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Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Sue’s Big Heart
I adore the anonymous quote I snipped in (above). When readers have asked about my capacity for forgiveness, the secret sauce that helped me survive Sue, I often think of this wisdom. It was my task to heal so I could better understand the mix of madness and love that bubbled within my mom. One…
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Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Hide & Seek
My mom, Sue, was a tortured artist. Throughout her life she tried to soothe herself and fill the empty spaces within by leaning into her creative side, especially painting. I included a few references to her artwork in “Surviving Sue” and wrote about her apology art a few months ago. Exploring her feelings with paint…
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Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Six-Word Style
I’ve continued to compile a list of FAQs from readers of “Surviving Sue”, my memoir about my mom’s complicated life and one of the recurring queries is about building resilience. Despite my background as a counselor/therapist, I’m cautious about highlighting any one specific technique or habit that helped guide my healing journey because the process…
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Sue’s Big Satchel
At what point does an object become a character, a featured player in a story? I wondered about that the other day when a reader of “Surviving Sue” chuckled about how much she connected with the descriptions of “Sue’s big purse” or “Sue’s behemoth of a satchel” in the book. Yep, my mom’s favorite accessory…
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Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Lit Fest
Hey, friends – I felt like many of you were with me in spirit on Saturday at the Printers Row Lit Fest. What a great event! I had the best helpers EVER – husband Paul and our daughter, Delaney. We enjoyed every bit of the adventure – gorgeous Chicago on a sunny day with temps…
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Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Honoring a Veteran
Writing about my mom’s life required some tender diligence and editing as I introduced her siblings. My aunts are still alive, or at least I think so. One of the most painful by-products of my mom’s death was the detachment that occurred as my aunts distanced themselves from me and from my sweet sister Lisa. …
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Promo Fun…Printer’s Row LitFest
In my years in higher ed, I loved doing ‘table work’ – staffing events and supporting students, faculty and staff to promote services or provide quick meditation or deep breathing lessons for stress relief – on the spot. Doing programs for parents was a highlight, too. So much so that the textbook I wrote with…
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Readers, Writers, Book Lovers? Shepherd Helps!
Thanks to friends Diana (D. Wallace Peach) from Myths of the Mirror and Cheryl Oreglia from Living in the Gap, I learned about a wonderful resource for writers and readers alike, called “Shepherd”. How does it work? Authors showcase one of their books along with five books they recommend. Books that are sources of inspiration,…
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Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Publisher Q & A
Hello, friends! This week’s “Peek Inside” shares more from the interview with my publisher, Rick Kaempfer, plus a wonderful new review. I shared a post about the promo process recently because I know many of you are curious about the ‘behind the scenes’ aspects of publishing. Learning to talk about yourself, your book, your motivation,…
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“Surviving Sue” – On the Road!
I am so excited! I’ve been invited to participate in the Midwest’s largest literary showcase, “Printers Row Lit Fest” coming up on September 9 in Chicago. The Lit Fest is held in a historic neighborhood, once known as the bookmaking hub of Chicago. The two-day event is in its 38th year and typically…
Victoria Ponders 
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