What does it take to transition from a high-pressure newsroom to the world of mystery novels? And how can personal tragedy shape a writer's voice? Join us as Merry and Cathy dive into these questions with the remarkable John DeDakis, a former CNN senior copy editor turned novelist and writing coach. 🎧

John shares his journey of reinvention, shedding light on how his journalism background influences his gripping Lark Chadwick series. We explore the power of writing from a different gender perspective and the therapeutic magic of turning personal pain into creative fuel. John offers invaluable advice for aspiring writers, encouraging authenticity and courage in storytelling.

Tune in to hear about John's current projects, including a novel collaboration with his wife, and discover how you, too, can embrace reinvention at any age.

About John
Award-winning novelist John DeDakis (pronounced dee-DAY-kiss) is a former editor on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer." DeDakis is the author of six traditionally published novels in the Lark Chadwick mystery-suspense-thriller series. In his most recent novel, Enemies Domestic, Lark is a White House press secretary forced to make her extremely personal abort-or-not-to-abort decision in a highly toxic and polarized political fishbowl when abortion is a crime and a dictator becomes president. DeDakis is a podcaster, one-on-one writing coach, manuscript editor, and regularly teaches novel writing at literary centers and writers’ conferences nationwide.

Connect with John
Website: www.johndedakis.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXDV_HPUqtvvV-j0lyb2BsaZNSW3GCcDP
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.dedakis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dedakisjohn/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-dedakis-4b09a34/
AuthorsDen: https://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?id=38787

🎙️ Curious about the secret to maintaining health and vitality as you age? Join Merry and Cathy as they chat with Chelsea McLeod, a health coach transforming the lives of high-performing women through hormonal balance. Could traditional weight loss methods be failing you due to hormonal changes rather than age? Chelsea shares her journey from the corporate world to health coaching, revealing how understanding hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol can revolutionize your health.

Discover why coffee on an empty stomach might be sabotaging your day and how meal timing could be the key to better sleep and metabolism. Chelsea’s success story with her client Kate will inspire you to take charge of your health journey. Don't miss her practical tips and learn how to connect with her for more personalized guidance. Tune in and share this episode with anyone seeking a vibrant, energetic life in their fifties and beyond! 🌟

More about Chelsea
Chelsea is a corporate dropout turned hormone health coach for high-achieving women.
Founder of the Healthy Hustle method, a holistic health coaching program designed to deliver rapid results by fixing root cause imbalances in the body that are common in high performing women in stressful roles.
After spending 13 years in global brands and heading up a $60M ecommerce business, she went all-in on her high ticket health coaching business to help a generation of overperforming women look and feel amazing by healing hormones and gut issues.
She has helped 250+ busy, driven women lose up to 30lbs in under 3 months.
Her Healthy Hustle program delivered outstanding results for female leaders at Amazon, McKinsey, Google, LinkedIn, Mediacom, adidas, Crocs, Reebok, Moderna, Mars and Prana, as well as C Suite clients and multi six figure entrepreneurs.
Clients in her signature program lose an average of 8lbs in JUST the first 3 weeks in the program.
They drop multiple dress sizes, sleep through the night for the first time in years, clear their skin, heal hormone issues, reverse autoimmune conditions, massively increase energy, heal adrenal fatigue, and reverse diagnosed conditions such as PCOS and endometriosis
She had to heal her hormones first after years of hustling in corporate and nearly losing her brother to a traumatic brain injury from a football accident.
A fitness junkie, Chelsea teaches soulcycle style spin where you'll find her in the studio making epic house and hip hop playlists and transformational athletic experiences for rooms of 40+ riders.
She fought in a sanctioned USA boxing fight and captained her college field hockey team at Rhodes College, competing in the NCAA tournament.
Her dream is to help thousands of women heal and level up their lives, launch a corporate hormone health education program, and build a scalable health program for underprivileged women who need support in their health journeys.

Connect with Chelsea
Website: https://chelseamcleod.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chelseajmcleod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthywithchels/
TikTok: @healthywithchels
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-mcleod/

Can childhood trauma become a catalyst for transformation? In this deeply moving episode, Merry and Cathy sit down with Wendy B. Correa, author of My Pretty Baby, to explore the powerful connection between adversity and awakening. Wendy opens up about her journey through the stormy seas of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) — revealing an ACE score of seven out of ten — and how she turned her pain into purpose.

Through honest reflection and hard-won wisdom, Wendy shares how meditation, sobriety, and spirituality became her anchors, helping her reclaim a life of peace and meaning. She also reflects on the impact of intergenerational trauma and how encounters with cultural icons like Joni Mitchell, Ringo Starr and Hunter S. Thompson influenced her healing path.

This episode is a raw yet uplifting exploration of resilience, self-worth, and the courage to rewrite your story — no matter where it begins.

More About Wendy
Wendy B. Correa is a writer, yogi, hiker, as well as a licensed massage therapist. She has worked in the film, television, multimedia, and music industries in Los Angeles and later as a radio DJ in Aspen, Colorado. She holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and theater arts and has contributed articles to Mothering magazine.

A wife and mother, she resides in Denver, Colorado, and loves traveling to magical destinations with her family. My Pretty Baby is her debut book. For more information, visit www.wendybcorrea.com

Connect with Wendy
Website: https://www.wendybcorrea.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendy.correa.946
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendybcorrea/