The Green Heart Living Podcast

From Nonfiction to Spicy Romance with JJ Hart

Author JJ Hart (aka Jen Jones) shares about her new book "Remembering You" - a spicy, second-chance romance - that is the first book in the Saxville Sweethearts series.

We talk about:

- Beach reads!

- What she learned from her first book and put into practice on her second

- Advice for nonfiction authors who are thinking about writing fiction

- Using a pen name

- Second chances for love

To learn more about the author and grab your copy:

https://linktr.ee/jjhartauthor

The CEO of Your Health with Mikki Parker

"Sometimes our health is on the back burner, and sometimes it's not even on simmer." - Mikki Parker

Mikki Parker is helping driven women become the CEOs of their own health.

On this episode, we talk about:

- The challenges of driven women and creatives when it comes to wellbeing

- Tiny changes that can have a ripple effect

- Best ways to make habit changes stick

To learn about her CEO of Self Health and Well-being program:

https://thrivetogetherwithmikki.mykajabi.com/offers/8Tcv5Jtd/checkout

You can reach Mikki by text at 860-597-6622 or email: mikki@thrivetogehterwithmikki.com

And So It Goes with Mary Bub

Tools to Provide Healing and Companionship through Loss & Grief

 

After the death of her beloved husband, Don, Mary Bub wrote daily letters to an imaginary confidante, Betty. Writing helped her heal and gave her purpose. Through this writing, her book "Letters to Betty" was born.

 

Her new book "And So It Goes" outlines the tools she used to cope with the death of her husband and develop a greater understanding of herself and her new life.

 

This book serves as a supportive friend to guide readers on their own grief journeys. As the author shares, grief is unique to everyone, so finding one’s own words to describe emotions is an essential part of the toolkit. 

 

Other important tools Mary Bub describes include choosing how and to whom to share your story with, writing and discussion prompts for groups or individuals, and specific action steps.

 

This book serves as a supportive friend to guide readers who have experienced loss. It can also be used by coaches, therapists, ministers, and other professionals within their grief workshops, support groups, and individual counseling.

 

“Part of embracing this new journey, this new chapter in your story, may be engaging with different companions or communities. Or, creating one for yourself,” Mary Bub writes.

 

"And So It Goes" is a trusted friend—a companion—which empowers and supports readers as they heal from loss at their own pace.

 

The paperback and e-book are available on Amazon. You can find them by searching "And So It Goes by Mary Bub." 

 

To learn more about the author:

https://www.marybubauthor.com/

 

An Inspiring Recovery with Neil McCarthy

What does someone do after a break from reality?

Is it possible to cure mental health conditions like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder?

On this episode, I talk with Neil McCarthy, author of "An Inspiring Recovery: How I Found Sanity."

We talk about:

- Mental health diagnosis

- Navigating medication and treatment changes

- Mindfulness, meditation, and living in the present

- Music, writing, and other creative expression

- The importance of community for writers

 

For anyone who has faced a frightening diagnosis or a break with reality—or has had family or friends who have—you'll know how terrifying it can be and how powerless you can feel. Your life can seem to melt instantly. Neil's story is powerful and shows what it takes to get to and maintain a healthy space mentally and physically.

More about the book:

Nineteen-year-old Neil McCarthy had the world at his feet—an engineering major, athlete, and musician at Carnegie Mellon University—when he experienced a psychotic break during the summer after his sophomore year. This led him to embark on a decades-long journey to find a sense of belonging and an oasis of sanity from his mania, psychosis, depression, insomnia, and anxiety. Neil left no stone unturned in his quest for sanity. Combining all the benefits of Western medicine with Eastern spirituality, naturopathic medicine, and a variety of therapies brought Neil much of the wellness he craved.

 

Neil was soon hit with the reality that recovery would not be a simple process. Doctors changed. Diagnoses changed. Jobs changed. Insomnia was his foe for most of his adult life. But Neil persisted. Eventually, he realized that while medications could help mitigate his symptoms, the real healing had to come from within him. In his own words, “I did not need to hide from tasks that caused me pain. Instead, I met them head-on.” During his recovery, Neil encountered a variety of mental health treatments, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, which furthered him down the path toward sanity. While focusing on the recovery process, this raw memoir chronicles Neil’s thirty-year journey toward well-being. He has proved that it is not only possible to live a prosperous life with mental health challenges, but also to inspire others along the way.

