I’m thrilled to share that I’ll be speaking at the upcoming Make Books Better Summit!
The Make Books Better Summit is an exciting five-day event designed to help writers like you bring your book dreams to life or take your current projects to the next level.
What’s Happening?
From December 10–14, join a lineup of leading industry experts (including me!) for a deep dive into topics like:
Brand building
Content creation
Networking
Audience growth
and so much more—all tailored for writers, editors, and anyone who loves books and wants to make a lasting impact.
Why Attend?
Whether you’re dreaming of writing your first book, polishing your latest manuscript, or looking to connect with readers on a deeper level, this summit will equip you with practical tools, strategies, and inspiration to achieve your goals. There’s something here for everyone!
Save the Date: When I’ll Be Speaking
📅 Tuesday, December 10 | 9:00 AM Pacific Time
📢 Topic:Your Life Matters: How to Value Yourself as a Writer Standing Tall in Your Power as a Bestselling Author
During my session, I’ll share insights on how to:
Bust through writing blocks and negative self-talk.
Write with confidence, ease, and authenticity.
Transform the pain of the past into inspiring stories that empower others.
Embrace the truth that Your Life Matters—and so does your story.
Learn writing tools that teach you how YOU can stand out as a #1 Best Selling Author
If you’ve ever wondered whether your dream to write a book is worth pursuing, I’ll show you how to transform that dream into your destiny.
PS: In my presentation, I’ll also introduce key concepts from my upcoming Author Mentorship Bootcamp Retreat that I am offering this January 26 – 30 at the Bethlehem Centre, Nanaimo. You’ll get an exclusive sneak peek at how this transformative program can help you bring your book to life.
Life has a way of surprising us when we least expect it.
Less than a week ago I experienced an unexpected meltdown in the middle of the night. It was BIG. I went to sleep that night disappointed about something, but I was ready to pivot, knowing everything always works out for the best. But the rumblings in my stomach had a different story to tell. They weren’t just rumblings – it was an active volcano ready to erupt…And erupt it did! I obviously had some things to release which I truly did not see coming.
I felt sorry for the tenant below me as I was stomping through the house like a madwoman. Then, in the middle of it, my eyes caught sight of these words on my bookshelf: Escalating Bliss – words my friend, Judith Rockert used just before she died. (You can hear her say them in my podcast here.)
I cried out to her in earnest. “Judith, please help me.”
Within seconds, peace and tranquility washed over me. I went back to bed and fell into a deep slumber. I must have been travelling with the angels because when I woke up, I was given a clear roadmap indicating a brand new life was about to unfold —a brand new direction to follow.
Since then, I have come to know that every step of the way has been Divinely guided and orchestrated. Apparently, the universe felt I needed a quantum leap! I am still shaking my head in disbelief as I pack up my belongings in full surrender.
After 22 beautiful years in Victoria, it’s time for me to say goodbye.
This December 21st, on the Winter Solstice, I’ll be embarking on a Solo Solstice Pilgrimage, a symbolic step into the unknown. I am on my Magical Mystery Tour, which I have called TRUST. While I don’t yet know the exact destination, I am following the signposts north of the Malahat and perhaps as far as the Comox Valley. The only thing I know for sure is that I am celebrating Solstice in Nanaimo at the Bethlehem Centre for a Special Under the Stars Solstice Celebration. Come and join me there! 😊
This is the absolute perfect place to begin my pilgrimage! Thank you, Donya! Donya is the director at the Bethlehem Centre who invited me to stay at their beautiful retreat centre while I scout for my perfect new home on the island. I also have friends in the area who have offered me to stay with them as well.
As you can see, everything about this new chapter is being guided by Grace. I am getting nothing but Yesses for all the details I am attending to…and in the order that they need to come. It has been perfect ease and flow all the way! Thank You, God!
