Season 2, Top Guests, Part 1

Buckle up and rekindle your love for our beloved guests! As we mark the second season of Writer's Parachute, we're shining the spotlight on our audience’s favorite guests - Cheryl Pena, Jackie and Stenetta, Anthony, and Christian de la Huerta. They're back by popular demand, and they have so much more to share! From Cheryl's sneak peek into her gripping debut novel – "The House of Wynne Lift" to Jackie and Christian's intriguing plans for guided journals and book sequels, there's a wealth of insights to explore.

Jackie is using her clinical supervisor expertise to craft a guided journal that aims to help men redefine their identity and better understand their emotions. Not stopping there, she’s also working on a guided journal for women struggling with postpartum depression. Christian isn't idle either. He's busy translating his empowering book – "Awakening the Soul of Power" into Spanish and is also working on a sequel that's all about relationships. Meanwhile, our guests reveal upcoming events and transformative programs. We hear about a year-long coaching program, a book signing event in Texas, a virtual school visit, and amusingly, the importance of sleep.

So, come join us on this celebratory journey of the Writer's Parachute!

Check out their original episodes here:

Ep. 19, A Balance between Creativity & Imagination with Cheryl Pena   https://youtu.be/59sE1WGRIx0
Ep. 17, Discover the “You” Journey with Jackie & Stenetta Anthony  https://youtu.be/p_3vVQ5H5K8
Ep. 18, The Power to Transform with Christian de la Huerta  https://youtu.be/O5VpBG2BF7k
Connect with Cheryl Pena here:  https://cherylpena.com/
Connect with Stenetta Anthony here:  https://stenettaanthony.weebly.com/
Connect with Christian de la Huerta here:   https://soulfulpower.com

Grab a copy of their books here:
📖The House of Wynne Lift  https://amzn.to/3TSYKS6
📖Ella Learns to Dance  https://amzn.to/3TYgbRf
📖Who Would’ve Thought  https://amzn.to/47rBFJc
📖Awakening the Should of Power  https://amzn.to/3TPaQeH

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Welcome back everyone to the Riders Parachute. We're guiding author and writer dreams to a perfect landing. Today, we have a special celebration here on the Riders Parachute. We are bringing back some of our top episode guests from YouTube and the podcast platform. This is for season two. We are bringing back our top guests from YouTube and we're going to be talking to them. We have with us Cheryl Penya.

Speaker 1: 0:28

Hers is episode 19 from season two, released on September 23rd excuse me, september 5th 2023. We have Jackie and Stedetta, anthony, mother and daughter team. Their episode number 17 was released on August 22nd of 2023. And then, of course, we have Christian de la Huerta, episode number 18, and it was released on August 29th 2023. And I find it amazing that these top episodes are in clusters, but I'm so happy to have you guys here, so I hope you'll take a moment to go back and look at these individual episodes and see why each of these guests are so special and they made it to the top of the list.

Speaker 1: 1:16

Of course, we'd love for you to go ahead and hit that subscribe button. Go ahead and hit the like and share button. Also, if you would like to follow us on social media, we are on Facebook, instagram, tiktok, twitter or X, and now on threads at writer parachute that's writer parachute without an S and if you would like to receive a weekly inbox reminder of new episodes, then you can go to send foxcom, slash the writer's parachute and sign up for our weekly newsletter. All right? Well, let's go ahead and get started. Welcome everyone. We're so excited to have you here. So how are you, stedetta?

Speaker 2: 2:02

I am doing fantastic Getting ready for Christmas. Excited Christmas is always my favorite time of the year, so I'm on a Christmas movie marathon right now, and so I watch. I'm watching Christmas movies every day, several times today, and so that's how I'm doing.

Speaker 1: 2:28

Well, it sounds like you have the Christmas spirit going. That's always great for us to be off on, so tell us, remind our listeners here about your book and what we talked about on the podcast.

Speaker 2: 2:42

Okay, so the book that I believe we talked about last time was Ella Learns to Dance, and so I was excited about that book. Since that time, we had gotten several more awards for that book and did a few school visits, and recently did a cyber school visit, which was very interesting.

Speaker 1: 3:12

All right. Well, that's very exciting. We're glad to have you back again. Hers is episode number 17 with her daughter Jackie. It's called Discover the you Journey and again we'll have that link for you in the show notes. You guys want to go check it out, so I'm going to jump to you, jackie, how are you, and remind us what we talked about you and your book.

Speaker 2: 3:35

I'm doing good. I'm waiting for my chat to get done so I can drink that right after this. But yeah, we talked about my book, which was a guided journal entitled who Would have Thought? It's been going pretty good. I'm working on another one for men, because they constantly ask me to write another one specifically for them, so I'm working on that. So that should be out probably sometime next year. I passed my clinical exam. I became a clinical supervisor and out of my own practice, so I've been doing a lot.

Speaker 1: 4:11

All right. Well, we're excited to have you back. So, christian, I'm going to jump to you. So your episode was number 18, called the Power to Transform, and it was released on August 29, 23. So can you remind the listeners what we talked about in, about your book, and I'm going to hold it up while you're talking.

Speaker 4: 4:30

Thanks, lana. Yeah, the book we spoke about is Awakening the Soul of Power, which is about how do we step into power, personal power, in a way that's not about hierarchy or control or domination or fear or force. How do we do it in a different way that doesn't require for us to push anybody down or step on them or put our need to their neck in order for us to feel powerful, and it's for everybody. But it has a particular message for women about women's empowerment, and that stems from my conviction that that is the single most important thing that needs to happen in the world, and not to put women up on a pedestal, not to idealize women. Women also abuse power, but it's because, as a world, we've been running so off balance, so off-kilter between the masculine and the feminine energies, and so it's about that. I got one of the things I'm most proud of. It got a great endorsement by Gloria Steffa on the multiple Grammy Award winner. It also got several awards and I'm really honored and humbled and honored to be back here with you, dana.

Speaker 1: 5:38

Oh well, thank you. Well, we're so glad to have you back too. It's like I am so excited for this episode. If you guys get out, I'm bouncing in my seat here. All right, cheryl, welcome back. So you were episode number seven excuse me, 19, and it released on September 5th 2023, and it's called A Balance Between Creativity and Imagination. So what was the book and what did we talk?

Speaker 3: 6:01

about. We had probably talked about the House of Widlitz, which was my first book. It was my debut. It was about a reporter and a professor that go hiking through the wilderness to find a wealthy recluse who's been missing for about 20 years and they think they've tracked him to a cave in the wilderness and in the desert. And then it's sort of about what they find when they get there and it's not at all what they expect and there's a little bit of, you know, a thriller aspect. I guess it's a suspense thriller that's how my publisher marketed it, but it is, you know, I guess at heart there's a little bit of a mystery that they have to solve while they're there. So there's sort of mystery elements as well. And it's won a couple of awards by now and I'm really excited about it. I've got three more books out now, so yay.

Speaker 1: 6:59

Well, we're going to talk about that in a minute, In fact. The next question I'm going to ask you is what new books do you have out?

Speaker 3: 7:08

Oh, I have three. So I have the this is my latest novella the Chimera Gambit, and that's the latest release. And then I have a duology sci-fi duology. That's this the Sender the Vile in the Blood Hotel. And the Sender the Vile was released in December. And then we have the Blood Hotel. Its sequel came out in May and then the Chimera Gambit came out in July, and I'm really excited about all of them. So far the reviews are good, so I'm really hoping people are enjoying them and loving them just as much as I enjoyed writing them.

Speaker 1: 7:46

Okay, great. Well, and just to let our audience know, those are not particularly forward, which is what the title kind of indicates. So I wanted to give you a moment, to give us just a tad bit more about what these books are about and what genres they fall in Okay, so those are all sci-fi.

Speaker 3: 8:07

So it's a post-apocalyptic sci-fi the Sender the Vile in the Blood Hotel, or about a photographer who, I guess he's leaving a weird job that he had, kind of the people are acting a little odd and he encounters a deadly threat. As he's leaving and as he's escaping he rescues this woman who hardly speaks to him. I guess she's traumatized or whatever, and he wants to help her. But he doesn't know whether he should try to just run for the rest of their lives, however long that should be, or whether he should do something to try to end the threat. But in doing so then he would end up putting her at life at risk. So he doesn't know really what to do and he's you know, so I guess I tried to fit in number one older protagonist.

Speaker 3: 8:53

He's a little older, in his 40s in the book, and so I wanted to fit that in there. And then you know the other one as well. The Chymere Gambit also has, you know, a couple older characters. I wanted to be able to have people who are established in their careers also make a change maybe in their lives, and then just say that that's okay, you can do that at any point in your life.

Speaker 3: 9:15

So the Chymere Gambit is not as dark as a novella. So it's about a guy who hates space travel. He's sort of a bureaucrat for this space administration and he he's tasked with investigating the disappearance of a ship that's out. It disappears out near Pluto, or they think it did, and so then they go out to find out what happens. He hates space travel. He ends up going out there anyway, and they think it's this culture that's been intruding into the solar system recently, and they're not sure, though, if it's that or something new, and so that's what that one's about. But it's not dark at all, it's just a fast moving plot and it's kind of a space opera kind of thing.

Speaker 1: 10:02

So All right, well, awesome. I'm glad you're able to share that with us, so I'm going to jump to you and ask you the same questions Any new books coming out?

Speaker 2: 10:15

No, no books coming out, but in the process of writing a sequel to Home for Sally, so it is almost done, so it will be out in 2024. So that's coming along and just developing her character. So her character is in the book, so it's going to be exciting. I was trying to make sure I incorporate Sally's story into that particular sequel as well. So it's coming along pretty good. And also working on a sequel to Ella learns to dance and so with that one that's going to be exciting because my grandchildren are included as different characters and that particular series. So they're excited and they're telling me what they want their characters to look like. I guess I don't have any say so.

Speaker 1: 11:20

I understand and I know how that goes. So any little sneak peeks as to what maybe titles are.

Speaker 2: 11:29

OK, so a home for Sally. She's going to have some challenges about eating, so I do. I'm working on a couple of different titles, I've gone back and forth with it, but I think I'm almost settled. So that's going to be her, because she's a small pup, a poodle actually, and so, by her size, she has to learn how to eat healthy, and her parents, so her parents and herself, are learning how to eat healthy, and so, with Ella learns to dance. Ella isn't dancing in this particular sequel. She's going on a journey with her particular characters, and all the characters are different and their personalities are different, and so she's going on an adventure of discovering, of discovering herself and who she is Awesome.

Speaker 1: 12:28

I always love your stories. They take us on a great adventure while learning something very important. So keep writing. So, jackie, I'm going to ask you the same question. You courted a hinted at it when we were doing the introduction that you've got a new book you're working on that's coming out, so can you tell us a little bit more about that?

Speaker 2: 12:48

Well, I have two, so one I'm going to release one unlikely before March is for man, so the guided journal, but it's kind of the sequel and it's allowing man to kind of get more in tune with who they are. Because I'm starting to get more clients and one of the biggest thing we're working on is emotional intelligence and being OK with expressing your emotions beyond the sad and happy and being comfortable with expressing just who they are and for some of them they redefining who they are when they say I am a man. So that's one. And then the other one is going to be specifically for women who go through post-pollination depression, because I think I mentioned the first episode that I went through it, so I wanted a guided journal for them too, so then they can hopefully start discussing and then hopefully this will slowly but surely close some of the gap when it comes to women, being very close when it comes to the struggles they go through and hopefully being willing to get help from, like the PCPs, all the people.

Speaker 1: 13:55

Right, and we talked about this a little bit in the episode about you know. It's like sometimes we have to bring that stuff in the line and make it a little more acceptable, where the people don't feel like they're having to hide when they're scruggling with these issues. It's like I know that I'm familiar with many women who've had post-partum depression and a lot of times they do feel like they have to hide it or it makes them look like a bad mother or a bad wife or something of that nature. And it's not true. It's. You know, it's a physical ailment, you know with. You know, when it's like health is health, I don't care whether it's physical or mental, it's health and it needs to be brought out into the light and we need to accept that diagnosis as easily as we accept diabetes and cancer. So thank you for bringing that out into the light. So, Christian, what do you got cooking in the back, Myrna? I know you got another book coming, so let's talk about it.

Speaker 4: 14:55

Well, I wanted to first commend Jackie on her sequel, because, even though I said that this book is dedicated for women, and that two women and that it's the most important thing that needs to happen in the world, I also added a chapter specifically for men what it means to be a man in the 21st century Because this patriarchal power over cowboy mentality my way or the highway system of power, doesn't work for anybody, including men. When we look at the rates of longevity and suicide, it's pretty clear that the system is not working for them too, and part of it that Jackie was alluding to is because we were so conditioned all of us, but in particular men that the emotions are weakness.

Speaker 4: 15:41

And so we walk around like little boys, don't cry, like these uncaring, unfeeling robots, and there's a price to pay for that. Hence the mortality issues. So, in terms of what I'm writing about, I just finished translating this book Awakening the Soul of Power into Spanish. I actually hired somebody to do it, but then when I was reading it, realized that's not how you say that, realized that he, this translator, had used a lot of Google translator or so now.

Speaker 4: 16:11

And so just literally translating it literally doesn't, just can't do that. Like 80% of it was good enough, but the other 20 I'm having to go back and redo, and part of my goal is I want to be able to teach in Spanish fluently, not Spanglish, going back and forth, which is what so many of us, the Latinos and Latinos, do here in the US. And then I'm also about 50% done with the sequel to this book, which is focused specifically on relationships I don't have the title yet, but I've got the subtitle which is how to Find and Nurture Relationships that Work. And so the more that I work on this issue about personal empowerment, the more that I realize that most of us tend to give our power away and we tend to say yes when inside we really feel no to override or true feelings, or desires or dreams, and that most of us tend to do that in that arena of personal, intimate romantic relationships.

Speaker 1: 17:14

Right, you always have such awesome ideas. I'm always so excited to get to talk to you and it's like I'm looking forward to this and I'm like I want to ask you a question here and it's like just going off the cuff. Why are you not calling it Awakening the Soul of Relationships?

Speaker 4: 17:29

No, maybe not. I'll feel into that, thank you.

Speaker 1: 17:35

You're welcome. I mean, I was just looking at the title and I'm like, yeah, you can kind of swap that out. That would work.

Speaker 4: 17:41

Yeah, it could work.

Speaker 1: 17:42

Yeah, all right. Well, we're very excited. So I know you're always out and about and you're very busy, so what events do you have coming up?

Speaker 4: 17:55

Are you asking me that right?

Speaker 1: 17:55

now. Yes, I am Sorry.

Speaker 4: 17:58

No worries. Well, you know, I just started doing live events again after two years of doing most of my work virtually. I've been doing the digital nomad thing, spending time in South Florida and California, in South America, a couple of countries down there, and I'm just now starting to do retreats again, which is great because I mean I love the virtual work, but there's really nothing like a live event for real, profound transformation.

Speaker 1: 18:26

All right, so any new ones coming up that we can mention to our audience if they want to go check those out for you.

Speaker 4: 18:33

Well, I'm actually starting in January or February my next cohort of my year-long coaching program in which I take people through.

Speaker 4: 18:42

You know it's called Adventures in Transformation, so I take them through a whole year of transformation and the live events are great.

Speaker 4: 18:50

I love them, and one of the things that I've that I'm really appreciating, and the reason that I'm staying with this year-long coaching program, is that I get to stretch out the teachings over the course of a year, deliver bite size, just a little bit of content. I know how busy and over scheduled we all are, but two things that I'm able to do in this year-long that I can't do in a week, and one is to take activities. So, along with content that you read in, you know 10, 15 minutes, they're also power practices designed to integrate the teachings so they don't stay at the level of information. We don't need more information, We've got information overload. What we need is transformation and that only comes from really taking on and living from a set of teachings. And then I get to put in an element of accountability. You know coaching calls with me every two weeks designed to support all of the participants to to do what they said they wanted to do, so that their lives actually change. So it's making the transformation a lot more sustainable.

Speaker 1: 19:51

Well, and you know, and I know as a coach myself, it's like a lot of times that accountability is cheerleading. You know you're there to cheer them on, to pick them up when they're feeling a little frustrated that they don't feel like the progress is happening. You know we put on a lot of hats as coaches.

Speaker 4: 20:08

Yeah, yeah, sometimes there's hand holding, sometimes they're butt kicked. There's a little bit of butt kicking.

Speaker 1: 20:13

Yes, yes, there's always a bunch of all of that, so where can the listeners reach out to you if they want to know more about your retreats and cohort program?

Speaker 4: 20:24

Probably my website is the best place to do that. So full powercomS O U L F U L P O W Rcom, and from there they can access. You know my social media.

Speaker 1: 20:36

Okay, don't run out of the room and grab pen and paper. We'll make sure we have all of that information for you, all the links and everything we talk about in the show in the show notes for you. But I'm going to jump over to Cheryl and ask her the same thing Any upcoming events that we need to know about?

Speaker 3: 20:55

Yeah, at present I've only got one schedule for January 27th in Bernie, texas, and it's going to be at the Bernie bookshop. It's a book signing and I'm working on getting a couple other ones scheduled, but I don't have them currently on the calendar yet. Okay, that one.

Speaker 1: 21:14

Okay, great Well, we'll get the details for you on that, but if they would like to get updates on your upcoming event calendar, where would we send them?

Speaker 3: 21:25

You can go to either CherylPenyacom or I also have a sub stack where I announce news and that's going to be CherylPenyasubstackcom.

Speaker 1: 21:36

Okay, all right, and we'll get that information from you and include that in the show notes. So she has a book signing coming up on January 27th that's just in a week or so in Bernie, Texas. We'll have that detail.

Speaker 3: 21:49

Well, it's in January, not December, so sorry.

Speaker 1: 21:54

Oh, actually, yeah, never mind, you're right, I'm just timing off, not a problem. Not a problem, all right, so well, we're excited for you. So what about you, stenetta? Do you have any upcoming events?

Speaker 2: 22:09

Yes, I do. I have a virtual visit with a school in Atlanta, georgia, and that's going to be on January 24th. Okay, so excited about that. All right, so I may end up going to the school, just having decided yet.

Speaker 1: 22:34

Okay, all right, awesome. So I know that some of our listeners have children and work in and around schools. So if they would like to reach out to you to book a school visit with you, where would they reach out to?

Speaker 2: 22:49

you for that. Okay, so they can just go to my website, which is stenettaanthonyweeblycom, and shoot me an email and we can make it happen, all right.

Speaker 1: 23:03

Great, okay, well, I'm excited about that. And again, don't forget, we'll have all this information for you guys in the show notes. You don't need to run out of the room and get a pen and a soul and paper and write it all down. Jackie, what events do you have coming up for us?

Speaker 2: 23:19

Oh, sleep, that's it.

Speaker 1: 23:22

See, now I can get on board with that plan.

Speaker 2: 23:25

I agree. Oh no public events. Right now I'm not there yet. Eventually, eventually, I'll get there.

Speaker 1: 23:34

Okay, so let me just ask the follow-up question to that If somebody would like to reach out to you to do an event a book signing, a book reading or a speaking event where would they reach you?

Speaker 2: 23:49

I think we should email Jay Anthony at strengthndarknesscom.

Speaker 1: 23:56

Strength and darkness. All right, we'll get that on the show notes to you as well, so we'll have all of that for you. Don't forget these events from these amazing authors and guests. We want to make sure we support them. Jackie, give us the update of your overall journey since the last time we talked.

Speaker 2: 24:21

It's been a roller coaster. This entrepreneurial life is not what I expected. It's a lot of patience, a lot of waiting, kind of how you all mentioned earlier with coaching that encourage yourself. But it's been nice. It's been nice talking to new people, giving insight from different people about ways that I can help and kind of again bridge some of the gaps with things as far as mental health and most people might not know, but there's a decline when it comes to mental health services as well. It's not so many therapists. So on my end, I'm trying to find different ways where I can bridge that gap. Hopefully Because it's out there and the good thing is, more people are acknowledging it. The bad part is that we just don't have enough people yet in order to feel yeah, yeah, but I appreciate the fact that you're being proactive.

Speaker 1: 25:18

I mean, you yourself can't cover everybody, but at least you're offering tools out there for those people who are tending to fall through the gaps. So we do appreciate that, so we're glad to have you here. So, christian, how about you Give me the overall journey update?

Speaker 4: 25:34

I'm still doing my digital nomad thing. I'm here in South Florida for another couple of weeks and then I go back to South America for a month between Columbia and Ecuador, and it's been two years now, as I said earlier, and it's great in some ways and, like everything in life, it has its challenging size, which is how often I think I need to get something and it's sitting in storage here in South Florida. So, on the other hand, realize how little I actually do need on a day to day to live and to survive Stuff that's been in storage for two years I really haven't used much, if at all. So that and the release of the book in Spanish I'm starting to teach in Spanish in South America, which I'm really excited about All right.

Speaker 1: 26:19

Well, we're very excited that this is all working out for you and, as I said, you know he is a world traveler. You've been in South America for most of the last year and, quite frankly, a little bit longer than that, so we've been waiting for you to come back, so I'm glad to know you're back in Florida.

Speaker 4: 26:37

I will be. I'll be reaching out to you when I when I'm ready with a second book, so you can help me.

Speaker 1: 26:42

Oh, you know, manage Amazon and for any authors any authors who are listening.

Speaker 4: 26:48

Donna's amazing and I cannot recommend her enough.

Speaker 1: 26:52

Thank you, I so appreciate that. It's just, you know, I love doing what I do. It's like. The reason I do this podcast is because it is books, authors, writing and coffee. We just hit my you know my joy trifecta. So I'm I'm very happy to do it and I always learn so much from my authors and, you know, unless I get a early peak at their work, so that's always.

Speaker 4: 27:25

And I'm sure that I could do it if I really wanted to learn how to do all the Amazon stuff. But it's, there's so many choice points and having somebody like you, Donna, just to hold my hands and walk and walk me through it made all the difference. I felt so much more at peace with the whole thing, with the whole process.

Speaker 1: 27:41

Good and all you know. You know me and I say it often enough. It's like I think choices are easier when you understand what the difference is, other than just sitting there going, well, do I go left or right? No, well, you have to know why you would go left or why right. So that's kind of kind of where I come from, and it's like I didn't know in the beginning and I'm just one of those voracious learners that I have to know. I have to understand why it works that way. Thank you All right, cheryl. How about you give us an update on your journey so far?

Speaker 3: 28:18

And well it's, it's writing wise. Everything is going okay. I'm still working on getting some new stuff finished, but I won't say it was easy. It was definitely hard because I'm dealing with a lot of personal stuff behind the scenes so I don't really want to talk about, but we're not right now. But yeah, I mean I still have, like I don't know, maybe about 20 books that I've written that are not published yet and I'm still trying to get them finished and revised and be a presentable, and so I'm still working on those. But I feel like everything is going.

Speaker 3: 28:58

You know pretty well considering I think they're starting to get some of them on audible now, so that's good. My publishers are trying to translate. They've done the most recent too. So I'm really happy about that, because I do have friends who are disabled and need the audio books, like need, and that makes me really happy that they're helping them out. The other ones are on Google Play, I believe, so there's still that you can still get them there. But as far as everything else, I mean I've had lots of book signings the past year, so that's good and it's been really fun to actually meet people and talk to them about your books. It's really exciting, yeah, so I've gotten to do that. And one lady, she walked away and I was like oh, oh, oh well, maybe she'll come back later, you know like, and she walked away with my bookmark in her hand and had the book blurb on it and she was reading it as she walked away and she came back and bought the book and that made me so happy.

Speaker 1: 30:03

It's like, and you know and I do tell a lot of my clients and stuff like that you get probably higher percentage of back sales from events like that because, for some reason whether it's just time, money, energy or being in the right frame of mind that's why I always say make sure you're giving them plenty of freebies that tells them about the book and reminds them of the book so that they know where to go grab it. You know, qr codes, links, all of that stuff make it easy for them to go. Oh yeah, I remember that book. I should probably go get it.

Speaker 3: 30:40

Yeah, and I have other bookmarks for my other books, but they don't have the blurb on them. I'm like that's not a good idea. So I'll probably go back and put the blurb on there because it worked for that one, so yeah.

Speaker 1: 30:52

And in particular, I'm not going to go on right it's like again, the titles, the covers, are slightly misleading.

Speaker 3: 30:59

So in your particular genre, I think it would be a really good idea to have, yeah, and I think I want to redo the covers, but at this point I'm still I can't find anything I'm really happy with. My publisher is kind of going in a direction with their covers that I don't hate them I actually do like them, they're really nice but I feel like they don't quite suit my book. So I kind of want to make sure that it's something that I kind of not necessarily come up with myself, but at least have a cover designer or somebody look at it and come up with something better.

Speaker 1: 31:36

So or better suited, rather not better- Right, Right, and there are trends in marketing and book covers and stuff like that and it's like which might be great, but in like you said, in your particular case it doesn't work as well because of the genre and what the expectations are of the reader. So, yeah, it's a tough balancing act, but I wish you the best of luck going forward with you. You're welcome. So what about you? Stenetta, Give us an update on what's been happening with you since we talked last.

Speaker 2: 32:12

So one of the things that I've been doing well, I've been doing a couple of things. So one of the things is I've been doing a school visit, so in person and virtually, and so that's been exciting, been writing and also have been decided to go in a different way with my marketing a little bit. So what I've been doing is reaching out to different organizations to connect my books with their particular message and had a hit yet, but that's been a way that I've been going right now and so I think that's the main thing the marketing. I've been working on that the most that I've seen. And then reaching out to schools and school librarians and different things for visits and for carrying my books and libraries and bookstores and things like that. So, although I'm writing, I still have to hit the ground with the marketing part as well. So that's been a big chunk of my time that I've been doing Right.

Speaker 1: 33:27

Well, and it's a process of elimination. It's like you do have to go through a lot of news to get to those yeses. And what you're talking about is affiliate marketing, where you're making affiliations with established companies and organizations to elevate the eyes on your book. So keep moving forward. I think you're doing a great job and it'll come in time. So just keep trudging forward. That's all we can. Any of us can do is just keep trying, just keep one step in front of the other. All right, I've got another question for you and I want you to tell us what is coming next. So so that's for me. Yeah, what's in your future?

Speaker 1: 34:15

Get out the call and tell us.

Speaker 2: 34:18

Okay. So in my future is the expectation is to have the sequels for both Home for Sally and Ella Lawrence to Dance coming out in the same year. I have written the books already. Just been going back and forward with it, especially with the Ella. I've written actually four other books connected with her and with the Home for Sally. I've written that particular book. I did get some endorsements already, even though it hasn't been released. I still have some endorsements from some particular dog food companies because of the topic and so excited about that. So when it's released I'll have some endorsements and so I think that's the one thing that I'm doing and then actually, like I said, continuing my marketing and doing my school visits, which I love doing school visits, and I think that's about what I'm doing for right now.

Speaker 1: 35:26

Awesome, what about you?

Speaker 3: 35:28

Cheryl was coming right now I have two series that I'm working on trying to revise and I've gotten good feedback from my beta readers, so hopefully I will be able to find a publisher for them. And then I'm working on getting more book signing scheduled, and obviously working on marketing is a challenge. So the the newsletter, I feel like, is going okay. I'm getting, I feel like I am getting more people interested, thankfully, and I have a QR code that I take to my book signings. If some people can sign up if they want to, and I also have the links on my website and I don't know I'm not sure yet what direction I want to go once those are, you know, if I can get those published by somebody, then then or or even an agent, that that's be fine to an agent, that I've had some, but just not quite yet. But I don't know. I have a bunch of ideas, so maybe some of them will make it into a book.

Speaker 2: 36:36

The future.

Speaker 1: 36:38

What sounds like you're going to be really busy. What about you, christian? What is in your future?

Speaker 4: 36:45

I think what I'm trying to integrate today, taken deep breath, trying to integrate is when Cheryl said that her her elder protagonist was 40. He's like Yikes. Yeah. Well, you say 40 is Yikes we don't even want to talk about my.

Speaker 1: 37:02

So what's going on? What are you going? What are you planning coming up this year, in 2024?

Speaker 4: 37:15

Well, I'm having a strategy session with my VA, my virtual assistant, kind of business manager to wrap into one next week. So we're going to look at the whole year. We're probably going to do a couple of summits virtual summits, we usually do one or two a year Launching the the year long coaching program, starting to do retreats, live retreats again, and, as far as I can see, I'm still going to be doing the digital nomad thing throughout this year. I haven't gotten the memo yet as to when and where I'm going to have my next base.

Speaker 1: 37:50

All right. Well, you're braver than I am, so are we hoping to get this second book or the sequel book out this year?

Speaker 4: 37:57

Yes, at least finish writing it. I don't know about getting it out, but definitely finish writing. I will definitely publish the Spanish version in Q1. All right, awesome.

Speaker 1: 38:06

What about you, Jackie? What is coming next in your future?

Speaker 2: 38:15

I'm thinking about. No, I decided I'm going to open more businesses, but they're all going to send around mental health. I am excited because one of whom I'm nervous about I want to expand mental health overseas. So there's particular countries that I want to go to and particularly I want to offer mental health services for women or kids who have been sex traffic, because I had some time to work with them when I did work at a hospital in Illinois and they definitely need resources as well. So I'm trying to again just kind of closing this gap a little bit. But that's my heart and that's my ultimate goal. That's my big goal, I would say, for the future.

Speaker 1: 38:59

Awesome, sounds like a big plan and we want to encourage you and wish you the best of luck going forward with that. So because shift gears just a little bit here and I want you to share with us what you're best, most surprising or most memorable moments. Best, most surprising or most memorable moment was from the recording of your original podcast. Me first, yes, you first Okay.

Speaker 2: 39:28

I think being with my mom and of course she's my mom, but having an interview with her and like having seen her as kind of like a colleague, at the same time acknowledge it it's a little bit weird. That makes sense because we worked together before, and it's a different level when you work with your parents because you have to be mindful oh yeah, they're my parents, but right now they're my colleagues. So there's certain things I can't say because you know I don't want to cross that line. If that makes sense.

Speaker 1: 40:01

All right well, and I was always so excited and that's why I was so thrilled that you guys made one of the top episodes because it was the first time I'd done a mother and daughter team and a dual interview and you guys pulled it off like you were professionals and like we all knew what we were doing and we had no idea we were laughing. I remember we were laughing pretty hard through the whole thing and that's always the fun part is just keep laughing your way through. All right well, I'm excited about that. What about you, christian? What was the most surprising, the best or most memorable moment from your episode?

Speaker 4: 40:39

I don't remember this any like salient moment specifically, donna, but what I do remember was that because you and I had worked together with the book and that you had familiarity with the concepts and you had helped me, like to navigate the whole Amazon adventure getting the book uploaded onto Amazon that there was an intimacy to the conversation that you know probably done 100 podcasts in the last, you know, two years, year and a half but this one stands out because of the intimacy and it just felt so easy and natural.

Speaker 1: 41:14

Thank you. Well, you know, that's what I want is I want my guests to be relaxed. I want to read their book, I want to understand their book and I want to talk to them about what it's about. Because you know, I, as much as I am an author and a writer and a coach, I'm also a voracious reader and I love reading new books, I love learning new things, and you just kind of fill all of those joy spots on me with this book and the subject matter and you know just your personality shining through. So thank you for that. And you're right, you know, it's always nice to get to talk to old friends. All right, what about you, cheryl? What was your best, most surprising or most memorable moment from when we recorded your podcast?

Speaker 3: 42:08

Um, I think I remember it like quite a few things. So one was you know, I was really impressed with your podcast in general because you offered so many tips for new writers and I really appreciated that. So, even though at the time, I had, you know, the fourth book coming out and stuff like that, I still appreciate because it was a lot of the stuff that I had done in the past, like the marketing and stuff wasn't really working. So I appreciated a lot of the tips that you, that you had for new writers and people to be able to market their books. So it was very, very helpful. So, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Speaker 3: 42:47

I also remembered you know you were. You know you were very kind and I appreciated that you were. You were just very open and easy to talk to and some of the subject matter was a little serious. I'm sorry about my sister who passed away in 2014. And she was my identical twin. So it was. It was a difficult thing to get through and you help me get through it without any tears, which I appreciate. So so, yeah, I remember those two things mostly and just wanted to thank you for everything so far.

Speaker 1: 43:21

You are so welcome and you know, I just, I just feel like there's no reason not to be kind. You know it's like you until somebody tells you know, makes a moment where you don't have to, and then still be kind.

Speaker 1: 43:38

That's just, you know, that's just the way I operate and you know I do remember talking with you about it and I know that you were struggling and it was a difficult moment for you to talk about. You know your twin sister and that loss. But you know, I think we ventured into the space where it was a lovely memory rather than a painful one, which is yeah, yeah, there was a better inspiration.

Speaker 3: 44:03

Yeah, she became my inspiration for future instead of something holding me back. So I feel like that's kind of where we where we were at that time and that was great. It was great, thank you.

Speaker 1: 44:14

You're very, very welcome, and I'm so glad that you're here on the top episode. So, yeah, what was your best, favorite, most memorable moment?

Speaker 2: 44:25

I think I'm going to piggyback on everyone because your kindness, donna, is just overwhelming and the tips that you offer are just fantastic. So one of the things I would say just being on the podcast is just the opportunity to speak with you and for you to offer your sound advice and give off the offline advice as well. So with Jackie, I seen her in a new life. I'm the mom but she's the daughter, and I seen something in her that I had not seen before. And so that podcast I see my daughter as not just my daughter but my colleague and another author and have a respect for her, and that's I'm not going to cry. Jackie so happy recently. She knows I'm a cry and have a respect for that, and I think that's the biggest takeaways that I have from just being on the podcast.

Speaker 1: 45:48

You guys are going to make me cry, just like. Wait, let me get unemotional for a moment, but thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. You guys are incredibly sweet and I just don't even know what to say anymore. So I've got one last question for each of you, and I'm going to start with you. Stenetta, what was your reaction or first thought when you were notified about being a top episode?

