Best-selling Non-fiction Author Wendy Wilkinson Turns to Fiction to Introduce Us To Those Who Seek Modern Day Pirate Plunder

by Anne Holmes on June 12, 2013

Welcome to Wendy Wilkinson, NABBW member and New York Times bestselling nonfiction author, who has just taken her writing efforts in a new direction with the debut of her first novel,  “Pirate’s Plunder: An Adele Bonny Adventure.”

Pirates PlunderNABBW is honored to be featured as “Day Two” of Wendy’s virtual book tour promoting this fun book which chronicles the story of bounty hunter Adele Bonny,  fictional niece, to the infamous real-life pirate,  Anne Bonny.

Though it’s been thirteen generations since Anne Bonny and her fellow pirates prowled the seas looking for tall ships to plunder,  this book tells of how infamous Pirate Anne Bonny and her current-day niece Adele transcend time and team up in order to solve modern day pirate retrieval cases throughout the Caribbean.

Wendy says the topic came naturally to her,  as tales of the Caribbean and high seas adventures are in her blood. Growing up near the beaches of Southern California, she developed a love for the ocean early on in life. These days, she and her husband live part-time in the Bahamas, where they often sail aboard their 28-foot sabre sailboat.

As might be natural for anyone who makes a home in the Caribbean, Wendy’s been studying pirate lore and modern day pirates for six years. Her first pirate project was a fictionalized historical account of Anne Bonny, and her pirate lover, Captain Calico Jack Rackham.  Published as a Kindle e-book, and titled “ARGHH! Being the Vexing Letters from Anne Bonny to her Secret Sister,” this story, takes place between 1720 – 1724, the years they terrorized the waters of the Caribbean.

Anne Bonny, as Wilkinson tells us, was one of the most infamous female pirates ever to roam the high seas. We soon learn she was notorious for her wealth and success — but perhaps even  more so for her cruelty and ruthlessness.  More important to the  plot, we cannot ignore her romantic escapades.  “ARGHH!” reveals that she and Calico Jack had a child. This, of course, sets up the potential for living descendants.

In fact, “ARGHH!” is  a prequel for “Pirate’s Plunder,” which tells the story of how Adele Bonny becomes a modern-day pirate bounty hunter in order to retrieve Anne’s treasures, which had recently been bequeathed to her — and were pirated again before Adele ever took possession.

As the story opens, Adele,  a successful woman in a happy marriage, is living a glamorous lifestyle in Nassau, the Caribbean playground of the rich. But her satisfying life is suddenly taken from her with little warning: First she learns that her husband has been cheating on her. And hard on the heels of that news comes discovery that her home as been ransacked and her family fortune — actual relics from Anne Bonny’s exploits — stolen.

Worse, The Provocative Pirates Museum on Nassau is set to showcase them as “Romantic Relics of the Caribbean,” and the Museum’s curator is anxious to begin setting up the exhibit.  Perhaps most devastating of all the news comes the discovery that the thief is her husband, and he and his mistress have made off with all of it in her her lovingly-restored boat.

Totally blindsided, Adele seeks solace in a local watering hole, where she runs into and soon shares her sorry tale with Smee, a man she’s previously known only socially.  (By the way, I can’t help but remind you that the use of the name “Smee” is likely a sly reference to Captain Hook’s right hand man, in the Peter Pan story.)

As they talk, she discovers that Smee owns Pirates Plunder, a pirate loot retrieval company. Since she’s lost everything, he offers her a short-term secretarial job, which she accepts. But soon, they team up with a third man, an adventurer who may be a mercenary,  to recover her losses. In the retrieval process, she begins to realize she’s hearing  a voice in her head.

Delightfully, she’s not crazy: The voice is that of her Great Aunt Anne Bonny, the famous pirate. Part conscience, part mentor, Pirate Anne provides just the goad Adele needs to take action to recover her boat and her family  treasures. But can she and her friends track down the modern day pirates and recover her family treasure in time?

I found the story fascinating and a fun and easy read. Of course, I soon wanted to know more about what led author Wilkinson to her trade non-fiction work for tales of piracy — especially as I soon discovered that Pirate’s Plunder is the first in a planned Adele Bonny Adventure trilogy.  So I asked Wendy NABBW’s favorite questions. Here are her responses…

Using one paragraph, tell us a bit about yourself?

Wendy WilkinsonI am a New York Times bestselling non-fiction author who has taken my work in a new direction with the recent publication of my first work of fiction “Pirate’s Plunder: An Adele Bonny Adventure.“  My passion has always been writing, but I took a twenty-year detour and ended up in Hollywood as a celebrity publicist working with the likes of Billy Crystal, Robin Williams and Jane Fonda.

