Amy Impellizzeri was a highly successful litigator in New York City for over 10 years at one of the largest law firms in the world.  Working around the clock, with three young kids at home, and a husband in medical school, Amy was stretched pretty thin.  She started to wonder whether she was living her most authentic life.  In 2008, the Great Recession afforded her an unexpected sabbatical and an opportunity to rediscover her love of creative writing.  She started with an essay and just kept writing.  After a year, Amy wasn’t ready to go back; she wasn’t convinced she ever would be and negotiated a three year unpaid leave of absence.  She never went back.  

That was 15 years ago.  This week, Amy’s seventh novel, Barr None, will hit the shelves.  Starting with Lemongrass Hope in 2014, her works of fiction are infused with mystery, fantasy, romance and even time travel.  We couldn’t help but notice that the main character in her most recent book, In Her Defense, is a former lawyer turned podcaster, named Ingrid!  Amy has also authored/co-authored two non-fiction books, including How to Leave the Law with co-author, Liz Brown, who we interviewed for Episode 16 of This is My Silver Lining.

Amy’s successful career transition prepared her for other life changes.  In the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic, she and her husband made the difficult decision to get divorced, after being married for 24 years.  Amy would not necessarily have designed so many significant life transitions for herself in a concentrated period of time, but she knows they happened as they needed to and that each challenge prepared her for the next.  Her best advice:  “say it out loud!”  Give voice to your dreams; you never know who is listening!  

Episode Links and Resources:

Amy Impellizzeri

Barr None

In Her Defense

Lemongrass Hope

I Know How This Ends

The Truth About Thea

Secrets of Worry Dolls

Why We Lie

How to Leave the Law

Lawyer Interrupted 

Tall Poppy Writers

Support this podcast by subscribing and reviewing!

Music is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Audio Blocks.

Technical Podcast Support by: Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co.

© 2022 Silver Linings Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *