Oprah and Elizabeth Lesser

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Joanne Guidoccio

Oprah welcomed Elizabeth Lesser, best-selling author of The Seeker’s Guide and Broken Open and co-founder of Omega Institute, to Super Soul Sunday.

Having read Broken Open several times, I was looking forward to gaining more insights about surviving and thriving during difficult times. I was especially interested in hearing about Elizabeth’s experiences during a very challenging 2013. In her introduction, Oprah commented that Elizabeth could have written an epilogue to Broken Open based upon that transformative year.

A bit of history…

Seven years ago, Elizabeth’s younger sister, Maggie, was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma. After six years in remission, the cancer returned in 2013. The last resort for Maggie was high risk bone marrow operation.

When Elizabeth discovered she was the best match, she educated herself about the process and decided to purify her cells of any bad intentions. She wanted to be in a place of love and acceptance before undergoing the five-hour operation.

With the help of a wonderful therapist, the two sisters addressed prickly issues and were able to heal old wounds.

The experience of the stem cell transplant was a holy one and gave Elizabeth the courage to come through more fully into her own skin.

In the second part of the telecast, Oprah and Elizabeth discussed aging gracefully. A timely topic for Oprah on the eve of her 60th birthday (the day of the taping). As a fellow sister in her sixties, Elizabeth has embraced her role as elder and plans to be there for people who are coming up.

Quotable Quotes…

All holy and difficult experiences are there to transform us.

Life is always giving us opportunities to either break open into the mystery or to shut down.

Who we are with each other, what we say, how we show up. It’s everything.

Your soul is covered by a thousand veils. Spiritual work is about uncovering your soul—peeling back all those veils.

For some people, prayer is a tremendous “veil buster”. For others, it may be meditation or nature or music.

Love your fate. It’s the best way to remove some of those veils.

Look for a way to lift someone up. If that’s all you do, it’s enough.

The soul is like a quiet music inside. A quiet, beautiful song that you were given to sing here on Earth.

You can stay awake by staying aware of your effect on other people and on the world.

We resist change but then it turns into an adventure.

Happily Ever After: In Fiction and In Life

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, I am thrilled to feature a couple, Catherine and Donald Hersh, aka Soul Mate author C.D. Hersh.

Here’s C.D.

FIRST ACT

Our first act has always had writing in it, both personally and professionally, just not in the same manner as it has now. Over the years at work, Donald had become proficient at writing instructional manuals and documents for the technical work he did and was recognized for his writing by a national organization in his field. Winning the Blanche Witte Award – a highly prestigious award in his career field – was one of the highlights of his career. The award included a paid trip to Fort Worth, TX for the presentation in front of a national gathering of his peers. Catherine got to go, too.

During this time Catherine was becoming skilled at writing for the local papers with non-fiction news stories, interviews and advertorials. She branched out from the paper and started writing articles and stories published in the Cincinnati Magazine, and writing for children at Standard Publishing.

We were both involved in the drama group at church, even contributing a few short skits that were performed. One year the drama director came to us with a request to write a Christmas play they were developing as a re-creation of Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth. We took a go at it, writing the play as an interactive, living diorama with the audience walking through the set as travelers looking for a place to stay. The church put the play on four out of five years running at Christmas with thousands of people coming through by the end of the run. We were even able to sell the script to churches across the country.

From this we learned we could work together (without killing each other), create a good story, and even have fun while writing. Another play we have finished is currently in the Ohio Community Theater library waiting for a local community theater to discover. We also have several more WIPs plays and musicals that, due to our second act, may never get finished.

ACT TWO

Act Two began when Catherine gave Donald a romance book to read while we were on vacation. She thought it was a good action romance he would enjoy. Well, Donald slogged through the book and when finished, he promptly threw it away. In Catherine’s presence, he declared the male characters were weak and that we could write better characters.

As Catherine was never one to turn down a challenge she said, “Let’s do it!”

