Podcast appearances and mentions of Clare Pooley

Karen Dukess's first book, The Last Book Party, was wildly successful by any measure—sold at auction, Indie Next pick, Discover New Writers pick… you probably read it. The second…Didn't sell. Not as in, not very many people bought it but as in, no publisher published it. She spent the requisite couple years or so, her agent signed on but… no takers. She felt like she was the only person in the whole entire world that that happened to… until she started asking around. Turns out, you know how people say writing books is hard? And publishing is tough? They're right!Never fear, Karen lived to tell the tail. Her next novel (do we call it second or third?), Welcome to Murder Week, is wonderful and available in a bookstore near you (and as you'll hear, I loved it and it's the perfect page-turner but not-anxiety-producing read for a swimming pool, beach, airplane ride or couch). But the real joy is that Karen is willing to dish. You'll hear:What happens when you want to be a bullet journal sticker getting writer with your butt in the chair but you're just … not.How to have fun writing a book that maybe no one will want (and why you'd better).How Karen found the right mindset to keep going.Karen's one rule as a beginning writer who couldn't quite get the hang of 1000 words a day. Links from the Pod:LauraPaloozaKaren Dukess, The Last Book PartyZibby EventsThe Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray#AmReadingKaren: The Original, Nell Stevens KJ: Welcome to Murder WeekKaren's Substack Keep Calm and Carry On, a Substack from Karen Dukess or find her on Instagram @karendukess, or her website www.karendukess.comDid you know Sarina's latest thriller is out NOW? Rowan Gallagher is a devoted single mother and a talented architect with a high-profile commission restoring an historic mansion for the most powerful family in Maine. But inside, she's a mess. She knows that stalking her ex's avatar all over Portland on her phone isn't the healthiest way to heal from their breakup. But she's out of ice cream and she's sick of romcoms. Watching his every move is both fascinating and infuriating. He's dining out while she's wallowing on the couch. The last straw comes when he parks in their favorite spot on the waterfront. In a weak moment, she leashes the dog and sets off to see who else is in his car. Instead of catching her ex in a kiss, Rowan becomes the first witness to his murder—and the primary suspect.Digital books at: Amazon | Nook | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Audible Physical books at: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indigo | More paperback links here!New! Transcript below!EPISODE 452 - TRANSCRIPTJess LaheyHey, it's Jess here. A few years ago, I got to go to Laura Palooza. Laura Palooza is the conference that is run by the Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association. I was invited because I wrote about Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Little House on the Prairie books, and at the very beginning of The Gift of Failure, there's a mention in the opening chapter. And I was invited to go, and it was fantastic. And I got to meet Dean Butler, who had played Almanzo, which was quite a moment for me, because I had been quite in love. Anyway, this year's Laura Palooza 2025 is going to be taking place July 8 through 11th, 2025. Laura Palooza 2025's theme is prairies, pioneers and pages. If you want more information on attending Laura Palooza 2025, you can go to L-I-W-L-R-A — L-I-W-L-R-A dot org slash laurapalooza. I will be putting it in the show notes for whatever episode this ends up on, and it's going to be really, really great. I'm jealous that I can't go again because it's not going to be near me. It's going to be in De Smet South, I hope that's how you pronounce it, South Dakota. But they're going to even have, like, a feature on the fashion at the time. They're going to have a section on planes, claims and all those land deals, a beginner's guide to mapping homestead claims. It's going to be cool, challenging gender norms. Laura Ingalls in fiction, and Rose Wilder Lane in reality. Folklore, fiction or forecasts, separating and linking science, storytelling and mythology in weather, lore, that's going to be by Dr. Barb Boustead, who has been on this very podcast. She's fantastic. Laura Palooza 2025... July, you should go, you should sign up. It's really fun. They're going to be doing a field trip also to the Ingalls Homestead, I believe. Check it out. It's pretty cool.Multiple Speakers:Is it recording? Now it's recording, yay. Go ahead. This is the part where I stare blankly at the microphone. I don't remember what I'm supposed to be doing. All right, let's start over. Awkward pause. I'm going to rustle some papers. Okay, now one, two, three.KJ Dell'AntoniaHey, I'm KJ Dell'Antonia, and this is Hashtag AmWriting, the weekly podcast about writing all the things, short things, long things, pitches, proposals, fiction, nonfiction, in short or really actually, usually long. We are the podcast about sitting down and getting your work done. And I am KJ Dell'Antonia. I am the author of a bunch of novels, the most popular of which is The Chicken Sisters, and the most recent is Playing the Witch Card, and you should read them all. And I have with me today a guest that I'm really excited about for a topic that you all are going to love. So, with me today, I have Karen Dukess, and she is the author of The Last Book Party, which you might have read in 2019 because it was unmissable. It was everywhere. It was an Indie Next. It was a Discover New Writers pick, it was...it was all over the place. And that is partly what we're here to talk about today. And we're also here to talk about her new novel, Welcome to Murder Week, which I have just read and enjoyed, but mostly we're here to talk about the six years in between. So, welcome. I am so glad to have you here. So, Karen and I have met in person. We met at a Zibby book event and at an event for the amazing Annabel Monaghan, who also has a book out this summer. The lovely thing about the universe is that nobody reads just one book.Karen DukessThat is true. Thank you.KJ Dell'AntoniaSo, you can be like, yes, read Annabel's book, read my book. Read. I mean, anybody who reads? I mean, yeah, there are people who read just one book, it's probably not going to be ours. Oh, well, people seem to like the Bible. I don't know that's a popular one. See that? A lot around a lot of Crawdads, also see that. Okay, so anyway, tell us what the story of the long six-year journey between your very, very successful debut novel, and what is about to be your very different sophomore novel.Karen DukessSo, I feel like I have an upside-down writing career in that most people write a lot of novels that don't get published before they write a novel that gets published, and mine went backwards. So, The Last Book Party was my first novel, and I wrote it...Didn't... I wrote it, finished it when I was in my early 50's, around 54 -55, spent about four years writing it, and I had done a lot of writing before, then stopping and starting and thinking that. I must not have what it takes, because this is too hard. I didn't realize that novel writing just is hard, and that is the way it is for all but a few unicorn people. So that novel, I was so happy when I finally finished it. I was so satisfied to just finally have written a novel, and I was truly thrilled, and I I felt like, if it doesn't get published, I'll publish it myself. I'm just so happy to have achieved this goal. And then it sold incredibly quickly. It was unbelievable. I mean, it was like beyond my wildest dreams. It went to auction. It sold very quickly for a good advance, and the publishing experience was great, including the fact that they were originally going to publish it in 2020, but they decided to bump it up to 2019 I don't know why. But I was like, sure, I've waited to my 50's to get this book out, like the sooner the better. And then I dodged the bullet of waiting all these years to publish a novel and have it come out during the pandemic. So, the paperback came out in the pandemic, which wasn't great, but I still felt so grateful that I had gotten this book out before then. So, then I started working on my second novel, which later someone had given me some someone, a friend...it might have even been Annabel. Someone gave her the advice that your second novel, don't make it very, very personal. And I kind of wish I had gotten that advice, even though I'm not sure I would have listened to it. But the thing about a second novel, and I don't know if you experienced this, KJ, but if you have success with your first novel, the second novel is scary because you're like, was I a one hit wonder? You know, was it a fluke? Can I do this again? And people would say, well, you know how to write novels now. And I'd be like, no, I know how to write THAT novel. I have no idea how to write another novel. And the novel I wanted to write at that time was drawing on the many years I spent studying and living in Russia and working as a journalist in Russia. I was in Russia in the 90's, and I wrote a novel that was about an American woman's journey in Russia and some American journalists in Russia. But it was set in Russia in 2017 and with flashbacks to the 90's, and it was hard to write. It was not fun. I think I had, like, sitting on my shoulder this sort of like, oh, can she do it again? You know that kind of thing. And I knew that the luck I had the first one, like, you know, I knew it was unlike, unluck, unlikely to be like that again. Plus, I had this sense of like, this is my Russia novel. And even though it wasn't a novel like, directly about Russia, it still was my chance to sort of give my take on things there. So, I think I also had sitting on my shoulder, like all the journalists I know knew in Russia, and people that studied Russia and the real Russia experts, and what were they going to think of my take?KJ Dell'AntoniaOh, yeah.Karen DukessSo it was, it was not writing, sort of like joyfully, it was a tough novel to write. And then it was also, it was fiction, but it was sort of personal, midlife kind of novel. So, there was just a lot of baggage with that novel. And the writing of it was tough, you know, it was just, it took longer than I thought it it just, I just remember a lot of sort of hair pulling, kind of, you know, those writing days. I had a lot of them. I finished it. My agent said he loved it. I don't think he loved it as much as the other two novels I've written, but, you know, he was ready to send it out on submission. But as I was finishing it, I was getting more and more concerned, because I finished it right around when Russia invaded Ukraine. And my novel, which was set in 2017 Russia, now things were so different, and they had been increasingly becoming different. Suddenly it felt very anachronistic, because I wasn't writing with these big current events in mind. Plus, there was this whole kind of like, oh, Russia, yuck, nobody, you know. And I felt that too. So, I was nervous about it, and my agent was like, just finish it. You've spent this much time on it. Let's finish it and see what happens. And so, we sent it out, and the response I got was kind of... Uh not great, you know, it went to my publisher first. They'd write a first refusal, and we're like, this novel. It about American woman in Russia right now, it's just not the right time. And, you know, there may have been other things about the novel as well, but it was kind of a, like, not a good sell. So, we sent it out to maybe five or six more editors, you know, I got lovely rejection letters, you know. Well, I really enjoyed it. This part was so interesting. But, yeah, I don't know, I don't know how to market this novel right now. And it was, you know, it was crushing, of course, but it also kind of echoed my feelings about the novel. The whole thing gave me a knot in my stomach, yeah, so my agent said, well, we haven't really exhausted the possibilities yet. We can send it out another round, or you can revise it, or you can set it aside. And I felt really sure at that point that I just wanted to, I didn't want to keep submitting it. I just felt like not the right time. And it was disappointing, but it was also kind of a relief, because if someone had decided to publish that novel, I think I would have been really nervous for the whole time before it came out.KJ Dell'AntoniaI think the only thing worse than having your second novel not published is having it published to like, you know, universal hatred.Karen DukessYeah exactly.KJ Dell'AntoniaOr just, or just to your own disappointment, you know?Karen DukessYeah. And then there's a long lead time between the time and novel gets accepted and the time it gets published. And to just feel like, nervous that whole time, I just...KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Karen DukessSo, I was relieved and disappointed. And I remember very well thinking like, oh, well, this is what people talk about. When they talk about, you have to be able to deal with rejection as a writer, because I hadn't dealt with it yet. I had been so lucky, and I really had this sense of like, all right, well, now I get to find out if I'm really a writer, like, can I deal with this and or can I not? And so, I was like, I'm going to write something else. But I was determined to write something very, very different. Like, I needed the whole experience to be different, yeah, and it ended up being kind of liberating, because I went on a trip with my sister to England. We went to the Peak District in England for a week. We rented a little cottage, and this was right before the novel went on submission, I think, or maybe right after, maybe it was on submission, I don't know. So, it was around the time when I wasn't feeling good about the novel, but I wasn't sure it was like a dead deal yet. And we had this absolutely fantastic week in the Peak District, where I was my first time traveling in the English countryside. I'd been to London, but I'd never been in the English countryside, and I felt like I was just stepping into the pages of all my favorite English novels, like Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre. And also, like I was stepping into scenes of every BritBox masterpiece, mystery thing, I had written, you know, think, oh my god, there's a vicar. And just really, I was in a... my sister, we have similar reading tastes, and we were just both in this mood, like everything was just kind of entertaining us, and we were laughing at ourselves for seeing England through all these fictional characters. So, when I came back, I think I came back, and that's when I kind of realized this Russian novel was dead or shortly thereafter. And I thought, okay, I'm going to, I'm going to write something about Americans going to England. I want to continue that mood. And I really felt like, if I'm going to do now that I knew you could spend years writing a novel and have it not get published, which I knew intellectually before, but I didn't, hadn't experienced it. I I just felt like, if I'm going to spend another couple years writing a novel like fun has to be the number one thing. It just has to be fun. I'm like, not going to be miserable again. I can't do something like the Russian novel again. I have to just entertain myself and make myself happy, and hopefully it will entertain other people and make them happy too. And that's how I landed on the idea of sending these writing about Americans that go to England to solve a fake murder mystery, which is what Welcome to Murder Week is about. And I just had such a good time writing it. And I wrote it quicker than I've ever written. I wrote it in a little over a year, and it was honestly delightful. Like, I couldn't believe it. Like, writing could actually be really fun.KJ Dell'AntoniaWho knew? The result is also delightful. It just, it's, it's kind of like every warm and lovely book setting on to you you've ever read. It is it Is that I really enjoyed it, So...Karen DukessI'm so glad.KJ Dell'AntoniaI don't know what the Russian novel was like. That doesn't sound fun.Karen DukessI mean it wasn't really heavy, because I'm not like a heavy writer... like it still had...KJ Dell'AntoniaRight.Karen DukessIn it, and it had emotion, etc., but I'm not sad that it's not out.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Karen DukessLet's put it that way, yeah. So, yeah, this one was just fun. And I, you know, my initial idea was to send a group of Americans to England. Initially it was going to be a writing group. I like the idea of putting characters together who would not ordinarily know each other, but to have them together in a space and then a friend of mine said, Okay, so that's an idea. You're going to send some writers on a writing retreat to England, and what are they going to do there? Like, write? Like, that's not very interesting. And that's how I, kind of, you know, ended up moving to this thing where I could have them participate in this weeklong, solve a fake English village murder mystery. And I could have, you know, the villagers, some of them participating in this, and some eagerly participating, some cynical and send a bunch of Americans, you know, Britbox crazed Americans, to compete in this thing. And, yeah, that's, that's how it ended up. And it was fun.KJ Dell'AntoniaI, yeah. I mean, it reads like you had fun. I, as someone who has... so Playing the Witch Card has like a big game sort of Halloween event at the center of it. That would be really hard to do in reality. This is kind of like that.Karen DukessYeah.KJ Dell'AntoniaLike, this is like the dream murder week, both from some of the point of view of someone who might want to put one on and from someone the point of view of someone who might want to go and do one. It's not, it's um, you know, it's not. Sometimes you read these and they're like, they're like, silly and hokey. It's like, very sincere, super fun murder week that anyone would wish that they could do that likes that kind of thing. Anyway, I yeah, I totally enjoyed it. All the characters were really fun. I could see that you must have had fun writing it.Karen DukessI did. And I also, you know, people often say, like, write the novel you want to read. And I really did that with this because I wanted it to have so it has a fake mystery, but then it has a real mystery as well.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Karen DukessLike the main character, thirty-four-year-old Cath, little do you know, she goes on this trip because her estranged mother, before she died, booked them on it, and she's sort of reluctant to go, but can't get a refund. And then I sort of developed this whole story about she teams up with her house, shares a cottage with people to solve the fake mystery, but that she also solves the real mystery of why her mother wanted her to go, her late mother, and that was sort of like the writing the story you want to read. Because I like light and funny, but I also like something that has, like, some emotional heart to it, like I wanted to try to story that was fun, but that has something going on. And the more I wrote, the more Cath's serious story became part of the story, I think, in the first deeply satisfying, yeah, and the first version, the first draft that my agent read, and I had never shared a draft before with him, and, you know, I think I was just hoping he would be like, it's almost perfect. And he was like, well, I think Cath is the hardest story. I think you need to develop that more. And then I went back and did and sort of... blended the two. So, the whole experience was just, yeah, of course. Now I'm like, can I have fun again?KJ Dell'AntoniaYes, yes, you can. Nobody ever tells me my first draft is perfect, and I really hate that.Karen DukessYeah, I know. I think it's, I don't even know if I should have shared it with him, like, I just wanted him to say, like, it's amazing. And he was like, yeah, it could be really good.KJ Dell'AntoniaWell, but you just want them to know that you're doing, yeah, I'm a I'm going to share the first draft of the thing I'm doing with my agent, and it might be a terrible idea, but I'm going to do it anyway, because I want her to know I'm doing a thing. And yeah, I'm excited. And yeah um...Karen Dukess I also think that, like, you know, when I said that, it was liberating, in a way, to sort of have the experience that I had with the Russian novel. I think it was also maybe by the time, you know, getting to the third novel, or maybe it's getting to my age. I felt sort of like, I think I gave my permission, myself, permission to write a novel that, yeah, it has a serious story at the heart of it, but it's not like a deeply serious book, you know? And I think there's a tendency to think like, you know, I would look at the world around me sometimes, when I was drafting it, and feel like there's so many serious things to write about, and I'm writing this funny story, like, is that super fluffy? And, you know, it was like, this is what I wanted to write? That's okay, you know? I don't have to prove anything. Like, here is my serious tome. You know, I really just wanted to give people like, an emotional, amusing, heartwarming experience. And that is okay.KJ Dell'AntoniaIt is funny how locked we get into that, both as writers and as readers, this idea that if it's not serious or experimental or deep or dark, it's, I don't know, somehow not worthy. There was somebody was reading somebody's Substack the other day, and they were sort of deeply apologizing for the book they had recommended, which sounded really amazing. And I was like, why you, you know, you clearly enjoyed this, and it sounded great. And I don't. I mean, as a reader, I don't want to read things that are dark and deep and serious A. all the time...Karen DukessYeah.KJ Dell'AntoniaAnd B. sometimes not at all.Karen DukessYeah, I do like to read dark and serious, but I've learned that I don't like to write that like writing a novel is, it's always so much more time than you think. I mean, even this one was quicker than usual. It's a lot of time, like you're living it. And I was just like, I can't live in a dark place, like I can read a dark book in a couple days, you know? And...KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Karen DukessWipe my eyes and move on. But...KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Karen DukessYou know...KJ Dell'AntoniaA light one.Karen DukessYou could assume... but you know. When I'm writing a novel, I'm going to bed thinking about their the characters, and I'm thinking about it when I'm exercising, and it's just like churning in there, and I just don't want to be in a dark place for two years.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, and most of the time people, I mean, I guess it just depends on, on who you are. But a heart, it's hardly ever dark all the time. I mean, even people that I have known that we're going through some really horrible things have found, you know, levity and joy and pleasure in in some parts of it. And I think we all hesitate to say, well, that's everyone. Or you got to, you know, we don't want to impose that on every, on anyone, because that's kind of also where we are is, is this delicate dance of not wanting to expect anybody else to be the way you think they're going to be. But I it just seems like people find levity, even in even the worst, even in the worst moments. And people want, um, solace, you know?Karen DukessYeah.KJ Dell'Antonia Something... something pleasant... something.Karen DukessYeah, I work with an editor, kind of a more like a writing coach, like she doesn't actually edit, but she sort of helps me figure out the story and stuff. And there was one point when she was reading a draft, and there's a scene in the book. I don't know if it's a minor thing, but when my main character Cath, who there's a little romance in it. And when she's first together with this guy, and they're sort of rolling around in bed, the first draft that, the first version of it, she accidentally hit her head on the headboard, and then she's like, “Oh my god, are you okay?” And she was like, “no”. My coach was like, no, no. I don't want to be anxious that maybe this guy is a little violent. Like, no, no, you've got to take that out. I don't want to be anxious in the reading of this book. And it was such a minor thing that I think she was like...KJ Dell'AntoniaAnd you had him hit his head instead, right? Yeah.Karen DukessBecause I don't think anyone was going to worry that she's violent. But it was funny. It was like, she was very much like this book is, there are books where you want the reader to feel anxious, but she's like, this book is not that I don't want anxiety in this book you know?KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, yeah.Karen DukessLike she's still concerned about Cath and her story. You can feel sad about what she learns, but not anxiety.KJ Dell'AntoniaYou know I think you've really put your finger on something, because that is exactly right. This book is a page turner, like you want to find out what happens. You want to be with the characters you want to it's a hang and it's like, like, I read something recently where, um, in the middle, you, I found myself sort of, I was still reading it because it was a good hang, but in the middle I was just kind of, like, I forget why we're here. I forget what I'm wondering. You're not really wondering anything, but I like it, so I'll keep this. Your book was not like that at all. This is a fantastic hang but you're right. It never, it's not... that's exactly right. It's not, it's not anxiety producing. And I think that's its own vibe. Like you can have romances that are fun and they're good, but they actually, you do have anxiety around, you know, like, how the characters are going to pull themselves out of this, or how they're going to feel or, yeah, and you can have them or you don't. I like that as, like, a sort of a line in the sand.Karen DukessYeah, yeah. And then I kind of thought about it as I continued, like, yeah, okay, that's right. We're not going to go to like, the really unsettling places.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah. I mean, even if you really want to know what would what will happen, and you really want, like, the things that happen to turn out in satisfying ways, but it doesn't feel like, if they turn out in some like, there were a variety of available options, none of which felt horrible.Karen DukessYeah, exactly.KJ Dell'AntoniaThank you for that. Thank you for a lovely reading experience. So, what else did you take away? Like, what else did you change between the drafting of the book that does not end up being published, which you know, for all we know, is actually great, but the timing was really bad. What should you change?Karen DukessWhat changed for me... in writing?KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, what are you changing? Did you change anything in your process?Karen DukessUm, I think I, I don't know if it was completely because of the experience with this book, but definitely it fed into it. Um, I worked with the same writing coach on the Russia book, and she keeps saying that book will be published someday. I'm like, yeah, maybe, maybe not. I don't really care, honestly at this point, but one thing that she really pushed on me, which I discovered in the writing of murder week, was really true, is that to be open and playful and just really to be creative, I needed that. I needed to be in the right mindset, like, I know your thing is always butt in chair, butt in chair. And it is true, you have to, you know, you have to push yourself to finish a novel. It's not easy. And there are times when you just have to push forward. But for me, in the drafting of it, like the butt in chair thing, for me, is more important in the revising and the final draft, when it's like, you've got to get through it, and you've just got to keep sitting there and doing it. But when I'm in this sort of creating stage, when I'm not sure what the story is, when I'm in those moods where I'm just like, sit down and work at this like, I don't write good stuff. I just don't. And she would sometimes say to me, like, if I would talk to her, and I was really angsty and I was really self-critical, or I don't like what I've written, or I don't know where I'm going with this, or whatever , she was really she would very much say, like, when you're in that kind of mood, just walk away. Don't sit at your computer. Like, that is not the time for butt in chair. That is the time for just go do something else and like, lighten up on yourself. And that was really true for this. And I'm trying to remind myself that as I work on the next novel that you know for me, being kind to myself and feeling playful and open is when I'm going to write the best stuff and surprise myself. And that applies whether I'm writing like a serious scene or a funny scene. And the tricky thing about it is, you know, it's always a little scary to write, so it's like, Am I walking away because I need to lighten up my mind, or am I just plain procrastinating?KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, or am I walking away because I just don't know how to...Karen DukessSo, I think that is something though, that I do feel like I write better from a free place than from a sort of, like, grim, determined place.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, that makes sense.Karen DukessI think I was learning that and trying to learn that when I was writing the Russia novel, but it really came true with this one, which is why I think I was able to write it quicker, because it's actually, you know, the weaving together of the fake murder mystery and the real mystery and the arcs of all the different characters. Like, it wasn't simple putting all together, but yet it was simpler for me to write, because I was just looser about it.KJ Dell'AntoniaRight. I think you learned to trust that you would finish this, even if you didn't finish it today.Karen DukessYeah.KJ Dell'AntoniaDoes that make sense?Karen DukessYeah.KJ Dell'AntoniaI, yeah.Karen DukessAnd I just think, like, trusting the process is so important, you know. And I talk about this with friends in my writing group, you know, sometimes when you're like, working so hard to figure it out, because it feels good to figure the novel out before you write it, because then you don't have the anxiety of, what if I don't figure it out? But it doesn't always work best that way. I don't think, like, I think there are times for that, and there are times to just, like, just keep going and like, let it go a little and let some interesting things happen, and then you'll figure out how to put it all together for me anyway. But obviously I'm not a plotter kind of person, so...KJ Dell'AntoniaI think, yeah, I think that varies. But what's what I'm really hearing here is that, like, even you knew, okay, if I don't, maybe I don't sit down today. That doesn't mean I'm never sitting again, down again. And I think that is, that's part of what I struggle with in my like 1000 words a day. Just, just keep doing it time. And I, and I think I, too, have come around to the idea that I'm going to finish it like...Karen DukessYeah.KJ Dell'AntoniaI'm not. I'm not suddenly, you know, just because I only got to 700 words today, that doesn't mean tomorrow I'm going to be like, yeah, I'm not a writer anymore. Oops!Karen Dukess Yeah, exactly. Well, I think, and I think I've learned that, like, I can't tell you how many times, I mean, I've listened to your podcast forever, and, like, years ago, I would listen to it, and I would be like, Yes, I'm going to do the stickers, or, Yes, I'm going to do 500 words a day, or, Yes, I'm going to text a friend or you know, none of that stuff. I could never sustain it.KJ Dell'AntoniaIt doesn't work for you.Karen DukessI have no routine; I have no methods. But what I've learned now is like, but I get books done, so it's okay, like, yeah, I will sometimes go a couple days where I don't write, or I will, you know, think I'm on a routine of 500 or 1000 words a day for a while, and then I'm not, and that's okay, because it's just like, I know that I can still get them done in my crazy way.KJ Dell'AntoniaThat is what we have tried to start saying more often, is, listen, this doesn't work for everybody. If you're doing something different and you're getting the work done, then you're great, yeah, if you're doing something different and you're not finishing things, then maybe try this.Karen DukessYeah, well I remember, like, when I was working on The Last Book Party, right before I got kind of serious on it, I was in a writing group, and I was starting, then I was like, I was learning in the writing group through, finally being in a community with other writers. So, like everybody struggles. Published writers struggle. Really great writers struggle like and that, and I loved reading interviews with writers like I couldn't get enough of interviews and essays about writer's struggles, because I had to, like, keep convincing myself that like, my struggles didn't mean I wasn't a writer. But then there was one point where I remember making a rule for myself. And I was like; I am not allowed to read about writing if I haven't written that day. You know, spend a lot of time...KJ Dell'AntoniaYes.Karen DukessWorking on your novel, but what you're actually doing is like, reading about writing and reading interviews and listening to podcasts. So, it's like, I cannot listen to KJ's podcast until I've done some writing. So, I've had to, I have had to make some rules.KJ Dell'Antonia Yeah, well, that's, I mean, that's how you turned yourself into somebody who gets the work done, and now into somebody who has her own like now you have a way people ask you, so what's your process? How did you get this done?Karen DukessI don't think anyone has tried my process, but yeah. And it can be different for every book, I guess, you know?KJ Dell'AntoniaHorrifyingly, I think that it can when you see pointed out, yeah, you that you knew how to write that book, that is so true, and that has been a huge thing for me, is to realize that even after writing a bunch of books, people still struggle, it's still hard, every book is hard. Every book has, I mean, we have a joke among the podcasts, you know, because you get to a point where you're like, okay, I hate this now, and we'll all be right, right-on target,Karen DukessExactly.KJ Dell'AntoniaBaby's developing nicely. Here's our 18-month checklist. Aww and you're crawling, and you hate your book. Yay!Karen DukessYeah, yeah. I don't think the process gets easier, but I think knowing that you can get through it makes it a little easier. Maybe it diminishes the panic a little bit like, you know, you'll figure it out. You'll figure it out.KJ Dell'AntoniaWell, this, I mean, this has been great. I'm sure it's going to be inspirational for everyone. It is inspirational for me, because I also... so I have a book that I worked on for the last year and a half, and I, we didn't, we didn't try to sell it because, because it's not very good.Karen DukessAre you still working on it? Or...KJ Dell'AntoniaIt's leaving, it's living. I make these gestures as though, like, there's like, a blobby object over here that is my, but is my finished, but also not revised and not good uh...Karen DukessI had this theory about books, like, it's the same theory I had with au pairs.KJ Dell'AntoniaOkay.Karen DukessWe had a lot of au pairs when my kids were growing up and I was working out of the home, you know, not writing. And I felt like every time I selected, you know, they would come for a year. One or two of them stayed for two years. But every time I selected a new au pair, it was in reaction to the problems of the other... the previous au pair. So, like, when I had an au pair that was like a horrible driver, so much so that we had to, like, get rid of her. Then I was like, okay, where is it hardest to get a driver's license? Germany. Okay, I'm having a German au pair, you know. Then I had, like, a German au pair who was great, but it was like, she was too, I don't know, whatever if I had an au pair, that was like, two lax, then the next one was like, oh, this person has, like, you know, worked in a boys school. I want that.KJ Dell'AntoniaRight? yeah.Karen DukessAnd I feel like, you know, I wrote Welcome to Murder Week because I had had this tough experience with this Russia novel. Then it was like, I'm going to do something really fun. So, and I don't know that I would have written that if I hadn't needed so badly to have fun. I don't know that I would have said, no, yeah, forget doing something, you know, serious or with some geopolitical things in it. I'm going to write a, you know, a murder week story. I don't know that I would have written it if I could have gone on that vacation and just had a great time and come back and not felt the need.KJ Dell'AntoniaWritten something else.Karen DukessSo, you know, maybe the one that's not working is going to lead you to write the next fabulous thing.KJ Dell'AntoniaWell, I hope I'm already well into... I'm well into something else, but, yeah, it's, you know, you spend a lot of time on something, not everything works. It's one of the reasons this is a terrible job, and you absolutely shouldn't do it unless you know, you can't do anything else,Karen DukessExactly.KJ Dell'AntoniaOr unless you really want to.Karen DukessYeah.KJ Dell'AntoniaThere. That's that. That's really good advice. That's going to make a great bumper sticker. All right. So have you read anything good lately besides Welcome to Murder Week, which, in fact, is what I will be raving about in just a second.Karen DukessUm, yes, I read a book called The Original by Nell Stevens. It out in June. She's a British writer, and it's really good. It's sort of an also kind of genre, blending the way my book is, but it's very different. It's like a gothic novel. It's set in an old house in England in the 1800's and it involves an orphan who's being raised by relatives, and she has an incredible talent for painting forgeries, and she sort of has this secret business in selling forgeries, but it also involves an imposter who returns from abroad in the family, and there's a queer romance in it, and it's totally unlike anything I've read, and very compelling.KJ Dell'AntoniaOof, I love that.Karen DukessIn a really compelling way.KJ Dell'AntoniaAnd by the time people hear that, that this, this will either be out, or like, buy your next week self a present. That sounds great.Karen DukessYeah, it was very... it's very good. It's kind of like a rainy day book. You know?KJ Dell'AntoniaI love that. Well, I already raved about Welcome to Murder Week, but I'm telling you all, it's a real it's a real joy. I want to compare it to things. But there's almost like it's, I'll think of things that I that I want to...Karen DukessIt's hard to compare because it's not a traditional mystery,KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, no, um, I feel like Clare Pooley's books are, and I can't even think of the titles of them, but that, yeah, that is kind of ringing the right bell for me. I don't know who else a little bit of the like the murder, like, if you really thought The Murder of Mr. Wickham was super fun, which I absolutely adored, that is completely different, and yet also it's the same, like, it's the same... I think the vibe we're looking for here is page turner, no anxiety. And I love that. I love that for all of us...in England.Karen Dukess Yes, yeah.KJ Dell'AntoniaSo go grab this one. You're going to enjoy it, all right. Well, thanks so much. This was really fun. Thank you for being so open, and not just, you know, wandering around saying, well, I just it took me six years to write this because it's very good.Karen DukessYeah, I have to say, you know, I think that writers should talk more often about their failures. And by that...KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah.Karen DukessI mean, like novels that they wrote and abandoned, or novels that they wrote and tried to get published and couldn't, because it was only until I wrote this Russian novel and didn't sell it, and I would mention it to people. Then all these writers I knew, and people I knew, you know, would suddenly tell me about their own published novels. And I was like, why did I know about this beforehand? There's no shame in it... you know? It's a tough business. It's a tough business. The writing is tough; the publishing is tough. And now I'm like, oh my god, like so many writers I know have novels that did not get published, and for whatever reason. And I'm sure many of those novels are great novels, and but knowing that you know the journey of being a writer, just like I don't know a single author who hasn't like lost their editor at some point, you know, their editor leaves. Then they find a new, you know, be assigned to a new editor. That happens everybody, and I realize how many people have novels that did not see the light of day, and it was comforting to know it. So, I think people should be more open about it.KJ Dell'AntoniaI think we just are afraid that, you know, a reader will hear, well, I don't know if she's capable of writing something... that doesn't work, maybe it's not very good, which readers aren't listening to anything. They can barely remember our names. They just know if the book sounded good and someone pressed it into their hands.Karen DukessYeah, had a great cover.KJ Dell'AntoniaYeah, had a great cover. Yeah, all, all of the things, and it's just, it's, it's just a little scary to admit, because I guess one of the scary things about it, of course, admitting that that has happened means it could happen again. And hey It could! Oh well.Karen DukessYeah, but I've survived it. So...KJ Dell'AntoniaYou've survived it, you would survive it again. And also, it didn't happen this time. Welcome to Murder Week is great, and everyone is going to be sitting with it by the pool looking very happy. This is my wish for you. All right?Karen DukessThank you. Thanks so much KJ.KJ Dell'AntoniaOh, thank you. Hey, anywhere people should follow you? Oh, you have a Substack. What is it? I love it!Karen DukessI have a Substack. I mean, I think on Substack you can find it by my name Karen Dukess, it's, I don't know... it's called, “Keep Calm and Carry On”, but I think you can just look me up by name on Substack, and I am on Instagram more often at Karen Dukess, as I post about books that I'm reading all the time. Obviously, there'll be a lot of quarter week stuff, but I try to, you know, I'm reading eclectically and all the time. So, I'm always posting about books. Those are probably the best places to find me. And I have my website with all my events on it.KJ Dell'AntoniaIt'll be linked. It'll be linked.Karen DukessGreat.KJ Dell'AntoniaHopefully I can get to something... all right. Well, thank you so much. And all you listeners out there, I mean, you know you do you, but in some way, keep your butt in the chair, hey and or your head in the game.Jess LaheyThe Hashtag AmWriting podcast is produced by Andrew perilla. Our intro music, aptly titled Unemployed Monday was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output, because everyone deserves to be paid for their work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Men's mental health June is Mens mental health month, and we have some voice notes, tips and insights from 4 of our Sober Coaches, who trained with me, Tony Worsdall, Richard Fox, Paul Briley and Nigel Harpley Watch this space we will be announcing another series of the free Sober Men Talking webinars too.Interested in training to be a sober coach? If you missed our webinar on What does it mean to be a sober coach, dm or email and you can listen to the audio recording Its the 10th annual Platinum Awards to recognise the best in natural and organic products and one of our sponsors is Noughty AF, Janey chats to Amanda Thomson about alcohol free fizz and its rise to success.Connection is key Join us for a very special recording of the Alcohol Free Life podcast live at Club Soda Wed 18 June, my special guests are Clare Pooley and The Sober Socialites You can come on your own! Try some amazing AF drinks and meet like minded people July 2nd Penzance literary festival https://www.thesoberclub.com/events/Newto Sobriety? Sober Curious?Check out The Sober Club, for low cost support, accountability, inspiration, connection and a whole host ofcontent on holistic living. Membership includes and online course Get the Buzz without the Booze, our private non judgemental community online and regular zoom meetings, plus a whole library of exclusive wellbeing contentIf you want to support the work goto www.buymeacoffee.com/janeyleegraceThank you for listening! Please share, rate and reviewIf you're struggling, always reach out, tell someone you're doing this! @janeyleegrace Ditched the Booze and want to inspire others? Janey offers holistic sober coach training, our next course starts October 18-19, email Janey for a chat to see if its right for you – janey at janeyleegrace.com Supplements for recoveryThe BEST Magnesium blend ever is the blend from Clive – if you use this ⁠⁠link ⁠⁠for everything you buy, a bit goes into ourSober Club giveback fund If you can afford it, also get Vit D3, Amino Acids and Iodine (if you're menopausal) Check out my new Substack, you can be a free subscriber or paid for some juicy extras Sobriety Rocks…& The Woo WorksFollow Janey on social media@janeyleegrace  

