Welcome to 2022

 

Happy New Year to you and yours! May 2022 bring much happiness, good health and well-being. Wishing you peace and prosperity, today and always. Cheers to a new year filled with fresh possibilities, both big and small. Find your passion and purpose and have your best year yet!

StoryStorm 2022

 

Looking forward to a new year of Tara Lazar's annual STORYSTORM challenge in January. 30 picture book ideas in 31 days...game on! If you haven't participated yet, I highly recommend you give it a shot. It is a great way to kick off the new writing year. 

You can find more information here, https://taralazar.com/.

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas. May peace and joy be with you always. Enjoy time spent with family and friends. Be well and God Bless!

Tis the Season

 

'Twas the week of Christmas
and all through the house,
all people were stirring
and flitting about.
 

Mom was cooking
and baking
and wrapping.
 

Dad was sweeping
and dusting
and fire building.

The children were snooping
and playing
and movie watching.
 

The house was ready,
the goodies baked.
Cards were played,
and meals made.
 

Soon it will be time to sleep and await
Santa and his reindeer
on this Christmas Eve.
 

Wishing you all wonderful time
spent with family and friends,
good health and well-being, now and
in the new year ahead.
 

Merry Christmas to all,
and to all a good night!

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Wishing you and yours a very healthy, happy and fun-filled Thanksgiving celebration. I am deeply grateful to be able to celebrate in person with my family this year rather than Zoom and hope the same for you.

God Bless and safe travels should you be doing so.

Thank You, Veterans

 

Today, we celebrate and honor American veterans (and their families) for their sacrifice, their patriotism, and their willingness to serve our great country. Thank you does not begin to cover the debt for which we owe you. For those of you still serving, may God grant you peace, safety and strength.

God Bless America!

 

I recently found this Ralph Waldo Emerson quote saved on my computer and felt it deserved a re-visit. Such an important piece of advice, regardless of one's lot in life, but definitely so as a writer.

"No one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety." 

So very true yet so hard to do. Writing is often a constant state of anxiety. Is this WIP any good? Is my mc believable? Will anyone want to publish this? Will anyone want to buy and read it? And so it goes. A constant state of chaotic, anxiety-ridden brain space. However, I love what Emerson says about finishing your day and letting it go, having "done what you could." As, most importantly, "tomorrow is a new day...this day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays."

So do what you can, in the time that you have. Do it well, to the best of your ability. As the sun sets on your day, be happy with what you have accomplished and prepare to move on to the promise of tomorrow. 

What, dear friends, did your day entail today?

New Website

 

I am so excited to announce my new and (much) improved website is now live, safe and secure! It has been a long haul, but I am pleased with the final result. Thank you to the team at web.com/register.com for all of the help throughout the process.

Check it out at https://www.karinlarson.com/ and let me know what you think. I would appreciate the feedback.

Happy Weekend!

Technology Woes

Pardon my lengthy break from this blog and the majority of technology in general. My computer crashed several weeks ago, so all I've been able to accomplish has been what I've been able to do on my phone (which hasn't been much). My new computer has arrived (hence this post), so I am in the process of trying to determine what is still here from the Cloud and what I need to figure out how to transfer. Either way, it is awesome to have a working computer once again. Yay! It has reiterated my knowledge of just how technologically inept I truly am:(

In the midst of all of this, my website needing updating as it was an old platform that didn't support a security certificate or much of what I wanted to accomplish and, therefore, I let it expire late August. Once my computer died, I had to get help creating the new one in order to ensure it is functional as soon as possible.

So, please watch for my new and improved website launching soon! I can't wait to share it with you.

Happy weekend, all!

Never Forget

As we mark 20 years since the devastating tragedy and grief that hit our world, always remember those who died and those who sacrificed for others. May God bless them and all of their families left to grieve.

ALWAYS remember...NEVER forget.

National Read a Book Day

As you celebrate Labor Day this year, take some time to relax and read as it is also National Read a Book Day today. Here is what I am currently reading (which is wonderful thus far)...

