Just a few pics from the fourth annual Thirty-three Cecils Day celebration. Hope to see you next year!
Carrie-Ann has 25 years of experience teaching philosophy at the college level (1994-2019). She left academia to pursue her broader mission of promoting intellectual independence in new and creative ways. As a freelance editor, educator, writer, speaker, and occasional “meaning midwife,” she is devoted to asking the right questions to help individuals unlock wonder, cut through confusion, know their own minds, and find their own voice so they can live meaningful, flourishing lives. Biondi holds a B.A. and M.A. in American Studies and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy. Her research interests, publications, and presentations range from Aristotle, citizenship, and virtue ethics to Socratic pedagogy, friendship, and popular culture. Her articles have been published in scholarly journals such as Public Affairs Quarterly, Teaching Philosophy, Social Philosophy & Policy, Polis, and Reason Papers. An avid fan of inspirational real-life people and fictional characters, she has also contributed essays to various popular culture and philosophy volumes, including Steve Jobs and Philosophy, Ted Lasso and Philosophy, Hamilton and Philosophy, Harry Potter for Nerds, and The Philosophy of Sherlock Holmes.
Below is a short summary of Carrie-Ann’s upcoming book with Blydyn Square. Be sure to stay tuned here and on social media for details about when it will become available!
Summary:
Spirituality for Secular Souls: Rational Guideposts for a Meaningful Life (working title) is for those searching for a rational vision of life that enables them to create lives of purpose and deep human connection based on an empowering sense of self. “Nones” (who check “none” on surveys of religious affiliation), “Dones” (who left religion), and the “secular curious” (who are sort of religious but look for resources outside of organized religion) often feel lost, alone, and excluded from the spiritual dimension of life, and forced to choose between shallow hedonism or dogmatic religion. As a None, Biondi used to buy into this narrative, until a comment from a friend led her to rethink the assumption that spirituality and secularism don’t mix. What if ideas such as spirit, sacred, reverence, ritual, and meaning apply as much to secular as to religious living? In this book, she reclaims and develops spiritual concepts and rational principles for secularists to give voice to their highest ideals. Whether you’re having an existential crisis, leaving religion, or looking for “something more,” you’ll find useful tools, from real-life examples to student-tested writing prompts and exercises, to provide guideposts for your secular spiritual journey.
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Blydyn Square Books is excited to welcome author Debbie Cohen to our literary family. Her upcoming novel Ghostwriter Girl will be our very first YA/New Adult title.
Debbie’s work has appeared in local, national, and international publications, including The San Francisco Chronicle, Kaiser Health News, Epoch Health, Pregnancy Magazine, Benefit Magazine, and online at myprimetime.
As West Coast correspondent for the internationally distributed Lifestyles Magazine, she profiled prominent figures and covered a range of human-interest topics. She has also worked for nonprofit organizations, including serving as Senior Features Writer for the Pearson Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Pearson plc, a global educational publishing company.
Debbie resides in Northern California and has appeared on local television to discuss her debut indie novel, Keeper of the Scale.
ICYMI: We had a great time at the virtual launch for author Wendy Tokunaga’s latest novel, Brenda Barker’s Next Chapter!
We had a terrific turnout for the live launch of author Carrie Birde’s debut novel, A Small Tale of Uncommon Grace last night (October 11). Carrie read from the book, signed copies, and gave us some amazing insight into her writing process and how the book came to be. Thanks so much to all who attended and especially to Boonton Coffee Company for hosting.
All of us here at Blydyn Square Books are very excited to introduce our readers to our upcoming imprint, Heartwise Books! This new division of Blydyn Square will showcase a brand-new genre that we’re calling Smart Heart Fiction—stories that make you think and feel.
Heartwise will publish emotionally resonant women’s fiction and literary romance with depth, nuance, and purpose. Our books will feature layered characters, meaningful relationships, and themes that linger long after the final page.
We’re excited to give our readers some great storytelling that doesn’t shy away from complexity, along with love stories as intelligent as they are heartfelt.
To learn more or to submit work, please visit our Heartwise Books site. In the meantime, stay tuned for more about this new imprint!