I’ve been packing up, asking each item if it wants to come with me. I am feeling into the energy of all my earthly treasures to see if they are going to continue to grace my new home or is it time to bless and release them for someone else to love?
I have started to post things on FaceBook Marketplace and have also decided to host an indoor contents sale. I’m letting go of a lot! And that isn’t just what I’m putting in boxes!
Mark Your Calendars:
When: Saturday, November 30th, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and
Sunday, December 1st, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
What: Treasures for your home or items that can be the perfect Holiday Gifts.
I hope to see you there…and give you a goodbye hug at the same time! Or come and be one of Santa’s Helpers…Volunteers needed. (Text me and let me know if you would like to give me a hand 😆)
And please, if you are a friend or relative reading this newsletter, please forgive me if I haven’t called and told you my news personally yet. It’s all happening so fast. Nothing would make me happier than to sit down with a cup of tea and share the news – but I’m too busy packing up. I know you understand!
So now you have it – My Big News. My Miracle Meltdown Odyssey.
WOW! A year ago I was still riddled with cancer, David and I were still together. This has been one crazy- harsh year! Today, I am cancer-free and David and I, although no longer together as husband and wife, have become good friends. Imagine that! I am counting my blessings.
And I continue to count my blessings for YOU! And a special call out to you if you live in Victoria and have been part of my creative and healing circles for over two decades.
Many of you have become my dear friends – some have come and gone. Please know that ALL OF YOU have brought so much richness to my life.
One day, on the other side of my pilgrimage, when I am settled somewhere brand new, I will be able to write what gifts this beautiful city brought to me. I can’t do it now. You can’t write about Paris while you’re still there. But I can surely say, “Thank YOU!”
By the way, this doesn’t mean goodbye, it just means goodbye for me to Victoria! Thankfully, my irreplaceable executive assistant, India, follows me everywhere I go via this thing called the Internet!
All Love and blessings,
Junie
P.S. I may have a special open house going away celebration. Stay posted for details! *you may need to bring your own chair! LOL
P.P.S. As you can see by the picture below, I am still working with my author mentorship clients. Tayama is getting ready to join the Author Mentorship Bootcamp at the Bethlehem Centre in Nanaimo. See all the details here, and stay posted for more information about the Author Mentorship Bootcamp soon!
P.P.P.S. I always like it when people respond to my newsletters. This time, if you are inspired, I’d especially love to hear from you! I’m a Cancerian — we are natural sentimentalists! And I love you all!
I love when I can put my students to work and they are happy about it!
Me in the middle of chaos! HELP!
Junie and David
David and me pointing to a heart on the front hall closet door where David had written, All is Well, that I never took down.
Deborah taking photos for Facebook Marketplace and my house contents sale!
I dedicate this post to my friend and client, Anna Leigh Zirpolo (above), to all our forefathers, and to the men and women today who are still fighting for our freedom.
Anna Leigh Zirpolo is all about truth. She is one of my book-writing students and is currently writing a book called Mining The Truth. Scroll down to read more about Mining the Truth – a book about Truth, Freedom, and Liberty.
Anna is multi-talented, and beyond her book, she has composed a song dedicated to her maternal grandfather, Eben Chesterfield Murray, who she never met. He fought in WWI in France and died there.
Anna says:“He literally gave his life for my freedom, Our Freedom. The morning I wrote this song, I felt my grandpa with me. I am responsible for continuing the fight for Freedom, Liberty, Truth, and Choice.”
LISTEN TO ANNA ZIRPOLO’S SONG, FOR OUR FREEDOM (LETTER TO GRANDPA) HERE:
Anna’s grandfather, who fought in France, Eben Chesterfield Murray. The song is a letter to him.
A few words from Anna:To quote my 90-year-old dad who was eight years old in the north of England when the second World War broke out, “Freedom Is Not Free, and once it is taken it is never given back.”