And, providing it arrives on time...

 

 

The reviews have been amazing, and I can't wait to get my copy and read it. Congratulations, Colleen and Nancy!

What are you reading? I'd love to hear!

National Book Lovers Day

 Whether your book of choice looks more like this...

Or more like this...

Put down your phone and computer, grab your favorite book(s) and beverage and settle in to enjoy National Book Lovers Day today for whatever period of time you're able.

What a treat to celebrate the love of books!

Happy 4th of July

Today marks the celebration of the birth and independence of this great nation. Enjoy your fireworks, picnics and time spent with friends and family while celebrating this great land of the free because of the brave. 

God Bless America!

Remembrance and Gratitude

 

Today we honor and remember those who have given their lives for us and the freedoms we enjoy today. Thank you, and God bless you and your families.

Organizing Time and Space

 

Hello! I want to apologize in advance for my sporadic posting, past and future. The school (and, therefore, work for me) year has just ended which typically means more writing time and focus for me. This year has had several happenings, both personally and professionally, that have taken my time, and I know I am not alone in this. As we move into the summer months, I am also moving, literally. We are building a new home (same city) and downsizing a bit which means major organizing and decluttering on my part (some might say I am a bit of a pack rat!). This move brings much excitement as well as sadness as this has been the home we have raised our kids and spent the last 20 years. I tend toward the nostalgic side these days with my youngest now technically a senior in high school (which means I am knocking on the empty nest door) when the new year dawns, so I am riding a fine emotional line these days. That being said, I LOVE the new home we are building and know we will make new memories and enjoy our family time in a new place. 

The point of my post is to say, I'm sorry if I am a bit hit and miss on my posting through these summer months. I will be checking in but have a lot of decluttering, organizing and cleaning out to do in preparation for a late summer (hopefully!) move, so my spare time will be focused on writing and editing current WIPs rather than posting. I also have to re-build my website by August which will take quite a bit of time given I am highly technologically inept.

Happy summer, enjoy these longer days and fill them with much love and productivity. I will be in touch off and on!

Happy Mother's Day

 

Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms out there. Enjoy your day and celebrate you! To all of you missing your mom today, I'm sending many good thoughts your way.

Mindset Matters

Some time ago, a kind soul gave all of the teachers/staff at the private elementary school I work at a copy of MINDSET: THE NEW PSYCHOLOGY OF SUCCESS by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D. I started a while ago but didn't get very far and just found it in my to-read stack the other day, so I re-started again. This book discusses how we can learn to fulfill our potential in various areas, such as parenting, business, school and relationships.

Dweck discusses the power of mindset and motivation from the perspective of two different mindsets: the fixed mindset, those that believe abilities are fixed, and the growth mindset, those who believe abilities can be developed. 

I am not yet very far and am excited to read and learn as I go, but I already find myself identifying a particular way (time will tell!) and highlighting bits of wisdom as I go.

One of the first things that really spoke to me and kicked off the highlighting was the following, "When you're lying on your deathbed, one of the cool things to say is, 'I really explored myself.'"

Wow, yes! I think (for myself anyway) it can be easy to go through life complacent and not really pushing for more...more knowledge, more understanding, more love, whatever the case may be. As I considered this and thought about it from the perspective of my writing life, it really hit home. Being a children's author is a constant state of learning, knowledge and skill development as well as persistence and perseverance. For as Dweck says, "People with the growth mindset know that it takes time for potential to flower." 

That it does. As well as determination. And grit. And failure. But then you dust yourself off and get back on the saddle, so to speak. If at first you don't succeed, try and try again or so my mom often told me growing up. And Dweck appears to agree..."When people believe their basic qualities can be developed, failures may still hurt, but failures don't define them. And if abilities can be expanded--if change and growth are possible--then there are still many paths to success."

