writer

April 12, 2026

“Slivers” – Cover Reveal and Pre-Orders!

I am so excited…today’s the day! Time to reveal the cover of my debut novel, “Slivers” and officially announce that pre-orders are open. Thank you to the talented cover designer, Jeff Waggoner at Eckhartz Press and to Joy Neal Kidney, Wynne Leon and Melanie McGauran for their generous reviews and “book blurbs”. Joy and Wynne’s… Continue reading

Slivers, writing

70’s nostalgia, author, books, fiction, Joy Neal Kidney, magic, Melanie McGauran, mysticism, newbook, novel, Scotland, secret keeping, Slivers, spooky mystery, writer, writing, wynne leon

April 5, 2026

Loving Lisa – Easter Edition

Heads up! This glimpse into “Loving Lisa” – my sweet, developmentally disabled sister – was originally published two years ago. It’s still one of my favorites about Lisa…you’ll see why. I love, love, love my sister. In addition to her intellectual challenges, Lisa has a few physical disabilities, too, but they don’t slow her down… Continue reading

Family, Surviving Sue, Wellness, writing

advocacy, books, candy, disabilities, disordered eating, Easter memories, Family, humor, love, Loving Lisa, sisters, Wellness, writer

January 25, 2026

Power of the Pen

“There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a great competition and rivalry between the two. There is a third power stronger than both, that of the women.” -Muhammad Ali Jinnah Something simple and extraordinary happened a few weeks ago. In our household we… Continue reading

kindness

friendship, gratitude, handwritten, kindness, love, outreach, thank you, Wellness, writer

January 18, 2026

Lifted and Loved ❤️

Goodness and gratitude came in a three-day wave this week – a reminder of how impactful feedback and acknowledgement can be as grist for the creativity mill. First up? A fantastic follow-up chat with a former student, “Karly” (not her real name) who reached out to share she’d read my post, “Sue Had Rizz” and… Continue reading

Surviving Sue, Wellness, writing

author, Eckhartz Press, feedback, gratitude, memoir, mentalhealth, Surviving Sue, Wellness, writer, writing

July 6, 2025

Peace, Love & Bunnies

Last August I shared a post, “Books, Bunnies and Forgiveness” and included a few snaps of a baby bun-bun. A welcome visitor on our deck. I can’t say for sure, but I think the little dude (or dudette) is now a teenager and decided to visit again. Same spot. Same ambition. Figuring out where the… Continue reading

kindness

advocacy, books, kindness, love, peace, self-care, writer

June 22, 2025

Full Circle Moments

I’m lucky and I know it. Good news came in threes for me last week. A trifecta of “full circle moments” and I’m still absorbing the gratitude. First – The latest “Surviving Sue” event at the Wauconda Public Library was lovely. The topic was one of my favorites – Navigating Elder Care with Humor &… Continue reading

Surviving Sue, Wellness

author, elder care, Family, gratitude, humor, self-care, Surviving Sue, Wellness, writer

January 28, 2025

Fewer…But Better

I follow writer Nathan Baugh on LinkedIn and enjoy his insights about writing, communication, storytelling and building audiences. His site is named “World Builders” and he offers a newsletter that I enjoy reading. I love his tagline: “The newsletter to make you a smarter storyteller.” His most recent newsletter offered wisdom that crawled into my… Continue reading

writing

author, Inspiration, Nathan Baugh, Surviving Sue, writer, writing tips

January 9, 2025

Legal Pad Love

I love writing prompts. I hate writing prompts. But I recognize their utility. I see them as neat and tidy nudges, reminding us to put in the time – to work on our craft. Same for, musicians, carpenters and artists…creatives of all types. The more you do, the more fluid your unique process and the… Continue reading

writing

author, encouragement, humor, Inspiration, motivation, writer, writing tips

January 5, 2025

Unexpected Encouraging Words: “You Might Fail”

My dad, Sonny, always had plenty of advice to offer but he wasn’t the type to pipe up with unsolicited input. If you wanted to know what he thought about something, you needed to ask. His face gave away little unless he wanted you to see what he was thinking. It was a vocational asset… Continue reading

Family, Surviving Sue

advice, author, encouragement, fathers, goals, Inspiration, motivation, new year, Surviving Sue, wisdom, writer

November 21, 2024

Loving Lisa & Supporting Her Team

I adore my intellectually disabled sister, Lisa, and many long-time readers know how grateful I am for the caring team which surrounds Lisa in her CILA (community integrated living arrangement). Her loving group home, staffed by dear ones who’ve become extensions of our family over the years. Staff members who work for the Clearbrook organization… Continue reading

