Celebrate Our Great Nation

As we have fun and go about our holiday to celebrate this great land of ours, let us not forget all those who have, and continue to, fight for our freedom and ability to do so.  Honor our home of the free because of the brave. We owe you!

Happy 4th of July. Celebrate this great nation and be safe!

Build Your Best Self

"Fear and dread are great cripplers of the spirit."

So says Vinita Hampton Wright in SIMPLE ACTS OF MOVING FORWARD: 60 SUGGESTIONS FOR GETTING UNSTUCK.

As I have continued to explore and be enlightened by this book, I've grown to see how "stuck" one can become in all facets of life. Stuck in writing, yes, but also stuck in mindset (hence why my next book exploration will be MINDSET: THE NEW PSYCHOLOGY OF SUCCESS by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.), stuck in routine (I am guilty as charged), stuck in thought or belief (positive or negative) and so forth. So how then does one become "unstuck" in order to move forward?

I am a firm believer in the power of positive thinking and am often arguing the merit of the proverbial glass half full, not empty, to those naysayers out there. Clearly, I don't live wearing rose-colored glasses but do believe one can set the tone and mindset for the day by choosing to focus on and see the positive rather than assuming the worst.

The prayer at the end of one of the chapter reads...

"How much more positive my life would be if I just assumed that things will go well. Give me that kind of vision."

Oh boy, yes! In fact, this has been an ongoing discussion in my household as of late for various reasons. I have lectured some on not assuming something will happen a certain and expected way but to, rather, wait and let things unfold before jumping to conclusions. This has stemmed from a negative place of assumption however. Perhaps I should now lecture the benefits of assuming from a place of positivity...rather than expecting it to be another crappy, cloudy day, see the sun peeking from behind the cool cloud; rather than expecting to fail a test, assume you will know more than you think given the effort put forth in studying; rather than expecting another rejection, assume the editor or agent may love your manuscript and, if not, surely another will...see my point?

Much of this negativity, it seems to (and for) me, stems from a place of fear. Fear of being ridiculed, fear of losing or not being good enough, fear of failure...even fear of success depending on what that success entails. Fear can drive, or stunt, so many of our thoughts, beliefs and abilities. We must overcome this fear.

Wright says, "So put away fear today. And build upon hope...when you finally face the thing you fear or dread, it automatically becomes a smaller monster."

And, I would argue, frees the ties that bind our minds.  Step by step, task by task, hour by hour, day by day...the piles get tackled, the projects get accomplished and the mind and negativity get quieted.

Let's build our best selves and not be crippled by anything negative!

Given I have often posted about this book, I'm sure you can guess I highly recommend it. I have enjoyed it immensely and found it very beneficial thus far. I bet you would too!

A Terrific Read of Adventure and Imagination for Kids

I'm back from my family fun, and I have a wonderful book for you.  Below find my review of BEVERLEE BEAZ THE BROWN BURMESE, written by Regan H.W. Macaulay and illustrated by Alex Zgud.

Title: BEVERLEE BEAZ THE BROWN BURMESE 

Author: Regan W.H. Macaulay 

Illustrator: Alex Zgud 

Publisher: Mirror World Publishing 

Published: 2019 

ISBN:  978-1-987976-52-6

Beverlee Beaz is an adventurous Burmese cat with an active imagination. Beverlee’s story taps the imagination of children everywhere as she greets the day and romps through meadows, around hills, along the edge of the woods to the bank of a river. Beverlee follows fun creatures kids everywhere will love on her caper such as a monarch butterfly as it morphs into a parrot from the rainforest, a rabbit into a kangaroo from the Australian Outback, a frog becomes a Komodo dragon from Indonesia. Bees turn into pterodactyls who give chase…but what is real and what is the product of Beverlee Beaz’s beautiful imagination?  Follow Beverlee’s story of adventure and excitement until the sun sets on her escapades and find out.

Ms. Zgud’s whimsical illustrations are vivid and colorful and bring Beverlee Beaz and her beautiful story to life.

This book is highly recommended for young readers of all ages.

 

** Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.  This review consists of my truthful opinions, not influenced in any way by the author or publisher.

Well, given the period of time it has been since my last post, I imagine it is quite obvious I've been MIA as of late. This is just a quick check in to say that in the chaos of a winding down tennis season for my son, my daughter's high school graduation and festivities, wrapping up work and school and preparing for a family vacation, I've let my blogging slip considerably.

The break will continue a bit longer, but I will be back mid-June following much needed family time. I thank you for your understanding.

Until then, happy reading and writing!

Easter Blessings

Happy Easter! Wishing you all a blessed holiday as you celebrate the true meaning of Easter with friends and family.  Alleluia, Alleluia!

Go Vote!

Congratulations to all of the finalists on the short list for the Crystal Kite Awards!

Round 2 voting has begun and will close on April 30 at 5pm PDT.

Check out the finalists in your division at www.scbwi.org. Once you are on your Member Home page, go to the left navigation bar, scroll to the bottom, and click on Vote in the Crystal Kite Awards to cast your vote.

I was pleased and excited to see my top choice is still in the running.  Good luck to all!

Picture Books of the Heart

Some books don't just tug at the heart strings, they yank at them good and hard. Recently, I have found myself purchasing several which made me feel that tug when I read the reviews.  Then I got them to read, and wham...pure on emotion! My picture book library seems to be ever expanding, the shelves starting to cave under the pressure...or so my husband says:)  Some of my recent favorites which foster hope and insight include THE REMEMBER BALLOONS, A GIRL NAMED OCTOBER, IMAGINE, AND MY HEART.

THE REMEMBER BALLOONS, written by Jessie Oliveros and illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte, is a truly amazing book. It serves as a wonderful way to help children try to understand and cope with a loved one suffering from dementia and brings hope in the face of struggle and pain. The art spoke to my heart as much as the text. Simply perfect!

A GIRL NAMED OCTOBER, written by Zakieh A. Mohammed and illustrated by Andrea Tripke, has such a profound and insightful message on the view of life it will impact children and adults alike.

IMAGINE, written by Juan Felipe Herrera and illustrated by Lauren Castillo, made me think and feel as a child again...oh the possibilities!

MY HEART, written and illustrated by Corinna Luyken, celebrates the importance of letting one's heart be the guide and the ability to decide where it will lead.

All of the above books spoke to my heart in numerous ways, big and small. I highly recommend all if you haven't had the opportunity to read them yet. 

I would also love to hear what books have spoken to you recently as I am always looking to add to my collection...and maybe bend the shelves a bit more!