June is Men's mental health month, so there is another chance to hear the first interview I did with Sam Delaney author of Mental Health without all the b**llocks and Sortyour s**t out.Join us in The Sober Club for inspiration, and connection.Thought about training to be a sober coach?If you missed our webinar on What does it mean to be a sober coach, dm or email and you can listen to the audio recording Connection is key Join us for a very special recording of the Alcohol Free Life podcast live at Club Soda Wed 18 June, myspecial guests are Clare Pooley and The Sober Socialites You can come on your own! Try some amazing AF drinks and meet like minded people July 2nd Penzance literary festival https://www.thesoberclub.com/events/New to Sobriety? Sober Curious?Check out The Sober Club, for low cost support, accountability, inspiration, connection and a whole host ofcontent on holistic living. Membership includes and online course Get the Buzz without the Booze, our private non judgemental community online and regularzoom meetings, plus a whole library of exclusive wellbeing contentIf you want to support the work goto www.buymeacoffee.com/janeyleegraceThank you for listening! Please share, rate and reviewIf you're struggling, always reach out, tell someone you're doing this! @janeyleegrace Ditched the Booze and want to inspire others? Janey offers holistic sober coach training, our next course starts October 18-19, email Janey for a chat to see if its right for you – janey at janeyleegrace.com Supplements for recoveryThe BEST Magnesium blend ever is the blend from Clive – if you use this ⁠⁠link for everything you buy, a bit goes into ourSober Club giveback fund If you can afford it, also get Vit D3, Amino Acids and Iodine (if you're menopausal) Check out my new Substack, you can be a free subscriber or paid for some juicy extras Sobriety Rocks…& TheWoo WorksFollow Janey on social media@janeyleegrace  

Nutrition basics in sobrietyJaney chats to The Medicinal Chef Dale Pinnock on the basics of nutrition, its good to be reminded!Buy Theanine here https://amzn.to/4jw2H8hBuy the Magnesium blend I recommend, plus Vit D, Vit C and if you're menopausal consider iodine https://clivedecarle.ositracker.com/315625/11489Thought about training to be a sober coach?If you missed our webinar on What does it mean to be a sober coach, dm or email and you can listen to the audio recording Connection is key Join us for a very special recording of the Alcohol Free Life podcast live at Club Soda Wed 18 June, myspecial guests are Clare Pooley and The Sober Socialites You can come on your own! Try some amazing AF drinks and meet like minded people Tues 24 June The No Booze SupperClub at Lussmanns St Albans (the best restaurant in Herts)July 2nd Penzance literary festival https://www.thesoberclub.com/events/New to Sobriety? Sober Curious?Check out The Sober Club, for low cost support, accountability, inspiration, connection and a whole host ofcontent on holistic living. Membership includes and online course Get the Buzz without the Booze, our private non judgemental community online and regularzoom meetings, plus a whole library of exclusive wellbeing contentIf you want to support the work goto www.buymeacoffee.com/janeyleegraceThank you for listening! Please share, rate and reviewIf you're struggling, always reachout, tell someone you're doing this! @janeyleegrace Ditched the Booze and want to inspire others? Janey offers holistic sober coach training, our next course starts October 18-19, email Janey for a chat to see if its right for you – janey at janeyleegrace.com Supplements for recoveryThe BEST Magnesium blend ever is the blend from Clive – if you use this ⁠⁠link for everything you buy, a bit goes into ourSober Club giveback fund If you can afford it, also get Vit D3, Amino Acids and Iodine (if you're menopausal) Check out my new Substack, youcan be a free subscriber or paid for some juicy extras Sobriety Rocks…& TheWoo WorksFollow Janey on social media@janeyleegrace  