Family, kindness, Surviving Sue

#GivingTuesday, author, Clearbrook, disabilities, Family, gratitude, inclusion, mental health, writer

October 7, 2024

New Reviews! “Surviving Sue”

I don’t think I’ll ever stop smiling when reviews of “Surviving Sue” come my way. Whether it’s my own busy days heightening my awareness about the preciousness of time or a new wave of gratitude, I am delighted when I receive reader feedback. And that’s before I read the review! 😉 Last week my ranking… Continue reading

Surviving Sue, writing

author, book reviews, books, mental health, Surviving Sue, Wellness, writer

September 19, 2024

Hand in Hand

I’ve returned to Yeats. William Butler Yeats, that is, because of “The Celtic Twilight” – first published in 1893 yet resonant for me today. A volume that’s comprised of Yeats’ early morning reveries. They speak to me, especially as autumn approaches. Stoking my sense of wonder, my belief in possibilities… Hand in hand. I love… Continue reading

kindness, writing

creativity, Inspiration, kindness, love, poetry, William Butler Yeats, writer

August 29, 2024

Reasons to Smile…

Reason to Smile – #1: The 2024 Printers Row Lit Fest is set for Saturday, September 7 & Sunday, September 8, 10AM – 6PM. This FREE event takes place on the streets of South Dearborn, from Ida B Wells to Polk Street in Chicago. Come Rain or Shine! I’ll be there, in the Chicago Writers… Continue reading

Surviving Sue, writing

author, books, friendship, gratitude, mysteries, survivingsue, Wellness, writer

July 18, 2024

Write On!

The other day a dear friend – a fellow writer asked, “How’s it going?” I immediately knew the ‘it’ she spoke of. We’ve become something akin to accountability partners, checking in about our projects. Me? I periodically blog here on WP about my writing adventures, sometimes posting on FB, IG and LI, too. My friend?… Continue reading

writing

author, books, encouragement, Inspiration, motivation, quote, writer

July 10, 2024

Straight to My Heart

First! Are you following Life with Alegria? If you’re not, hop to it, friends! The WordPress community continues to delight and surprise me with introductions to the most generous souls. Kind and thoughtful humans who create meaningful, provocative content which inspires. That’s Alegria and you’ll love her blog…full of visual feasts and reminders that… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

author, book reviews, gratitude, Inspiration, writer

April 4, 2024

Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – At the Boulevard

I love questions and observations from readers. Recently I was asked about my parents’ capacity for giving – their lifelong focus on helping others, even when they had little to give other than their time. Such a question, no? I think my parents, Sue and Sonny, felt they were lucky in life. Despite the effort… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

author, book, chosen family, empathy, Family, Jackson Browne, love, writer

March 15, 2024

Podcast Friday! Writing Inspiration

I know a podcast is worth my time when I listen and learn – in digestible nuggets. Take-aways which inform and inspire. That’s what happened recently when I chatted with Wynne Leon and Brian Hannon as we discussed Brian’s abundant talents as a writer. Brian pivots from corporate communications to personal storytelling with an ease… Continue reading

podcast

communication, creativity, Inspiration, podcast, writer

March 14, 2024

Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Fault Lines

My mom, Sue, had a compulsive need to be right. She navigated most days in search of human fault lines, similar to the geological variety. Volatile and just beneath the surface. Dangerous, hard to detect, and ever-present. Sue sought fault lines and weaknesses in others as one of her defensive maneuvers. Her contentious behavior was best… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

Adler, author, defense mechanisms, Family, forgiveness, healing, love, mental health, psychology, writer

March 6, 2024

Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Loving Lisa

Today is my big sister, Lisa’s birthday. Now that both of our parents are gone, it’s a high holiday that we continue to celebrate, honoring Lisa. One of the most magical humans I know. Lisa wasn’t expected to thrive or survive, but she did. She has. Despite being born premature and with substantial developmental disabilities… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

book, developmental disability, diversity, love, National Developmental Disability Month, sisters, writer

March 1, 2024

Podcast Friday: Skip the “Filigree”