Seeing all the divisiveness in our beautiful country breaks my heart. Our freedom was not free. It was paid for with the blood of our parents and grandparents — all brave men and women who sacrificed their lives for us. I won’t allow their sacrifice to be in vain. Let us all unite for freedom. And freedom of choice. Love, Anna.
Please share Anna’s song with others this Remembrance Day (simply give them the link to this blog post). It is so important that we remember that men and women have been going to war for centuries, fighting for the freedoms that we have today.
My father, Jimmy Swadron, who fought in WWII
This is my father, Jimmy Swadron, who enlisted in the Canadian army during World War II. He was sent to Iceland and then England. He was injured by flying shrapnel during the Blitz and was in and out of hospital his entire life due to injuries from that time.
Still, my dad never complained. He worked two jobs to make ends meet and still sported a fantastic sense of humour. Always a kibitzer. Never ever did he speak of his time in the war.
My fiancé David’s paternal grandfather, John Halliwell, who lost his leg in World War I.
David’s paternal grandfather, John Halliwell, lost his leg in World War I in France. He was carrying an injured friend to safety in the trenches when a shell went off that killed his friend, and John’s leg was blown off.
David’s maternal grandparents, Michael and Alice Hall. Michael fought in World War I, 1914 -1918.
Do you have pictures of family members or friends who fought in the wars? Now’s the time to take them out, look at them again, honour them with your love and gratitude and say, “Thank you.” I know they will hear you, just as Anna could feel her grandpa with her as she wrote her remarkable song. Thank you Anna.
MINING THE TRUTH
A book by Anna Zirpolo
In Anna’s book, she honours the voice of her 90-year-old father, Alan Houliston, and his father, William (Bill) Houliston. One of Anna’s greatest gifts these days is sitting beside her dad as he recounts the times of his youth and life so she can write and capture it in her book . . . so that the truth can be told.
Anna Zirpolo and her 90-year-old father in November 2021
Anna’s book reads like a historical novel, but features 100% of her family’s personal truth. When Anna was only 21 years old, she visited her grandparents in the north of England and found a way to go down a mine to see for herself what her grandfather, and his father before him, along with hundreds and thousands of young boys and men endured in the horrendous conditions they were forced to work under.
Anna exposes the truth about her grandfather’s life after he was wrongly accused while working in the town’s Co-Op. This forced him to go down into the mines from which he never escaped until he was 65. With tenacity and an open heart, Anna was able to help her father to understand the truth.
In Anna’s words: “The story is about the relationship between my dad and his father, and how an inquisitive and determined granddaughter shone a light on their troubled relationship, thus exposing the truth behind their unsettled past.
When the truth was revealed many years later, transformation and miracles occurred. We can change the past,” she states emphatically.
Thank you to all the men and women who have been fighting across centuries, right up until today, as well as everyone who is standing up for freedom in the ways they can. We have a right to be free. And we have a right to choose. We can make our voices heard peacefully and stand united and respectfully in these choices even when they are different. I love how this picture demonstrates just that.
I can show you how, and work alongside you as you do it! I have a few seats left in my fast-approaching author mentorship program; the course starts on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. There’s still time, but don’t delay!
About the Author Mentorship Program:
📚 Are you ready to write your book but don’t know where to begin?
📚 Are you a business leader or coach wanting to make a difference in the world?
📚 Are you ready to write your memoir?
This comprehensive 10-week program will give you everything you need to accomplish your dream of writing your book!
📚 Ten weekly 2-hour group Zoom calls
📚 One-on-one coaching
📚 Publishing opportunity
📚 Free publicity — the opportunity to have an exclusive VIP Interview on The Soul Connection Podcast
📚 Private discussion group to share your writing process
Your Life Matters! 8 Simple Steps to Writing Your Story
Do you want to write your book but don’t know where to begin?
Let me guess: You get excited about the thought of writing your life stories, but then, a voice inside your head stops you cold, saying things like, “Who would read it? What could I possibly teach others? Besides, I wouldn’t have a clue where to start.”