Tell us about your family; married, divorced, children, grands, boomerangs or parents living with you, etc.

I have been married for twenty-three years to a wonderful man who works in the technical side of the house.  We have one beautiful daughter, Alexandra Willa, who was adopted from China and the inspiration for my first book “Parent’s at Last: Celebrating Adoption and the New Pathways to Parenthood.”

 What is your favorite childhood memory that is reminiscent of growing up in the 50s, 60s or 70s?

In the late 60’s I vividly remember our yearly family trips to San Diego every summer.  My father was retired Navy and in the ROTC and had refresher training duty there.  We would stay at that Grand Dame hotel the Del Coronado, spending two weeks, swimming, sailing and enjoying the beach.

What qualities do you have that speak of our generation of women?

I became a mother in my-late 30’s and have juggled an exciting and unpredictable career along with being a wife and mother to an extraordinary daughter who will be attending college this fall.  I wear many hats and have changed careers several times in the last 30 years.

 What inspires you?

There’s so much that inspires me; riding my horse through the Garden of the Gods on a beautiful day; hiking with my husband and daughter; visiting a special place that I’ve never been to before.

 What brings you the most pleasure in midlife? 

Pretty much the above.

 Do you have any interesting hobbies?

I play the piano and ride my horse Roxanne.

 Do you have a favorite book or movie? If so, tell us why it’s your favorite.

There so many books and movies that I love for so many different reasons.  I recently saw “The Great Gatsby” and remembered what a marvelous book it was.  Fitzgerald had such a way with words and gift for setting a scene.

Do you travel and if so, who are your favorite travel partners and where do you like to go?

My family and I love to travel.  We have a second home in the Bahamas; which served as my research base and inspiration for “Pirate’s Plunder“. The beaches boast white sand, fantastic snorkeling and warm blue water. It’s a wonderful place to decompress and regenerate.  In addition, I wrote one of my favorite magazine articles on Tom Selleck there while drinking Bahama Mamas.  We are traveling to London and Paris next Spring.

Do you practice preventive medicine? Please elaborate. 

Yes, I will always try preventative medicine first; from various vitamins to herbal remedies and Young Living oils.  I haven’t had a cold in seven years.

What do you stress about?

As a writer of magazine articles and well as books, I’m totally free-lance and worry about my next assignment and book deal.

Is it important for you to retain your youthful looks, and if so, to what degree are you willing to go?

It is important but I won’t share my tips on keeping youthful.

 Have you re-invented yourself, and if so, how?

As women, I think we’re constantly reinventing ourselves; from single girl; to wife, mother; grandmother.  In addition, about three years ago, I made the transition from wearing two hats as publicist and writer, to primarily writing and have experienced great success.

 Do you plan to retire?

I don’t think that writers ever retire, but perhaps I’ll slow down a bit in my mid-sixties.  My work is one of the things that keep me energized and involved and I love hearing people’s stories and getting deeply involved with research for my books.

 Are you doing anything to GO Green?

Of course.  My daughter will be majoring in Environmental Studies and constantly tutors us in how to do our part to keep green.  We recycle, no longer buy small water bottles and use reusable grocery bags.

 Can you pinpoint major turning points in your life that led to your life’s work/play at midlife?

The catalyst for was the unexpected death of my father when I was 40.  This sudden loss led the adoption of Alex, which led to the writing of “Parent’s at Last” starting me on the path as a writer.

 Do you still have unfulfilled dreams, and are you doing anything to accomplish them?

To see my daughter graduate from law school and to write a New York Times bestselling novel.  “People We Know, Horses They Love” was on the list for ten weeks.

 How do you make a difference in the lives of others, your community, your world?

All of by non-fiction books have benefited a cause of organization.  Sales from “Parents at Last,” benefited children’s organizations; “People We Know, Horses They Love” sales helped to build an indoor riding arena for Pegasus Therapeutic Riding; and Morgan Freeman donated his advance from “Morgan Freeman and Friends: Caribbean Cooking for a Cause“  to start the Grenada Relief Fund, to help victims of hurricanes around the world. Mogan and Friends cover

 Who has had the biggest influence on your life and why?

I would have to say my father, as he was posthumously responsible for what is now my life’s work.

 If you were to have a personal mission statement, what would it be? Feel free to be as serious or fun as you choose.

My mission is continuing to make my family happy and healthy as well continuing to write good work that will resonate long after I’ve hopefully reached those Pearl Gates!