Janey chats to Patrick Fox on the challenges facing men who are quitting alcohol  Patrick is a life coach and hosts The Alcohol Rethink podcast https://www.patrickjfox.com/Thought about training to be a sober coach?If you missed our webinar on What does it mean to be a sober coach, dm or email and you can listen to the audio recording Connection is key Join us for a very special recording of the Alcohol Free Life podcast live at Club Soda Wed 18 June, my special guests are Clare Pooley and The Sober Socialites You can come on your own! Try some amazing AF drinks and meet like minded people Tues 24 June The No Booze Supper Club at Lussmanns St Albans (the best restaurant in Herts)July 2nd Penzance literary festival New to Sobriety? Sober Curious?Check out The Sober Club, for low cost support, accountability, inspiration, connection and a whole host ofcontent on holistic living. Membership includes and online course Get the Buzz without the Booze, our private non judgemental community online and regularzoom meetings, plus a whole library of exclusive wellbeing contentIf you want to support the work go to www.buymeacoffee.com/janeyleegraceThank you for listening! Please share, rate and reviewIf you're struggling, always reach out, tell someone you're doing this! @janeyleegrace Ditched the Booze and want to inspire others? Janey offers holistic sober coach training, our next course starts October 18-19, email Janey for a chat to see if its right for you – janey at janeyleegrace.com Supplements for recoveryThe BEST Magnesium blend ever is the blend from Clive – if you use this ⁠⁠link ⁠⁠for everything you buy, a bit goes into ourSober Club giveback fund If you can afford it, also get Vit D3, Amino Acids and Iodine (if you're menopausal) Use this link for everything: ⁠?https://clivedecarle.ositracker.com/315625/11489?⁠ Check out my new Substack, you can be a free subscriber or paid for some juicy extras Sobriety Rocks…& TheWoo WorksFollow Janey on social media@janeyleegrace  

LISTEN NOW Apple ⁠podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reeding-between-the-lines/id1744436935⁠ Instagram⁠ instagram.com/reedingpod⁠ Free Book Tracker⁠ reeding-between-the-lines.kit.com/tracker⁠ Spotify⁠ open.spotify.com/show/5Tslw66002aTNMINx8cSf0 BOOKS: Teller of small fortunes Julie Leong - Nov 2024, puboished by ACE ***Note: at the time of the recording I mention that the main character in this novel experieices cultural adversity. I am further in the book and want to mention that the character experpeicnes acts of rcism and bullying. By no means did I intend to downplay that. Ex Marks The Spot by Gloria Chao - Viking Press Significant Others - by Zoe Eisenberg, MIRA 2/6/24 Bad Publicity Bianca Gillam - Penguin out in us on May 20, 2025 How To Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley, published by Pamela Dorman Books in June 2024 The Feast by Margaret Kennedy, published by Faber and Faber in 1950 " Broken Country " by Clare Leslie Hall, published by Simon and Schuster on March 4, 2025 The Jackal's Mistress, written by Chris Bahjalian and published by Doubleday on March 11, 2025 Penitence, a debut novel by Kristen Kovacs, published by Celedon on January 28, 2025

Have you ever been in a daily commute, or in a class, and sat next to the same people day in and day out, and not known one thing about them? Not their names, not their jobs, and certainly not their lives. You give them nicknames in your head attributed to what they wear and what they drink, but you have no idea who they are. Of course, you never speak. The first rule is “don't talk to strangers.” What would it take to get to know these people, and in turn to let them into your life?

Brea and Mallory tick off a box on the 2025 Reading Glasses Challenge: read the book that's been on your TBR the longest! Plus, they solve a TBR problem, and recommend books for grandmas. Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!Reading Glasses MerchRecommendations StoreSponsors -Pair Eyewearwww.paireyewear.comCODE: GLASSESLumi Gummieswww.lumigummies.comCODE: GLASSESLinks -Reading Glasses Facebook GroupReading Glasses Goodreads GroupAmazon Wish ListNewsletterLibro.fmTo join our Slack channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership!Mallory's Daughter of Daring Events!Books Mentioned - Priest by Sierra SimoneVantage Point by Sara SligarFalling Angel by William HjortsbergThe Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo, translated by Louise Heal KawaiDial A for Aunties by Jesse Q SutantoHow to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley

KPL Podcast presents Clare Pooley and her latest novel, How to Age Disgracefully.  When the town council decides to sell the beloved community center, a group of seniors band together to save the center.  The novel is cleaver and laugh-out-loud funny.  Listen to learn more.Author readsThe Wedding People by Allison EspachMargot's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

Learn more about Mishkin Fitzgerald and her projects: Lead Singer of CRIMSON VEIL on the major label Reigning Phoenix Bass Player in Hana Piranha https://www.notsaints.co.uk/ https://reigningphoenixmusic.com/news/crimson-veil-release-debut-album-hex-tomorrow-launch-title-track-music-video   Recovery literature (quit-lit) recommendations: Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol by Holly Whitaker - https://a.co/d/bFoLFcl The Sober Diaries: How one woman stopped drinking and started living by Clare Pooley - https://a.co/d/1AwB4qt   Best Piece of Recovery Advice: Forgive yourself   Song that symbolizes Recovery to Mishkin: Eleventh Hour by Lamb of God - https://youtu.be/beltaLLilj4   Charlie's guilty Christian Rock Song: Flood by Jars of Clay - https://youtu.be/EfAhpX_wIBk   Don't forget to check out “The Way Out Playlist” available only on Spotify. Curated by all our wonderful guests on the podcast! https://open.spotify.com?episode/07lvzwUq1L6VQGnZuH6OLz?si=3eyd3PxVRWCKz4pTurLcmA (c) 2015 - 2024 The Way Out Podcast | All Rights Reserved Theme Music: “all clear” (https://ketsa.uk/browse-music/) by Ketsa(https://ketsa.uk) licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd)

Get ready for a heartwarming and hilarious send-off to Season 2! Today I'm delighted to be joined by the incredible Clare Pooley, author of the bestselling How to Age Disgracefully.Interview Highlights:Inspiration Behind the Novel: Discover what sparked Clare's idea for How to Age Disgracefully.Flawed Characters: Explore Clare's love for writing flawed characters.Real-Life Inspirations: Hear about Clare's connections to Bridget Jones and Thelma & Louise, and how these iconic characters influenced her.Five Books That Shaped Her Life: Discover the literary influences that have shaped Clare's writing journey, from classic Austen to contemporary favourites.Book List:Emma by Jane AustenBridget Jones's Diary by Helen FieldingRachel's Holiday by Marian KeyesOne Day by David NichollsTales of the City by Armistead MaupinThat's a wrap on Season 2 of Best Book Forward! We've had an incredible time exploring the literary world with our amazing guests. Thank you to Catherine Newman, Nikki May, Marianne Cronin, Susan Fletcher, Josie Fletcher, and Clare Pooley for sharing their insights and passion for books.Stay tuned for exciting news about Season 3! Follow me on Instagram @bestbookforward for updates and behind-the-scenes glimpses.See you soon, bookworms

We explore the transformative journey from alcohol dependence to living an authentic and empowered life with our inspiring guest, Clare Pooley. Well-known in ‘Quit Lit' circles for her best-selling book The Sober Diaries, Clare reflects on her personal journey with alcohol, the emotional rollercoaster of early sobriety, and how writing became her lifeline and therapeutic tool. Host Anna Donaghey leads this heartfelt conversation, celebrating Clare's bravery, resilience, and her journey to authenticity.Tune in as we explore Clare's pivotal decision to quit drinking, the impact of sobriety on her family, and the importance of vulnerability in fostering genuine human connections. Clare shares the highs and lows of her first year sober, the healing power of writing, and the remarkable way her story has inspired countless others on their paths to recovery. This episode offers insights and heartfelt moments that you won't want to miss.Here are the highlights:05:08 Published The Sober Diaries, which inspired worldwide readers.07:39 Most memoirs by men; questions remained unanswered.10:36 Morning drinking crossed a line.16:31 Journal for yourself to clarify personal struggles.18:53 Mindfulness redirects focus, writing can provide a mental escape.21:51 Journaling helps express suppressed emotions, unlike drinking.25:24 Realised pseudonym and anonymity was unnecessary, after a mum friend guessed she was the author of the blog.38:04 Connection with diverse people combats addiction effectively.41:48 Quitting drinking builds bravery and emotional resilience.44:11 Authenticity means not everyone will agree.If you're loving the podcast and would like to give Anna a warm, fuzzy feeling of appreciation, then you can buy her a coffee:https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do. Connect with Anna:Website: thebeliefscoach.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout Clare Pooley:Clare Pooley is a best-selling, award-winning author, a Speaker and Blogger.Back in 2015, realising that her ‘wine o'clock' habit had spiralled out of control, Clare started writing a blog, ‘Mummy was a Secret Drinker', which has had nearly three million hits. Her memoir, The Sober Diaries was published in 2017 to critical acclaim. Clare's debut novel - The Authenticity Project, was inspired by her own experience of exposing the rather grubby truth about her own seemingly perfect life. It's published in thirty-two languages, was a Radio 2 Book Club pick, winner of the RNA Debut Novel Award and a New York Times bestseller. Her second novel - The People on Platform 5 (titled Iona Iverson's...

Jen and New York Times best-selling author, Phaedra Patrick, discuss “The Little Italian Hotel” and how finding a way through heartache can look wildly different from one person to the next.  Phaedra was a self-taught writer who almost gave up on her dream before she had a breakthrough with her runaway hit, “The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper.” In her darkest moments she always reminds herself, “When I don't feel confident, I just tell myself that I can always feel determined instead.” With that boldness in mind, she writes novels to make people feel good about themselves and want to connect with others.  Particularly compelling moments between Jen and Phaedra include: Phaedra's incredible story of teaching herself to write and dealing with rejection in the beginning of her career The author's insights on the challenges women face on putting themselves first Phaedra's reasoning on the open ending of the book Why connecting with others in warm and gentle spaces can lead to healing * * * Thought-Provoking Quotes: “When I don't feel confident, I just tell myself that I can always feel determined instead.” - Phaedra Patrick Resources and Books Mentioned in This Episode: The Little Italian Hotel by Phaedra Patrick - https://bit.ly/4fJ92fJ The Year of What If by Phaedra Patrick - https://bit.ly/4drmseX Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone by Phaedra Patrick - https://bit.ly/3X3ugOr The Curious Charms Of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick - https://bit.ly/3WIQWSw Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen - https://bit.ly/3YKUsyA The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley - https://bit.ly/4fC6XT7 The Love of My After Life by Kirsty Greenwood - https://bit.ly/46SffSQ Phaedra's Writing Tips - https://www.phaedra-patrick.com/writing-tips Guest's Links: Phaedra's Website - https://www.phaedra-patrick.com/ Phaedra's Instagram - http://instagram.com/phaedrapatrick Phaedra's Twitter - http://twitter.com/phaedrapatrick Phaedra's Facebook - http://facebook.com/phaedrapatrick Connect with Jen! Jen's website - https://jenhatmaker.com/ Jen's Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker Jen's Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/ Jen's Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker Jen's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker The For the Love Podcast is a production of Four Eyes Media, presented by Audacy.  Four Eyes Media: https://www.iiiimedia.com/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pippa speaks to author, Clare Pooley, the best-selling author of The Sober Diaries, The Authenticity Project, and The People on Platform 5.  Her new novel is How to Age Disgracefully and this time she addresses the issue of age-related invisibility.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

British novelist Clare Pooley joins Zibby to discuss HOW TO AGE DISGRACEFULLY, an utterly hysterical, quirky, and reassuringly wise novel that centers around Lydia, a menopausal woman and empty-nester who is lonely and suspects her husband is having an affair… so she decides to help out at a senior citizen social club. She finds herself surrounded by very eclectic and mischievous seniors who, after an accident, must band together to save their community hall. Clare delves into her journey with sobriety and breast cancer and shares how an anonymous blog eventually led to a successful writing career. She also shares her perspectives on aging, highlighting the power of living every moment to the fullest, regardless of age. Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3WNFMvJShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens! Now there's more! Subscribe to Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books on Acast+ and get ad-free episodes. https://plus.acast.com/s/moms-dont-have-time-to-read-books. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 44 - A chance to hear a chat with best selling author and sober hero Clare Pooley live from Club Soda Alcohol Free Bar. Disclaimer: Please note that all information and content on the UK Health Radio Network, all its radio broadcasts and podcasts are provided by the authors, producers, presenters and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge. As a service to our listeners/readers our programs/content are for general information and entertainment only.  The UK Health Radio Network does not recommend, endorse, or object to the views, products or topics expressed or discussed by show hosts or their guests, authors and interviewees.  We suggest you always consult with your own professional – personal, medical, financial or legal advisor. So please do not delay or disregard any professional – personal, medical, financial or legal advice received due to something you have heard or read on the UK Health Radio Network.

