by my childhood, living on the waterfront, vacations on Cape Cod, and the perspective a midwife who did her residency on the North Shore of Massachusetts-near Salem. Breakwater Beach was just published, the sequel is out, and the third book is in revision.

My next project is a gritty urban fantasy series Boulevard of Bad Spells and Broken Dreams, which is set in the Bronx, where I grew up and now work. It’s like Tom Wolfe’s Bonfire of the Vanities with a paranormal twist. Excerpts of my memoirs have been published in a variety of literary journals and I won the Oasis Journal award for creative nonfiction in 2009.

In 2007, I started taking ballet classes again and now study at a studio in Manhattan under dancers who have performed with major ballet companies. Those journeys, along with many of my health care related experiences, have been incorporated into my memoirs.

Do you have advice for anyone planning to pursue a second act?

Listen to your inner voice. Be open to making a major change even if it involves going back to school to learn new skills. With the advent of the Internet, I was able to take creative writing classes that developed my skills and are now helping to advance my second career. It is never easy, but don’t listen to those who might discourage you–even if it’s sideways glances or eyes rolling, or giving your work little credence. I have made the most steadfast writing friends over the last eleven years.

Any affirmations or quotations you wish to share?

“Administrators are people who do things the right way, but leaders are those we depend upon to do the right thing.”
– Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, 1985

Doing the right thing is not always the right thing to do. Always follow your heart, and your conscience, and your dreams.

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Blurb

Liz Levine is convinced her recently deceased husband is engineering the sequence of events that propels her into a new life. But it’s sea captain Edward Barrett, the husband that died over a century ago, who has returned to complete their unfinished business. Edward’s lingering presence complicates all her plans and jeopardizes a new relationship that reawakens her passion for life and love. What are Captain Barrett’s plans for his wife, and for the man who is the new object of her affections?

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Bio

Carole Ann Moleti lives and works as a nurse-midwife in New York City, thus explaining her fascination with all things paranormal, urban fantasy, and space opera. Her nonfiction focuses on health care, politics, and women’s issues. But her first love is writing science fiction and fantasy because walking through walls is less painful than running into them.

Books One and Two in the Unfinished Business series, Carole’s Cape Cod paranormal romance novels, Breakwater Beach and The Widow’s Walk, were published by Soulmate. Book Three, Storm Watch, is expected in 2017. Urban fantasies set in the world of Carole’s novels have been featured in Haunted: Ten Tales of Ghosts, Seers: Ten Tales of Clairvoyance, Beltane: Ten Tales of Witchcraft, and Bites: Ten Tales of Vampires.

Carole also writes non fiction that ranges from sweet and sentimental in This Path and Thanksgiving to Christmas to edgy and irreverent in the Not Your Mother’s Books: On Being a Mother and On Being a Parent.

Free reads

Going on Pointe | Concrete

Where to find Carole…

Website | Amazon | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Goodreads

Joanne here!

Carole, thanks for sharing your inspiring journey and excellent advice. Best of luck with Breakwater Beach.