New Books from
PJ Colando
I am a walking exclamation point, eager to share the wit and wisdom of the Midwest … welcome to the neighborhood!
Author
MY LIFE AS A MIRACLE
This is not the usual memoir structure: it’s an orchestration of anecdotes, observations, events, and especially, moments of gratitude that reveal her heart. It’s all about what matters in her life. The stories create a field of vivid points and the truths that tie them together.
The posts are intimate and personal, told simply in an expressive, conversational style. The slice-of-life selections sizzle with spunk and sparkle with joy.
With the themed sections as a framework, the blog posts build up to reveal deep beliefs and values without being judgmental or preachy. Her life has been full of miracles, and readers will find resonance with their own experiences.
What’s New from the Faith, Family, Frenzy! Series (the separate-and-equal sequel)
The Jailbird’s Jackpot
PJ’s latest “Jailbird Jackpot” continues the ongoing saga of what happens when the sordid topic of coin (and lots of them) instantly alters people’s lives.
“PJ Colando’s sprightly novel shines its light on an uncommon slice of contemporary Americana, a Midwest culture most often viewed from flyover range.”
– Art Plotnik,
Author – Spunk & Bite.
Books in The
FAITH, FAMILY, FRENZY! SERIES
Life in rural small town can dull the senses. A trio of gal pals—mired in middle age, Middle America, and other people’s problems—long to escape.
When Bonnie wins the Boffo Lotto, her circle of friends urge her to lawyer up, invest, and sequester herself.
But secrets are inconceivable in small towns, so Bonnie and Carl invite close friends to witness their Vegas wedding and honeymoon in Hawaii with endless vagabond beyond. The sky’s the limit!
The allure of travel is fun for a while—hilarious, in fact.
When the husbands are jailed, wanderlust is no longer a romp and things get complicated when you’re halfway round the world, untethered from all you know and love.
Life has its consequences… and there’s no place like home.
Steve was already perturbed with the brother he has when Carl Edwards strides onto the farm. David Breeden, who lives nearby, is not a bastard but always acted like one. Carl, a charismatic Californian, may be a bastard, but doesn’t act like one…Yet Carl rocks the entire small Midwestern farming community, including a lively cast of characters who assault Steve’s calm-against-chaos pattern in this humorous family saga.
Opportunity arrives when their married son loses his job – and home to foreclosure. They become reverse empty nesters, and buy a Winnebago to cut loose and explore America.
Son Brandon, and his ambitiously conniving wife Amy, embody their generation’s prevailing sense of entitlement. Before the older couple departs, Amy embellishes the micro-dairy business by growing and selling marijuana edibles, dragging Jackie into the scheme. As the local bank vice president, Amy secretly increases the amount of the Home Equity Line of Credit that financed the Winnebago.
Oops – adventures and adversities ensue.
Books in The
BOOK ONE IN THE “I AM …” SERIES
I call my short story fiction genre “loose with the truth” because there is always, always, always a kernel of truth in the fiction I flash. My fiction is often more believable than the non-fiction within my tale. As the famed author, Robert Crais, says, “I’m just making sh** up”— and, to some people, it resounds.
I guess that makes me a story-teller, a talent that has evolved. I never fibbed when I was a kid. Did you?
Some stories are powered by a rant or a personal pet peeve or an encounter that perplexed me.
I’ve exorcized demons, retorted in print to people who’ve been unkind, and changed my point of view with writing as an algorithm for life. I’ve gained empathy, deepened my resistance, and resolved problems that will never resolve in real life.
I write to learn what I’m thinking rather than remain locked in my feelings. Sometimes I even write to process feelings. I write to feel less insecure.
I can’t, couldn’t, won’t imagine life without the ability to write. I think I’d go crazy . . . or else suffer emotional death.
Blog
My Journal
PJ writes funny! Follow along on some romping good fun! You’ll be glad you did!
The Real World Settings of Books
My response to a significant question posed for the Insecure Writers Support Blog members: If you could live in any book world, which one would you choose?
Another Pass at the Pool
A dutiful dip in my gym’s pool becomes a delight –
I No Longer Career Evangelize
Because I adored my career choice, I attempted to get many young people to become speech-language pathologists. While I replaced myself in the workforce with two young women, another was denied college entry. I no longer evangelize because of her decimated feelings.
Blog as Virtual Diary
Reasons to write a blog –
Contact Me
Get In Touch
PJ would love to hear from you. Do you have a question about PJ's books and musings, don't be shy!