So, on the trip home we cast around for ideas to base a story on and found one along the side of the road: A sign announcing an upcoming attraction at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in New York.

After bouncing several ideas off each other about what the meaning of “Turning Stone” might entail, we began to develop our world. The Turning Stone Society is a shape shifting group that lives among us. Members have a magical blood stone ring that changes them into other personas: male, female and animal, with a few twists the usual shape shifting worlds don’t have. From there on as the old saying goes is “the rest of the story,” which has developed into a five-book series called the Turning Stone Chronicles.

Currently, the first book in the series, The Promised One, is published in both Kindle and paperback. The second book, Blood Brothers, is due out this summer. Below is a cover reveal for Blood Brothers, the blurb, and an excerpt.

Blurb

When Delaney Ramsey is enlisted to help train two of the most powerful shape shifters the Turning Stone Society has seen in thousands of years, she suspects one of them is responsible for the disappearance of her daughter. To complicate matters, the man has a secret that could destroy them all. Bound by honor to protect the suspect, Delaney must prove his guilt without losing her life to his terrible powers or revealing to the police captain she’s falling for that she’s a shape shifter with more than one agenda.

The minute Captain Williams lays eyes on Delaney Ramsey, he knows she’s trouble. Uncooperative, secretive, and sexy, he can’t get her out of his mind. When he discovers she has a personal agenda for sifting through all the criminal records in his precinct, and secretly investigating his best detective, he can’t let her out of his sight. He must find out what she’s looking for before she does something illegal. If she steps over the line, he’s not certain he can look the other way for the sake of love.

Excerpt

Harry Williams paused at the entrance to Alexi’s ER room, hand hovering over the doorknob, uncertain when he heard the voices inside. Did she have company? He peeked in through a crack in the window curtain. The only people he recognized were Alexi and Rhys. He moved from the door, planning to return later.

“Captain,” Rhys called as he opened the door. “Come in.”

“I’m not intruding?”

“No. Alexi will be glad to see you.”

Harry stepped into the room. Going immediately to her bedside, he set the small vase of flowers he’d brought on the nightstand. “Didn’t know what kind you liked.”

Retrieving the vase, she held the flowers to her nose and inhaled. “These are gorgeous, Captain. Thank you.”

Tubes stuck into his favorite homicide detective’s arms. She seemed so helpless hooked to the equipment. Not at all like the fearless woman he knew. “You going to be okay?”

“I’ve got to stay in for a few days, but then I should be fine.”

He glared at Rhys. “How did you let her get mauled by a panther?”

“She ran in ahead of me … like she always does.”

“Headstrong woman,” Harry said to Alexi.

“That’s what makes me so good,” she replied with a smile that lit her drawn face. Alexi directed his attention toward the older man.

“This is Eli McCraigen, an old friend of Baron’s, and this,” she said, pointing to the woman, “is Delaney Ramsey. Our boss, Captain Harry Williams.”

Giving Eli a cursory nod, Harry then turned toward Delaney. A pair of turquoise eyes shown out of a china doll face, with the slightest hint of a middle age crease around her cupid bow mouth. A minute past before he found his voice. “Ms. Delaney, nice to meet you,” he said with a squeak. He hadn’t jumped octaves like that since his teenage acne cleared.

Smiling, her face lit. Amused, no doubt, by him. His gaze swept over her. She had a body a man could lose himself in. When she caught him enjoying the view, she blushed and returned the favor.

The once-over caused him to respond faster than he thought possible. A woman had not made him react like that in a long time. Women were a distraction. One he’d only dallied with occasionally since his wife left him. They all ran the minute they heard he was a career cop.

Bio

Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to co-authors C.D. Hersh. They’ve written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s. As high school sweethearts and husband and wife, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after.

Together they have co-authored a number of dramas, six which have been produced in Ohio, where they live. Their interactive Christmas production had five seasonal runs in their hometown and has been sold in Virginia, California, and Ohio. Their most recent collaborative writing efforts have been focused on romance. The first book of their paranormal romance series entitled The Promised One (The Turning Stone Chronicles) is available on Amazon. The second book in the series Blood Brothers is coming this summer.