Such is the way of the writing life. Try, fail, try, fail, try some more and, hopefully, succeed. "You have to work hardest for the things you love most." So very true, Ms. Dweck. I know, for me, this has really boiled down to believing in myself and being willing to work hard. Sometimes it works out and sometimes not, but the efforts always pay dividends in one way or another. I will leave you with one final piece of wisdom gained in this most recent reading. 

Dweck says, "...In the growth mindset, you don't always need confidence...even when you think you're not good at something, you can still plunge into it wholeheartedly and stick to it...you don't have to think you're already great at something to want to do it and to enjoy doing it."

This. Is. Big! For so long, I've struggled to put voice to being a children's author unless in the company of other authors who understood all the ups and downs. I felt inferior perhaps for a variety of reasons...I'm not exactly a block buster selling author, many think writing picture books is cute and a piece of cake, etc. It is just often hard to own it without the perceived rewards to support that claim. I'm working on this and will continue to do so, but reading Dweck's words really helped me. When confidence fails, I will live in the enjoyment and embrace the process, wherever it leads. Because I will be enjoying it wholeheartedly.

Clearly, I am enjoying this book and, while I am only on chapter 3, I certainly recommend you check it out!

Book Review: THE HATCHLING

In the spirit of Easter and the Spring season, I would like to share my most recent book review with you.

TITLE:  THE HATCHLING

PUBLISHER:  4RV Publishing, January 2021

AUTHOR:  Vivian Zabel

ILLUSTRATOR:  Jeanne Conway

PAPERBACK ISBN:  978-1-950074-15-0

HARDCOVER ISBN:  978-1-950074-16-7

 

THE HATCHLING is a heart-warming story of two best friends, Louie Duck and Gus Goose, who go about their days playing, riding waves in the lake and enjoying each other’s company. But soon comes a surprise…Louie is going to be a big brother. How will this new sibling affect Louie and Gus? THE HATCHLING explores the feelings involved in both the sibling relationship and the friendship bond in a heart-warming and relatable way all kids will understand without feeling a lesson is being taught. Ms. Zabel uses active and lively, at times alliterative, language which kids will love. Back matter sections with discussion questions and additional information about ducks compliment the text which kids and adults alike will enjoy. Ms. Conway’s illustrations are bright and fun and bring the characters and story to life. This story is perfect for kids ages 4-9 years of age.

 

To learn more about Vivian Zabel or the other Louie the Duck stories (WAVE EXCITEMENT, LOUIE FINDS A FRIEND), visit https://www.4rvpublishing.com/vivian-zabel.html or www.vivanzabel.com.

 

For more information about Jeanne Conway, visit https://www.jeanniespaintings.com.

 

DISCLAIMER:  I received a hard copy of THE HATCHLING free of charge in return for my honest review. This review consists of my honest opinions, not influenced by anyone in any way.

AN EMOTIONAL MENAGERIE

April is National Poetry Month, so I think it only fitting to kick off the celebration by sharing a press release and my review of The School of Life's upcoming release (new to the US), AN EMOTIONAL MENAGERIE:  Feelings From A to Z.

*****************************************************************************

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jessica Jonap at 305 864 5521 or Jessica@JessicaJonap.com

 

 

THE SCHOOL OF LIFE PRESS TO RELEASE NEW BOOK FOR YOUNG READERS THIS SPRING

 

An Engaging Exploration of Childhood Feelings and Emotional Literacy

Through Enchanting Poetry and Stunning Illustrations

 

PRAISE FOR EMOTIONAL MENAGERIE   “At a time of huge uncertainty, this is an engaging way to get young children to talk about their emotions.”   --The Independent (London) in a round up of the best motivational books for children   “A stunning book for the whole family to enjoy.” --Armadillo Children’s Books   "Friendly and accessible… a great starting point for a discussion about emotions" --Youth Services Book Review

Emotions are like animals:
No two are quite the same.
Some are quiet; some are fierce;
And all are hard to tame.

Inside this book there’s twenty-six

Emotions you might feel

Arranged alphabetically

From anger to zeal.

