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READING

Or you could just write an essay

When I was in grad school, I took an essay writing course. We were assigned an anthology called The Best American Essays, which still sits, all marked up with black ink, on my bookshelf. (If I could find a link, I'd put it here, but I can't.)  In it, I discovered the...

The life changing magic of cleaning our house

Walt and I were finally cleaning out the basements (yes, that’s a plural); and the over-stuffed three-car garage; and the attics (again, the plural); and all of the closets; and each of the seven, count them, seven bedrooms. This in preparation for our move to...

What to read on vacation

It's the holiday week. Business has all but shut down. And I know precisely how I'm going to spend much of my time. I have a stack of books I've been dying to read, so, baby, here I come. Which got me thinking...which books might I recommend for your reading...

The Sane Food Solution

Tuesday, December 10, 2024; that's the day The Sane Food Solution:Transform Your Relationship with Food and Change Your Life hits the market. This book, Summit Press Publishers' latest release, captures Theresa Wright's nearly 40 years of experience treating food...

Momento Mori

I was doom scrolling on Instagram when I came across a Ryan Holiday post about his 2022 book, Discipline Is Destiny. In it he writes, “To procrastinate is to be entitled. It is arrogant. It assumes there will be a later. It assumes you’ll have the discipline to get to...

Why now is the best time to write your book

Years ago, Walt and I hosted a three-day event in Ireland. We got a bunch of folks interested in building a solid coaching practice to cross the pond and listen to us expound upon the framework we use to do just that. We also introduced our audience members to some...

A book that ought to be banned

Given my job, I pay attention to trends in the book industry. Currently, there’s a lot of talk about book banning and Trad wives, not to mention a bunch of new publications that address these two separate topics. A Trad wife, if you’ve been living under a rock, is a...

Nobody wants to read your sh*t

In 2016, Steven Pressfield published his book Nobody one Wants to Read Your Sh*t. It scared a lot of would-be authors who want to contribute to the world, not burden it with garbage. What must you do to create a book worth reading? Let me answer that from the...

Writing books I recommend

Given my profession, I'm often asked about my favorite books on writing. Before I answer, I tend to want to know WHY someone wants this information, mostly because I've noticed the tendency to read extensively on the topic, as opposed to doing the uncomfortable work,...

Getting laid, getting paid, looking fab

Years ago, and I mean yearssssss ago, Walt and I attended a Brendan Bruchard conference. That’s where we recognized that we could create a business out of just about anything we pulled out of our backends. I mean, we met people who were making money doing the most...

How delaying gratification can multiply satisfaction and success

In this Instagram video, the authors Ryan Holiday and Robert Greene discuss the true sense of fulfillment that comes from sinking your focus into a long-term book project instead of seeking a splashy insta win. Robert Greene is best known for The 48 Laws of Power a...

Success is a double-edged sword

I'm always interested in hearing about that moment a business owner decides that it's time to write a book. One minute they're juggling myriad responsibilities, the next, they're looking around trying to decide how one goes about getting a book writing job done...

So you want to create an audio book

Lately I’ve been listening to the book Braiding Sweetgrass on afternoon walks or whenever I putter in the kitchen. It’s narrated by the author, Robin Wall Kimmerer, which makes the experience all the more enjoyable. She sinks her essence into the material AND she...

Sweet, easy, and obstacle free

I love the excitement surrounding the release of a book. After months, if not years, all the associated work miraculously comes to life. Well, not miraculously, given the blood, sweat, and tears, but we can forget all that now. All is forgiven. This is a segment from...

30 minutes to literary success

I talk to writers about their desire to get a traditional publishing house deal at least once a week. I'm sure I've mentioned this numerous times before. It'll take me an hour to explain the lay of the land, when and if it makes sense, and I can't help thinking I...

Disregard that travel advisory!

It is said--by whom, I haven't bothered to track down--that we humans learn from shared stories of success, and from stories of failure. Me? I'm pretty obsessed with stories of failure because I've learned more from MY mistakes than from my successes. Most of my...

The Lizard of Resistance

You’ve probably talked for years about writing your book, the one that will inspire people to take massive action AND build your business. The one that will save readers time and pain AND establish you as a true authority. The one that will spell out your framework...

If you don’t know me, this will sum it up

Several years back, I had the privilege of being interviewed by Denise Brown for a column she writes in the North Star Monthly, a New Hampshire publication.  I thought I might share an excerpt of it with you here. It’ll give you some of my philosophy and background,...

10 best books of 2023

I read a lot, probably more than most. As a ghostwriter, I need to read deeply on a given topic so I can ask better questions of my clients and support their arguments. As a content developer, I study book structure, the management of a narrow topic, and the...

How to turn your course into a book

It sounds so easy, right? Take the transcripts from your course--you know, the ones that accompany your video tutorials-- organize them into chapters, throw in a few extra case studies, and call it a day. Done and dusted, as the Irish like to say. A book in a weekend,...

When you can’t keep your sh*t together at work

🌟You know what happens. You've got that one knucklehead you have to interact with on a regular basis. Every single time they open their mouth, your hackles spring to attention. It takes everything you've got to suppress a growl, or refrain from saying something that...