Where to Find C.D. Hersh…

Joanne here!

Thank you Catherine and Donald for sharing your uplifting life story. I enjoyed reading The Promised One and look forward to the other books in the series. BTW…the storyline for Blood Brothers sounds intriguing.

From Comfort Zone to Stretch Zone

Posted on April 23, 2014 by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have Soul Mate author Tina Susedik describing the many hats she has worn throughout her life.

Here’s Tina!

I came across a saying that I believe exemplifies life: “We plan, God Laughs.” No matter how we organize our lives, think we know where we’re going, life takes us in different directions. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but always a learning experience.

First Act: I grew up in a poor family. We moved a lot, never spending much time in one house. Through this I learned to adapt and love living in the country.

I worked my way through college, getting a degree in Business with a minor in Journalism. I met my future husband the day before classes started my Freshman year. We married three years later. Defying all those naysayers who said we would never graduate, we both got our degrees.

Then we moved – and moved a lot as my husband’s jobs changed and improved. At best count I have lived in thirty-three different houses or apartments in my sixty-two years.

Two children came along with the decision to be a stay-at-home mom. I babysat, sold Tupperware and MaryKay, sewed clothes for others and enjoyed my children. I went back to school and earned two degrees in education and began teaching, a profession I thoroughly enjoyed.

One of our moves came after school started, and I was unable to get a job. I found an ad in a magazine for courses in writing for children. I applied and was accepted, starting my love for writing.

Another move had us in Canada, where again I couldn’t teach. I continued writing children’s books, but dabbled in writing romance. I had no idea what I was doing.

After moving back to the States and once again not having a full-time job, I started substitute teaching. It was during my drive home from a small town up the road from us that someone hit my car from behind. After a few years of struggling to teach through the pain (I did get a full-time position teaching fifth grade), I finally had to face the fact that I could no longer do what I love and needed to find something I could do.

In hindsight, I can now see how this accident helped me end up where I am today. Through the help of our state’s rehabilitation program, I was set up with a desk-top publishing business. This also afforded me time to continue writing romance.

One day I received a phone call from a town clerk from a nearby township. They needed someone to write a history of their township for their centennial celebration. Even though I had no idea how to do this, I agreed. I fell in love with interviewing, researching and writing their story. This 300-page book began a new career. I went on to write three more township books, a city history book and three military books, while learning more about writing romance.

Second Act: My husband and I bought a tax and accounting business. During tax season my writing time was curtailed, but I managed to get in as much as I could. During the “off season,” besides sitting for my grandchildren two days a week, I write full time. It’s something I can’t not do.

When I turned fifty-nine, I decided it was time to do something with the manuscripts I’d written and buried. I pitched, submitted, wrote and rewrote. I attended conferences and conventions about romance writing. I was determined it was my time.

Two years ago, everything fell into place. Within two weeks, I was asked for full manuscripts for two different books from two different publishers. “Riding for Love” was published last May with Soul Mate Publishing. This year I have another book coming out with Wild Rose Press under a pen name. I don’t have a final title or publication date yet. I’ve pulled out two of my children’s book manuscripts, brushed them off and found illustrators. They will be published this year, too.

My advice for anyone planning to pursue a second act is to be flexible and never stop learning. Looking back I can see where life was sending me, but during those years, I had no idea why things were happening as they did.

Affirmations

It doesn’t matter how old or young you are when your dreams come true. Had I wished I was published at a younger age? Yes. But I am where I’m supposed to be at this point in my life and I’m loving it.

Quotes

I always tell my grandchildren: “Never give up, never give up.” I have two quotes that follow this mantra: “It’s always too early to quit,” Norman Vincent Peale. “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit,” Richard Bach.

