Category Archives: Inspiration

Inspiration Between the Lines

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m thrilled to welcome Soul Mate author Linda Bradley to my blog. Today, Linda shares her favorite quotations and her debut novel, Maggie’s Way.

Here’s Linda!

lindabradleyphoto

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.
Henry David Thoreau

This world is but a canvas to our imagination.
Henry David Thoreau

The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.
Ernest Hemingway

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?
For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.
I dream of painting and then I paint my dream.
Vincent Van Gogh
Me: I dream of words and I write them.

Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open.
Stephen King

Sometimes you have to go on when you don’t feel like it, and sometimes you’re doing good work when it feels like all you’re managing is to shovel shit from a sitting position.
Stephen King

Some days you get the bear, other days the bear gets you
Proverb
Me: Dear Bear, Pride is righteous. Let’s not let it destroy the journey.

Set your course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship.
Omar Bradley

The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.
Jane Austen

To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment.
Jane Austen

Harry: I have never lied to you, I have always told you some version of the truth.
Erica Barry: The truth doesn’t have versions, okay?
Something’s Gotta Give (Jack Nicholson/Dianne Keaton)
Me: I’m with Erica on this.

Put blinders on to those things that conspire to hold you back, especially the ones in your own head.
Meryl Streep

maggiesway

Blurb

Middle-aged, Maggie Abernathy just wants to recuperate from cancer during the solitude of summer vacation after a tiresome year of teaching second grade. Maggie’s plans are foiled when precocious seven-year-old, Chloe McIntyre moves in next door with her dad, John. Maggie’s life changes in a way she could never imagine when the pesky new neighbors steal her heart. With Maggie’s grown son away, her ex-husband in the shadows, her meddling mother’s unannounced visits, and Chloe McIntyre on her heels, somehow Maggie’s empty house becomes home again.

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Bio

Linda’s inspiration comes from her favorite authors and life itself. Her women’s fiction highlights characters that peel away outer layers of life to discover the heart of their dreams with some unexpected twists and turns along the way. Her writing integrates humor found in everyday situations, as well as touching moments that make readers connect with her characters. Maggie’s Way is her debut novel, in her Montana Bound Series. She is currently working on Maggie’s Fork in the Road and Maggie’s Montana.

Linda has an Associates Degree in Interior Design and a Master’s Degree in Reading and Language Arts with undergraduate work in Elementary Education and Fine Arts. She wrote and illustrated a children’s book titled, The Hunter for her Master’s Degree. Linda is a member of RWA, as well as the Greater Detroit Chapter of RWA.

Linda has two grown sons, lives with her husband, and rescue dog in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Where to find Linda…

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Interview with Romance Debuts

Leave a comment – you could win an e-book of Maggie’s Way.


A Different Kind of Groundhog Day Message

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

26852382_sEach year, I join in the fun and anticipation surrounding Groundhog Day, hoping Wiarton Willie (Ontario’s groundhog) will predict an early spring. A feeling that is shared by millions of Canadians and Americans who are also focusing on their respective groundhogs, among them Punxsutawney Phil, Shubenacadie Sam, Balzac Billy and Buckeye Chuck.

Last year, I came across a thought-provoking post about Groundhog Day on Editor Bob’s newsletter.

Here is Editor Bob’s evergreen post…

In NYC, we crave the luminous skies and warm weather which are still months away. I am recovering from the cabin fever. All is frozen outside but certainly not my heart.

As a curious explorer in school, I used to enjoy weather forecasting by observing the activity of a groundhog at Staten Island Zoo where on February 2, the groundhog comes out of the burrow all day and the ceremony is open for all.

As it looks at its own shadow it indicates the continuation of cold dry winters while if there is an umbrella of clouds, it stays outside predicting the arrival of spring. The behavior of this intelligent rodent helps in predicting the waning of winter or the onset of spring. I find this phenomenon fascinating.

Last evening as I was sitting with Fred, my retired, reformist friend, at the pub, he enlightened me with his perspective of the Groundhog Day which was rather unique and interesting. It gave me a new insight.

Fred said, “You know Bob this day reminds me of my lonely days, I emerged from my coldness only to find my own shadow which was as solitary as my pride, my seasons never changed till I transcended my attitude and eventually, I made great friends who enveloped me in love and warmth. More I open myself to camaraderie, the springtime of my life continues.”

The only prerequisite for long-lasting happiness is to stop walking in your own shadow. We are the weather prophets of our life. So pause and reflect, are you warm or cold today?


Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

martinlutherking

Today is Martin Luther King Day, an American federal holiday that marks the birthday of an inspirational clergyman, activist, and leader who is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights in the United States.

My favorite quotations from Dr. Martin Luther King…

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.

Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?”

We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.

The time is always right to do what is right.


An Original Invention

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have The Tea Pixie sharing her inspiring journey.

theteapixie-hobby-art-and-jewelry-for-JG-January-2016 (2)

Reinvention is an interesting way of looking at life changes. It suggests we were invented. I am the result of everyone who came before me, and I am their original invention. If you keep this in mind as you read my Second Acts story, you will understand my life decisions.

First Act

My Mom graduated from high school when I was 12. When I graduated from high school, she graduated from a technical institute as a certified Laboratory Technician. Her courage to return to school in her thirties inspired me to study in university. I never envisioned my life beyond university, so when I graduated with a degree in communication and $11 dollars in my bank account, I raced to get employed at ANYTHING!

Within a year of graduating, I was a researcher in educational television, and within five years I was a supervising researcher. I was doing well-paid work that fit with my values, I felt that I was successfully serving my staff and the population that relied on the service we provided, and I really loved the people I worked with.

Trigger for Change

But working long hours in a luxurious office was only one of many stairs in the grand staircase that is my life. Having a child seems so biologically natural but with the introduction of contraception, having a family is now a basket full of choices, not only a choice between having children or not. I wanted to raise a child.

At age 32, I brought our amazing daughter into the world.

And then I left my job.

Second Act

It was not an easy decision, but I couldn’t see how I could be dedicated to my job and dedicated to raising our daughter – something would suffer. My husband’s response? “Two can live as cheap as one!” But we were three.

I left that job with tears in my eyes and began searching for alternative work. Many people work for themselves, even though statistics in Canada indicate that the average income of self employed people is less than $10,000 per year. I did not see myself as an entrepreneur…yet.

I began by voluntarily writing a communication plan (my first ever) for a local business and that document garnered me a part-time marketing manager position. My daughter would join me in meetings, happily munching away on Cheerios while I negotiated advertisements. I no longer had a work persona – what you saw was what you got.

Among myriad ways of making that business into a household name, I was publishing a quarterly newsletter and was surprised to learn that customers excitedly awaited each new publication.

People wanted to read what I was writing.

Boom. BOOM! And that is when I started to write, and write, and write. I took on book contracts, waiting until my daughter had fallen asleep and then writing on the computer in my storage room until 2am, getting up with her at 6am. Some days I was delirious because, as I discovered, I couldn’t survive with only four hours of sleep every night. Did I know what I was doing? Not a chance. I had never written a book before and wrote that first book outline based on a two-hour meeting on the 18th green of a golf course while drinking ciders. And I discovered that I loved working like that, unsure of what I was creating, but confident that I could figure it out.

Why was I confident? Because I had loads of failures and I survived them. One of the best of the worst failures was a book that got published with one line of complete gibberish in the middle of the book. Complete gibberish. On that project, I was the writer, the content and copy editor, and the publisher. I thought I was sunk. Instead, I was given an even bigger contract with the same organization – and became a book layout designer, as well.

And, art kept me sane through everything. When parenting was hard, I painted. When the work flow was unsatisfactory, I studied the flow of metals as I made jewelry. Doing art together was a wonderful way to connect with my daughter and provide her with the opportunity to explore her power and control. She also saw her Mom doing art as a normal part of life. Working with the unknown that is central to producing artistic pieces, just furthered my courage and my ability to face challenges.

Where Am I Now?

Eighteen years later, my daughter is in university, and I am working in research in women’s health, and continuing my life-training as a semi-precious metals jewelry designer and artist. Being a parent is a really, really hard job. I recommend it, wholeheartedly, as the most rewarding job I have had the good fortune to do.

I also recommend jumping into the unknown, even if the jump is small and the unknown seems insignificant. To get to the bigger jumps we need to learn that we can handle the smaller ones. But pave your own road – make your opportunities. When you realize that you have something (a product – a service – a skill) that people want, sell it. You might not know the “best” way to sell it, but there is no rule that says you have to do it the best way, you just have to do it.

Favorite Quotation

As Sue Monk Kidd says: “If you need something from somebody give that person a way to hand it to you.” My life choice was to invent my daughter. I made everything else happen to support that.

Joanne here!

Thanks for your insights and advice. Best of luck with all your creative endeavors.


Seeking Purpose

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have Canadian author Carol Balawyder musing about the two acts of her writing journey.

Here’s Carol!

carolbalawyderI am so grateful to be featured among so many (over 90!) wonderful writers in Joanne Guidoccio’s Second Acts series.

