What do theme parks, a Jack Russell mix named Birdie have in common? They’re all part of Ryan Allen’s wildly creative worldview — and this episode is packed with all of it.

Ryan is the founder of Little Birdie Consulting, and he brings 20 years of live experience design from Disney, Holland America Line, and Carowinds to a surprisingly simple thesis: the best leaders aren’t managers; they’re hosts. In this conversation, he and Holly wander through dog DNA tests, the secret power of a chief cuteness officer, why creativity has nothing to do with painting, and why asking Chef Priscilla for mac and cheese might be the greatest leadership move of all time.

Guest

Ryan Allen — Founder, Little Birdie Consulting Host of the Little Birdie Podcast | Charlotte, NC

What We Cover

· Meet Birdie — Ryan’s rescue Jack Russell/pit mix, chief cuteness officer, and the heart behind the Little Birdie brand. (Yes, she crashes the recording. Yes, it’s adorable.)

· From theme parks to consulting — How 20 years at Disney, Holland America Line, and Carowinds shaped Ryan’s approach to guest experience — and why he’s now bringing those lessons to law firms, accounting offices, and chambers of commerce.

· The State Line Celebration — One of Ryan’s proudest creative producer moments: an entire event built around a theme park that literally straddles two states.

· Everyone is creative — Ryan’s passionate case for why creativity isn’t just painting and drawing. The accountant obsessing over spreadsheets? Creative. The warehouse manager who reinvents logistics? Also creative.

· Leaders as hosts — Why the best executive Ryan ever worked for was eating lunch in the employee cafeteria with frontline ride operators — and what that means for anyone who manages people.

· The joy revolution — Both Holly and Ryan get real about the trap of chasing social media metrics, and why coming back to why you started is the only reset that actually works.

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Resources & Links

· 🌐 Little Birdie Consulting: littlebirdieconsulting.com

· 🎙️ The Little Birdie Podcast — one word per episode, rooted in leadership, hospitality, and creativity

· 🐾 Birdie’s weekly memo — find it on Ryan’s social media for a dog’s-eye view on words like play, possibility, and joy

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Keep the Conversation Going

If this episode gave you a little push to say the C-word (creative), walk the park with someone instead of sending an email, or just smile at a dog photo on LinkedIn — Ryan would consider that a win.

Follow Ryan on social media and catch Bertie’s weekly memo. And if you’re a chamber of commerce, a theme park, or honestly anyone who interacts with other humans — give Little Birdie Consulting a look.

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This week Rogan and Holly B. stagger back from 80 kms on the Bruce Trail — blistered, ticked, and somehow already planning to do it all again. They decompress over electrolytes, pickled cherry tomatoes, and the eternal question of summer flannel. Plus: a frank conversation about renting in expensive cities, spite as self-advocacy, and why Wednesday puns are a sacred work ritual.

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Holly chats with author, J.M. Shaw as they cover a range of topics including weather, pet influence on creativity, writing process, and emotional connection to movies. Jennifer’s love for writing and creativity is evident throughout the conversation, and the influence of her dog, Glamour, on her creative process is a key theme.

J. M. Shaw is a Canadian author of fantasy fiction who lives in Alberta with her husband and two young children. She’s been writing since childhood, building worlds from raw imagination

and quiet observation, but it took years before she found the courage to share them. For Shaw, storytelling has always been more than a passion. It’s a compass. A sanctuary. A way to make sense of the chaos.

Episode Highlights

· Love for writing and creativity

· Influence of pets on creativity Self-care and relaxation for writers

· Navigating the challenges of self-publishing

· The process of editing and re-releasing books

Where to find J.M. Shaw’s work

www.jmshawauthor.com

https://www.facebook.com/jmshawauthor

https://www.instagram.com/jmshaw_author

Some moments catch you completely off guard, and the following event was one of them.

After work a few Tuesdays ago, I rushed into the city to meet with a producer and film crew who are adapting a screenplay based on a book I’d read less than two years ago. That book was Cathy Mulroy’s memoir, My View from the Blackened Rocks — the story of one of the first women hired at Inco, the mining giant where Cathy became one of the first women to work at the male-dominated industry in Sudbury, Ontario.

I remember closing the back cover and sitting with that story for a long while. I still think about her journey.

I’ll be honest: I had invited myself to meet the crew to discuss a speaking engagement, but did not expect to witness a film shoot in process.

For over an hour, I stood in the shadows and watched a group of women working together in complete harmony to bring a dream to life, in the rain no less. After several takes, the director called a wrap, we headed in for pizza, and I soaked in every bit of the warmth and creative energy in the room.

Cathy has graciously agreed to be a guest on the Ramblings From the Little Shed Podcast, where we will chat about her adorable dogs and the story that needed to be told, My View from the Blackened Rocks. I cannot wait to dive deeper into her creative spirit, wisdom and her incredible story.

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Podcast Milestone

Speaking of the podcast, the Ramblings From the Little Shed Podcast is officially six months old, and I can hardly believe we’re forty episodes in! Rogan and I have had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderfully creative individuals (and their absolutely adorable pets) along the way. Thank you for listening.

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Book News

North of Broken & Furever Home is over three months old and brightening coffee tables everywhere. I’m currently working on a sweet romance where the meet-cute happens at the dog park, where you can expect plenty of cute dogs and summer love. More to come soon.

MFA Update

After submitting my final five thousand words to my first-year mentor, I gave myself a much-needed break from assignments and readings. But second-year summer residency is just around the corner, and I’m genuinely excited to reconnect with my peers and new author friends. Assignments have already been assigned, and I’m happily working through them now — with a new mentor and a fresh set of eyes on my manuscript. It feels like coming home to the story all over again.

Writing Retreat

The drive home from Northern Ontario on a rainy Sunday afternoon was bittersweet — as it always is after a Rekindle Creativity Retreat.

Our time at the coziest, loveliest little bed and breakfast in Stoufville last weekend was everything. We were treated to breakfasts fit for royalty and given the space and time to create, to rest, and to simply be.

Five women made this retreat especially meaningful for me.

Melanie — not only the insight and wisdom of a mother and teacher, but also of a truly talented writer. She reminded me it’s okay to ask for help.

Shannon — graceful, calm, and quietly observant — taught me the beauty of sitting back, watching the world, and letting your passion for storytelling lead. She helped me embrace my persistence and dedication to this craft.

Kim — me to honour the writers that came before me, use my voice for those that will come after me, and she laughed at all my silly jokes. (thanks for that Kim)

Dinah — the woman who reminds me to breathe, take the moments as they come and go with the flow. And when Dinah speaks, I listen because I know it will enhance my life. Her kind eyes and gentle magic, working quietly behind the scenes like the Wizard of Oz, are something I’ll always be grateful for.

Liisa — her tenacity and unwavering commitment to her career as an author taught me to reach for the stars, never take no for an answer, and that it’s perfectly okay to say no.

We shared meals around a big farmhouse table, lifted each other up, and were reminded that on the days when the desire to write gave way to drawing, napping, and simply retreating, that this is exactly the point. That is the reason we take this time for ourselves.

I left full — in every sense of the word.

Until next month my newsletter friends.

Holly B.

Host Holly B. sits down with author and collage artist Carrie Birde — yes, Birde — for a warm conversation about catbirds, collage, and why letting go of fear made her book better.

Carrie is a poet, fiction writer, artist, photographer, and author of the debut novel, “A Small Tale of Uncommon Grace”. She is a voracious reader of a wide range of genres, with a particular interest in mythology, folk tales, and fairy tales. Like many of the women in those stories, she has friendships extending beyond the boundaries of species, including several generations of Gray Catbirds, a kerfuffle of Eastern Chipmunks, a squad of Blue Jays, a singing Calico Cat, and a small, brown Fey creature currently disguised as a dog.