Raised by wolves

Some time back, Walt and I conducted a mastermind call around yearly planning. One of our members raised her hand and talked about her resistance to setting any kind of goals for the year ahead.  She wasn't sure what was getting in the way. As I listened to her...

Driving Miss Daisy

I hate this quote only because I know it's true: The things you want most in life are located just outside of your comfort zone. (I'm paraphrasing, so please don't think you need to correct me.) At a certain stage of life and/or business, the last thing any of us...

There’s more to writing a memoir than meets the eye

I realize, after talking to a number of folks who want to write what they describe as a business memoir--what they really want to do is include a lot of personal narrative in a self-help book--that the average person has no idea what a memoir entails.  Years ago, I...

I’ve been avoiding this conversation

I have a problem. This problem has gotten big enough that I’ve decided I need a solution. Oh, sure, I’ve been aware of this issue for a good long while, but recently I recognized that it’s costing me big time, so it’s taken on some urgency. You see, I avoid conflict....

A Year of Yes

Each Friday, Simon and Schuster sends out a promo email advertising temporarily discounted books. You can snag great Kindle reads for a couple of dollars. If you’re not on their mailing list, you can right that travesty by going here. Trust me, you want to be on this...

More addictive than sugar

I bring this post back every few years, usually after a worry-filled conversation I've had with a friend or client. Sometimes one of these nice people need the reminder that worry is an utter waste of time, sometimes it's me. I just got back from climbing Mt. McKinley...

Just write an essay

When I was in grad school, I took an essay writing course. We were assigned an anthology called The Best American Essays, which still sits, all marked up with black ink, on my bookshelf. (If I could find a link, I'd put it here, but I can't.)  In it, I discovered the...

You get to be the hero

This week, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of awesome entrepreneurs about powerful stories, stories that sell. The nice folks in the audience are required to market their products and services to keep the lights on and the mortgage paid, etc. so they were...

I wish emotions weren’t necessary…but they are

Many of my clients want to include personal stories in their book, often because they've had to overcome certain challenges shared by their clients.  Their story, their journey, is relevant to their target audience. All successful stories have one thing in common:...

The gift of trauma?

Three years ago, I had a conversation with Dr. Edith Shiro. She wanted to write a book about post traumatic growth and she needed the book out, like, yesterday. The pandemic had just begun and she could see what was about to happen to the world. Trauma was going to...

When you have to go back and try again…

Mozella Ademiluyi understands failure, resilience, and hard-won success. Her inspirational book, Rise!: Lean Within Your Inner Power & Wisdom, documents her thwarted attempt to summit Kilimanjaro at the age of 50, which led to her standing atop Africa's highest...

Seated at the soda fountain

In 2018, Vicki Suiter published  The Profit Bleed: How Managing Margin Can Save Your Contracting Business. Since then, she's consistently earned hundreds of dollars each quarter with her book, not counting the impressive income she brings in from her related products...

A symptom of the hustle culture?

Catherine Rolt, author of The Pain Paradox, has a huge mission, which was the driving force behind writing her book. She believes that pain is our friend and is trying to teach us something that we've likely been avoiding. Ignoring unpleasant events, relationships, or...

The minute you see just how random you are

I don't know about you but I think I'm pretty strategic. Like, I've got a clear-ish vision of where I want to go, a fairly good idea of what I have to accomplish now and in the next....oh, three or four minutes... Then I have a conversation with Jon Corteen. Jon...

When do you call it quits?

🌟What happens when the agent with whom you have a relationship turns down your first proposal AND tells you your credibility is in question? If you're Dayna Abraham, you keep going. You write a new proposal that gets you a 6-figure book deal AND you write the book in...

What I’m reading now: Barnflower

In Ireland, I would sit on the couch and watch my neighbor’s grazing cows through the living room window. Each morning John’s border collie would hit the pasture and drive the herd down the hill to the milking parlor. The dog would appear again in the evening when we...

Author Mary Barbera and her quest to turn autism around

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Sometimes it’s not about the money

I sell book-writing and publishing services. That means I have to market said services: highlight the potential benefits of sinking time, energy, and money into a book project as well as point out the typical stuff that gets in the way. Basically identify the gap...

Speaking of soiling your family name…

Prince's Harry's memoir sold 1.43M copies on release day. That M stands for million, in case you're unfamiliar. Which is next to unheard of. Even before the shiny-covered tell-all hit the shelves, scuttlebutt abounded. And that ungrateful-over-sharing-Harry...

Burnt to a crisp

I don’t know about you, but I feel like I skidded into the holiday season on empty. I blame it on managing a full book of business with a lot of moving parts, a major move across the pond on relatively short notice, and my exhausting tendency to people-please. I know...

I’m going to make your holiday shopping easy

Long ago, the private high school my daughter attended had a wonderful yearly tradition. At the beginning of summer, they'd mail a reading list--a compilation of each teacher's favorite books--to the house. Now, I'm sure the design was to encourage students to read...

Start with What You’ve Got

Deb Feder is a business development coach and strategist who helps lawyers and professionals bring in consistent clients through curious, confident conversations and changing the way we view productivity for professionals. She's also a righteous bad ass. I LOVE...

One more way to spot a newbie

Lately, I’ve had my head in manuscripts just rife with purple prose. Purple prose, for those of you unfamiliar with the term, is writing that’s so extravagant, ornate, or flowery, it breaks the flow and draws excessive attention to itself. Purple prose is...

The painful book-writing process

Dr. Serena Sterling wasn’t sure she’d ever finish her book project. There were times, as her content developer, I wasn’t sure she would either. Because Serena wasn’t just writing about her business–helping people overcome chronic physical and/or emotional pain–she was...

See if you can spot your favorite excuse

Any time you switch up your routine or form new habits–which is pretty much what needs to happen before starting a book project–you’ve got to overcome all sorts of obstacles that spring up in your path. It’s all well and good when you’re pumped up and motivated, when...

Blowing hot and cold…again

Each time I work on a book project, I not only learn about the topic, but also about myself. Catherine Rolt's, The Pain Paradox, which is about to be released by Summit Press Publishers, is a perfect example. I knew next to nothing about Integrated Chinese...

How to turn your speech into a book

Once upon a time (actually, in 2014), Naval Admiral William H. McRaven gave the University of Texas Austin commencement address. It was a twenty-minute speech that outlined ten principles he’d learned during Naval SEAL training. These principles helped him overcome...

Getting laid, getting paid, looking fab

Years ago, and I mean yearssssss ago, Walt and I attended a Brendan Bruchard conference. That's where we recognized that we could create a business out of just about anything we pulled out of our backends. I mean, we met people who were making money doing the most...

I’m a coward

I have a problem. This problem has gotten big enough that I’ve decided I need a solution. Oh, sure, I’ve been aware of this issue for a good long while, but recently I recognized that it’s costing me big time, so it’s taken on some urgency. You see, I avoid conflict....

With truth comes peace

I received this beautiful note a while back in response to one of my newsletters. I'd like to share it and my response with you.  It's relevant to you writers out there, AND to people-pleasers. Thank you for your raw honesty. Your courage inspires me, seriously. Each...

My favorite fives

Long ago, the private high school my daughter attended had a wonderful tradition. At the beginning of summer, they'd mail a reading list--a compilation of each teacher's favorite books--to the house. Now, I'm sure the design was to encourage students to read quality...

Finding my wood

I've been doctoring a terrific book on Integrated Chinese Medicine, which addresses health issues caused by an overabundance or deficit of certain "elements", including wood, fire, water, and air. It got me thinking about my wood, how much more of it I have at this...

The brilliance of Jeff Walker and his book, Launch

I'm a huge fan of internet marketing expert, Jeff Walker. So much so, that I'm part of his inner-circle community. Guy opens his mouth, and I learn something new. Every time. If you've ever enrolled in my super digestible course, Turn Your Book Into a Money Machine,...

I hesitate to tell you this…

Basically because everyone who wants a good content developer for free—OK, a barter arrangement isn’t free, but close enough for government work— will come pouring out of the woodwork into my already clogged inbox. Edit my writing, help me develop my book’s concept,...

Death and other motivators

Over the weekend, while I calculated author royalties for Summit Press, the publishing house I run, I came across an anomaly. A.J. Wasserstein’s book, written and published 4 years ago, had sold over 100 copies. This is eyebrow raising for one big reason: A.J. does...

Good morning, slacker

Like a lot of overachievers, I hold myself to impossible standards.  It’s bought me a lot in life: it’s also created gratuitous stress. If you've landed in my world, chances are good that you can totally relate. This morning, even before my eyes snapped open, I began...

The very definition of a mission-driven book

I talk to a lot of folks looking to write and publish expert positioning books. Sometimes they're driven by the desire to tell their personal story; sometimes, to share their unique process for fixing a particular problem, or to carve out a place in an overcrowded...

3 things I learned climbing mountains

I climb high mountains. I’d like to offer you three lessons I’ve learned in the mountains; climbing lessons if you will. I’ve discovered over the years that there are many “mountains” in life. These lessons can be applied liberally. Each is entirely relevant to...

Year of Yes

Each Friday, Simon and Schuster sends out a promo email advertising temporarily discounted books. You can snag great Kindle reads for a couple of dollars. If you’re not on their mailing list, you can right that travesty by going here. Trust me, you want to be on this...

Resting on your laurels

Every day, I talk to people who are looking to up their game by writing a book. They've done amazing things in their life and in their business and they want to share the wisdom they've gained. For many, writing a book is a brand new circus trick. It requires them to...

Pain: A Love Story

Dr. Serena Sterling wasn't sure she'd ever finish her book project. There were times, as her content developer, I wasn't sure she would either. Because Serena wasn't just writing about her business--helping people overcome chronic physical and/or emotional pain--she...

