Effects of the Truth Behind the Secrets

Sandra Schnakenburg is a dual American/Australian citizen. Sandy earned a BS in finance and international business at Arizona State University and an MBA specializing in finance and accounting at the University of Southern California. She left a career in corporate finance in 2010 to study creative nonfiction. She has completed writing courses at Rice University, Writespace, and The Writers University in Houston. When not writing, you will find Sandra enjoying her family, nature, hiking, skiing, biking, cooking, yoga and walking her dogs. She and her husband, Karl, currently split their time between Houston, Texas and Park City, Utah.

About The Housekeeper’s Secret

Secrets. We all have them. We all love to discover them. We all turn the pages until that secret is revealed. For Sandra Schnakenburg, the secrets she found out about her beloved housekeeper, Lee, were overwhelming. Driven by Lee’s dying wish, Sandy’s simple investigative journey intensifies when she serendipitously discovers Lee’s past and true identity, a gut-wrenching truth hidden for three decades from her family. 

On her deathbed, Lee asks Sandy to write her story— a story Lee would often bellow over the years “no one would ever believe!” No word from the story was spoken, even after decades of pestering Lee to the point of anger for details about her past. Years later, Lee’s request sends the author on a deeply emotional journey to find the truth, unearthing shocking secrets about her cherished housekeeper’s past and revelations about her own childhood.Ultimately, The Housekeeper’s Secret is a poignant testament to love and survival, revealing the resilience of the human spirit.

Sandra’s Website

Melrose Plantation, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana

Manteno State Mental Hospital Manteno Township in Kankakee County, Illinois

Affiliate links below.

PodMatch a Dating Service for Podcasters

If you are a podcaster, or have a message or fantastic product you want to share with the world, I encourage you to check out PodMatch. I call them a dating service for podcasters. Use the affiliate link and tell them, Lucinda sent you. Then contact me so we can set up a Story-Power chat.

Story-Power on Patreon

I’m so passionate about stories that I created the Story-Power Patreon Community so I’d have an excuse to talk story with other story lovers. Patreon is $5 a month for content not found on the Story-Power podcast, or on my Sage Woman Blog. They have recently instituted a free tier so you can try it out before you buy. If you’re passionate about stories, and want to talk about what you’ve learned from your favorites, come join me at patreon.com/StoryPower. Let’s share what we’ve learned from the stories we love.

Classic Cinema with the Sage Sisters

Stories are a huge part of the way humans communicate with each other. I think all stories are allegories where we can learn all kinds of important things, not the least of which is how to understand ourselves and others better. The best stories can be told over and over from one generation to the next and still teach great lessons. Emotional Intelligence and critical thinking are two of those lessons. Celeste and I think there are many classic movies that show us the progression of where humanity is today and we want to share them with you.

Shakespeare was right, “All the world is a stage and all the men and women merely players.” The stories we tell and consume are us trying to figure out who we are, why we’re here, who we want to be, and the kind of world we want to live in.

Come join the conversation on YouTube and our Facebook group.

Stories That Connect the Product to the Right Costumers

“Christian Schu is a dedicated filmmaker who sees filmmaking and advertising as storytelling arts. Since starting commercial filmmaking in 2015, he has focused on creating narratives that deeply engage viewers through emotion. His career includes work in virtual studios, sports events like the WTA Mallorca Open, and collaborations with German business speakers. Since 2019, he has been producing visually stunning content for top hi-fi brands including Focal Naim, Bowers & Wilkins, and Bang & Olufsen. Christian’s passion for storytelling began with childhood Lego play, now translating into impactful, award-winning cinematic work.“

Web:  https://christian-schu.com

https://instagram.com/christian_schu_film

https://www.facebook.com/christianschu.official

https://linkedin.com/company/christianschu

Seconds in Eternity  Short Feature looking for a Film Festival. Watch the trailer at secondsineternity.com

WTA – Women’s Tennis Association

Tribeca Film Festival 

Affiliate links below.

PodMatch


If you are a podcaster, or have a message or fantastic product you want to share with the world, I encourage you to check out PodMatch. I call them a dating service for podcasters. Use the affiliate link and tell them, Lucinda sent you. Then contact me so we can set up a Story-Power chat.

Story-Power on Patreon


I’m so passionate about stories that I created the Story-Power Patreon Community so I’d have an excuse to talk story with other story lovers. Patreon is $5 a month for content not found on the Story-Power podcast, or on my Sage Woman Blog. They have recently instituted a free tier so you can try it out before you buy. If you’re passionate about stories, and want to talk about what you’ve learned from your favorites, come join me at patreon.com/StoryPower. Let’s share what we’ve learned from the stories we love.

Classic Cinema with the Sage Sisters

Stories are a huge part of the way humans communicate with each other. I think all stories are allegories where we can learn all kinds of important things, not the least of which is how to understand ourselves and others better. The best stories can be told over and over from one generation to the next and still teach great lessons. Emotional Intelligence and critical thinking are two of those lessons. Celeste and I think there are many classic movies that show us the progression of where humanity is today and we want to share them with you.

Shakespeare was right, “All the world is a stage and all the men and women merely players.” The stories we tell and consume are us trying to figure out who we are, why we’re here, who we want to be, and the kind of world we want to live in.

Come join the conversation on YouTube and our Facebook group.

How NOT to Make a Movie

Over the course of his writing and producing career, Alan Katz has written movies and TV shows like HBO’s iconic Tales From The Crypt. Entertainment Weekly called the first season of his “The How NOT To Make A Movie Podcast” the “Best Film Podcast of 2022”. He realized at that point that he’d become the thing he always wanted to be when he grew up: a podcaster.

Website, LinkedIn, Patreon

NOTE: My conversation with Alan was so extensive that I have chosen to publish only the most important people, agencies, and entertainment in these show notes.

William Morris Agency

Gilbert Adler, Director, Producer

HBO productions Gil and Alan worked on: Tales from the Crypt, Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight, Bordello of Blood

Joel Silver, Producer

Walter Hill, Producer, Writer, Director

Robert Zemeckis, Producer,  Director

Richard Donner, Director, Producer, Actor

Kevin Yagher, Special Effects makeup

John Kassir, voice of the Crypt Keeper

William (Bill) Gaines, EC Comics, Mad (Magazine)

Lauren Shuler Donner, Producer, Actor

The Outer Limits (1995 – 2002)

“Dads from the Crypt”, podcast

Entertainment Weekly

“How NOT to Make a Movie”, podcast with Alan Katz

“The Donor” by Costard & Touchstone Productions, Inc.

“The Hall Closet” podcast, Hallcloset.com, Costard & Touchstone Productions, Inc.

“Sage Wellness Within” podcast with Dr. Andrea Thorpe

Karen L. Moran, Story-Power episode 111, October 9, 2024, Book, Forever Tourmaline

Barry Josephson, an Executive Producer of Bones

TCM, (Turner Classic Movies)

Singing in the Rain, Donald O’Connor

Coming podcasts, *A Secret War” with Manilla Chan, “Just the Photographer”, with David Swanson

Some of the links below are affiliate links.

PodMatch a Dating Service for Podcasters 

This episode is brought to you by PodMatch, the dating service for podcasters. They introduced me to Alan Katz, and I’m so glad they did. I hope you’ve enjoyed our conversation and remember that if you have a podcast or something to share with the world, check out PodMatch at my affiliate link at PodMatch and tell them Lucinda sent you.

Story-Power on Patreon

I’m so passionate about stories that I created the Story-Power Patreon Community so I’d have an excuse to talk story with other story lovers. Patreon is $5 a month for content not found on the Story-Power podcast, or on my Sage Woman Blog. They have recently instituted a free tier so you can try it out before you buy. If you’re passionate about stories, and want to talk about what you’ve learned from your favorites, come join me at patreon.com/StoryPower. Let’s share what we’ve learned from the stories we love.

Classic Cinema with the Sage Sisters

Stories are a huge part of the way humans communicate with each other. I think all stories are allegories where we can learn all kinds of important things, not the least of which is how to understand ourselves and others better. The best stories can be told over and over from one generation to the next and still teach great lessons. Emotional Intelligence and critical thinking are two of those lessons. Celeste and I think there are many classic movies that show us the progression of where humanity is today and we want to share them with you.

Shakespeare was right, “All the world is a stage and all the men and women merely players.” The stories we tell and consume are us trying to figure out who we are, why we’re here, who we want to be, and the kind of world we want to live in.

Come join the conversation on YouTube and our Facebook group.

It Depends on Where You Look

Photo by u0410u043bu0435u0441u044c u0423u0441u0446u0456u043du0430u045e on Pexels.com

“When you change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” ~ Wayne Dyer

“When you want only love, you will see nothing else.” ~ A Course in Miracles

“Evil has its hour but God has his day” ~ Volodymyr Zelenskyy from his Easter message

We humans have a choice. As Einstein said, we can see the universe as a hostile place, or we can see it as a friendly place. For some reason for millennia we have chosen to see the world as a dangerous place to live. That’s obvious if you have studied any history at all. But … what if all the above quotes were true? What if we can change our minds and look for the good, the beautiful, the love, and caring that is all around us?

