Happy Victorious Woman Month!!
Everyone has a moment, or a season, in which to decide whether to stay in your same place or step out into the unknown. The decision to move forward is always followed by a stretch out of your comfort zone. The stretch requires you to do whatever thing(s) you need (take action, more education, pray, visioning, affirmations, etc.) that enable you to push past fear, doubt, and limitation. That’s how victory begins. That stretch is at heart of every Victorious Woman story.
For each one of us, the willingness to stretch starts somewhere with little seeds of victory. I don’t know where the seeds of your victories were planted, but for me, they were planted in a book.
When I was a kid, the second wave of feminism was just starting. Pink think was still being idealized and being the good girl was still the female norm. People joked that aspirin was for keeping between your knees (contraception). When women went to work, they had only a few options, like teacher, secretary, nurse, or hairdresser. They couldn’t be “in charge”, even when more qualified than a man.
In addition, my very-old-school Italian upbringing had its own rules. My life path was school, marriage, children – in that order. My job was to keep my man happy, the kids fed, and the house clean. My happiness or satisfaction wasn’t a thing.
When I got engaged at twenty-two, I was on track. It made my parents happy. When that engagement ended, my father wanted to sue my ex – even though I initiated the breakup. I felt like I failed myself, my parents, and tradition.
My Saving Grace
Fortunately, I had a saving grace: little victory seeds planted in my childhood with Nancy Drew! Nancy came long before I knew about Oprah, Sandra Day O’Connor, RBG, and other victory influencers. Nancy made a positive impression on me!
I started reading Nancy Drew books after I outgrew The Bobbsey Twins, probably around age nine or ten, and before I followed the escapades of Brenda Starr. Nancy was no pink-thinker. No, she had personal power and I recognized it.
Nancy Drew had everything I didn’t have, but wanted. Nancy was a thin, cute, smart, adventurous sixteen-year-old with a penchant for solving mysteries. She had money, a cool lifestyle, and a car (a blue roadster). Also, because Nancy’s widowed father traveled and left Nancy alone for days at a time, she was independent.
Nancy also had a boyfriend, Ned Nickerson, a college guy. Ned, unlike my domineering and abusive brothers, was sweet. He supported Nancy’s sleuthing, helped get her out of jams, and got along with her two best girlfriends: Bess, a girly girl, and George, a “tomboy.”
When I look back on those stories, I remember loving how Nancy figured mysteries out and how, when she got herself into some scary situation, she knew how to get herself out of danger. I also loved how she challenged social norms. Nancy gave me the first spark of courage to do that too.
So, as an adult, when I bucked tradition and moved into my first apartment against my Italian parents’ wishes, my Nancy-skills kicked in. When, as a single woman, I bought my first house and my mother didn’t think it was a big deal (because a house wasn’t a man), my Nancy-skills kicked in. When I got married for the first Five-Year Marriage, I was lucky enough to have a partner who, like Ned, supported that idea – and eight marriages later – we are still benefitting from that norm-challenging idea.
Nancy Drew mystery books planted the seeds of victory in my consciousness long before I knew what victory was for a woman.
From Then to Now
So, when I wrote Victorious Woman, I wanted to give women something I once found in Nancy Drew — not just entertainment, but inspiration. Nancy Drew showed me that courage, determination, and curiosity could open doors. I wanted the real-life Victorious Woman stories – of women who faced challenges, took risks, stretched beyond fear, and created victories of their own – to become like a “real-life, grown-up Nancy Drew” for women everywhere.
Whether it was Pattie battling cancer, Nancy and domestic violence, Maureen being left to raise five young children, or any of the other women whose stories I featured, each woman became an example of what is possible – even when the odds were clearly stacked against them. Their journeys are meant to encourage other women to believe in themselves, step outside their comfort zones, and pursue lives filled with purpose, growth, and victory.
“Victory is the stretch you make out of your comfort zone to get from where you are to where you want to be.” For me, the Nancy Drew books helped lay the foundations of victory for me. Who or what was it for you? Was it a person, a book, or something else? Please share who inspired you to victory… on www.facebook.com or www.instagram.com or www.linkedin.com.
Special Offer!
For the entire month of May, use code: victory2026 to take advantage of 35% OFF plus FREE shipping on a copy of Victorious Woman! It makes a great graduation gift. Full details here.
Got a Review for Me?
If you were one of the people who took advantage of my special Amazon offer and bought my book, The Five-Year Marriage 2nd Edition, Secrets, Tools, and strategies for Reimagining Marriage So It Works For You, THANKYOU! And, if you liked the book, please go back to Amazon and leave a quick review. If you aren’t sure about what to say, the easiest thing to write is what you especially liked, e.g. easy to read, good tips, ideas that make sense, or great tips that are easy to put into practice. And, of course, if you want to share a “here’s what happened after I tried this one tip” story – people really like those things. I appreciate your time and effort!
Ankle Update
It’s been a long and challenging 2026, but I’m on the upswing. I’m mostly out of the boot, and wearing running shoes all-day, everyday, even with dress clothes. I’m in outpatient PT for a couple hours a week, and using a walker. PT Maria gives me exercises to increase mobility and flexibility. She has tried to get me using a cane, but I don’t do well with it. At home I can sometimes walk without any assistance, but when I’m out of the house, I prefer the walker – unless I’m someplace that has a shopping cart and I use that instead.
Thanks to all of you who sent emails and FB comments.
Happy Memorial Day!
With love and in victory,
Annmarie