On running, writing, and getting over my bad self

Several years back, I had the privilege of being interviewed by Denise Brown for a column she writes in the North Star Monthly, a New Hampshire publication.  I thought I might share an excerpt of it with you here. It’ll give you some of my philosophy and background,...

Why, you CAN tell a book by its cover

I don't care what my mother said. You CAN tell a book by its cover, particularly if it's been designed well. Years ago, I tripped over this video (below) about cover design. I don't know what got me thinking about it again, maybe an unveiling snapshot of Summit Press...

Own it, for the love of all that is holy

I was listening to a Ted Talk  with  Sheryl Sandberg some time back (see below). In it she discussed three things she believes hold women back in the work world.  For anyone who doesn’t know who Sheryl is, she’s the COO of Facebook in charge of monetizing the site....

30+ books to make you laugh

The other day I decided that I was totally sick of myself. I was tired of constantly working and holing myself off from the world and reading nothing but business related stuff. It dawned on me that what I needed was a good laugh, more precisely, a book that would...

Why we need your story more than ever

One of the biggest fears my clients have is that by telling their personal stories they will appear grandiose, self-absorbed, or narcissistic. “Who am I to tell this story,” they ask. “Really, who cares?” Or, “It’s all been written about before, so why bother?” “There...

Think Random House might be interested in your story?

In my line of work, I talk to a lot of fascinating people who consider their stories worthy of Big House publishing. They've done the whole rags-to-riches thing, or overcome outrageous abuse, or performed the most amazing feats of courage. I mean, I'm awed by the...

I found this email to be totally bizarre

I received this email in response to last week's newsletter. I thought I'd share it with you because, if you put stuff out there on a regular basis, you're going to receive interesting responses. Sometimes people will thank you for your message, other times, you'll be...

10 books you need to read if you were raised by alcoholics

If I were to teach a course about overcoming the emotional damage and the misconceptions picked up from alcoholic parents, this would be the semester's  assigned reading. You'll see me quote from these books from time to time because some of these issues refuse to die...

When you were raised by wolves

Some time back, Walt and I conducted a mastermind call around yearly planning. One of our members raised her hand and talked about her resistance to setting any kind of goals for the year ahead.  She wasn't sure what was getting in the way. As I listened to her...

How do you know if your writing is any good?

It’s helpful to know that obstacles are part of the writing process, but how are you supposed to deal with them when they raise their ugly heads? What can you do if you’re confused, say, about setting, or plot, or the relevance of that stuff for your chosen genre? And...

Beautiful language that says jack shit

Lately, I’ve had my head in manuscripts just rife with purple prose. Purple prose, for those of you unfamiliar with the term, is writing that’s so extravagant, ornate, or flowery, it breaks the flow and draws excessive attention to itself. Purple prose is...

Talent will get you only so far

While I was in the States a few years back, I had dinner with my buddy Tim Vandehey, another ghostwriter who lives in Kansas City. Tim knows the publishing industry inside and out. He writes for celebrities and industry leaders and has had a number of his projects hit...

Like I’ve got time for this shizel

This is a guest post from time-management expert, Walt Hampton. Who also happens to be my husband, which is a problem because he's highly judgmental of how I spend my time. I suppose he has a right to play all morally superior because he does, essentially, everything...

The arrogance of belonging

I caught sight of myself on video last week during a group coaching session. There were about 10 other entrepreneurs on the call as well, their faces appearing whenever they spoke or made noise. Of course, I didn’t really pay attention to them, so fixated was I on my...

What’s the problemo?

I'm going to share with you some important concepts I walk my clients through before they start in on a project. If you're an entrepreneur or a service professional, these ideas are going to be super useful even if you aren't looking to write a client-attracting book,...

Books: the only gift worth giving or receiving

Long ago, the private high school my daughter attended had a wonderful yearly tradition. At the beginning of summer, they'd mail a reading list--a compilation of each teacher's favorite books--to the house. Now, I'm sure the design was to encourage students to read...

A covert glimpse into my medicine cabinet

Years ago, having read Jack Canfield’s Success Principles, Walt and I sat in Ireland and composed our list of goals. We were on our honeymoon and, well, this is just the sort of thing one does on a honeymoon. Anyway, the assignment, as Jack put it, was to create a...

See if you recognize your sorry excuse

Any time you switch up your routine or form new habits–which is pretty much what you’ve got to do if you want to have something you don’t have now–you’ve got to overcome all sorts of obstacles that spring up in your path. It’s all well and good when you’re pumped up...

I hesitate to tell you this story…

Basically because everyone who wants a good content developer for free—OK, a barter arrangement isn’t free, but close enough for government work— will come pouring out of the woodwork into my already clogged inbox. Edit my writing, help me develop my book’s concept,...

Greeting your husband in Saran Wrap

This here is my very first blog post. November of 2009.  Lordie, how time flies. I started blogging with the sole intent of building an audience for my memoir about Iran, creating a platform. I figured I'd write about the books that had influenced me, about my...

My love of vegetable-peel cookbooks

On Saturday, I caught sight of a book about cooking with food scraps at my friends’ vegan café in town. Surrounded by The China Study, How Not To Die, and Rich Roll’s Finding Ultra, all fascinating reads, that’s the one I latched onto as I tucked into my stew. Before...