Blurb

Eve Dayton, owner of a riding ranch, rose above her childhood past and overcame the emotional damage her boyfriend caused when he married another woman. When someone starts sabotaging her ranch, Eve is desperate to find the culprit before she loses everything. Is it a coincidence or is the return of Denton Johanson tied to the mystery?

Divorced Denton Johanson returns to his hometown to help convict the embezzling controller of the family business. When he runs into Eve, he realizes his feelings for her are still strong enough to try and win her back. His fear of horses won’t get in the way of his goal and decides the only way to be near her is to take riding lessons from her. Can he convince her that his love is real and he is not behind the mystery surrounding the ranch?

Eve Dayton’s former boyfriend returns to town just as problems start arising at her horse riding ranch. Can she believe his declaration to be part of her life again? Will she overcome the suspicion that he is part of the problem and accept his help in catching the culprits? Find out how Denton Johanson triumphs over his fears to win back her love.

Where to find Tina…

Joanne here!

Tina, you are a wonderful role model for all of us. I am impressed by your ability to skillfully navigate the many challenges you have faced. Riding for Love sounds delicious…I’m putting it on my TBR list.

Oprah and Adyashanti

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Joanne Guidoccio

Yesterday, Oprah welcomed best-selling author and spiritual teacher Adyashanti to Super Soul Sunday.

Born Steven Gray in 1962, Adyashanti developed an interest in awakening and spiritual enlightenment at age 19. Subsequently, he built a meditation hut in his parents’ backyard and began his study of Zen. In his mid-twenties, he experienced a series of transformative spiritual awakenings that he described as “difficult emotional experiences he would not wish on his worst enemy.”

He came to realize that his spirituality could not be labelled and, in 1997, changed his name to Adyashanti, a Sanskrit word meaning “primordial peace.” His influence grew and he released several books that achieved best-seller status, among them Falling Into Grace and Resurrecting Jesus, the focus of yesterday’s telecast.

When asked about falling into grace, Adyashanti reminds us we cannot make these moments happen. All we can do is prepare the soil and make ourselves ready. If we are dealing with difficult experiences, Adyashanti advises us to be unconditionally open and take responsibility for what has happened in the past. And he asks us to consider the following questions:

Since the past isn’t here now, how am I keeping it alive?

What is the energy of my family of origin? Can I sense it in myself?

His advice regarding that heavy and sticky negative energy…Bless the energy and forgive it. Wish it its own freedom.

In Resurrecting Jesus, Adyashanti writes about the revolutionary Jesus who delivered pointed critiques of the religious and power structures of his day.

Quotable Quotes…

Beneath our personality lies who we truly are–our Presence.

When we realize we are not our thoughts, we awaken.

Eternity knows no history.

All negative energy is looking for resolution.

The #1 purpose of religion is to help connect people to the radiance of spirit.

The soul is our living presence, our shared living presence.That’s where we connect.

A true prayer is when we open up and say this is what I am willing to give.

Surrender to what is happening in the present moment.

The keys to your happiness are not in someone else’s pocket.

When Change Comes Knocking

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have Soul Mate author Maggie Mundy talking about her transformative journey across two continents and her debut novel, Hidden Mortality.

Here’s Maggie!

Describe your first act.

Being asked to write this made me realise how different I am compared to the person who started out so long ago. I now live in Australia which is literally a world away from where my first act started.

I grew up in Bristol, England. They say write what you know and it so happens to be the setting for my book Hidden Mortality. My parents were devout Irish Catholics and we would visit family in Ireland every year. Waterfall House in the book is also my grandparent’s house and you can still go there on a farm stay. I always yearned to travel and wanted to join the navy, but my parents talked me out of it. Then I wanted to be a policewoman. I know, I must have a thing about uniforms. I eventually ended up a nurse. It was what my mother wanted and it has served me well over the years.