In life one has many second acts but the one which I wish to focus on here is my writing journey.

ACT ONE

Five years ago I retired from a successful teaching career with the luck of a pension that allowed me the freedom to write without the financial burden of having a day job. My initial intention was to put my heart and soul into writing crime novels. After all, wasn’t that the purpose for my going back to school to study criminology and later teach Police Tech and Corrections so that I would have credibility as a crime writer?

mourninghasbrokenBut then people around me started dying: Father. Mother. Sister. I was stricken with a deep grief that I only knew how to express through writing. They say that one must go through a year of mourning and so when my dear sister, Diana, died I wrote for a year about my pain and sorrow which became my requiem: Mourning Has Broken.

Parallel to this my heart broke in a different way: Man leaves wife for younger woman. Here I was seeking out another partner to fill a hole that partly got filled by writing Getting To Mr. Right in which I created four female characters and their relationships with their fathers.

With the novel self published, I found I still wasn’t finished with these characters and followed up with novella length epilogues for each of them. So far I’ve written Missi and Suzy’s stories.

balawydergettingtomrrightbalawydermissisdatingadventuresbalawydercafeparadise















I will soon publish Felicity’s story (Not By Design).

That still leaves me Campbell which will likely be the end of this series.

But in this first act there were my crime novels lurking at the back of my mind. I have three manuscripts at different stages of the writing process, one which I hope to publish soon.

ACT TWO

Pieces of magic.

I am a woman seeking purpose. At this stage of my writing career I feel the need to use my writing to help bring awareness to causes that are dear to me. I have begun to do this with Not By Design where the main character, Felicity Starr, develops Multiple Sclerosis.

Logically, I should be more interested in cures for cancer, particularly blood cancer such as lymphoma, leukemia and thrombocythemia – all cancers that run like river water in my maternal side of the family’s blood stream.

Before I wrote Not By Design I knew nothing about MS. I knew no one who suffered from the disease. But then again as Felicity discovers:
“The thing about having MS is that no one can tell that I am sick. A bizarre illness where you look fine but you’re not fine.”

In the early stages of writing this novel –still at the stage of trying to discover what my book was about I happened to meet (The Universe works its magic) Irene Grazzini, a young physician from Italy who was doing research at Montreal’s Neurological Institute. Because of her own writing we developed a friendship where during her stay in Montreal we met weekly for walks and talked about writing. On one such walk I said that I wanted my character, Felicity, to be struck with an illness. Because Felicity is an artist I wanted her to have a disease which would force her to give up her art (at least as she knows it) and told Irene that she could develop Parkinson’s.

Irene: How old is she?

Me: Mid-thirties.

Irene: Why don’t you give her MS? It’s more common for her age group. It’s a disease that affects coordination.

magicwandMore magic.

The other day I was at the library thinking about my second act.

As usual, whenever I go to the library, I check out the new books. And there it is. Very Good Lives by J.K. Rowling (in case the name is unfamiliar, think Harry Potter).

Very Good Lives is Rowling’s commencement address delivered to the class of 2008 at Harvard University. Its subject is on the fringe benefits of failure and the importance of imagination.

I imagine Rowling’s words transitioning me from my Act One to my Act Two as a commencement speech is meant to do. I am especially struck by these lines:

“If you choose to use your status and influence to raise your voice on behalf of those who have no voice; if you choose to identify not only with the powerful but with the powerless; if you retain the ability to imagine yourself into the lives of those who do not have your advantages, then it will not only be your proud families who celebrate your existence but thousands and millions of people whose reality you have helped change. We do not need magic to transform our world; we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.”

So this is how I imagine my second act.

My warmest thanks to you, Joanne, for inviting me to be a guest on your inspiring blog.

Where to find Carol…

Amazon | Goodreads | Smashwords | Blog

Joanne here!

Carol, Thanks for sharing your back story and hopes/plans for the future. I also enjoyed reading Very Good Lives and like the quote you shared. Best of luck with all your literary endeavors.


My Word for 2016

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

2015 was a busy and productive year. Two of my novels, A Season for Killing Blondes and The Coming of Arabella were released within months of each other. In between edits and promotion, I started several new projects. By the end of the year, I had six storylines in various stages of completion and had succumbed to another bout of writers’ block. While many of my author friends can juggle several manuscripts at one time, I find my creative energy weakened whenever I throw too many irons in the fire.

The solution is a simple and straightforward one: Select one of the storylines and focus my time and attention on its completion. And say NO to new projects, regardless of how tantalizing they may appear.