--From EMOTIONAL MENAGERIE

 

AN EMOTIONAL MENAGERIE: Feelings From A to Z (The School of Life Press Hardcover; April 2021; full-page color illustrations; Ages 5+) is a beautifully-illustrated emotional glossary for children, with 26 rhyming poems, arranged alphabetically, that brings feelings to life—Anger, Boredom, Curiosity, Dreaminess, Embarrassment, Fear, Guilt, and more. The poems transform each emotion into a different animal to provide a clear and engaging illustration of its character: how it arises; how it makes us behave and how we can learn to manage its effects. Boasting a rich vocabulary, the poems also give kids a wide variety of options for describing their feelings to others.

Children experience all sorts of emotions: sometimes going through several very different ones before breakfast. Yet they can struggle to put these feelings into words. An inability to understand and communicate their moods can lead to unpredictable behavior, deep frustration and a whole host of difficulties further down the line. Like adults, they need help to recognize and verbalize their feelings. The greater their emotional vocabulary, the more likely they are to grow into happy, healthy and fulfilled adults.  AN EMOTIONAL MENAGERIE helps children to:

 

·      Cultivate self-expression and self-reliance

·      Feel seen and heard

·      Increase compassion for themselves and others

·      Understand why identifying and labeling emotions is important

·      Use expressive words in their daily vocabulary

·      Explore complicated feelings in a fun, accessible way

 

Filled with wise, therapeutic advice, brought to life through musical language and lush illustrations and perfect for reading aloud, AN EMOTIONAL MENAGERIE is an imaginative, gratifying way of increasing emotional literacy. 

AN EMOTIONAL MENAGERIE is published by The School of Life, whose recent best-selling titles, Big Ideas for Curious Minds and Happy, Healthy Minds have resonated with readers (kids and adults) worldwide. A global organization helping people lead more fulfilled lives, The School of Life is a rapidly growing brand, with over 6 million YouTube subscribers, 345,900 Facebook followers, 211,000 Instagram followers and 162,900 Twitter followers.  Its publishing arm, The School of Life Press, brings together a compendium of The School of Life's vast body of work, under the direction of its series editor and reigning master of modern-day philosophy, Alain de Botton. Publishing books for children and adults, all of The School of Life titles share a coherent, curated message that speaks with one voice: calm, reassuring, and balanced. The School of Life has published a range of titles, games and resources that connect kids with their passions and engage critical thinking.

 

AN EMOTIONAL MENAGERIE:  Feelings From A to Z

The School of Life Press

Hardcover with illustrated color images

Reading age: 5+

ISBN-13 : 978-1912891245

 

For additional information please visit www.theschooloflife.com.

 

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I very much enjoyed this book. My review follows:

 

 

 

Title:  AN EMOTIONAL MENAGERIE:  Feelings From A To Z

Publisher: The School of Life, 2020 (First Published in the USA, 2021)

Hardcover with Illustrated Colored Images (Illustrated by Rachel Saunders)

ISBN-13:  978-1-912891-24-5

Reading Age: 5+

 

AN EMOTIONAL MENAGERIE:  FEELINGS FROM A TO Z is a motivational, inspiring and educational book that teaches about emotions by helping kids not only understand how they are feeling but also giving them the vocabulary to communicate it to others. 26 rhyming poems pair emotions with animals throughout the alphabet from A (anger) to Z (zeal) and provide terrific advice for kids and adults alike. The poems and messages contained within them are presented in a fun, appealing manner to which kids can easily relate. The animals are a perfect fit for the paired emotions and make it easier for kids to understand the depths of the emotions they experience.

 

Ms. Saunders illustrations are beautifully vibrant and bring the text and emotions to life. This book is perfect for kids ages 5-6 and above.

 

For further information, visit www.theschooloflife.com, Twitter @TheSchoolOfLife and Instagram @theschooloflifelondon.

 

DISCLAIMER:  I received a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review. This review consists of my honest opinions, not influenced by anyone in any way.