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Our judges have chosen Georgia Blackwood as the winner in our first-ever Best First Chapter contest. Georgia will receive a contract for her book, When the Child Speaks, tentatively scheduled to launch in summer 2027.
Georgia Blackwood is a St. Louis-based writer whose storytelling speaks to the heart of human resilience. Her work invites readers to sit with what is raw, what is real, and what becomes redemptive.
You can find her online at her author website or Instagram: @authorgeorgiablackwood
Our runner-up is S. M. Stevens, who receives a free manuscript critique (and, of course, bragging rights).
S.M. Stevens began writing fiction during back-to-back health crises: a shattered pelvis and ovarian cancer. She writes contemporary novels designed to make readers laugh, cry and think. Her most recent novel, Beautiful and Terrible Things, was published by Black Rose Writing last summer. It has since won seven awards including Indies Today’s Best Literary Book of 2024, and an Honorable Mention in the Social Issues category of the 2024 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest. Her book The Wallace House of Pain won the 2023 American Fiction Award for Best Novelette, and First Place in the Short Fiction category of the Chanticleer International Book Awards. A lifelong New Englander other than stints in England and Italy, she lives in Washington, N.H.
You can find her online:
Thanks so much to all the talented writers who participated in the contest! We’re looking forward to working with the winners and to offering many more opportunities for authors to share their work!
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“Worthy to Be Found”’
by Sam Hendrian
Harassed her hungover head
‘Til it sanctioned a trip to the beach
Where spontaneous baptisms were said to occur
For those addicted to rebirth.
Cold sands evoked the limp loneliness
Of a tipsy writer on a Tuesday night
Sending fire emojis and sloppy compliments
To whoever might be in a flirtatious mood.
Such solidarity in solitude
Briefly disarmed her self-destructive shields
Which guarded insult from injury,
Discovery from recovery.
Dipped her left foot in the water
But couldn’t withstand the pressure
Caused by courting the possibility
She was worthy to be found.
Returning to the fetal glass shards
And taking out her rectangular rescuer,
The chance to advance became the same old dance
Between maybe someday and maybe nevermind.
Then an elusively intrusive thought
Conjured some sticker she’d seen on a lamp post
Proclaiming she was loved as if it were a fact
Yet why shouldn’t it be?
Our next children’s book project, by James Brian Kerr (author of The Long Walk Home: How I Lost My Job as a Corporate Remora Fish and Rediscovered My Life’s Purpose), is called Elysium! Elysium! It’s a short chapter book about a group of animals facing some unusual challenges.
For this project, we’re looking for a traditional, warm style of art (see the sample images below). An excerpt from the text is also included below, so you can get a feel for the story.
If you think you might be the right illustrator for this project, please reach out to Editor in Chief Tara Tomczyk at tara@blydynsquarebooks.com. Please do NOT message us through social media or comment on our posts regarding your qualifications or recommending artists. We want to deal privately with potential illustrators. We’d love to see samples of your work and/or your interpretation of an illustration that would work for our story.
We’re excited to see your work and to develop relationships with some new and upcoming artists! Below, we’ve included a couple of sample illustrations that have the kind of “feel” we’re looking for. And below those is an excerpt from the book, for your consideration. Any questions? Feel free to reach out.
Again, please note that this opportunity is NOT for professional illustrators who have already established themselves in the industry. We’re offering this particular project only to illustrators who don’t have extensive experience or previous publication credits.
Sample Illustrations:
Text Excerpt:
Dawn was breaking over the forest when Augie the gray squirrel put out the call.
“Big Oak is down! He fell during the storm!”
From across the woods, the creatures raced to see. In the cool, dripping morning, they took in the sight of the once-mighty oak fallen across the walking path that ran along the edge of the forest. The tree was so big, it extended onto the lawn of the cottage where the professor and his wife lived. There were branches everywhere. One of Big Oak’s splintered limbs was driven like a spear into the ground next to the walking path.
“What happened?” asked Reds the fox.
“It was the wind last night,” said Augie’s mother. “You all heard it. . . .”
Nods all around.
“It was fearsome,” said the doe, who was pregnant again. Every spring without fail, she had a set of twins. Her brood was so big now, she had a hard time keeping track of them all. “All those God bolts, one after the other.”