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Meet Carol Orsborn, A Boomer Who’s Not Mellow or Serene: Why She’s Become “Fierce with Age”

by Anne Holmes on April 15, 2013

Today, we introduce you to Dr. Carol Orsborn, who has been  a leading voice for her generation of women since she founded her first life-stage initiative, Overachiever’s Anonymous, in the late 1980’s.  This organization is credited as a progenitor of both the simplicity and work/life balance movements.

Carol has spent her life chronicling the challenges faced and overcome by the women of her generation. In the process, she’s written or co-authored 21 books, including: “The Art of Resilience: 100 Paths to Wisdom and Strength in an Uncertain World” (Random House) and “Nothing Left Unsaid: Words of Strength and Wisdom to Help You and Your Loved Ones through the Hardest Times” (Conari).

Dr. Orsborn served as co-founder of Fleishman-Hillard’s FH Boom, the first global initiative by a top ten public relations firm dedicated to helping brands connect with the Boomer generation.

She is also co-author of “Vibrant Nation:  What Women 50+ Know, Think, Do and Buy” (preface by Ken and Maddy Dychtwald/co-author Stephen Reily) and the first groundbreaking book on the subject of Baby Boomer Women as consumers: “Boom: Marketing to the Ultimate Power Consumer–the Baby Boomer Woman” (with Mary Brown.) Carol also served in the formative role of Senior Strategist for VibrantNation.com.

In addition to her prolific writing accomplishments, Carol has appeared multiple times on The Today Show and on Oprah, NBC Nightly News and in the pages of  The New York Times, USA Today, People Magazine and The Wall Street Journal.

Dr. Orsborn received her Masters of Theological Studies and Doctorate in the History and Critical Theory of Religion from Vanderbilt University, studying adult development and ritual studies. She has done post-graduate studies in spiritual direction at Stillpoint Center for Christian Spirituality in Los Angeles and at the New Seminary of Interfaith Studies in Manhattan.

Teaching ethics and resilience, she has served on the faculties of Georgetown University, Vanderbilt University’s Leadership Development Center of the Owen Graduate School of Management, Loyola Marymount University and the Doctoral Program in Organizational Leadership at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Educational and Psychology.

An avid blogger, Carol’s blog and op-ed credits include PBS’s Next Avenue, Huffington Post, Humana’s Real4Me.com and VibrantNation.com, although her primary blog remains her own: FierceWithAge.com.

Drawn from her diary, “Fierce with Age: Chasing God and Squirrels in Brooklyn” is essentially a tell-all about the state of her soul, during the year she chronicles. In our opinion, it aptly captures, via one woman’s voice and experience, the conflict and emotions facing our Baby Boomer generation today.

After reading it, we knew we needed to reach out to Dr. Obsborn and we did. As a result, she graciously agreed to answer our (almost famous) “Voices of Baby Boomer Women” blog questions, and even offered up an excerpt of this amazing book, which explains why she says that at 65 she is neither mellow or serene, but instead is Fierce with Age. Enjoy!

Using one paragraph, tell us a bit about yourself?

Carol Orsborne In my latest book Fierce with Age:  Chasing God and Squirrels in Brooklyn, I wrote that I used to be “Carol Orsborn”, now I’m not any more.

Most anyone who has broken denial about aging and had to battle the external and internalized ageist stereotypes on the way to the other side of midlife can identify.

I’m happy to report that over the course of that book, and in the year since, I’ve been able to retrieve most of the good parts–and transformed much of the others.

Meanwhile, here’s my formal bio: Carol Orsborn, Ph.D. is author of 21 books and Founder of FierceWithAge.com, the Digest of Boomer Wisdom, Inspiration and Spirituality.

She is an internationally-known thought leader specializing in issues related to Boomer women, spirituality, adult development and quality of life. With a doctorate in the History and Critical of Religion from Vanderbilt, Dr. Orsborn is sought after as a speaker/retreat leader on resilience, aging and marketing to Boomers.

Tell us about your family; married, divorced, children, grands, boomerangs or parents living with you, etc.

I’ve been married to Dan since we were in our early 20’s.  Our daughter is in London, launching a start-up website and our son, his wife and our 3-year-old grandson Mason live close to us in Nashville, Tennessee.                                                          

What is your favorite childhood memory that is reminiscent of growing up in the 50s, 60s or 70s?

 In sixth grade, I won the role of the Cowardly Lion in our school production of The Wizard of Oz.  I got lots of applause just for letting myself give full expression to myself in that role.  After all these years, some of us who had leading roles still refer to each other as “Tin Man”, “Dorothy” and so on. 

