“Stories of Sobriety and Strength” with Jessica Guerrieri

Episode #10: A Conversation on Recovery, Writing, and Motherhood

Before we dive in, if you comment on the episode below, you have a chance to win a copy of Jessica’s amazing book!

Listen to the episode and share your thoughts below for your chance to win a free copy of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.

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This week on Circle of Chairs Conversations, I had the joy of sitting down with Jessica Guerrieri—a proud sober mom of three, award-winning author, and powerful advocate for mental health and recovery. We got to talk about fiction (love), the temptation of trying substances (like cannabis), and motherhood in recovery.

You all, I LOVE this conversation and can’t wait to share it with you.

Jessica’s story is both deeply personal and widely relatable. As a mother raising three daughters while walking her own path of sobriety, she has learned to navigate life’s chaos with honesty, humor, and grace. Her ability to weave together the messy and the meaningful shows up not just in her life, but also in her writing.

Her debut novel, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Harper Muse, 2025), won early praise for its emotional depth and literary beauty. And her sophomore novel, Both Can Be True (coming May 2026), promises to be another book club favorite. Beyond her fiction, Jessica’s essays have been featured in People, HuffPost, and Writer’s Digest. Through her work, she gives voice to the struggles and triumphs of sobriety, motherhood, and mental health.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How recovery reshaped her life as a mother and writer

• Our similar thoughts on cannabis (you’ll have to listen to hear more)

• Why vulnerability is a superpower in both art and healing

• The importance of telling hard truths in fiction and nonfiction alike

• What it means to balance sobriety with the challenges of parenting three kids

• Why she believes community—and literature—can help us hold both beauty and brokenness at the same time

“Sobriety didn’t just save my life—it gave me the chance to live it fully.” — Jessica Guerrieri

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About Jessica Guerrieri

Jessica Guerrieri is an award-winning author, essayist, and mother of three. Her debut novel, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, will be released by Harper Muse in 2025. Her second novel, Both Can Be True, follows in May 2026.

Her essays have appeared in People, HuffPost, and Writer’s Digest. She is also a frequent voice in the sobriety and mental health communities, blending vulnerability and wisdom in a way that resonates with readers around the world.

Jessica lives in Davis, California, with her husband, three daughters, and a lively parade of pets.

Let’s keep pulling up more chairs.

Every week, I’m blown away by the wisdom, courage, and creativity shared in this circle. Jessica’s perspective on recovery and storytelling offers hope for anyone navigating the messy middle of motherhood, sobriety, or simply being human.

If this conversation encouraged you, share it with a friend or a fellow parent—you never know who might need the reminder that it’s possible to live both fully sober and fully alive.

And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss the next episode.

💬 Have a story to share or know someone doing impactful work in recovery? Reply here or send me a message—I’d love to connect.

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her next book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide for Understanding Addiction, is coming Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here.