Guilt is sneaky. It disguises itself as responsibility, love, duty, and “being a good person.” But for years, guilt ran my life—and I didn’t even realize it. From the guilt of my childhood to mom guilt, military guilt, and creative guilt, I carried weight that was never mine to begin with.
In this episode of Have a Cup of Johanny, I open up about the emotional and generational guilt that shaped me, the guilt that almost kept me from writing The Ordinary Bruja, and the moment I realized guilt is not guidance—it’s fear wearing a mask.
I share the lessons that helped me release guilt in motherhood, military life, and creativity, and how letting go of that weight finally allowed me to stand in my own voice again. You’ll also hear how guilt shows up in The Ordinary Bruja, how Salvador weaponizes it, and how Marisol breaks free from an inheritance of emotional burden.
The Ordinary Bruja is officially out now! If you’re ready for a story about identity, magic, and releasing what no longer serves you, order your copy here:
The Ordinary Bruja: Book One of Las Cerradoras Series – Johanny Ortega
Marisol Espinal has spent her life trying to disappear from her family’s whispers of magic, from the shame of not belonging, from the truth she refuses to face. She’s always wanted to be someone else: confident, capable, extraordinary.
But when strange visions, flickering shadows, and warnings written in her mother’s hand begin to stalk her, Marisol is forced to confront her deepest fear: what if she isn’t extraordinary at all? What if she’s painfully ordinary?
Yet Hallowthorn Hill doesn’t call to just anyone. And the more Marisol resists, the stronger its pull becomes. The past she’s buried claws its way back, and something in the mist is watching—waiting for her to remember.
If Marisol cannot face the truth about who she is and where she comes from, the same darkness that destroyed her ancestors will claim her, too.
Somewhere in the shadows, something knows her name.
And it’s time for Marisol to learn why.
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