What qualities do you have that speak of our generation of women?

 I would have to say I’m irrepressible.  This quality definitely speaks to our generation of women.  There have been so many challenges over so many decades, it’s hard to believe that we still feel entitled to our full portion of joy and fulfillment.  Anything less simply means that we’re not done yet!

What inspires you?

 I devour books about spirituality and aging, especially memoir.  But I enjoy some advice books as well.  What inspires me is when an author is willing to reveal the truth of his/her journey beyond midlife, embracing the shadow as well as the light.

What brings you the most pleasure in midlife?

 I’m 65 and while I know most who are 65 still consider themselves to be middle-aged, I don’t consider myself to be in midlife any longer.

I still work, am actively physically and look younger than the stereotypes of what it means to be old.  However, I am eager to explore what this new life stage has to bring to me. 

I think of being old as being free from other people’s expectations and the need to perform in specific ways. What brings me the most pleasure is the dropping away of fear of aging and activating new, unprecedented levels of self-affirmation and spiritual growth.

Day-to-day, I’m loving being part of my grandson’s life and my extended family.

 Do you have any interesting hobbies?

 I’m running a website called  Fierce with Age.com, the Digest of Boomer Wisdom, Inspiration and Spirituality.  Subscriptions to the bi-weekly featuring the best writing about spirituality and aging on the Web are free.  It feels more like an avocation or calling than a hobby, though. 

I’m also about to have a micro-site launched by the same name and theme on Beliefnet.com.

Do you have a favorite book or movie? If so, tell us why it’s your favorite.

I have too many to pick just one.  However, a recent favorite is Sister Joan Chittister’s The Gift of Years:  Growing Old Gracefully. She writes beautifully about regret, calling it a sand trap of the soul. Regret comes dressed up as serious introspection, but traps us in the past.  She’s very big, as am I, on forgiving the past and getting on with it.

Do you travel and if so, who are your favorite travel partners and where do you like to go?

 With my daughter in London, most of our discretionary time/dollars are spent going back and forth from the US to the UK. 

I have traveled a lot ever since I backpacked through Europe several times in the 60’s.  I have found living places, rather than “touring”, to be the most satisfying, having lived in Washington, DC., NYC, Napa, Portland, Maine, L.A., S.F. and now Nashville. 

To tell you the truth, at this exact moment, I enjoy nothing more than sitting on the banks of the river that runs past my new stone house and enjoying having no place I feel I need to go, nothing I feel I have to do.

 Do you practice preventive medicine? Please elaborate. 

 I don’t think of myself as “practicing”, but rather as living as healthy as I can.  I do t’ai chi; I walk; I’m eating Paleo.

What do you stress about?

 On any given day, just about anything. On a good day, nothing.  When I do stress, the first place I usually go to is worrying about our children’s and grandchildren’s generations and the state of the world.  In particular, I worry that they won’t have the same opportunities to achieve a degree of economic stability while doing meaningful things as I had. 

 Is it important for you to retain your youthful looks, and if so, to what degree are you willing to go?

 I like the idea of looking good and there are times when looking good and looking young overlap—but not always.  I use a good moisturizing lotion and that’s about it.  The rest is in God’s hands.

 Have you re-invented yourself, and if so, how?

 Up until a couple of years ago, I made my living primarily as a marketing expert helping brands build relationships with Boomer women.  I was a proponent of the anti-aging message:  that our generation is prolonging midlife by looking, feeling and acting years younger than our chronological age. 

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been able to break free from my role as marketer to fulfill my lifelong dream as spiritual director and writer. 

I’m now squarely in the pro-aging camp, encouraging my generation of women to embrace both the shadow and light of aging to be whole.

 Do you plan to retire?

Retire is a word/concept with which I don’t relate.  I think in terms of wanting to be free to pick and choose my involvements regardless of if or how much the opportunity happens to pay. I like staying busy and I’m busier than ever.  fierce with Age

 Are you doing anything to GO Green?

 Just switched out all our windows to lower energy costs.

Can you pinpoint major turning points in your life that led to your life’s work/play at midlife?

 I had breast cancer in my late 40’s, giving me an opportunity relatively early in life to come to terms with mortality. 

Everything since then has been a bonus, and I do relish every day.  I was diagnosed on the same day I was accepted into the doctoral program in history and critical theory of religion at Vanderbilt, so the two have converged in my mind as a major turning point, and a new beginning.

Do you still have unfulfilled dreams, and are you doing anything to accomplish them?

I am excited to be part of the “Conscious Aging Movement.”  This is an incredible time to be getting older, finding like-spirited associates who are equally intrigued by the possibilities to be found on the wild side of midlife. 