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Episode Highlights

The catbird that started it all

For ten years, a gray catbird with a distinctive missing stripe of feathers returned to Carrie’s yard every spring. He waited patiently for raisins, followed her around the garden, and eventually brought his family to meet them. He directly inspired the central bird character in Carrie’s novel.

Olaf the Norway maple

An 85-year-old tree in Carrie’s backyard — struck by lightning, healed over, and still growing for 15 more years — had to be taken down. Carrie named him, loved him, and grieved him. His replacement, a Dawn Redwood named Eos, is now putting down roots.

Animals don’t have agendas

Carrie reflects on why she has always found animals easier to trust than people: they are honest, transparent, and completely free of hidden expectations. Either they want food or love, or they don’t.

Collage as calm

When drawing became difficult after an arm injury, Carrie turned to collage using recycled and repurposed materials. The practice of keeping her hands busy quiets the spiralling thoughts of anxiety — a form of creative self-management.

Writing from fear vs. writing from truth

Carrie’s novel improved dramatically once she stopped emotionally distancing herself from the work. Trusted author friends helped her reconnect with the story’s core, and the result was a book that is more fully her own voice.

How to connect with Carrie Birde

Website

https://carriebirde.com/blog/

Instagram @carriebirde

Holly surprises Rogan with his best friend, Maryanne, and things immediately spiral into a deeply charming conversation about a 10-pound Shih Tzu-cockapoo mix with an underbite, the philosophy of unfinished projects, sourdough starter feeding schedules, vinyl records, and whether Kraft Dinner ketchup is civilized behaviour. Surprisingly therapeutic. Also, yeast is alive, and that’s terrifying.

Topics covered

• Sombra the dog — origin story, the Uber ride home, floor-time naps

• Bless Their Yap — Maryanne’s new podcast (YouTube & Spotify)

• Knitting, sourdough, and cyclical hobbies

• ADHD and the art of leaving things unfinished

• Spend now vs. save for later — FOMO, hustle culture, social media pressure

• Vinyl records — Blue Neighbourhood by Troye Sivan

• The Cheez Whiz debate — and Kraft Dinner ketchup: a generational divide

Maryanne Gonzalez

Co-host of Bless Their Yap — two friends, two countries (Canada & USA), one shared brain cell. Maryanne brings the Canadian perspective alongside co-host Olivia. Also: knitter, sourdough keeper, singer, and devoted dog mom to Sombra.

Find Bless Their Yap on Spotify

Engagement prompt

This week’s comment question: Cheez Whiz — yay or nay? Drop your answer wherever you’re listening. Bonus points for Kraft Dinner ketchup opinions.

Sign-off

That’s a wrap, folks — stay derpy, feed your starters, and we’ll yap at you next time.

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What happens when grief, love letters, and a frozen pizza-stealing dog collide? You get Dear Hobie: Letters to My Heart Dog — a memoir unlike any other. This week, Holly and Rogan welcome Kathy Mandell, a former travel industry executive turned memoirist, who spent a decade quietly sitting on the most heartfelt book she never planned to publish.

From the chaos of Holly being dragged down the street by two enormous dogs, to the daily ritual of HowlFest (yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like), to uncovering over 1,000 WWII love letters her father wrote to her mother — Kathy’s conversation overflows with warmth, wit, and the particular ache of loving animals with your whole heart.

Meet the Pets

• Tux — 16-year-old cat who dresses better than most of us (tuxedo markings, bow tie, spats — the full look)

• Charlie Brown — 14-year-old hound dog, the big gentle one

• Petey — 10-year-old Chihuahua/Dachshund mix, Kathy’s “little buddy,” daily Substack muse, and apparent podcast critic (he moaned audibly every time Hobie came up)

How to Connect With Kathy

• 📖 Book: Dear Hobie: Letters to My Heart Dog — available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and Google Books

• ✍️ Substack: Traveling Dog Lady

• 🐕 Daily content: Follow #DailyDogLady for your regular Petey fix

Ramblings From The Little Shed is a podcast about the profound ways animals influence and inspire our creative lives. New episodes drop regularly — find us wherever you listen.

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In this candid and laugh-out-loud episode of Ramblings From the Little Shed, Rogan and Holly B. catch up on a month’s worth of life — from a bizarre bank fraud incident and a missed CN Tower climb to a surprisingly emotional Tony Bennett moment and an exciting upcoming guest reveal. If you love real, unfiltered conversations about everyday life, family dynamics, music, and adventure planning, this one’s for you.

What We Cover in This Episode

• The CN Tower climb that didn’t happen — and why it’s rescheduled for fall

• Rogan’s bank fraud saga — a misplaced cheque, a nosebleed, and two hours at the bank

• The Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga moment that made Rogan cry while cooking

• Holly’s thrift store win — a pink plaid jacket for an unbelievably good deal

• Upcoming Bruce Trail hike — 80 km of pain, pride, and content creation

• Paul Pape & Gamify — a sneak peek at an incredible upcoming guest

• Sombra the dog — the fur niece who hides from the word “walk”

• Subscriber milestone goals — and what Rogan will do at 100K (hint: it involves his hair)

Coming Up

• 🥾 Bruce Trail Hike — happening in a couple of weeks. Expect trail content, aching feet, and a very dramatic before/after video.

• 🏙️ Toronto Dog Moms Show — Holly will be there with her book and merchandise.

• 🎙️ Paul Pape (Gamify) Episode — dropping in the next few weeks. Do not miss it.

• 🗼 CN Tower Climb — rescheduled for November. Holly is confident. Rogan is competitive. Neither will back down.

Resources & Links Mentioned

• Holly’s Book — Available at upcoming vendor shows including the Toronto Dog Moms Show

• Bruce Trail — brucetrail.org

• CN Tower EdgeWalk/Climb — cntower.ca

Connect With Us

• 📺 YouTube: Rambling From The Little Shed

• 📸 Instagram: @rambling_from_the_little_shed

• 💬 Leave a comment: Do you procrastinate important things? (Rogan does. He still hasn’t booked his flight.)

Subscribe & Support

We’re at 18 subscribers, and our goal is 20. Yes, 20. It’s an achievable dream, and we’re going for it.

Hit subscribe, leave a comment, and tell us: what should Rogan’s hair milestone actually be?

“As always, thank you so much for watching. Like, subscribe, comment — all that fun jazz.” — Rogan

Holly B. sits down with Nicoletta Chiromante, a traditional Italian fortune teller, shamanic practitioner, and medium. Her gift is generational, passed down through family, and she now runs a full-time metaphysical practice in Northern Ontario after leaving the corporate world.

Nicoletta introduces us to her two cats — the grey jazz-bar stray Leonidas and the toddler terror Deimos. The episode winds through the spiritual mechanics of feline energy clearing, the courage it takes to leave a corporate job for a calling, intuition as a bodily phenomenon, and why trauma might actually be blocking your psychic signal.

Noteworthy

Meet Leonidas, the manifested jazz-bar cat. How Nicoletta accidentally drew him into existence, and how a DVD of 300 gave him his name.

Meet Deimos, the God of Terror (and also Honey Pickle). Cat number two arrives via the cat distribution system—a word of caution about naming your pets.

Cats as purring energy filters — transmuting and discarding the energetic load of the household.

Cats, creativity & social media. On the tension between authentic metaphysical work and building an online presence — and why cats bridge both.

What Nicoletta actually does. Tarot spreads, mediumship, shamanic practice, and how a session unfolds (spoiler: no one dies today).

Where she works & why energetic boundaries matter. Offices, home visits, weddings, baby showers, and keeping personal and professional energy separate.

Can animals come through in a reading? Yes — including a horse.

Trauma, The Body Keeps the Score & the body as a psychic instrument. Intuition as a physical whisper in the solar plexus, and why women often feel it more acutely.

Where you can find Nicoletta

Instagram @nicoletta_chiromante
Facebook Nicoletta Chiromante
Website psychicsudbury.ca

Need a guest on your podcast or maybe you are looking to be a guest? PodMatch has you covered from booking to reviewing.

What if an artificial intelligence could translate whale song, decode elephant frequencies, and relay a very uncomfortable message from every animal on Earth?

Author Bill Wittur joins Holly B. and Rogan to explore the wild, science-backed frontier of animal communication — and how it sparked a novel. Along the way, the conversation weaves through bioacoustics, speciesism, the healing power of writing, and why the Earth hums in G sharp.

Breaking the Animal Code

Large language models are being used to translate whale clicks and sperm whale vocalizations. Researchers have identified what may be vowels used by Caribbean sperm whale populations — a potential breakthrough in interspecies communication.

Extinction Event — Bill’s Debut Novel

Bill’s book follows a sentient AI that learns to communicate with animals. The animals’ verdict? Humans need to back off. The novel explores speciesism, the philosophy of Peter Singer, and the question of what happens when another species finally gets a voice.

Why We Can’t Hear What’s There

Dolphins communicate at frequencies up to 20 times beyond human hearing. Elephants and whales use ultra-low frequencies that would damage our hearing at full volume. Military sonar, Bill explains, is essentially like placing a stick of dynamite beside a dolphin’s head.

Speciesism & Moral Responsibility

Philosopher Peter Singer coined the term ‘speciesism’ in his 1970s book Animal Liberation. Bill argues that cracking even one species’ language will force a reckoning with how humanity treats the non-human world.

Writing as Therapy & Process

From journaling through grief to forest bathing, Bill shares the rituals that keep his creative life alive. He also reveals a hidden habit: early in every novel, he writes a chapter honouring the Muses through a character’s relationship with music.

Music, Lyrics & the Creative Life

300 pages of lyrics written since COVID. Guitars, a dreamed-of mandolin, and the advice of Jeff Tweedy (Wilco): write everything, even the mundane. Bill traces the overlap between songwriting, poetry, and fiction — and why he thinks musically even when writing prose.

Bill is the author of Extinction Event and the forthcoming sequel Ecopia. He is currently completing an MFA in Fiction at King’s College. A songwriter, guitarist, former wine importer, and committed believer that AI will crack animal language long before humanity is ready for what they have to say.

Bill is also working on a non-fiction memoir about his brother’s experience living with a stroke, and maintains a stockpile of over 300 pages of song lyrics written since the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://billwittur.com/

https://www.facebook.com/bill.wittur.2025/

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In this episode, Holly and Rogan sit down with Rachael Austin — dog mom, photographer, and dog-friendly travel content creator — for a warm, wide-ranging conversation about life on the road with two very spirited hunting dogs.

Meet the Dogs

Rachael introduces us to Willow, her eight-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer and original creative muse, and Timber, her three-year-old Vizsla with a coat the color of autumn leaves. She breaks down the key difference between the two breeds — GSPs love to range (sometimes out of sight!), while Vizslas want to stay close to their people.

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From Camera Novice to Content Creator

What started as snapping photos of Willow grew into a full creative practice. Rachael shares how she taught herself photography through YouTube, Skillshare, and sheer trial and error — even getting drone-certified along the way. Her dogs pushed her toward a niche she didn’t expect: dog-friendly travel.

Balancing Creativity with Burnout

After a hectic fall season of paid brand work, Rachael got real about creator burnout. She shares her systems: shot lists, scheduled content-free weekends, and knowing when to leave the camera at home. Rogan gets some solid first-time backpacking advice ahead of his Algonquin trip this summer.

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Book Club Moment

In a delightful twist, all three discover they’re currently listening to the same audiobook — The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett— and bond over Pancakes the cat, Uncle PJ, and Holly’s very particular audiobook strategy.

Find Rachael

Check out Rachel’s stunning dog-friendly travel content on social media, and keep an eye out for her upcoming website relaunch and — fingers crossed — a coffee table book.

https://roamingwithpointers.mypixieset.com/

https://www.instagram.com/roamingwithpointers/

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Intro/outro music thanks to Uppbeat - Let Good Time Roll - RA

New episodes drop weekly. Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen!

Holly kicks things off fresh from the gym and yoga, while Rogan admits to a rare early Saturday wake-up. The two compare matching plaid outfits (with very different color palettes) and settle in with their drinks — Holly with a McDonald’s latte, Rogan empty-handed after a last-minute errand run.

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Things of the Week

Rogan had an exciting week, but his thing of the week is under NDA — so his thing of the week is, officially, NDAs.

Holly is on a Caesar salad kick. She draws the comparison to her legendary chocolate bar phases (Twix era → Kit Kat Chunky → Aero → current: O’Henry Peanut Butter).

The Book: The Road to Tender Hearts

Holly can’t stop talking about it. Standout detail: inanimate objects (including the house) have inner thoughts and speak — a whimsical touch she absolutely loves. Both hosts agree they enjoy a little whimsy in their reading.

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Engagement Question

Do you like books where animals, objects, or inanimate things have thoughts and speak?

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Holly is currently unavailable — she’s having her tarot cards read and eating a Caesar salad. Rogan is signing something he can’t tell you about.

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Books at a glance
• Rabbit Cake — debut novel. Narrated by a 10–12-year-old girl processing her mother's mysterious drowning (suicide or sleepwalking accident?). Dark comedy; funny because of the girl's strange, scientific way of seeing the world. Dog Boomer based on Harvey.
• Unlikely Animals — partly narrated by cemetery ghosts. Features Moses the Great Pyrenees, a domesticated Russian fox, and a lot of graveyard atmosphere. Annie calls it her "weirdest book."
• Road to Tender Hearts — most recent novel. Her intentionally funniest. An elderly man uses obituaries like Tinder and drives across the country to pursue a high-school sweetheart. Features Pancakes, the death-predicting cat, and a talking hat.

Annie Hartnett
Author of three novels: Rabbit Cake and Unlikely Animals, and new national bestseller The Road to Tender Hearts -- out now!

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Intro music courtesy of Upbeat Let Good Times Roll

Holly and Rogan kick off this episode with some warm-weather complaints (yes, even 27°C indoors counts), before diving into their favourite things of the week. Rogan shares his love of savoury French toast — a childhood staple made by his dad — and how a friend recently elevated the recipe with a goat cheese and sun-dried tomato spread.

Holly’s highlight? A trip to Hobby Lobby across the border, where she fell in love with everything from miniatures to a print of two donkeys she swears is a portrait of her and Rogan’s dad.

The conversation takes a more ambitious turn when they reveal their upcoming plans: a 3-day, ~80km hike through the Niagara section of the Bruce Trail — one of Ontario’s oldest maintained trails. Neither of them feels fully prepared, but they’re committing anyway. They also touch on a CN Tower challenge and a 10K race (that Rogan forgot to sign up for — Holly has not forgotten). Trail runners vs. ankle boots, training timelines, and general panic ensue.

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Engagement Question:

Wish them luck on the Bruce Trail — or let them know how screwed they are.

Either answer accepted!

Something Fun and FREE

Whether you’re preparing for an empty nest or already in it, you deserve support (and maybe a prize).

Enter to win one of four giveaway prizes designed for empty-nesters and parents of older teens and young adults.

