Choices is so pleased to welcome Rosanne McHenry and her new book, Tales From a Rogue Ranger, while she's on her WOW! Women on Writing tour. Rosanne has also written a very interesting blog post for us about how to succeed at a job you never wanted. I'm sure a lot of us need her advice on that. Here's Rosanne. How to Succeed at a Job You Never Wanted by Rosanne McHenry One day I was minding my own business, working as a park ranger at Folsom Lake, California, and the next moment I was drafted to work at the Auburn State Recreation Area as the Whitewater Rafting Program Manager. I never asked for this job. I didn’t want it. I balked at it. I was mandated to do it anyway. How do I get into these situations, I wondered? I figured it was my punishment for being hard-working and conscientious. This all began when my co-worker Jess took on the responsibility to impose safety controls on the American River whitewater rafting industry. Many of the commercial … [Read more...]
Want to write a book? Read this!
Please welcome, Naomi Nakashima, our WOW! Women On Writing guest today. She is the author of Write Out Loud, a way to gain enough confidence in our writing to enable us to write a book. She has also written us a wonderful guest post on this same subject, ways to get over our writing fears, complete with some amazing writing prompts. Unleashing Your Inner Wordsmith: Unconventional Writing Hacks and Tips That Actually Work by Naomi Nakashima Writing a book is equal parts exciting and exhausting, creative and challenging. When the words are flowing, we live on cloud 9. But when the words stop, or when we start struggling to find the time to write, or feeling stuck in our creative process, writing a book becomes a source of anxiety and self-doubt. When you need that extra boost of inspiration to get you started, writing hacks and tips can help. These unconventional approaches can help you get past writer's block, ignite your creativity, and ultimately write the novel that’s … [Read more...]
A thriller author is with us today!!!
Author Ronald Chapman as written another thriller, The Dark Side of Grace, a sequel to his best seller, A Killer’s Grace. Please welcome Ron to Choices today and don't miss his guest post titled: Agnostic But Faithful. Now here's Ronald's guest post: Agnostic But Faithful by Ronald Chapman Many years ago, very early in my recovery from alcoholism, one of my mentors was an enigma to me. While I had been raised and immersed in faith communities for much of my life, Patrick was an avowed agnostic, having no knowledge of a Higher Power. Yet he prayed, meditated and rigorously practiced contemplation. I asked Patrick one day how he reconciled that for himself. “Ron, I don’t have to believe in something in order to experience it.” That kind of clarity mystified me. Yet as I watched him and others being transformed in their recoveries through common practices, it became obvious that what we believe is far less important than the actions we take, which are based on … [Read more...]
Introducing a delightful book for boys – I can’t wait to love you forever
I'm pleased to host Patricia Eckerman Ambas' WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING tour of I Can't Wait to Love You Forever. Patricia has also honored us by writing an essay about her self publishing successes. Here's Patricia: I'm Just Getting Started by Patricia Eckerman Ambas It was January of 2022, midway through my first year not teaching full-time in over a decade, when I wrote the story that would become my first published book, I Can’t Wait to Love You Forever: A Big Brother Book. It had taken a career shift, a new baby, and an online course on self-publishing, but I was determined to make my lifelong dream reality. When I sat down to refresh the story I had written seven years before when my oldest was a baby with hopes to publish it back then, I found myself opening a blank document and a different narrative came out. I absolutely loved it - a heart-warming tale about my son and the game he invented while anticipating the arrival of our new baby, but then I wrestled in self-doubt … [Read more...]
14 books in 13 years! WOW!
Welcome to the Hope Always Rises blog tour, sponsored by WOW! Women on Writing! This book by Kathie Giorgio is perfect for anyone who has ever known someone who wanted to end their life, or anyone who has ever felt that way themselves. Kathie has also been generous enough to write her story of how to publish 14 books in 13 years. I'm sure you'll find it fascinating and will want to take her advice in publishing your own books. Here's Kathie: 14 BOOKS IN 13 YEARS By Kathie Giorgio I’m one of those writers, the ones who know from an early age what they want to do, and then they do it. I’m told I was telling stories before I could actually write, and then once I could write, that was all I wanted to do. I sold my first short story at the age of 15. I’d written out the story of Christ in 1970’s slang (it was 1975). The only place I could think of to send it to was the Catholic Herald Citizen, who promptly divided it into four pieces and published it as a serial. I was … [Read more...]
What do you have to brag about?