The Daddy Hole

My friend, L, is the most “normal” woman I've ever met.  She doesn’t cart around emotional baggage, not even a change purse-full. Her decisions have always seemed so… sensible. I’m pretty sure L’s superpowers—stability and confidence—are a gift from her father....

Favorite Fives

Long ago, the private high school my daughter attended had a wonderful yearly tradition. At the beginning of summer, they'd mail a reading list--a compilation of each teacher's favorite books--to the house. Now, I'm sure the design was to encourage students to read...

More addictive than sugar

I bring this post back every few years, usually after a worry-filled conversation I've had with a friend or client. Sometimes one of these nice people need the reminder that worry is an utter waste of time, sometimes it's me. I just got back from climbing Mt. McKinley...

With Truth Comes Peace

I received this beautiful note a while back in response to one of my newsletters. I'd like to share it and my response with you.  It's relevant to you writers out there, AND to people-pleasers. Thank you for your raw honesty. Your courage inspires me, seriously....

R.I.P.

This is a guest post from my friend, Patrick Combs. Patrick Combs. He was one of those chance encounters that changed the course of our lives. Walt had crossed paths with him on Facebook, bought an extra conference ticket from him, and off the relationship went, down...

What happens when your work is read by total strangers

This is precisely what will happen to you once you have a polished book out in the world. I'm telling you, it'll blow your mind. I received an email from one of my writing clients the other day. I adore Alex because her mind is so expansive, so fascinating, so...

The best revenge, EVER!

Several months ago, I was presented with the opportunity to doctor a book manuscript. Michelle Cully, the author, is this high-powered chick who owns a courier company in the metro-Boston area. If you saw her, you'd laugh, because she looks more like a pint-sized...

When you’ve been hit by a bus

Not long ago I ran a post in which I listed the wonderful things my husband does for me, and what I had needed to change in my life to be ready for such a loving relationship. I got this thought-provoking comment: What about the kind of addict/narcissist that treats...

3 Climbing Lessons

I climb high mountains. I’d like to offer you three lessons I’ve learned in the mountains; climbing lessons if you will. I’ve discovered over the years that there are many “mountains” in life. These lessons can be applied liberally. Lesson 1: There are many paths that...

What if I get this wrong?

My girlfriend is planning her first trip to Ireland.  She’s bringing her teenaged kids along with her. She’s purchased the plane tickets, reserved the rental car, now it’s dawning on her that she’s going to have to shell out a lot more money than she’d planned on....

What The New York Times Book Review Can Teach You

I've got two points I'd like to make. Think of this as the CliffsNotes version of this post. 1. Read The New York Times Book Review to educate yourself on the craft of writing. 2. Don't try to be everything to everyone because you'll lose every time. Here's the longer...

How to turn random bits of content into a book

Turtle Bunbury was fixated on 1847. In fact, he wrote over 40 stories about people and events that made the news in that fascinating year. But when it came time to turn his collection of stories into a book, he had a conundrum: How on earth was he going to organize...

The Arrogance of Belonging

I caught sight of myself on video last week during a group coaching session. There were about 10 other entrepreneurs on the call as well, their faces appearing whenever they spoke or made noise. Of course, I didn’t really pay attention to them, so fixated was I on my...

How To Write A Parable

If you’d like to outline your message and be seen as an expert in your field, you’d be silly to write a novel. If you’re not keen to write a non-fiction business book, then perhaps you’d like to pen a parable. The parable is a particularly appealing genre for business...

What’s Your Problem?!

I'm going to share with you some important concepts I walk my clients through before they start in on a project. If you're an entrepreneur or a service professional, these ideas are going to be super useful even if you aren't looking to write a client-attracting book,...

Go Wear The World Like A Loose Garment

Like a junkie with a 14-gauge needle, my mother used books to blot out reality. Curled up in her chair, immersed in a novel, she ceased to be aware of anyone or anything around her. When she put her book down, exposed herself to the rage and tension that contaminated...

What I’m Reading Now

I need to write about this book, and I need to write about it now. For a couple of reasons. First, if I don’t get to it PDQ, Walt is going to beat me to the punch. The last time the two of us were smitten with an idea or a book, he went and wrote this. Even though I’d...

Do You Need New Friends?

I’m sitting in Dallas as I type this. I’m at a conference for online marketers. I’ve got to say, I love conferences like this, even though I’m an introvert, even though I always wind up back in my room at the end of the day in a fetal position, what with all the...

Own It, Baby

I was listening to a Ted Talk some time back with  Sheryl Sandberg. (see below) In it she discussed three things she believes hold women back in the work world.  For anyone who doesn’t know who Sheryl is, she’s the COO of Facebook in charge of monetizing the site....

Essential, The Book

I'm often aghast at some of the thumbnail images that come up in Youtube. I know you can change these things, but I like to think it takes real strength of character to put these things up the way they come. All that being said, you want to pull books off of your self...

Make Your Bed

In 2014, Naval Admiral William H. McRaven gave the University of Texas Austin commencement address. It was a twenty-minute speech that outlined ten principles he’d learned during Naval SEAL training. These principles helped him overcome challenges, not only in his...

I’m Highly Suspect Of Myself

I had lunch sometime back with an old friend I hadn't seen in years. Both oddballs in high school, we'd dreamed of baking bread together when we graduated, raising sheep, and starting a commune in rural Vermont. She'd do the wool spinning and the tapestry weaving. I'd...

Resting On Your Laurels Is Lame

Walt and I are up in New Hampshire getting certified in Wilderness First Responder Medicine, WFR, for short. That way if one of us breaks a leg or develops a pneumothorax (note: this is me showing off) when we're off the grid, we'll have a reasonable chance of...

The Best Recommended Reading List EVER

Here's a note I sent to several of my book writing clients, past and present. I'm putting together a unique reading list: book recommendations from folks who know what a good book looks like, what beautiful/effective writing is, what inspires and impacts.   1. What...

Mystery Vs. Clarity

My new BFF. Love the thought process behind this man's book designs. How he sees the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nI65jgHG9o

That Tendency To Ignore Blatantly Unpleasant Facts

Like a junkie with a 14-gauge needle, my mother used books to blot out reality. Curled up in her chair, immersed in a novel, she ceased to be aware of anyone or anything around her. When she put her book down, exposed herself to the rage and tension that contaminated...

For The Birds

A blast from the past. Being an introvert, I need a lot of time to myself.  I spend most mornings happily surrounded by a pack of dogs and the quiet. I read, think, and write. Even with Walt present, I can be alone.  He has similar rhythms. We can lose entire days to...

Driving Miss Daisy

I’m learning to drive all over again in Ireland.  This doesn’t sound like a big deal, I know, but it feels death defying.  Most of the time, I pretty much want to scream and cry, or blame my misery on horrible Walt. Smug Walt. Gasp-y Walt. The Irish, for whatever...

On The Lighter Side

A post I wrote 7 years ago. When I was eleven, my mother signed me up for a weight loss class.  Having battled the bulge for years on end, she was alarmed when, at that awkward age, I, too, started piling on the pounds. So, every week we drove out to the local...

Relentless Pursuit Of A Dream

This is a guest post by Walt Hampton. A beautiful example of how one book can alter the course of a life. It had been a warm summer day in August of 1972. My father had purchased the book for me that morning in a Nantucket bookshop, the book that would change and...

A Vicious, Ridiculous Habit

An older post I thought to bring out of mothballs. Too many clients obsessively worrying about the path ahead. I just got back from climbing Mt. McKinley (Denali) in Alaska. Twenty days hauling an 80-lbs pack up steep traverses interspersed with hours on end...

What I’m Reading Now: Tools Of Titans

I’m a huge fan of re-purposing. The question I always ask, lazy git that I am? How can I turn something I’ve spent eons creating into ten other things with next to no additional work? If you’re a podcaster or someone who otherwise interviews folks on a regular basis,...

What I’m Reading Now

I'm loving this book right now. (Just between you and me, if I were editing the thing, I'd start off with a much more powerful story--the guy, Chris Voss, has so damn many of them--than the one chosen to launch the reader into the world of high-stakes negotiation....

Chucking It All And Moving To A Foreign Country

I received this question, one that both Walt and I get more and more frequently, so I thought I’d put my answer to it out here again. I'm so intrigued with how you and Walt move back and forth between the U.S. and Ireland.  I'm just totally curious.  How do you two...

You Have Finally Made Peace With Food. Now What?

This is  guest post by Tara Whitney. I'm really honored to have her as a writing client. I think this piece is beautiful, and vulnerable, and allows you, her reader, to instantly see why you might want her help to free yourself from emotional eating. She has many...

While In Vermont

So, Walt and I caught a flight to Boston on Friday from Cork, Ireland. We were on a quick mission: to witness one of our sons get married. The wedding was the perfect anti-wedding, sans fancy attire, rented ballroom, DJ, team of photographers, and towering cake. ...

The Next Time You Complain About The Dating Market

Picking up the pieces after financial and emotional bankruptcy, Ann Peck, host of Straight Talk for a Curvy World, revisits the secrets that shaped her self-concept and self-doubt.  Sex, failed relationships, codependency, parenting mistakes, they’re all there in her...

Just Another Book About Cancer, NOT

For years I was part of a writers' group that met each Tuesday evening in the author Anne Batterson's living room. Two or three of the members (we were never more than four at any given time) would read what they'd been working on, and the rest of us would listen...

The Six Pillars Of Self-Esteem

When I was younger, I used to look to others, mostly men, to rescue me. I was convinced that, if left to my own devices, I would make some horrible mistake and screw up my life permanently.  I had no idea who I was, what I wanted or needed, or how I felt about much of...

Look Who’s Contributing To The HuffPost

Sniff.  I'm so proud.  One of my gorgeous writing clients, who is working on the final edits of her SOON-TO-BE-PUBLISHED book, is now a contributor to the Huffington Post.  Look, that's a pretty big deal.  You have to know how to string more than a few words together...