With Your Life Matters! Junie Swadron has written a book about human transformation, and she uses her reader’s pen and life story to accomplish this evolutionary task. As an author, psychotherapist, and writing coach, Junie Swadron has guided writers and authors to write their life stories for more than thirty years. Her books, Re-Write Your Life: A Transformational Guide to Writingand Healing the Stories of Our Lives and Write Where You Are, have helped thousands of writers move through fear and writer’s block.
Wendy Kenny was one of the students in the last mentorship program, she and many others are now published authors!
“At first I was not really sure about this workshop but in the end I am happy to have been a part of it. Thank you for opening your home and heart to us. You provided a safe environment and encouraged us—no judgments, but truths. You helped me to believe that I have a story and that it is worth writing down—especially because of the healing that it has brought me. In your sharing it shows how courageous and strong you have been on your journey and that overflowed during our time together. Blessings to you.” —Wendy Kenny
Your life matters, and your life stories matter too!
Are you an entrepreneur with a great product, service, and brand? You need to get it out there in the world with your book! There’s nothing like having a published book to give you credibility.
How do you want to write your life stories? You could approach your project chronologically, from birth to where you are today, with all the wisdom you have gleaned along the way. Or, you could organize around themes—travel experiences, career, marriage, and children, spirituality, illness, times you were stronger than you thought, transitions and crossroads, teachers and mentors—it can all be done.
The main thing is that Your Life Matters and that you find a way to honour your life so that you can see how every story you have ever lived has come wrapped in gifts and lessons, ready to be transformed and integrated. I can show you how to write your book from the most empowered, joyous place within you so that you’ll be proud to celebrate your legacy out loud—with family and friends or with a wider audience at your book launch!
In Your Life Matters! Author Mentorship Program, you will learn how to:
📚 Inspire others with the wisdom you’ve attained in your lifetime
📚 Achieve your life-long dream of writing your memoir or sharing your entrepreneurial knowledge
📚 Bust through your blocks and write with confidence and ease with eight easy steps
📚 Free yourself from your painful past at last by unleashing your authentic voice
📚 Allow the hard lessons life has given you to become your greatest gifts
We all have fears around writing our stories, but we need to acknowledge that our life is the most important one of all and that the stories we want to tell are worthy.
The intention is that once you learn all the reasons why you CAN write your book, you’ll be saying an absolute YES to joining a group of committed upcoming authors in my Your Life Matters!Author Mentorship Program and writing your book. Apply now, and I’ll see you very soon! Course starts Tuesday, May 11, 2021.
“Junie brings her enormous heart and ignited spirit to each lesson, as well as to each and every person. She is a creative wellspring, inspired and supportive, and that all comes through. Thank you Junie for sharing your gifts and experience with us!” —Patricia Campbell
“I deeply appreciate the way Junie encourages her students to be comfortable and fearless at the same time. I found that I could go further than I’d expected in my writing, and this course inspired me to continue to work at this craft. I hope to take more courses with Junie in the future!” —Melanie Cook
Here’s the first in a series of posts about Life Stories. Yours, Mine, Humanity’s.
Although the circumstances are all different, we share a common thread through it all, and that’s our humanness and our ability to relate. And I wish to make all our stories relatable — through the lens of our hearts even when our minds would have us think differently. In fact, even with those closest to us who are not necessarily on the same page. How often do you watch a movie with your beloved and closest friend and have very different interpretations of what you watched?
I wish to share some snippets of my life and my invitation to you is to see what it evokes in you and tell your story too.
Read what I wrote when I came home from my walk this morning. Listen to the song that it brought to mind. Then write wherever your pen leads you afterwards.
Simply Write Where You Are; I invite you to share your stories at Junie’s Writing Sanctuary (if you’re not a member yet, just ask to join and I’ll get you in as soon as I can).