Welcome to the Saturday July 13, 2024 edition of the Richard Crouse. On this episode we'll meet New York Times bestselling author of The Authenticity Project, Clare Pooley. After working in advertising for twenty years it dawned on her that her daily ‘wine o'clock' habit was out of control. She wrote the popular "Mummy was a Secret Drinker" blog and a memoir, "The Sober Diaries," published in 2017 to critical acclaim. Her latest book is “How to Age Disgracefully,” the story of a senior citizen with a shady past who bands together with her friends to save their beloved community center from closure by any means necessary. Then, we'll meet Larry Gaudet, an award-winning novelist and writer of imaginative non-fiction. His corporate work over 25+ years spans branding, disinformation analysis, venture financing, IPOs, speechwriting, investor relations, and marketing strategy. The sum total of his experience is captured in his latest book, a novel called Eris, in which an anarchist online group sets out to assassinate the corporate elites they believe have turned culture into a digital nightmare.  

Welcome to the Saturday July 13, 2024 edition of the Richard Crouse. On this episode we'll meet New York Times bestselling author of The Authenticity Project, Clare Pooley. After working in advertising for twenty years it dawned on her that her daily ‘wine o'clock' habit was out of control. She wrote the popular "Mummy was a Secret Drinker" blog and a memoir, "The Sober Diaries," published in 2017 to critical acclaim. Her latest book is “How to Age Disgracefully,” the story of a senior citizen with a shady past who bands together with her friends to save their beloved community center from closure by any means necessary. Then, we'll meet Larry Gaudet, an award-winning novelist and writer of imaginative non-fiction. His corporate work over 25+ years spans branding, disinformation analysis, venture financing, IPOs, speechwriting, investor relations, and marketing strategy. The sum total of his experience is captured in his latest book, a novel called Eris, in which an anarchist online group sets out to assassinate the corporate elites they believe have turned culture into a digital nightmare.

Janey shares some info about upcoming events including Family Constellations on Sun 21 July in Herts and then there is a chance to hear the live recording from the Sober Club meet up in London on 2 July  https://www.thesoberclub.com/events/ Janey's special guest was Clare Pooley whose first book The Sober Diaries was the catalyst for Janey to ditch the booze. They talk about the struggles and the benefits of sobriety, and just how cathartic writing can be.  For Clare it became a profession and her 3 novels are fantastic! The Authenticity Project, The People on Platform Five and How to Age disgracefully Grab the books here  https://amzn.to/4eScfsW Join The Sober Club for connection, support and cheer leading, plus masses of exclusive content www.thesoberclub.com Follow Janey on social media @janeyleegrace #sobrietyrocks #sobercurious #keeptheritual

Send me a text messageHave you ever considered that aging could be the most exciting part of your life?  In Clare Pooley's How to Age Disgracefully, we meet Daphne, a 70-year-old woman who steps out of 15 years of isolation and joins a senior citizens club, uncovering friendship, love, and a mission to save their community center.  So, in this novel, you can expect themes of aging, community, and an exploration of the complexities of life.BOOK:Get a copy of How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley on Amazon or Bookshop.   SHOW NOTES & BOOKLIST:Find the episode show notes and a list of all the books mentioned here.MORE RESOURCES:Visit bibliolifestyle.com for more information and resources to help you in your reading journey.JOIN THE COMMUNITY:Join the BiblioLifestyle Community & the Bring Your Own Book (BYOB) Club for a fun, online book club experience!  Come and share books you've read, get inspiration for what to read next, make friends, and encourage each other along the way.  Learn more and join the community: bibliolifestyle.com/community.THE BIBLIOLIFESTYLE 2024 SUMMER READING GUIDEGet ready for an epic summer reading season! Download your free copy of The 2024 Summer Reading Guide when you visit thesummerreadingguide.com. This year's guide has forty-five new books organized across eight categories, plus recipes, activities, lifestyle tips, and more. So download your free copy and discover your next favorite book!

Janey shares some thoughts on resilience, and just how wonderful it is to be able to come back to balance rather than being 'buffeted' around when you're drinking. Janey was a guest on the Alcohol Tipping Point podcast and this week the favour is returned. Deb Masner is the founder of the Alcohol Tipping Point - a place to find free resources, tools, and tips to help you change your drinking. She's a Registered Nurse, Certified Health and Wellness Coach, SMART Recovery Facilitator, Mindfulness Instructor, Podcast Host, and Alcohol-Free Badass.  Website:  https://www.alcoholtippingpoint.com/  Podcast: https://www.alcoholtippingpoint.com/podcast   EVENTS - Connection is key! Join us for our meet up on July 2nd with special guest Clare Pooley in London Sunday July 21st is Family Constellations in Herts Before that, if you've become curious about what it means to inspire others, join our free webinar What does it mean to be a sober coach Wed 19 June 7.30pm All events here https://www.thesoberclub.com/events/ Follow Janey on social media @janeyleegrace Join The Sober Club www.thesoberclub.com For accountability, inspiration, support, connection

In this interview, I chat with Clare Pooley about How to Age Disgracefully, including a memorable dog in this book, how readers do not like dogs to die in books, Iona Iverson's various covers and titles, the easiest and hardest characters to write in this one, her research into gang behavior, and much more. Clare's recommended reads are: Weyward by Emilia Hart You Are Here by David Nicholls Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my Summer Reading Guide Preview or my complete printable 12-page 2024 Summer Reading Guide with 45 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer. Want to know which new titles are publishing in May - October of 2024? Check out our second Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead. Join my Patreon group to support the podcast.  Other ways to support the podcast can be found here.     How to Age Disgracefully can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.      Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Clare Pooley (Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting, The Authenticity Project) joins Daniel Ford on the show to chat about her new book How to Age Disgracefully, out today from Pamela Dorman Books. To learn more about Clare Pooley, visit her official website. Writer's Bone is proudly sponsored by Chelsea Devantez and her upcoming book I Shouldn't Be Telling You This: (But I'm Going to Anyway), Libro.fm, and Everyday Shakespeare.

My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is Jennifer Manocherian, author of the book Alpha Bette.  Alpha Bette is Jennifer's first novel. She put much of her personal and professional life experience into writing it, having been a family therapist, divorce mediator, Broadway and Off-Broadway producer, musical book writer, screenwriter & producer, and screenwriting teacher. She co-wrote and produced the films Family Blues and Boundary Waters (in production) as well as wrote the book of two musicals that are streaming online: Marry Harry, a full-length musical, and Cockroaches & Cologne, a short musical. She is a proud board member of New York Stage and Film, The Peace Studio, and 18by Vote. She is married with five children and many grandchildren—great source material! In my book review, I stated Alpha Bette is a contemporary fiction told from the viewpoint of several characters who revolve around the matriarch Bette Gartner. At ninety-five, Bette has lost her husband, most of her friends, and even her granddaughter. She has to rely on help from her housekeeper and night nurse after a fall that left her reliant on her wheelchair. One morning, after what she is sure is a sign from her dead husband, Bette orchestrates a dinner party. The entire story takes place in one day giving readers a glimpse into the past and present of Bette and those around her: housekeeper, aide, two neighbors, daughter and son-in-law, great-granddaughter, and what Bette hopes to be her eventual great-grandson-in-law. Throw in a cremated parrot, political prisoners, a spoiled puppy, a cancer scare, and a medium who Bette believes can speak to her husband, George, and you have a dinner party you'll never forget. This book reminds me a bit of My Grandmother Told Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman and The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley. I think it is because we get into the heads of so many characters and see how they touch one another's lives. ​Jennifer states that people either love or hate the ending. I'm in the love category, but that may be because I saw it coming! This is another must-read. You can follow Author Jennifer Manocherian: Website: https://jennifermanocherian.net/ FB: @ jmanocherian IG: @jennifermanocherian LinkedIn: @jennifer-manocherian-2421855   Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor IG: @terimbrown_author X: @terimbrown1   #jennifermanocherian #alphabette #contemporary #familyfiction #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview

Ever tried ceremonial cacao? Janey chats to Liam Browne from Full Power Cacao. Liam's mission is to propel people towards Self-realisation and Enlightenment via his alchemy of the Yogic path and the sacred plant medicine Cacao.  His greatest gift of all is his connection to Cacao and the impact his Cacao Ceremonies have on the people who attend. He has been holding his epic Cacao Ceremonies since 2012 after meeting the Chocolate Shaman (Keith) in Guatemala. Each year Liam's Ceremonies get more powerful, more expansive and impact more people.  After an appearance on Dragons Den last year,  Liam Browne has been instrumental in raising the profile of Ceremonial Grade Cacao in the UK and the magical benefits it possesses. Liam has never been scared of looking at his past scares and traumas which can be read about in his book ‘DEALER TO HEALER'.  Check it out www.fullpowercacao.com Don't forget Janey's events including Family Constellations Sun 16 June, and Tues 2nd July our special meet up with Clare Pooley at Club Soda  Always reach out if you're struggling, follow Janey on social media @janeyleegrace 

Show notes: To paraphrase the band REM, it's the end of the year as we know it! 2023 was an interesting reading year for us and we've loved sharing our reads with you on the show. Today, we're giving you some end of year best book superlatives and we think you might be surprised by some of our picks. Tune in to hear our favorite audiobooks, the books we never want to hear about again, the books that made us laugh and cry, and so much more! We're taking a holiday break after this episode, so we'll be back in your ears in January. Happy Holidays!   Click here to join us on Patreon for exclusive bonus bookish goodies! Get our monthly overflow and new books episodes, our private Facebook group, and more. Plus, supporting us in this way just shows that you love what we do!   Find the time stamped show notes below with links to all of the fun things we mentioned.   Something Bookish: Become a patron of our show for exclusive bookish goodies!   Take the Team Sarah vs Team Mia quiz   Best Books Superlatives: [10:53] M: The Travel Bog Diaries by Liz Deacle [11:15] S: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano [11:52] S: Shark Heart by Emily Habeck [12:17] M: Pomegranate by Helen Elaine Lee [12:53] M: Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica [13:12] S: The One by John Marrs [13:32] The Memory of Animals by Claire Fuller [14:55] M: A Rip in Heaven by Jeanine Cummins [15:21] The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley [15:36] S: Someday Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli [16:00] In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune [16:36] S: Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson [17:05] M: The Measure by Nikki Erlick [17:53] M: Normal People by Sally Rooney [18:12] Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver [18:56] S: Delicious! by Ruth Reichl [19:38] M: The Possibilities by Yael Goldstein-Love [20:02] S: The Man I Never Met by Elle Cook [20:28] Love Buzz by Neely Tubati Alexander [20:50] S: In Memoriam by Alice Winn [21:26] M: Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia [22:13] M: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree [22:40] S: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano [25:31] M: The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams [25:58] Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton [26:22] S: Off the Hook by Julie Olivia [26:26] Ready or Not by Cara Bastone [26:29] The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams [26:33] The One With the Kiss Cam by Cindy Steel [26:59] S: Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon [27:10] Good For a Girl by Lauren Fleshman [27:33] M: Whalefall by Daniel Kraus [27:52] M: The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel [28:31] S: The Road by Cormac McCarthy [28:49] Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski [30:35] M: The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey and Michaela Angela Davis [30:39] Love, Pamela by Pamela Anderson [31:01] S: Spare by Prince Harry [31:16] The Storyteller by Dave Grohl [31:52] S: Yellowface by RF Kuang [32:09] M: The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro [32:42] M: Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson [32:54] S: The Bromance Book Club series by Lyssa Kay Adams Want our show notes delivered right to your inbox? Join our RTL Substack so that you'll get a link for every single book we mention with no extra work. It's free! Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahhartleyco  Follow Mia on Instagram: @fastlifeinslowlane   * The books noted above contain affiliate links. This means that we may get a small kickback if you purchase through our links, at no additional cost to you.  

Show notes: You know what's better than reading one good book? Reading a pair of good books! Today, we're talking about book pairings that we love and why we think the books go well together. It's fun to read about similar themes or character arcs but from different perspectives. We hope you enjoy our picks!    Click here to join us on Patreon for exclusive bonus bookish goodies! Get our monthly overflow and new books episodes, our newsletter, and more. Plus, supporting us in this way just shows that you love what we do! Find the time stamped show notes below with links to all of the fun things we mentioned.   Something Bookish: [1:59] S: We got rid of our website. Check out the RTL Substack instead. [3:02] M: RTL t-shirt - see them in action here!   Book Pairings We Love: [4:36] S: The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley and No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister [5:39] M: Let Him In by William Friend and Home Before Dark by Riley Sager [6:55] S: Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid and The Daydreams by Laura Hankin (Bonus pairing rec: The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton) [8:37] M: The Troop by Nick Cutter and Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay [9:54] S: The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren and The Arc by Tory Henwood Hoen [11:23] M: The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey and Making a Scene by Constance Wu [13:18] S: The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin and The Door to Door Bookstore by Carston Henn [14:52] M: The Night Swim by Megan Goldin and Know My Name by Chanel Miller  (Bonus pairing rec: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson) [16:38] S: Unprotected by Billy Porter and All Boys Aren't Blue by George Johnson (Also mentioned: Finding Me by Viola Davis) [18:02] M: Elevation by Stephen King and Thinner by Richard Bachman Want our show notes delivered right to your inbox? Join our RTL Substack so that you'll get a link for every single book we mention with no extra work. It's free! Follow RTL on Instagram: @readingthroughlifepod Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahhartleyco  Follow Mia on Instagram: @fastlifeinslowlane   * The books noted above contain affiliate links. This means that we may get a small kickback if you purchase through our links, at no additional cost to you.  