Choices is happy to host MARLA J. ALBERTIE'S WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR OF: The Ultimate Brag Book About Yourself Book Summary Can you imagine all the things you like, love, and adore in one book? All your favorites captured at one time with space to write more. So, why did I write this book? How often do we brag about ourselves, take time to think about what makes us happy, or do the things we like? If I had to guess, not as often as you would like. This book has been on my heart for years and I am finally getting it out to the world. You deserve to brag about yourself, so why not? Not only is this a bragging book, but it is a book of ideas you can use to start your next project, business, career move, or anything your heart desires. So how does it work? Each topic/list has a “number” to reach because the goal is to get you to stretch your thinking. Need more space? Don’t worry, there are extra lines per number so you can add more and there are extra pages in … [Read more...]
Aviation author writes about Moral Fibre
Helena P. Schrader as written Moral Fibre, a story of just one bomber pilot, his crew, and the woman he loved, which I guarantee, you will also love. Please welcome her to Choices today while she's on her WOW! Women on Writing book tour. Helena has also written a guest post about writing and how your usual so-called finished product is really just your first draft. I too am certain about that. My historical novel, Papa's Shoes, went through ten drafts before I called it finished. Here's Helena: The Author and the Seven Drafts By Helena P. Schrader Writing a book is a lengthy process with many stages. Quite aside from the preparatory phases involving inspiration and research, the actual writing is also a multi-faceted process -- and writing "the end" on a manuscript for the first time is in many ways only the beginning. It is nothing but the first step towards turning a finished manuscript into a book ready for publication. Let me explain this in a … [Read more...]
Reckless Grace: a new and important memoir
Let's welcome Carolyn diPasquale who's on a WOW! Women on Writing tour with her new memoir, Reckless Grace: A Mother's Crash Course in Mental Illness. And Carolyn has generously written an essay for us about whether women can age with grace. Here's Carolyn: Can Women Age with Grace? “Your hair is so attractive. What color do you use?” a woman standing behind me in Dunkin’ Donuts asked when I was in my early forties. “Thank you,” I smiled, “but I don’t color my hair. This is natural.” Her eyes grew. “Really?” My takeaway from that exchange was that I looked old: My hair didn’t match my face. When I was in my fifties, portly silver-haired gents started checking me out. This took me aback as I used to attract the hotties. It also proved that brunette hair or not I was looking my age. My mind might have sidestepped these gentle cues. At sixty and still without one gray, I was waiting in line at a phlebotomy clinic when an elderly woman shuffled in. I let the white-haired, … [Read more...]
Read how Nancy King breaks the silence!
Choices is so happy to be part of sharing the moving memoir, Breaking the Silence by Nancy King. Please welcome Nancy while she's on her WOW! Women on Writing virtual book tour. About Breaking the Silence: Secrets. Lies. Silences. Stories told by parents and their families to protect themselves. A father who defends his wife despite her damage to their daughter’s health and welfare. A mother, shielded by her husband, who perpetuates murderous acts of violence against the daughter, and keeps secret her husband’s sexual “play” with the young girl. And yet … Nancy King, determined to learn the truth of her childhood and the heartbreaking effects it has had on her adult life, uncovers the secrets. Sees through the lies. Breaks the silence. Empowered by the stories she told herself as a child, she learns to use stories as part of her work as a university professor teaching theater, drama, world literature, and creative expression. Gradually, with the help of body work and therapy, she … [Read more...]
What’s your blind spot?
Let's welcome Rob Hoffman on his first WOW! Women on Writing virtual book tour to promote his latest book, Blind Spot. We are very excited to read his guest post, "Man Plans and God Laughs," a common expression heard throughout many of our lives. Man Plans and God Laughs by Rob Hoffman Humans are guilty of so much. Really, we are a sinful tribe when you cut right down to it. Forget the seven deadly sins, that barely scratches the surface. Ten Commandments, geez, that wouldn’t even cover a night in the French Quarter in New Orleans. Oh I know what you’re thinking, we’re not all bad, not all of the time. We are capable of so much good, you say. Yes I know, and that might be humanity’s greatest sin of all, wasted potential. No blog could ever capture all of our flaws, so it beguiles us to try and narrow the vast and practically endless ocean of faults and sinful behavior that inhabit humanity down at its core. While we can debate which of our transgressions are worse … [Read more...]
Middle school students will love A.J. Kormon’s cat mysteries
Please welcome A.J. Kormon on while she's on her WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING tour of her three Halloway Hills Middle School Mysteries. These three books are for ages nine to eleven and each feature a mischievous cat. And we are fortunate that A.J. has written a essay for us on what kids learn from entrepreneurial parents. We hope you'll enjoy the post. What Kids Learn from Entrepreneurial Parents By A.J. Kormon With more and more people turning to entrepreneurship—or a job and a side gig as an entrepreneur—it’s not unreasonable to expect more kids will be exposed to the benefits and struggles of being your own boss. Growing up, both my parents worked outside of the home, so starting a business wasn’t something that crossed my mind as something I could do. I just assumed I would get a job when I finished university. Entrepreneurship comes with a lot of perks, like setting your own hours, choosing who you work with, and deciding which projects to complete. There’s a lot kids of … [Read more...]
Read all about it: psychic predicts love in Europe
I am so glad to welcome Linda Jämsén to Choices during her WOW! Women on Writing Book Blog Tour for: Odyssey Of Love: A Memoir of Seeking & Finding Linda's story about how she found love while living in Europe is fascinating especially since her new-found love was predicted by a psychic. This story especially intrigued me because I have a similar one. During my single days I had many boyfriends but no one I wanted to settle with. One day I encountered a psychic on the Santa Monica pier and decided to consult her. I'll never forget her words: "Someone will come from far away and make you very happy." Of course it turned out that that someone became my future husband who indeed made me very happy. Now on to Linda's love story: How a Visit to a Psychic Changed My Life by Linda Jämsén Recently, I learned that my psychic friend, Angelica, had died. As I grieve this loss, I’m remembering how initially I’d been reluctant to meet her and have her peer into the … [Read more...]
What do I do all day?
People keep asking me what I do all day. They want to know how this new widow spends her time and deals with her loss. Well, first of all I hate the “widow” word. Isn’t there something else we could call a woman whose husband has died? Well, I suppose not. Plus, I really have other things to do than worry about a word or two. Like continuing to work on all the financial records and documents my husband left me to sort out. And bear in mind I was never a party to anything financial going on during our fifty-year marriage. He was the math guy. He called me innumerate. Even so, I have changed over all the accounts to my name and closed some I don’t want to deal with. I’ve also cancelled a couple of credit card accounts. Right now though, I’m looking through our home improvement records so when and if it comes time to sell my house, I can have write-offs to offset the thousands in taxes I’ll owe. Also, I still am writing. Since last February I’ve been writing a poem a day - … [Read more...]
Introducing Margi Preus’ The Silver Box
Welcome to Margi Preus' WOW! Women on Writing tour of The Silver Box. You'll definitely want to add this wonderful middle grade fiction book to your reading list! Book Summary In the final Enchantment Lake mystery, Francie’s search for the truth about her mother—and herself—plunges her into danger during a North Woods winter. When she wakes in her aunts’ cold cabin on the shore of Enchantment Lake, Francie remembers: everything about her life has changed. Or is about to. Or just might. Everything depends on the small, engraved silver box that she now possesses—if only she can follow its cryptic clues to the whereabouts of her missing mother and understand, finally, just maybe, the truth about who she really is. Francie, it turns out, has a lot to learn, and this time the lessons could be deadly. Her search for answers takes her and her best friends Raven and Jay as far afield as an abandoned ranch in Arizona and as close to home as a sketchy plant collector’s … [Read more...]
Sport fishing with a feminist twist
I usually post a photo of my guest author's book first. But today I have to post the author's photo first - it is so amazing. Thank you, Sarah Stonich, for this great pose and for agreeing to visit while on your Wow! Women on Writing tour and write such an interesting post for Choices. Drumroll, Please! Here's Sarah Stonich! Sarah is the author of Fishing, the first installment in a trilogy filled with hilarity and heartbreak that approaches the essential question.....when should life be steered by the heart, not the rules? Here's what Sarah has to say about inviting authors to your book group. Invite a writer to your book group? Absolutely. Writing is a solitary business, so getting out to meet readers can be a treat for authors. In these days of social distancing I really miss physically attending book clubs and meeting readers. Thankfully, there’s Zoom, Skype and other platforms, so my schedule of bookclub visits hasn’t slowed down much. Now more that ever, it … [Read more...]
We welcome Linda Rosen while on her WOW! book blog tour
Linda Rosen, author of The Disharmony of Silence, is on Day 10 of her WOW! Women On Writing book blog tour. Choices is pleased to welcome her and her thoughts about how being outdoors helped inspire her creative self. I know the feeling. I walk outdoors a lot - especially to the beach - and I always welcome ideas the eventually become part of my creative material. Here's what Linda has to say: Get Outdoors, Inspire Your Creative Self by Linda Rosen Why is it that I always come up with great dialogue while swimming laps with the sun glistening on the water? No, I’m not talking to myself out loud. Swimmers nearby would wonder about my sanity. It’s my characters who are talking to each other, in my head, and sometimes even arguing. Simply gliding through the water, hearing its soft splash as my hand reaches forward and slips down into the aqua pool, completing a stroke, relaxes my mind and when the mind is clear, creativity flows. One doesn’t have to swim to create gems. … [Read more...]