To learn more about the author: https://thelefthand.art/

To get a copy of the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1954493835/ 

Sisterhood, Strength, and Alzheimer's with Virginia Evans

On this episode, I talk with Virginia Evans, author of The Youngest Bee: A Louisiana Story of Sisterhood, Strength, and Alzheimer's. 

 

Coming of age in the late 1970s/early 1980s in Louisiana, Virginia Evans describes an idyllic childhood filled with summer camps, shopping trips, LSU football games, and her parents’ annual elaborate Christmas parties. Virginia’s world is shattered when her beloved father, Red, becomes seriously ill and passes away when she is just 24 years old. Reality sets in at his funeral as the “Youngest Bee” realizes that she is no longer the baby of the family. She takes on the responsibility of caring for her grieving, aging mother, Mildred.

 

The Youngest Bee is more than just a story of determination triumphing over tragedy. It is a love story. The bond Virginia shares with her sisters, “The Four Bees,” and “finding laughter among the chaos” are what propelled them through their darkest days—from mental illness to cancer and dementia.  

Putting Pen to Paper for the Life of Your Dreams with Hannah McKitrick

Hannah McKitrick and I talk about Italy, energy, and how to make your dream life (and business) possible. 

• Feel stuck and need some clarity?
• Want to refresh and be taken care of?
• Ready for a well-being experience that will skyrocket your mindset, health, connection, and bank account?

Join us on our retreat to Italy in November! 

Here is info on the retreat:

https://myintuitivehealth.com/ceo-culinary-wellness-retreat/

To get in on the 8-week program for authors - which includes this magical retreat:

https://www.greenheartliving.com/italy-retreat

 

Narrating Your Audiobook with Laura English

Thinking of recording your own audiobook? 

In this 3-part series, we talk with Laura English, audiobook producer, narrator, editor, engineer, and owner of Evergreen Studios, about the things to consider when deciding whether or not to do an audiobook and how to go about it.

On this third episode, we discuss: 

- Things to consider when narrating your own book

- The benefits of recording your own story

- The process of recording in a studio setting

You can learn more about Laura English at:

https://www.lauraenglishvo.com/

Audiobook Narration & Distribution with Laura English

Thinking of turning your book into an audiobook?

In this 3-part series, we talk with Laura English, audiobook producer, narrator, editor, engineer, and owner of Evergreen Studios, about the things to consider when deciding whether or not to do an audiobook and how to go about it.

On this second episode, we discuss: 

- How to select a narrator for your audiobook

- The process of working with a narrator

- How to distribute your audiobook 

In part 3 we'll be discussing what to consider if you decide to record the audiobook yourself.

You can learn more about Laura English at:

https://www.lauraenglishvo.com/

Audiobooks with Laura English (Part 1)

Thinking of turning your book into an audiobook?

In this 3-part series, we talk with Laura English, audiobook producer, narrator, editor and engineer, and owner of Evergreen Studios, about the things to consider when deciding whether or not to do an audiobook and how to go about it.

On this first episode we look at:

- Reasons to record an audiobook

- Trends in the audiobook industry

- How to decide whether to hire a narrator or record it yourself

On part 2, we'll be discussing how to select and narrator and what distribution services to use, and part 3 we'll be discussing what to consider if you decide to record the audiobook yourself.

You can learn more about Laura English at:

https://www.lauraenglishvo.com/

Writing a Book in 2025

Are you planning on writing a book in 2025?

Making it easier, more fun, and more meaningful by joining one of my writing groups!

In this episode, I share all the details of my two writing groups that will be kicking off March 1st: the Green Heart Writing Circle and the Abundant Author™ Mastermind.

I also share a new, free bonus for anyone who has ever published with Green Heart Living Press. 

To learn more about the writing programs:

https://www.greenheartliving.com/group-writing-programs