Hey ya'll! If you liked this show, be sure to check out Stirred By Words: Meditations and Conversations About Writing and Wellness. I'm no longer actively publishing Nature of Author episodes, but it merged into my other show. Come check it out!

In this last episode of Season 2 of The Nature Of Authors, Chrissy interviews Allison Hong Merrill, author of Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops: A Memoir. Chrissy starts with an icebreaker related to nature and one question related to writing.

Allison's memoir, Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops, is all about the power of choice. The book starts when she was fifteen-year-old, unwilling to bend to the conditioning of her Chinese culture, which demands that women submit to men's will. She disobeys her father's demand to stay in their faith tradition, Buddhism and instead joins the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Then, six years later, she drops out of college to serve a mission--a decision for which her father disowns her.

After serving her mission in Taiwan, twenty-two-year-old Allison marries her Chinese-speaking American boyfriend, Cameron Chastain. But sixteen months later, Allison returns home to their Texas apartment and is shocked to discover that, in her two-hour absence, Cameron has taken all the money, moved out, and filed for divorce. Desperate for love and acceptance, Allison moves to Utah and enlists in an imaginary, unforgiving dating war against the bachelorettes at Brigham Young University, where the rules don't make sense--and winning isn't what she thought it would be.

Throughout the episode, Allison and Chrissy talk about how to stay positive through adversity, what guided her decision to break traditions and create her own destiny, what gravitated her toward memoir, and what inspires Allison to write.

Near the end, Allison reads two of her favorite paragraphs. Be sure to check out Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops: A Memoir and connect with Allison Hong Merrill.

Want to learn more about the world of writers?

• Subscribe to "The Nature Of Authors" on your favorite podcast platform

Have a burning question you'd like to ask upcoming guests?

• Reach out at www.chrissyholm.com

Until next time, keep reading, writing, spending time in nature, and dreaming up new worlds, my friend.

Welcome to the sixth episode of Season 2! This season is all about memoirs.

In this episode of The Nature Of Authors, Chrissy interviews Jennifer Zollo, author of When Grief Gets a Passport: Lessons Learned About Grief & Healing Through Solo Female Travel. Chrissy starts with an icebreaker game related to nature and travel and then asks one question related to writing.

Jennifer's memoir, When Grief Gets a Passport, is about when Jennifer, just 19 years old,  was tasked with caring for her grandmother in her final days of battling lung cancer. Six days after her grandmother's passing, she would be left dealing with the aftermath of a murder-suicide that took the life of her only remaining family member, leaving a young woman alone in the world.

When Grief Gets a Passport tells the tale of how solo female travel allowed Jennifer to heal from a traumatic event that most people cannot even imagine. From accidentally needing to navigate down an ice-covered mountain in a car without the four-wheel drive to having a breakdown while simply painting a wall, there are lessons to be learned in all aspects of life. Follow along as Jennifer learns lessons about grief, healing, and strength as she collects passport stamps on a quest to rediscover the woman she always dreamed of being.

Throughout the episode, Jennifer and Chrissy talk about the five stages of grief, how to overcome challenges that grief brings, the writing process, advice on becoming a best-selling author, overcoming knowing when to stop writing, and the greater purpose in her writing.

Then they talk about what she gets out of solo travel and her top tips, and the mindset around traveling and trips, and Jennifer's top travel place: the Galápagos Islands, and her community, the Solo Female Travel Club.  Near the end, Jennifer reads one of her favorite paragraphs. Be sure to check out Dear When Grief Gets a Passport and connect with Jennifer Zollo.

Want to learn more about the world of writers?

• Subscribe to "The Nature Of Authors" on your favorite podcast platform

Have a burning question you'd like to ask upcoming guests?

• Reach out at www.chrissyholm.com

Until next time, keep reading, writing, spending time in nature, and dreaming up new worlds, my friend.