Speaker 2: 46:11

OK. So Jackie actually called me and so I didn't know, and she said did you check your email, ma? And so after I checked it I was really excited. But my daughter told me first and she was excited, and so then I got excited and so it was just wonderful to even think about that. We were in the top and so I'm very humbled with that. So I appreciate that, donna. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1: 46:51

You're very welcome and I'm just so excited. I mean, there is such a plethora of details and information and subject matter between the four of you, and that's what I love about doing this podcast is I can talk about all of these things and then pull them together, and I love that my audience is picking so many different subjects to bring forward and that they're excited about all of them. So, thank you. What about you, cheryl?

Speaker 3: 47:24

I will say I was excited. I was, but I was also puzzled a little bit, because I was like me.

Speaker 3: 47:31

Like why me? Why was it weird? But I was really happy about it. So I was like I really appreciate it. That's at least something I said resonated and I feel grateful, just immensely grateful, because it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't had me on the podcast at all. So I was really grateful and grateful to the people for watching it and giving such good feedback. It really made me happy. So, mostly grateful, but also, yes, puzzled, but really excited.

Speaker 1: 48:09

Well, I mean they obviously loved it. I mean you guys did great. In fact, you are listed as number one for a season 2.

Speaker 3: 48:21

I don't believe it or not, it blows my mind. I'm so happy about that. But I'm like that blows my mind and some of it may be because I did promote the heck out of it, but I also wanted people to see it. But I also wanted people to subscribe because I love your podcast. So I was like, please subscribe to this because it's great.

Speaker 1: 48:43

Well, thank you, thank you. It obviously seems to be working. We've reached some audience, or tapped into some audience. That's paying attention. Christian, what about you? What was your reaction?

Speaker 4: 48:55

I think I'll borrow a word from Skyneta Humboldt and one from Cheryl Gratitude, and I feel very mission-driven. That's what drives me. I think we're living in the most critical juncture in the evolution of humanity. Make it a break-up point, and I think that when one of us makes a choice that's going to further our own process of healing, of transformation, of growth, that it really makes it. It ripples out and makes a difference out in the world. So I'm very grateful for having had the opportunity for this message to ripple out, and thank you for having the podcast, because in your willingness to do so, many lives are being impacted. So thank you.

Speaker 1: 49:38

You're very welcome and you guys are slaying it because I don't do a lot of promoting. I mean, I do minimal promotion as much as I can. I'm a one-man band here, but there's something about you guys's episodes that they really, really like, and the numbers are quite a bit higher than some of the other ones. So I'm very impressed and you guys brought it. You brought it and you spoke in a manner that resonated with the audience. So make sure you guys pat yourself on the back, because this isn't all me. I could sit here and talk all day long, and I do talk to a lot of guests and not all of them make it to the top. So you guys need to take some credit there too. So what about you, jackie? What was your reaction other than calling your mom?

Speaker 2: 50:28

I was shocked and then I had to check to make sure you had it right.

Speaker 1: 50:34

I vaguely remember you were like, yeah, I think I got an email from you and you're like are you sure this is right? And I'm like, oh yeah, I'm sure.

Speaker 2: 50:42

Because it was like because I was nervous and so we laughed half of the time. So I was surprised, but maybe, I mean, maybe people liked just the fact that we were just honest in ourselves. So, yeah, definitely grateful, definitely shocked. But yeah, I'm excited Because this is different for me. I'm not used to anything like this whatsoever, so it did give me also a little boost, like, ok, maybe I can do this Not every day like you, donna, but you know, every once in a while.

Speaker 1: 51:17

Well, you guys did an amazing job and I want to thank each and every one of you and a reminder these are our top episodes so far for season two. We are at the end of the season. We have Cheryl Penyer. Her episode was number 19, called A Balance Between Creativity and Imagination. It was released on September 5, 2023. We talked about her book, the House of Wind Lived and Descent of the Vile. And then we had Jackie and Stenetta Anthony, their episode number 17,. Discover the you Journey. It was released on August 22, 2023. We talked about Ella Learns to Dance, and that's Stenetta's book and who Would have Thought? Which is Jackie's self-help journal that she's offering. And, of course, we have episode number 18, by Christian De La Huerta talking about the power to transform in his book Awaking the Soul of Power. It was released on August 29, 2023.

Speaker 1: 52:16

We'll have links to connect with each one of them. We'll link you to their books. We'll also link you to their individual episodes. I'm so excited and thrilled to have them back, so I'm going to have you guys and I'll hold yours up, christian. I'll hold up your book and we're going to try and do a screenshot here. Now I don't know if I can just lift.

Speaker 4: 52:37

And I will try.

Speaker 1: 52:39

All right, Everybody sit down. Ok, I got to do this right. I have too many. I hope they're staying there. All right, I think we got it, guys. Thank you so very much for being here. Thank you to our listeners for being here, Thank you for choosing to be part of the writer's parachute, part of the DC Storyology family. Until next time, guys, keep listening, keep paying attention, keep reading and keep writing. Thank you all so very much and I'll see you guys next time. Bye.