For that reason, I am selecting FOCUS as my word for 2016.

focus

FOCUS ♦ MESSA A FUOCO ♦ CONCENTRER ♦ FOKUS ♦ FOCO

Have you selected a word for 2016?


10 Inspiring Quotations for the New Year

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Setting New Year’s resolutions can be daunting. If you struggle with this task why not draw on the collective wisdom of these poets, authors, and leaders.

inspiration

1. Take a leap of faith and begin this wondrous New Year by believing. Believe in yourself. And believe that there is a loving Source – a Sower of Dreams – just waiting to be asked to help you make your dreams come true. Sarah Ban Breathnach

2. The New Year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals.” Melody Beattie

3. Each year’s regrets are envelopes in which messages of hope are found for the New Year. John R. Dallas Jr.

4. For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice. T.S. Eliot

5. Maybe this year…We ought to walk through the rooms of our lives not looking for flaws, but for potential. Ellen Goodman

6. Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas and progress. Charles Kettering

7. We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day. Edith Lovejoy Pierce

8. And now we welcome the New Year. Full of things that have never been. Rainer Maria Rilke

9. Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, ‘It will be happier.’ Alfred Lord Tennyson

10. Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right. Oprah Winfrey

Happy New Year!

The Mermaid and the Woodcutter

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I discovered the following artwork and fable on my Internet travels.

Enjoy!

mermaidwoodcutter

A woodcutter had been hard at work all day, cutting down trees to sell for firewood. It was nearing sunset, but he wanted to cut down one last tree before going home for the night. Coming across a sturdy elm that grew beside a deep pool, he set to work. But he was so tired that, after a few strokes, his ax slipped out of his hands and fell with a splash into the deep black water.

“How could I be so careless!” the woodcutter cried. “I’ll never see my ax again!” And he stood by the water in despair.

Now, a mermaid happened to be nearby, and heard the woodcutter’s lamentations. Quick as thought, the creature appeared before him and asked him what was wrong.

“I’ve lost my only ax in the water,” the woodcutter groaned. “I can’t afford to buy another, and now my children will go hungry. What can I do?”,” the mermaid replied, and she dived to the bottom of the pool. When she came back to the surface, she held in her hand an ax made of pure gold.

“Is this the ax you lost?” the mermaid asked the woodcutter.

“No, that one isn’t mine,” the honest man answered.

The mermaid dived again to the bottom of the pool and came up with a shining silver ax. “Then this one must be your,” she said.

“No, that one’s not mine, either,” sighed the woodcutter. “Mine was just a plain iron ax with a wooden handle.”

For the third time the mermaid dived to the bottom of the pool, and this time she came up with an old, worn iron ax.

“That’s the one!” cried the woodcutter joyfully. “How can I ever thank you?”

“My friend,” said the mermaid, “your honesty deserves a reward. Take all three axes home with you, and your children will never go hungry again.”

When the delighted woodcutter reached home, he told his family what had happened.

Now, the woodcutter had a brother who, when he heard the story, said to himself, “Why should my foolish brother have better luck than me? Tomorrow I’ll try the same trick, and I’ll come home wealthy too!”

The next day the woodcutter’s brother went to the same pool and promptly threw his ax into the water. Immediately he began weeping and wailing, calling on the mermaid to help him. The mermaid appeared and, diving to the bottom of the pool, brought up a golden ax. “Is this the one you lost?” she asked.

“That’s the one!” the woodcutter’s brother cried.

But the mermaid let the golden ax fall back beneath the water.

“For your dishonesty,” she said, “you’ll have no ax at all. “And then she vanished, leaving the woodcutter’s brother poorer than ever.

Today marks the end of the Mondays for Mermaids series. Thanks for following!


Dreams Can Come True

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have The Wild Rose Press author Debra St. John sharing a lifelong passion for writing and her latest release, Christmas at the Corral.

Here’s Debra!

debrastjohnAct One

I’ve been an avid reader since I was a little girl. My favorite days were trips to the library. Each and every time I headed right toward those wonderful yellow books in the mystery section to get my Nancy Drew fix. I wanted to be Nancy. Or at least hang out with Nancy. Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, and Laura Ingalls Wilder were also early favorites. And although I devoured the printed word, I wasn’t one of those kids who scribbled stories. I was content to read them.

Then in high school I discovered romance. I purchased a subscription to Harlequin American. Oh the joy when those four silver books arrived each month. It took less than a week to read through them, and then the waiting began for another month. Such a lesson in patience. It was then the niggle to do some writing started to nudge me. I even tried my hand at writing some romance during my high school days. However, having no actual experience with romance, the attempts were pretty lame. And quite amusing to look back on now. But the desire to write a romance ‘someday’ always lingered in my mind.