What I’m Reading Now

OMG, OMG, OMG, I so love this book. I mean, I love it so much, I tried to make the image really, really big so you wouldn't forget what it looks like. Listen.  Here's the other reason we read.  We want to feel stuff.  We want to experience joy and sadness and loss and...

What I’m Reading Now

So, Walt and I were out and about last night when we passed by Brown Thomas, an upscale shop, Ireland's answer to Bergdoff Goodman. In the window were some of the most ludicrous outfits I've ever seen. Straight out of the circus. Bright orange clown outfits that...

Help Me, Rhonda

It’s helpful to know that obstacles are part of the writing process, but how are you supposed to deal with them when they raise their ugly heads? What can you do if you’re confused, say, about setting, or plot, or the relevance of that stuff for your chosen genre? And...

Run, Fat B!tch, Run

I’m going to break out my Book Yourself Solid coaching hat and introduce you to some associated philosophy: There are people we are meant to serve, and others not so much. And our job is to do everything in our power to reach those we are meant to serve. This...

Why You Need To Grab Your Readers By The Short Hairs

Are you a thought leader or an expert? Have you decided to write a book to showcase your unique process for fixing a specific problem? Do you want to inspire people, to offer them your perspective, your hard-won experience, so they can live a better life? Might the...

Tiny, Beautiful Things

My friend Janet, who’s a librarian in Connecticut, told me I had to read this book. She said that it reminded her of me, of the kind of stuff I say to her when her life is a shit show.  

I seriously WISH I wrote like this. Or that I was as clear, and funny, and...

Your Brain On Change

I've been spending a lot of time with my nose in this book. It's something that Walt bought and left on the shelf. ( I know!  Nothing better than having two readers in the family who think nothing of spending thousands of dollars on good books.) I picked it up because...

A Few Of My All Time Favorite Essays

When I was in grad school, I took an essay writing course. We were assigned an anthology called The Best American Essays, which still sits, all marked up with black ink, on my bookshelf. (If I could find a link, I'd put it here, but I can't.)  In it, I discovered the...

When You’re Upset And You Don’t Know Why

The last time I came back to the States for vacation while living in Iran, I got together with some old friends and regaled them with my latest in-law stories. I recounted the one about my mother-in-law, who, when staying with us in our tiny dorm room for months on...

Be The Flawed Hero Of Your Own Tale

When I first began writing and presenting my short stories about Iran, people in my workshop class looked nervous.  No doubt remembering the fatwa placed on Salmon Rushdie's head for his Satanic Verses, they asked me, "Don't you think Iranians might take offense at...

Welcome To Pain Island

Here's the thing.  If you're a coach or a speaker looking to write a book, your readers (a.k.a. potential clients) want to know that you’ve overcome the same challenges that they’re currently facing. They want to know that you’ve had your own on-your-knees moment—that...

I’m Going To Save You $30,000

All writers learn and do at the same time. Don’t think for a minute that you need to put your book-writing dreams on hold until you’ve earned an MFA. To save you the $30,000, I’d like to share with you what I learned at Harvard; the very thing each writing teacher...

My Very First Blog Post

This is my very first blog post from November of 2009.  Lord Almighty, time flies. Six years, nearly to the day I started this blog with the sole intent of building an audience for my memoir about Iran, creating a platform. I wrote about books that influenced me,...

Misunderstanding Sex

It was the 70’s. Playboy and Penthouse were ubiquitous on suburban coffee tables, at least in the households where I babysat. My parents, in keeping with the make-love-not-war attitude of the era, kept a stash of porn star tell-all's, Penthouse Forum volumes, and...

Which Dog Will You Feed?

I just got back from Mallorca, an island off the coast of Spain where my daughter and her husband celebrated their marriage for the second time.  Needless to say, surrounded by a LOT of highly dramatic members of the Sheybani clan I haven't seen in a very long time,...

Truth Heals

I received this beautiful note last week in response to my newsletter, and I'd like to share it and my response with you.  It's relevant to you writers out there, AND to people-pleasers. Thank you for your raw honesty. Your courage inspires me, seriously. Each time I...

Chucking It All And Moving To A Foreign Country

I received this question last week, one that both Walt and I get more frequently, so I thought I’d answer it here. I'm so intrigued with how you and Walt move back and forth between the U.S. and Ireland.  I'm just totally curious.  How do you two decide when to be...

What I’m Reading Now

I’ve been gobbling up Annita P. Sawyer's new book: Smoking Cigarettes, Eating Glass. This was the memoir she was working on when we studied together at Bread Loaf, a prestigious writing conference in Middlebury, Vermont.  Like me, Annita was sitting in class...

Haters Are Gonna Hate

I was 26 the first time I realized that what people thought about me had more to do with them, then with who I was/am as a person. Such an epiphany should have freed me up; unfortunately it didn't. When I’d first moved to Iran, I wanted two things more than anything. ...