I’ve spent so much of my life in competitive situations and careers, it’s a blessing to be supporting others, and feeling the support back.  It is my dream that aging—and this new way of being together in community that is dawning on such a grand scale—be given the respect that it deserves.

How do you make a difference in the lives of others, your community, your world?

I’ve broken denial about aging and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.  Society needs its elders and I am learning what it takes to fill this role.

 Who has had the biggest influence on your life and why?

 My husband. We met when we were in our early 20’s.  While my parents loved me, they did not love me unconditionally.  It was in relationship to Dan that I first learned what compassion, generosity and acceptance could mean. 

Dan has been my biggest supporter and gave me a nest from which to soar—and to return to, keeping me grounded.  He is, as the song goes, the wind beneath my wings.

If you were to have a personal mission statement, what would it be? Feel free to be as serious or fun as you choose.

You’ll really appreciate this if you read my book, but I think any pet lover will resonate.  It’s purpose enough in life to just make one dog happy.

 

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Meet Gypsy-Spirited Marsha Roberts, Self-Proclaimed “Mutinous Baby Boomer”

by Anne Holmes on March 15, 2013

marsharobertsWelcome to another post in our “Voices” blog. Today, I introduce you to Marsha Roberts, another gypsy-spirited Baby Boomer Woman.

Marsha tells us she she’s a serial careerist. Her first profession was as a scrub nurse in open-heart surgery, but her “itchy travel feet” weren’t happy. So at 23 she walked away from that life to travel and seek new adventures.

Before she found her true calling, Marsha spent time working as an art director, stage manager and film editor. Along the way she discovered a knack for selling creative projects and produced marketing films and elaborate Corporate Theatre presentations for IBM, Coca-Cola, Revlon, Georgia-Pacific and Domino’s Pizza among others.

This led the way to developing and producing a full theatrical production, “Letters From the Front,” the only professional play to tour American military bases around the world. “Letters” touched hundreds of thousands of lives, toured for fifteen years and was the first play ever to perform at the Pentagon. Traveling with the show, Marsha found her troupe entertaining troops in Germany, England, Belgium, Italy, Spain, S. Korea, Japan, Guam and the Indian Ocean, plus virtually every major city in the states including in Alaska and Hawaii — all with her kid in tow.

The daunting process of getting this never-been-done-before production off the ground and onto a worldwide stage gave her a keen awareness of what it takes to overcome life’s obstacles and find the miraculous in the commonplace.

More recently, Marsha’s put away her traveling shoes, and has spent her days “chained to her computer.” First, writing her book, “Confessions of a Mutinous Baby Boomer,” then figuring out how to market it, and most recently putting together an Authors-Like-Authors program for the new “Boomer Lit” group at Goodreads. MutinousBBoomer-Cover2012

In fact, “Confessions” is the book the Boomer Lit Group is reading right now. (March 15 – April 15, 2013.) But we’ve heard a rumor that Marsha is in the early planning stages of taking “Letters from the Front” back out on tour. So before she heads off again, we caught up with Marsha to ask her our favorite questions. Her answers are below.

Using one paragraph, tell us a bit about yourself?

I spent a great deal of my childhood peeking out from behind stage curtains and watching my dad perform, theatre lights bouncing off him, the dimly lit faces of the audience just beyond. In other words, show business is in my blood.

So, although I started out professionally as an operating room nurse, it didn’t take long before my restless gypsy nature forced me to move on. I never wanted to be a performer like my dad, but rather to be backstage, behind the curtain like the Wizard of Oz!

After learning the ropes in a variety of jobs, I became a theatrical producer. Eventually I developed, produced and marketed Letters From The Front, the only professional play to tour military bases all over the world for fifteen years.

In the process of getting this never-been-done-before production off the ground and onto a worldwide stage, I found out that angels were real and miracles inevitable.

Tell us about your family; married, divorced, children, grands, boomerangs or parents living with you, etc.

MarshaBob2011I am one of the really fortunate ones in this area. I’ve been married to the same wonderful guy for 37 years and we still like each other! I had a short, disastrous marriage before I met Bob, one of those moments of youth you have to get out of your system before you go on.

Bob came into my life complete with a small son, who became like my own almost instantly. We had another son eight years later.

Frankly I’m not a very good mother. I’ve always been more like a big sister to my boys than a mom. But it worked out fine, as grown men they are still my dear friends. They both “boomeranged” a few years ago, but now it’s just me, Bob and our dog Smokey – hoorah!

