Never Underestimate Your Impact

When I was a college student, I had an opportunity to work for Councilmember Harold “Rusty” Fairly. I was interning for his public affairs consultant, who said, “I want you to go help Rusty out.” So I walked a block over to City Hall and met the man who would be like a second father…

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Crying child sitting on mother's lap with brother ValerieCantella.com

Motherhood Isn’t A Position You Can Resign From

May is mental health month and I’m thrilled to be seeing such a targeted focus on raising awareness and reducing the stigma around mental illness. I’m trying to do my part to add my voice in a productive way and am grateful to the Independent for sharing this article. Surviving Motherhood: Motherhood Isn’t A Position…

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Wrapping It Up

Winter is upon us. And when I picture this season, the images that come to mind include twinkling white lights calling us to peaceful merriment, the scent of Christmas trees and giant pine wreaths, the joy of baking goodies, visiting with those near and far, and the excitement of finding gifts for loved ones—expected and…

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Antique typewriter on white counter by ValerieCantella.com

You’ve Finished Your Manuscript, Now What

Tips for Self-Publishing Authors So, you’ve finished your manuscript and are waiting for the edits or your interior formatting, or your proof copy to arrive. With this extra time on your hands, you can amplify your book and author presence—for FREE—with these seven easy strategies. To get started, keep your key book information in a…

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Detachment and Boundaries

About nine years ago, I was at a therapy appointment discussing the challenges in my marriage. As I reluctantly described my woes, the therapist listened for a while and then said, “I think your husband might be an alcoholic.” I was shocked as she handed me a copy of Codependent No More and an Al-Anon…

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Pursue Your Passion

An email for a 4-day writing workshop arrived over the weekend. It was the same workshop that set me on my book-writing adventure. Back then, I recall being unsure whether I should sign up, even though it was free, because of the intensity of my job at the time. (Think back to January 2021. In…

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Valerie Cantella and husband in Eastern Sierras with a lake in the background

What I Know Now About Marriage

This weekend my husband and I celebrated our fourth anniversary, and it got me thinking about our wedding ceremony and intimate relationships in general. Many of these things also apply to our head and heart relationships with ourselves. So here goes: What I know now, in my second marriage with almost 23 years of cumulative…

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Mother’s Day and Mental Health

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the month in which we celebrate mothers. With that in mind, I am saying yes to several opportunities to talk about mental health from the perspective of a mom whose teens experienced significant anxiety and depression. But first, I want to share A Blessing for Mother’s Day, by…

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Wildflowers with unputdownable book called Off-Script: a mom's journey through adoption, a husband's alcoholism, and special needs parenting memoir in tablet and paperback version by Valerie Cantella

You’ve Completed Your Book Proposal, Now What?

Insight from the year of my Hay House author membership and self-publishing journey For those who have just turned in their proposal for the Hay House Contest—big congratulations! Going through this process is so unique—it’s a demanding, time-consuming, and enriching experience—one that few truly understand. As someone who submitted a book proposal in June 2021,…

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Tom and Valerie Cantella outside in front of a tree

Living With Purpose

A few weeks ago, I shared this post, and I want to speak to the “why.” Today my husband Tom is celebrating seven years of sobriety. On his first sober birthday, he invited me to “give him a cake” at an AA meeting. I had no idea what to expect as I imagined AA as…

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