I was on my morning walk along The Breakwater — a beautiful long pier stretching out into the Pacific Ocean — where only sky and sea remain. At the end of the breakwater there is a lighthouse whose job is to bring sailors safely home to the harbour.
I think about that – as a child wanting to bring those I loved safely home to shore and it is my way still today. Yet, this morning I started walking with a heavy heart because of some current circumstances that have me troubled.
So, not wishing to remain heavy-hearted, I put my hand on my heart and said to my inner child, “Junie, sweetheart, I know you are frightened. I just want you to know that we have survived every fear we have faced and we always find our way home even in stormy seas. We will this time too, darling. I am here for you. You can feel sad. I am holding you tight to my heart. Oh, look! There’s a seagull that landed on the rail right beside us. I think he is carrying a message. I wonder what it is. Do you know, sweetie?”
And I heard a voice inside of me say, “Yes, he came to say, All is well.” All IS WELL!
And that was it. The next moment I was humming one of my favourite songs:
Calypso
by John Denver
To sail on a dream on a crystal clear ocean
To ride on the crest of a wild raging storm
To work in the service of life and living
In search of the answers to the questions unknown
To be part of the movement and part of the growing
Part of beginning to understand
Aye Calypso the places you’ve been to
The things that you’ve shown us
The stories you tell
Aye Calypso, I sing to your spirit
The men who have served you so long and so well
Like the dolphin who guides you, you bring us beside you
To light up the darkness and show us the way
For though we are strangers in your silent world
To live on the land we must learn from the sea
To be true as the tide and free as a wind swell
Joyful and loving in letting it be
Aye Calypso the places you’ve been to
The things that you’ve shown us
The stories you tell
Aye Calypso, I sing to your spirit
The men who have served you so long and so well
Aye Calypso the places you’ve been to
The things that you’ve shown us
The stories you tell
Aye Calypso, I sing to your spirit
The men who have served you so long and so well
Watch a stunning video of television footage from Jacques Cousteau and listen to John Denver sing it to us:
Writing Prompt:
What do you do to help you navigate life when you feel troubled? If you like, share your writing in Junie’s Writing Sanctuary (if you’re not a member yet, just ask to join and I’ll get you in as soon as I can).
Do you think your negative beliefs and attitudes toward writing
can’t change in a few hours? Yes, they can!
Do you think life affirming transformation can’t happen in a day?
Yes, it can!
Come, let me show you how to come home to your heart through the joy
of writing.
Writing has the power to stop time, cut through the extraneous and take us
home to our heart. This absolutely fun experience will engage the writer within
and may surprise you by eliciting prose, poetry, song lyrics or simply stream of
consciousness writing in “no apparent form”. You will learn the fundamentals of
moving past the head and into the heart of writing.
You will be led gently into story and into the soul’s inner landscape where
clarity, creativity, passion, originality and truth are revealed. With
encouragement, safety and the freedom to jump in, you will open to the joy of
where writing can take you.
The sweet whisperings of your soul meet you on the page and something shifts.
You strengthen. You begin to stand taller and one day you notice that your voice
on the page has become your voice in the world.
For those who have never experienced my 8-week writing workshops called, Sacred Writing Circles, also known as “Write Where You Are” or Re-Write Your Life, this will give you an excellent opportunity to be introduced to the experience.
“When I arrived here I was completely stuck. I felt self-conscious,
worried, couldn’t even think about reading out loud to the group. By the time I
left at the end of the day, words were pouring onto the paper like years of
uncried tears. I read out loud to the group and felt proud of the things I had
written after it was received so warmly by the group. What a personal
transformation in 1 day!”
Gillian Pierson
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Time: 9:30am – 5pm
Location:
Church of Truth
Community of Conscious Living
111 Superior Street
Victoria, British Columbia V8V 1T3
Do you want to learn how to write a book?
Are you an entrepreneur with a great product, service, and brand? You need to get it out there in the world with your book! There’s nothing like having a published book to give you credibility.