I married at twenty-one to a man who I knew wanted to emigrate so I think the yen to travel had not left me. I think I also believed I needed to move away from my family to really be me. My parents worked hard to give us what they could but it was not an easy home to grow up in. We moved to Australia and had two girls who are now in their twenties and the most wonderful daughters a person could have.

What triggered the need for change?

What triggered the need for change for me was that my parents both died within two years. I think when something like that happens you start to reassess. All the things you have put to the back of your mind while you get on with life come to the front. I remember being at work in the operating room and thinking is this it. In thirty years’ time will it just have been more of this. I was in my forties so mid-life crisis, I know. When people die you often mourn not only their loss but also the loss of what might have been. I decided at didn’t want to grow old thinking I could have done more.

Where are you now?

After I picked myself up and brushed myself off I decided to go on a journey. For me that was to go to university. I had done my nurse training in a hospital so I had never experienced this type of study before. I did a degree and majored in English, Drama and Creative Writing. I took eight years to do it while working and getting my kids through high school. I loved every minute of it.

I had never considered writing but when asked to write a one-person, one-act play something clicked. It is still hiding on my computer. I found once I started writing I could not stop. The characters in my head kept telling me I had to write them down. I still work as a nurse but I found my true love in my writing.

I have also changed other things in my life. I am no longer a Christian but follow the Buddhist philosophy and have become vegetarian. I am also passionate about our planet and what we are doing to it as humans. I believe in equality, and try not to judge people on their race, gender, religious beliefs or sexual orientation. This is all a million years away from the little girl who went to the convent school. I like her though.

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

I think if it is meant to happen it will. Life is all about choices. If the time for change comes knocking on the door, you have a decision to make. Do you stay where you are or embrace what you could become? It can be scary I know. Once you start on the second act there is no going back. You will discover fantastic things about yourself you didn’t even know.

Any affirmations or quotations you wish to share?

Life is not a rehearsal, so live it.

Blurb

In Bath in 1850 a witch is murdered in a ritual granting longevity to four men. What they are not aware of is that she has bestowed the same power to another called Seth to avenge her death.

Cara is a descendant of the witch and fills her days with food with her Irish themed catering business. Her nights are another matter; they are full of erotic dreams of a mysterious lover, or nightmares with mutilated bodies. So this wasn’t the best time for her Nana to tell her she is coming into her power.

Of the original four immortals, Vincent is the only one left and to stop his own long life fading he needs another witch to kill. Seth was meant to protect the witch’s descendants from a distance, but with Cara he can’t stay away. He has to make a choice to love Cara, or avenge the original death and possible die himself. Cara has the fight of her life on when one man comes to kill her, and another to love her.

Where to find Maggie…

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

Joanne here!

Thank you for sharing your inspiring journey, Maggie. Hidden Mortality sounds intriguing. I’m putting it on my TBR list.

Oprah and Sue Monk Kidd

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Joanne Guidoccio

Yesterday, on Super Soul Sunday, Oprah sat under the oaks with Sue Monk Kidd, best-selling author of The Invention of Wings (an Oprah Book Club selection) and seven other books. I assumed that Oprah would be discussing the novel and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the topic of the telecast was “The Soul of a Writer.” Throughout the telecast, I listened attentively as Sue shared a lifetime of wisdom.

Sue’s journey began on a traditional note. At age 20, she married and started a nursing career, a decision that Sue describes as a “failure of courage.” Her true calling went unheeded for almost a decade. At age 29, she read The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton and experienced one Aha! moment after another.

On the morning of her 30th birthday, Sue marched into the kitchen and announced: “I’m going to be a writer,” an announcement she has labelled a great absurdity. While she had written stories during her childhood and kept a journal, she had not produced any other written work. After discovering this “small true light,” Sue spent the next two decades honing her craft.

Having read and enjoyed The Secret Life of Bees, I was shocked to hear that an esteemed teacher at a conference had read the first chapter and informed Sue that it did not show potential for a novel. Thankfully, Sue was led by serendipity to find her way back to the novel which later sold over 6 million copies.