Act Two: Scene One

Fast forward quite a few years. That dream to write was still there, but that’s all it was. Just a dream. I never did anything about it. Never really knew how to do anything about it. Then one New Year’s Eve out at our favorite bar, a friend was snapping pictures. She commented she was going to use one on her ‘inspiration’ board. I asked her what she meant, and she said she was a writer. As the conversation progressed I learned she belonged to a writers’ group. I perked up. She took me to my first meeting of the Chicago-North RWA chapter, and I was hooked. I joined the chapter and soaked in as much knowledge as I could. Took advantage of my first critique session with a fast beating heart and sweaty palms. Submitted to some contests. Won a few. Over the years held the positions of secretary, manuscript chair and president for the chapter.

But still, I wasn’t really doing anything to actually get myself published. I had one manuscript finished, but other than a pitch (and eventual rejection) to an editor at a local conference, my dream was still that.

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Act Two: Scene Two

Finally, it just hit me one day. I decided I either needed to get serious about the whole getting published thing, or just forget about it. I asked a published friend about her small press publisher. She wasn’t too keen on them as she hadn’t had a great experience, but said she’d heard good things about a new small press: The Wild Rose Press. I checked out their web-site, liked what I saw, and submitted what they asked for. Within three months my dream came true! I was offered a contract for my first book: This Time for Always. That was in 2008. Since then I’ve written ten other books for them and have one pending contract right now. Over these last seven or so years I toyed with the idea of writing for a ‘bigger’ name publisher, even getting a request for a full from Harlequin. I never heard back, but to be honest, I didn’t try too hard to follow up.

For me, writing is still a hobby. Yes, it’s a thrill to see my name in print on the cover of a book, and I would be lying if I said it wouldn’t be a bigger thrill to have my name on a Harlequin book (because that’s how my dream started), but I’m content and more than happy with the status of my writing career. I love writing for The Wild Rose Press whose owners, editors, cover artists, and marketing staff are a joy to work with. A small press fits my needs. I have a full-time career that I love, which means writing at this point in my life takes a back seat. I have other priorities and responsibilities that come first. And I’m okay with that. I enjoy writing. I do it when I can. There’s no expectation to write so many books in a year: I contract one book at a time.

Will I ever be a New York Times Bestselling Author? Probably not. But you never know…maybe there’s an Act Two: Scene Three still to come. As long as I never stop dreaming, anything is possible.

So, dream big. And don’t be afraid to work hard and reach for those dreams.

Favorite Quotation

“When you put your mind to a certain thing, it can happen. The biggest thing is nothing is impossible. All it takes is imagination.” – Michael Phelps

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Blurb

Maggie Pearson has no time in her busy life for love, but an immediate attraction draws her to a mysterious stranger at The Corral, a local bar. However, any romantic feelings are ruthlessly squashed when he accuses her of having an affair with his brother.

As a divorce lawyer, Van Rawlings has seen the ugly side of marriage too many times to believe in love. But having gotten off on the wrong foot with Maggie, and genuinely contrite over his faux pas, he offers to help her with an upcoming Christmas charity dinner. The more time they spend together, the more he realizes he’s never met anyone like Maggie, who gives so generously of her time.

Can Maggie and the magic of the season help Van believe again? In Christmas and in love.

Buy Links

Amazon | The Wild Rose Press

Bio

Debra St. John has been reading and writing romance since high school. She always dreamed about publishing a romance novel some day. Her dream came true when she started writing sultry contemporary romance with sexy heroes and spunky heroines for The Wild Rose Press. Although she’s a country gal at heart, she lives in a suburb of Chicago with her husband, who is her real life hero.

She is the author of The Corral Series, which includes her debut release, This Time for Always, a Champagne Rose and Rosebud bestseller at The Wild Rose Press. This Can’t Be Love and This Feels Like Home complete the series. Christmas at The Corral is the first book in the Holidays at The Corral spin-off series. Valentine’s Day at The Corral and Fourth of July at The Corral are coming soon.

Her holiday stories are A Christmas to Remember, An Unexpected Blessing (Thanksgiving), and The Vampire and the Vixen for Halloween.

One Great Night, Family Secrets, and Wild Wedding Weekend round out her bookshelf.

Where to find Debra…

Facebook | Website | Heroines with Hearts

Joanne here!

Debra, thanks for sharing your writing journey. I’m impressed by the number of books you’ve written in seven years. Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2016.