This is Friday as I write this post and today an Easter message of Volodymyr Zelenskyy to his people surfaced in my YouTube feed. I caught a glimpse of it as I was switching pages to my meditation page and had to watch it. I was weeping by the end of it not only because of his message of hope, but his determination to lead his people to peace. I include it here at the end of this post in case you want to watch too. One of the things he says in the video is exactly what Wayne Dyer’s quote above says. We can choose to look for the dangerous, inhumane things going on around us and convince ourselves that’s all there is. Life sucks and then you die. Or, we can choose to look for beauty in all its forms, and believe that life is good no matter what happens because there is always something to learn and something to rejoice about. I believe he is right. The more I rejoice, the happier I am.

This is what I’ve learned in my 72 years, I am in control of what I think, feel, and see in the world. I know. That’s contrary to what we’re taught most of the time. But it’s true. My life is so much happier now that I actively seek out inspiring messages from the Universe. And as for the seemingly evil that’s happening in the world, I try to look at what I can learn from those people and events. They help me examine and refine what I want out of life and how I would like us all to interact with each other. I see a world in which we all love and honor each other.

That’s all I have for your consideration today. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Thank you for reading, liking, and commenting.

Blessings,

Lucinda Sage-Midgorden © 2025

Make Bad Art

This post contains affiliate links.

Nancy Norbeck has been singing almost since birth, and she wrote her first story when she was in fourth grade. She is a Master Certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach who knows everyone is creative, including those who insist they’re not. Her podcast, Follow Your Curiosity, inspires listeners by exploring guests’ creative journeys and offering insights into the creative process. She lives in New Jersey and loves to travel, especially via a good book. For more information on current projects, the podcast and coaching opportunities, please visit fycurosity.com or follow her on Instagram and TikTok @fycuriosity or Twitter @fycuriositypod.

Get unstuck with my Creative Tune-Up, which helps anyone who’s blocked at any stage of their process reconnect with their creative energy. And check out the Follow Your Curiosity podcast for more inspiration and insights!

X, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, The Spark Substack

Follow Your Curiosity, Creative Pep Talk

Make Bad Art course

Alan Katz, Hollywood writer and novelist, Story-Power guest May 7, 2025

Classic Cinema with the Sage Sisters

Prolific Writers Life

9 Ways a Theatre Degree Trumps a Business Degree Repost of original post September 13, 2013

The Silver Child, Nancy Norbeck

Rahna Reiko Rizzuto

Rachel Pollack, Science Fiction, Comic book writer

The Space Between Time, Lucinda Sage-Midgorden

Nancy’s newsletter The Sparkon Substack

Doctor. Who, (1963 – 1989) Multiple movies and relaunch in (2005 – present)

xkcd Webcomic, (2005) Randall Munroe

The Year of Yes, Shanda Rhimes

Yes Man (2008) Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschnel, Bradley Cooper

Sage Woman Chronicles, Lucinda Sage-Midgorden blog and website

PodMatch a Dating Service for Podcasters

This episode is brought to you by PodMatch, the dating service for podcasters. They introduced me to Nancy Norbeck, and I’m so glad they did. I hope you’ve enjoyed our conversation and remember that if you have a podcast or something to share with the world, check out PodMatch at my affiliate link at PodMatch and tell them Lucinda sent you.

Story-Power on Patreon

I’m so passionate about stories that I created the Story-Power Patreon Community so I’d have an excuse to talk story with other story lovers. Patreon is $5 a month for content not found on the Story-Power podcast, or on my Sage Woman Blog. They have recently instituted a free tier so you can try it out before you buy. If you’re passionate about stories, and want to talk about what you’ve learned from your favorites, come join me at patreon.com/StoryPower. Let’s share what we’ve learned from the stories we love.

Prolific Writers Life

My husband, Barry and I recently joined Prolific Writers Life which offers members a variety of free online work sessions and discounts on coaching sessions with industry experts. They offer opportunities to hone your writing skills, develop your author brand, and connect with a supportive community in live events. You can participate in group chats or send private messages to members through Prolific Writers Chat. If you’ve got a writing project, or are an expert who can help members finish their writing projects, come join the community.

Classic Cinema with the Sage Sisters

Stories are a huge part of the way humans communicate with each other. I think all stories are allegories where we can learn all kinds of important things, not the least of which is how to understand ourselves and others better. The best stories can be told over and over from one generation to the next and still teach great lessons. Emotional Intelligence and critical thinking are two of those lessons. Celeste and I think there are many classic movies that show us the progression of where humanity is today and we want to share them with you.

Shakespeare was right, “All the world is a stage and all the men and women merely players.” The stories we tell and consume are us trying to figure out who we are, why we’re here, who we want to be, and the kind of world we want to live in.

Come join the conversation on YouTube and our Facebook group.