The BRAVE Interview #28 November 2018 Senator Susan Collins

by | Nov 2, 2018 | The BRAVE Interview Series, The BRAVE Interviews

Please enjoy this month’s BRAVE Interview with Senator Susan Collins!

Public service is in my DNA.

Five generations of the Collins family have served in the Maine State Legislature.  Both of my parents served as mayor of my hometown of Caribou.  My father, a decorated World War II veteran, also served one term in the Maine House and four terms in the state Senate, and my mother has served on countless boards and commissions, always rising to leadership positions.

I had great role models at home who always taught me that I did not have the right to complain if I sat on the sidelines and did not get involved.

One specific experience that led me to follow in their footsteps occurred when I was a senior in high school and was chosen to participate in the U.S. Senate Youth Program.  The highlight of my trip to Washington was meeting Maine’s Senator Margaret Chase Smith – the first woman elected to both the House and the Senate, and the first woman to have her name entered into nomination for President by a major party.  Her courageous “Declaration of Conscience” speech took a stand against Senator Joseph McCarthy. Her integrity, determination, and bravery continue to inspire me today. Keep reading

The BRAVE Interview #27 October 2018: Laura Stewart Shortridge

by | Oct 1, 2018 | The BRAVE Interviews

My name is Laura Susanne (Stewart) Shortridge.

Long name for a short person I know, but every name has deep meaning for me and I share them with pride.

I’m brave because I embrace who I am, where I came from, and what I want to become.

It hasn’t always been that way.

I have been married 40 years and raised 6 children. It was my choice to be wife and (mostly) stay-at-home mom. It was my choice to home school for 20 years and to be involved in Boys Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H, and church leadership roles. I loved being actively involved in nurturing and teaching our children.

It was not my choice to do it alone. After a great 18-year start, my husband chose to spiritually walk a different path. He lived in the same house (usually) and provided for our physical needs, but mentally and spiritually, the kids and I were on our own. Trying desperately to be both Mom and Dad, I lost my identity along the way. Keep reading

The BRAVE Interview #26 September 2018: Donna Doyon

by | Sep 1, 2018 | The BRAVE Interviews

Welcome to this month’s BRAVE Interview with Donna Doyon!

I’m Donna Doyon, a self-proclaimed recovering ugly duckling, who usually thinks I can’t do something, and then go on to prove myself wrong. I’m working to break the cycle of starting with the doubt, but perhaps my stubborn nature enjoys the challenges I put out there for myself.

When Karen invited me to share my One Brave Thing story, I pasted a smile on my face and replied, “Sure! That would be great!”

Inside I thought, “I haven’t done anything brave! What the heck am I supposed to share? Who cares about anything I’ve done?” Keep reading

The BRAVE Interview #25 August 2018: Killarney Traynor

by | Aug 1, 2018 | The BRAVE Interviews

Please enjoy this month’s BRAVE Interview with Killarney Traynor!

WHO are you? I’m Killarney Traynor, an author, bookworm, and tea drinker from the granite state of New Hampshire! I’ve been writing ever since I learned how to read and I love the feeling you get when a good story comes together. I also work with my brother’s film company, Narrow Street Films, writing scripts, producing, acting, and occasionally directing. When I’m not doing that, I’m usually hanging out in bookstores or getting lost in Boston.

WHAT is your One Brave Thing? Self-publishing my first book, Summer Shadows. Although I’d been writing since I was a kid, it wasn’t really something I talked about. Telling people that you write stories means someone is probably going to ask you what your stories are about or, worse, they may ask to read them. When you write, you pour your heart on to paper. As long as no one knew I did this, no one could read and judge the book and, by extension, me. But once I released Summer Shadows, the jig was up and I was forced to come out of the Writer’s Closet and admit, Yes, I wrote this and I think and feel in this way. Keep reading

The BRAVE Interview #24 July 2018: Jane VanVooren Rogers

by | Jul 2, 2018 | The BRAVE Interview Series, The BRAVE Interviews

Please enjoy this month’s BRAVE Interview with Jane VanVooren Rogers!

Thanks to Karen Creamer for inviting me to participate in the Brave interview series!

I’m Jane VanVooren Rogers, writer, editor, and speaker. I have a poetry chapbook, “How to Avoid Being and other paths to Triumph,” and I’ve written hundreds of print and online articles in the last 20 years.

I’ve edited novels, memoirs, and personal growth books, helping clients polish their words before they release them into the world. I’m really enjoying helping people do that, and I’d love to follow in their steps and release more of my words into the world through nonfiction books and poetry. Keep reading