My mom died in 1974 of breast cancer. My dad died last year at 90 after a pretty amazing life. However, he had been sick for several years, so my two sisters and I certainly grew to understand the challenges of dealing with an elderly parent.

What is your favorite childhood memory that is reminiscent of growing up in the 50s, 60s or 70s?

The wonder of going to see a movie like “Ben Hur” at a huge movie palace where ushers took us to reserved seats and we dressed as if we were going to church. I was seven when it came out in 1959 and I vividly remember the feel of my dad’s coat as I hid my eyes when Stephen Boyd was dying after the chariot race. It was a magical night.

Fast forward to 1964 when The Beach Boys came to town. I was near the front, screaming like a maniac with the rest of the girls when suddenly I was caught up in a push towards the band. I got trapped up against the stage and the girls behind me kept shoving so hard that somehow (honestly, Dad, it wasn’t my fault!)

I ended up on stage with the band, standing there with my mouth wide open! I felt a hand take my arm and escort me gently backstage, only to find out that this was a friend of my dad’s who ran the auditorium – the same theatre that my dad performed in regularly. I begged him not to tell dad what happened, to no avail…

What qualities do you have that speak of our generation of women?

I’m mutinous by nature. When we were young, we all mutinied against the system, we mutinied against being told we couldn’t and we refused to be placed in a box that most of our mother’s generation lived in. We were smart, ambitious, full of energy and insisted on being able to play in a man’s world. There were others that paved the way for us, but as a group, we were pretty doggone fearless. I have to say, I’m a prototypical Boomer gal.

 What inspires you?

  • People who have overcome incredible odds to accomplish something extraordinary. Whether it is fighting an illness or achieving a dream, they inspire me.
  •  The bravery and stouthearted nature of the men and women of our armed forces and the families that love them.
  • The view from a mountain top.
  • Most of all, seeing the intervention of God in our lives. We live with miracles around us every day, but some of them are so astonishing, they make me catch my breath.

What brings you the most pleasure in midlife?

Can I really talk about that here? If you hadn’t used the word “pleasure” I would resist the temptation, but you opened the door! In a word – sex! I think it’s God’s great consolation prize for us gals as we get older.

We know our bodies and aren’t so intimidated by the comparison to the practically unachievable perfection of youth (least we not forget, we were, of course, the first generation of girls who had to deal with Playboy magazine!). And we’ve had the time to get good at it! What’s not to like?

 Do you have any interesting hobbies?

Actually, the things most people would consider hobbies, I’ve pursued professionally, including travel. I guess the few things I do that could be considered hobbies are gardening (nothing quite like flowers blooming!), I’m a big movie buff and I love to paint and keep promising myself I’m going to do it more often. I’m not sure if this is a hobby or a pastime, but I watch NFL football like an addict every fall.

Do you have a favorite book or movie? If so, tell us why it’s your favorite.

GroundhogDayAs a professed movie buff, I have lots of favorite movies, depending on my mood. But, since we are talking about being Baby Boomers here, I’d have to say that “Groundhog Day” is my favorite movie.

First off, it has the great Boomer actor Bill Murray in it and I’m a sucker for Murray. But mainly because, even though it’s crazy and goofy on one level, it also has an underlying depth to it. I have drawn on its truths many times.

He gets stuck, waking up every morning and it’s the same day, over and over: Groundhog Day. How many times have I gotten “stuck” in my life? Too many. Anyway, it’s how he gets “unstuck” that’s so special.

He has to take the focus off of himself and think of others. He starts seeing life as a blessing and goes out of his way to do kind things for others. He improves himself, learning how to do new things. He goes from being extremely self-centered and cynical to truly loving his fellow human beings.

In the process, he becomes a joyful person, a delight to be around, falls in love and he can finally move forward. This movie has a great recipe for happiness embedded in it!

 Do you travel and if so, who are your favorite travel partners and where do you like to go?

Because of the work I’ve done, I’ve traveled to places you probably haven’t even heard of before – I know I hadn’t!

Besides going to every state in America (driving, mind you, hundreds of thousands of miles of driving…) I’ve been to highly traveled as well as obscure spots in England, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Belgium, The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, Okinawa, South Korea, Guam and on and on.

At one point we crossed the International Date Line so many times that we arrived before we left! We landed on tiny beautiful islands like La Maddalena (your basic Mediterranean paradise) and Diego Garcia (in the Indian Ocean – looked like the jungles of Jurrasic Park!).

My traveling companion in business and in pleasure has been my husband, Bob. Always ready for another adventure, he is the perfect person to see the world with!

 Do you practice preventive medicine? Please elaborate. 