Happy 4th Birthday to The Sober Club, and its the 250th episode of this pod! Join us! https://www.thesoberclub.com/ This is the first ever live podcast recording to celebrate the 250th episode of the Alcohol Free Life podcast from The Sober Club Please forgive the sound quality, but we were live at Club Soda alcohol free bar in London. Janey chats to the first ever podcast guests. Laura Willoughby, founder of Club Soda, and authors and sober heroes William Porter and Clare Pooley.  All three were instrumental in her journey to sobriety. Clares first book was instrumental in my journey!  Buy it here William Porter - Alcohol Explained https://amzn.to/3P1XlEo The theme of the event was Connection, in the words of Johann Hari ‘Connection is the opposite of Addiction' and I've made the most amazing connections since ditching the booze!  Events  Join us for the LAST Sober by the Sea at our sea view venue, Sun Sept 24 We create a vision board, 1-1 lazer coaching is included and a chance to focus on your future.  Sat Oct 14 – Mastermind / Attracting Clients day for coaches and therapists Sun Oct 15 – Family Constellations workshop in Herts with leading trauma expert Rafe Nauen Nov 4-5 Selfcare in Sobriety Champneys retreat Herts TBA Dec 5 Live podcast recoding / xmas meet up  All events https://www.thesoberclub.com/events/

Next week is the 250th episode! There will be a chance to hear our live recording with William Porter, Clare Pooley and Laura Willoughby. Janey shares info about upcoming events including Sober by the Sea Sept 24th A coaches mastermind day October 14 and Family Constellations Sun Oct 24 in Herts Also Champneys Tring Nov 4th All events  SAVE THE DATE, the next live podcast and meet up will be an early Xmas do, with special guests TBA - 5th Dec in London Ahead of that if you can get to Manchester don't miss the AFter Party social event, Janey is speaking there, on Sun 29th Oct Janeys guest this week Andy Blackman shares his story and talks about the event, and the importance of connection Follow Andy @af.ter_party on insta. Buy tickets here Andy is one of the 'sober guys' who host online events, who are part of Janey's Sober 360 Coaching family (If you're interested in Sober Coach training email Janey @janeyleegrace.com) If you're early days, always reach out, support is there, Join us in The Sober Club for accountability, connection and inspiration www.thesoberclub.com Tell someone! You can message Janey @janeyleegrace  Contribute to this work by going to www.buymeacoffee/janeyleegrace 

The guest who's so nice, we've had her on twice! Of course we are talking about one and only Clare Pooley. She's the author who penned the essential quit lit read 'The Sober Diaries' and she's back to share some more AF wisdom with you, our wonderful listeners. In this episode, Clare tells us how once she had shaken off the booze, writing became her new addiction. We talk about how AF life can re-spark passions from our childhood and give us the gift of time to immerse ourselves in them again. Last but not least, she answers the question on all of our lips: will there be a sequel to 'The Sober Diaries'?! You'll have to listen in to find out. For more on Clare, visit her website https://clarepooley.com/. --- Get In Touch: Of course, you can always get in touch with us (publicly or privately) on our socials - @alcoholfreepod on Instagram, or search for "Over The Influence" on Facebook. We'd love to hear your story - please get in touch with us directly at otihq@overtheinfluence.co.uk or go to our website, www.overtheinfluence.co.uk --- The Premium Podcast: If you love OTI and you'd like to hear behind the curtain, subscribe to the OTI Premium Podcast now! --- Links: For links to alcohol-related support services, please visit our website. --- Disclaimer: All views expressed in this podcast are of the participants themselves, and not necessarily those of Over The Influence (OTI) Ltd. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this podcast is done at your own risk. We are not medical professionals but normal people giving their own experiences of removing alcohol from their lives, and as such this podcast should not be considered professional advice. If you are dependent on alcohol, or think you may be, we strongly recommend that you seek professional medical advice. --- Helpful Hashtags: We found hashtags and sober social media accounts really helpful in our early days alcohol free, as following them can help to reinforce that you are not alone! These are some of the hashtags we've followed: #alcoholfree #stopdrinking #healthandwellnessjourney #zeroalcohol #idontdrink #sobercurious #healthydrinking #alcoholfreelife #soberaf #alcoholfreeliving #sobermotivation #podcast #healthpodcast #noalcohol #nobooze #sober #sobercurious #soberlofe #soberliving #sobercommunity #afcommunity #soberwomen #sobermom #sobermomtribe #sobersisters #sobriety #soberuk #soberjourney #sobrietyrocks #overtheinfluence #oti

We talked with:Clare Pooley graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge, before spending nearly 20 years in the heady world of advertising. Clare worked hard, played hard and drank even harder. By the time she was 46 years old she knew she had to go sober. She started a blog called Mummy was a Secret Drinker by way of therapy. That blog went viral and became a memoir: "The Sober Diaries." Clare then started writing fiction. Her debut novel — "The Authenticity Project" — is a New York Times bestseller and is published in 30 languages. Her second novel — "Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting" — is out now.Karen Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., is an associate professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona. She's a medical oncologist and researcher. She focuses on breast cancer, particularly immunotherapy, treatments to reduce risk of breast cancer recurrence and using genomics to guide treatment decisions. She received her M.D. and Ph.D. from Duke University School of Medicine and was trained at the Brigham and Women's Hospital as well as Dana Farber Cancer Institute.We talked about:In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:Am I an alcoholic? Clare spent a lot of time Googling this question until she realized the better question was "Is alcohol proving detrimental to my life?" The word "alcoholic" has so much stigma it prevents people from getting the help they need for fear of such a serious label. Clare kept trying to moderate her drinking, but when she found herself drinking out of a "World's Best Mum" mug before noon, she realized it was time to quit.Breast cancer and alcohol. Alcohol is a carcinogen, and elevates risk of breast cancer as well as other types of cancer. But Clare — as well as many other educated people — have no idea about the link. And it's unclear if alcohol use among survivors increases risk of recurrence.The opposite of addiction is connection. Through her blog, Clare found an online community of people like her who helped support her in her drinking recovery. When she was tempted to start drinking again, she thought, "I can't let these people down." If you're thinking of giving up drinking, you don't have to do it alone! There are many people going through a similar journey.Can't get enough?Purchase "The Sober Diaries: How one woman stopped drinking and started living."From Bookshop.orgFrom AmazonFrom Barnes & NobleWant to read more on the topic? Check out our blog:Alcohol is not your breast's friend: Busting myths about drinking and breast cancerDrinking — It's different for womenHow much is too much alcohol? Go by the numbers, not by feelGot feedback?If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu. We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary. 

On this edition of the Richard Crouse Show we'll meet animator and author Alan Barillaro. He's an Academy Award winner for his work at Pixar and is now an author with the release of a middle-grade novel called “Where The Water Takes Us” is available now wherever fine books are sold. It is a stirring story about a sensitive, shaken young girl who must face that growing up means coming to terms with the things you cannot change--and taking responsibility for the things you can. We'll also get to know Clare Pooley, the Cambridge educated author of "Iona Iverson's Rules For Commuting." After working in advertising for twenty years it dawned on her that her daily ‘wine o'clock' habit was out of control. She wrote the popular "Mummy was a Secret Drinker" blog and a memoir, "The Sober Diaries," published in 2017 to critical acclaim. Her latest novel, "Iona Iverson's Rules For Commuting," is an entertaining book about unexpected friendships and the joy of connecting.

Join Phaedra and Clare, friends and fellow Brits, as they discuss becoming their characters.... and when exactly the magic happens in the writing process. 

On this week's episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: new bookshelves and Bookstores for Bob Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: we are bossing our bookish friends into reading the next three books on their TBRs The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down!  We are now including transcripts of the episode (this link only works on the main site). The goal here is to increase accessibility for our fans! *Please note that all book titles linked below are Bookshop affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. If you'd prefer to shop on Amazon, you can still do so here through our main storefront. Anything you buy there (even your laundry detergent, if you recently got obsessed with switching up your laundry game) kicks a small amount back to us. Thanks for your support!*   . . . . 1:37 - Ad for Ourselves 2:03 - Currently Reading Patreon - just $5 a month! You get the Indie Press List, All Things Murderful, and Trope Thursday along with great community, and you keep the big show ad-free! 5:09 - Bookish Moment of the Week 5:25 - Ikea Billy Bookshelves 5:30 - @bookishbetsie on Instagram 8:22 - Bookstores for Bob Graphic 9:05 - Tag @maryreadsandsips in your shares! 10:35 - Current Reads 10:55 - Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson (Meredith) 12:24 - Richard Osman's books start with The Thursday Murder Club 16:06 - Ana Maria and the Fox by Liana de la Rosa (Kaytee) 18:02 - Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera 20:33 - I Have Some Questions for You By Rebecca Makkai (Meredith) 21:47 - The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai 25:05 - Sarah's Bookshelves Interview with Rebecca 30:06 - Inciting Joy by Ross Gay (Kaytee) 32:02 - David Sedaris 33:36 - The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf (Meredith) 35:06 - We figured it out! This was recommended by Aubree @mnreadingmama 37:38 - Four Treasures of the Sky by Jenny Tinghui Zhang (Kaytee) 37:44 - Cafe Con Libros 40:59 - Boss My TBR 41:06 - Ashley Currin 41:14 - Babel by RF Kuang 41:17 - Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner 41:20 - Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Reybourn 41:23 - Scythe by Neal Schusterman 41:25 - A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab 42:28 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 42:33 - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 45:11 - Caroline Francois 45:17 - Upgrade by Blake Crouch 45:19 - Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro 45:21 - Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley 45:25 - Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi 45:27 - We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Berry 50:53 - Meet Us At The Fountain 51:12 - I wish for everyone to try the Generations Podcast((Meredith) 51:15 - @lonestarwords on Instagram 52:24 - @fictionmatters 53:48 -  I wish for people to rabbit hole via books (Kaytee) 54:10 - The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben 54:13 - The Devil's Teeth by Susan Casey 54:26 - Babel by RF Kuang 54:37 - The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery 54:52 - Zero Fail by Carol Leonnig Connect With Us: Meredith is @meredith.reads on Instagram Kaytee is @notesonbookmarks on Instagram Mary is @maryreadsandsips on Instagram Roxanna is @roxannatheplanner on Instagram currentlyreadingpodcast.com @currentlyreadingpodcast on Instagram currentlyreadingpodcast@gmail.com Support us at patreon.com/currentlyreadingpodcast and www.zazzle.com/store/currentlyreading

