August Book to Live By

by on August 5, 2026

Inheritance

by Dani Shapiro

In the spring of 2016, through a genealogy website, Dani Shapiro received the stunning news that her beloved deceased father was not her biological father. Over the course of a single day, her entire history—the life she had lived—crumbled beneath her.  Inheritance is a book about secrets and about the extraordinary moment we live in where science and technology have outpaced not only medical ethics but also the capacities of the human heart to contend with the consequences of what we discover. Part mystery, part real-time investigation, part rumination on the ineffable combination of memory, history, biology, and experience, Inheritance is a devastating and haunting interrogation of the meaning of kinship and identity.

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July Book to Live By

by on July 2, 2026

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When the Jessamine Grows

Donna Everhart

Joetta and Ennis McBride have built a happy life for themselves, raising two sons, fifteen-year-old Henry, and eleven-year-old Robert, on their small subsistence farm in North Carolina. Amidst talk of civil war, Joetta considers her family neutral, believing this is simply not their fight, but her opinion is not favored by Joetta’s father-in-law, Rudean. A staunch Confederate supporter, he fills his grandsons’ heads with stories about the glory of battle and the Southern cause. One night Henry runs off to join the war, and Ennis leaves to bring him home. Weeks pass with no word, and Joetta is battered by the strain of running a farm with so little help. As the country becomes further entangled in war, Joetta finds herself shunned and struggling to survive. She remains committed to her principles, but the greatest tests are still to come both for Joetta’s family and the fractured nation. In honor of America’s 250th Anniversary, an historical fiction novel to remind us of deep divisions our nation has overcome.

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June Book to Live By

by on June 1, 2026

Strangers

by Belle Burden

In March 2020, Belle Burden was safe and secure with her family navigating the early days of the pandemic together—Then, without warning or explanation, her husband of 20 years announced that he was leaving. Overnight, her partner became a man she hardly recognized. In Strangers, Burden revisits her marriage, searching for clues. As she begins to see through a new lens, she reckons with the lessons about how a woman is expected to behave in the face of betrayal and transforms from a discreet, compliant woman to someone braver, and determined to use her voice.

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April Book to Live By

by on April 2, 2026

The Correspondent

by Virginia Evans

Most mornings, Sybil sits down to write letters—to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter. She used the letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. But when letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life, she realizes that she cannot move forward until she finds it in her heart to offer forgiveness. The Correspondent is a gem of a novel about the power of finding solace in literature and connection with people we might never meet in person. It is about the hubris of youth and the wisdom of old age, and the mistakes and acts of kindness that occur during a lifetime.

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The Disruption Podcast

by on July 11, 2023

Debbie was recently featured on The Disruption Podcast! 

Topics ranged from the value of community, how to feel confident when you aren’t supported by the people around you, and why the five people you keep closest should be the most influential in your life.

Key points:

– What it means to follow your intuition

– What disrupting feels like in your body

– The pivotal moment that made Debbie start her massive career switch

– The importance of the people you surround yourself with

– The negative feedback Debbie got when she first started coaching

– What Debbies coaching business looked like in the beginning and how it evolved

– Finding and living in your purpose

– Learning how to take a compliment as a women

– The importance of creating a community

Listen now: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-disruption-podcast/id1664550528?i=1000616814747

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December’s Book To Live By

by on December 6, 2018

Do you begin each new year with a resolve for positive change, only to see your high hopes quickly evaporate?

True, long-lasting change takes more than a resolution. It requires deliberate thought and careful preparation.

If you want to hit the ground running on January 1, you need a meaningful strategy before you even step up to the starting line.

Several years ago, I designed and wrote such a plan with my husband and business partner, Rob Berkley.

Our combined 40-plus years of coaching thousands of executives, professionals and entrepreneurs — privately and in groups — have led us to a three-part approach that is fun, exciting and easy to do.

For our December Book To Live By, I am so pleased to announce a special offer on this popular program:

Great Start: 3 Steps You Can Take Now to Make the Next 12 Months Your Best Ever by Debbie Phillips and Rob Berkley.

The Great Start Program

To understand where you are going, you first have to establish an accurate picture of where you are today. The Timeline exercise guides you in reviewing — and celebrating — the past. This step is entertaining to do with your life partner, children or even close friends.

Clear, measurable goals stated in precise language are key to progress and achievement. And you must write them down! Great Start gives you straightforward examples and helpful tips to put you in control of your goals.

The final step is creating a theme that enables you to focus your actions throughout the year. A great theme will inspire you every time you see it.

With these simple, powerful tools, you’ll get a great start to every year!

Here is a typical testimonial for this valuable program:

“I’m working my way through Great Start and enjoying every minute of this self-reflective and insightful process.”—Stephanie Jensen

For a limited time, we are offering Great Start, regularly priced at $59, for only $39 and free shipping! Use the link above to reach this special deal.

Wishing you a successful 2019 and beyond,

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October 2018 Sneak Peek Interview with Michaela Boehm

by on October 3, 2018

Are you a Wild Woman? 

For Michaela Boehm, my guest for the October interview, a Wild Woman is one who is deeply connected to all things in nature, including her own body.  

As a world-renown intimacy expert, Michaela counsels individuals and couples to make this foundational connection and, in the process, find fulfillment in their lives. 

I first interviewed Michaela two years ago, and I’ve also experienced her powerful workshops, where she uses movement to unleash inner strength and intuition. 

Michaela found herself relying on both of those qualities last year when disaster struck, and her home was burned to the ground in a California wildfire. 

Listen in here as she describes the devastation she found surrounding her: 

But Michaela quickly began rebuilding her life, and she shares with us the lessons she learned from the tragedy. 

In the rest of this interview, you’ll also learn: 

  • Ways to — and not to — offer comfort and support in times of grief and disaster 
  • The No. 1 reason people seek out an intimacy expert 
  • Why your body carries the key to withstanding tragedy 
  • Tips for women to reconnect to their bodies and their truth 
  • Michaela’s definition of power and where it resides 

We also talk about her new book, The Wild Woman’s Way: Unlock Your Full Potential for Pleasure, Power, and Fulfillment. And Michaela is generously gifting Women on Fire members a free guided audio of her “Foundational Wild Woman’s Practice.”  

To hear the rest of this uplifting conversation, join the Women on Fire Monthly Membership today. 

You will become part of what New York Times’ best-selling author Marianne Williamson calls “the ultimate ‘you go, girl’ community for inspiration and support.” 

You have until October 5 to receive the full interview with Michaela Boehm, your personalized coaching materials, access to the Women on Fire private Facebook page and much, much more. 

We hope you’ll join us! 

 

 

 

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September 2018 Sneak Peek Interview with Judy Blume

by on September 1, 2018

This month, we are revisiting a woman who is a national treasure and beloved Woman on Fire.

Of the nearly 100 interviews I’ve done for our membership, many of you told me that author Judy Blume was your all-time favorite.

I decided it was time for an update and a re-issue of that original interview.

I asked Women on Fire senior editor Kacy Cook to check back in with Judy at her home on Key West for the latest. She learned Judy is not slowing down!

Listen in here as Judy talks about creating a writing master class based on her half-century of experience:

In the rest of the interview, you’ll also learn:

  • How Judy began a whole new career at age 78
  • About the grand musical tribute Judy received for her 80th birthday
  • Judy’s thoughts on following your dreams
  • Why rejection should not deter you
  • How she found her voice and moved beyond fear
  • Her advice to today’s young people and aspiring authors

After Kacy’s inspiring update, you’ll hear my 2013 interview in which Judy shared intimate stories from her amazing career writing award-winning books that have changed lives. Her wisdom is as relevant today as it was five years ago.

To hear the rest of this fascinating conversation, join the Women on Fire Monthly Membership today.

You will become part of what New York Times’ best-selling author Marianne Williamson calls “the ultimate ‘you go, girl’ community for inspiration and support.”

You have until September 5 to receive the full interview with Judy Blume, your personalized coaching materials, access to the Women on Fire private Facebook page and much, much more.

We hope you’ll join us!

 

 

 

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August 2018 Sneak Peek Interview with Mary Burnett Brown and Janet Simmonds

by on August 1, 2018

I absolutely love to travel! And I know you do, too.

Travel satisfies our sense of wonder and discovery. It gives us a break from the mundane. We find beauty and novelty.

But travel can also be unnerving. You are at the mercy of schedules and all manner of uncertainty.

For August, I spoke to two beloved members of our Women on Fire community who also happen to be travel pros. Their insider tips and advice will bring you the thrill of adventure and peace of mind!

Janet Simmonds (pictured on right) is a longtime tour guide and travel writer, and Mary Burnett Brown (left) has been a flight attendant for nearly four decades.

Janet Simmonds and Mary Burnett Brown

From the practical to the inspirational and even the silly, Mary and Janet tell all!

 

In this interview, they share:

  • Three secrets to successful travel
  • Helpful ideas for what and how to pack
  • Tried-and-true strategies for fighting jet lag
  • How to ensure a safe trip no matter where your bucket list takes you…and so much more!

Whether you’re a novice traveler or a seasoned tourist, I know you’ll be inspired and enriched by Janet and Mary’s insights. Plus, this conversation with these delightful pros is a hoot!

To hear the rest of this uplifting conversation, join the Women on Fire Membership today.

You will become part of what New York Times’ best-selling author Marianne Williamson calls “the ultimate ‘you go, girl’ community for inspiration and support.”

Our next Live Chat master class is 8PM EDT, Tuesday, August 14, 2018, featuring Mary Brown and Janet Simmonds answering your questions about travel!

We hope you’ll join us!

Happy travels to you,
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July 2018 Sneak Peek Interview with Francesca Gino

by on June 29, 2018

Are you a rebel?

Or maybe you think of rebels as troublemakers and outcasts and choose instead to follow the rules to get along.

This month, we take a fresh look at rule-breaking. Francesca Gino, a Harvard Business School professor and a behavioral scientist and researcher, shows us why and how to be a rebel.

She is the author of an exhilarating new book called Rebel Talent: Why It Pays to Break the Rules at Work and in Life.

In this interview, you’ll learn:

  • How a small change in your language can open you up to a new world of possibilities
  • Why rebels can be a force for positive change in life
  • The 5 characteristics of rebel talent we all can unlock
  • The approach from improv comedy that will make others listen to your rebel ideas…and so much more!

In the After Interview, Kim Dettmer (above with Francesca’s book) — an artist, author and one of our original Women on Fire members — shares why she sees herself as a rebel.

I can’t wait to hear about the rebel you see in yourself!

To hear the rest of this uplifting conversation, join the Women on Fire Membership today.

You will become part of what New York Times’ best-selling author Marianne Williamson calls “the ultimate ‘you go, girl’ community for inspiration and support.”

You have until July 5 to receive the full interview with Francesca Gino, your personalized coaching materials, access to the Women on Fire private Facebook page and much, much more.

We hope you’ll join us!

With love,
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