The basics. I take a fairly high dosage of vitamins, get an adequate amount of exercise and sleep, drink lots of water and eat a ton of veggies.

I’m not a vegetarian, in fact I love a good steak (Bob is a master steak griller!). However, I’ve learned to pay attention to what my body tells me and there are some foods that just don’t agree with me as I’ve gotten older, so I don’t eat them, or eat them only on rare occasions. Unfortunately, beef and pork are two of these.

I’m pleased to say that wine still agrees with me just fine and they say that red wine is actually good for you – so there you are!

 What do you stress about?

I’m not going to say that I don’t stress, everybody does. And probably the number one trigger for most of us these days is financial.

But, I don’t stress a lot anymore because I’ve really worked at it. In fact, one of the main themes of my book is that I got to the point in life that I was SO stressed, that I realized I had lost some very essential qualities of my personality.

I had always been someone who insisted on being happy, but I got so stressed that I felt I didn’t have time to be happy – I just had to “solve the problem.” I was miserable. What was I so stressed about? Money, business issues, money, health issues, money, trying not to lose our house, money.

There are a few things I know for certain and one of them is that I will never go back to being that stressed-out woman again. I found my way out of that trap and I now know how to stay out.

 Is it important for you to retain your youthful looks, and if so, to what degree are you willing to go?

HA! Good question! YES! It IS important for me to retain my youthful looks! I admit it! Vanity thy name is Marsha! But, since I started out as an operating room nurse, no nips or tucks for me – I know too much to let them cut on me!

I watch my weight (I’ve struggled with it my entire life, so nothing new there!), I have a basic exercise regimen (not too strenuous, but it seems to keep things from falling too quickly), I stay out of the sun as much as possible but religiously use sunscreen when needed, I buy the best affordable face creams and I laugh a lot! Good for the immune system and you always look younger when you’re smiling! Oh, yeah, and I color my hair…

Have you re-invented yourself, and if so, how?

Many times! I started out as a scrub nurse in open-heart surgery. Not my goal, just necessity. Mom had been diagnosed with breast cancer and I had to come home from college because dad couldn’t afford it. You can always get a job when you’re a nurse, so that’s what I did. Great life experience, but not my destiny. At 23 I quit to find it.

Among other things, I worked as an Art Director, Stage Manager and documentary Film Editor. Then, through a series of circumstances that seemed quite accidental, I began producing films and elaborate Corporate Theatre presentations for IBM, Coca-Cola, Revlon and other huge corporations. I have since learned there are few coincidences and that it all happened on purpose. These productions were simply my training ground.

There was a much larger calling for me that came out of the blue – or perhaps I should say out of the dark. On September 13, 1990 I was awakened in the middle of the night. There were letters hanging in the air, shining like a neon sign: LETTERS FROM THE FRONT. This wasn’t a dream, I was wide awake. Implausible as it may seem, it was a God-given vision that totally changed my life, the lives of my family and many others.

I was re-invented in a heartbeat that night. Letters From The Front was to become a play, written by my husband Bob, that would tour the world for 15 years, entertaining and touching the lives of America’s troops and their loved ones. Not to mention how much they touched our lives.

When Letters From The Front went on hiatus several years ago, I was rather lost. Life didn’t seem magical anymore. But I had just taken a wrong turn. I found my way back through writing about the things we learn during life’s adventures, but often forget when we need those lessons the most. Re-invented once again. What a miracle.

Do you plan to retire?

And do what? I don’t even understand the concept of retirement. However, except for my brief stint as a nurse, I’ve always worked for myself – either free lancing or running a small business with Bob.

I understand it is a different thought process for people who have worked for a company their whole adult lives. I can understand they would want to retire. But for us, we are both driven to create and I can’t imagine retiring from creating!

 Are you doing anything to GO Green?

To be honest, to “GO Green” has not been a priority of mine. But, us Boomers were raised on the thought process of clean air, clean water and “Keep America Beautiful,” so a lot of the things I do that would be considered “green” today are just long term habits. I’d say my current contribution to “GO Green” is my lovely flower garden. It’s beautiful, all natural and makes everyone relax and smile!

 Can you pinpoint major turning points in your life that led to your life’s work/play at midlife?

I remember there was a specific point in time where I realized that I was the kind of person who hardly ever learned anything without getting her heart broken.

That was sure the case a few years ago. Early in what is now called “The Banking Crisis,” our home was unexpectedly foreclosed on. We had the misfortune to have our mortgage with Lehman Brothers, the only bank that didn’t get bailed out, and they weren’t negotiating with anyone. We had been misinformed about our situation and when the true information was revealed, we had to move very quickly.