Coaching Is A Total Waste of Money

Coaching is designed to get you where you want to go a whole bunch faster than doing it on your own. The idea being that by working with someone who has figured out how to do what it is that you want to do, you save a crap load of time, money, grief, and energy. Want...

I’ve Got Some Nerve Publishing This Book

The thing about being a writer is that I tend to associate with a lot of other writers. Writers who publish books as often as they change their underwear. Besides my writing buddies, and my students, and my coaching clients, people who talk about books and writing and...

When You’ve Been Hit By A Bus

Last week I ran a post in which I listed the wonderful things my husband does for me, and what I had needed to change in my life to be ready for such a loving relationship. I got this thought-provoking comment: What about the kind of addict/narcissist that treats you...

57 Things I Love About My Irish Hood

The crazy Border Collies laying in wait to chase our car just beyond the barn. The farmer on the hill who tells us jokes we can barely understand, what with his brogue being so thick. I'm pretty sure they all involve traveling salesmen and farmers' daughters, though....

Parenting Advice From a Shitty Mother

As a generation, we’ve done our children a grave disservice by continually rescuing them from discomfort, self-created or otherwise. We’ve meant well, but rather than ensuring their success by smoothing the way for them, we’ve created a herd of frustrated, young...

How You Ended Up Trapped

This fall, my friend Bridget Cooper invited me to write the forward for her book Feed The Need, which got me really excited. I mean, I love this saucy minx's message. If you're a people-pleaser, this book will have you at hello. Do you know how to get wild mustangs to...

Which Dog Are You Going to Feed?

On Sunday, Walt and I got the brilliant idea that we’d kayak over to Horse Island and have ourselves a little picnic to celebrate our anniversary. Horse Island is this little deserted hunk of cliff and bush with an old stone tower on one end that lies ten minutes off...

Paparazzi Can Be SOOOO Annoying

I had the huge privilege of being interviewed by Denise Brown for a column she writes in the North Star Monthly, a northern New Hampshire publication.  I thought I might share it with you here. I think I sound horribly impressive.Unfortunately, the paparazzi just...

The 6 Pillars of Self Esteem

When I was younger, I used to look to others, mostly men, to rescue me. I was convinced that, if left to my own devices, I would make some horrible mistake and screw up my life permanently.  I had no idea who I was, what I wanted or needed, or how I felt about much of...

You Came To The Wrong Neighborhood, Homedog!

My girlfriend is planning her first trip to Ireland.  She’s bringing her teenaged kids along with her. She’s purchased the plane tickets, reserved the rental car, now it’s dawning on her that she’s going to have to shell out a lot more money than she’d planned on....

Own It, Baby

I was listening to a Ted Talk last month with  Sheryl Sandberg. (see below) In it she discussed three things she believes hold women back in the work world.  For anyone who doesn’t know who Sheryl is, she’s the COO of Facebook in charge of monetizing the site.  She’s...

What I’m Reading Now

Here in Ireland I read incessantly.  No sooner than I finish one book, I scan the bookshelves and grab another.  For the last ten days I've been in total bliss, until I ran into this little number, which really pulled me up short. Walt must have bought Money, A Love...

10 Loopholes We Use to Stay Stuck

Any time you switch up your routine or form new habits--which is pretty much what you’ve got to do if you want to have something you don’t have now--you’ve got to overcome all sorts of obstacles that spring up in your path. It’s all well and good when you’re pumped up...

Roommate vs. Lover

This is a guest post by Dr. Bridget Cooper, author of Feed the Need (To Reduce Conflict and Multiply Joy)   Focus, the limited amount or lack of it entirely, is the number one complaint that clients approach me with as they enter coaching. Usually, though, they...

Driving Miss Daisy

I’m learning to drive all over again in Ireland.  This doesn’t sound like a big deal, I know, but it feels death defying.  Most of the time, I pretty much want to scream and cry, or blame my misery on horrible Walt. Smug Walt. Gasp-y Walt. The Irish, for whatever...

Pop, Pop, Pop, Bark, Bark, Bark

The farmer two hills over is harvesting his potatoes. To keep the crows from puncturing his spuds, which, from what I'm told, renders them useless, he's operating a mechanical popper.  Every--let me time this so I can be accurate--37 seconds, we hear the sound of his...

Why I’m an Incredibly Poor Role Model

Walt and I are getting ready to go to Ireland for three whole months, which has me feeling vaguely hysterical.  You want to see my all-or-nothing mindset kick in, my NOW, NOW, NOW or the world explodes mode switch on?  Come on over and sit on my couch.  You may even...

Do You Know Your 5 Deal Breakers?

Do you know who you are, and what you want from a life partner? Are you afraid that by voicing your needs you will drive him (or her) off? This from my friend Bridget’s new book, Feed the Need: Years ago, as I was getting back into the dating scene, I read a book that...

10 Books You Need to Read If You Were Raised by Alcoholics

If I were to teach a course about overcoming the emotional damage and the misconceptions picked up from alcoholic parents, this would be the semester's  assigned reading. You'll see me quote from these books from time to time, and I often send them to my coaching...

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