Quotable Quotes

We should take our own breath once in a while.

There is no place so awake and alive as the edge of becoming.

The soul often speaks through longing.

Prayer is the attention of the heart.

What is the point of spirituality if we don’t put it in some form of practice?

At some point, we must acknowledge: This moment is enough. This place is enough. I’m enough.

Just to be is holy. Just to be is a gift.

Our souls are meant to love and create.

What we pay attention to becomes our God.

An Unexpected Path

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have Soul Mate author Karen Lopp talking about the rich and colorful experiences that led her down an unexpected path.

Here’s Karen!

First Act

I was raised in a small farming community, where almost half of the town were relatives. No kidding. Talk about not getting away with anything as a teenager! If you didn’t know about cows, pigs, and how to drive a tractor you were just not “with it”. The big event for the town was the Friday night football game. Even though we usually lost, it was the social gathering place.

After high school, I started a career in computer programing, loving the challenges and problem solving. I’d have reams of paper strung out on the floor, pouring over lines of code, just to find the one mistyped character that threw the whole sequence off. Fun times. But after years of the 8-5 grind I made my first big change. We started a family and I became a stay-at-home mom.

Shortly after, my husband changed jobs and off we went on a brand new adventure. We moved around several times, eight to be exact, and during those years we homeschooled our children. That is a story for another time, but, suffice to say, I loved every minute of it.

Second Act

The transition to an empty nest was a new challenge for me. I had invested so many hours to being a teacher, mentor, and all around life coach, that after the last kid went off to college I knew it was time to get serious about a new path. I had already been dabbling in writing fiction and had a couple of stories stuffed in a notebook, but me an author? Well why not? So I pulled out that dusty notebook, took some online classes on writing, and attended a few classes at the community college.

Becoming a writer had not been a long time dream of mine. I had visions of traveling, starting a bakery, or several other small business ideas. But time and finances tended to get in the way. But once bitten with the writing bug, I could never go back. The road to publication has been frustrating at times and exciting. I have a wonderful base of supporters and cheerleaders. It must be in the blood, because my grandmothers wrote little stories about their lives and always reminisced about it. And my mother taught me how to be a voracious reader.

Writing about history came naturally, so my first two books are set in the Southwest in the late 1800’s. I love cowboys, the pioneer life, and wide open spaces. Being an action junkie, I also write romantic suspense and my first novel in that line will be out in May.

My advice to anyone is don’t be afraid to try something new. You may have never thought you’d like it, but until you try you will never know. Achieving lifetime dreams is wonderful and fulfilling, but when you stumble upon a venue you never considered before, doors to many different paths are opened and the adventures renew or awaken a jest to start a second act.

Good luck with whatever path you choose and remember to enjoy every step along the way.

Karen’s Books

SHOTGUN BRIDE

A surprise inheritance brings Kathleen Barnes a host of dangers, an unwanted husband, and a chance to start over.

Saddled with a bride he didn’t choose, who has a knack for landing in the middle of trouble, Mike Baca is forced into a private war.

Is this a forced marriage doomed to fail, or will this be an opportunity for both to have a shot at a new life together?

EFFIE’S OUTLAW

Boston heiress Effie Sheridan takes matters into her own hands when her fortune is being stolen. The last thing she expects is to be kidnapped by a gang of train robbers. Forced to pretend to be an outlaw’s lover to stay alive, she questions her sanity when she is drawn to the gruff, yet charming bandit who risks everything to save her.

U.S. Deputy Alex Marshall is mad enough to spit nails when the beautiful, city-bred girl lands in his arms. Unable to abandon her to the cruelties of the gang, he searches for a way out of the responsibility. But her courage and sweet kisses begin to chip away at the bitterness inside his heart and he must choose between revenge on the gang that slaughtered everyone he loved or redemption for saving a woman he can never have.

SPLINTERED LIES (Coming May 2014)

Detective Rissa Marten sacrificed her only chance for a normal life to put a drug lord behind bars. Now, her life in the shadows has to be brought to life to save the man she has secretly loved for years. With a price on her head can she risk letting him know?

Detective Jerah Qassem has built his career as an undercover agent in the dangerous world of drug cartels. But when a ghost from his past is resurrected can he overcome his bitterness in time to save her life?

Where to find Karen…

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Joanne here!

Thank you for sharing your experiences, Karen. Effie’s Outlaw is on my e-reader, at the top of my TBR list. I will be adding your other books–they sound delicious!

Oprah and Gary Zukav

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Joanne Guidoccio

Yesterday on Super Soul Sunday, Oprah celebrated the 25th anniversary of The Seat of the Soul with best-selling author Gary Zukav.

As I listened to this gentle and insightful man, I was surprised to learn of his own journey from a “macho punk with a chip on his shoulder” to an eloquent master teacher. Raised by hard-working parents in Kansas, Gary was an outstanding student who was offered an academic scholarship to Harvard. Later, he joined the prestigious Green Berets. In spite of these achievements, he was embarrassed by his name, his town, and his life. He also battled a sex addiction.

After undergoing his own amazing transformation, Gary dedicated himself to helping others through his books and lectures.

Throughout the telecast, Oprah provided us with flashbacks to Gary’s appearances on her television show. So many wonderful insights were shared, among them Oprah’s Gloria Halleluiah moment: “When the personality comes to serve the energy of the soul that is authentic empowerment.”

Other quotable quotes…

When you make a decision to heal, the universe will back you up.

Anyone who has challenged an addiction has done holy work.

When you strive to heal an addiction, you are ready for your highest calling.

What is failure? We can’t possibly know what failure is. Who is to say what is a success, what is a failure? Trust, relax, do your best, and know you cannot fail.

We are not powerless. And the more we think that, the more pain we create for ourselves.

The foreclosure can be the beginning and not the end.

It is exciting to come of age spiritually.

Transitions are a B*$^%!

Posted on March 28, 2014 by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have Soul Mate author Roz Murphy giving us her take on transitions.

Here’s Roz!

First Act: Imagine it’s 1985, Manhattan, a rainy night in late September. All the sane people have fled midtown and huddle in their suburban homes. Hurricane Gloria howls around the creaking skyscraper where, on the eighteenth floor, you and a band of merry accountants (yes, accountants! and, yes, merry!) hustle to put the finishing touches on a report due in Congress tomorrow morning. Deadline pressures, tension, teamwork, worrisome groans from the surrounding building, occasional gusts of laughter…you don’t know it, but this is one of the peaks of your life and your career in corporate communications.

Second Act: Quiet and isolation. The frozen waters of a Finger Lake stretch in every direction outside your kitchen window. Siberia could not own more snow, or be more deserted.

So, how does someone move from Act I to Act 2? I wish I could say a little Tinker Belle sprinkles fairy dust and wafts you effortlessly from one place to another. But noooooo… that would be way too easy. My transitions usually involve pain and loss, heartbreak and fear, which is why I always say–”Transitions are a B#%@$!” As for deets, try divorce, job loss, deaths, multiple relocations, and The Great Recession.

For some reason, we don’t hear much about the destructive power of the Recession, but it was all too real, and it plays a major role in the opening of my debut novel, Bob at the Lake.

This novel explores, in a very light-hearted way, how we survive–and triumph–in the face of adversity. Survival tools include family, friends, writing, Fred Astaire movies, a moderate amount of loopiness, red geraniums, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate…

If I had to pick a couple of motivational quotes that I’ve held close to my heart over recent years, I’d select the following. I don’t know who said the first one, but it goes something like: “Every ending is a beginning. You just don’t realize it at the time.…” The second quote comes from Winston Churchill, who led England through the bloody and battered years of World War 2: “Never, never, never give up!”

I never will.

Blurb

Bob at the Lake narrates the humorous chronicle of a crabby ‘woman of a certain age’ who moves to the wintry shores of a New York lake—and gets a ghost. And not just any ghost, mind you. Bob’s a plump, middle-aged ghost from 1920s Manhattan who swans around in a silk smoking jacket and drinks far too many martinis. Stir the good-looking grape grower who lives up the hill into this mix and you get a pretty potent screwball cocktail!

Where to find Roz…

Amazon | Twitter | Facebook

Joanne here!

Thanks for sharing your transitions, Roz. The storyline for Bob at the Lake sounds intriguing…I’m putting it on my TBR list.

Take Two or Three…

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have Tara Coulter sharing the many acts of her extraordinary life journey.

Here’s Tara!

Act One

Sometime during high school, I decided that I wanted to be a lawyer. The guidance counsellor’s advice that girls couldn’t succeed in law school (I kid you not) could not stop me from pursuing this path.

I worked in Lake Louise, Alberta during the summer after my second year of university and this experience awoke a deep connection to nature that would influence my life’s direction. With no word from my law school applications, I accepted my failure with resignation. There was a lengthy mail strike that summer and when the mail resumed, my acceptance letter from the University of Windsor was delivered. I should have been excited, but I wasn’t.

Sitting in the Calgary airport watching the fading light over the mountains change from blue to indigo, I was tempted to get back on the Brewster bus and return to Lake Louise. By the time the plane landed in Toronto, I had decided not to pursue law school, much to the shock of my family. Confused and disillusioned, I completed the last year of my degree and went backpacking in Europe to find myself. I found a lot of other lost people and churches – lots and lots of churches.

Act Two

While in Europe, I reflected that the thing that brought me the most joy was anything that required creativity – theatre, singing, writing, making things with my hands. I also recognized that living in a natural setting was core to my happiness. Back to school I went, this time to study Arts Management. The program provided me with strong administrative and project management skills and prepared me for work in major arts organizations in Canada. I felt like I was back on track.

The pull of the Canadian Rockies brought me to the Banff Centre and eventually back to Lake Louise where I fell in love and married. Through all of this, I wrote small articles for newsletters and the local paper. After ten years in the mountains, we decided to make the move to a small community on Vancouver Island.

Acts Three through Four

Small communities are wonderful places to live, but tough places to launch a career, especially in arts management. I enjoyed a successful career working as a Realtor only to learn that you can be very good at a job only to find out that the job isn’t right for you. I burnt out and my health suffered.

While trying to get healthy, I discovered natural therapies and became trained in reflexology, aromatherapy, Bowen Therapy and Reiki. I worked for the next 10 years in a spa. I learned so much during this time about our connection to spirit and how absolutely everything in our lives is mirrored in our cells.

Act Five

The decision to sell everything and move aboard a sailboat was my husband’s. However, we both wanted more from life and were looking for adventure. Moving from an acre of land into 200 square feet of bobbing living space is all about adventure. We originally planned to circumnavigate, but we soon discovered that neither one of us was particularly interested in doing passages – we were curious to see beautiful, wild places and could do that here in British Columbia. I have grown so much through this experience and share this information in my blog.

Act Six

I am still debugging old programming that says your success is determined by what you do. I think our success is determined by who we are.

We have recently moved back on land after 10 ½ years of living aboard our sailboat, but our sense for adventure is still strong. We have moved our boat back to our old marina and look forward to summer sailing.

Act Seven

Writing has been the common thread that weaves my disparate acts together. Writing is my lifeline. I want to write a book. I have wanted this for some time now and in spite of encouragement by friends and mentors, I have not completed it. Perhaps that is why I enjoy blogging so much because there are small completions every week. The book is 50% complete and is written in the young adult fiction genre. I am looking forward to sharing it with you.

Tara’s advice for anyone planning to pursue a second act…

• Do not become attached to your plans.

• Practice stillness; it is here that you can hear your soul’s voice.

Shakedown Cruise with Liz, Katy, Angela and Tara…