In hindsight, this was the best thing that could have happened to us. We moved from hectic big city life to a peaceful, beautiful spot in the mountains. In the quiet, I became a writer. Confessions of an Instinctively Mutinous Baby Boomer would never have been written if that difficult series of events hadn’t happened. A crisis turned into a blessing!

 Do you still have unfulfilled dreams, and are you doing anything to accomplish them?

In the plant world they say that if it isn’t growing, it’s dying. I believe that when we stop dreaming, we stop living. Yes, I have a bunch of dreams yet to be fulfilled. First on the list is I want to see Letters From The Front on Broadway. I know how it touches people and I want to see people touched there, in New York, the show looking beautiful in a first class theatre. And, yes, I’ve got my toe in the water in hopes of making this dream come true.

Plus, there are a few spots on the globe that I haven’t visited that I need to see: Australia, New Zealand, the Greek Islands, the fjords of Norway, Scotland and Ireland. And I dream of spending a significant amount of time in northern Italy. I’ve been there many times, but for only a few weeks at a time. Not enough.

I’m a writer now and I have a number of books that are burning a hole in my brain and I’m not sure if I can ever totally fulfill the dream of getting it all down on paper. But, that’s OK, we need to have one dream that is unfulfilled so we keep striving!

How do you make a difference in the lives of others, your community, your world?

When we began touring Letters From The Front to military bases overseas, I was struck by how many servicemen and women came up to us after the show and said, “Thanks for not forgetting about us.”

It occurred to me that during Desert Storm there was a huge outpouring of support through writing letters to the soldiers and we should continue to let them know how much we appreciate them.

In 1999 I organized the “Letters TO the Front Letter Writing Contest.” I convinced our sponsor, General Mills, to extend their support to include the contest. Veterans organizations got involved all over the country and went to local schools to get the kids to write letters. Every year, the Grand Prize winners in each age category received a $3,000 scholarship.

In 2001, after 9/11 when there was the anthrax scare, all of the other letter writing endeavors were halted because of obvious concerns. However, the Department of Defense (with the cooperation of the USPS) allowed us to continue our “Letters TO the Front” program because we opened and read every single letter.

Through our program, hundreds of thousands of hand-written letters continued to go to the fine men and women serving this country. Soldiers wrote heart-felt thanks back to me and often said they put the letter they received in their pocket, so they could read it when they needed encouragement.

But, life isn’t usually about an endeavor of this magnitude. It’s usually about ordinary day-to-day activities. I believe that regardless of what we’re doing, it is how much love we do it with that matters.

If I’m simply at the check out counter at the grocery store, I believe it’s my job to send love and joy out. It has an energy that moves us like the wind moves the trees. It is this energy that brings miracles into people’s lives. We may never know the difference we make, but it can only be good.

Who has had the biggest influence on your life and why?

Well, of course there have been so many, but if I had to pinpoint a specific person, as a child it would have to be my bigger-than-life Aunt Francine. Her house was full of the things she had made and collected during her travels. She had a huge workroom where she painted, did pottery and unique crafts of all sorts. She drove a red sports car and laughed easily. Her husband was a pilot and they traveled all over the world. The slide shows of their travels put a fire in me from a early age to see the world. She was her own person and lived life to its fullest all the time. She was born in 1916 and was way ahead of her time.

As an adult, no question about it that my husband Bob Rector has had the biggest influence. When I met Bob I was bouncing all over the place – a ton of creative energy with no focus. Bob can focus like a laser beam and he taught me how. He is someone who expects the very best out of himself, no excuses, and brings the best out of others. He has always accepted and loved me for exactly who I am, a trait which I’m still learning from him.

 If you were to have a personal mission statement, what would it be? Feel free to be as serious or fun as you choose.

Earlier today I was walking Smokey and I saw a little girl about three years old who had a measuring tape in her hand, the kind a carpenter uses. She was pulling it out and letting it snap back in and she said, in a sassy voice, “They say this is a boy’s toy, but I don’t believe it.”

I told her she was right, because I had one, too. But, inside I was thinking, Yay! She doesn’t believe it! We’ve come a long way baby!

My mission statement? It’s grand being a girl. I love it! I’ve never let it keep me from doing anything I wanted to do and am grateful to the core of my being that I was born at a time when a woman had so many choices. My choice? To be me. Flawed, curious, adventurous, creative, mutinous, a dreamer who is in love with the world around her and the God who put us here. I’m a Boomer and I’m darn proud of it. We’re awesome.

 

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