19 Comments
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Susan Wittig Albert's avatar

Love it, Maria--and we are all (if we're honest) in recovery from something. I'm in recovery from decades as a series genre fiction writer, learning to be less compulsive about the writing and have more fun with it. Wishing us both continued recovery!

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Maria Luz O'Rourke's avatar

Thank you for your support and well wishes, Susan! And so true!

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Lyns McCracken's avatar

This is awesome! Congratulations Maria! I love it!

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Maria Luz O'Rourke's avatar

Thank you 🙏🏽

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Archaic Joy's avatar

Great choice! Honest Recovery is perfect :)

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Susan Kacvinsky's avatar

Love the new name. Very clear. I am an Alchemy buff myself! I look forward to seeing the rest of the branding changes you are making.

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Maria Luz O'Rourke's avatar

Thank you Susan! I use 'branding' loosely, but I do want things to at least not be disorienting!

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Susan Kacvinsky's avatar

I think we all (especially the writers) want things to be clear and hang together.

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Melody Rose's avatar

I LOVE the new name, Magical Maria! While I generally know what alchemy means, after reading this, I looked it up to find all definitions and some examples. I love it! I think your new Substack title truly captures you and your work, both personal and professional. I’m honored to be a part of your journey, and I’m beyond grateful that you’re a part of mine, especially my recovery journey! As well as my discovery journey. Your recovery and learning more about your journey inspired me to take the first steps on my recovery journey this time around. Becoming friends and sharing with each other along the way continues to help and inspire me in so many ways. It isn’t always easy to share our journeys with others, with friends and strangers alike. It can be scary, as you write, and we can freeze with fear and doubt. Your continued bravery and courage in publicly sharing your story(ies) here encourages and supports others to do the same, and I KNOW you are helping change so many people’s lives for the better. Thank you for being YOU and for sharing your journey with us! Sending you so much love, gratitude, and wishes for a new year full of joy, peace, continued but gentle healing, and much success as you define it and feel it in all the important ways!

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Maria Luz O'Rourke's avatar

Thank you thank you thank you, my dear!! Your words are beautiful and mean so much to me. I treasure them, as well as your friendship 🤗❤️🥹

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Traci Ball's avatar

I’m so excited! This is so beautiful and so needed. YOU are so beautiful and so needed.

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Maria Luz O'Rourke's avatar

Thank you sister 🙏🏽💖

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Trina Empey's avatar

love this!

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Maria Luz O'Rourke's avatar

Thank you sister 🙌🏽

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Maggie Delaney-Potthoff's avatar

BRAVA! Perfect, really.

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Maria Luz O'Rourke's avatar

Thank you Maggie ❤️🤗

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Barb Natividad 🇵🇭🇺🇸's avatar

Congratulations on the new name!

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Maria Luz O'Rourke's avatar

Thank you Barb! 💕

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Emily + Her Stars's avatar

What a perfect name!!! Birthed at exactly the right moment 💫♥️🎉

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