Thingish

Happy New Year! It feels like a good time to spark a little greatness, am I right? And not just because it’s the start of the year (although yes, we always want to come out of the gate strong so there’s no need to scramble later on).In my estimation, greatness requires staying inspired as consistently as possible. But how does one keep the spark lit in a typhoon? For tips on how to best wrangle the muse in any kind of weather, I spoke to Danielle Baldwin, executive coach and author of Sparking Greatness. We spoke about Helium Hand, Gregorian Chant, Hating Barcelona, and other tidbits that will leave you ready to tackle your top pursuits of ‘26. Click here to buy Sparking Greatness from Bookshop.org and support your favorite local bookstore.Click here to buy Sparking Greatness from Amazon.com.If your goal for 2026 is to start, continue, or finish your book, talk to me! I am an Author Accelerator certified book coach, and my Zone of Genius is helping authors get their writing projects over the finish line.Be well and stay inspired,Lindsey Get full access to It's a Thing at lindseysalatka.substack.com/subscribe

I was drawn to this story because I spent five transformative years living in Shanghai, China, but what I took away was so much more than a China story. Sit, Cinderella, Sit is a lovely, heartwarming tale of a woman making her way in the world. It left me feeling light, happy, and ready to say yes. Hailed by both People magazine and Zibby Owens, I recommend it as a holiday gift for your dog-loving, adventure-seeking girlfriends. To buy it on bookshop.org, go here.To buy it on amazon.com, go here.Here’s the back cover copy: Lisa Cheek loved editing TV commercials—almost as much as she loved her dog, Ron Howard. Then, she “aged out” of advertising, at 45. After being let go, Lisa got a call—at 2:45 AM—from a director who, like everyone in Hollywood, had a film he wanted to make: the original Cinderella story. Now, his dream could come true—if Lisa granted his wish.In Sit, Cinderella, Sit, Lisa Cheek shares her adventures in editing a film made on location in China—along the Tibetan border—where Mandarin was the only language spoken by everyone but her. Stuck in a house with fourteen men she couldn’t understand, literally, she yearned for conversation and coffee.But there were moments of wonder and laughter. Lisa forged a bond with her translator and a woman named Sunny. She rescued one dog, and then another. “Everyone speaks Cinderella,” the director had assured her. Maybe he was right.Told with humor and heart through a fairy tale lens, with flashbacks into the author’s not-always-happy childhood, Sit, Cinderella, Sit is a story about what can happen when you take a leap of faith, look and hear beyond people’s differences, and dare to believe in yourself. Get full access to It's a Thing at lindseysalatka.substack.com/subscribe

Bonnie Comfort is the award-winning author of Staying Married is the Hardest Part: A Memoir of Passion, Secrets, and Sacrifice. She joined me on Thingish to talk marriage, family, and how she made it through the ups and downs.Links to buy:Bookshop.orgAmazon.com Get full access to It's a Thing at lindseysalatka.substack.com/subscribe

On Thingish today, Leslie Johansen Nack and Lindsey Salatka discuss the themes and challenges of writing memoir, particularly focusing on Leslie's personal journey of resilience and her experiences with trauma and abuse. They explored Leslie's healing process, which involved therapy, sobriety, and writing, while also discussing the societal need for honest discussions about difficult topics and the progress toward gender equality.Buy Leslie Johansen Nack's latest memoir, Nineteen, here. Get full access to It's a Thing at lindseysalatka.substack.com/subscribe

To buy Grief Like Yours on bookshop.org, go hereTo buy Grief Like Yours on Amazon, go here: To buy True Confessions of an Ambivalent Caregiver on bookshop.org, go hereTo buy True Confessions of an Ambivalent Caregiver on Amazon, go hereTo support Pocket Full of Rocks, go hereTo follow Cindy Eastman on Substack, go here Get full access to It's a Thing at lindseysalatka.substack.com/subscribe

This is an amazing and important conversation about grief and healing. If you know someone who is struggling with a recent loss or a distant loss—there is no timer on grief—consider sharing this episode with them.Links to buy All I Feel is Love:Bookshop.orgAmazon Get full access to It's a Thing at lindseysalatka.substack.com/subscribe

Get full access to It's a Thing at lindseysalatka.substack.com/subscribe

Get full access to It's a Thing at lindseysalatka.substack.com/subscribe

Not right now, come on! It’s high school water polo season! But in between games, listen to episode 2 of Thingish where I interview Renee Lam-Whiteman, read her new book, #Travel Goals in Italy, and then let’s talk about when and where we’re meeting in The Boot. Get full access to It's a Thing at lindseysalatka.substack.com/subscribe

I’m playing around with all the cool functions inside Substack. It’s fun! And easy! To do things that seem difficult! Like podcasting! In that vein, click above to have a listen to the first episode of Thingish, a podcast created by the creator of It’s a Thing. Who would be me, Lindsey. In my involvement in the bookish community, I occasionally have the opportunity to speak to incredibly talented people. On October 10th I spoke to Anastasia Zadeik, author of Blurred Fates as we honored her as Author of the Month at the San Diego Central Library. Anastasia also happens to be a good friend of mine so I was extra thrilled to chat with her and see her recognized by the wonderful author and artist, Zoe Gharemani.This first episode is the conversation between Anastasia Zadeik and myself about Secrets, Lies, Bad Guys and the heart-pounding exhilaration of reading psychological thrillers. Enjoy!Another listening opportunity! I’m speaking at Autism Tree’s Virtual Lunch and Learn about expression through writing on Wednesday, November 14th. I am thrilled to have been introduced to Autism Tree by one of our esteemed KidsWrite! winners, Otto Lana. If you or someone you know would like to know more about Autism Tree and the depth of writing talent in our autistic community, please reach out to me for the Zoom link. Share this with anyone who may be interested. All are welcome.I hope you can join me at La Jolla Riford Library on November 2nd to see Angie Kim speak about her novel, Happiness Falls. This story was mesmerizing, and I highly recommend it. Listen here to Angie Kim on Zibby Owens award-winning podcast, Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books, which I love because it’s always a lively, interesting conversation that lasts only half an hour. Puja Shah will be at the San Diego Central Library on Tuesday, November 14th to tell us about her novel, For My Sister, for which she will be awarded Author of the Month for November! Light refreshments will be served, and colorful Indian bangles will be provided to our early arriving attendees in honor of Diwali by our author. Please register here.Stay tuned to this channel where we will be announcing the 2023-24 KidsWrite! theme very soon! The San Diego Writers Festival is on Saturday, April 6th, 2024 which means KidsWrite! submissions will open earlier than usual so we can recognize our winners on April 6th at the festival. Do you know a kid in kindergarten through 12th grade who likes to write or draw to tell stories? Let them know about KidsWrite! Subscribe to It’s a Thing or follow our KidsWrite! Instagram page for updates.If you are a local author who published a book in 2023, don’t forget to submit your book to the Local Author Showcase! Submissions close on November 19th. You must submit a book to the showcase to be considered for Author of the Month! Please share this intel with any San Diego authors you know.It’s a tough time in our world. So hug a kid and grab a copy of my book; both will uplift you. Let’s read together and share things. Get full access to It's a Thing at lindseysalatka.substack.com/subscribe