Behind the Scenes with Author Vic Harrison

How do you navigate solitary life after losing your spouse? Just Me Now is a narrative of one widower’s path after thirty-five years of happy marriage.

Vic hired me to improve the typesetting of his first edition. When I first read the manuscript, I instinctively highlighted some takeaways I wanted to remember.

Book Review: The Stories We Tell by Joanna Gaines

Personal. Philosophical. Daring. A good legacy read!

Joanna Gaines, co-founder of Magnolia, was first inspired to write her story after moving to New York City at age 21. Doing so helped her see the beauty of being different. She discovered lost parts of her and rewrote painful memories with truth. Two decades later, she felt led to write her story again—to retrace some steps—not only for her benefit but to encourage others.

A Gift Idea for Kids

My boys (5 and 7) are loving their Toniebox right now. A Toniebox is a fun audio player that's easy for kids to operate independently. Now that the boys share a bunk bed, they listen to a Tonie together every night to fall asleep. My seven-year-old likes the Mickey Mouse, Willy Wonka, and Paddington Bear stories. My five-year-old prefers Simba, Woody, or Minions. We also have the pirate creative Tonie which you can customize with your own audio or free content on the app. The starter set is currently 30% off on Amazon (list price $99.99).

Earlier this year, I decided to delete my news app and subscribe to The Pour Over, a "politically neutral, Christ-first news source." Along with the biggest news of the day, they include related Bible verses and Christian quotes that keep me grounded in an eternal perspective. I think it's helped reduce my anxiety level. I typically listen to the podcast, but they also send a free email.

This podcast caught my attention because my son is in first grade this year and learning how to read. I was hooked from episode one.

"There's an idea about how children learn to read that's held sway in schools for more than a generation—even though it was proven wrong by cognitive scientists decades ago. Teaching methods based on this idea can make it harder for children to learn how to read. In this podcast, host Emily Hanford investigates the influential authors who promote this idea and the company that sells their work."

Christian writers and side hustlers, this one is for you! Discover ways to grow and nurture your audience without social media on the Writing Off Social podcast.

The premise of this podcast had me from Hello. I think social media is great in many regards, but I don't feel like I have the time right now to use it effectively for business purposes. I try, but I'm not consistent. That's why I've enjoyed listening to this podcast. It's given me some ideas to implement in the future!