“Was Big Oak hit?” the bluejay asked.
Reds ran back and forth along the length of Big Oak’s massive trunk. “It doesn’t look like it.”
“He was old,” said the screech owl. “He had the rot in his roots. With all the rain of late, it was bound to happen.”
“What’s the rot?” Augie asked.
“It’s when a tree goes bad from the inside,” his mother replied. “Then the ants get in. It happens when trees get old.”
“Squirrels can get the rot too,” Reds said with a devilish grin. “Because they spend so much time in trees.”
“I could get ants?” Augie asked, alarm rising in his voice.
“No, you’re not going to get ants,” his mother said. “Only trees get ants.”
“What about the rot? Could I get the rot?”
His mother sighed. Her young son was so impressionable.
“You’re not going to get the rot either,” she said. She turned to the fox and gave him the evil eye. “Stop teasing him, Reds. You’ll give him nightmares.”
Screech Owl was looking off toward the cottage where the professor lived. The cottage was small and white with a bay window that looked out to the bird feeders in the backyard.
“The rot happens to all creatures, great and small,” the owl said. “People too. The professor’s daughter had it.”
“Yes, that was sad,” Brood Doe said. “She was so young.”
“Did the professor’s wife have the rot too?” Augie asked.
“No,” the doe replied. “They say she died of a broken heart.”
The young squirrel’s face screwed up in puzzlement. “How can you break your heart when it’s inside you?”
“It’s a different kind of break, dear,” his mother said.
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It’s one of the most beloved films of all time—The Wizard of Oz has enchanted generations with its Technicolor magic, unforgettable music, and heartwarming story. But behind the curtain of this iconic movie lies a world of secrets, struggles, and scandals that few fans know about.
Here are 5 shocking things you probably didn’t know about the making of The Wizard of Oz—and how a new novel, Glinda’s Ruby Slippers by Mike Radice, brings the real Hollywood drama to life.
1. Judy Garland Was Just 16—and Heavily Controlled
At only sixteen, Judy Garland was thrust into the spotlight, but MGM didn’t treat her like a teenager. She was placed on a strict diet, given pills to control her weight and energy, and forced to wear a corset to flatten her curves and make her appear more childlike. The emotional toll of playing Dorothy would haunt her for the rest of her life.
In Glinda’s Ruby Slippers, you’ll see how Garland’s struggles affected the entire production—and how the adults around her either protected her or pushed her harder.
2. The Wicked Witch Was Actually Burned on Set
Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West, suffered second-degree burns during a special effects mishap when she vanished in a puff of smoke. The makeup on her face was copper-based and flammable. Even after her injury, she returned to finish the film—but refused to do any more stunts.
The novel sheds light on the very real dangers actors faced on set—especially when big budgets and reputations were on the line.
3. Glinda Was 54—And Hiding Her Own Scandals
Billie Burke, who played the ethereal Glinda the Good Witch, was one of the oldest cast members. While she seemed like the picture of kindness and grace, Burke was battling insecurities, career pressures, and personal secrets she hoped to keep buried.
In Glinda’s Ruby Slippers, she takes center stage. Through her eyes, we witness the beautiful—and brutal—truth behind the magic.
4. The Ruby Slippers Were a Hollywood Invention
In L. Frank Baum’s original novel, Dorothy’s shoes were silver. But MGM changed them to ruby to show off the new Technicolor process. The decision helped cement the slippers in pop culture—but the change was just one of many studio-driven tweaks that clashed with the source material.
The novel captures the tension between art and commerce, and how every decision came at a cost.
5. The Set Was Chaotic—and Dangerous
From unpredictable directors to complex sets and clashing egos, The Wizard of Oz was anything but a dream behind the scenes. There were power struggles, physical injuries, and moments of near-collapse throughout the production.
Glinda’s Ruby Slippers gives readers a fictionalized, but richly researched, look at what it was like to be on that set—where every sparkling moment on screen hid a far darker reality.
Want to experience the true magic—and madness—behind Oz?
Glinda’s Ruby Slippers by Mike Radice launches April 25, 2025!
Preorder here!