In the second part of our delicious podcast with Jack Canfora, Jack uses a word that made me light up. Sparks of recognition for having erred in a way he described. Mistakes made from putting too fine a polish on an unworthy sentence or an entire, misguided paragraph. Jack’s simple term which encompasses all of… Continue reading

podcast

author, creativity, learn, podcast, writer, writing

February 23, 2024

Podcast Friday: Just Jack

For the love of Jack. Just Jack. No, no. Not THAT Jack. Although I’m a fan of “Will and Grace” and of Sean Hayes. I’ve got another Jack on my mind… When Wynne and I sat down to chat with our favorite playwright and author, Jack Canfora, we knew we were in for a good time. What… Continue reading

podcast

creative, humor, insight, Inspiration, lifestyle, podcast, writer

February 9, 2024

Podcast Friday: Practicing Creativity

Aren’t we all hard on ourselves? It’s a matter of degrees for most, I suspect, but living a life of intention and seeking opportunities for improvement typically means I’m incessantly measuring my progress. Am I there yet? Am I there yet? Therein lies the problem. Actually, two problem-O-s: Problem-O #1: Was I clear about my… Continue reading

podcast

author, compassion, podcast, practice, resilience, trying, writer

January 26, 2024

It’s a Magical Podcast Friday!

Wynne and I had a delightful chat in our most recent podcast as we talked with writer Dave Williams about his family’s love of books and his sources of inspiration as he writes gorgeous, imaginative stories – often including his own artwork. I hope you’ll give the episode a listen because we’re gonna fill your… Continue reading

podcast

author, creativity, Family, imagination, Jung, lifestyle, podcast, writer

November 19, 2023

Thanksgiving Delights

I grew up enjoying David Letterman’s special brand of irreverent humor. Considering how provocative and outrageous comedy has become, Dave’s mild-mannered grumblings and observations seem ultra tame in the looking back. Odd, though…my dad disliked Dave, sharing often that he was no competition for his beloved Johnny Carson. Loyal to a fault, dad thought Letterman… Continue reading

Family

classic tv, gratitude, humor, lifestyle, memories, Surviving Sue, writer

September 25, 2023

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… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

artists, author, love, mental health, pain, resilience, Wellness, writer

September 19, 2023

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… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

author, Family, love, memoir, new book, resilience, Wellness, writer

September 13, 2023

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… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

Alzheimers, dementia, elder care, Family, humor, lifestyle, love, story telling, writer

September 11, 2023

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… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

author, Chicago Writers Association, marketing, new book, Printers Row Lit Fest, promotion, publishing, writer

September 1, 2023

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… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

author, book promotion, gratitude, new book, Printer’s Row LitFest, writer

August 22, 2023

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,… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

author, Chicago Writer’s Association, gratitude, publishing, writer

August 13, 2023

Friends are Like Songs in Your Heart

Wynne and I shared a giggle the other day. She gifted me a fabulous book of quotes a few months ago and it’s on my desk…overstuffed with snippets of wisdom. Quotes, bon mots, websites, post-it notes – see the pic above. It’s a hot, hot mess. Notice I’m not giving you the broad shot of… Continue reading

Wellness

friendship, gratitude, kindness, lifegoals, lifestyle, writer

July 25, 2023

Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Writer’s Vulnerability

Gifts come in unexpected wrappers. I doubt she suspected her post would be perceived that way, but when Georgia from the beautiful blog Person on the Page wrote about personal nonfiction a few weeks ago, referencing “Body Work” by Melissa Febos, she bestowed a gift upon me. The whole post was a treat, but Georgia’s… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

author, courage, Family, gratitude, memoir, new book, vulnerability, writer

July 24, 2023

Getting Out of My Way

The notion of getting out of my own way is nothing new, but when applied to writing, there’s an extra reveal. A greater depth of understanding about how maddening I can be…to me. I put a project on the shelf about a year ago, just when things were coming together, publishing-wise, about “Surviving Sue”. For… Continue reading

writing

authors, humor, Inspiration, muses, writer

July 19, 2023

Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – eBook Arrival!

Thank you to those who’ve been asking about the eBook version of “Surviving Sue”. It’s available now, on Amazon. 😊 If you’re interested in purchasing the book…as a book…you can do so through my publisher: Surviving Sue | Eckhartz Press. Reviews and comments are welcome, welcome, welcome! Please visit the “Surviving Sue” page here to… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

author, book, gratitude, love, memoir, writer

June 21, 2023

Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Humor 😊

Both of my parents possessed a wicked sense of humor. Thank goodness for that. However, the close alignment between comedy and tragedy was never lost on me. Mom’s humor was often a harbinger of chaos to come. Laugh? Cry? Sometimes I didn’t know which to do first and I wasn’t alone. When my dad was… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

humor, love, memoir, tragedy and comedy, writer

Peek Inside “Surviving Sue“

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