  I learned recently that only 10% of podcasters manage to publish more than 100 episodes so today I wanted to mark the fact that the Tribe Sober podcast is still going strong after 150 episodes! Yes it's hard work getting out a weekly episode but it's also been such a pleasure connecting with some fabulous guests and of course getting feedback from listeners all over the world. I've taken a deep dive into our podcast archives and highlighted the top ten most popular episodes At number 10 we have 3 podcasts with 1,700 downloads! 10. The Happy Brain with Loretta Breuning  That was Dr Loretta Breuning – author the Happy Brain.  I always learn a lot from my guests and my conversation with Loretta led me to a personal lightbulb moment which actually changed the advice we give to our community. It's common to experience a low mood in early sobriety – a spell of anhedonia. It certainly happened to me so I discussed this with Loretta She taught me that we don't have to just grit our teeth and get through this difficult patch – there is a way out! A way to trigger our happy chemicals and banish those early sobriety blues It's fascinating stuff so do have a listen to the interview – Tribe Sober podcast episode 55 on Apple podcasts or via this link 10. “Take a Break” Another episode that came in at 10th place with 1,700 listens was the episode called “Take a Break” – 3 Tribe Sober members talking about the benefits of taking a break from the booze. We believe in Challenges here at Tribe Sober - every year we run 2 #Sober66 Challenges as well as our Dry January Fundraiser. On this episode we hear from 3 ladies who did a 66 day Sober Spring - why did they sign up?  what was it like?  what tips do they have?  Have a listen to Claire, Helena and Pam and if you're inspired you can go to tribesober.com and sign up for the next #Sober66 which starts on 20th March Find this episode on Apple podcasts Tribe Sober episode 75 or via this link 10. Rebranding Sobriety with Susan Christina  The third episode at number 10 is my interview with the fabulous Susan Christina from Hola Sober. Susan Christina is on a mission to rebrand sobriety and make alcohol free living as attractive and glamorous as we thought drinking was She's an advocate for the modern recovery movement and wants women to take back their power!  Susan Christina publishes a gorgeous 100 page online magazine call Hola Sober, packed with features and inspiration – I'll put the link in the shownotes https://linktr.ee/holasober The episode with Susan Christina is called Rebranding Sobriety – episode 67 on Apple or via this link  8.  Casey joins up the dots... between drinking and anxiety Next up is an interview with Sobriety Coach Casey Mcguire Davidson with 1,800 downloads Like me Casey was caught in the corporate workhard/playhard culture as well as the mommyjuice trend…using alcohol to cope with stress and anxiety and becoming  more dependent over the years… But somehow we both found our way out of that trap and now we are finding joy in helping people to do the same  We talked about the strong women we come across in our sober communities – and how many of us managed to hold it all together through the drinking years. Once we are liberated from the shackles of alcohol addiction there is no stopping us and we go on to achieve great things.  We agreed that yes Sobriety is definitely a Superpower! Catch Casey on Tribe Sober podcast episode 66 on Apple or via this link 7. Is your Lizard Brain the Boss with Staci Danford Coming in at number 7 is neuroscientist Staci Danford which also has had 1,800 listens Staci is a neuroscientist who loves working with the sober community.  In this episode she shares some really practical and useful information about our brain. Staci explained how our primitive lizard brain will go on autopilot unless we intervene – she calls her Lizard Brain Earl and calls him out if he tries to hijack her behaviour! She confirmed that our #Sober66 Challenge is long enough to create a new neural pathway to change our drinking patterns She also said that the “secret sauce” of our Challenges is the community support Our next #Sober66 Challenge starts on 20th March so just go to tribesober.com and you'll see the sign up box on the homepage You can catch Staci's episode on Apple podcasts, episode 57 or via this link  6.  Why we need to ditch the drink in mid-life with Lori Massicot Next up in our Top Ten is Lori Massicot, also with 1,800 listens. Lori Massicot a midlife sobriety coach. I discovered Lori when I found her podcast – it's called “to 50 and beyond” – it's a podcast aimed at women in mid-life where she highlights the beauty of aging and the freedom that comes along with alcohol free life. I was 63 when I finally ditched the booze so as you can imagine we had a great conversation about how giving up alcohol is one of the best things we can do for ourselves as we get older. Let's remember that 20% of social drinkers WILL become dependent over the years That's exactly what happened to most of our Tribe members who are now busy supporting each other and changing their habits So if you want to improve your health and increase  your happiness just go to tribesober.com and hit join our tribe. Catch Lori's episode on Apple podcasts episode 72 or via this link 5. My Relationship with Alcohol with Eusebius McKaiser  Holding down the number 5 spot with 1800 downloads is South African journalist and broadcaster Eusebius McKaiser He signed up for our Dry January Fundraiser a few years ago and much to his surprise he's maintained his sobriety.  We first met when I was on his radio show reading out my Goodbye to Alcohol Letter.  A goodbye letter is a cathartic and powerful ritual that can help us draw a line under our drinking years.  During our conversation Eusebius shared the benefits he is experiencing and explained how he has substituted different kinds of music for alcohol - to stimulate the right mood when he is writing. You can it via this link or on Apple podcasts episode 29 Eusebius and I also recorded another Tribe Sober podcast episode together – called Busting Sobriety Myths – episode 77 on Apple podcasts or via this link   4.  Why we get hangxiety with William Porter  At number 4 with 2000 downloads is another podcast about anxiety!  – title was “Why we get Hangxiety and my guest was William Porter.    We talked about "hangxiety" and how it's caused by chemical changes in our brain - when it becomes over-sensitised If you drink a bottle of wine every night then your brain will take the first glass as a signal that the rest of the bottle is coming! That's why moderation is so difficult - and it's exhausting as we are thinking about it all the time Dependency happens once we learn (consciously or subsconsciously) that another drink will quell the anxiety caused by the first FAB is responsible for many people falling off the wagon as they think they can now have "just one" - which is not sustainable William also explained that it's a complete myth that alcohol helps you sleep - the truth is that it ruins our sleep! This conversation is on episode 50 on Apple podcasts or you can access it via this link 3.  How I ditched the drink with Clare Pooley  At number 3 we have the fabulous Clare Pooley with 2,100 downloads Clare is the author of “Sober Diaries” and a wonderful example of how your dreams can come true when you ditch the booze.  Her sober blog not only helped her to stay on track but it attracted a publishing deal which led to the sober diaries – she then went on to write two further novels.  Her childhood dream was to be an author and now she is! CLAIRE's TOP TIP - she reconfigured her day - went to bed at 7pm (to avoid evening drinking) and got up at 5am feeling great! As cooking the evening meal was a big temptation for her she cooked it in the morning and heated it up in the evening Her blog - the obstacle course went viral and is essential reading in early sobriety – I'll put the link in the shownotes Clare's key message in her blog is to keep going however hard it gets - stopping and starting is the hardest way and means you are doing the hardest bit – over and over The episode is number 39 in Apple podcasts or via this link  2.  How I quit drinking and started a tribe with Janet Gourand At number 2 is my story with 2,200 downloads I talk about my long struggle with alcohol – how I nearly drowned by passing out in my bath at the age of 25 and carried on drinking How I got breast cancer - and carried on drinking How a "walking, talking blackout" made me (finally) ditch the drink I talk about my quest for sobriety, my failure as an AA member and how I finally got sober.  I share my motivation for founding Tribe Sober and read out my Goodbye to Alcohol Letter. This was the very first episode of the Tribe Sober podcast so is episode one in Apple podcasts – or via this link People often find podcasts by googling key words so the fact that our most popular podcast was called “How to Stop Binge Drinking” would indicate that a lot of people find themselves without an off switch once they start drinking. I certainly fell in that category – a couple of glasses every evening and probably a binge once a week. If you've ever wondered exactly how much you have to drink to constitute a binge you may be surprised to learn that:- Binge drinking is defined as consuming 4 or more drinks on one occasion for women or 5 or more drinks on one occasion for men Australian sobriety coach Kathryn Elliott was a binge drinker 1.  How to Stop Binge Drinking with Kathryn Elliott  Kathryn would be in a cycle – go for it, recover, go for it, recover She didn't really see this as a “problem” even when she started having blackouts at 16 – some blackouts which involved driving If you listen to last weeks Tribe Sober episode with Professor Nutt you can hear him explaining the science behind blackouts – and the fact that blackouts can actually lead to brain damage! She could go for weeks without drinking and challenges like Dry January were easy for her but she would always see these dry periods as permission to binge before and afterwards! As Kathryn looks back on those short periods of abstinence she realises they did nothing to help her understand her binge drinking habit Women need to understand that binge drinking is particularly dangerous as it can take up to a month for our liver to recover from a heavy session. We tend to think that once the hangover has gone we can start drinking again but that just piles more damage on top of the existing damage. Episode 113 on Apple podcasts or access my conversation with Kathryn via this link  So that's our top ten podcast episodes – thank you to our amazing guests and of course to our listeners! More Info Subscription membership – you can join up HERE. To access our website, click HERE. If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com. If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com. to join our mailing list click HERE    Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today Read more about our program and subscribe HERE   Help us to Spread the Word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts. Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober's Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We'll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. You can join our private Facebook group HERE.   PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device) Open the Podcasts app. EASY. Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes). Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it's always good to read your experience).  

Today we are celebrating the 100th episode of the Alcohol Tipping Point podcast. I had a lot of fun and a lot of tears putting together this episode for you. I’m sharing clips from some of my favorite guests. Thank you for listening. If you've been with me from the beginning or you're just starting, I want to thank you so much. I have so much gratitude for you. It is my pleasure and my honor to be part of your journey. And thank you to all the guests who've come on the show, you have made it special. Clips are from the following episodes: Episode 58 Your Someday Can Start Today: Interview with Casey McGuire Davidson Episode 9 Myths and Facts about Rehab and Addiction Episode 59 My Brother Shares How He Quit Drinking Episode 67 How to Get and Stay Sober with Judy Cook Episode 69 From Prison to Purpose with Martin Lockett Episode 65 Talking with Your Kids about Drinking: My daughter is on the show Episode 50 How to Live an Authentic and Sober Life with Clare Pooley

Addiction and alcoholism can take many shapes and forms, yet addicts' experiences can be strikingly similar and, in this episode, Daniel is joined by Clare Pooley, an ex-secret drinker to open up about her experience of alcoholism and sobriety. Clare talks about her viral blog “Mummy was a Secret Drinker”, her background in advertising and how that world fed her addiction, as well as how she has remained sober for over 7 years. Clare also talks about her memoir “The Sober Diaries” and her recent New York Times Bestseller book “The Authenticity Project”. KEY TAKEAWAYS  Clare's blog was a ‘black comedy' about her secret drinking, she didn't expect it to go anywhere but within 2 years she had over 3 million hits. With addiction, it takes more and more over time to get the desired effect. This is why the amount of a substance used can creep up so easily on people. No one told Claire she had a problem with alcohol, she managed to keep her addiction hidden easily. The advertising scene in the 00s was very centred around drinking, it was just how things were done. This certainly impacted Clare's attitudes around alcohol and was habit forming too. There are a lot of little signs that can signal a problem with alcohol, including drinking along frequently, googling about your consumption and any form of self-medicating. Asking yourself if you are an alcoholic or even an addict isn't the right question. What you need to ask yourself is if the alcohol or addiction is impacting your life negatively. Being sober allows you to present in every day, effectively adding years to your life.   BEST MOMENTS  “The thing about addiction is everyone's experience of addiction is similar” “I didn't want to quit drinking, I thought my life would be over” “What you should be asking, is if alcohol messing with my life?”   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Authenticity Project The Sober Diaries CONTACT METHOD Instagram Facebook Twitter   ABOUT THE GUEST Clare Pooley Clare Pooley spent nearly 20 years in the heady world of advertising, working hard, playing hard and drinking harder. In 2015 she realised that her alcohol consumption was out of control and quit drinking. She started writing a blog called Mummy was a Secret Drinker by way of therapy. That blog went viral and became a memoir - The Sober Diaries. Clare then turned to fiction. Her debut novel - The Authenticity Project - was a New York Times bestseller, a Radio 2 Book Club pick, was translated into 30 languages and won the RNA debut novel award. The People on Platform 5 is Clare's second novel. Insta: @clare_pooleyTwitter: @cpooleywriter Clare's TEDx talk Clare's Memoir   ABOUT THE HOST Daniel O'Reilly Daniel O'Reilly is one of the UK's Largest Influencers, a comedian, actor, musician, viral video star and social influencer. With a portfolio of businesses Daniel enjoys a busy lifestyle mixed with business and pleasure. Daniel is a father to two beautiful girls and enjoys spending quality time with them and his wife Shelley. With 2022 being a busy year, Daniel sold out his O2 stand-up show, released his British movie 'The Last Heist'  and is currently preparing for the upcoming release of his other film 'Miss The Kiss'. Daniel is a creative through and through, with a passion to strive in everything he does. Daniel is looking forward to the release of his podcast 'Menace 2 Sobriety' in 2023, his long-term position on GB News, Headliners, and the growing slate of films in the works with his production company, HYPRR.    PODCAST DESCRIPTION   Daniel O'Reilly's newest venture sees the creation of his Menace 2 Sobriety podcast, a series of relaxed and open conversations with different guests and varied experiences.    After recently being diagnosed with severe ADHD and beginning his sobriety again, Daniel also set up a page on Facebook and Instagram called 'Men And Their Emotions' (M.A.T.E) an accessible, open and supportive group for MEN to post their feelings, thoughts and current life issues. Upon seeing the responses from men around the world to some of the posts on the group he was blown away and continues to be touched by the kindness and support offered by strangers. This all led to Daniel wanting to start up his own podcast and invite guests to join him in opening up about past experiences and talk about all things mental health, family & sobriety.    The podcast will see Daniel and his interesting guests' sharing their personal stories and learning experiences that they hope will help other people; whether it encourages one person to ask for help, talk to family about their struggles with getting sober/clean, or realise that they aren't alone. The Menace 2 Sobriety podcast has been created by Daniel to help people fight their own gremlins.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dry January is here! Are you partaking...or maybe finding the challenge a little too, well, challenging? Lucky for all of us, Clare Pooley, author of The Sober Diaries, has joined us just in time for this episode of Sisters Cracking Up. Clare Pooley discovered that her personal journey to sobriety really didn't differ all that much from the hundreds of thousands of people who logged on to read her blog, Mummy was a Secret Drinker, which has had nearly three million hits. The difference for Clare was that she became a beacon of light, love, and support for so many slogging the same, difficult path.  Her memoir, The Sober Diaries, was published in 2017 to critical acclaim. With a delicate mix of humor, encouragement, self-revelation, and hard truths, her book about becoming sober stands out as one that highlights that life after sobriety is one not be afraid of but, rather, to get really excited about. Now eight years sober and healthy, Clare also discusses her breast cancer diagnosis in the midst of her newfound sobriety and how being sober helped her immensely with facing her health challenges. Abby and Julie discuss their addictions to kick off the episode.  

