The TufFish Show

Welcome Jodi Meltzer to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more.

Jodi's ability to blend writing pieces that connect with adults as well as books that connect with children is a true gift. During our conversation we talked about this, divine breadcrumbs, honoring your authentic self, some of the key elements to writing for children and so much more. 

Jodi Meltzer is a multi-award-winning children’s book author who has also written extensively about grief, divorce, and parenting for various publications, including HuffPost, The Mighty, Scary Mommy, and Thrive Global. Before motherhood, she was an accomplished anchor/ reporter who covered everyone from Hillary Clinton to The Goo Goo Dolls. She transitioned to mommy blogger in 2010―the year her baby boy swallowed her whole. She escapes his grips with sarcasm, bold coffee, and ’80s music/movie binges with her rescue dog curled up on her lap. A Boston native, she recently relocated to Tampa in search of more sunshine, literally and figuratively. To learn more about Jodi and her books, Goodnight Star, Whoever You Are and When You Lived in My Belly, visit jodimeltzer.com.

Visit www.jodimeltzer.com

Book purchase link: Goodnight Star, Whoever You Are

Welcome Antoinette Truglio Martin to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more.

During our conversation, Antoinette shared so many nuggets such as writing a book you want to keep talking about after it's published, leveraging your listening skills to help your writing, and tips for world building.

Antoinette Truglio Martin is a speech therapist and special education teacher by training but really wants to be a writer when she grows up. She has been collecting and writing stories forever. Over the years, Antoinette had been a regular columnist in local periodicals and had several essays featured in newsletters and literary reviews.

Antoinette's popular children’s picture book, Famous Seaweed Soup was published in 1993 (Albert Whitman Co.). Antoinette’s memoir, Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer (She Writes Press 2017), chronicles her first year battling breast cancer as a wimpy patient. Becoming America’s Stories (Red Penguin Books) a middle-grade historical fiction series, debut in 2020. The award-winning first book, The Heart of Bakers and Artists, takes place in 1911 and follows nine-year-old Lily Taglia, an American-born child of Sicilian immigrants, coming of age in a crowded New York City three-room Lower East Side tenement. The Dreams of Singers and Sluggers picks up where The Heart of Bakers and Artists leaves off. Lily, her family and friends reach for their dreams as new Americans. Read Becoming America’s Food Stories where there are always good stories around good food.

Antoinette proudly holds an MFA in Creative Writing and Literature from Stony Brook/Southampton University (2016). Be sure to stop by her website and blog, Stories Served Around The Table at https://antoinettetrugliomartin.com/ to read about past and present family adventures, book happenings, and life musings.

Visit www.storiesserved.com

Book purchase links:

The Heart of Bakers and Artists 

The Dreams of Singers and Sluggers 

Becoming America's Food Stories 

Hug Everyone You Know 

Welcome Heidi Torres to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more.

Heidi and I had a great conversation where she talked about having a message to share and leveraging your team. She also talked about incorporating personal stories into her book and how to discern which ones to include or not.

Heidi Torres built connections at an early age when she studied at twelve schools and lived in three countries. She pursued a fifteen-year career in sales and progressively led and developed sales teams that spanned three states. After a promotion to Human Resources Supervisor, she began overseeing the HR needs of over 200 employees. Torres then earned a BBA in HR Management from Texas Woman’s University, became a SHRM-Certified Professional, and landed positions as an HR Generalist and a Talent Acquisition Manager through networking. She serves on the DallasHR Board, attends the MBA program at West Texas A&M University, and is the author of The CEOs of Networking.

When not working, Torres volunteers with the Alzheimer’s Association and enjoys spending time with her husband, rescue cats, and ducks. 

Visit http://www.hrheidi.com

Book purchase link: The CEOs of Networking

Welcome Mallory Howell to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more.

Mallory and I talked about bringing a vision - a book - to life and how family inspired both of her children's books. 

Mallory Howell is a wife, mother, stepmother, author, and former teacher. She was born and raised in East Tennessee and still resides there with her family. She stepped away from the classroom after the birth of her second son in November 2018 and now stays home with her two boys. She enjoys family camping trips, gardening, reading, cooking, and writing. Mallory published her first children's book, Soda Pop Drop, in 2018 and her newest book, The Little Ninja That Could: Conquer Kindergarten, in August 2020.

Visit: http://www.authormalloryhowell.com

Book purchase links:

The Little Ninja That Could Conquer Kindergarten

Soda Pop Drop

Welcome Mary Ann Tippett to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more.

Mary Ann shared so many nuggets during this powerful conversation about overcoming "Who am I" as so many authors face when following their hearts as they write their first, next or current book. We also talked about the power of focus and to use it to help you go from a blank page to a first draft.

Mary Ann Tippett writes uplifting fiction from her home in Ottawa. She has a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Indiana University. After writing and publishing novels she wrote in 3 days, such as Clara & Pig, Finding Clara, and Pairs With Pinot, she published her first non-fiction guide on writing, How To Write A Novel In 3 Days: The Zone Method.

Visit https://maryanntippett.ca/

Book purchase links:

Write A Novel In 3 Days: The Zone Method

Finding Clara

The Shape of Us

Pairs With Pinot

Clara & Pig

Welcome Julie Reisler to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more.

This conversation was powerful! We talked about the importance of following that inner nudge, even when doubt creeps in and you question if you're the right person to write this book, and so much more. 

Julie is a Master Transformation Coach, Author, multi-time TEDx Speaker, Podcaster, and Georgetown University Faculty. On her podcast, The You-est You, she has featured esteemed guests such as New York Times bestselling author, Marci Shimoff; the President and CEO of HeartMath Inc., Dr. Debbie Rozman; and world-renowned mediation teacher psychologist, Tara Brach.

Julie has been featured in Forbes, MindBodyGreen, The Chopra Center, and Thrive Global. She is the author of the Get a PhD in YOU book series and is the creator of many courses and meditations on the popular mindfulness app, Insight Timer.

At Georgetown University, she serves as faculty in the Health & Wellness Coaching program. Through her practice, she offers private 1:1 coaching, group coaching, online courses, and a membership group, Sacredology®. To learn more about Julie and her offerings, you can check out her website 

https://www.juliereisler.com

Book purchase: Get a PhD in YOU: A Course in Miraculous Self-Discovery

Free e-book version: https://www.juliereisler.com/freebook

Welcome Namaine Coombs to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more. 

Namaine unleashes so many nuggets in our conversation, including how working through attachments of approval and achievement was necessary to unleash his success and how a solo international trip sparked the journey to write his first book. 

Namaine Coombs is a certified professional life coach and an established financial professional that inspires people to unleash success in their personal and professional lives. He evokes awareness and helps us address subconscious limiting beliefs and self-sabotaging behaviors through his writings, speaking engagements, social media presence, and personal coaching. He is the author of Unleash Intentional Success: Change Your Mindset. Change Your Actions. Change Your Life. 

Visit https://www.namainecoombs.com 

Book purchase link: Unleash Intentional Success: Change Your Mindset. Change Your Actions. Change Your Life. 

Welcome Debbie Monteggia to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more

Debbie Monteggia is passionate about expressing her true voice through poetry. She hopes that by reading her poetry, others will be encouraged to find and listen to their own true voice.

Throughout her journey in life Debbie has recognized the depth, diversity and power of emotions. She understands how important it is to honor all emotions and not to suppress or ignore the more challenging or fearful ones. These emotions are the ones that will transition readers into their joy once they move through them. All of our experiences are necessary to get through our life lessons. This is how Tears of Change was born.

Her opening poem ‘Honor your Tears’ takes readers through the beauty of this conversion. Her poetry started from her tears of sadness and despair and moved her through writing about her tears of joy, grace and gratitude, and most of all, finding God’s love.

Debbie Monteggia lives in Mesa, AZ with her husband and two dogs. She works in the design industry as an interior designer. She enjoys bicycling, walking and playing pickleball. Debbie is very dedicated to giving back and will allocate a percentage of her book sales to a basic needs charity.

Debbie also sells individual poems from the book that can be overlaid over a favorite framed picture of a friend or family member. You can view and purchase these poems, and discover more about Debbie, at TearsofChangePoetry.com.

Visit www.TearsofChangePoetry.com

Book purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Tears-Change-Reflections-Quotes-Meaningful/dp/1098011767

Welcome Hillary Lee to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more. 

Hillary and I had a lovely conversation about how her debut picture book started as a poem that was created out of love for her children. Hillary shared so many nuggets about the illustration process, and we also talked about author brand awareness and running an author business.

Hillary Lee is a newly published children’s book author with her debut book, Oh, The Way I Love You, released in 2020. In addition to writing, Hillary truly enjoys her career in orthopedic surgery as a physician assistant. She is also the owner of a small business, Baby Books & Mama Looks, which allows buyers to purchase a children’s book paired with apparel for mamas and littles. She is married with two young children and feels so blessed to be inspired by her family daily. 

Visit www.babybooksandmamalooks.com 

Book purchase links: Oh, The Way I Love You

For personalized inscription copies: www.babybooksandmamalooks.com  

Welcome Steven Joseph to The TufFish Show, a place to help writers and aspiring authors get out of their own way to leave a legacy by telling the stories they want to share through writing their own books and confidently sharing them with others. The writing process can be tough and the business side can feel scary, but TufFish makes both feel smoother and achievable. Visit https://www.jennifermilius.com/tuffish to learn more.

Get ready to laugh throughout this conversation all around writing to become an expert, and Steven wrote about crankiness! Steven demonstrates different ways to connect with his readers, whether it's grown-ups or children, so each audience can enjoy the stories and message in relatable and fun ways.

Steven Joseph is an attorney, professional negotiator, humorist, and marathon runner. He is the author of The Last Surviving Dinosaur: The TyrantoCrsnkaTsuris, A Grownup Guide to Effective Crankiness: The CrankaTsuris Method, and Snoodles, Kidoodles, Poodles, and Lots and Lots of Noodles!!

Visit https://www.StevenJosephAuthor.com

Book purchase links

For Kids - The Last Surviving Dinosaur: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Surviving-Dinosaur-TyrantoCrankaTsuris/dp/1643071572

Grownup Guide: https://www.amazon.com/Grownup-Guide-Effective-Crankiness-Crankatsuris/dp/1480893811/ref=nodl_