

Rachel Van Dyken: I'm a Creative Passionista
In the last ten years, school counselor turned four-time New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken has written 85 romance novels. No, that is not a typo — 85. She is typically writing two or three stories at one time and publishes an average of 12 books a year. Some are published traditionally and some are self-published. She says that working on various projects at once keeps her from getting writer’s block because when she gets stuck she moves on to another genre o


An Interesting Thing Happened on the Way to 60
Photo Courtesy of Rita Barney Sometimes I yawn when I hear 40ish year old women complain about how their youth has slipped away or about a minute wrinkle, or hear of their devout worries of being oldish and just not having the muscles in their derriere to keep it perky and tight or how unattractive it is to have a pooch in the belly. Sometimes, I fight with my voice box to simply listen in silence; I stand by, chuckling to myself, finding it more advantageous to join in on th


Claudia Cordova-Rucker: I'm an Empowered Passionista
We never know what to expect when one of our guests nominates another Passionista for us to interview. We had a feeling that Claudia Cordova Rucker would be generous of spirit since she has built a career around helping women relax and feel gorgeous at the award-winning beauty oasis Aqua Skin and Nail Care and Estetica Mia. But we never anticipated that she also has created an inclusive work environment for her employees.
Claudia's journey hasn't always been easy. But she's


Author Tonia Root Turns Tragedy into a Tale of Inspiration
Tonia Root had never planned on being a writer but after tragedy struck her family, she found herself on a mission to share her inspirational story. In a recent interview, she recounted the incident that altered her path in life.
“At the age of three my little boy went to the store with my sister, in a pull wagon, and he was hit by a drunk driver and left for dead,” she revealed. “He has been through a lot medically and his prognosis was not good from the doctors. They t


You Do Not Need Permission!
Women are challenging societal views in big ways. Tearing down centuries worth of repression, not to mention unfair attitudes towards women, still evident today. The bar is set high and we’re judged based on a distinct set of rules not applicable to men. It is a reality that chose us but no longer limits our gender. The double standard applies to the things we say or do and how we should think or behave. Luckily, molds are being shattered into millions of fragmented pieces.


Lucinda Mack: Turns Personal Challenges Into a Love of Writing
Lucinda Mack's turned a childhood illness into a lifelong passion for writing. As she told us in a recent interview, "My interest began at the age of nine. At that time, I was felled by several diseases and was paralyzed from my waist down. My medical professionals thought I might be contagious and kept me quarantined from the outside world. Close family members thought I was going to die. I felt abandoned, frightened and confused. At some point, I asked for pen and paper and