GRAND PRIZE: $300 Amazon Gift Card

THREE Runners-up PRIZES: Next Chapter Book Bundles: Each bundle includes three influential books and a $30 Amazon Gift Card

How to Enter:

Tap this link: Empty Nest Next Chapter Giveaway and enter your email address

Be sure to respond to the confirmation email you’ll receive.

P.S. After you enter, you’ll have the opportunity to gain extra entries by liking, following, and subscribing to the participating authors—I highly recommend doing so to increase your chances of winning!

IMPORTANT! (Disclaimer)The Empty Nest Next Chapter giveaway runs from April 7-14, 2026. All entrants must use a verifiable, active email address and complete KingSumo’s confirmation process after entering. Random winners will be selected by KingSumo on April 15 and notified within 48 hours. This giveaway is not sponsored or endorsed by anyone other than the authors/writers listed. By entering the giveaway, you acknowledge that your email address will be shared with the contributing authors and will be added to their subscriber lists. You may unsubscribe at any time. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. US Residents only. Must be 18+ years of age to participate.

Ramblings From the Little Shed is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Book Baby turns two months

I started this venture with a single line. I watched North of Broken & Furever Home grow into something beautiful, and yet I still have moments of disbelief at the positive impact this project has had on my life.

I’ve grown.

My relationships with my dogs have evolved into something out of a movie.

I’ve allowed the world to see me for who I am — the toughest part of all.

Has it been busy? Heck yes. But it’s been a rush.

My community — both local and in the author world — continue to support me. The reach goes beyond my circle as I continue to connect with readers and writers everywhere.

Subscribe now

With your support, I’ve donated to:

Turtle Pond Wildlife Centre

It Takes A Village Dog Rescue

Pet Save

MFA musings

The MFA in fiction is progressing. I completed the final assignment for the winter semester, and now planning for the in-person residency. My struggle through the academic process has been the assignments — not because they were terrible, but because my heart was so invested in my novel that research and bibliographies felt like interruptions.

The student I was a few years ago doesn’t have the passion to be judged by professors over sources and content.

And that was the revelation I needed, but I am committed to the finish line.

I know now I’m enough, and titles are not what a person is made of.

The social media crossroads

I’ve become a social media expert — for as much as a Gen X’er can. But I find myself at a crossroads. How much of my life and time am I willing to dedicate to these platforms? Are followers truly getting something from my posts? How much am I willing to give for someone’s late-night scroll?

A problem for another day. For now, I’m cracking open the new manuscript and spending time with a few dogs in my metaphorical dog park.

Something Fun and FREE

Whether you’re preparing for an empty nest or already in it, you deserve support (and maybe a prize).

Enter to win one of four giveaway prizes designed for empty-nesters and parents of older teens and young adults.

GRAND PRIZE: $300 Amazon Gift Card

THREE Runners-up PRIZES: Next Chapter Book Bundles: Each bundle includes three influential books and a $30 Amazon Gift Card

How to Enter:

Tap this link: Empty Nest Next Chapter Giveaway

Enter your email address

Be sure to respond to the confirmation email you’ll receive. If you don’t see it, check your junk folder—this step is required to be eligible to win!

P.S. After you enter, you’ll have the opportunity to gain extra entries by liking, following, and subscribing to the participating authors—I highly recommend doing so to increase your chances of winning!

IMPORTANT! (Disclaimer)The Empty Nest Next Chapter giveaway runs from April 7-14, 2026. All entrants must use a verifiable, active email address and complete KingSumo’s confirmation process after entering. Random winners will be selected by KingSumo on April 15 and notified within 48 hours. This giveaway is not sponsored or endorsed by anyone other than the authors/writers listed. By entering the giveaway, you acknowledge that your email address will be shared with the contributing authors and will be added to their subscriber lists. You may unsubscribe at any time. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. US Residents only. Must be 18+ years of age to participate.