Welcome to season 4, episode 12, in which we discuss a listener-submitted-hot-take regarding the difficulties of fatphobia and butch identity, leading us into a discussion on current standards of beauty and also butch/femme dynamics (DIRE!) in the lesbian dating scene. Also, link to gf's lesbian literature blog: https://bassabibliophile.weebly.com/ Sunny recommends the highly informative book "Fearing The Black Body" by Sabrina Strings for a deeper understanding of fatphobia in relationship to race and gender in history. Our second hot take comes from an international listener commenting on the asinine nature of discourse surrounding the ethics of sexuality speculation, which of course, we agree with. For the shared media review segment of the pod, we talk about how much we disliked Netflix's new teen movie 'Do Revenge' (2022), and how so many of the queer contemporary teen movies fall short of the classics. As a wholesome British lesbian book recommendation, Sunny talks about Iona Iverson's Rules For Commuting by Clare Pooley, and Renaissance recommends their own A League of Their Own inspired playlists. Sunny plays a game of trying to guess which Taylor Swift songs are on Renaissance's Carson x Greta playlist, found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6JeK4NZdGfDy0G0FO3j6K1?si=547607d0c79c45e4 and Sunny plugs her 100 song gaylor playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3dJxgeQLqhVGU6ru4Gfeff?si=67869b653e2a4c66 Thanks for joining us for this episode! You can find us on Twitter, YouTube, Substack, Instagram, Tik Tok, and Letterboxd if you want to connect! Send your hot takes to thelavendermenacepodcast@gmail.com and support us on Patreon for bonus content and early access: https://www.patreon.com/TheLavenderMenace

Today's guest, Clare Pooley, and I share a few things in common. We both have backgrounds in advertising, we were both bloggers before becoming authors, and we both appreciate the music of Abba, which my inner heavy metal loving teenager would never admit. She recently joined me to talk about her latest novel, Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting. Meet Clare Pooley: Clare spent twenty years in the world of advertising before becoming a full-time writer. Her memoir - The Sober Diaries - has helped thousands of people worldwide to quit drinking. Her first novel - The Authenticity Project - was a BBC Radio 2 Bookclub pick, a New York Times Bestseller and the winner of the RNA debut novel award. Her latest book is Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting. Key Topics: How Clare went from advertising executive to blogger to published author. How writing a memoir helped Clare find her voice for writing fiction. Clare's process of visualizing scenes before writing them. Her belief that movement unsticks creativity. Why she'd tell her younger self to be less afraid of making mistakes and failing. “I spent most of my life being fearful of making mistakes and failing. Part of the reason I didn't write a novel until I was fifty was because I didn't think I'd be able to do it or, if I did it, that no one would read it.”  Buy Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting Amazon: https://amzn.to/3SZrZ1L Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/54587/9781984878649 Connect with Clare Website: www.clarepooley.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clare_pooley/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/cpooleywriter Connect with Mike Website: https://uncorkingastory.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvS4fuG3L1JMZeOyHvfk_g Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncorkingastory/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/uncorkingastory Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncorkingastory LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uncorking-a-story/ If you like this episode, please share it with a friend. If you have not done so already, please rate and review Uncorking a Story on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tribe Sober - inspiring an alcohol-free life! My guest this week is the fabulous Clare Pooley Clare is 7 years sober and has inspired thousands of women via her blog and best selling book - the Sober Diaries. You can see her TED talk HERE Her talk is called "Making Sober Less Shameful" and addresses the fact that "alcohol is only drug we have to justify NOT taking! Clare has been guest speaker at two of our London workshops   In this Episode Like many of us Clare started drinking socially and gradually evolved to drinking a bottle of wine every evening Her rock bottom came one morning when she found herself drinking red wine to quell a hangover Her main strategy to ditch the drink was writing - every day for 3 years she poured her heart out to her anonymous blog Clare's blog is a great resource and anyone who feels alone in this journey should check it out here mummywasasecretdrinker These days she feels angry that we feel so much shame around our drinking - and thats why she did her TED talk on that topic Her strategies were writing, hot baths, hot chocolate, cleaning (!), books about alcohol, exercise, audio books and podcasts CLAIRE's TOP TIP - she reconfigured her day - went to bed at 7pm (to avoid evening drinking) and got up at 5am feeling great! As cooking the evening meal was a big temptation for her she cooked it in the morning and heated it up in the evening Like many of us she had a major low in early sobriety - she calls this "the wall" and believes it's our brain chemistry adjusting Her advice is to accept that we will have ups and downs on this journey but that they will get less extreme if we hang in there Her blog - the obstacle course went viral and is essential reading in early sobriety Clare's key message in the blog is to keep going however hard it gets - stopping and starting is the hardest way Her top tips for newbies - write down how bad it was so you don't forget, write your WHY list - why are you doing this? Be excited - you will gain more than you lose and another tip is to create a vision board Clare also said it was essential to "find your tribe" and recommended tribesober.com More info Subscription membership for Tribe Sober join up HERE To access our website click HERE If you would like a free copy of our e-book "66 days to sobriety" please email us at janet@tribesober.com If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community just email janet@tribesober.com Episode Sponsor           This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol            sign up today.            Read more about our 7-step program and subscribe HERE                   Help us to spread the word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can find Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and TikTok    You can join our private Facebook group HERE Thank you for listening!  Till Next Week Janet x

Trigger warnings: pet death, pet euthanasia, pet illness, grief over the death of a loved one, anxiety, bike accident I'm back! Back from my extra-long summer hiatus—longer than I expected or planned for. In this episode, I explain why it took me so long to return and share the grief, anxiety and other mental health struggles I've been dealing with this summer.  If you are dealing with grief or anxiety or similar feelings, scroll down for some links to previous Deliberate Freelancer episodes that deal with these issues, including interviews with therapists. This, obviously, does not replace mental health counseling, and I am not an expert, but you might find these episodes soothing or helpful in dealing with your struggles.  I sought out a new therapist this summer who said something I couldn't believe that I'd never heard before: Anxiety can be a symptom of grief. My cat's death in April, it seems, was affecting me in multiple ways and leading to my newfound anxiety this summer. After a horrible summer 2022, I am ready for a new season. In the U.S., Labor Day signifies the end of summer and gives nearly all of us a “back to school” feeling. So, I am embracing a new season and bidding farewell to a sucky summer. What better way to start off this new season than with a solo business retreat?! In the second half of this episode, I will walk you through what I did—and what I learned—during this week's solo business retreat from my dining room.  I started my retreat with a SWOT analysis. SWOT is a business term that stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Corporations and organizations use the strategy, but you can certainly do it as an individual. I find it's a good way to remind yourself what you're great at, and for us, that means what our business should be focused on, as well as where we could improve.  Listing out your weaknesses is not an opportunity to beat yourself up. Instead, it might show where you need to improve or delegate, automate or terminate aspects of your business. See link to episode 26 below for more details on how to do this.  Instead of doing an analysis of Q2 this late in the year, I analyzed where my income came from for the entire year so far. I was going to rate and rank my clients—a tactic I highly recommend—but listing out all my clients showed me that I love all of them this year! Don't roll your eyes. This is not me being too Pollyannaish. It was not a happy accident, either. I have worked hard these past nine years of freelancing to truly analyze what work I accept, who I want to work with, what to charge and when to cut clients loose. And I finally hit a 100% happy success rate!  To rate and rank your client: Make a list of all your clients. Create your own personal ranking system for a variety of things that are important to you, such as great to work with, pays well, pays on time, no scope creep, no phone calls, etc. Then, rank each client on a scale of 1–5. After you rank them, put them in order with the highest ranking at the top. Who's on the bottom? Should you keep those clients that rank so low? How can you get more work from the clients—or the type of clients—that rank the highest?  Feeling so scattered this summer, I wanted to get ahold of my days and weeks again and create the perfect work day and perfect work week. No Meeting Mondays and Half-Day Fridays have been working great for me, so I'm keeping those. It's the Tuesday through Thursday I need to get a better handle on. See episode 19's link below for tips on how to create your perfect work day. Biz Bite: Set a hurdle rate The Bookshelf: “Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting” by Clare Pooley  Resources: Join the Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group.  Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee. Check out my new podcast! Association Station Book “Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief: A Revolutionary Approach to Understanding and Healing the Impact of Loss” by Claire Bidwell Smith  Episode #137 of Deliberate Freelancer: I'm Grieving. How Can I Keep My Business Running? Episode #90 of Deliberate Freelancer: Coping with One Year of COVID-19 Lockdown, with Therapist Emily Derouin Episode #70 of Deliberate Freelancer: Techniques to Deal with Anxiety from My New Therapist Episode #48 of Deliberate Freelancer: How to Cope with Coronavirus Anxiety, with Therapist Mira Dineen Episode #52 of Deliberate Freelancer: Embracing Self-Care without Guilt, with Acupuncturist Rachel Brumberger Episode #26 of Deliberate Freelancer: Delegate, Automate and Terminate to Improve Your Business Episode #19 of Deliberate Freelancer: Visualize Your Perfect Work Day—Then Create It Episode #42 of Deliberate Freelancer: Tips from My First Solo Business Retreat of 2020 Episode #3 of Deliberate Freelancer: Host a Solo Business Retreat

This episode begins with an author interview, Clare Pooley, is today's guest. Immediately following is The guide to some of the new books coming out the week of August 23, 2022. You can always contact the Book Bistro team by searching @BookBistroPodcast on facebook, or visiting: https://www.facebook.com/BookBistroPodcast/ You can also send an email to: TheBookBistroPodcast@gmail.com For more information on the podcast and the team behind it, please visit: http://anchor.fm/book-bistro

WRITERS' BLOCK Ron Block and Mary Kay Andrews host author Clare Pooley, author of Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting in our ongoing series, Books You Should Know!

Novelist Clare Pooley discusses Iona Iversons's Rules For Commuting. Also artist Gregory Edwards.

#PodcastersForJustice Seven-time Emmy nominee and co-creator of the hit TV series "How I Met Your Mother," Carter Bays, spoke to me about working with David Letterman, being a recovering TV writer, and his debut novel "The Mutual Friend."  Carter Bays is best known as the co-creator of the sitcom How I Met Your Mother which ran on CBS for nine seasons. A companion series, How I Met Your Father, starring Hilary Duff, premiere on Hulu in 2022. His latest is The Mutual Friend, described as a "... thought-provoking debut novel set in New York City, following a sprawling cast of characters as they navigate life, love, loss, ambition, and spirituality — without ever looking up from their phones." A starred Kirkus review called the book, "... a perfect summer beach read, but one that deserves serious awards consideration as well," and NY Times bestselling author Clare Pooley called the book “... the most extraordinary and beguiling novel I've read in years." Stay calm and write on ... [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get The Writer Files Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] In this file Carter Bays and I discussed: Why working on the Late Show with David Letterman was a comedy MFA How to get a laugh When he finds the time to write fiction The use of Easter eggs and twists in narrative structure Why you need to get your work in front of strangers And a lot more! [If you're a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] Show Notes: carterbays.com The Mutual Friend: A Novel by Carter Bays [Amazon Affiliate] Carter Bays on IMDb Carter Bays on Facebook Carter Bays on Instagram Carter Bays on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A fun chat with Clare Pooley about her new book Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting, giving nicknames to strangers, the impact of working from home all the time, and how she ended up singing backing vocals on an ABBA song. Plus – Dave and Andrew get VIP treatment at the Weird Al Yankovic concert, and … Continue reading Ep. 171 How To Talk To Strangers With Clare Pooley

In this interview, Clare and I discuss Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting, the inspiration for the story and Iona, her fascination with intergenerational relationships, designing the plot around the train stops on the Waterloo/Hampton Court line, how both the cover and title are different for the U.S. and the U.K. editions, and much more. Clare's recommended read is Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Check out my Summer 2022 Reading List and the June Buzz Reads picks list. Support the podcast by becoming a Page Turner on Patreon.  Other ways to support the podcast can be found here.     If you enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more episodes, try Amy Mason Doan, Lyn Liao Butler, Saumya Dave, Kathleen West, and Steven Rowley. Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront.        Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author of Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting: A Novel Links Clare Pooley's web page and Amazon Author Page Mummy Was a Secret Drinker (blog) The Sober Diaries: How One Woman Stopped Drinking and Started Living (2017) The Authenticity Project: A Novel (2020) If you'd like brief updates on technology, books, marriage, and puppies, you can follow along with my Morning Journal flash briefing. tFrom your Echo device, just say, “Alexa, enable Morning Journal.” Then each morning say, “Alexa, what's my flash briefing?” I post a five-minute audio journal each weekday except usually by 8 a.m. Eastern Time.  Right-click here and then click "Save Link As..." to download the audio to your computer, phone, or MP3 player.

#PodcastersForJustice New York Times bestselling author, Clare Pooley, spoke to me about rising from the ashes, writing as therapy, her nostalgia for the bygone commute, and her latest "Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting." Clare's blog-to-memoir deal, The Sober Diaries, was published in 2017 to critical acclaim. Her debut novel - The Authenticity Project – was a New York Times bestseller. Inspired by her own experiences, it's been translated into thirty-two languages, was a Radio 2 Bookclub pick, and winner of the RNA Debut Novel Award. Her latest, Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting, is described as "... a heartwarming story about the joy of friendships, and the unexpected places they can be forged." Kirkus Reviews called the book “A soothing story where bad things happen yet are overcome, and friendship leads the way to personal acceptance and rebirth.” Bestselling author Mary Laura Philpott called the book, "... a feel-good ensemble story [for] fans of quirky London-set fare such as Ted Lasso." Clare graduated from Cambridge University, and spent twenty years in the world of advertising, before becoming a full-time writer.  Stay calm and write on ... In this file Clare Pooley and I discussed: Why making up stories is not a proper job (wink, wink) Her unique creative process (spoiler: it starts in the dark) Big Magic and harnessing the creative muse The necessity of coffee to the writing life How she embraced the life of a #writerwarrior   And a lot more! Show Notes: clarepooley.com Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting: A Novel by Clare Pooley [Amazon Affiliate] Clare Pooley's Amazon Author Page [Amazon Affiliate] Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert [Amazon Affiliate] Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel by Bonnie Garmus [Amazon Affiliate] Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine: A Novel by Gail Honeyman  [Amazon Affiliate] Clare Pooley on Facebook Clare Pooley on Instagram Clare Pooley on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices