Victoria Ponders

Author of “Surviving Sue”

  • Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Sue Had Rizz

    Have you heard? The youthful Gen Z term,“rizz”, was crowned 2023’s word of the year by the publishers of the Oxford English Dictionary: What it means: For those of us who haven’t heard the term before, “rizz” is slang for “style, charm, or attractiveness” or “the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner,” according to…

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  • Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Holiday Hopefulness

    “We’ve all survived a Sue in our lives in one way or another.  It’s a personal narrative that hits our hearts.”  -Elizabeth I love Elizabeth’s feedback and wisdom. Yes — maybe your nemesis wasn’t named “Sue” but increasingly as readers dig into “Surviving Sue” I receive input that the challenges I wrote about are familiar.…

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  • Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Reasons to Celebrate!

    I love reader feedback.  Love it.  The hardest part about writing, at times, was wondering whether or not I was accurately conveying the intense emotions – the full range of life with my mom, Sue, that bobbed from hilarity to terror.  Sometimes in a blink.  I worried about giving enough of the backstory – just…

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  • Podcast Friday! Hot Tips for Writers

    Oh…this was fun!  Another visit with our friend and writer Brian Hannon talking about our common interests in writing about families.  I love a good ‘tip list’ to keep me on track and inspire my writing and Brian found a gem of a resource, which he shares in this episode. I can’t lie, the tip…

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  • Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Mentoring Matters

    I’d like to introduce you to someone special. Someone I adore. Professor John Muchmore, now retired, was a dear college faculty member and mentor and he helped me find my voice…the one that was often squelched by my mom, Sue.  He was a speech and theatre teacher…but to me, he was a maestro and a…

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  • Lisa Gets the Last Word

    When people ask me to describe my sister Lisa’s personality, I share that she is sweet beyond belief and fragile, but I also acknowledge her ever-growing capacity to advocate for herself and assert her point of view. Lisa is simultaneously delightful and determined with a sense of humor like a steam roller.  Coming in. Make…

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  • Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Thank You, Patti!

    One of the biggest blogging blessings…and there are many…is the introduction to fellow travelers in life who share some of the same foibles, fears and triumphs.   Connecting with Patti Moore Wilson was a delight – in the exchange of comments as we read each other’s posts and as we enjoy those of fellow bloggers. …

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  • Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Learning & Growing

    Thanks so much for continuing to ride along as I share more about “Surviving Sue“.  I can’t believe it’s only been three months since her debut!  (Hmm…Three months or three years?) I’ve learned so much about the process of publishing and promoting but even more… about myself. A lot of personal growth has been packed…

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  • Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Book Clubs!

    I have some fun “Peek Inside” news to share!  “Surviving Sue” has been picked up by a couple of book clubs – and I’m thrilled.  I’m continuing to receive wonderful feedback from readers. Sometimes in the form of lovely praise, sometimes follow-up questions about aspects of the book and nuances about the many characters in…

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  • Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Pause It, Name It

    Hey, friends – I promised a few weeks ago that I would eventually get around to sharing more about my toolkit for dealing with complicated emotions – especially those related to my mom, Sue.  As a counseling professional, I utilize my degrees and training and generally feel confident about helping others, but when I’m the…

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“Surviving Sue”, a special story about resiliency and love: Eckhartz Press (paperback) and eBook on Amazon.

Peek Inside “Surviving Sue“

Visit Resources on Atkinson Group Solutions for more.

Podcasts

Listen to the “Sharing the Heart of the Matter” podcast.

Workshops

Chicago Writers Association Speakers Bureau – Writing for Wellness; Navigating Elder Care with Grace & Humor

About Me

Learn about five books that inspired and supported my writing journey by visiting my personalized book review page on Shepherd.

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