Ramblings From the Little Shed is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This episode is a warm, wide-ranging conversation about the animals that ground us, the creative projects we’re afraid to birth, and the astrology that can help us time both. Julia Portela — astrologer, reiki practitioner, theatre kid, and self-described “black cat energy” person — shares the deeply moving story of her cats Sherlock, Wats…

Read more

There was no way I could say no to participating in a giveway I’d love to win myself!

Tell your Mother, your friend, your neighbour about this unique opportunity to spend time with a talented group of women who share the same values and are moving through similar stages of life, and in one way or another, they’ve chronicled it in their work.

This isn’t just a book giveway.

It’s cash too.

Participating writers: Row 1 (L to R): Linda Hanstra, Cindy Ojczyk, Esther Goetz (Moms of Bigs) Row 2: Joanne McHugh, Mel Greenberg , Morgan Baker Row 3: Cara Achterberg, Dr. Allison Alford, Holly B. Gutwillinger, Row 4: Mandy Horne, Ruthie Gray, Serena Menken

From now until April 14, enter the Empty Nest Next Chapter Giveaway for your chance to win one of four prizes designed for empty-nesters and parents of older teens and young adults.

• GRAND PRIZE: $300 Amazon Gift Card

• THREE Runners-up PRIZES: Next Chapter Book Bundles: Each bundle includes three influential books and a $30 Amazon Gift Card

How to Enter:

1. Tap this link: Empty Nest Next Chapter Giveaway or click the button below.

2. Enter your email address.

3. Respond to the confirmation email you’ll receive. If you don’t see it, check your junk folder—this step is required to be eligible to win!

Thanks for participating!

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A late-night catch-up between Holly and Rogan: handmade books, miniature house plans, a very unusual coffee recipe, Rogan’s belated discovery of Mulholland Drive, and a very relatable struggle to find time for the gym. Classic Ramblings energy — cozy, chaotic, and over way past Holly’s bedtime.

Topics covered

BookbindingMiniature houses, Egg espresso, Mulholland Drive, Chappell Roan, CN Tower climb, Fitting in exercise, Night owl vs. early bird

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Highlights

• Holly made two handmade books at a weekend bookbinding workshop — one with a very lemon cover. Two days of work, completely worth it.

• France’s egg espresso: one teaspoon of sugar, whipped raw egg, espresso poured over. Rogan will try it. Holly will not make it herself but may try it under supervision.

• Rogan watched Mulholland Drive (2001) while tired and missed most of it. He found out about it via a Chappell Roan lyric. He was one year old when it released.

• Holly and Rogan are both preparing for the CN Tower climb. Rogan is (somewhat) confident. Holly is going to beat him.

Holly and Rogan confirmed this episode that the show now has more than five listeners, two of them commented.

Huge. We see you.

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Season 1, Episode 23

What happens when a novelist starts fostering dogs and never quite stops? You get Cara Achterberg — author of eight books, co-founder of the non-profit Who Will Let the Dogs Out, and devoted foster mom to 300+ dogs (and counting).

In this cozy, candid conversation, Kara joins Holly from her famous foster cottage in Virginia to talk about the animals, the work, and the writing life that ties it all together.

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In this episode:

• Meet Otis and Fanny — two rescue dogs with opposite personalities who somehow complete each other

• Why Cara says letting a foster dog go is less about sacrifice and more about saving the next life

• How fostering completely redirected Cara’s writing career (in the best possible way)

• The brand new Live Intentionally journal Cara designed for herself — and why eleven beta testers convinced her to share it with the world

• Her morning reading ritual, her Goodreads addiction, and the novel she calls the best debut she’s read in years

Cara’s current reads: We Will Be Shelter (Andrea Gibson), A Good Animal (Sarah Maurer), and an upcoming Julia Cameron title she’s very excited about.

Holly’s current reads: The Road to Tender Hearts (Annie Hartnett)

Facebook @CaraSueAchterberg
Tiktok @CaraSueAchterberg
Instagram

Substack caraachterberg

Website www.WhoWillLettheDogsOut.org